Newcastle Conservatives News Archive
CONCERN RAISED OVER TAX COLLECTORS SNOOPING ON LOCAL HOMES IN NEWCASTLE
Barry Flux, Deputy Chairman of Newcastle Conservatives, expressed his concern at news of a secret deal between the taxman and estate agents. It has been revealed that detailed information on 9 out of 10 house sales and rentals in Newcastle is being collected and logged in a ‘Big Brother’ database to prepare for council revaluation tax hikes.
- Estate agents and tax men plunder your data: Unsuspecting homeowners across Newcastle are putting their property on the market for sale or rental, without realising that the tax collectors will use it to plan for new council tax hikes. HM Revenue & Customs, which has lost millions of personal tax and benefit records, is systematically raiding estate agency records to build up a property database for its council tax inspectors. Rightmove holds 16 million property records, with millions of individual entries being updated every month.
- Big Brother database invades privacy: People selling their home are not informed that information given to their estate agent, which is then passed to internet portal Rightmove Plc, is in turn passed on to the Government’s tax inspectors. Local estate agents in Newcastle have been kept in the dark about Rightmove’s actions.
- Details on people’s homes: The personal property data being passed to the taxmen include internal and external photographs of the home, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, conservatories, parking spaces, and particulars such as area, layout, style, features and other ‘value significant’ features. The Government claims that the Data Protection Act does not apply to information about people’s houses. HMRC’s council tax inspectors will instruct local councils to increase the council tax on these homes.
Barry Flux said: “We already knew that Gordon Brown’s tax inspectors have recklessly lost the tax records of millions of law-abiding citizens. Now the same people are disregarding data protection rules to build up a chilling database of every home in the country.
“Residents across Newcastle will be alarmed that detailed information on 9 out of 10 house sales and rentals is being passed secretly from estate agents to tax collectors, without public consent.
“Gordon Brown must cancel this deal immediately. Only Conservatives will stop this data plundering of people’s private homes, end Brown’s stealth tax revaluation and abolish state inspectors’ rights of entry into our homes.”
Full document: http://www.conservatives.com/pdf/Rightmovecontract.pdf
6 February 2008
CONSERVATIVES DEMAND COUNCIL TAX REDUCTION
Jason Smith has this week welcomed the establishment of an online campaign for a council tax freeze in Newcastle but confirmed that Local Conservatives will campaign for a reduction in council tax at the local elections in May.
The Liberal Democrat controlled Newcastle City Council has proposed an increase of 3.9% in council tax bills from April, together with a package of service cuts and other charges, which Local Conservatives have already condemned as stealth taxes.
Jason Smith, Chairman of Newcastle Conservatives, said: “At the local elections in May, the Conservative Party pointed out that Band D residents of Newcastle paid £150 more than neighbouring Sunderland and we pledged to reduce council tax in Newcastle by £200.
“Households are facing higher fuel and other costs in 2008. Council tax in Newcastle has been too high for too long and the proposed 3.9% increase and accompanying stealth taxes will hit pensioners and families hard.
“Local Conservatives have argued for many years that council tax in the city must be frozen or reduced and I am pleased to see that the Labour Party in Newcastle has come to recognise this. This leaves the Liberal Democrats as the only party in the city committed to placing an ever higher tax burden on local people for the delivery of council services.
“Pensioners will face both a 3.9% increase in council tax and a £257,000 hike in charges for home care and meals as well as new transport charges. It should be noted that this is less than half the £530,000 bill in 2006/07 for Liberal Democrat Councillors’ expenses and allowances and, as far as I am aware, they have proposed no reductions in their own ‘salaries’.
“This coming May, Newcastle’s residents will have an opportunity to vote for more of the same or a real alternative to years of mismanagement by successive regimes in the council. Newcastle Conservatives have the ambition and determination to improve life for residents in our city and to deliver more efficient council services.”
27 January 2008
IMPROVING CHILDREN’S DIETS IS KEY TO TACKLING NEWCASTLE’S HEALTH PROBLEMS
Barry Flux, Deputy Chairman of Newcastle Conservatives, has this week welcomed the establishment of a parents’ action network to lobby the city council to improve school dinners.
East End Health, a community health charity, has invited parents, school cooks, headteachers and school governors to attend a meeting on Thursday 24 January at 7pm in the Pandon Room of the Civic Centre to discuss the provision of school meals in the city and the establishment of the network.
Barry Flux said: “It is essential that every child has a good start in life. Health experts tell me that eating patterns acquired in early childhood are likely to continue into adulthood and these attitudes could reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer later in life.
“One in three children in Newcastle are obese and we must tackle this obesity timebomb now. The key to making progress is for Newcastle City Council and schools working in partnership with parents. Promoting healthier school meals and encouraging more pupils to have them benefits behaviour and concentration, and for some it may be the only chance of a healthy warm meal during the day. The lunch break should be promoted as a focal point in the day for pupils to eat together and take exercise.”
21st January 2008
FUTURE OF THE CHAPEL PARK MIDDLE SCHOOL SITE
Jason Smith, Newcastle Conservatives’ spokesman for Westerhope Ward, has this week called for residents living near the former Chapel Park Middle School to be consulted on the future of the site.
The city council had planned to lease the site to develop a football academy and business facility, which residents believed would raise significant issues for them. Residents feared that the development would have created traffic and car parking problems for people living on Grosvenor Way, Granville Drive and neighbouring streets. The building also contained airborne asbestos, which would have made it unsuitable for use by the football academy.
As a result of the campaign led by the Chapel Park Residents Association, which was supported by Mr Smith, the council has identified an alternative site and announced that the middle school is to be demolished at a cost of £150,000. Jason is writing to local councillors asking them to put in place arrangements for residents to be consulted as soon as possible. He is surveying residents through a community newsletter and online.
Jason Smith said: “The newly formed Chapel Park Residents Association worked hard to resolve this issue and I congratulate them on their success in fighting the planning application. However, the Chapel Park Middle School has been abandoned for some time, with no alternative use yet agreed for the site. Given the asbestos in the building, I cannot believe that the city council and local councillors believed it was acceptable to be used as a facility for young people to play football.
“Residents do not want the uncertainty about the future use of the site to continue for years. They want to know now what the council is planning to use the site for and, quite rightly, they want to be able to express a view. I believe that this is a community facility, which is administered on behalf of the community by the city council, and therefore the community should decide what purpose it should be put to.
“As the local community’s representatives within the city council, Councillors Donnelly, Hamilton and Hillicks should be fighting for residents to have their say. I hope they will take up my challenge to consult local residents on the future of the former middle school site, which LibDems closed against the wishes of the community.”
16th January 2008
NEWCASTLE RECYCLING SHAMBLES
Liberal Democrats in Newcastle need to take urgent action to address the confusion over waste collection say Local Conservatives.
Local Conservatives have been contacted by residents who are unhappy about what they can and cannot recycle in Newcastle and the lack of information for residents from the council.
Many residents were appalled that the only way to recycle the numerous cardboard boxes, which had contained children’s toys, is to drive to one of the Household Waste Recycling Centres and many were unaware that SITA staff would not take Christmas wrapping paper. One person contacted the Conservative Party to register their anger that he had spent time dividing materials only to find the Recycling Centre had been overwhelmed and were now discarding everything in the household waste skip rather than recycling.
Jennifer Du Cane, Conservative Spokesman for Castle Ward said: “It is clear that the recycling service should be reviewed. Someone moving to Newcastle from another part of the country where cardboard is taken from the doorstep would presume that it’s also taken from the doorstep here, but it is not. Every household should be sent a reminder before Christmas each year of what is – and what is not – acceptable for recycling as this will help to address residents’ confusion.”
Jason Smith, Chairman of Newcastle Conservatives said: “This is yet another example of a service that suffers from the Newcastle Liberal Democrats’ lack of ambition. They must take action now to improve Newcastle’s recycling rates. To do this, Local Conservatives would:
- Improve the range of materials that could be collected from doorsteps;
- Make sure all residents are given a clear reminder about what can be taken;
- Give residents the option of a recycling wheelie bin which for many households would enable them to bin the black box.
“In May, Newcastle’s residents will have an opportunity to vote for more of the same or a real alternative to years of mismanagement by successive regimes in the council. Newcastle Conservatives have the ambition and determination to improve life for residents in our city.”
15th January 2008
LIBDEM CAMPAIGN FOR A GP SURGERY IN LEMINGTON IS EVIDENCE OF THEIR FAILURE TO PROPERLY SCRUTINISE THE NHS
The lack of a GP practice in Lemington is a direct result of the failure of Newcastle City Council's scrutiny arrangements over the local NHS Barry Flux has said today.
Lemington’s Councillors and Liberal Democrat spokesman for Newcastle North have been campaigning for a GP surgery for the ward. Local Conservatives support the campaign but they question why it has taken so long for LibDems who were elected to run the council in 2004 to address the problems.
Barry Flux, Deputy Chairman of Newcastle Conservatives, has pointed out that councils were given powers of scrutiny over the local NHS in 2003. This gives a local authority the power to "review and scrutinise any matter relating to the planning, provision and operation of health services" in its area.
Barry said: "I am surprised that local Liberal Democrats are unaware that each local authority has the power to oversee the services provided to local people by the NHS and, as he is a member of the Health and Adult Services Scrutiny Committee, I would have expected Lemington’s Councillor Lawrence Hunter to have known this.
“Following on from the failure of local LibDems to protect local bus services, this has become an acute issue in Lemington. The problem of the lack of a GP practice in Lemington has been there for some time. Why has it taken so long for LibDems to realise that they are failing to properly scrutinise NHS services?
“Instead of asking residents of Lemington to sign a petition, local councillors should be doing their jobs properly and ensuring that GP service provision across the city is reviewed by Newcastle City Council’s Health Scrutiny Committee.”
13th January 2008
KINGSTON PARK RESIDENTS’ ANGER AT PLANNING DECISION
Local Conservatives have expressed disappointment about the Planning Inspector’s decision to grant a planning application to Newcast Property Developments (one) Ltd and Newcast Property Developments (two) Ltd to develop eight new shop units at Kingston Park Shopping Centre.
Jennifer Du Cane, Conservative representative for Castle Ward, had objected to the planning application at every stage and supported Newcastle City Council’s decision to refuse planning permission. She attended the Planning Appeal Hearing and spoke in support of the council’s position.
Jennifer said: “This news will come as a great disappointment to the numerous residents who objected to this planning application. Kingston Park is primarily a residential area and I believe this development will blight the lives of those of us who live in the area.
“The Planning Inspectorate’s decision is final and legally binding on the city council unless it chooses to contest the case in the High Court. The Planning Inspector has imposed a number of conditions on the developer to alleviate some of the problems this development will create but the only decision that would have been acceptable to local residents was to reject the planning appeal.
“It is vital that action is taken now to address the existing traffic problems in Kingston Park, which I expect will be made worse by this development. I am calling on local councillors to join me in campaigning for an alternative access road for Kingston Park shops, which would take traffic away from Brunton Lane and the residential area.”
The Planning Inspectorate decision is available at the links below:
- Covering letter
- Appeal Decision
13 January 2008
LIBDEMS SHOULD STOP SPINNING AND START DELIVERING ON EDUCATION
Newcastle Conservatives are calling on Newcastle’s Liberal Democrats to take action now to improve school performance at GCSE level as new league tables demonstrate that Newcastle is the worst performing authority in Tyne and Wear.
Across Newcastle, 38% of pupils achieved 5 high grade GCSEs including Maths and English compared to almost 61% in Conservative controlled Trafford Council in Greater Manchester.
Detailed figures show a varied performance for Newcastle, with Kenton Technology College improving by 13 percentage points whilst five of the city’s schools (All Saints College, Benfield School, Walbottle Campus, Walker Technology College and West Gate Community College) failed to achieve the Government benchmark of 30% of pupils achieving 5 GCSEs A – C including Maths and English.
Jon Aydon, Conservative Spokesman for Denton Ward which includes All Saints College explained: “Let’s be clear, the current GCSE pass rates we have seen in the West of the City are unacceptable. However, rather than helping local schools improve, Liberal Democrats simply claim to have been successful in improving educational outcomes, whilst Newcastle sits eleventh of the twelve Local Education Authorities in the North East. I am calling on Newcastle City Council to take urgent action to address the issue.”
Jason Smirth, Chairman of Newcastle Conservatives said: “A year ago, Local Conservatives said urgent action was needed to improve Newcastle's position in the education league tables. Newcastle Conservatives are committed to ensuring that young people achieve their potential and to bring our education results in line with the England average.
“Instead of working with schools to improve our position, LibDems are burying their heads in the sand. We believe that with the right education policies in place, young people in Newcastle can achieve the same results as pupils in neighbouring authorities Gateshead, North Tyneside and Northumberland, and I see no reason why our schools cannot achieve the results seen in Trafford.
“Schools need to be given the freedom to deliver the very best education for young people in the city and we are calling on Liberal Democrats to stop spinning and start delivering."
10th January 2008
NEWCASTLE LIBDEMS REFUSE TO REASSURE RESIDENTS ABOUT PLANS FOR ROAD CHARGING
Newcastle Liberal Democrats have failed to take the opportunity to rule out a city-wide road charging scheme Newcastle Conservatives said today.
Every Liberal Democrat Councillor voted against a Labour amendment to the Local Development Framework which would have removed road user charging from the document.
Jason Smith, Chairman of Newcastle Conservatives, said: “Liberal Democrats failed to take the opportunity to rule out a local road charging scheme once and for all, and they seemed to suggest that it would be forced upon them.
“They could have amended the Local Development Framework to state the council’s opposition to road pricing and that it would not be pursued unless it was part of a national scheme.
“The position of Newcastle Conservatives on road charging is clear. LibDems are claiming to be against road user charging whilst voting in the council chamber to put in place the framework that would enable them to introduce it.
“It is clear that the Liberal Democrats lack the courage to stand up for the best interests of our city. The refusal of the LibDems to rule out a city-wide road user charging scheme will lead residents of Newcastle to conclude that they are planning yet another stealth tax.”
10th January 2008
LOCAL CONSERVATIVES CONDEMN LIBDEM TAX ON OLD AGE
Jason Smith, Chairman of Newcastle Conservatives, is today challenging Ron Beadle, LibDem Spokesman for Newcastle North, to keep the promise he made (in his recent “Reporting Back” leaflet) to fight “to make sure that older people in Newcastle get a fair deal.”
Jason Smith said: “Ron Beadle points out in his newsletter that LibDems believe in free personal care for the elderly. If that’s the case, why are Liberal Democrats planning to raise £257,000 by increasing the cost of home care and meals charges and introducing transport charges?
“If Ron Beadle believes what he says, I expect him to join Local Conservatives in campaigning against these proposals, which we believe will place an increased burden on older residents.
“Councillors are provided with council tea before each full council meeting, which is paid for by the tax payer. When they are enjoying this free meal, Liberal Democrat Councillors would do well to think about the impact any increase in meal charges will have on vulnerable older people. Councillors claimed £850,000 in expenses and allowances in 2006/07, which is three times greater than the amount they intend to raise by charging older people for support services. Any councillor voting for this stealth tax on old age should hang their heads in shame.
“Any Conservative Councillors elected in May would work with sensible councillors to overturn these shameful charges.”
Link to Evening Chronicle story
7th January 2008
ARE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS MAKING PLANS FOR ROAD CHARGING IN NEWCASTLE?
Jason Smith, Chairman of Newcastle Conservatives, is challenging John Shipley, Leader of Newcastle City Council, and Nick Forbes, Leader of the Labour Group, to rule out road pricing at full council meeting on Wednesday 9th January when the Local Development Framework is discussed.
The Local Development Framework states that the council will consider “the introduction of road user charging to manage congestion and promote sustainable transport modes”. Local Conservatives revealed recently that Newcastle has failed to address congestion by investing in park and ride facilities, whilst charging road users £10million to park in car parks around the city.
Jason Smith said: “Liberal Democrats say they have ruled out congestion charging, yet the draft Local Development Framework indicates that they intend to press on with road pricing in the city. It may be over-zealous council officials or it may be the latest example of LibDems saying one thing and doing another but it is for civic leaders to be clear about council policy.
“Without an explicit statement from John Shipley at the full council meeting, the suspicion that LibDems are working behind the scenes to develop a road charging scheme for Newcastle will persist.”
This story appeared in the Evening Chronicle on Wednesday 9 January 2008.
05 January 2008
LIBDEM BUDGET PROPOSALS - 04/01/2008
KEEP OUR POST OFFICES OPEN - 27/12/2007
LACK OF AMBITION ON TRANSPORT LEADS TO £10MILLION STEALTH TAX
Jason Smith, Chairman of Newcastle Conservatives, has accused LibDems of imposing a stealth tax on commuters and called for an improvement to park and ride facilities in the city after Local Conservatives obtained figures from Newcastle City Council which showed that people parking in the city were charged almost £10million in 2006/7.
Jason Smith said: “Newcastle’s commuters are paying the equivalent of 10,000 households paying council tax at Band B, excluding police and fire services, to park in the city.
“Newcastle desperately needs more park and ride places and Liberal Democrats must take action urgently to address the problem. Nottingham, the regional capital of the East Midlands, has 4000 FREE spaces in 7 park and ride facilities located outside the city centre whilst Newcastle has less than 500 in three locations and all of these involve a charge of £1 per day. LibDems seem to suffer from a lack of ambition in this area.
“I realise that this is not a major issue for LibDem councillors, who enjoy free parking at the civic centre. Perhaps if they had to pay for parking, they would be less willing to impose an ever increasing stealth tax on road users whilst not delivering improvements to public transport connectivity that would encourage people out of their cars.”
18 December 2007
LOCAL CONSERVATIVES FIGHTING TO SAVE NEWCASTLE'S POST OFFICES
Post offices are the lifeblood of any community. They are vital local institutions, just like a local school, church or a pub.
Many people rely on their local Post Office - not only those who use them to collect their benefits or pensions but also other local businesses. When a local Post Office closes, the last shop in the community often closes too.
Over 4,800 Post Offices have already closed under Labour - a quarter of the country’s Post Office network. A further 2,500 Post Offices are expected to close by 2009.
Alan Duncan, Shadow Minister for Tyneside, explained: “I fully believe that Post Offices are a vital part of our community life, playing an important social role. I fully support the Conservative Party's campaign to save the Post Office network. Rather than looking at ways of getting business into the Post Office network the Government have set a centralised target to close 2,500 Post Offices.”
Jason Smith, Chairman of Newcastle Conservatives said: “We must fight now to save local Post Offices.”
To sign the Conservative Party's petition, click here.
4 December 2007
ACTION PLAN TO RAISE SCHOOL STANDARDS AND OFFER OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL
Barry Flux, Deputy Chairman of Newcastle Conservatives welcomed new proposals this week to raise standards in schools, create more good school places and increase equality of opportunity. The action plan, entitled ‘Raising the bar, closing the gap’, has been published by Conservative leader, David Cameron.
The paper outlines plans to raise the standards of the worst-performing schools so they can catch up with the best, improve school discipline, get every child who is capable of doing so reading by the age of six, allow new schools to open and create an additional 220,000 good school places. Other proposals include:
- Charities, voluntary groups and groups of parents would be assisted in setting up new schools in the state sector.
- Increasing teachers’ ability to stop the distruptive use of mobile phones in classrooms.
- Promoting best practice and excellence, including school uniform policies, more extra-curricular activities, a system of prefects, and awards for pupils for academic and sporting achievement.
- Strengthening the powers of head teachers to expel pupils who ruin others’ education.
Barry Flux said: “In Newcastle, 37.5% of pupils achieved 5 high grade GCSEs including Maths and English compared to 60.4% in Conservative controlled Trafford Council in Greater Manchester.
“I welcome these proposals which will help raise standards in our schools, tackle unruly behaviour, and deliver more teaching by ability to stretch the strongest and help the weakest.
“It is right that we make it easier for charities, groups of parents and other providers to start new schools where there is a need for more good local schools. They should be helped to do that, not blocked by the Government or town halls. These plans will give parents a real alternative by encouraging new good schools free from the dead hand of Newcastle City Council.”
04 December 2007
NEWCASTLE COUNCIL TAX PAYERS WOULD BENEFIT FROM COUNCIL TAX PROPOSALS
This would end excessive council tax rises in Newcastle say Local Conservatives
Families across Newcastle will welcome council tax proposals announced this week, Barry Flux, Deputy Chairman of Newcastle Conservatives, said today. Conservatives will use direct democracy to control council tax bills, through council tax referendums. This means that any proposed excessive council tax rise above a set rate would require the approval of local residents.
Under the Labour Government, council tax has become one of the most unpopular taxes in Britain – not because of the tax itself but because of large hikes every year since 1997. The answer is not to replace one local tax with another by robbing Peter to pay Paul or creating a different new tax that rises every year.
Council tax has soured across the country under Labour. Since 1997, bills have risen by 92% across England, taking the average Band D bill from £688 to £1,321. Newcastle’s council tax level remains higher than the national average. In 2007/08, averaged across the different tiers of local government in England, Conservative councils charge £55 a year less on Band D bills than Labour councils and £84 a year less than Liberal Democrat councils.
Barry Flux said: “It is clear that only Conservative controlled councils deliver value for money for council tax payers. In 2007/08, Newcastle’s Band D council tax charge is £1,394, which is £73 more than the national average. We have campaigned for many years against excessive council tax increases and this Conservative proposal would give voters in Newcastle the final say on whether council tax increases are reasonable.”
14 November 2007
LOCAL SCHOOLS UNDER THREAT FROM NEW PLANS
Jon Aydon, Conservative representative in Denton Ward has called for urgent action to improve education standards in the West End of Newcastle after Prime Minister Gordon Brown set out plans that could ultimately shut down so called "failing schools".
In a speech focusing on education, the Prime Minister made it clear that all schools must have at least 30% of pupils achieving 5 GCSEs A-C including Maths and English. Schools that fail to do this, could be taken over by interim management boards, moved into private hands or shut down altogether.
However, it was a speech which could have serious consequences for many of our local schools, especially in the West End of Newcastle. In 2006, West Gate Community College achieved a pass rate of just 12% while All Saints College in West Denton was only marginally better with a pass rate of 14%, compared to a rate of 33.5% for the city as a whole. Recently released statistics from DfES for 2007 indicate that 37.6% of pupils in Newcastle achieve 5 high grade GCSEs including Maths and English, compared to 46.9% in North Tyneside.
Jon Aydon, Conservative Spokesman for Denton Ward which includes All Saints College explained: “Let’s be clear, the current GCSE pass rates we have seen in this part of the City are unacceptable. However, rather than helping local schools improve, Liberal Democrats simply claim to have been successful in improving educational outcomes, whilst Newcastle sits eleventh of the twelve Local Education Authorities in the North East.
“The Prime Minister’s plans will undermine the hard work of teachers and pupils by threatening their school with closure. I will fight any plans to shut down any of our local schools but I am calling on Newcastle City Council to take urgent action to address the issue.”
Jason Smith, Chairman of Newcastle Conservatives and spokesman for neighbouring Westerhope Ward said: “Newcastle Conservatives are committed to improving education across the city and to bring our education results in line with the England average. Schools need to be given the freedom to deliver the very best education for young people in the city and we are calling on Liberal Democrats to stop spinning and start delivering."
7 November 2007
LIBERAL DEMOCRAT TAX STING
Increase in Car Parking Charges Will Hit Hard Working Families
Newcastle Conservatives are calling on Liberal Democrats to explain why car parking charges in Newcastle are higher than neighbouring Gateshead and how the revenue from increased car parking charges will be used. Most car parks in Gateshead charge £2.50 per day, compared to charges of up to £1.30 per hour in Newcastle.
Charges will be increased in a number of city centre car parks on Monday 29 October, bringing the costs for a full time worker parking in one car park in Newcastle to over £2,000 per year.
Jason Smith said: "It seems strange to me that changes to car parking are not made in April as part of the decision making process on levels of expenditure and the council tax burden. Parents who have to work in the city will find Christmas less affordable than they thought. Parents who have to work in the city will find Christmas less affordable than they thought."
28 October 2007
