Latest news with #SloughBoroughCouncil
BBC News
a day ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
Slough Borough Council's Vehicle Removals Policy launched
A scheme that gives a council powers to seize vehicles with unpaid parking tickets has been Borough Council's Vehicle Removals Policy was approved by the cabinet last year and means the authority can remove vehicles from the highway with more than three unpaid parking a vehicle is removed, Thames Valley Police would be informed and the owner would have to go to a storage facility to release it, for a charge. Paul King, lead councillor for highways and transport, said the scheme would "address the anti-social behaviour problems linked to inconsiderate parking". "Many drivers continue to obstruct the flow of traffic and occupy parking places reserved for residents, disabled blue badge holders and other permit holders," he said."We hope drivers can follow the rules and park where they are permitted to."If they don't... there is a real risk that their vehicle will be removed from the highway, and they'll have to pay additional fees for removal and storage."The ultimate risk is that the vehicle will be disposed of." Contraventions include unauthorised parking in a loading bay, stopping in a bus stop or stopping on a pedestrian would cover vehicles obstructing planned maintenance work or preventing access to emergency service and waste collection also covers abandoned vehicles and non-motorised vehicles such as trailers and caravans. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Slough council spends £32m on temporary housing
A council that saw its bill for temporary accommodation climb to £32m last year has said it is in the "eye of the storm" for housing Borough Council, which effectively went bankrupt in 2021, has so far only been able to claim back £20m of the bill from the government. The authority's housing director said about 50 people per week were approaching it seeking temporary housing.A government spokesperson said it was committing £1bn to "prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation". The Local Government Association said councils were facing a combined £76m shortfall in temporary accommodation budgets across the council's bill has risen sharply each year since 2021, when its spending on housing families in need of immediate shelter was about £ accommodation, such as hotels, hostels or caravans, is organised by local authorities for those who lack a permanent home. Pat Hayes, council executive director of housing and properties, said the issue was a national problem, compounded by the town's proximity to London. "At the moment we're getting 50 people a week knocking on our door, asking for housing," he said."These are all people being evicted from the private rented sector because they can't pay the bills or the landlords don't want to rent to people anymore, they want to sell, people moving from West London out to Slough."We're right in the eye of that storm as somewhere that is a little bit cheaper than London and considerably cheaper than the rest of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire."It's going to need a national solution from government."The Housing Benefit subsidy used to pay councils back in full for money spent on temporary housing. However, in 2011 the subsidy was changed to be no longer adjusted for inflation, leaving some councils out of pocket. Currently Slough council's gap between the money spent and the money reclaimed for the 24/25 tax year is £12m. It is still in the process of claiming the remaining money back and has two years to claim. A government spokesperson said: "The levels of homelessness in this country are unacceptable."That's why we are making a £1bn investment in homelessness and rough sleeping services this year - a £233 million boost from last year - to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping."We continue to keep the rates used for Housing Benefit subsidy under review and are exploring the impacts of subsidy rates on local authorities." You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
10-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Slough Borough Council's report card: 'Still more work to do'
Slough Borough Council has been on the naughty step since 2021, when a group of outside commissioners were brought in to try and repair its shattered finances. Four years on the commissioners have published the latest in a series of reports looking at what progress has been made in getting the borough back on to a more stable footing. Picture the council -if you can- as a nervous school child sitting alongside their parents, waiting for their teacher to read out their end of year school teacher's verdict? I'm pleased to say that progress is being made but I'm sorry to say that the recovery is still fragile. Ouch! This is the sixth report from the commissioners and worryingly for both the council and the people who live in Slough the report says: "The council's finances continue to be of a significant concern."It's been selling off tens of millions of pounds worth of buildings and other assets ever since it was declared effectively bankruptcy in 2021, with £760m of borrowed most lucrative sale was back in 2022 when it managed to bring in more than £140 million from the former Akzo Nobel autumn though the council warned that its hopes of raising £600m in all through various property sales were unlikely to be realised due to tough market conditions. 'Years in the making' The commissioners have better things to say about the people running the show there, saying: "The leadership team has taken shared ownership of the council's improvement and recovery plan, and this is reflected in a more joined up approach to council recovery."Responding to the report, the borough's leader Dexter Smith said: "Ever since forming my administration in May 2023 I have told Slough's residents and council staff there is no quick or easy way to turn round our council's fortunes."The situation we are dealing with has been years in the making and so it will take years to resolve. I remain dedicated to our borough."Four years on from going public with its money problems it's clear there's still an awfully long way to go at Slough Borough. The commissioners brought in to improve standards will remain in place until at least November next year's report will have to say about any progress that's been made remains to be seen but one thing's for sure, the council needs to pick up the pace if it wants to get its teacher/commissioners off its back.
BBC News
27-06-2025
- BBC News
'Serious failings' with Slough Borough Council's social housing
There were "serious failings" in the way a council allocated housing and treated its tenants, inspectors have Regulator of Social Housing said it was not assured Slough Borough Council's housing service allocated homes in a "fair and transparent way" and found recent evidence of "serious tenancy fraud".Its report said the authority, which owns almost 6,000 homes, needed to make "significant improvement" but acknowledged it had "recently put in place more effective controls and oversight for allocations".The council said it wanted to put "tenants back at the heart of our service" and hoped improvements would be apparent soon. Inspectors said there were serious problems in the county's approach to complaint handling and tenant engagement report noted the authority had a "good understanding of the condition of its homes".It also said it was "meeting all legal requirements" relating to the health and safety of tenants, except electrical and fire safety where hundred of certificates and risk assessments were overdue, with "limited engagement with tenants around building safety". The regulator awarded Slough Borough Council a C3 grade which is just one higher than the worst possible Stedmond, the councillor responsible for housing, said the authority would use the inspection to help it improve."Our aim is to put our tenants back at the heart of our service, engaging with them and listening to them to do much better and delivering the standards they deserve," he said."We have been increasing the capacity and resources within the housing team and we will be using the results of this inspection to re-engage with our tenants as we implement plans to improve our services." You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
15-06-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Slough Borough Council approves planning permission for car park
Planning permission for a public car park on the edge of a town centre has been granted by the Borough Council has granted temporary planning permission for the car park on Stoke Road, opposite the Future Works building, until June land was previously used as a car park for Thames Valley University's campus in the Berkshire town and was then run by the state the car park will provide up to 259 spaces, nine of them accessible, and that it would "enhance" parking provision "for commuters and visitors to Slough town centre, especially given the apparent demand for parking in the area". A planning statement said the car park would give residents and visitors "increased access to sustainable modes of travel, through the railway and Elizabeth lines, and to the town centres' shopping facilities, which will help strengthen the local economy".Property developer Community Solutions for Regeneration applied for permission for its continued use as a car park in March this Borough Council approved planning permission on 6 comes after Queensmere shopping centre announced earlier this week that it would close its car park on nearby Wellington Street, and after the council agreed last month to sell its multi-storey car park on Hatfield Road. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
