Bristol council tax to rise and plans progressing for visitors' fee
Increasing the city's Clean Air Zone charge was not debated at the budget meeting on Tuesday but was approved along with a raft of measures to raise income.Council officers will now seek permission from the government to increase it in line with inflation, which is currently 3%. This could see the daily price for a car rise to £9.27.The budget comprises £1.7bn in spending across schools, council housing, the harbour estate and public health.
The Greens-led council dropped plans to slash funding for museums, libraries and lolipop patrols earlier this year.The Lib Dem amendment to carry out a feasibility study into a visitor charge was also approved. This would see hotel guests paying £2 extra to stay each night.And the group's request to set up a donation fund for community organisations was passed unanimously.Two of Labour's proposals, to reduce the cost of meals on wheels to 4.5% and to tackle fly-tipping, were both approved.Labour group leader Tom Renhard said the Greens had removed some of the "worst ideas" from the original proposals.He added: "Even though you've been bailed out of doing most of the unpalatable things, this is still a bad budget, devoid of political direction."Lib Dem councillor Sarah Classick said her group would support the budget as amended and that although it was not perfect, it took a pragmatic approach to improving essential services.Conservative group leader Mark Weston said his party was seriously worried about changes to transport, libraries and waste services, with an ongoing public consultation into reducing black bin collections to every three or four weeks.
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Western Telegraph
28 minutes ago
- Western Telegraph
Councils consider legal bids as ministers face Epping hotel ruling aftermath
Ministers are now bracing for further legal challenges from councils after Epping Forest District Council was granted a temporary injunction by the High Court on Tuesday. The ruling blocks asylum seekers from being housed at the Bell Hotel in the Essex town, and current residents must be removed by September 12. On Wednesday, some Conservative and Reform UK-led authorities said they were looking at their options to take similar action. Conservative-run Broxbourne Council in Hertfordshire has said it was taking legal advice 'as a matter of urgency', while Tory-run East Lindsey District Council in Lincolnshire said officers are investigating and 'will take appropriate action'. Reform UK-led councils, West Northamptonshire Council and Staffordshire County Council, also said the authorities would look at the options available after the High Court ruling. When Robert Jenrick was immigration minister he grew the number of illegal migrants living in free hotels to 56,000. He is no friend of Epping. — Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) August 20, 2025 Ian Cooper, leader of Staffordshire County Council, said: 'The control and protection of our country's borders is a national issue, but the impact of central government policy is felt in communities across Staffordshire.' It comes as Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has indicated that councils run by his party will consider their own legal challenges. However, a number of these councils do not have responsibility for planning permission, which may limit their ability to launch legal challenges. Epping Forest District Council had asked a judge to issue an interim injunction stopping migrants from being accommodated at the Bell Hotel after it had been at the centre of protests in recent weeks. The demonstrations came after an asylum seeker, who was staying there, was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. Protests took place outside the hotel (Jordan Pettitt/PA) He denies the charge and is due to stand trial later this month. The Home Office had warned the judge that an injunction could 'interfere' with the department's legal obligations, and lawyers representing the hotel's owner argued it would set a 'precedent'. Reacting to the ruling on Wednesday, security minister Dan Jarvis told Times Radio: 'We're looking at a range of different contingency options following from a legal ruling that took place yesterday, and we'll look closely at what we're able to do.' Asked whether other migrant hotels have the proper planning permission, Mr Jarvis said: 'Well, we'll see over the next few days and weeks. 'Other local authorities will be considering whether they wish to act in the same way that Epping (Forest) District Council have. A STATEMENT FROM NIGEL FARAGE This is a victory for the parents and concerned residents of Epping. They do not want their young women being assaulted on the streets. This community stood up bravely, despite being slandered as far right, and have won. They represent the vast… — Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) August 19, 2025 'I think the important point to make is that nobody really thinks that hotels are a sustainable location to accommodate asylum seekers. 'That's precisely why the Government has made a commitment that, by the end of this Parliament, we would have phased out the use of them.' On Wednesday shadow home secretary Chris Philp also pressed ministers not to re-house the asylum seekers at the Bell Hotel into other hotels or flats 'sorely needed by young people'. In a letter to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, Mr Philp wrote: 'Up and down the country people are furious about the number of illegal migrants being housed in hotels – which rose in the nine months following the election under Labour. Following the ruling in Epping and the ongoing migrant crisis I have written to Yvette Cooper calling for: 1. An emergency cabinet meeting (they had one for recognising Palestine recently) to bring forward plans for the immediate deportation of all illegal immigrants upon… — Chris Philp MP (@CPhilpOfficial) August 20, 2025 'People are also concerned that you are now moving people from hotels into apartments and other accommodation which is sorely needed by young people here who are struggling under this Labour Government.' The Conservative MP also called for an emergency Cabinet meeting to set up plans to deport migrants crossing the Channel on arrival. Meanwhile Mr Farage has called for peaceful protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers to put pressure on local authorities to take the same route as Epping Forest. Writing in The Telegraph, he said: 'Now the good people of Epping must inspire similar protests around Britain. 'Wherever people are concerned about the threat posed by young undocumented males living in local hotels and who are free to walk their streets, they should follow the example of the town in Essex. 'Let's hold peaceful protests outside the migrant hotels, and put pressure on local councils to go to court to try and get the illegal immigrants out; we now know that together we can win.' Our work with international partners is vital to stopping small boat crossings to the UK. A joint intelligence unit involving the @NCA_UK and French counterparts has helped dismantle at least 52 organised immigration crime gangs operating in France. — Home Office (@ukhomeoffice) August 17, 2025 The latest Home Office data showed there were 32,345 asylum seekers being housed temporarily in UK hotels at the end of March. This was down 15% from the end of December, when the total was 38,079, and 6% lower than the 34,530 at the same point a year earlier. New figures – published among the usual quarterly immigration data release – are expected on Thursday, showing numbers in hotels at the end of June. Figures for hotels published by the Home Office date back to December 2022 and showed numbers hit a peak at the end of September 2023 when there were 56,042 asylum seekers in hotels.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Worcestershire police investigate St George flags on roundabouts
A police investigation has been launched into criminal damage after roundabouts in Worcestershire were painted with the St George's mini roundabouts in the county, including in Bromsgrove, were painted after similar decorations popped up in neighbouring Birmingham. Hundreds of flags have also been tied around lampposts, which Worcestershire County Council, run by a Reform UK minority, said would Reform UK councillor Karl Perks described the "illegal painting of red crosses on local roundabouts" as "acts of vandalism". He added the practice, which has been supported by some residents, was "costing tax payers money"."As the cabinet member for highways for Worcestershire County Council, I will be seeking criminal damages so that every other tax payer in the county does not pay for this," Cllr Perks Mercia Police confirmed they were investigating the daubing of roundabouts in Monday, a video of a man painting a red cross onto a mini roundabout in the town circulated on social the video, a police car is seen pulling up to the man for a few seconds before driving Richard Field from the West Mercia force said: "Painting roundabouts is not only dangerous to drivers and pedestrians, but it also amounts to criminal damage. "We are working closely with partners, including Worcestershire County Council, to tackle this issue and investigate where appropriate." In Worcester, landscape gardener Tom Conway told BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester he believed he had put up about 400 flags in the city."The morale in the community seemed low and, ever since we did it, people have driven past and shown nothing but love and happiness," he Conway added he thought the UK should be more like the United States, and fly the flag proud. 'Heated debate' On Tuesday, Perks said climbing up lampposts and attaching flags to them "may not be the best thing to do, mostly because it's dangerous and could cause damage".He suggested people could show their pride by flying the flag in their gardens, on cars, in home windows and on "community buildings where agreed by the whole community".He said, however, there was no specific plan to take the flags down. Ed Kimberley, who is a Labour Worcester City councillor for Warndon and Elbury Park, said he had been contacted by residents who disagreed with the flags."Is this a positive message of patriotism or is it something more sinister?" he said."If it is a message of positivity, then why is the debate heated?" Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Have your say: Is Nigel Farage stirring up tensions over asylum seekers?
Some councils are aiming to block hotels from housing asylum seekers, leaving the Government scrambling to find alternatives for thousands of people. Nigel Farage is seizing the moment - but is he easing pressure on the system, or stoking tensions? The Government has promised to stop using asylum hotels by the end of this Parliament, but in the meantime it still needs places to house people. Epping Forest District Council has been granted a temporary High Court injunction to block migrants from being accommodated at the town's Bell Hotel. And of course Nigel Farage sees an opportunity here, saying Reform-led councils would do 'everything in their power to follow Epping's lead.' And a number of councils have already signalled they plan to do just that. In Hertfordshire, the Conservative-run Broxbourne Council said it was urgently seeking legal advice. So we want to know if you think Farage is using this opportunity to stir up tensions. Let us know by taking our poll below. The Bell Hotel in Epping has been the scene of violent clashes in recent weeks after a man staying there was charged with assaulting a 14-year-old girl - which he denies. It means every asylum seeker at The Bell has to be moved, and to make matters worse for the Home Office, other councils are expected to follow suit, with around 30,000 people being housed in hotels. Nigel Farage has said 12 local authorities where Reform are the largest party will be weighing up legal challenges. The Reform leader is being accused of inflaming tensions after he wrote: 'Now the good people of Epping must inspire similar protests around Britain. Wherever people are concerned about the threat posed by young undocumented males living in local hotels and who are free to walk their streets, they should follow the example of the town in Essex. 'Let's hold peaceful protests outside the migrant hotels, and put pressure on local councils to go to court to try and get the illegal immigrants out; we now know that together we can win.' A Home Office source told the i newspaper that Farage is urging people to protest outside these hotels, saying: 'The police have a legal responsibility to keep people safe and maintain public order. This will be at the expense of them going out fighting crime.' On Thursday night, eight officers were injured during altercations between protesters and police, with those hurt sustaining injuries to their hands as well as cuts and grazes. A video circulating on social media on the same evening showed a police vehicle driving towards a number of protesters and appearing to collide with at least one person.
