Strategy without ambition is not enough to aid recovery or assist families suffering housing insecurity.

Northumberland’s new affordable homes strategy, heralded in this month for delivery, is in reality, another spinning plate from Councillor Peter Jackson’s Tories.

Trumpeting in their supposed 1000 increase in affordable homes; ‘Which is a major cut in both the Counties ambition and its planned timeline for delivery while lowering expectations and ambition by two-thirds’, Councillor Jackson said  “Delivering quality affordable housing is one of the key priorities for this council and will further enhance the county’s ever-growing reputation as a great place to live and work. Our population is dispersed over a  large geographical area and they have varying housing needs.  The new housing will reflect this with homes designed for families, the elderly, single people and our most vulnerable residents.”

When Councillor Jackson removed the County Councils core strategy planning document from inspection by Government he also stopped a garden village project from proceeding at Dissington in mid-Northumberland. The Garden Village project would have delivered 2000 affordable homes at no cost to the Council. When coupling the fantastic vision to develop such a scheme in the County with the ambition of the last Labour administration at County Hall who developed 1000 social houses and planned 1500 more by 2021 it shows how dire and small minded the new hailed strategy is; it’s a strategy that lines up with Councillor Jacksons ambition to not develop affordable or social housing in much needed rural Northumberland and shows the chasm between Jacksons ‘Local Plan’ and the former visionary Core Strategy.

The numbers of affordable and social homes in Labour’s plans would have been able to help those with the financial ability to get on the foot of the ladder the opportunity to purchase a new affordable home, whilst aiding those who are currently suffering housing insecurity to answer their dreams and relieve the constant pressure of becoming a statistic labelled by the Tories as the ‘working homeless’ and the design of delivery within the 'core strategy' would have benefitted those people who find themselves cut off from housing through the growth of second homes in the North and rural West of the County.

The current ‘strategy' issued by Councillor Jackson, to deliver 1000 affordable homes by 2021 supports our view as laymen that his administration shows a zero level of ambition and that his latest false promise is top of the charts for spin.

When developers ask the Council for planning permission they have to comply with certain aspects of planning legislation, part of which is the development at their cost of a certain level of affordable homes. Planners attempt to talk up high numbers usually about a third of the homes developed should be classed as truly ‘affordable’. Developers of course try every trick in the book to reduce that number and often succeed, but with over 19,000 planning permissions in train across Northumberland questions need to be asked regarding the Tories utter lack of ambition in only expecting to deliver 1000 affordable homes by 2021 and as explained this will be at no cost to the Council at all.  When amalgamated with the fact that six times the number of social homes have been sold under the Tories than developed with 62% of those homes falling into the hands of private landlords who hide behind the dreaded section 21 of the Housing Act shows that thousands of people now live with the curse of housing insecurity and why the handle of ‘Working Homeless’ has been pushed by the Tory press in an attempt to blind the public from the atrocities of developing an underclass right below our noses.


https://www.northumberland.gov.uk/News/2019/Aug/Council-s-bold-plans-for-1-000-affordable-homes.aspx

 

 

Northumberland’s poor paying for failure of energy competition.

Although Gordon Brown has proven to be possibly the best chancellor of the exchequer the U.K. ever had, during his reign as Prime Minister his Innate ability to keep the nation blanketed in a cloak of safety and security slipped as he tackled the maelstrom of oncoming world recession. The Competition regulators in which he trusted, failed to advise him on change in the energy markets and the cracks that illustrated the end of competition being the panacea that kept the cry for renationalisation at bay were widened greatly following Labours slip from office as the LibDems/Tory alliance let profit flourish before the need to protect the poor from the effects of underlying inflation as Gordon did so well for many years and let the failure of competition eat into the money supply of the poor and low paid leading to the definite have and have-not position the nation holds today.   

The Clegg-Cameron Government took full advantage of the weakening situation for those deemed energy poor, ignoring the increase in poverty in general and politicised the regulatory services promoting the ridiculous blind of ‘switching’ to mask the money making scheme they had inherited due to the extent of the world wide recession.

 

The highly talented George Osborne used his knowledge of whipping up the media to develop an ever profitable machine to keep the city enthralled whilst developing austerity as a cult ensuring that those who had, got more of the nations wealth ignoring that democratic countries all across the world were growing at a faster rate than Britain and were developing better lives for their poor as U.K. residents slipped into the second tier faster than at any time since Victoria’s reign, the Tories had consigned millions who strove to achieve to the scrap heap whilst countries who once relied on Britain to employ their workforce, Poland being an example, grew their structures in order to help equalise their society in many ways.

 

In Northumberland the last Labour administration were forced out by the Tories massive use of the advertising tool of false news via social media. Labour had decided to invest heavily in a very futuristic plan to both increase jobs in their most populated areas and ensure that the plans from politicised commerce to profit further by playing up energy shortages were kept at bay in their area by developing the conceptual ‘energy central’ scheme in the river Blyth basin. 

 

The scheme which was beginning to roll out prior to the 2017 election brings in hydro electricity via a long sea cable from Norway in DC format to ensure it survives the travel at times of need and converts it to AC for the UK and then Norway takes wind sourced energy in return.

 

The problems of shortages may be resolved but the Governments profiteering from energy will be still felt in Northumberlands homes by anyone who can't afford to deal with their supplier by Direct Debit. The politicisation of the regulators who now have a role to build up the coffers of the Government by fining energy companies at will instead of seeking to ensure competition in the energy markes favours the consumer, will lead to the poor picking up the bill when the energy companies put up charges to recoup their profits. Nationalisation of those markets looks like a good deal considering the percentage of home income that is paid for domestic energy is now higher than before Thatcher brought in the sid advert and sold off the nations assets.

Where’s OFCOM on increasing safety across the ‘Borderlands’

On 13th May 2019 a unique commercial agreement was reached that could increase safety and certainly boost the rural coverage of our national mobile telephone and data network.

The agreement which  includes the formation of a new joint company to erect

and manage rural telephone masts will allow a joint use of 2G, 3G, 4G and the
forthcoming 5G networks whilst facilitating the much needed Rural Roaming required in areas where coverage has slipped due to perceived low commercial use. The agreement simply requires consent from OFCOM who can resolve any issues regarding the investment shares for new infrastructure as BT/EE have voiced concerns about improving other companies reputations and coverage at their expense.

The Borderlands combined authority made up of Carlisle City Council, Cumbria County Council, Dumfries & Galloway Council, Northumberland County Council and Scottish Borders Council to promote economic growth and competitiveness of an area that straddles the Scotland-England border have been offered huge sums of money from Government to improve communication links across the rural areas they cover, which makes up 10% of the geographical mass of the United Kingdom.

This week, North Yorkshire County Council and representatives from their second tier district councils spoke to the EU regarding Rural Roaming. Explaining that they had identified sites for new masts that would increase safeguarding for the public through better communications and talked about the fact that visitors from the EU had access to roaming under the European roaming regulations and could pick up signals across networks while residents of rural areas in North Yorkshire sit without the ability to  make the most basic calls from their well quoted rural ‘blackspots’.

We have spoken with Labour in Northumberland who have been promoting greater rural

network coverage since 2009 and have been extremely keen on aiding the
resolution of problems that would allow rural roaming to flourish.

Labour representatives are very keen on an alternative proposal put forward by the industry itself which may allow operators to share masts / mast space more

easily (reciprocal sharing) in order to install new radio kit so as to improve rural coverage. The idea of mutually beneficial infrastructure could, if priced and regulated fairly, prove to be useful over the longer-term. Indeed it may even result in fewer masts being needed to cover the same area
(i.e. saving operators money).

Most of this would be overseen by a new company, which will be responsible for managing the build of new masts and supplying them with the necessary power and fibre optic data capacity links. The agreed proposal would see Ofcom acting as the referee for the legally-binding measures, so as to ensure fairness.

Northumberland Labour said to us, “ between the Borderlands and North Yorkshire 12.5% of the whole of the U.K. makes for a very strong lobby group and urge the Councils involved to ensure they bring their MP’s on board to assist the improvements in communication needed to support and increase rural business in a world dominated by e-trade ensuring that the safety of residents and U.K. based visitors is covered in the bargain”.

Tories Affordable Housing Strategy? “No help whatsoever to builders outside the South East of the County”

More than two years into a four year administration, Northumberland Conservatives gave the electorate its first glance at its affordable housing policy today, 06/08/2019. 

The Leader of Council, Peter Jackson who has been crowing about developing social housing for the last two years gave an interview to a local business publicity group. His interview has caused even more mayhem among the building trade across the County than the release of his ‘Local Plan’ the replacement for the removed core strategy that gave him the opportunity to get the Council to pay for his legal protection of almost £1M and halt all development outside of South East Northumberland.

Councillor Jackson statement was commented on by a well known builder from the West of the County who wishes to remain anonymous, believes as many of his cohorts do that the Councils Local Plan is politically driven and lacks the economic energy required for growth County-wide that builders and developers require to carry the Counties building trade workforce forward into the future.

He told us “the big statement in this interview from Councillor Farmer Jackson are the few words, ‘as part of the planning process' for builders outside the South East of Northumberland they are weasel words indeed“.

“What his statement means is most dwellings which are to be built are not going to be the much needed social housing and all the affordable homes will be built in the south east corner of the County as a percentage of new homes built. Councillor Jacksons local plan is designed around his belief there’s to be no building in the Countryside”.

“His local plan and now his affordable housing policy is politically designed to ensure projects like Dissington Garden Village, a massive infrastructure project that would have kept hundreds of tradesmen and women working for a decade and delivered twice as many affordable homes than his less than ambitious current plan would, can not raise its head again”.

“It’s another Jackson con that will shrink the rural economy and deliver Japanese levels of housing densities into Cramlington, Blyth and Bedlington yet his Local Plan doesn’t contain the infrastructure vision to manage such a population growth in a small geographical area ”.


Reference: https://bdaily.co.uk/articles/2019/08/06/first-glance-at-northumberland-county-councils-new-plans-for-affordable-housing-strategy


 

 

 

Council taxpayers complain about cost of propaganda.

Council taxpayers from the west of the County have been taking to their keyboards in droves to complain on social media about the six page wraparound issued on last weeks Hexham Courant christening it ‘base propaganda’.

With the Tories losing their grip on the West of the County primarily through the wishy washy publicity clustered around their MP Guy Opperman, his attitude towards the WASPI women and his inability to appeal to the populous of the Tyne Valley at a time when the Tories have changed their PM and have the national media in their pockets while Labour has sat on the fence over BREXIT trying to coax a better deal from Ms May and her team.

The wraparound, centered on the Czar and Czarina of spin, Peter Jackson and Cath Homer who had their painted smiles on show whilst their disciples of dizziness stood rigid as their fairy tale distortion on what they are supposed to have delivered with Council taxpayers cash over the last two years was being exposed to scrutiny by an extremely doubtful public.

The expenditure, however much it cost did nothing to increase MP Opperman’s popularity. Our phone around showed that among women, (almost two thirds of the voting public in the Tyne Valley), Labours mildly eccentric Penny Grennan appealed much more than Guy, as she has shown great courage in talking up women’s issues and the family problems facing those who live in rural areas.

People also told us that the Tory popularity is being questioned in the West of the County, not through their national political position but through the hugely conflicted policies of Czar Peters Council. We were asked why is the Council proposing to invest £millions into developing new schools in the Tyne Valley for academy trusts at a time when we have the lowest birth rate down to 11.1 births per 1000 population from a high of 20.3, since 1947 and the west of the County receiving the highest level of care funding as it houses a extraordinarily large by national standards level of elderly people?.

Many of those responding pointed to the new Northumberland local plan which is geared towards no development in rural areas and asked, ‘as Peter Jackson has designed this conflicting policy and its is linked with the lack of younger families living in the Tynedale area along with the definite shortage of school age children’, when will these new schools be facing closure?.

Probably much sooner than we all think!.
 

Morpeth residents slam County Council as a ‘joke’

In one of the Councils well managed and regular fanfares of spin in May 2018, Northumberland Conservatives ran out a £10m set-aside of cash and referred to a plan drawn up by very expensive consultants to deliver town centre parking improvements across 4 Northumberland towns, Alnwick, Berwick, Hexham and Morpeth.  

The consultants found a number of common issues across all four towns and the administration coughed up more cash to have detailed plans drawn up to spend the £10m on.

 

Residents across the County are still waiting for the Councils record player to slow down the spin to halt and for the current administration to deliver on their promises to help to local residents explaining how they spent that much cash attacking their own residents by removing the opportunity to park up for more than 24hrs.

 

As the top spinning protagonist in May 2018 Councillor Glen Sanderson, Cabinet member for Environment and Local Services, said: “Because so many people approached us when we first took over the administration of the council about problems with car parking, and with general congestion in town centres, we have been committed to finding  workable solutions to the county’s parking issues which have the support of residents, businesses, shoppers and visitors”.
 

He went on to explain that his colleagues who run Morpeth Town Council had agreed the plan for their town. Fifteen months on and Morpeth residents are asking why their Councils have failed them?

 

Residents across the Town described to us their fear of not being able to park near their homes when they return from work in the evenings and older people have told us they feel socially isolated as they fear going out in the evenings by car in case they can’t park near to where they live on their return.

 

Residents living near Pretoria Gardens, Matthesons Gardens and Greys Yard have taken to social media to heavily criticise Glenn Sandersons dodgy plans.

 

People who have used the St James car park near their homes safely for many years told us, “now we find that St James car park has a maximum parking time of 24 hrs, where do we who dwell in the centre of town park for the weekend or when working shifts? As a working woman I can hardly ever get near my home. I used to love living in Morpeth but my street is not permit holders only, am I meant to spend my life travelling between car parks?”.

 

A gentleman locking his car at St James when we went to view the car park said, “I’ve been lucky tonight to get this space at the end of the car park near to my home, but when somethings on in town I think it would be easier for me to park in Pegswood and bus home than struggle to find a space in Morpeth. I don’t know what the Council is thinking of doing something like this to it’s own residents, their a joke.”

 

An elderly man told us, “the real losers are the cab drivers in Morpeth, I now have to go to the airport in my own car when before this disaster took place I would have parked near my home and taxied in to go on holiday. I now no longer catch the train from Morpeth for the same reason as I now take long term parking in Newcastle when I go to visit my son and his family.”

 

Residents are seeking answers from Councillor Sanderson but as usual secrecy is paramount in the Councils thinking.

 

 

Cramlington will be hardest hit by no-deal BREXIT.

It’s not often that the CBI and the TUC completely agree on matters but when it comes to the effect on towns and cities in North East England of a no-deal Brexit you would think they were joined at the hip.

Both massive and powerful organisations commissioned work in 2018 to locate the areas that will be worst hit and north east England topped the list when the outturns were revealed. Since then both sets of data have been scrutinised and expanded on by a number of data specialists.

Francis O’Grady said that “a no-deal Brexit would be devastating fo working people in the North-East”. and went on to say “employers are losing confidence in Brexit.” As Boris Johnson prepares the nation for a no-deal outcome.

The CBI reported that “North-East England would suffer the biggest decline in economic output of any U.K. regions if the country leaves the EU without a comprise agreement with Brussels. The gross value added (GVA) a measure of economic value of goods and services could be reduced by as much as 10.5% when compared against the current U.K. Arrangements”.

Exports from the region as a total of total exports is as high as 59% meaning that the region and the council areas within it are exposed to a higher risk of being affected by tariffs and trade costs.

Experts have looked at localised affects on jobs across the region and in Northumberland, where some of its most well off, formerly resilient to recession towns will be hit hardest by a Johnson no-deal scenario. Cramlington, Morpeth, Ponteland along with some towns who‘s economy is or they rely on the economic base of agricultural wealth may slip into serious recession through this process, Hexham, Rothbury, Alnwick and Berwick are possibly facing a bleak future.

This whole process manipulated by the brexiteers to suit their own and their supporters agendas is unbelievably dangerous for Northumberland who have recently joined in a combined authority with two large Scottish Councils, known as the Borderlands CA, which covers 10% of the U.K. geographically It allows Northumberland to access a share of £395m yet Brexit may remove 50% of the geographical area of the Borderlands into another country, Scotland, that is to remain part of the EU and that huge sum of money will be lost to Northumberland for ever.

With Labour now against a no-deal brexit and firmly against accepting a poor deal from the new PM and with the Tories folding up and collapsing in a number of recent elections we may see some change in the County of Northumberland for the better.