Students lash out at rise in bus fares
Feb 23 2007
By Dave Black, The Journal
Sixth form students in Northumberland have launched a fresh attack on a massive hike in school bus costs - and they insist they are being ripped off.
Anger erupted last year when the county council agreed a 53% rise in the annual cost of a bus pass for hundreds of A-level and college students - from £235 to £360.
The increase was slammed as unfair and a tax on rural families who live more than three miles from their local high school.
Now sixth-form students in Castle Morpeth have used the first edition of a new magazine to launch a renewed attack on the level of post-16 transport charges.
A front page article in Access magazine - based on the views of students at Ponteland High School and Morpeth's King Edward V1 School - accuses the council of making them pay over the odds for school bus passes. Yesterday Ponteland sixth former Cal Sherlock, who wrote the article after talking to fellow students, said: "Most said they thought they were being ripped off.
"They said their parents thought the charges were overpriced as well."
The rise was agreed last year as part of cost-cutting measures by the council.
The county's Labour leadership has since resisted a number of calls to find cash to reduce the impact of the increase. Last week they rejected a call to use part of a £12.5m windfall from Newcastle Airport to cushion the blow.
Six months ago, sixth formers at Haydon Bridge High School met Liberal Democrat president Simon Hughes in a bid to enlist his support for their protests over the rise.
In the Access magazine article Cal, 17, who lives near Stamfordham, says sixth formers are expected to fork out `ridiculously overpriced' fares every day, week or term, depending on how they choose to pay for bus travel.
"Either way it is still a rip-off," he said. "It isn't going to attract students to stay on to do A levels." He says most other students he has spoken to feel the same way. Yesterday Cal's father, Derek, said the increase hit families living in outlying areas. He said: "I have started taking him to school now because the transport charge is too high. People would be up in arms about a 53% fares increase on normal bus routes."
Since post-16 transport charges were first introduced in 2002, the number of sixth form students using school buses has plummeted from 2,700 to around 1,000. The council says the fees have not led to a drop in the numbers staying on to do A-levels.
Deputy leader Coun Peter Hillman said the council still provides most of the funding, about £1m, for post-16 transport.
He added: "Although we have tried to keep costs to students low, last year we did have to increase charges for post-16 students. This situation is similar to many other councils, while others don't give any support at all.
"We still pay about two-thirds of the cost of every student pass and make an average contribution of £640 per student. Students can apply for Education Maintenance Allowance of up to £30 a week to help with transport costs."

Northumberland Today

They don't know which bid to promote, the county council agrees to back both proposals then the Deputy Leader Peter Hillman decides to back a single unitary?
Confused we are put us right please?

County will not push dual bid
COUNTY chiefs have admitted they will not promote proposals for two Northumberland councils, despite agreeing to back the bid.
Last month Northumberland County Council voted to support the submission of two options for the future of local government.Instead of putting forward only the idea of a single unitary authority, as endorsed by the council's Executive Board, members also decided to support the districts' plans for a rural-urban split in administration.But in the council's Your County magazine there is a large feature on the single unitary option and nothing on the "twin council" proposal.When Coun Diana Beith asked in a full council meeting last week what was being done to publicise the details, she was told there would be no active campaign.Deputy council leader Peter Hillman said: "We did not support two bids, we only supported both bids going forward."We will be going out with roadshows, informing people of Northumberland's bid for a single unitary council and we will advise people where they can get information on the two unitary bid should they ask for that advice."We will not be promoting the two unitary bid because we actually supported a single unitary, though we supported both bids going forward in the interests of democracy."Coun Hillman said the costs of promoting the single unitary option were minimal as the council was using existing resources for the work.He added that details of the proposal were easily accessible through the authority's website, magazine, libraries and public facilities."Through the research we carried out we found that 76 per cent of people knew nothing about local government reorganisation and a whopping 87 per cent wanted more information before making up their minds. We are responding to that," he said.The Government is expected to carry out consultation next month and give a final decision in July.District council leaders travelled to London last week to lobby ministers and county council leader Bill Brooks said he may do the same.
20 February 2007

This is the Council that wishes to run services for the the people of Northumberland

Will this affect Tony Reid on his salary from the NCC ? the answer is NO, he draws at lest 20k from the Tax payers of Northumberland

Care-cuts mum `on a shower a week'
Feb 19 2007
By Daniel Cochlin And Dave Black, The Journal
A disabled mother says she will only be able to have one shower a week because budget cuts mean council chiefs are cutting the home care she receives.
Stroke victim Lyn Salvage, 41, says she needs to be looked after almost around-the-clock and currently has carers visiting her four times a day - a total of 33.5 hours a week.
But she says Northumberland County Council bosses have told her those hours are to be cut to 9.5 a week - and she will only be allowed to be helped into the shower once a week by carers.
Ms Salvage says she has also been told her bed clothing will only be changed once a fortnight, she will not be helped to cook and, as she owns a computer, she should start doing all her food-shopping online.
Because she has suffered a stroke and has to use a catheter, Ms Salvage, of Manley View, North Seaton, Ashington, is unable to shower herself or carry out most daily household tasks.
Elderly and disabled people across Northumberland face increases in the charges they pay for care services to help the county council tackle a potential £2m budget shortfall.
Ms Salvage, who has a son Christopher, 20, says she was told there was not enough cash for carers to make as many home visits as they do now.
She currently pays the maximum weekly charge for home care, which is set to rise from £45 to £60 in April.
Her care package was increased from 23 hours a week following a car accident last year and she expected a reduction back to that, but not down to just 9.5 hours.
She said yesterday: "I just felt I had to speak out against what is going on for the sake of the hundreds of others in the same position.
"It seems because the council have overspent, I am paying the price - and my care manager says there at least 50 people she knows about who are in the same boat. I have been told I am only entitled to an aided shower once a week, but I can't have one unaided, so what am I supposed to do?
"They have also taken all my shopping rights away, so instead of being taken around the supermarket I have been advised to shop on the internet. I wouldn't even know how to start.
"They are saying they have to prioritise critical care cases. But I can't even go to the toilet. My carer comes in morning, lunchtime and often twice after that and does a fantastic job. I am willing to see a solicitor and go to court if I have to, because I feel my human rights are being abused."
Last night Tony Reid, the county council's executive member for health and wellbeing, said: "We provide critical care packages to help people to continue living in their own home. Such support is classed as being vital to the individual's health and wellbeing, to maintaining personal and domestic cleanliness or to allowing the person to be independent.
"The needs of individuals can change over time, depending on their personal condition and care plans are reviewed regularly, usually every six months, to provide a package that meets their needs.
"Obviously, for reasons of confidentiality, we are not able to discuss an individual's situation.
"What we can say is that changes would only ever be made after a review of that person's needs and any reduction in support would only be made if it was felt that the person concerned did not require the level of support they were receiving.
"In addition to the support provided by the council the government also pays allowances, where eligible, to some individuals to allow them to gain extra assistance, therefore helping them to lead an independent life."

How wrong can the News Post Leader be?

Photo Councillor Dave Montgomery

Following Councillor Dave Montgomery’s attack on the veracity of the News Post Leader we have picked another article, another attack on the County Council and put it to a forensic test.

The article this week proclaims that the County has increased Home Care charges by a whopping 90%

The gist of the story is;

‘Senior members of Northumberland County Council have backed moves to hike up the fees for thousands of elderly and disabled residents to try to claw back cash in adult social care.The plans include introducing means-tested charges for day care, doubling the fares for transport and putting a 25 per cent increase on meals on wheels prices.In addition, those currently paying the maximum £45 for home help would see the cost rise to £60 in April, with the possibility of a further increase to £85 in October.’

It’s maybe a very apt time to look back exactly three years to 19 February 2004 when the County first embarked upon its crusade against the elderly and infirm in Northumberland. Having failed to close homes after opposition from the Labour Parties in South east Northumberland it decided to increase the cost of home care, from £25.50 to £35 per week.

As Councillor Hillman then said ‘ We have the hard decisions to make’.

Now we move on to 2005 and the charge rises £45 per week.

As the then Leader, Mickey ‘Close the Homes’ Davey said ‘ We are here to make the hard decisions’

Now in 2007 the charge will rise from April to £60 per week and in October to £85.

Councillor Tony Reid , Portfolio Holder states;

"There is no doubt about it, increasing the charges is a difficult issue."We have to make difficult decisions and this is part of the process."Deputy leader Peter Hillman added: "We are really going out to protect the most vulnerable and this demonstrates that.

VERDICT

The rise from this current year’s charge of £45 to £85 is ONLY 88.9% not 90%

Over three years the rise is 333%

So the News Post Leader has got it wrong, maybe Councillor Montgomery really should take the matter to the Press Complaints Commission!

There is a really serious point to this. Only last year did the current hapless leader Billy ‘Bullet’ Brooks repeat the phrase ‘It’s unfortunate – but we are here to make these hard decisions’

Who are these decisions HARD for Billy – certainly not you and Peter, cosseted by over £30,000 a year in allowances and expenses. Certainly not for Mark Henderson with nearly twice the wage of the Prime Minister.

The decisions made are the hardest for those we should protect.

Forget the disaster of inspections for Adult Social Care and now for the Supporting people programme; this is quite simply a brazen attack on the meagre living standards of the elderly and infirm in Northumberland.

This administration is a walking disaster and should resign with their heads hanging in complete and utter shame