Latest news with #WorcestershireCountyCouncil
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Calls to use County Hall HQ for hospital parking
Fresh calls are being made to use Worcestershire's County Hall as overflow hospital parking. A new administration taking control of the council will face questions over the authority's Worcester headquarters, which has been closed since June last year. Green Party and Independent councillors have called for County Hall car parks to be opened up to staff, patients and visitors at nearby Worcestershire Royal Hospital for an initial nine months. Their motion is to be debated at a council meeting on Thursday – the first since elections earlier this month, when Reform UK became the largest party with 27 seats but remained two short of an overall majority. In the motion, councillors also called for more bays for Beryl Bikes, which is a bike-sharing scheme in the city, to be installed at the Spetchley Road end of the council site. The motion said: "Worcestershire County Council's empty car parks at County Hall are just a few minutes' traffic-free walk away from the hospital. "Allowing these car parks temporarily to be used for overspill hospital parking could reduce congestion on the hospital site immediately while the longer-term solutions are put in place." Plans to build a multi-storey car park next to the hospital were approved in March, but councillors behind the motion said: "This will take several months to be built." It is suggested the council could charge £3 a day for parking at County Hall to bring in revenue and that "a significant number of car parking spaces" should be opened up. Councillors said details would need to be worked through to prevent an adverse impact on county workers and visitors and to address residents' concerns. They said a park-and-ride scheme for hospital staff, visitors and patients had been spoken about for months now, but still nothing was in place. In February, 50 parking spaces were temporarily made available for hospital staff while their usual parking was improved. The council offices have been shut since June last year, after potentially dangerous RAAC concrete and legionella bacteria were detected. This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Reform UK elects Worcestershire group leader Hospital unit staff to park at council building NHS staff to get park and ride service 'Beryl' bike share scheme rolled out across city Worcestershire County Council
BBC News
18-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
More services to operate from Worcestershire Parkway
Direct rail services to Bristol and to Edinburgh are to start operating from Worcestershire Parkway services, which begin on Sunday, will connect the station to Yorkshire, the North East, Glasgow, Dundee and the South West. There will also be two trains per hour running to Birmingham New station, at Norton, near Worcester, opened in 2020 operating to London Paddington on Great Western Railway services and a route from Cardiff to Nottingham. It was the first station to open in the county for more than 100 years. The introduction of the new services "marks a huge milestone for Worcestershire Parkway and rail users across the county", Worcestershire County Council said. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Daily Mirror
15-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
UK households eligible for new cost of living support worth up to £500
The money is being distributed by Worcestershire County Council as part of the Household Support Fund scheme - we explain the full list of eligibility UK households could get up to £500 in cost of living help. The money is being distributed by Worcestershire County Council as part of the Household Support Fund scheme. This scheme sees local council awarded a set amount of funding, which they can then distribute in the form of cash grants or vouchers to struggling residents. It is up to each local authority to decide what support it offers, and who is eligible for help. If you're a resident of Malvern, Worcester, Wychavon, Bromsgrove, Redditch or Wyre Forest, you may be entitled to up to £500 in energy help. There is up to £500 available for homes with children under 18 or full-time students under 21, or up to £300 for adult-only households aged 18–66. Pensioner households can also get up to £300. The money can be paid straight to your energy provider, or you may be offered Post Office vouchers. In order to receive this help, you must have an overall household income of £24,570 if you're single and with no children, or £31,000 or less a year for all other households, excluding the following non-means tested benefits: Armed Forces Guaranteed Income Payments Armed Forces Independence Payments & Mobility Supplements Disability Living Allowance – Mobility Component – Higher & Lower rates Personal Independence Payment – Mobility Component – Enhanced & Standard rates Universal Credit – Child element – Disabled child – High & Low rates Universal Credit – Childcare element War disablement Pension You must also have no household savings, with the exception of if you're over state pension age, in which case you can have £5,000 in savings. You or someone else in your household must also: Have a long-term diagnosed health condition or registered disabled Be of state pension age Have young children of pre-school age (four years old or under) In receipt of one of these benefits: Attendance Allowance, Carers Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance, Health Allowance (included within your Universal Credit breakdown) Be receiving support from services such as food banks, Citizens Advice, Age UK, mental health or housing support, or your GP social prescribing team Worcestershire County Council can also help with repairing or replacing broken boilers, installing first-time heating systems and servicing and upgrading smart heating controls. You can apply for the support by emailing evidence of your situation to whsf7@ or by posting paper evidence to: Act on Energy, Unit 2, Lauriston Business Park, Salford Priors, Warwickshire, WR11 8SN. If you're not covered by Worcestershire County Council, it is worth checking what support your local council can offer you. For example, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council is giving out vouchers to help with energy or food costs worth £300. This is split into two £150 vouchers. In order to be eligible, you must be over the age of 16 and living independently of parents or carers and have no money to cover essential bills.
Scottish Sun
15-05-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Households can apply for cost of living cash worth £500 – check if you're eligible
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) STRUGGLING households in parts of the UK could get up to £500 in cost of living help – but you'll need to meet strict rules. The cash boost is part of the Household Support Fund (HSF), a £421million pot, which helps low-income families with food, energy bills, and essentials. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 The cash boost is part of the Household Support Fund (HSF) But it's only available if you live in Worcestershire – that includes the districts of Malvern, Worcester, Wychavon, Bromsgrove, Redditch or Wyre Forest. To check if you qualify, go to – Worcestershire County Council must be listed. You'll also need to meet income and vulnerability rules. Who is eligible? To qualify, your gross annual income must be: £24,570 or less (for a single adult with no children) £31,000 or less (for all other households) You must also have no savings, unless you're of state pension age – in which case you can have up to £5,000. And at least one person in your household must meet ONE of the following: Be of state pension age Have a long-term diagnosed health condition or be registered disabled Have a child under four Be in receipt of DWP benefits like Attendance Allowance, Carer's Allowance, PIP or Disability Living Allowance Be receiving support from services such as food banks, Citizens Advice, Age UK, mental health or housing support, or your GP's social prescribing team How much can I get? The amount depends on your household: Up to £500 for homes with children under 18 or full-time students under 21 Up to £300 for adult-only households aged 18–66 Up to £300 for pensioner households Switch bank accounts for free perks Payments can go straight to your energy provider, be credited via an online portal or come in the form of Post Office vouchers for prepayment meters. You'll need to supply: A recent energy or water bill (dated within 3 months) showing your name, address and account number Evidence of your vulnerability Extra documents if applying for help with energy debts or heating repairs What else is covered? Help is also available for: Repairing or replacing broken boilers Installing first-time heating systems Servicing and upgrading smart heating controls You'll need to complete a separate application if applying for these – but forms will be sent to you once your initial claim is made. Where to send your evidence: Email digital copies to: whsf7@ Post paper documents to: Act on Energy Unit 2, Lauriston Business Park Salford Priors Warwickshire WR11 8SN Applications will be closed if evidence isn't sent within 28 days – so act fast. In other related benefit news, pension savers have been pocketing thousands in tax refunds after being overcharged — and now fresh HMRC changes could stop millions more being stung. Over 15,000 people got an average refund of £2,881 between January and March this year after being overtaxed when they dipped into their pension pots. In total, £44million was handed back in just three months, according to new figures — with hopes the amount overpaid will fall thanks to recent rule tweaks. HMRC rolled out a new system this month, aimed at stopping retirees from being wrongly whacked with a sky-high emergency tax bill when making a withdrawal. Other help you can claim If you're not eligible for the Household Support Fund, you might qualify for other forms of help to cover energy bills or food. Support may vary depending on your local council – so even if you don't live in Worcestershire, it's worth checking what's on offer in your area. Several energy firms offer grants to households who are struggling to pay their energy bills worth up to £2,000. This includes British Gas, Octopus Energy and EDF. New parents might also be eligible for free food worth up to £442 a year to cover the cost of healthy food and milk via the Healthy Start scheme. Or, you can get an emergency food parcel from a Trussell Trust food bank. You can find your nearest via To get a food parcel, you need a voucher from a community organisation like Citizens Advice or your GP. You can then exchange this voucher for a food parcel at the food bank. It's also worth checking if you're eligible for benefits if you haven't already - billions of pounds' worth is going unclaimed, according to Policy in Practice. There are three free calculators you can use to see what you might be entitled to: Policy in Practice better off calculator entitledto benefits calculator Turn2us benefits calculator
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
People want powerful change after election
Worcestershire's election results, which saw the Conservatives lose overall control of the county council after 20 years, show people want "powerful change", according to Worcester's MP. Reform won 27 of the 57 seats on Worcestershire County Council last week – two short of an overall majority - and Labour MP Tom Collins said it was now up to the party to make the most of the opportunity. Labour lost a seat on the council meaning there are just two councillors remaining. He said his party was nine months in to leading the country but it was "a sign that people want to see powerful change, they want to see people ready to make decisions – that's entirely what we're here for." "I'm very pleased that we managed to hold two seats," said Mr Collins. "The Conservatives had such a strong hold on the council and what we've seen is a clear sign of frustration – and I agree. Bill Hopkins, who left the Conservative party to join Reform, said he will put himself forward to lead the group on the council [BBC] "We've had 14 years of disaster nationally and our county council's been an utter disaster locally, so this is a moment for change, and we'll have to see now what Reform do with their opportunity." He said he would "keep doing it locally" adding that he had to keep listening, putting people first and "bring the change that we want to see." The new look of the council will take shape over the next few days with councillor Bill Hopkins, who held his seat for Reform in St Chads in the Wyre Forest, saying he will put himself forward to lead the group on the council. Reform could decide to form a minority administration or make a deal to reach the magic number of 29. Alan Amos, elected for Reform in Bedwardine, said at Thursday's election count there would be "no deal with the Tories". Labour councillor Richard Udall said of Reform's rise to power that he was concerned but was "prepared to work with whoever has been elected, who has gained the confidence of their electorate to try and achieve the best for Worcestershire." "I believe by using common sense, we can come together and come to some sort of arrangement," he added. "They're going to have a lot of inexperience, they're going to be lacking in a lot of knowledge and it's going to be a steep learning curve for them. I'm here to help them if they want my assistance." This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. More on this story Related internet links
