Latest news with #JimMcMahon
BBC News
5 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Suffolk given £300k for devolution plans
A county is being allocated £290,000 to help develop plans for council restructuring. As one of the areas to be fast-tracked for devolution, Suffolk's current county and local councils will be scrapped and replaced by single-tier authorities. Local government minister Jim McMahon said the funding should be split between councils and hoped areas would collectively submit a final far, differing structures for the future have been suggested, with the five district and borough councils rejecting the county council's proposal for a single unitary authority. Suffolk County Council's cabinet member for local government reform Richard Rout said: "Modernising Suffolk's 50-year-old council structure is a significant piece of work that will require a large investment of time and money."We're very clear that a new single local council is the smartest, simplest and best option for the whole of Suffolk, which will deliver the biggest savings and most sustainable service improvements." But district and borough leaders said they were "united" against the proposal because one council would be "too large to work effectively and too remote for local residents to be heard".In a joint statement they said: "We are absolutely certain that a multiple-unitary model, with each new council delivering all services to different, recognisable parts of Suffolk, is vital to meet the differing needs of our diverse communities."That could involve the county being split in two or three, with potentially a greater Ipswich area created to cover the county's largest town. The government said it was providing £7.6 million to councils across the country and wanted them to agree on up to three authorities to receive an equal share of the funding in each area. McMahon said the funding would: "Contribute towards facilitating the development of a shared evidence base that will underpin the final proposals as well as contributing to the development of these."Despite the government asking for one proposal per county, this is understood not to be a fixed rule and multiple could be looked at. Councils were told they should aim for new authorities to cover a population of 500,000 or more but the government said it was "a guiding principle, not a strict target".Suffolk has a population of about 750,000. A combined authority would also be formed across Norfolk and Suffolk, which would be led by a directly elected mayor and manage services like transport and employment plans are due to be submitted to the government in September. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Daily Record
02-06-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Record
Scots drivers warned over new parking rules coming into force today
Drivers who are caught breaking the rules will be issued with warning notices from Monday, June 2. Drivers in parts of Scotland are being warned of new parking restrictions that are being phased in from today. Motorists who park on pavements, dropped kerbs or are caught double parking in East Ayrshire will be issued with warning notices from Monday, June 2. Parking tickets - also known as Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) - will start to be issued from Monday, July 7, when the full enforcement begins. Motorists who are caught parking on pavements will be expected to pay £100 which is reduced to £50 if paid within 14 days. The ban applies to parked and stationary or idling vehicles on private and public roads, where one or more wheels are on the footway. The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 prohibits pavement parking and double parking and the new regulations came into force in Scotland in December 2023 which handed councils the power to slap drivers with fines up to £100 for inconsiderate parking on pavements. Local authorities were given permission to decide if the measures would be implemented and when. So far they have been enforced in areas including Stirling, East Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire, Glasgow, and Perth and Kinross. Councillor Jim McMahon, East Ayrshire cabinet spokesperson for housing, transport and communities, said: 'We're hoping that by starting with a phased approach to the enforcement, we will give people some time to get used to the upcoming official enforcement measures. 'Every driver is responsible for parking their vehicle considerately and in a position that will not cause an obstruction to the pavement or road. 'We want to provide a safe and accessible environment for everyone, especially those with sight impairments, mobility issues or anyone pushing buggies who will no longer need to walk on the road. 'I'm looking forward to seeing our streets becoming safer and more accessible as a result of the new enforcement work.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Ayrshire Road Alliance warned drivers of the changes on social media on Sunday, June 2. Posting alongside details about the enforcement, they wrote: "Help us make East Ayrshire a safer and more accessible place for everyone by parking responsibly." According to Ayrshire Road Alliance there is an exception in the rules that seeks to support some traders to continue making deliveries. This only applies to activity in the 'course of business' so does not apply to personal activities like unloading shopping or lifting young children out of a car. Delivery drivers can only park on the pavement when the following conditions apply: there must be no reasonable place to park fully on the road there must be 1.5m of pavement width between their vehicle and any wall, fence or bush. If these conditions apply, then the maximum length of time for that the delivery driver can be parked on the pavement is 20 minutes
Daily Record
29-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Record
East Ayrshire Council announce "phased" plan for pavement parking enforcement
Motorists in East Ayrshire will no longer be able to park on most pavements from July after the council announced plans to begin enforcing the new law. East Ayrshire Council are set to begin enforcing new pavement parking restrictions from July. Motorists who park on pavements or dropped kerbs or are caught double parking will be issued with warning notices from Monday, June 2. Parking tickets - also known as Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) - will start to be issued from Monday, July 7, when the full enforcement begins. Drivers caught parking on pavements will be liable to pay £100 which is reduced to £50 if paid within 14 days. Legislation introduced by the Scottish Government in 2019 introduced a ban on pavement parking and gave local authorities more power to enforce it. The goal behind the legislation is to ensure that pavements and roads are safer and more accessible to all as parking on pavements prevents people from walking safely down streets. Pavement parking can also prevent access to pavements for people with disabilities or those pushing prams or buggies and it can cause damage which is expensive to repair. Double parking makes it more dangerous for vulnerable people or people pushing buggies or prams to cross the road safely as well as causing traffic congestion. Cllr Jim McMahon, East Ayrshire cabinet spokesperson for housing, transport and communities, said: 'We're hoping that by starting with a phased approach to the enforcement, we will give people some time to get used to the upcoming official enforcement measures. 'Every driver is responsible for parking their vehicle considerately and in a position that will not cause an obstruction to the pavement or road. 'We want to provide a safe and accessible environment for everyone, especially those with sight impairments, mobility issues or anyone pushing buggies who will no longer need to walk on the road. 'I'm looking forward to seeing our streets becoming safer and more accessible as a result of the new enforcement work.'
Telegraph
26-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Labour accused of ‘shameful neglect' of retirement home owners
Labour has been accused of 'shameful neglect' of grieving families hit by double council tax bills on retirement homes they have inherited. Kevin Hollinrake, the shadow housing minister, criticised the Government for refusing to conduct an impact assessment of the second home council tax raid on retirement developments. Such properties can only be occupied by owners over the age of 55 and come with high service charges, making them difficult to sell. It comes after The Telegraph heard from dozens of owners who had been hit with four-figure bills from their local council on the homes they had inherited. Mr Hollinrake said: 'Those hit by this tax grab are often still grieving the loss of a loved one. Yet heartless Labour ministers show no understanding – or concern – for the emotional and financial strain this imposes. 'They haven't even bothered to carry out an impact assessment. That's a shameful neglect of duty on what is effectively a stealth death tax. 'From the start, Labour's handling of this policy has been careless, clumsy, and callous.' Mr Hollinrake last week submitted a question in Parliament asking the Government whether it would assess the impact of the second home premium on retirement homes. But Jim McMahon, Labour minister for local government and English devolution, said it was the responsibility of councils to consider the local impact. Retirement flats are leasehold properties for the over-55s, which have become notoriously difficult to sell thanks to the age restrictions and high service charges. As of 2019, there were 730,000 retirement housing units in the UK, according to the Elderly Accommodation Counsel. However, in recent years, their appeal has dramatically waned due to their hefty service charges, which are payable whether or not the property is lived in. When an owner dies, their immediate family is forced to foot the bill while the home is on the market. This issue is being compounded by the council tax raid. One 66-year-old reader has been paying £6,000 a year in service charges since 2020, as her mother's retirement flat sits on the market. She has now been hit with a £10,000 double council tax bill. From April 1, all local authorities in England were given the powers to charge 100pc council tax premiums on second homes in their region. The Telegraph is calling for the premium to be abolished or reduced. Dennis Reed, of charity Silver Voices, said: 'The refusal even to consider mitigating measures to prevent hard-to-sell retirement flats from being penalised is another example of how low pensioners are on the Government's policy priority list. 'Such flats are clearly not second homes and this misinterpretation must be outlawed.' A spokesman for the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government said: 'We will consult on detailed plans to drive up transparency of service charges and hold landlords to account. 'It is for councils to decide whether to introduce a council tax premium and assess the local impact.'
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
National League final ticket allocation increased
Southend United and Oldham Athletic have confirmed that their respective ticket allocations for the National League play-off final at Wembley have been increased. Both clubs have been given an allocation of 21,500 tickets for the final, which takes place on Sunday, 1 June, having first been granted 17,500. An initial reduced allocation had been given to both clubs due to the closure of Wembley Park station due to engineering works taking place. David Burton-Sampson, MP for Southend West and Leigh, said on Sunday he had contacted government ministers over the amount of tickets being sold. Southend said that the previous allocation "did not come close to reflecting the scale of demand" from their supporters with Oldham adding that their supporters felt a "deep frustration" at the capped attendance. The Latics said that the club has been in daily contact with the mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, who has been engaging directly with London mayor Sadiq Khan in a bid to increase the available capacity. The club also said that they were in "regular discussions" with local MP Jim McMahon. In a further update issued on X on Sunday, the Shimpers said they could "sell in excess of 35,000 tickets" if they were allowed but confirmed that the tickets they currently had available had sold out, while a further smaller amount would go on sale on Monday. "Whilst we are pleased with the progress that has been made, we are still pushing all stakeholders to think creatively and to find solutions that can safely increase the capacity further," a Southend statement added.
