Latest news with #councils
BBC News
a day ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Leader defends Norfolk council plan during heated debate
Proposals to scrap eight councils and replace them with only one have been defended by a council Kay Mason Billig – who leads Norfolk County Council – insisted the idea "saves the most money" while maintaining plan has put the council at odds with the district authorities in Norfolk who have said a reorganisation of local government should see the county run by either two or three Steve Morphew said there had been a lack of debate on the proposals and the "public deserve to hear a proper full discussion". Since the government announced its devolution plans last year – which will see the current county and seven district councils scrapped - local authorities in Norfolk have drawn up their proposals for how it should be run in the county council favours one authority covering the entire county while six of the district councils favour the idea of three. South Norfolk Council has said two would be proposals must be submitted by September, with the government due to decide on its favoured option after that. Arguing that smaller councils would struggle financially, Mason Billig told a meeting of the full county council that "all angles" had been looked at and a "wide range of data" had been reviewed: "A single county unitary saves the most money, is cheaper to run and avoids fragmentation of services."But opponents say one large authority would be too remote from the people it is supposed to put forward a motion calling for the single council idea to be dropped, and more work to be done with the group leader, Morphew, also said there had been a lack of discussion."This is probably the biggest issue that we've been dealing with for quite some time, and it's a shame we've only got this opportunity to discuss it in public.."Let's go have a look at alternatives." He was backed by the Liberal Democrat group leader Brian Watkins, who said it was "deeply regrettable that so little progress has been made in coming together with the districts to find common ground"."The council's position is becoming a bit like Custer's last stand – a last, desperate attempt to cling on to the reins of power," he Green's Catherine Rowett said she feared that, however the reorganisation worked out, further cuts to local government funding would be on the horizon and that none of the options would "deliver a substantial improvement to life in Norfolk"."It's clear that major reorganisation never actually saves money and valued staff who make our services run will be looking to leave during a period of uncertainty." Reform UK's Julian Kirk – who also serves as a borough councillor in west Norfolk – said none of his constituents wanted a single unitary authority: "It's difficult to get across to them that Norfolk County Council actually works for them – their first point of call is always the borough council."Labour's motion was defeated – and the Conservatives – with their majority, agreed to further develop the plan for a single Billig said she regularly discussed local government reorganisation with the other council leaders and there had been a public consultation on the she warned the tight timeline set by ministers "would make it irresponsible to delay a decision when Norfolk got to present a credible, coherent alternative to central government". Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
RNZ News
2 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Finance Minister Nicola Willis says councils should stop whining, and cut costs
Finance Minister Nicola Willis said it was fair to expect councils to do the same belt-tightening as the government. Photo: RNZ/Mark Papalii The Finance Minister says councils "whining" about having to cut costs need to tighten their belts, as rates increases push up inflation. Inflation edged up to a 12-month high of 2.7 percent , Stats NZ said on Monday. Rates were up 12.2 percent, still reflecting last year's increases, eclipsing the rise in power costs of just over 8 percent and rent increases of more than 3 percent. "When we look at what's driving inflation, the factor that Stats NZ are calling out is the biggest is rates rises and that's a concern for the government," Willis told First Up . "That's why we are making it very clear to councils that we expect them to get back to basics and to do everything they can to keep rate rises low - because it's certainly hurting ratepayers and it's affecting our inflation levels as a country." Legislation requiring councils to to prioritise core services in spending, carry out extra financial reporting and transparency and accountability reporting, and disclose all contractor and consultant spending is before Parliament. Separately, the government is looking into putting a hard limit on council rates increases among other options to control rises. Local Government Minister Simon Watts is expected to bring a paper on possible rates capping to Cabinet in December. Wellington mayoral candidate Andrew Little, a former Labour leader, said a cap on rates would only reduce accountability and undermine the relationship between councillors and residents. Local Government New Zealand president and Selwyn District mayor Sam Broughton said rates capping could be "disastrous for communities" and leave councils without the means to fund essential infrastructure. Willis said it was fair to expect councils to do the same cost reduction as central government. "I've heard their whining, but I've also seen that many of them have continued to be wasteful in their spending, to not drive value for money, haven't gone through the exercises that central government has in terms of pulling in our belt and reducing costs. "We've also given them a number of new funding and financing tools which they can use to meet their costs outside of rates and we'd like to see them making more use of them. "In this argument, I'm on the side of ratepayers, not on the side of the whining councillors." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
3 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Flood victims will not be on their own, says chair of contentious report
There will always be a role for the government in alleviating hardship, says the head of a panel that looked at how the government should adapt to climate change. Photo: RNZ The chair of the panel behind a contentious report on how the government should adapt to climate change says its authors never meant that flood victims should get no help from the taxpayer. The report was criticised for leaving people to manage their own flood risk after a transition phase of possibly about 20 years. But Matt Whineray says there will always be a role for the government in alleviating hardship, beyond the initial disaster response. "I think the government will always have a role in alleviating hardship - that's my view and that's the discussion we had at the reference group - but most critically it's not linked to the property value." Whineray said councils and central government could not keep buying properties at market rates when they were not suitable for rebuilding and were not covered by private insurance. He cited overseas examples of homes being rebuilt in the same place six times, with the government as the default insurer. Whineray said that did not mean people should be left on their own, even after a cut off date, and even after homeowners have been supplied with the best available risk information. He said currently there was an unofficial but powerful assumption that people will be compensated to their full pre-flood value - an expensive proposition for tax- and/or rate-payers, as climate change and poor development decisions increase the number of ruined homes. But Whineray said there were other ways to supply compensation, like capping the amount people can get for relocation assistance. "It's just how you determine how you do that and step away from a world where you say someone gets to get $5 million because because that's what they thought it was worth the day before the event happened. "There will be an impact (on property prices)," he said. "If you moved directly to a world where there is no automatic buyout, you have that abruptness. The idea of the transition period is to smooth the impact. "At some the point in the future where the government is no longer underwriting those property values, that will have been reflected by the market." Canterbury University Professor and climate scientist Dave Frame has been studying how much worse extreme events are getting on a hotter planet, and how much worse they might be expected to get in different parts of the country. He said he understood why some experts wanted a fund for property buyouts, and he also understood why others were wary of promising guaranteed compensation. "Often the people who are most adept at tapping into those funds are the kind of people who've been climate sceptics their whole life, brought a low lying property and now want to exit without paying a bill. It's the classic moral hazard," he said. "It's actually a really subtle one for the government to find a way of exercising prudent judgement, like it seems to me to be pretty clear that the people up Esk Valley weren't being unduly risky in in their behaviour." Professor Jonathan Boston of Victoria UNiversity led a previous report on how to stage a planned exit from the most risky areas. That report said financial help was needed to avoid worsening inequality and keep communities functioning, but the primary goal should not be restoring people's full wealth. Boston agreed that offering uncapped compensation or government insurance encouraged people to stay (and build) in places they should not, and said councils often struggled to stop them. But he said many people would not have the money to leave on their own, without some government assistance. "Some people will have mortgages and they run the risk of being left without any equity, in fact in debt, other people might not have a mortgage but the property might be unsaleable so they have no means of purchasing another property... they are in what a colleague has called property purgatory." Boston said he found it mind boggling that society would allow people with kids or serious disabilities to stay in harm's way, as councils withdrew sewage, water and road maintenance. He did not believe the decision to exit can be left to individual choice, even once people have access better access to risk information. "With sea level rise, more powerful storms and so on, if you look out decades and indeed centuries fro now, tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of properties in New Zealand are going to be vulnerable to one kind of flooding or another, or other hazards, and if there's no assistance to help people move, well it's pretty clear that we're going to have a hell of a mess." The environment ministry is working on options to present to the government, on how to move from today's ad hoc regime to something more financially sustainable. What that looks like and who pays still is not clear. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Supermarket vouchers worth up to £180 landing on doormats NOW for summer – are you getting one?
THOUSANDS of households need to look out for supermarket vouchers landing on doormats worth up to £180. The latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation figures for June confirmed food prices have soared in the last 12 months. 1 But there are ways to drive down the cost of your weekly shop, starting with help through the Household Support Fund (HSF). The £742million fund has been shared between councils in England who then decide how to allocate their share. Some are directing cash payments to residents in need while others are distributing supermarket vouchers to cover the summer holidays. We've rounded up what some local authorities are offering below. We won't have covered all the councils offering help, so if your local authority isn't included it's worth checking with it to see what you are eligible for. Most councils have pages on their websites dedicated to the Household Support Fund where you'll find details on who is eligible and what you're in line for. You can find what local council area you fall under by visiting That said, below are some of the councils offering qualifying households supermarket vouchers. Bracknell Forest Council Schools in Bracknell are automatically distributing supermarket vouchers to children registered for free school meals. These vouchers have been paid for through Bracknell Forest Council's allotment of the Household Support Fund. The council has not confirmed how much the vouchers are worth. Wakefield Metropolitan District Counci Wakefield Metropolitan District Council is issuing supermarket vouchers worth £50 to families receiving council tax support. The vouchers are being issued via letters on July 21 and take up to seven days to arrive. Full instructions on how to redeem the vouchers will be included in the letters. Once the voucher has been redeemed, it doesn't have to be used all at once and can be used several times until it is spent. Nottingham City Council Nottingham City Council is distributing £75 supermarket vouchers to households each month until March 2026. There is a limit on the number of vouchers being shared each month meaning you have to act fast to claim one. Applications for this month's vouchers opened on July 7 so may all have been allocated for July. Nottingham City Council has said the dates applications for vouchers will open between August and next March will be confirmed "later in July". Ealing Council Ealing Council is giving supermarket vouchers worth £90 to families with children on benefits-related free school meals this month. The vouchers are worth £90 per child meaning you could get £180 if you have two kids. You don't need to apply for the vouchers as they are being sent automatically to emails or as letters. The council's partner, Blackhawk, is issuing a 16-digit personalised code and instructions on how to redeem the vouchers on the Blackhawk website - Devon County Council Devon County Council has issued supermarket vouchers worth more than £90 to 22,000 families with children on free school meals. The £90 is equivalent to £15 per week for the six week school holiday. The council has said the vouchers can be redeemed in major supermarkets but hasn't said which ones. Portsmouth City Council Portsmouth City Council is issuing £50 supermarket vouchers to children on benefits-related free school meals. You might also be eligible if your child is not on free school meals and you're on a low income, and can apply for the vouchers from the end of the school term. You can also forward your email address to the council and will be contacted when the application window opens. More details can be found via Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council Families on free school meals are eligible for supermarket food vouchers being distributed by schools in the area. You do not need to apply as they are being issued automatically. Food vouchers may also be available for children under five years if certain criteria is met. To receive a voucher, children must be living in Bournemouth, Christchurch, or Poole and meet one of the following criteria: currently claiming 2 year old early education funding at an early years setting in Bournemouth, Christchurch or Poole during the term currently claiming Early Years Pupil Premium funding for 3 and 4 year olds at an early years setting in Bournemouth, Christchurch or Poole during the term (this is different to the early education funding available to all 3 and 4 year olds) currently have an open case with a social worker or Early Help family support worker and are of pre-school age Food vouchers for this group of families have to be applied for, with more details on the BCP Council website. Household Support Fund explained Sun Savers Editor Lana Clements explains what you need to know about the Household Support Fund. Sun Savers Editor Lana Clements explains what you need to know about the Household Support Fund. If you're battling to afford energy and water bills, food or other essential items and services, the Household Support Fund can act as a vital lifeline. The financial support is a little-known way for struggling families to get extra help with the cost of living. Every council in England has been given a share of £421million cash by the government to distribute to local low income households. Each local authority chooses how to pass on the support. Some offer vouchers whereas others give direct cash payments. In many instances, the value of support is worth hundreds of pounds to individual families. Just as the support varies between councils, so does the criteria for qualifying. Many councils offer the help to households on selected benefits or they may base help on the level of household income. The key is to get in touch with your local authority to see exactly what support is on offer. The last round ran until the end of March 2025, but was extended. The most current round is running between April 2025 and March 2026.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Reform UK councillors obstructed by officials, Nigel Farage says
Nigel Farage has accused some council officials of obstructing the work of Reform UK councillors, as he defended the way the party is running local gained control of 10 councils in May's local elections in the party's leader told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme that in some areas Reform councillors were being "hamstrung" by existing has pledged to cut wasteful spending and improve the efficiency of the councils it runs but some of its spending decisions have faced criticism, while opponents say there has been little concrete action to reduce costs. In Warwickshire, opposition parties have criticised Reform UK for planning to hire political assistants at a cost of up to £190,000 a year, saying the money should be spent on front-line services council's interim leader, George Finch, said the move was necessary because council staff have been unable to come up with "imaginative ideas" to resolve key issues. The 19-year-old was put in charge of the council after Reform's previous council leader resigned, citing health over whether this was a good use of taxpayers' money, Farage told the BBC: "At the moment, we're finding that we're very, very hamstrung."We're going into existing administrations, we're facing obstructionism in many places."And Warwickshire is a very, very good example."He added: "It's better to have staff who support the will of the democratically elected councillors than it is to have public sector staff opposing them."Warwickshire County Council has been approached for said that in some areas Reform was "working reasonably well with existing administrations" but in others there was "genuine, deliberate obstructionism". He added that some officials "don't want to show us the books" and where money is being spent. Reform UK's Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) - modelled on the cost-cutting initiative set up by US President Donald Trump and previously led by billionaire Elon Musk - was launched in June. The unit is made up of about 15 unelected volunteers and is run by Zia Yusuf, who quit as party chairman in June, before returning to Reform to head up Doge days says Kent County Council will be the first to be audited but in other areas, such as Staffordshire, the council says it is still waiting for the unit to start the pace of progress, Farage said: "Bear in mind, we're not the Labour Party. We haven't got hundreds of staff."We're a party that's been really active for just over a year. We're growing in size."Yes, we have a Doge team who've not been everywhere yet. But you've seen already, us highlighting examples of extravagant expenditure." Farage was also challenged over spending decisions in Scarborough, where the town council has approved a 600% increase in the Reform mayor's allowance, from £500 to £3,500 a mayor has defended the move, saying the allowance helps to cover his expenses and allows him to carry out his duties said he had "no idea" about the situation in the Reform-run council, adding: "Is he doing it or she doing it as a full-time job? I've no idea.""What we could do is just get multi-millionaires to stand as candidates everywhere and indeed our Doge team are doing the work unpaid," he said."If people have got resources and they do it for free, that's great. I don't know the Scarborough Council situation." Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond.
