Close the Public or have a Rent Rise?

A good question, just a month or so after award winning Sandwell Homes went back in to council control, Sandwell Labour announce plans to hike everyone's rent by about £7 per week

Is that why they wanted Sandwell Homes Back?

yet at the same time they fund the public!.

So while the residents of Sandwell endure the proposed rise they can rest in the knowledge that they are helping to pay for the increased visitor numbers at the public.

yet Labour still blame others

The Coalition has given Sandwell £M's for housing yet sadly at a new project in West Bromwich you get a free push bike if you have a new home.

Is that because the parking is £4 per day ?

So I wonder what the people would want
Close the Public ?
have a rent rise ?

While your thinking about that one, I'm reminded about an article in the E&S page 11, 19th Oct 2012

Not content with tea and biscuits, Sandwell Council was considering Mexican fajita's or Dim Sum at its meetings

and here's a further report on Councillors Pay
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20967913


Is it Let them eat cake ?
  

see also
http://www.halesowennews.co.uk/news/10164463.Sandwell_Council_housing_tenants_face_rent_hike/?ref=rss
or

http://www.expressandstar.com/news/property/2012/12/07/delight-at-plan-for-750-sandwell-homes/

Parking in Old Hill

I see Old hill residents have had a nice Christmas present from Sandwell Labour, PARKING FEE's

"We told you so" would be the simple answer, Labour have had this passion for parking fee's for years, yet still manage to make a loss of £199,000. last year.
With Merry Hill, literally down the road we genuinely  feel sorry for the hard working traders but sadly you've got exactly what people voted for.

More Cost, less trade, take a look at West Bromwich High Street with its empty shops, even the council moved 100's of staff out of the town.
Now shop keepers & traders and workers in West Bromwich will have to pay £20 a week to park, just to work there 

We still  propose FREE PARKING in all our towns,  as we feel parking charges hit traders and damages local jobs

blogger said
I have to ask,  Is there on street parking charges in Bearwood or Smethwick High Street ?

http://www.halesowennews.co.uk/news/10116735.Parking_charges_signal_death_knell_for_Old_Hill_traders/?ref=rss


http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2013/01/09/wolverhampton-city-council-1m-out-of-pocket-over-parking/

Sandwell's Health Budget

After so many nasty comments from Labour about delays, Sandwell's health budget allocation has been announced and the coalition Government has increased it by 10%


Sandwell Council being allocated £20,816,000

https://www.wp.dh.gov.uk/publications/files/2013/01/Public-Health-Grants-to-Local-Authorities.pdf

http://www.halesowennews.co.uk/news/10154392.Government_announces_long_awaited_public_health_budget_for_Sandwell_and_Dudley/?ref=rss

But a big question remains

Now they have the money to spend on poor health preventative measures

How much of the pensions money is invested in Tobacco companies?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/councils-told-to-stub-out-big-tobacco-pension-deals-6293702.html

Sandwell Council Tax

Not only has the Coalition Government frozen council tax for another year, but the the old days of paying your council tax over 10 months is to change, if you want.

Eric pickles has announced that from this year (2013) you can pay Council Tax over 12 months instead of 10 months, so you can make 12 lower payments instead of 10, this will lower an average payment for "B" by about £17/month.

The total amount paid per year will remain unchanged


Problem is
You have to make the request to change to 12 individual monthly payments

http://www.localgov.co.uk/index.cfm?method=news.detail&id=108301