This morning I attended the meeting of the Humberside Fire Authority, which I attend as a representative of North East Lincolnshire Council.  Some interesting statistics were revealed at the meeting. 

The figures show that during 2008 – 9, compared to the previous year, in the area served by Humberside Fire and Rescue Service:

• The number of arson incidents (deliberate fires) was reduced by 24.27%
• The number of deliberate primary fires was reduced by 23.69%
• The number of fatalities in primary fires was reduced by 37.5%
• The number of non – fatal casualties in primary fires was reduced by 15.63%
• The number of accidental dwelling fires was reduced by16.5%
• The number of deaths from accidental dwelling fires was reduced by 75%
• The number of deliberate secondary fires was reduced by 24.7%
• The number of fires attended where a fire alarm had been activated was reduced by 13.5%
• The number of fires attended whereno smoke alarm was fitted was reduced by 40.6%

We have had a noticeable increase in smoke detector ownership in our communities over the last year. as a result of the hard work of both operational crews and community safety teams, which has contibuted greatly towards the decrease in casualties and damage to property caused by fires. 

Ian Austin, the Housing Minister, has admitted that only six families in England have been helped by the government’s mortgage rescue scheme.

The £200m initiative, launched at the beginning of the year, is intended to help families who are at risk of repossession to stay in their own homes.

Lib Dem Treasury spokesman Vince Cable said that the time it took to access assistance was “extraordinary”.

Ian Austin, the housing minister, promised MPs: “The impact of the scheme is accelerating.”

He added that the number of families helped by the measure had risen from two to six during May.

The scheme allows housing associations to buy homes from people who are struggling to pay their mortgage and allows them to continue living there by paying an affordable rent.

The government said that the scheme, which was introduced across England, could help up to 6,000 households which might otherwise face repossession.

Vince Cable said that the UK is facing a repossessions “crisis” unless the government does more to help mortgage holders.

He told MPs:

“The government’s scheme appears to involve a five-month process, which is quite extraordinary.”

He added that a “flood” was currently being “dammed up” and that the number of houses seized could reach 100,000 after 2011.

Mr Cable acknowledged ministers had taken action to help homeowners but said they were “storing up even bigger problems”.

John Leech, Lib Dem MP for Manchester Withington, said most families in his constituency were unable to get on the scheme.

He added: “When I speak to the person in Greater Manchester who is actually dealing with inquiries, I was assured that the vast majority of people who have made inquiries about eligibility have been told they are not eligible.”

Lord Mandelson has said plans to sell a minority stake in Royal Mail to a private company are being delayed.

The bill, opposed by many Labour MPs, was due to go before Parliament before the summer break, but Lord Mandelson said it would not happen until “later”. 

The Liberal Democrats said the delay was for political reasons as the government faced defeat if it pressed ahead with its plans. 

More than 140 Labour backbenchers have signed a Commons motion critical of the plan and there have also been rumours for weeks that the whole scheme could be shelved, but Lord Mandelson has said the company cannot survive without it and he told BBC One’s Breakfast that its finances were “reaching crisis point”. 

In a separate interview with the Financial Times Lord Mandelson said he still hoped to get the necessary legislation on the statute book before the next election. 

He told the paper: “I want to retain the slot, but… I have to concede that the original linking of the legislative passage and the bidding process for the strategic partner has been decoupled.” 

He pointed to the depressed state of the markets, meaning the sell-off was unlikely to raise a substantial amount of money, as another reason for delaying legislation to allow the sale. 

Chair of the Liberal Democrat Manifesto Group, Danny Alexander MP said it was to suggest there was not enough time to debate the bill. 

“This is a purely political decision made because the government is desperate to avoid another humiliating defeat,” he said. 

“The idea that this should be postponed because there is no space in the legislative agenda is completely bogus. 

“Any MP will tell you there is more than enough time to debate it properly. 

“There is one overriding principle determining everything the government is doing at the moment, and that is Gordon Brown’s desire to cling to power at all costs.” 

The government says that the partial sell off of Royal Mail is required as part of measures to tackle the financial position of the company – in particular a pensions deficit said to be near to £8bn. 

The inevitable obligation to make increased payments to pay off the deficit might force the Royal Mail to increase its overall contributions to the fund to more than £1bn a year – which would drain all its potential profits for many years.

Nick Clegg has described Gordon Brown’s policy plans as “a hotch potch of unrelated Whitehall schemes” with no unifying” vision from a prime minister who was “running out of steam”.

Mr Clegg said both the Prime Minister and David Cameron were treating the voters as if they were children who were “too young to know the truth”.

He said: “Neither are willing to come clean on the difficult long-term savings we will need to make to balance the nation’s books.”

“It’s like a big hoax: they trade insults and numbers but hide the truth.” The public had been promised a vision based on decentralisation and personal entitlements but many of these entitlements were “just the recycled versions of old targets”, he said.

“Last week you called a cut an investment. This week you are calling a target an entitlement. Can you tell us exactly what’s the difference?”

The Liberal Democrat Leader concluded that the Prime Minister’s statement was nothing more than a “hotchpotch of unrelated Whitehall schemes, a ministerial cut-and-paste job”.

Vandals have recently caused the temporary closure of a footpath and cycleway between the Willows and Yarborough estates. 

The path, known as Bransdale Way, forms a link between Queensway on The Willows and Yarrow Road, on the  Yarborough Estate, and is a popular route with cyclists and pedestrians. 

This is a brief note to keep you informed on progress in the replacement of the bridge.

The order has been placed for a new bridge and, subject to it being painted in “Grimsby Green”, there will be no need for planning consent. 

An application has been sent to the Environment Agency and they have informed us that although there is a theoretical timescale of up to 8 weeks for approval they should be able to achieve consent much more quickly, hopefully in less than a month. 

There are still a few minor technical details to sort out but we should see a shiny new bridge in place within the next six weeks. 

I the meantime there will be another temporary barrier across the path at either side of the drain.  It will be a tubular steel one this time and hopefully won’t end up in the drain.

Shoppers and traders in Victoria Street have known for a long time that it is up there with the best.

Now judges in a prestigious national award honouring revitalised retail environments and public realm schemes have given the street a commendation for its regeneration work.

The street, subject to a regeneration scheme of more than £3million that led to it being pedestrianised and given a 21st century makeover, was selected ahead of schemes in Bristol and Dagenham at the British Council of Shopping Centre Town Centre Environment Awards.

Leicester, Liverpool and Merthyr Tydfil Councils were all awarded the Gold Standard, and North East Lincolnshire Council was given a commendation for Grimsby. 18 councils were originally nominated and a shortlist including North East Lincolnshire Council were invited to the awards ceremony.

The four councils all delivered dramatic improvements to public realm – with improved pedestrian accessibility and links to local amenities, while ensuring that strong heritage links to the surrounding area were maintained. Crucially, they have all been successful in demonstrating that an attractive, well-designed urban space can significantly boost retail investment and footfall.

Andrew De Freitas, leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, said:

“We have given the people of Grimsby and people who travel from further afield an excellent street to work, shop and play in. To achieve this distinctive award in somewhat troubled times is a tribute to all involved in the regeneration scheme.”

Cllr Geoff Lowis, portfolio holder for regeneration and housing, added:

“We have bucked the trend by increasing footfall for Victoria Street. This is no small part down to the exemplary regeneration on the street by the council and its partners.”

Regeneration on the street, which involved close partnership working with Yorkshire Forward, the European Regional Development Fund and the Greater Grimsby Renaissance Partnership (GGRP), included new paving and lighting columns, a water feature and the installation of a Wi Fi network in partnership with KCom.

Dave Ranshaw, from Grimsby Town Centre Forum, involved in the project since its inception, said:

“What makes this award so special is some of the judges were from the retail sector and clearly recognise that improvements like this have a very strong revitalising effect on communities and town centres.”

Andrew Dickens, redevelopment and property consultant, and chair of the TCE Awards judging panel, said:

“These awards show how crucial local leadership is in driving investment and delivering attractive and accessible retail environments in town and city centres of all sizes. Retail activity does not just deliver economic benefits, but it cements the community focus in a town centre and encourages pivotal activities attached to that – such as festivals and street entertainment – leading to increased vibrancy and civic pride.”

Jeremy Collins, BCSC President, said:

“The TCE Awards are just one part of BCSC’s continued commitment to recognising the benefits of retail-led regeneration in our town and city centres. We are working hard to find solutions to tackle the problems created by the economic downturn, such as the blight of vacant units and a decline in capital investment. Fundamentally, we need to address a major shift in the balance of risk and responsibility between the public and private sectors.”

Councillor Ian Mearns, Deputy Leader of Gateshead Council and Vice Chair of the Local Government Association’s Environment Board, speaking at the event, said:

“Protecting town centres against the problems caused by the recession is a key priority for local authorities.

“Councils are already using existing funds and powers to tackle the issue of empty units and we are lobbying Government for new jurisdiction in this area. Empowering local authorities to take action will be key to supporting local centres, because they are best placed to work with retailers and developers to prepare for recovery.”

MORE and more restaurants and food retailers are meeting the five-star challenge set by environmental health officers at North East Lincolnshire Council.

More than one-in-three establishments has recorded a maximum five-star ruling in the latest Scores On The Doors figures for April released today (Wednesday, June 24).

Of 82 premises assessed for their food safety and hygiene compliance levels, 29 recorded the maximum five-stars. Only one business scored one-star, and none recorded zero-stars.

The figures include the results of a blitz of food businesses to check standards in the run up to the holiday season.

Councillor Steve Beasant, portfolio holder for community safety and public protection, said: “This is an extremely encouraging set of results which reflect the importance that food businesses place on their Scores On The Doors inspection results.

“In its year of operation, Scores On The Doors has given businesses the impetus to up their game and ensure they meet hygiene and food safety management targets. These latest figures show that they are taking our advice to heart by striving for excellence in the kitchen, as well as in the dishes they serve.”

Environmental health officers will carry out a number of spot checks on businesses throughout the year, looking at issues such as food handler protective clothing and availability of handwashing facilities, temperature control of food, stock rotation and waste disposal in catering premises.

They will also work with businesses recording two-stars or less to ensure immediate improvements and better results in their next inspections.

Andrew Milner, the council’s executive director for community services, said: “Our environmental health and public protection teams work closely with all food businesses to ensure they have the best hygiene standards. The Scores are accessible by everyone online and are excellent motivation for all businesses to strive for the very highest standards in their premises.”

New food businesses must register with the council at least 28 days prior to opening. This way the council can offer advice on environmental and hygiene controls before the premises opens, which can save valuable time.

Go to www.nelincs.gov.uk/scoresonthedoors for more information. To register your new business, call the council on (01472) 313131.

Cartergate in Grimsby has been buzzing with archaeologists over the past few weeks as they carry out initial assessments of the site for traces of our ancestors.

Pre Construct Archaeology, who are carrying out the archaeological work on behalf of North East Lincolnshire Council, have carried out trial trenching and will now compile a full report of their findings before deciding on future steps.

It could lead to a full dig on the site, thought to have links back to medieval Grimsby.

Cllr Geoff Lowis, the council’s portfolio holder for regeneration and housing, said:

“The first phase has established the archaeological potential across the site. The second phase will focus upon areas of significant archaeological preservation that will need to be preserved by record.”

The £12m regeneration of Cartergate will feature retail and residential developments together with office space, a hotel and public space to be known as New Bridge Place.

The site is being redeveloped as part of the Urban Renaissance Programme, a partnership between North East Lincolnshire Council, the Greater Grimsby Renaissance Partnership and Yorkshire Forward.

Yorkshire Forward will be funding enabling works and associated public realm improvements to Chantry Lane and the underpass that links the Cartergate site with St James Square. Improvements will also be made to the current Cartergate car park.

Answering questions on his article in today’s Mail on Sunday on this morning’s Andrew Marr show, Mr Cable criticised the Conservatives for delaying  their decisions on spending, and he called for the other parties to follow the Liberal Democrats in announcing their targets for cuts.

“The worry I have about the Conservative approach is, they say we’ll be tough and then they say wait until after the election and we’ll tell you how we’ll do it,” he said.

Vince criticised Conservative plans to ringfence health spending. “It shouldn’t be slaughtered by – we can’t just have arbitary – just put a ringfence around health.”

Mr Cable also disputed the Government’s claim that Labour will not cut spending. “Actually they are cutting public expenditure and when you take account of capital expenditure, there are already cuts under this Government,” he said.

“What we can say is that the public spending revenue situation is quite dire,” he said as he outlined Liberal Democrats to reduce public sector pensions and reverse the recommissioning of Trident.

He also said that the Liberal Democrats would not raise the overall tax take. “We’re arguing that the overall level of tax should not be raised and ideed we’re arguing that people on low pay… should be lifted out of tax.”

You can read today’s article in the Mail on Sunday by Vince Cable at http://tinyurl.com/l7temp

Story: Squatters have moved in to the empty home of married MP’s Anne and Alan Keen, who are also known as “Mr and Mrs Expenses”

Mr and Mrs Keen have been involved in the MPs expenses scandal for claiming for two second homes.

The home, which is not one of those that the couple have been claiming for, which was previously under renovation,has been unnoccupied for nearly a year.

The squatters, who found their way in through an open window, say that they have occupied the house as a protest over the number of people who the government cannot find accomodation for, while homes go empty and MPs claim taxes for themselves.

Photographs of the house are on http://tinyurl.com/nbbkc9