Tuesday, June 26, 2012

KINGSBURY AND KENTON AREA FORUM

The next meeting of the area forum will take place on Tuesday 17th July at Kingsbury High School, Princess Ave, NW9.
Some of the agenda items that will be discussed are:
· Localisation of Council Tax Benefit
· Draft Cemeteries Strategy (consultation takes place from 2 July to 28 September)
· An update on local Policing
· Shaping a Healthier Future – consultation by NHS


In addition, there will be a written feedback on the Ward Working sessions that took place at the last forum meeting.
The item on the future of the NHS locally is very important as radical changes are being proposed that affects the way the Hospitals are managed.

Fryent Councillors 

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

NEW FOOTBALL FACILITIES IN WEMBLEY


A new sports ground is to open near Preston Road Station in North Wembley giving local footballers first-class pitches to play on.

Local young people in particular will benefit from the opening of the Pellatt Road Sports Ground, which will host an extensive football programme for players from Fryent run by AFC Wembley.

Residents are being invited to take a first-look at the fantastic new facility at an event on June 16, where young people will also be able to put their names down for the football programme.

Brent Council worked with AFC Wembley and Middlesex FA to develop the £135,500 project and win a Football Foundation grant to help pay for it.

The former GEC sports ground at Pellatt Road was drained and re-levelled so it can now be used all year round for football and Gaelic football, and a full-sized pitch, a youth football size pitch and two mini-pitches were added to the pavilion already there. It will open to the public from August.

The football programme is aimed at giving local young people somewhere to go and play and to reduce anti-social behaviour in the area.

See the location here - http://goo.gl/maps/Vi55

George Crane

Monday, June 11, 2012

VADAFONE PAY NO UK TAXES


It was reported by the Sunday Times over the weekend that Vodafone have avoided paying any corporation tax in the UK for 2011. Despite having a massive presence in the UK with a large customer base, they avoided paying tax by using off shore companies mainly in Luxemburg. Vodafone only made profits of 402M up 16% on the previous year and in 2010 its tax bill was 140 M
In 2011 Vodafone Tax bill -  Nil, zero, nothing.
Those profits came from individuals and companies, most if not all, will pay UK taxes. I think it’s time Vodafone customers in the UK send this company a message by signing off and joining a network that does contribute in the UK and pays UK Tax.

George Crane

Thursday, June 7, 2012

COUNCIL TAX BENEFIT SUPPORT


There is bad news on the way for local residents who currently get Council Tax Benefit.

Localising support for council tax
The government is proposing to localise support for council tax from 2013–14. CTB will be abolished, and local authorities in England – and the Scottish and Welsh governments – must design their own systems for rebating council tax to low-income families. Entitlement rates for pensioners in England will still be set nationally and maintained at their existing level.

Cutting support for council tax

As well as localising support for council tax, the government is also planning to cut funding for it by 10 per cent, giving each local authority a grant based on 90 per cent of what would have been spent on CTB in that area – meaning a larger cash funding cut in areas where CTB spending is higher.
Central government is forcing each local authority to come up with its own scheme for Council Tax benefit, and abolishing the national scheme. Brent will be publishing its proposals for consultation in early June. These are being rushed through for implementation in April 2013, which effectively means that Councils will have had little time to respond and consult on the government plans by the end of this year.
The April 2013 deadline means that the necessary scheme  design and implementation is kept to an almost impossibly short time table.

This is just another example of Government making decisions that Local Councils have to implement and probably will get the blame for. 
Please pass this on so as many people as possible know what’s happening.
Fryent Councillors.