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BRICKBATS OVER BILLS

Labour and Lib Dems in furious row over repair costs

THE Labour Government and Lib Dem Islington council faced angry confrontation this week over the plight of thousands of “grossly overcharged” leaseholders struggling to pay service charges.
The row is over who is ultimately responsible for crippling bills being charged to the borough’s 10,500 leaseholders – the highest number for any local authority in the country – for work to their estates and properties. The council maintains it is being forced to charge anything from £10,000 to £40,000 per leaseholder, under the terms of a Government scheme to refurbish run down properties.
But Emily Thornberry, Labour MP for Islington South and Finsbury, argued that the Town Hall could and should use its discretion to reduce fees, in certain cases, or at least give the leaseholder more time to pay.
Signicantly, that is precisely what happens in neighbouring Labour Camden when it is shown that a leaseholder is obviously being overcharged for work to a property, according to councillors.
The row was ignited by Islington Leaseholder Forum member, Mike Read, who said Islington’s Lib Dems were using their own “creative interpretation” of the rules to try and blame the Government for its financial machinations.
Full Story...
 
Booze law claims licensers
 
TWO councillors have sensationally quit Islington Council licensing committees.
Veteran Liberal Democrat Joe Trotter and his party colleague Angela Brook resigned last week, throwing the issuing of some of the last new licenses behind schedule.
At the same time, cracks in the ranks of Islington’s ruling Liberal Democrats appeared this week as backbenchers spoke out over a “lack of respect” from the party top brass.
Both Cllr Brook and Cllr Trotter cited heavy workloads as the reason for the their resignations.
Councillor Brook said in a statement: “I think the work of the licensing committees has hit a small number of councillors and put a strain on them.

 



Attitudes mature to English wine

WHEN Hugh Johnson published the first edition of his book Wine in 1966, there were three commercial vineyards in England.
FULL STORY




This Heath price hike is just not cricket

THIS summer’s Ashes success didn’t just help us armchair types suss out our full toss from our wrist spin.
FULL STORY
   
   
 
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