Calderdale Royal Hospital PFI equity sold on for profit YET AGAIN

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In 2014, UCV Plain Speaker reported that equity in the Calderdale Royal Hospital (CRH), which is notorious as one of the most costly and least accountable PFI schemes in the NHS, had changed hands 10 times, and that according to the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee, PFI equity sales are

“the unacceptable face of capitalism.”

On 19th January 2016, a big chunk of the Calderdale Royal Hospital PFI equity changed hands again,  for an undisclosed amount that you can be sure generated a tidy profit for the seller. Continue reading →

Fracking Protectors Ask Calderdale Council to Honour its Frack-Free Pledge

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Local frack-free campaigners went to Calderdale Council’s Cabinet meeting on Monday 4th September to ask the Council to remove its support for fracking exploration and commercial exploitation from its draft Local Plan.

Deliver frack free promise_4.9.2017_lores

The Draft Local Plan goes against the full Council resolution in 2014 that Calderdale is a frack-free zone  and that the Council would  ‘take all possible steps’ to oppose fracking. Continue reading →

£4.7m Calderdale Council cuts caused by £6m funding shortfall

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As of July this year,  Calderdale Council was predicting that it will suffer a funding shortfall of £6m this financial year, based on revenue monitoring.

This is because of savage central government cuts to local authority funding. This is worst in northern and Labour councils.

Cllr Jane Scullion reported to the 10th July Cabinet meeting that Directors had found ways to cut spending by £4.7m by the end of the financial year. Continue reading →

Calderdale Pharmacy Services survey – please say what you think

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Calderdale Council, Calderdale Clinical Commissioning Group and Community Pharmacy West Yorkshire are surveying Calderdale residents’ views on pharmacy services in Calderdale.

This is to help them to provide the right type of services to meet residents’ needs, including what pharmacies offer and how easy they are to access.

You might want to tell them you don’t appreciate chemists like Boots that avoid/evade paying taxes. Continue reading →

Hebden Bridge GPs are reviewing urgent appointments process

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The Hebden Bridge Group Practice manager has replied to patients who recently wrote to the practice manager and GPs with a complaint  that the only way to get an urgent GP appointment is to call 111.  After asking the 20 or so questions on their script, NHS 111 then sends a report to the GP surgery, which then decides if a doctor will call the patient or see them. Continue reading →

Craig Whittaker MP must represent the 30K Calder Valley progressive voters who oppose the DUP

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If you are one of the 29,798 people who voted for a progressive Parliamentary candidate on June 8th – and even if you’re not but live in the Calder Valley constituency – please consider signing this letter to Craig Whittaker MP. 

Please note that on Monday June 12th I collected the signatures and sent off the letter with the signatures. Continue reading →

Save lives #slow down!

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The Upper Calder Valley Renaissance Sustainable Transport Group supported the Fourth UN Global Road Safety Week (8-14 May), which called for slower traffic speeds to save lives. Members of the group were joined in marking “Slow Down Day” by Councillors Dave Young (Calder Ward) and Jane Scullion (Luddendenfoot Ward).

The group has recently carried out traffic speed monitoring in a number of locations in Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd, in both 30mph and 20mph areas. The worst examples on non-compliance were found in some 20mph areas. At the bottom of Cragg Road in Mytholmroyd, near the entrance to Elphaborough Court, and at Machpelah and in Commercial Street, Hebden Bridge, more than 90% of vehicles were found to be exceeding the 20mph limits. Continue reading →