Friday, February 10, 2012

Gritting Map

Mappa Mercia Gritting Map
A useful reference - this Mappa Mercia map shows the routes that are gritted and their priority level. I've taken a snap showing the ward, but it is best seen on the full site above.
  • Red - High priority
  • Dark blue - Medium priority
  • Pale blue - Low priority
There's a handy fact sheet here on the whys, wherefores and limitations of grit.

The gritters will be out again tonight, covering 700 miles of roads across the city, which takes the fleet of trucks about 3-4 hours to complete. City Centre pavements - and some in Sutton Coldfield - are also gritted around 4am. If you are on Twitter, #wmgrit will keep you up to speed with progress and there's some good advice here on driving in winter weather. Be careful!

Planning Applications to 4 February 2012

Just a single application this week.

2012/00444/PA - 38 Flint Green Road
Erection of single storey rear extension

Full Council - 7 Feb 2012

You can find a video record of this week's matinee performance here.

Of particular interest is the Liberal Democrat motion on the promised increase in tax thresholds. In the original form, the wording actually supported a tax increase by reducing these thresholds - something I wrote about here. Cllr Eustace's speech is particularly interesting, as it rambles over a range of issues and only occasionally makes passing contact with tax. While I agree with increasing the take home pay of some of the lowest paid in the economy, I hold that there are better and more efficient ways of doing it, as increasing the tax threshold actually benefits the wealthier more than it does the lower paid. It also has no effect on many pensioners, those working part-time or the very poorest, as they are already beneath the tax threshold and don't pay a penny. I wrote in greater depth on it on the other place.

During that, Cllr Reg Corns (Con) makes sound points - about job insecurity and that payday loan firms like Wonga.com are "the biggest enemy of the ordinary working man." These firms do charge terrifyingly high rates of interest - well over 1000% APR is common. Curiously, one of the investors in Wonga.com is not only a major donor to the Conservative Party (£500,000 in the past five years), but also came up with a plan to allow employers to sack workers without any fear of unfair dismissal action, despite a complete lack of evidence that this would make any difference to firms.

Monday, February 06, 2012

Cold weather payments triggered for Acocks Green

The first cold weather payment of this winter should be in the accounts of eligible claimants within 14 days. There's no need to claim it - if you are eligible, you should receive the extra £25 regardless.

Those eligible are those on the following benefits:
  • Pension Credit
  • Income Support*
  • Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance*
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)**
*Income Support and income-based Jobseeker's Allowance

If you receive Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, you will get Cold Weather Payments if you also have any of the following:
  • a disability or pensioner premium included in your benefit
  • a child who is disabled
  • Child Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element
  • a child under five living with you 
**Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

If you get Income-related ESA, you will usually receive Cold Weather Payments if you also have any of the following:

  • the support or work-related component of ESA
  • a severe or enhanced disability premium included in your benefit
  • a pensioner premium included in your benefit
  • a child who is disabled
  • Child Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element
  • a child under five living with you