Latest news with #localservices
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
The Guardian view on regenerating neighbourhoods: levelling up was a good idea, Labour should reclaim it
A boost to Sure Start-type investment in local children's services is expected to feature in next week's spending review – even while a more comprehensive child poverty plan has been put off until the autumn. Solid evidence, as well as a mountain of anecdotes, support the reputation of New Labour's flagship early years policy. But Sure Start was not New Labour's only way of targeting communities based on need. The channelling of about £2bn to 39 of the most deprived neighbourhoods in England under the New Deal for Communities was another key strand of the Blair and Brown governments' anti-poverty programme. Unfortunately, the idea behind this – that ministers should tackle 'left-behind' communities with dedicated funding – was discredited by its association with levelling up. So central was this brand to Boris Johnson's post-Brexit premiership that a government department was renamed after it. But his promises mostly weren't kept, and the title was dropped last year. Since then, it is fair to say that geographical inequalities have taken a back seat to priorities including health and housing. Champions of locally led renewal have now regrouped. The Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods has not yet come up with a catchphrase to replace levelling up. But Reform UK's 648 new council seats have injected an increased sense of urgency into discussions about the places and voters that are proving most receptive to Nigel Farage's populist, anti-migrant message. Later this month, the commission will publish new research on how English neighbourhoods have fared in recent decades. Hopes have risen that the spending review will see more resources directed towards those that the commission calls 'mission‑critical' due to their high position on a tailor-made index of deprivation. Such funding is, of course, not a panacea. Because community development initiatives are more diffuse – typically seeking to improve health, education and employment outcomes, and reduce crime – they are harder to describe and measure than a project like Sure Start. But Labour's New Deal brought significant improvements, much of which were then reversed by a decade of austerity. Today, about 1 million people in England live in neighbourhoods – many of them in coastal or ex-industrial towns – where the commission believes targeted investment could help arrest a further slide into decline. Micromanagement from Whitehall was part of the reason for levelling up's failure. This is a mistake Labour must not repeat. Regeneration is best done with communities – not to them. It is simply not possible to direct granular neighbourhood improvements from London. If new funding is announced, local authorities and mayors must be empowered to oversee how it is spent without the hurdles of overly complex bidding systems. If that means a role for Reform UK councillors, as well as local Labour MPs, then so be it. The alternative is the corrosive favouritism of pork-barrel politics. Different approaches attract different champions. As Gordon Brown pointed out last week, removing the two-child limit would have a far more dramatic effect on family finances than any number of local family hubs (currently the closest thing to Sure Start). The impact of place-based spending must be considered alongside other investment. But while allocating budgets to struggling neighbourhoods does not sweep their problems away, it does have advantages. Labour should bury the disappointments of levelling up and reclaim the initiative.
Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Major US banks close 36 locations in just three weeks
Advertisement Major banks have closed 36 locations across America in just three weeks, as experts warn communities are being stripped of vital local services. Between April 26 and May 15, major lenders including Santander, US Bank and Wells Fargo were among the eight banks to notify the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) of planned closures. Banks are required to alert the OCC before shutting down a branch and the agency then publishes the filings in a weekly report. While the listings indicate intent to close, they are not final confirmations. In the three week period, Santander said it would 28 locations — far more than any other institution. Community Bank was next at five local branches, US Bank four, and Wells Fargo three. The remainder was made up by Bank of America, Capital One, Flagstar and Key Bank. New York was the worst hit state, losing ten local bank locations. Massachusetts was also hit with six closures and Pennsylvania, five. In 2024, banks closed a total of 1,043 branches nationwide and the trend has only accelerated in 2025 with 272 closures already logged in the first quarter alone. New research also recently revealed that the last physical branch could close in 2041. Experts from Self Financial reached the number by studying the rate of net closures across the country, which has averaged 1,646 each year since 2018. 'Retail bank closures in the US aren't slowing,' Darren Kingman (pictured) from Root Digital told 'The last time this many people shared a local branch was in 1995' he explained. Kingman warned that while the US edges toward a cashless future, over 200 million Americans still deposit cash — meaning longer lines and worse service as access shrinks. Despite the digital shift, a new GoBankingRates survey also found 45 percent of Americans still prefer in-person banking. 'The shift towards online banking is growing more intense in 2025,' GoBankingRates lead data content researcher Andrew Murray told 'Despite the trend towards online banking, our survey data shows more than half of Americans are concerned about the rising number of physical branches that have shut down in the past few years,' Murray explained.
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Major US banks close 36 locations in just three weeks...is YOUR branch at stake?
Major banks have closed 36 locations across America in just three weeks, as experts warn communities are being stripped of vital local services. Between April 26 and May 15, major lenders including Santander, US Bank and Wells Fargo were among the eight banks to notify the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) of planned closures. Banks are required to alert the OCC before shutting down a branch and the agency then publishes the filings in a weekly report. Scroll down to see the full list with addresses. While the listings indicate intent to close, they are not final confirmations. In the three week period, Santander said it would 28 locations — far more than any other institution. Community Bank was next at five local branches, US Bank four, and Wells Fargo three. The remainder was made up by Bank of America, Capital One, Flagstar and Key Bank. New York was the worst hit state, losing ten local bank locations. Massachusetts was also hit with six closures and Pennsylvania, five. In 2024, banks closed a total of 1,043 branches nationwide and the trend has only accelerated in 2025 with 272 closures already logged in the first quarter alone. New research also recently revealed that the last physical branch could close in 2041. Experts from Self Financial reached the number by studying the rate of net closures across the country, which has averaged 1,646 each year since 2018. 'Retail bank closures in the US aren't slowing,' Darren Kingman from Root Digital told 'The last time this many people shared a local branch was in 1995' he explained. Kingman warned that while the US edges toward a cashless future, over 200 million Americans still deposit cash — meaning longer lines and worse service as access shrinks. Despite the digital shift, a new GoBankingRates survey also found 45 percent of Americans still prefer in-person banking. Capital One has also closed locations this year 'The shift towards online banking is growing more intense in 2025,' GoBankingRates lead data content researcher Andrew Murray told 'Despite the trend towards online banking, our survey data shows more than half of Americans are concerned about the rising number of physical branches that have shut down in the past few years,' Murray explained. 'Meanwhile, a whopping 76 percent says that the current banking system needs small or major changes.' Further to this more than half of respondents said they were concerned about the rising number of physical bank branch closures over the last few years.
BBC News
27-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Darlington's car parking fares to increase in council-owned car parks
Parking in council-owned car parks in Darlington will become more expensive from next Monday, drivers will be charged £1.20 per hour, up from £1, at short stay car parks, which will be capped at £ long stay car parks, charges will also increase to £1.20 per hour for up to three hours, £5 per day, or £20 for a weekly Darlington Borough Council said it was aware of the concerns around the increase, but it was needed due to financial pressures. On-street parking will also change from 50p to 70p per 30 new fares are estimated to generate an additional £500,000 for the McCollom, cabinet member for local services, said the decision had not been taken lightly."It was not sustainable for us to continue to subsidise parking," she said the "small increase" would support the council in continuing to provide car parking services, road maintenance and highway said the price hike was "preferable to cutting discretionary services such as grass cutting, street cleaning, community safety and leisure services".She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that town centre parking was competitively priced. What are the new charges? East Street car park: £1.20 per hour or £3 for the day Monday-Saturday and £2 all day Sunday. Current charges are £1 per hour or £2 for the day Monday-Saturday and £1 all day House car park: £5 per day on Saturdays and bank holidays from 08:00-18:00, up from £4. On Sundays it will go up from £1 per day to £2 per day between 08:00-18: Street car park: £2 per day on a Sunday, up from £ Lane car park: £2 per day on Sunday, up from £1. A weekly ticket will be available for £32. Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Entrepreneur
23-05-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Shuru Raises Series A Funding Led by Krafton India
The funds will be deployed to accelerate product development, enhance user engagement, and scale Shuru's presence across more Indian towns and cities. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Shuru, a hyperlocal community app connecting users across India with neighborhood-level updates and services, has raised an undisclosed amount in a Series A funding round led by Krafton India. The round also saw participation from existing investors Omidyar Network India and Eximius Ventures. The funds will be deployed to accelerate product development, enhance user engagement, and scale Shuru's presence across more Indian towns and cities. The app currently serves over 2 million monthly active users, with more than 1 crore (10 million) installations and coverage across 650,000+ localities. "With 650,000+ locations on board and recently crossing 1 crore installations, we're creating a platform that will redefine the way Indians live, work, and interact," said Mayank Bhangadia, CEO and Co-founder of Shuru. "The partnership with Krafton India opens unparalleled opportunities for Shuru to innovate and scale." Founded in 2021 by Mayank Bhangadia and Harsh Chhabra, Shuru empowers users to post local updates, promote businesses, and highlight civic issues. Bhangadia previously co-founded Roposo, a short video platform acquired by Glance, while Chhabra led product development at Roposo. Shuru offers a suite of hyperlocal services including local news, buy-sell listings, classifieds, and shop promotions, all aimed at building tighter-knit communities in India's fast-digitizing towns and cities. Krafton India, the publisher of Battlegrounds Mobile India, has been strategically investing in Indian startups since 2021. "This investment is a natural extension of our strategy to partner with Indian startups and emerging ecosystems like hyperlocal platforms," said Nihansh Bhat, Lead - Corporate Development at Krafton India. Sean Hyunil Sohn, CEO of Krafton India, added, "The hyperlocal digital ecosystem in India holds immense promise. Shuru is uniquely positioned to lead this transformation in India."
