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Milliband Introduces the Feed In Tariff
To keep in step with the need for more energy from renewable sources, Labour has introduced a progressive policy on feed-in-tariffs to enable micro-generation (that is small wind turbines, digesters and heat source pumps) to earn subsidy from the Government for every KwH they generate. The schemes are designed to bring about a significant increase in the amount of locally produced green energy, as a contribution to the wider shift of the energy mix to low carbon.
Mr Miliband said: "The guarantee of getting an income on top of saving on energy bills will be an incentive to householders and communities wanting to make the move to low carbon living. The feed-in tariff will change the way householders and communities think about their future energy needs, making the payback for investment far shorter than in the past".
This is exactly the small-scale change that is needed to ensure we divert to greener technologies and with planning law set to be favourable to the erection of small turbines on householder properties, there is real incentive for these technologies to be used.
Tax credits or a married tax allowance?
Interesting debate has opened up on a key plank of tory party policy.
Cameron has been attacked over what Childrens Minister Ed Balls cites as a biased policy. In a show of support for Labour's tax credits system Nick Clegg has described Camerons proposals as unfair to co-habiting couples. Though his support stops there as he and Vince Cable want to abolish the tax credits system in favour of a £10000 tax allowance.
Both Clegg and Cameron seem to forget the tremendous support tax credits have given families in combating child poverty.
Tories Choke off Taxi Drivers' Livelihood in Daventry
Quite why Daventry Licensing Committee have decided to put the boot in on local hackney cab drivers beggars belief.
The Daventry Express carried an article on this in last week's paper. Click here.
The taxi drivers of Daventry have a livelihood to maintain. Anecdotal comments indicate that their takings are reduced since the closure of a taxi rank on the town's New Street, opposite the Bus Station. The closure came into effect on 4th January 2010.
Paul Corazzo, Labour's Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Daventry said, "David Cameron says if you want to know what a Conservative Government will be like - look to our record in Local Government. Indeed, not content with their party's do-nothing stance on the economy, Tories at Daventry District Council are choking off taxi drivers' livelihoods by closing this taxi rank".
Wintery Weather puts pressure on salt
Northants county council cabinet member cllr heather smith is cross with the government. They have asked for some of the county's grit and salt to help out others worst affected by the weather. Councils are going to have to rely on on quarter less when spreading. Principle here is we have been less affected so we must help others out. Seems bizarre that tory councils are making a political point over the weather. Surely they should be making press releases on how we can look out for our neighbours and ensure the more vulnerable are watched out for in the cold snap. BBC Radio Northampton have been doing this so lets have the county getting behind this.
Stepping towards Privatisation of Services
Daventry and Northampton Borough are heading towards a joint working arrangement on procurement of waste management and recycling in a contract that could be an estimated 250 million GBP over the next few years.
The Daventry Express has captured the mood, I think with their story entitled "Rubbish Idea". Here's the reason why:
- Daventry directly employs its environmental services teams of drivers and operatives. This gives each person employed by the Council a sense of duty and pride in their work that is very often not replicated for employees working in large corporates with head offices hundreds of miles from the delivery of the service;
- The tendering of services to the provider - if they are a plc - is generally about shareholder return and I believe does not maximise the value of the service to the local taxpayer.
Of course, we will have to see how this plays out and if it can make the savings predicted. There must be robust consultation with DDC staff who are affected by this.
DDC Full Council Meet agrees to closer working with Kettering
As reported in the Daventry Express's website: A meeting of the full council it was decided to explore the possibility of merging council services, including finance, legal, human resources and internal auditing. Councillors welcomed the plans, believing it would make services more efficent to the public without having to cut spending or increase taxes.
"I don't recall seeing it in any manifesto by either Daventry or Kettering Tories. This is just the beginning of a step, which can only end in my view in one place- merger of the two authorities, likely one set of elections for councillors across both patches and communities. The Borough of Davering perhaps? Daventry has been slower than many in processing major applications - Kettering just about keeps its head above water in such matters. This is just one example, but I can't see that two authorities rated as performing adequately are going to make the savings and efficiences that they think they are"
I can't personally see the synergies.
Daventry's priorities:
Improve our business economy
Protect and enhance our environment
Healthy, safe and strong communities and individuals
Kettering's priorities:
Build and deliver sustainable communities
Excellent customer services
A greener and cleaner environment
Community and rural issues
This will all come out in the weeks and months ahead. I just hope that it is going to be properly consulted and local people's views listened too.
The Truth About Daventry District Council - "Adequate"
DDC received an overall 2 out of 4 from the Audit Commissions Comprehensive Area Assessment - a set of inspections that look at the Council's performance. The defination of a "2" is performs adequately and in finer detail it says...An organisation that meets only minimum requirements.
Summary includes:
The amount of waste recycled is very high and getting better. The overall amount of waste collected is going down. People are getting help to reduce their heating costs and the council is working well with local businesses to protect the environment
It is getting easier to use council services, with more service points around the district, although access could be improved further.
People with housing problems are receiving help and more affordable homes have been provided, but still not enough to meet demand.
Proper arrangements are now in place to make sure that councillors and senior staff are held responsible for the money they control. The Council has £8 Million invested in Icelandic banks. Regular council and committee meetings are held, where councillors are given information on finances and how well the council is improving things. There are also adequate arrangements to make sure that councillors and staff are behaving properly, for example in awarding contracts or claiming expenses.
All this information is available at http://oneplace.direct.gov.uk. Its not really the sort of ringing endorsement of a conservative council that I'd expect, especially as Cameron has said if you want to see what conservatives in power at westminster would be like, then look at the councils held by conservatives.
It looks a bit like a "must do better tab". No wonder all the tories could do today when the CAA OnePlace site was launched was to say they would abolish it!
They turned it Down!
So the councillors decided that Yelvertoft wasn't a goer. Its a shame - they could have been bold and confident and gone with the progressive view that we need alternative forms of energy. This isn't any any cost of course, but to be rejected on views alone is a stunningly disappointing reason.
The big concern I have here is that an appeal is surely likely and that will affect only one set of people - the taxpayers of Daventry, who are likely to have to indirectly - perhaps even directly through council tax increases, meet the costs of the council defending any potential appeal put forward by Your Energy.
We'll wait and see, but for a mainly conservative council with a wish and desire to match the "policy" coming down from above - VOTE BLUE GO GREEN, surely there is a massive contradiction in wanting to be seen as green but not actually living by their principles.
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