Northumberland Care Homes ‘Forced to take in Covid 19 patients’

 Less than twelve hours after announcing that Tory led Northumberland County Council were investigating issues raised by its suspended half time Chief Executive Mrs Daljit Lally, who in a series of e-mails to the Tory Leader Peter Jackson expressed concerns of corruption and illegalities, the voice’s of the Tory Party, Daily Mail and Telegraph ran out a story that the Company Wellburn Homes were paid extra from the public purse to take Covid patients into their care. Wellburn Homes have a number of care homes in Northumberland.

The other half of Mrs Lally’s time is spent as a senior official of the Northumbria NHS Foundation Trust and care for the elderly is handled by the Council she is CEX of. We understand her job at the NHS is to manage patients out of hospital to be supported or nursed out in the Community keeping the NHS trust figures at a low level.

This dual role was bound to lead to conflict. It seems it has but whose role is it to investigate the happenings and will this exposure colour the obvious failings of good governance in Northumberland County Council and the extremely muddled mess both the Tories who are accused of mismanagement and corruption and their CEX now find themselves in?

https://trendswide.com/care-homes-bribed-to-take-coronavirus-patients/
 

Labour in Northumberland has said the Government’s new planning reforms would ‘drive a bulldozer through local councils’ and people’s rights’.

 

Cllr Allan Hepple, the Northumberland Labour Group’s shadow cabinet member for housing and planning, said: “In Northumberland, local people and some 150 town and parish councils will no longer have any say or influence on planning applications in their area through their local council. The Government has robbed them of their long-held rights.

The New Government White Paper forces 885 new homes per year on Northumberland and removes decision making from Councils leaving neighborhood planning by Town and Parish Councils abandoned and the former Tory Localism Act discarded.

Under the new plans being rolled out from the Conservative Government last week and now out to consultation, Northumberland will have to find land which will allow builders to develop areas one and a half times the size of the Town of Newbiggin by the Sea every 10 years.

Councils will not pick up any real contributions towards the building of Council Housing or help Housing Associations develop new stock in Northumberland, damaging the hopes of the young to get a safe home over their heads from a quality landlord.

The Conservative administration at County Hall scrapped the former core strategy in May 2017 to halt any development in and around Ponteland in order to maintain house prices for the wealthy. They then went on to try but fail to produce a new local plan following statements from their Leader Cllr Peter Jackson that he could have one in place in three months. Three years on and its still not ready but the work they have done dumps the majority of development smack bang in the South East of the County and the rural coalfield attempting to concrete over the area where more than 50% of the population already dwell in 4% of the County Area.

This week following criticism from Labour the Council ran out the note below.

It doesn’t help ordinary people at all!

Planning White Paper

The Government have issued a new planning White Paper last week. There are some significant and complex changes. These have been summarised below:

Substantial changes to future Local Plan. Requires a new approach to designating land. Depending on when the white paper is enacted, we will talk to PINS about implications for current work.

• Land will have to be designated as either a growth area, renewal area or for protection. Depending on its designation, there are impacts for planning approvals.
• May impinge on Local Plan review. We will also need to discuss the role of a new approach for the Blyth area to best support the port/energy catapult etc

• A new interactive approach to developing the Local Plan which will include a visual and map based approach. We are already involved in a national project on this.

• A new statutory timetable for preparing and reviewing local plans (30 months) will be introduced by the legislation which would result in significant impacts for the Council if they fail to achieve the timescales. Additional resources may be required to ensure the Council achieves the 18 -20 month timetable for preparing a plan. Threat of intervention if timescales are missed.

• A new approach for engagement for the Local Plan’s – Government requires more engagement but to be achieved in shorter timescales. More engagement on plan making, less at application stage.

• A new NPPF which will set out national development management policies, removing this responsibility from the Council. The Council will have potentially less opportunities to influence local policies in the area

• Publishing new guidance to set out how new homes will be zero carbon through the introduction of efficiency standards, beyond 2025.

• Reforming the Community Infrastructure Levy and the current system of planning obligations to a nationally set, value-based flat rate charge. Need to understand how this will impact us and if the national set tariffs could result in further viability issues above those discussed at the EIP.

• A real positive of a standardised tariff however is that permitted development schemes will be expected to contribute towards infrastructure – where currently they don’t.

• Council can borrow against future tariff payments to frontload infrastructure.
• No Duty to Cooperate requirement in the future, but clearly we will want to via the North of Tyne Combined Authority.

• Removing requirement for five year land supply. The Housing Delivery Test will be used in its place. Either can work for us

• New Sustainable Development Test replaces existing soundness tests
• A standardised housing required for each Local Planning Authority – this could reduce aspirations for housing delivery – we need to ensure that the government makes this a minimum

• As anticipated, there is more emphasis on urban design.
• More responsibility for the Council to prepare Design Code for development which will have to be actively consulted on again with the community. This is in motion.

• A fast track system will be introduced to automatically permit proposals for high-quality developments where they reflect local character and preferences. Unclear how this will be achieved in practice.

• Introduction of new standardised process for planning decisions and contributions . In addition, there will be the introduction of new software for making and case-managing a planning application. This will have implications for Council IT systems. We are already involved in a MHCLG national pilot on this (with Lambeth).
• More powers for authorities to secure affordable homes on site via the new infrastructure levy.
• In terms of development management, land identified in the local plan as:

Areas identified as Growth areas would automatically be granted outline planning permission for the principle of development. Renewal areas would have a general presumption in favour of development. Therefore, for development would be granted in one of three ways:

• For pre-specified forms of development such as the redevelopment of certain building types, permission will be achieved via a new permission route which gives an automatic consent if the scheme meets design and other prior approval requirements.
• For other types of development, a faster planning application process where a planning application for the development would be determined in the context of the Local Plan description, or.
• A Local or Neighbourhood Development Order.
• Protected areas - development proposals would come forward through planning applications being made to the local authority (except where they are subject to permitted development rights or development orders), and judged against policies set out in the National Planning Policy Framework.
• For all types of planning applications, the time limits of eight or 13 weeks for determining an application from validation to decision should be a firm deadline – not an aspiration. There will be an automatic refund of the planning fee for the application if they fail to determine it within the time limit. This may well lead to more refusals if information is not submitted on time by applicants
• Local planning authorities will be subject to a new performance framework which ensures continuous improvement across all planning functions from Local Plans to decision-making and enforcement – this will allow the government to intervene if problems emerge with individual authorities.
• Support for climate change and biodiversity net gain.
• Consulting on changes to the NPPF in the Autumn.

The paper expresses that following the consultation there will be a transition period. It acknowledges that there will be skills gaps and will add costs. It states that the cost of operating the new planning system should be principally funded by the beneficiaries of planning gain – landowners and developers – rather than the national or local taxpayer. If a new approach to development contributions is implemented, a small proportion of the income should be earmarked to local planning authorities to cover their overall planning costs, including the preparation and review of Local Plans and design codes and enforcement activities.






Notes
https://www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/news/politics/council/concerns-over-how-planning-changes-will-affect-northumberland-2944538

Starmer more trusted than Johnson on Culture and the Economy in ‘Red Wall’ seats

 Sir Keir Starmer’s popularity has risen greatly in both red wall and former red wall seats say latest polls. With the Brexit differences fading into oblivion on the back of rising unemployment and the lack of economic judgement by the Tories across all walks of life.

The polls show that the indifference shown towards NHS workers following five months of bulling up and praising those much needed workers has been a prime mover towards the change in attitude of voters who believe they can’t rely on nor trust the Tories statements of intent as the United Kingdom begins to unravel much more rapidly than it was formed.

In marginal seats with high levels of rurality a swing of almost 10% towards Labour has been quick to emerge as the current Governments changes in planning law appear to be bypassing local councils and skipping the part played by planners to maintain local democracy. Its felt by voters that the Tories are clearly benefiting the needs of developers and profits over the needs and wishes of local people. The huge break from the Tory designed policy of ‘Localism’ is seen by traditional Conservative voters as a stab in the back.

With a noticeable change of voter attitude as Brexit slips into oblivion, politics is seen by pollsters as drifting back into left, right and centre ground. On the matter of culture Sir Keir Starmer is streets ahead of both the Tories and the SNP with their popularity being challenged by former LibDems in the North of Scotland and Labour across the Central belt. Any move by the SNP towards a second referendum on delivering an unaffordable Scottish Exit Plan from the UK will be challenging indeed as the Tories are once again raising the cost parallels between regional spend in the North, particularly in the red wall seats they hold and that as supplied to Scotland through the Barnett formula.

Another prime move away from the Boris Johnson style of Government by voters is the lack of trust in the power given to unelected political advisors and the fact that Boris Johnson no longer wishes to speak with the electorate and is enlisting the help of a media face to deliver his message for him, its seen by voters as a change too far in British politics.

Bedlington to get a ‘shed’ to keep people happy

Its the summer holiday period and although many don’t wish to chance a holiday abroad staycations and visits to places for a day out are taking off nicely and from home bases in Northumberland, North Yorkshire is and can be a nice place for one of those visits and where nicer that the warm welcome you will receive in the town of Richmond.

After a lovely day out and an explore of this very quaint old town with a great shopping and eating day time environment, nice gardens and a very historic castle to visit, on your way home take a quick look at Lidl in Richmond.

This lay article isn’t an advert for Lidl, its to ask you to envisage the type of architecture and quality of building Labour had planned for the site named by local school children as ‘Pipers place’ thats come to be known through the financial and administrative mess that the Tories and their Bedlington Tory-dependents have created as the ‘Bedlington Hole’.

Lidl in Richmond is of the same quality as was planned for Pipers Place a vision that certainly won’t ever come to fruition under the financially inept handling of cash and expenditure by the Administration in charge at County Hall in Morpeth, who have been exposed for their ineptitude, bullying management and impending commercialisation of your services even after Councillor Nick Oliver has borrowed £880Million and delivered nothing but spin about what they plan to do in South East Northumberland.

The noise leaking from County Hall is that infighting over the ‘hoyoot’ with Tory Councillor’s scrabbling in the dirt for the scraps of cash that haven’t already been wasted will lead to a tin shed to house an Aldi store in Bedlington its all that Councillor Glenn Sanderson who’s portfolio includes regeneration wants delivered to supposedly appease local people and help them forget both the mess their Council and its company Advance Northumberland are in and how from fully priced up and affordable incredibly lovely architecture that was planned and promised, Bedlington folk will have to be satisfied with the allotment style scraps the Castle Morpeth gadgies are going to deliver in a mad rush before May 2021.

Northumbria PCC Kim McGuinness is right on Youth Unemployment

But the Conservatives are split over Johnson and Cummings Tory alternative.

This week saw Northumbria Police Commissioner correctly express her fears that the Government and employers are and will ignore the plight of young people leaving them hung out to dry on the unemployment register post Covid and Brexit by a Government who don’t care. As one of the Northumberland Laymen I can only agree wholeheartedly with her statements.


Keir Starmer continued on with this debate whilst on a visit to Falmouth to talk with people about the plight of Coastal and Tourist Towns


As a region we have seen our youth left on the shelf for far too long with employers banking training cash and bringing in trained people from overseas to fill vacancies instead of ‘Growing our own’ like most of our European neighbours.


Brexit and the pandemic should have case-hardened the Government into asking the question of why we voted to break up with our Euro neighbours and one of the matters at the top of the list was definitely xenophobia.


Boris Johnson whose prime interest is the City and not the nation and its people has shown his hand on employment and is hell bent on offering further UK jobs to people from abroad with his version of ‘Get BREXIT Done’ being interpreted by big business and the Parliamentary Tories as lets bring in trained people from abroad to save £millions and offer jobs valued at £25,000 and above to a world-wide workplace pool of 590 Million applicants. Its expected that seven million trained people will be offered jobs leaving the youth currently needing the opportunity to train and enter the higher paid jobs market slipping into the low paid sector forever more.


This latest money grabbing exercise by big business and the Tories is seen as treason by the Conservatives who support them and the populous who turned to them deliver a ‘Better Britain’ following BREXIT, including those who’s whose support was based on lets take back our borders.


The right wing supporters e-magazine Conservative Woman has explained the reasons for the widening of the split between the Political Tories and the voting Conservatives in a massively hard hitting set of data which exposes why the bottom has fallen out of Boris Johnson premiership. The lies about his deal and the future of our region is now in the hands of a man who has turned his back on our society.


https://conservativewoman.co.uk/breaking-news-an-open-door-to-600-million-madness/










 

Local Labour Pledge to Correctly Develop ‘Pipers Place’

The greed of wanting everything whilst producing nothing and damaging relationships, bullying and misleading the public then using stepping stones to achieve ultimate power is no better illustrated than the destruction of the Lib Dem party by team Cameron.


As Laymen we have been watching the localised use of so called ‘Independents’ as the Tories designed stepping stone to lock the Town of Bedlington into their grasp and keep the Labour Party from gaining a working political majority in Northumberland County Council, a Council that has been ruined over the last three and a quarter years by the ‘talk all and do nowt’ Conservatives.


Its said in Politics that people have short memories, well as a Layperson I remember the current leadership of the County Council being in charge of Castle Morpeth District Council a Council historically famous for failure and I’m sure many of our readers will recall that time period and how Castle Morpeth folk suffered. If it hadn’t been that the County Council was held by Labour the area would have slipped into the maelstrom.


The Independents voted in by the people of Bedlington are really Tory-dependents attempting and failing to pick up the crumbs from the table of their overlords.


They haven’t delivered on Pipers Place or stopped additional house building in Bedlington nor on any of the pledges promised at their election and their time is running out. Minutes of Council show that they voted to support the Tories Local Plan which dumps thousands of homes on South East Northumberland over the next decade, many of them in Bedlington.


Another method the Tories use to change opinion is through local social media and their use of the Bedlington Matters site to excellent effect has locked in the anti-ultra left message into the minds of the Bedlington populous and their Cummings style propaganda marooned Labour in its wake, a wake that has held over the last three years. But Labour has now moved on.


The announcement in the last PM question time before the summer break from Keir Starmer that “Labour is under new management” has rippled cross the Nation with the new ‘Starmer Style’ Party picking up speed rapidly in readiness for next years Local Government Elections and with the recently reborn Militant Tendency once again slipping out of sight the social media messages of the ‘Matters’ groups are being challenged by ordinary voters who can see the light.


We understand Local Labour who are changing with the wishes of their Party still have the plans designed involving Bedlington’s public and schools for the Pipers Place site, they still have the commercial contacts to deliver what was wanted on the site and true to form the Conservatives who have begun to spin in reverse through panic have shown them where the cash is coming from for its development as the Conservatives have now pointed towards County Hall in Morpeth being too large and obsolete in preparation for the sale they were so against in 2017.
 

Society needs to take a new view on Poverty before tackling Obesity and falsely ‘Saving the NHS’ Again!

Boris Johnson, has now begun a national attack on obesity in a new spin war to ‘Save the NHS’.


We now all know how insincere he, his advisors and the central core of Government have been via the handling of Covid 19 on the subject of saving the NHS.


As a leader of this nation, crumbling before our very eyes it has been reported that he missed attending the high level Cabinet Office Briefing Meetings COBRA when this new virus was being discussed as early as December 2019.


Those who follow social media debate were aware of a nasty version of the flu which was pretty rampant in the East Midlands as early as November 2019.


Commentators on the subject of the Governments handling of this matter believe super-carriers working in the Equestrian and Racing industries spread the virus rapidly around the nation and the top level decision to allow the Cheltenham Festival to take place allowed the flow of the disease to transmit rapidly across Britain and Ireland.


In order to cover his personal inefficiencies and faults his spin team have begun to blame overweight people for the spread of the disease and he has decided to wade in and blame fast food advertising and fat people for the state the nation is in today.


Obesity particularly among children is not the fault of the fault of the fast food industry, its not the fault of fizzy drinks manufactures or those who make biscuits etc., its the fault of the Americanisation and glitzyness of success that has been allowed to ferment underneath society for decades and through successive Governments.


The development of TV media from the early 70’s and the shift from industrial Britain into a money go round service society coincided with the media regularly running stories about the need to ensure your children's safety. Programmes dedicated to the horrors of what can happen if your seen as a BAD parent and let your kids out to play with other poorer kids in the street or at the local park without stringent supervision lowered the activity levels young bodies require to stave off obesity in their young adult life.


That vision was reinforced through the Thatcher ‘Loads a Money’ era when to get what your family needed according to the media and big business both parents had to work, and being on benefits was an indicator that you and yours were from a different society.


Those ideas 50 yrs on, are now deep rooted messages which led to the Tories being able to control society and create the vision of those on benefits were a group who caused the nation to fail in its recovery from the crash caused by the UK banking and tax fiddling crisis. The Governments ramping up of that message allowed Ian Duncan Smith to slash the incomes of those who could not find employment or through illness, or the hand they were dealt with at birth were unable to work.


When linked with premier Johnsons new vision of control over the populous as has been seen through the wearing of face masks by the whole of society if you want to shop for food, is designed to take our mind off the truths behind the matters. He has now decided to paint a picture that society is failing because people are overweight.

Taking our eyes off the ball at this moment in time as the number of people claiming benefits is ramping to an all time high is something we shouldn’t do as his latest attempt at control is actually the removal of personal choice from society much more rapidly than the created fear of spending on our high streets has done and this act of spin is contrary to the honest underlying beliefs of most people. As society we must not decry those who have been put out of work through what is becoming a depression and we must resist now labeling them with the Thatcher version of poverty. They are members of your family or friends and neighbours who are suffering and have been let down by a Government who do not care! They are not letting the nation down, in the same way overweight people are not letting the nation down either.

As a nation we need to look at poverty and the poor in a completely different light and not allow communities or the places we live in be blamed for the current situation and certainly not allow fat to blamed for anything but bad Government messaging when developing a consumer driven society over he last 50yrs.