Who gets the money?
Monthly Archives: October 2018
Rich council has 621 billionaire/millionaire homes left empty as investment vehicles
“A west London council has requested new powers to take over so-called ‘ghost homes’ and use them for council tenants when they are left unoccupied for long periods of time.
Kensington and Chelsea council’s deputy leader Kim Taylor-Smith has written to the housing minister to call for an overhaul of council powers to acquire unused houses.
Mr Smith said growing demands for social housing in the west London borough had been “framed by the Grenfell tragedy”, which led to the deaths of 72 people and left hundreds of council tenants homeless in June 2017.
Kensington and Chelsea was said to have a “huge buy-to-leave investment market”, meaning properties are bought and left empty, often to accrue value.
Mr Taylor-Smith said 621 properties in the area have been empty and unfurnished for more than two years, 347 of which are “amongst some of the most expensive in the borough”, including one worth almost £30 million. …”
“Secretive councils shut out reporters with ‘elaborate ruse’ ” [one our council is fond of]
And EDDC with its “working groups” (eg Knowle sale and relocation, regeneration groups, the notorious East Devon Business forum, etc). Here is a list of its “other panels and forums” most of which meet behind closed doors with no public minutes:
http://eastdevon.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/committees-and-meetings/other-panels-and-forums/
“Councils across the country are trying to evade scrutiny by restricting media access to meetings.
One authority has ordered that sensitive information be shared only on an overhead screen to prevent leaks, while Nottinghamshire county council used an “elaborate” ruse to bar journalists from a crucial meeting to discuss plans to dissolve district and borough councils and create a new super-council.
Rather than debate the proposals in public, the council established a “working group” to discuss the plans behind closed doors. The council’s constitution requires committee meetings to be accessible to the press, but working groups operate outside the transparency rules.
“It’s a political sleight of hand,” Mike Sassi, editor of the Nottingham Post, said. “They are behaving in a high-handed fashion, which just reinforces every reservation people have about modern-day politicians. It was an elaborate, detailed and thought-out attempt to circumvent transparency.”
The council’s secrecy drive failed after the working group’s discussion documents and minutes were leaked to Kit Sandeman, a reporter for the Post and the BBC. The Post has complained to the local government ombudsman.
Lucy Ashton, a reporter for the BBC, The Star and Sheffield Telegraph, was challenged at a consultation at a pub to canvass residents’ views on a redevelopment. Two city council officers were “very unhappy”, she said.
“The director said, ‘We weren’t aware you were coming. Have you informed the press office?’ I said ‘No, I don’t need to, it’s a public meeting.’ ” Ms Ashton said that it was the first time in 25 years of reporting that she had faced such hostility at a council meeting. She said: “Nowadays everything needs to go through the press office. A few years ago I would have rung a planning officer directly. All that’s gone now.” The council press office apologised to Ms Ashton and pledged to ensure that reporters felt welcome at future events.
Nottinghamshire council said that the reorganisation had already been debated three times at public meetings and that the working group had no decision-making powers. Kay Cutts, council leader, said: “There was no requirement on the council to set up a working group — it was set up solely in the interests of transparency. The working group is intended as a way of engaging members from all political groups on progress of the work.”
South Ayrshire council in Scotland has sent members on mandatory confidentiality training and restricted sending out written reports to prevent leaks.
Instead, documents containing confidential information will only be displayed on an overhead screen during council meetings. The measures were required to protect commercially sensitive and personal information, the council said.
Rules for open government:
• Journalists are allowed to report from all council meetings and given “reasonable facilities”. Guidelines state: “Councils should support freedom of the press within the law and not seek to restrict those who may write critical comments.”
• Councils must give at least five days’ notice of their meetings and publish an agenda in advance.
• Press and public can be excluded if the council decides that confidential or “exempt” information is likely to be disclosed. Members of the public can be expelled to maintain orderly conduct.
• Councils can get round the transparency rules by classifying specific meetings as “working groups”, rather than committees.
Source:The Times (pay wall)
Community hospitals in Devon lost to nursing homes in privatisation move
“There was a staggering revelation yesterday at Health Scrutiny from Liz Davenport, Chief Executive of South Devon and Torbay NHS Foundation Trust, that they had made ‘block bookings of intermediate care beds in nursing homes’ when they introduced the ‘new model of care’. South Devon has closed community hospitals in Ashburton, Bovey Tracey, Paignton and Dartmouth and is currently consulting on the closure of Teignmouth – where I spoke at a rally last Saturday.
The ‘new model of care’ is supposed to mean more patients treated in their own homes, and there does seem to have been an increase in the numbers of patients sent straight home from the main hospitals.
But the idea that all patients can be transferred directly from acute hospitals to home is untrue. There is still a need for the stepping-down ‘intermediate care’ traditionally provided by community hospitals – the only difference is that now it’s being provided in private nursing homes instead.
It’s likely to be cheaper to use private homes, because staff don’t get NHS conditions, and crucially it frees up space in the hospitals so that the CCGs can declare buildings ‘surplus to requirements’ and claim the Government’s ‘double your money’ bonus for asset sales. It seems NEW Devon CCG has also made extensive use of nursing home beds, but we don’t yet know if there were ‘block bookings’.
However the private nursing home solution may not last – DCC’s chief social care officer, Tim Golby, reported that nursing homes are finding it difficult to keep the registered nurses they need to operate, and some are considering reversion to residential care homes.
This may be where the South Devon trust’s long term solution comes in – it had already been reported that it is looking to partner with a private company in a potential £100m deal which will include creating community hubs that contain inpatient beds.
The new model of care is also about privatisation.”
“CIH calls for right to buy to be suspended as discounts climb to ‘£1bn’ “
“Right to buy is costing English councils £1bn – £300m net – a year and cutting the discounts could lead to an extra 12,000 homes being built every year, a trade body has said.
Since 2012, when the discount was increased to £108,000 in London and £80,000 in the rest of the country, 69,467 homes have been sold, the Chartered Institute of Housing revealed in a briefing paper on Tuesday.
But construction has only started on 18,958 to replace those homes sold, the CIH calculated.
The housing body is calling for the policy to be suspended and for the government instead to invest in building more social homes for rent.
Terrie Alafat, CIH chief executive, said: “Not only are we failing to build enough new homes for social rent, we are losing them at a time when we need them more than ever.
“Suspending the scheme means the government could invest the savings in more homes for social rent – which is often the only truly affordable option for people on lower incomes – and also in fairer and more cost-effective ways to help tenants access home ownership.”
CIH research from January found that more than 150,000 social homes for rent in total had been lost between 2012 and 2017 due to right to buy and other factors. It estimated this figure will reach 230,000 by 2020 unless “we take action now”, Alafat said.
Council leaders warned earlier this year that just one third of councils were able to replace homes sold under the scheme in five years’ time.
The Local Government Association called for “fundamental reform” of the scheme and for councils to be allowed to borrow in order to build new homes….”
https://www.publicfinance.co.uk/news/2018/10/cih-calls-right-buy-be-suspended-discounts-climb-ps1bn
“Town council requests neighbourhood beat manager to bring an end to anti social behaviour in Cranbrook”
“The authority has been dealing with several issues in Cranbrook, including anti-social driving in the town’s railway station car park and unruly behaviour at night from youths.
Cranbrook is currently under the responsibility of Ottery’s rural policing team.
A spokeswoman for Cranbrook Town Council said: “The existing local policing team do a great job and we work very well together with them. Our request is to enhance that team as Cranbrook grows. This is because, firstly, our current policing team covers a very wide area and, secondly, during the last six years Cranbrook has grown from green fields to a town with a population of over 4,000 residents.
“Like most towns of a similar size a police presence is required to ensure the safety of the residents and to deal with any misbehaviour which occurs.”
The council said a neighbourhood beat manager would ‘quickly understand’ the day-to-day issues facing residents, and have a deterrent effect on those thinking of taking part in anti-social or criminal activities.
They would also reassure the majority of our residents that help is close at hand if and when required. The spokeswoman added: “Although we experience a low level of antisocial behaviour as evidenced in our crime statistics, it is important to remember that victims are at the heart of the response to antisocial behaviour. If left unchecked, antisocial behaviour can have an overwhelming impact on its victims and sometimes the wider community.
“Our main concern is that, as the town continues to grow, the number of incidents of anti-social behaviour is likely to increase too.
“We think that now is the right time to establish measures in order to respond to any undesirable activities in an appropriate and timely manner.”
Council chairman Councillor Kevin Blakey and his deputy, Cllr Bloxham, recently met with Alison Hernandez, Devon and Cornwall Police’s Crime Commissioner.
The council has now written to the chief constable with a request for a permanent neighbourhood beat manager.”
Independents knock some sense into DCC Tories about health and NHS
Thank the Lord for independent Councillor Claire Wright and East Devon Alliance Independent Councillor Martin Shaw
Press Release:
“In a hour-long debate in yesterday’s meeting, the Council adopted proposals which Cllr Claire Wright and I, the two Independent members from East Devon, put forward, in place of the original recommendation by the Cabinet. The ruling Conservative group adopted (with a small addition) the wording of my amendment, which Claire seconded, which proposed to work with to influence NHS decisions ‘in the direction of retaining all community hospitals to be used as health and wellbeing centres for their areas’, in place of the original Cabinet recommendation to merely seek ‘decision making appropriate to individual circumstances, including population need and the quality of building.’
This is an important change in direction by the Council, which is now committed for the first time to work to retain ALL hospitals, as Claire (who proposed the original motion) had requested. The Conservative leader, Cllr John Hart, insisted on adding the words ‘where appropriate’ to my proposal, which we opposed because it provides the NHS with additional leeway to close hospitals. Cllr Hart’s addendum was too much for one Conservative Councillor, Jonathan Hawkins (Dartmouth), who voted with the opposition for my amendment without this addition, in the light of his community’s experience of the closure of Dartmouth Hospital.
The Devon Clinical Commissioning Groups could end this controversy with a clear policy statement that all remaining hospitals will stay open and will be supported as health and wellbeing centres for our communities. Until this happens, Claire and I, with the support of tens of thousands of people around Devon who are fighting for their local hospitals, will continue our campaign. On yesterday’s evidence, we are winning.”
Martin Shaw
Independent East Devon Alliance County Councillor for Seaton & Colyton”
Swire currently in Lebanon talking up our military involvement in the country
“The press office of Prime Minister-deisgnate, Saad Hariri, on Thursday indicated that the PM received today at the Center House a British delegation from the Conservative Middle East Council CMEC, in the presence of the British Ambassador to Lebanon Chris Rampling.
The Chairman of CMEC Sir Hugo Swire said after the meeting:
“This is the second day of our trip to Lebanon. We had a series of interesting meetings. We started today by meeting with the head of the army general Aoun and we were able to talk about the assistance that the United Kingdom is bringing to the Lebanese military. We had an extremely good meeting with the president as well this morning, and then with Speaker Berri, to learn more about the political situation. We just met with Prime Minister Hariri, who was able to talk not only about domestic matters but also about the wider regional challenges for the country and how the United kingdom can do more, particularly in fulfilling some of his ambitions in terms of revitalizing the economy and the infrastructure.
We believe the United Kingdom can do a lot more in that prospect. We are already helping hugely on training the military, on an education program which is coming under a lot of challenge because of the Syrian refugees issue, but we want to do more now on the commercial side as well to make sure that all the people of this country prosper and play a part in the future.”
http://nna-leb.gov.lb/en/show-news/95850/Hariri-receives-British-delegation
Report that Randall-Johnson was with Swire and Minister of Health at Ottery St Mary
“If you thought Health Secretary Matt Hancock was a safe pair of hands for the NHS after Jeremy Hunt think again. Comedy antics ensued when the Hancock turned up at Ottery hospital. First he hid, then he hurried.
Matt may well have been doing a favour for a rich mate, East Devon money-bags MP Hugo Swire, but at what price, making him appear a hapless lacky to East Devon’s Tory elite.
Hugo by-passed the Department of Health to take Matt hospital surfing. They went to Budleigh Salterton Hospital, before popping into in Ottery.
East Devon Councillor and Devon County Council Health and Adult Care Scrutiny Committee Councillor Claire Wright was on hand, along with some residents, to ask the Health Secretary some questions.
Unfortunately, he was holed up solely with a number of East Devon Tories, including Sara Randall Johnson, chair of the Health and Adult Care Scrutiny Committee. East Devon MP, Mr Swire and his aides were also present.
Have a read of Claire’s account. It certainly seems weird, so does the behaviour of the communication people of the NEW Devon Clinical Commissioning Group.
‘Why was he so frightened about talking to a dozen residents, and the local county councillor?’ asks Claire.
‘I had been quite encouraged that he was visiting the hospital and wanted to hear from him that he will protect Ottery’s and other hospitals. After all, Mr Hancock commands the NHS and also NHS Property Services, which now owns many hospital buildings in the area.
‘They are all at risk of possible closure and sell-off due to the lack of funding available to pay the enormous rents NHS Property Services demands.
‘But his cowardly escape bid simply gave the impression of a man who does not wish to be even remotely accountable.’
But that’s not all. Here’s the response of an East Devon constituent, as posted by Channel 5 News Health Correspondent Catherine Jones (check out the picture).
[There follow many hilarious comments on Swire’s justification for his actions and a You Tube video of Hancock doing a karaoke version of “Can’t Stop Me Now]
Swire’s (in)fame(y) spreads far and wide …
The views expressed in the blog article below reflects the view of the blog owner (which has no connection to this blog):
“Government accused of covering up schools cuts with misleading figures”
“The government has been accused of attempting to cover up school budget cuts in England, after the UK’s statistics watchdog said it would investigate ministers’ use of spending figures that included private school fees to fend off criticism.
The UK Statistics Authority said it had received complaints about a recent claim, made by the Department for Education and the schools standards minister, Nick Gibb, that the UK’s spending on education was the third highest in the world.
But the claim, based on OECD figures, was revealed by the BBC to include university student tuition loans as well as the fees paid by private school pupils, which fall outside the DfE’s budget.
The department also faces scrutiny over its continued use of a claim that there are 1.9 million more children in schools rated by Ofsted as good or outstanding than at the time of the 2010 election.
“The UK Statistics Authority and the Office for Statistics Regulation are investigating the concerns raised, and will publish their findings shortly,” a spokesperson for the regulator said.
Last Friday saw a protest by more than 2,000 headteachers over school funding cuts in England. In response, the DfE defended its record, and included the statement: “The OECD has recently confirmed that the UK is the third highest spender on education in the world, spending more per pupil than countries including Germany, Australia and Japan.”
Gibb later repeated the same claim during an interview on the BBC, and the DfE published the statement in a blog on its website.
But the OECD data was comparing education spending as a percentage of national output, and included government spending in England and elsewhere along with university tuition loans for students as well as fees paid by pupils at private schools.
The OECD figures also include government spending on education in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which in most cases is devolved to national assemblies in those countries and is not counted within the DfE’s budget.
Jules White, the headteacher of a secondary school in West Sussex who helped organise last Friday’s protest, said the DfE was attempting to cover up the “savage cuts that have been made to school budgets” .
“At every stage, the government and Department for Education has refused to acknowledge an overwhelming independent body of evidence which clearly confirms that the cuts have gone too far,” White said.
“Ministers have now been caught out and we appeal to them to stop the pattern of using dreadfully misleading information which is unfair to educational professionals and most crucially to parents and pupils.”
The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has estimated that funding per pupil in England fell by 8% between 2010 and 2018, with 66,000 more children in state schools this year than the year before but with 5,000 fewer teachers. …”
6th richest country in the world: “Nearly 1 In 10 School Staff Are Bringing In Food, Tampons And Pens For Children In Need”
“Stories about teachers paying out of their own pocket for student’s food and teaching materials, are nothing new, but a study has now shown the extent of the practice in UK schools in 2018.
More than 50 per cent of classroom-based support staff have revealed they are spending their own money on items for children at school, ranging from tampons and toilet paper to pens, pencils, books, and toys for break time.
And nearly one in 10 said they were forced to bring in food from home to feed hungry children: many reported seeing pupils attending school without having eaten breakfast, or without any money for food at break times. …”
6th richest country in the world: “Fuel bills and council tax pushing people into debt the fastest – charity warns “concerning” bill rises are ruining lives”
“A debt help charity is seeing growing numbers of people falling behind with fuel bills and a resurgence in the proportion of clients with high-cost credit such as payday loans.
StepChange Debt Charity said the proportion of clients in arrears with council tax is also “stubbornly high”.
In the first half of 2018, 13.1% of all new clients were behind on a gas or electricity bill compared with 11.4% in the first half of 2017.
The charity said the increase coincides with some companies having already raised prices this year.
While some customers could potentially reduce their bills by switching, those facing financial difficulty may be nervous of the complexity of price tariffs and wary of being caught out and put in an even worse financial position, StepChange said.
It wants more utility providers to establish flexible repayment schemes, as well as sharing effective good practice on working with people who are struggling to pay to minimise their costs. …”
https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/fuel-bills-council-tax-pushing-13355881
Telegraph pays Boris Johnson £275,000 a year for 10 hours work per month
“Boris Johnson was re-employed by the Daily Telegraph on a salary of £275,000 a year for his weekly column, it has been revealed.
“The Conservative MP and potential leadership candidate had to give up his newspaper job when he became foreign secretary in 2016, forfeiting the substantial second income.
However, the parliamentary register of members’ interests shows he was immediately rehired on the same rate after resigning this summer, with no attempt made by the Daily Telegraph – which has experienced years of job cuts and falling profits – to push down his salary.
The former foreign secretary said he spends 10 hours a month writing his 1,100 word column, equivalent to a pay rate of £2,291/hour – or around £4.80 a word.”
Very stupid Tory Minister says councils are not getting cuts just more flexible ways to earn income!!”
Owl says: As John Crace (Guardian) puts it – top Tories these days seem to be fighting over their only brain cell!
“Treasury minister Liz Truss has been branded “innumerate or inept” after falsely claiming that local councils are not facing cuts.
Philip Hammond’s deputy insisted the government was simply giving town halls more “flexibility” to raise money themselves, rather than slashing their funds.
“We are not making cuts to local authorities,” Ms Truss told BBC Newsnight.
In fact, the Local Government Association highlighted this week that funding will be reduced by 36 per cent next year, the largest annual deduction in almost a decade.
And the organisation’s Conservative leader has warned that more councils will go bust unless ministers “address the funding crisis”.
Andrew Gwynne, Labour’s local government spokesman, condemned Ms Truss’s comments, saying: “This shows she’s either totally innumerate or completely inept.
“Councils of all political persuasions are edging towards the financial cliff edge, and it’s a Tory Council, Northamptonshire, that’s the first to go bump on their watch, with others not far behind. …”
BBC Radio 4 Question Time – Clyst Hydon – 9 November 2018
BBC 4 Radio programme ‘Any Questions?’ which will be taking place at Clyst Hydon Village Hall on Friday 9th November.
Doors open 6.45 pm.
Tickets from Parish Clerk:
parishclerk@clysthydon.org
New Health Secretary says no more community hospitals will be closed because they are vital to NHS!
Owl says: he makes no mention of what will happen to those already closed and up for sale. This also raises major inequality-of-care issues for the eastern side of East Devon (where all community beds have been cut) and western East Devon where the only community beds are in Sidmouth and Exmouth.
“The Health Secretary has promised to end the closure of community hospitals to ensure patients can be treated near their homes.
Matt Hancock said it was time to end the era of moving medical departments to large regional hospitals while smaller ones were closed.
He wants more patients to be cared for locally, particularly for routine procedures such as scans, physiotherapy and treatment for minor injuries.
Set up 150 years ago as cottage hospitals with just a few beds, Britain now has around 500 community hospitals that provide a broad range of services for local patients, including end-of-life care, rehabilitation for the elderly, scans, X-rays and minor injury units.
But NHS cuts mean dozens are facing closure across the country, including in Derbyshire, Gloucestershire, Cumbria, Leicestershire, Devon and Dorset.
Local health officials have been told to make savings and improve care, and many argue that patients can be treated more safely and cheaply in larger hospitals, even if they have further to travel.
But Mr Hancock believes that although patients should be prepared to go further afield for major operations such as heart bypass surgery, other procedures should be offered closer to home. …”
“Poorest to be worst hit by a cashless society, warns Which?”
Lyme Regis hit the headlines last week when it became yet another bank-less town. In East Devon we already have Ottery St Mary and Budleigh Salterton without banks, with surely others to follow.
“Lower-income households and older generations will be hardest hit by bank branch and ATM closures that threaten their vital access to cash, as these groups use cash more frequently than average, new research from Which? reveals.
More than three quarters (78%) of consumers in the two lowest income households groups rely on cash, using it at least two or three times a week. This group are less likely than average to use a credit or debit card – in fact, just over a quarter (26%) never use card payments.
Cash usage is high among over-65s – the group perhaps most at risk of social exclusion when bank branches and ATMs disappear – with four in five (80%) reliant on cash, using it at least two to three times a week.
The findings come amid concerns that consumers’ access to cash is under threat, due to a severe reduction in bank branches on Britain’s high streets and changes to the funding model of ATMs that is seeing 250 disappear every month.”
https://www.which.co.uk/news/2018/10/poorest-to-be-worst-hit-by-a-cashless-society-warns-which/ – Which?
Greendale exploits planning loopholes yet again
PRESS RELEASE:
“FWS Carter and Sons were successful in obtaining planning permission for 2 further agricultural buildings at Hogsbrook Farm, next to their Business Park at Woodbury Salterton.
The 2 planning applications were debated at East Devon’s Planning meeting on Tuesday 2nd Oct at the Knowle Sidmouth. The 2 planning applications were17/2430/MFUL and 18/0920/FUL for large agricultural sheds at Hogsbrook Farm. They were both recommended for approval by the planning department.
Although the Planning Committee were reluctant to grant planning permission for these 2 buildings only 18 months after a planning inspector overturned the committee’s decision to refuse 2 similar units being changed from agricultural use to industrial, because it was claimed they were redundant for agricultural and their remaining cattle sheds a facilities were more than adequate for their farming needs for the foreseeable future.
Yet within a short space of time after the previous units were converted to Industrial use the company applied for these 2 further agricultural buildings due to the alleged expansion to their farm business.
It was pointed out that there have now been many similar applications at Greendale and Hogsbrook Farm where agricultural building have changed to industrial or business use due to the company claiming that they were no longer needed for their agriculture needs.
Committee members were concerned that although it seemed obvious that FWS Carter and Sons are “cynically abusing” the planning system and conditions attached to previous applications which had tried to control these changes, that have by default allowed the Business Park to expand considerably and in an uncontrolled manner.
The planning officer stated that the Government and East Devon planning regulations could unfortunately not prevent these applications being approved, as the applicant had submitted an agricultural justification statement, and the applications complied with all the legal requirements, but he agreed to recommend a legal clause that should prevent the applicant from converting these further 2 units to industrial or business use in the future.
District Councillor Geoff Jung a planning committee member and the local Councillor for Raleigh Ward which includes Woodbury Salterton said after the meeting.
“There are now more than a dozen massive Industrial units at Greendale and Hogsbrook Farm which were all retrospectively changed in use and later granted permission for industrial use.”
“I totally support encouraging businesses to expand and I totally support farmers to expand and diversify and I am all for the welfare of the animals.”
“But we are also the custodians of our countryside which needs protection from uncontrolled development.”
“It very disappointing to the local community that a local developer and landowner, FWS Carter and Sons, have been successful in working the planning system.”
“I do hope the legal draft to be added the planning permission will now prevent further applications of this nature”
A few newspaper headlines from the Tory Party conference
An alternative view of the conference!
MP’s ‘horror’ at getting £4.2bn to digitise NHS with no plan
(BBC News)
Conservative MP slams party conference ‘narrative’ as he cannot recall a single ‘real announcement’
(Sky News)
Outrage as Tory uni society picture shows one student with Hitler-style moustache while another sports ‘F*** the NHS’ T-shirt
(Daily Mirror)
Don’t Always Believe What Tory MPs Say On TV, Says Party Grandee
(Huffington Post)
Education Secretary Damian Hinds Could Face Probe From Statistics Watchdog Over Conference Speech
(Huffington Post)
Boris Johnson And Jeremy Hunt Described As ‘D*ckheads’ By Former Tory Treasury Minister Jim O’Neill
(Huffington Post)
East Devon Watch 