Archive for October 4th, 2012
Thursday, October 4th, 2012
Conservative controlled Tamworth Borough Council is to keep some of the additional money raised from the sale of council homes to tenants in Tamworth to fund the building of new affordable homes to rent, following the Government’s reform of the Right To Buy scheme.
Under a new agreement with the government, which was approved by Tamworth Borough Council’s Cabinet last week, a proportion of any additional capital receipts from the sale of council homes to tenants under Right to Buy legislation will now remain in Tamworth, rather than being allocated to the national affordable housing programme by central government.
This means that Tamworth Borough Council will be able to invest available funds in new affordable housing in the borough.
Cllr Michael Greatorex, Cabinet member for Housing, said, “The changes in the rules allow us to use keep a greater proportion of the money raised by the sale of council homes here in Tamworth than would otherwise have been the case. In turn, this could allow us to build more affordable housing for the people who really need it.”
This change follows the introduction to new rules regarding Right To Buy by central government, including increases in the level of discount available to tenants who buy their council homes.
The government has pledged to replace each extra home sold under Right To Buy with a new affordable home.
Housing need in Tamworth remains high, with more than 2,000 households on the Housing Register and an increasing number threatened with homelessness.
Tamworth Borough Council, working with its partners, is seeking to increase the supply of affordable housing by building new homes, bringing empty homes back into use and encouraging private renting to meet the need.
Thursday, October 4th, 2012
Two local Conservative MPs have joined forces against a wind turbine proposal near the service station at junction 10 of the M42.
Christopher Pincher (Tamworth) and Dan Byles (North Warwickshire) have written to their respective councils to make clear they do not believe more wind farm applications our right for the local area. The application for development sits right on the border between Tamworth Borough Council and North Warwickshire Borough Council.
The first turbine application was lodged with North Warwickshire council but when this was opposed, an application for a ‘test mast’ was lodged on the Tamworth side of the border. It would appear that the developer may lodge another application for a full wind turbine in the future on the service station land.
It is not clear whether this will be in North Warwickshire or Tamworth. If it is built on the station, it is clear that both areas will be affected.
Christopher Pincher said, “Both Dan and I sit on the Energy Select Committee in Parliament and take a keen interest in renewable energy. However, we have real concerns about the economic viability of many on-shore wind proposals and the subsidy required to support them, which comes out of the pockets of hard-pressed households.
“So we want a considered view of green energy policy and we want local councils like Tamworth and North Warwickshire to reflect on local concerns about unsightly and expensive turbines.”
Dan Byles added, “I am concerned that our area, where different planning authorities covering North Warwickshire, Tamworth, Lichfield and North West Leicestershire meet, risks being overbuilt with wind turbines which are not economically sensible nor popular with local people who have to pay for them through their energy bills. We really need to call a halt to this sort of development.”
The pair say they have received many complaints from local residents opposed to wind turbine development. They were also among the 102 MPs that wrote to Prime Minister David Cameron earlier this year calling for a review of on-shore wind energy policy.
Conservative controlled Tamworth Borough Council is to keep some of the additional money raised from the sale of council homes to tenants in Tamworth to fund the building of new affordable homes to rent, following the Government’s reform of the Right To Buy scheme.
