TRANSPORT CASH

Leaders combine to battle for transport cash

Source: Place North West
The figureheads of the North of England’s largest civic authorities have come together to issue a statement demanding the government commit to transport investment in the North.
The leaders will bring together a meeting of civic and business leaders in late August ahead of Parliament’s resumption following the summer recess, a meeting that will help develop a shared strategy.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has been a prominent figure on national news this week, calling into question the government’s commitment to London’s Crossrail 2 project and apparent readiness to reduce spend on rail electrification and improvement programmes such as the Northern Hub at Manchester Piccadilly.
Burnham has been joined by Manchester City Council leader Sir Richard Leese and Steve Rotheram, the Mayor of Liverpool City Region, along with Judith Blake, Julie Dore and Joyce McCarty, respectively the leaders of Leeds, Sheffield and Newcastle City Councils, in signing a statement highlighting their concerns.

 

NEW HOMES BONUS WINNERS

NEW HOMES BONUS WINNERS

One of the "tweaks" Eric Pickles made to allow him to justify his shifting of money from Northern Authorities to the South East was called New Homes Bonus.

What he did was top sliced the grant (based on need) that went to all authorities and dished it out in proportion to new build, at local values. Ignoring the fact that since then it has been raided twice and the fact that the treasury handed itself a "Bonus" by the way it was phased in, it is intrinsically unfair. The amount is calculated on council tax averages, obviously the South East has much higher values.

Tower Hamlets tops the table with £23.93m with Cornwall coming in second (because of its size) at £17m. Leeds comes in at number six but had to build a load more houses that the others in the top ten as their value per house is much less. (they had to build 7 houses to the 5 of Newham say to get the same amount of money). Islington at number 10 got £11.9m, to put that in perspective, we got £7.15.


You will see from the table where the bulk of the money is going, but now that Javid has found it is an easy pot to raid, as he did this year, look out for more raids.


   

Conservative "Bung" Bribery & Corruption

Labour furious as 83% of fund to ease council cuts will go to Conservative authorities.

Excelling themselves with obvious disregard at any pretence at fairness or property, Grieg Clark (The minister for giving more to the rich), found cash for hand outs to conservative areas, despite the fact that he had already spared them the swinging cuts he has made to Northern Urban Areas, despite the fact that their need is greater that the affluent South. 

NOT ALL BAD NEWS

NOT ALL BAD NEWS THEN

According to the LGiU (Local Government Information Unit) the "new" cuts awarded by George, that is over and above the cuts he had already told us about, for next year are 3.6% for Metropolitan Councils such as Kirklees.

Though it is not all bad news, for Shire Counties, like where David Cameron lives for instance the change will be an increase of .9%.