The Labour Party.

Labour accuses Tories and Lib Dems of misrepresenting “service cuts”

Labour’s leader in South Gloucestershire has accused the district’s Tories and Liberal Democrats of pretending that the council does not face cuts in its services. This afternoon, councillors on the Policy and Resources Committee were asked to agree the public consultation questionnaire on next year’s budget. This document included a reference to “additional service cuts” if certain options are taken.

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The Labour Party.

Parties unite to slam government planning rule changes

Councillors in South Gloucestershire have united to criticise the Coalition government’s recent changes to planning rules which water down developers’ obligations to provide much-needed affordable housing. At a meeting of Full Council held on 17th October, Conservative and Liberal Democrat councillors joined Labour members in slamming the Coalition for giving an unelected quango powers to override agreements with developers over

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Patchway Youth Centre, Coniston Road, Patchway, Bristol.

Council agrees to continue funding youth centres in Priority Neighbourhoods

A Special Meeting of South Gloucestershire Council (SGC) last night confirmed a decision made by its Children and Young People Committee on 25th July that will see centre-based youth provision safeguarded in the authority’s six Priority Neighbourhoods (Cadbury Heath, Filton, Kingswood, Patchway, Staple Hill and Yate/Dodington). The committee had also agreed that a pot of £227,000 be made available to

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Patchway Youth Centre, Coniston Road, Patchway, Bristol.

Tories accused of “prolonging the agony” over youth centres

Labour councillors in South Gloucestershire have slammed the Conservatives for refusing to accept a decision that would have safeguarded core youth centre provision in large parts of urban South Gloucestershire. At a meeting of the council’s Children & Young People Committee yesterday afternoon (25th July) the Conservatives pressed ahead with their plans to transfer all of the district’s youth centres

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The Labour Party.

Change “great for democracy and transparency”

Labour councillors in South Gloucestershire have heralded the Council’s decision this evening to scrap its ruling Cabinet and move to a Committee system of decision making which will involve all 70 councillors as great for democracy and transparency. From mid-May, politically proportional committees will make the authority’s key decisions instead of just seven Conservative ‘Executive’ councillors. The decision was made

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The Labour Party.

Disappointment at “flawed” Core Strategy

Labour councillors in South Gloucestershire say they couldn’t positively support the “flawed” Core Strategy as presented to the Council last week because it sacrifices both Filton Airfield and areas of Green Belt for development. The revised Core Strategy, supported by the council’s ruling Conservatives, will agree 26,435 new homes to be built in the district in the period up to

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The Labour Party.

Filton Airfield to become “dumping ground” for new homes

Labour councillors in South Gloucestershire have denounced a reliance on developing Filton Airfield to deliver a Government-appointed inspector’s higher housing demands. In a revision to the Core Strategy, South Gloucestershire Council’s 15-year planning framework just published, the new homes supply number for South Gloucestershire is proposed to increase by 4,855 (to 26,435) – with 81% of this additional number to

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The Labour Party.

MP tops up salary with £14k in book deals

Press release by South Gloucestershire Labour A local MP earned almost £14,000 as advanced payments for book-writing deals in the first six months after his election. The latest edition of the Register of MPs’ Financial Interests shows that Conservative MP for Kingswood, Chris Skidmore, was paid almost £14,000 in four separate deals between May and October 2010. The largest of

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