A majority of Councillors at the full Calderdale Council meeting on 2nd October voted that Cabinet should re-examine the Council’s policy for awarding Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs), to make sure that the awards are made to as many residents as possible who need help with the Bedroom Tax
They also voted for a review the Council’s Housing Strategy to make sure that the supply of affordable housing meets the needs of residents, especially smaller households. Continue reading
On Monday 28th April, Calderdale Council Cabinet authorised the Chief Executive, in consultation with Party Leaders, to finalise the terms of reference for a People’s Commission on Health and Social Care, arrange for the Commission Panel to be established and arrange for the initial call for evidence.
The only thing is, what the Cabinet has set in motion doesn’t seem much like a People’s Commission.
A People’s Commission is a way for civil society to highlight unresolved violations of law, in a public hearing of evidence and testimony from anyone who’s affected. Continue reading
The public seats were full at a Special Council meeting on 16th April, where Councillors unanimously passed a motion calling on Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, Locala and the South West Yorkshire Foundation Partnership Trust to withdraw their Strategic Review/Strategic Outline Case for the future of health and social care in Calderdale and Greater Huddersfield.
The Strategic Review proposals include the preferred option of downgrading Calderdale Royal Hospital A&E and turning the hospital into a small planned care clinic. Continue reading
There is a public outcry in Calderdale and Greater Huddersfield about cost-cutting proposals to close and curtail acute and emergency hospital services and replace them with cheaper, integrated health and social care in the community (whatever that might turn out to be, because it isn’t at all clear).
People worry that, having downgraded the massively expensive Private Finance Initiative-funded Calderdale Royal Hospital to a small, planned care clinic with a minor injuries unit, the hospitals Trust would use the remaining three quarters of the hospital for private patients. Continue reading
As fracking creeps closer to Calderdale – with Fracking company IGas Energy trying to drill a Shale/CBM exploration well at Barton Moss in Salford, Greater Manchester – Frack Free Greater Manchester has found that Salford and Trafford Councils are investing in fracking company IGas via Greater Manchester Pension Fund.
The Investments Valuation pdf on the West Yorkshire Pension Fund website shows that Calderdale Council, via West Yorkshire Pension Fund, is also investing in fracking companies.
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On 27th November, Calderdale Protest Against the Bedroom Tax campaign is putting a question to the Council, to find out what exactly have they done since April, when the Council made commitments to oppose the Bedroom Tax and support people suffering under it.
The campaigners are hoping for a big show at Halifax Town Hall, Crossley Street, HX1 1UJ, from 5pm. The Council meeting starts at 6pm, but the campaigners want to be there from 5pm on to ‘meet and greet’ Councillors going in.
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The unresolved saga of Care UK’s Walk In Health Centres in Park Ward, Halifax and Todmorden seems like another example of the mess that happens when the government tries to privatise the NHS.
I have put in a Freedom of Information request to West Yorkshire Commissioning Support Services, to find out what’s going on.
A Calderdale Council Report on home energy conservation plans for the next two years is critical of the new Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation policy. It advocates “more equitable”, publicly-funded home insulation and other measures to help householders save energy and reduce their energy bills. Calderdale Council Cabinet approved and adopted the Report at its May 2013 meeting.
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I’ve just sent a Freedom of Information request to Calderdale Council, asking how they’ve worked out that a Calderdale Council investment of £9.2m in the Private Finance Initiative Waste Incinerator and Combined Heat and Power generator in Bradford will save it £200K/year over the life of the PFI contract.
I’ve also asked whether Calderdale Cabinet accepted the Council Officer’s recommendation that the Council should invest this £9.2m. Despite the extremely bad record of PFI schemes.
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The Waste Treatment Private Finance Initiative Report states that the cost to Calderdale Council of borrowing £9.2m to invest in the construction of the Private Finance Initiative Bradford waste incinerator/combined heat and power generator would be around £564,000 a year. But the Report says that despite the cost, Calderdale Council would “look to” save £200K/year as a result of the investment. I can’t figure this out. Someone please explain!
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