Professor Bill Winlow, Preston West

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Archive for the ‘Local Services’ Category

Devolved Fund for Economic Growth

by professorbillwinlow on 18 March, 2013

Regional authorities will have to compete with each other for funding for transport, skills and housing developments under plans to be unveiled by the Government today. The Coalition is planning to pool billions of pounds of regional spending into a single fund in a bid to decentralise public spending and boost economic growth outside London. […]

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250,000 more school places needed by 2014

by professorbillwinlow on 17 March, 2013

The National Audit Office has claimed that ministers must find 250,000 new school places by 2014 to accommodate a surge in the birth rate. The biggest rise since the baby boom after the second world war means that although the Department for Education has created more than 80,000 places over the past two years, a […]

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Changes to Housing Benefit & other Welfare Reforms

by professorbillwinlow on 16 March, 2013

The new benefit rates start on 1st April. After that date, if you live in ‘social housing’, and you have one or more spare bedrooms, you may find your Housing Benefit cut. From that date too, if you are of working age, you will find your Council Tax benefit is being cut too – which […]

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New Tesco in Sight at Brickworks Site

by professorbillwinlow on 14 March, 2013

You may have noticed work taking place all round the Brickworks site, with tree clearing work being carried out ahead of the start of the nesting season. Also, the work involved in moving the Great Crested Newts to their new home is well underway. Both these phases should be completed by May and then, subject to all the necessary details being […]

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Blackpool Road – more safety measures needed

by professorbillwinlow on 13 March, 2013

County Councillor Bill Winlow and his team have been surveying residents on Blackpool Road. People are generally much happier since the road was remarked to reduce its width. It is easier to get out of their drives and most agree that speeding has been reduced. But there is still a problem from the Leagate end of the built up area to the junction with Aldfield Avenue where there […]

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At last some sense from IDS – more compassion needed

by professorbillwinlow on 12 March, 2013

“The invidious “bedroom tax” is causing  a lot of financial problems locally for those who can least afford them The statement below goes a long way to helping those who are Foster carers or in the armed forces and that Discretionary Housing Payments remain for those whose homes have had significant adaptation for disability and/or medical conditions that make sharing a […]

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Councils should be allowed to build homes

by professorbillwinlow on 12 March, 2013

Today’s Financial Times  carries a letter from a coalition of councils, developers, housing associations, professional bodies and academics, headed by Sir Steve Bullock, executive member for housing at London Councils; Liz Peace, chief executive of the British Property Federation and Grainia Long, chief executive of the Chartered Institute for Housing. The letter urges the Government […]

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More money needed to build homes

by professorbillwinlow on 10 March, 2013

The Financial Times reports that local authorities across Britain will urge the Chancellor to use the Budget to end restrictions on their ability to borrow money allowing them to build more homes. The Local Government Association will back an amendment to the Growth and Infrastructure Bill which is being discussed in the House of Lords […]

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Potholes becoming larger problem

by professorbillwinlow on 9 March, 2013

The Guardian looks at the escalating problem of potholes and suggests measures that consumers should take if they hit a hole or notice one. David Weeks, from the Asphalt Industry Alliance, comments that the current “patch and mend” system of dealing with potholes is inefficient. He comments: “What is needed is for the Government to […]

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Norman Lamb wants tougher training for care home workers

by professorbillwinlow on 9 March, 2013

Norman Lamb, the Liberal Democrat Health Minister, has said that care home staff will be forced to undergo compulsory training for the first time under the Coalition’s plans to protect the elderly from abuse and neglect. Mr Lamb warned that the lack of basic requirements for training care workers was leaving frail pensioners in the […]

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