Subject

Question

Service Manager/ Officer to respond

Service Manager/Officer Response (summary for website)

Affordable Housing

What provisions are being made for affordable housing? Shrewsbury is in dire need to help young people with housing. (3 of 3)

Gareth Owens / Nick Wood

Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council has set aside £10 million for the construction of affordable housing. It is currently seeking contractors to build around 50 units on its own land and is always interested in acquiring more land for affordable housing.

The Council also adopted supplementary Planning Guidance in July 2005 requiring private developers to ensure that 35% of all new houses are affordable.

The Council offers a means tested grant to help first time buyers modernise/renovate properties they wish to buy.

For more details see the housing strategy on the Council website.

Affordable Housing

In December the Council Leader criticised opposition members for opposing the £5million they might spend on affordable housing. He failed to mention that the administration had voted down proposal from Labour that they would spend £10million in this important area. If this deceiving the electorate? And what should be done on affordable housing?

Gareth Owens / Nick Wood

Please see the answer to the above question on what the Council is doing to help make housing affordable.

Bus tokens

Withdrawal of money bus tokens

Disadvantages –

70-80 year old pensioners e.g. waiting between bus stops. Evening visits curtailed would have to pay for a taxi if going out in the evening

Campbell Thomson

In view of the concerns raised by senior citizens and people with disabilities about the Concessionary Travel Scheme the Borough Council's Cabinet has asked for a review of the scheme to be carried out and a report presented to a future meeting.

Council pension funds / Council Tax

What is the size of the Black Hole or deficient in the council pension funds, and why?

How much of the current 4.9% rise in council tax is being used to plug this hole? And why?

In view of the present big rise in the value of investments, why is there such a frantic rush to plug this gap?

And finally, how many councillors stand to benefit from being members of the above scheme?

Campbell Thomson

At the 31/03/05 the underlying commitments that SABC had in the long run to pay retirement benefits amounted to £21,865,749.The deficit on the pension fund will be made good by increased employer's contributions over the remaining working life of employees as assessed by the scheme actuary.

The Pension Fund undergoes an Actuarial Valuation every three years in accordance with the Local Government Pension Scheme Regulations 1997.Under the regulations the scheme actuary sets the contribution rates for participating employers in the scheme for the next three years. The deterioration in the funding position of the scheme was mainly due to poor investment returns in equity markets, reduction in gilt yields and increased life expectancy of scheme members. It is estimated that in 2006/2007 the increase in employers contribution to the superannuation scheme will be in the region of £330,000.However the Council has kept its administrative arrangements under review and generated savings to offset increased pension costs. All councillors are eligible to join the pension scheme. Currently 13 councillors have joined.

Council Tax

My pension is directly related to R.P.I. Since 2000 my Council Tax has risen by 53%!! How does the council justify this!

Campbell Thomson

The annual Council Tax bill contains the budget requirements of Shropshire County Council, Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council, West Mercia Police Authority and Shropshire & Wrekin Fire Authority. Over the period 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2007 the Council Tax levied by each authority has increased as follows:

SCC 44.8%

SABC 36.3%

WMPA 103.1%

SWFA 9.42%(Included with SCC until 31/03/05)

The main areas of service improvement in SABC over the period are as follows:

• Increased resources Street Cleaning
• CCTV monitoring Town Centre
• Green Waste Recycling
• Increased resources Waste recycling
• Increased funding Voluntary Organisations
• New Concessionary Travel Schemes
• Sports Village
• New Livestock Market
• Measures to boost Tourism
• Reduced Administrative Costs.
• The Old Market Hall

The Council has also had to take on additional responsibilities through changes in legislation e.g. Liquor Licensing Act, Concessionary Travel, Homelessness which has resulted in additional expenditure not matched by increased Government Grant.

Grants – solar panels or photo voltaic cells

As we are all trying to be environmentally friendly with our resources, could you please tell me what grants/incentives are available to ordinary households to install solar panels or photo voltaic cells. (2 of 3)

James Thompson / Derek Caddy

Indeed the Council is very keen to be environmental friendly and use resources prudently - this is one of the motivations for installing our own solar photovoltaic (PV) array at the Guildhall offices in Frankwell Quay. There is funding available to help you do the same too.

The Department for Trade and Industry (DTI) makes millions of pounds available each year for grants for solar photovoltaics (making electricty from light). The grant contributes 50% of capital investment cost of an installed PV array. There is also revenue support available to installations that are grid connected (can export electricity to the national grid) in the form of Renewable Oblication Certificates (ROC's) (which is certificate for every MWh of 'green' electricity produced). ROCs currently sell for about £35*, as the electricity producers are obliged to demonstrate, that they are helping meet the governments renewables target (10% of all electricity by 2010). *This price is obviously subject to supply / demand.

The good news is its working! Such has been the demand generated by the PV grants programme that applications for stream 1 (domestic) installations have increased eight fold (from 100 applications in 2002/03 to 1,400 applications in 04/05). Note - Grant funding for stream 1 is finite and is based on a first come first serve basis (so apply at the beginning of the financial year if you are going to).

You can also get also grants for solar thermal (heating water from sun) (and other renewables technologies) from the DTI's 'clear skies' www.clear-skies.org programme. Householders receive £400 whatever the size of the system. From the new Financial Year, April 1 2006, the PV and Clearskies programme will be replaced by the DTI's Low Carbon Buildings Programme, which will supersede these current grant schemes for small-scale renewable energy technologies, subject to State Aids clearance.

In terms of actually claiming a grant you will find that most installers just do this for you once the job is done and then market the product as discounted, so this saves you doing the paperwork. We are in a very fortunate position locally that there are a number of firms based in Shrewsbury that install solar thermal, for PV you may have to use someone from Powys.

First ports of calls for more detailed advice include: -

• The Energy Saving Trust (the QUANGO that promotes energy efficiency and renewable energy) tel - 0800 298 3978,
• your local Energy Advice Centre (funded by Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council to provide free independent impartial advice on housing) can be called on 0800 512012.
• The Marches Energy Agency (a local charity dedicated to reducing the threat of climate change) can be called on 01743 246007.
• your local Sustainable Development Officer on 01743 281039 (if you want to come and have a look at our major demonstration project on the Guildhall, which we hope will inspire households to follow our lead).

Pensions

Where does the Borough stand in regard to the funding of the pensions for its employees, and what is the likelihood of local taxpayers having to make up a shortfall? Does the Council believe that the risk of a shortfall in this pension fund should limit its freedom to expand the number of its employees?

Campbell Thomson

The terms and conditions of The Local Government Scheme are set out by statute. An actuarial valuation is carried out every three years and any projected shortfall is made up by an increase in the employer's contribution rate. Similarly when there is a surplus the employer's contribution rate is reduced. The Council keeps its administrative arrangements under review to ensure that the aims and objectives of the Council as set out in The Community Strategy are achieved.

Pollution in Frankwell, NEV

In view of the known pollution around Frankwell already I would like to ask the following question:

1) When the new theatre is built what steps do the Council propose to take to reduce the pollution that already exists in Frankwell and which has probably been made worse by the new Council Offices recently?

2) The proposed new restaurant open at all hours will create additional traffic, light, noise and air quality pollution around Frankwell and has this been considered by the Council?

3) Before signing the final Contract for NEV will the people of Shrewsbury and Atcham who pay the bill be offered a Referendum as to whether or not they want the NEV in flooding Frankwell?

David Wraith

Andy Goldsmith

1) and 2)

New Entertainment Venue – An Air Quality Impact Assessment was carried out as a requirement of obtaining planning consent. This indicated that the impact of the NEV on air quality in Frankwell would not be significant. The Borough Council is implementing a Green Travel Plan for its staff in order to mitigate any effects air quality from the new Guildhall. This includes a range of measures to encourage 'green travel' e.g. use of cycles, 'Smart' pool car and public transport.

Proposed redevelopment at Frankwell Quay – the matters you raise will be taken into consideration by the Council at the time the planning application is submitted to the relevant Committee.

3) The New Entertainment Venue is on land protected by the flood defences. It has been designed to be safe in the event of a catastrophic failure of the flood wall and a commuted sum payment has been made to the Environment Agency for maintenance of the flood wall.

These matters were considered at the planning application stage when the opportunity existed for interested parties to comment on the application.

The Councillors of the Borough Council are elected to make decisions.  Full Council has approved the New Entertainment Venue and therefore there are no proposals for a referendum.

Unitary Authority / Council Tax

If we become a unitary authority, would our council tax look more like Telford's?

If so, why don't we become a unitary authority?

Robin Hooper

The government grant for Telford and Wrekin Borough Council is £342.29 per head of population. The combined government grant per head for Shropshire County Council and Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council is £259.35. Therefore the government give £83.64 per head more to Telford. That is approximately 30% more per head in accordance with the figures that I have been given. From this it will be seen that the reason why council tax is higher without having regard to the mix of services and comparison between the two areas is due to the lower government grant payable to Shropshire and Shrewsbury and Atcham Councils. Unitary local government does not mean therefore that it will be cheaper.