Boozy binges in Macclesfield’s streets and parks may soon be stamped out after the police were given power to seize alcohol from anti-social drinkers in the outer reaches of the town.
The centre’s alcohol ban implemented in 2002 has been extended in a bid to clampdown on alcohol-fuelled crime and behaviour, but is not aimed at law-abiding citizens.
In operation from Monday, April 30, the new order allows officers to confiscate alcohol from anyone acting irresponsibly and offers discretionary powers to deal with anti-social drinking in this area.
It is not an offence to drink alcohol in a designated public place, although police can request an individual not to drink there and seize it.
The new no-drinking zone will now be bounded to the north by Westminster Road, Coare Street, Beech Lane and Hibel Road; to the east by Fence Avenue, Buxton Road, Cranford Avenue, Brookfield Lane, Black Road, Gunco Lane and London Road; to the south by Star Lane, Moss Lane, Stamford Road to Ryles Park Road, and Park Lane; to the west by Oxford Road, Cumberland Street and Bollinbrook Road.
The Alcohol Designation Order for an extended area within Macclesfield town was approved this week by the council’s licensing committee, following extensive public consultation.
More than 8,000 cards were delivered to businesses and residents within the designated area asking for views.
Around 1,120 responses were received via card, letter or email – 1,098 were in support and just 25 against.
Chairman Coun Paul Whiteley stressed the prohibition was not a blanket ban and would not mean popular events such as Party in the Park would be ‘dry’.
He added: "This does not place any restrictions on responsible citizens acting in a responsible manner. It only gives police more convenience to address those acting in an anti-social manner and easier powers to take the cause of that trouble away – open alcohol containers."
The massive extension has been welcomed by Inspector Gareth Woods, Head of Macclesfield’s Neighbourhood Policing Unit.
He said: "This is really about recognising there is a link between anti-social behaviour and people drinking alcohol, whether they are underage or not, and in this day and age there are areas where it is inappropriate to drink alcohol.
"The overall aim of this is to set standards, educate people and my long term hope is that the problem will disappear.
"It makes it illegal to drink anti-socially and enhances the powers we’ve already got."
He said policing would be intelligence-led. And with that sentence all credability was lost.
Chris Sabian, Peak District View - 2007-04-01 02:48:44
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Last Rites for MBC
Macclesfield Borough Council is one step closer to being no more.
The death knell sounded yesterday when Secretary of State for Local Government, Ruth Kelly, approved the decision to replace the current two-tier system in Cheshire.
A consultation has now been launched to decide on an alternative – igniting the debate between Cheshire County Council and Macclesfield Borough Council.
In the CCC corner, councillors are fighting for one unitary authority, while their MBC opponents favour replacing the six district and one county council with two all-purpose unitary councils.
Cheshire chief executive, Jeremy Taylor, said yesterday: "The government has now given us the opportunity to test the validity of our case which we believe champions the best interests of everyone in Cheshire and meets the full criteria required by government."
On the two possible alternatives, he added: "It is now vital that stakeholders receive all the information required to enable them to make an informed and evidence-based decision on the two submissions."
MBC said they welcome the White Paper proposal to replace what they describe as the "outdated" two-tier system of local government in Cheshire.
However, they now want two unitary councils instead – East Cheshire, including Macclesfield, Crewe and Nantwich and Congleton, and West Cheshire, to include Chester, Ellesmere Port and Vale Royal. Vivienne Horton, Macclesfield Borough Council chief executive, said: "This is an exciting new vision for local government in this area and will get rid of the expensive and confusing two-tier system."
She added: "We feel Cheshire is too large for one local authority to provide the effective and accountable local government we need."
She said they had formally resolved to oppose the county council’s submission for a unitary county. MBC’s first preference was for three unitary councils for Cheshire, but that option was scrapped by the government, leaving the two council option as the next best thing.
Leader of the council, Wesley Fitzgerald, said: "As far as I am concerned it is the best of a bad lot to go for an East-West split and I welcome that opportunity.
"With a single authority for Cheshire people would not be able to engage with their local council and the local feel of the thing would be gone.
"If we split down the middle, it would have a chance of working and the ratepayer – which is all of us – would feel the benefit."
CHESHIRE County Council’s political leaders will meet in the near future to consider all aspects of the government’s decision. A total of 16 councils have been shortlisted for consultation, and it is hoped the new systems will save up to £200million per year. The successful proposals now go forward for a 12-week government consultation, until June 22, before a final decision is made in July.
The government expects those proceeding to implementation to be fully operational by April 2009 global warming permitting.
Chris Sabian, Peak District View - 2007-04-01 02:41:58
The death knell sounded yesterday when Secretary of State for Local Government, Ruth Kelly, approved the decision to replace the current two-tier system in Cheshire.
A consultation has now been launched to decide on an alternative – igniting the debate between Cheshire County Council and Macclesfield Borough Council.
In the CCC corner, councillors are fighting for one unitary authority, while their MBC opponents favour replacing the six district and one county council with two all-purpose unitary councils.
Cheshire chief executive, Jeremy Taylor, said yesterday: "The government has now given us the opportunity to test the validity of our case which we believe champions the best interests of everyone in Cheshire and meets the full criteria required by government."
On the two possible alternatives, he added: "It is now vital that stakeholders receive all the information required to enable them to make an informed and evidence-based decision on the two submissions."
MBC said they welcome the White Paper proposal to replace what they describe as the "outdated" two-tier system of local government in Cheshire.
However, they now want two unitary councils instead – East Cheshire, including Macclesfield, Crewe and Nantwich and Congleton, and West Cheshire, to include Chester, Ellesmere Port and Vale Royal. Vivienne Horton, Macclesfield Borough Council chief executive, said: "This is an exciting new vision for local government in this area and will get rid of the expensive and confusing two-tier system."
She added: "We feel Cheshire is too large for one local authority to provide the effective and accountable local government we need."
She said they had formally resolved to oppose the county council’s submission for a unitary county. MBC’s first preference was for three unitary councils for Cheshire, but that option was scrapped by the government, leaving the two council option as the next best thing.
Leader of the council, Wesley Fitzgerald, said: "As far as I am concerned it is the best of a bad lot to go for an East-West split and I welcome that opportunity.
"With a single authority for Cheshire people would not be able to engage with their local council and the local feel of the thing would be gone.
"If we split down the middle, it would have a chance of working and the ratepayer – which is all of us – would feel the benefit."
CHESHIRE County Council’s political leaders will meet in the near future to consider all aspects of the government’s decision. A total of 16 councils have been shortlisted for consultation, and it is hoped the new systems will save up to £200million per year. The successful proposals now go forward for a 12-week government consultation, until June 22, before a final decision is made in July.
The government expects those proceeding to implementation to be fully operational by April 2009 global warming permitting.
Chris Sabian, Peak District View - 2007-04-01 02:41:58
Bad Medicine for Macclesfield workers
David Brennan, chief executive of Astra Zeneca, is not a popular man in Macclesfield right now. Last month, barely a fortnight after reporting a 28% rise in full-year profits, the pharmaceuticals giant announced it was laying off 700 staff who work in manufacturing and warehousing at its Cheshire site.
The redundancies will claim 40% of those working in manufacturing and operations in Macclesfield. Morale has been badly damaged, with locals complaining of poor leadership and too many tiers of management.
Brennan, an American who took on the top job 15 months ago, is sympathetic. “We worry,” he said. “We don’t take a decision like that lightly. It impacts people’s lives, their families. But this is about the future of the company. We have an obligation to our shareholders. I am a straight shooter; I have to tell it as I see it. And we are not yet positioned where we need to be.”
This is the central conundrum with which Brennan has to wrestle. On the face of it, Astra Zeneca is in robust health. Sales growth of 11% last year, and earnings per share growth of 33%, put the company in third place in the performance league table of its “big pharma” peers.
With a sharply increased dividend and a big buyback of shares, the company returned more than £2.5 billion of cash to shareholders last year. And yet it is laying off 3,000 employees in its supply-chain operation.
£2.5 billion of cash buys a lot of jobs for a lot of years, but Brennan or his shareholders couldn't give a toss. Crocodile tears and no social conscience-typical yank really.
Chris Sabian, Peak District View - 2007-04-01 02:35:04
The redundancies will claim 40% of those working in manufacturing and operations in Macclesfield. Morale has been badly damaged, with locals complaining of poor leadership and too many tiers of management.
Brennan, an American who took on the top job 15 months ago, is sympathetic. “We worry,” he said. “We don’t take a decision like that lightly. It impacts people’s lives, their families. But this is about the future of the company. We have an obligation to our shareholders. I am a straight shooter; I have to tell it as I see it. And we are not yet positioned where we need to be.”
This is the central conundrum with which Brennan has to wrestle. On the face of it, Astra Zeneca is in robust health. Sales growth of 11% last year, and earnings per share growth of 33%, put the company in third place in the performance league table of its “big pharma” peers.
With a sharply increased dividend and a big buyback of shares, the company returned more than £2.5 billion of cash to shareholders last year. And yet it is laying off 3,000 employees in its supply-chain operation.
£2.5 billion of cash buys a lot of jobs for a lot of years, but Brennan or his shareholders couldn't give a toss. Crocodile tears and no social conscience-typical yank really.
Chris Sabian, Peak District View - 2007-04-01 02:35:04
Cat and Fiddle crackdown
Police are to increase patrols on Derbyshire's infamous Cat and Fiddle road at the weekend to protect bikers.
Officers will ensure motorcyclists and other drivers abide by the 50mph limit on the A537, between Macclesfield and Buxton, from Saturday, as they take advantage of the lighter evenings.
Using the Cheshire Police aeroplane and mobile speed cameras, they will be out every weekend during the spring and summer in a bid to halt the number of accidents and raise some cash.
The road, named after the Cat and Fiddle pub near its highest point, was branded Britain's most dangerous two years ago because of the number of people - the vast majority of them bikers - who died on it.
Since 1999 - when 15 people were killed or seriously injured on the road - police have campaigned to make it safer.
There were eight people killed or seriously hurt in both 2000 and 2001, then in 2003, no one was killed, although five were badly injured. One died during 2004 and four were seriously injured, while in 2005, three were badly hurt and no one was killed.
Cheshire Police have unveiled a safety campaign for the A537 and neighbouring A54, promising to crack down on dangerous driving as well as educating bikers about the road's dangers.
Police motorcyclists as well as officers in unmarked cars will patrol the road, while mobile speed cameras will also be used. Sgt Carl Bailey said: "This campaign is based on enforcement and education.
"We have been carrying it out for the past five years and we know it is effective. The fact that the A537 has lost its tag of being Britain's most dangerous road is directly linked."
He added: "We will be checking that road users observe the 50mph limit on the A537 and the 60mph limit on the A54, and looking out for people crossing the solid white lines, which are on long stretches of these roads.
"The lines are there because visibility is limited, or the road itself creates a potential hazard."
Police and firefighters will set up safety presentations on the car park of the Cat and Fiddle and encourage riders to sign up for `Bikesafe' courses.
I wonder if the Cat and Fiddle pub is open again. Last time I was up there on my Honda 50cc it was closed.
Chris Sabian, Peak District View - 2007-04-01 02:26:13
Officers will ensure motorcyclists and other drivers abide by the 50mph limit on the A537, between Macclesfield and Buxton, from Saturday, as they take advantage of the lighter evenings.
Using the Cheshire Police aeroplane and mobile speed cameras, they will be out every weekend during the spring and summer in a bid to halt the number of accidents and raise some cash.
The road, named after the Cat and Fiddle pub near its highest point, was branded Britain's most dangerous two years ago because of the number of people - the vast majority of them bikers - who died on it.
Since 1999 - when 15 people were killed or seriously injured on the road - police have campaigned to make it safer.
There were eight people killed or seriously hurt in both 2000 and 2001, then in 2003, no one was killed, although five were badly injured. One died during 2004 and four were seriously injured, while in 2005, three were badly hurt and no one was killed.
Cheshire Police have unveiled a safety campaign for the A537 and neighbouring A54, promising to crack down on dangerous driving as well as educating bikers about the road's dangers.
Police motorcyclists as well as officers in unmarked cars will patrol the road, while mobile speed cameras will also be used. Sgt Carl Bailey said: "This campaign is based on enforcement and education.
"We have been carrying it out for the past five years and we know it is effective. The fact that the A537 has lost its tag of being Britain's most dangerous road is directly linked."
He added: "We will be checking that road users observe the 50mph limit on the A537 and the 60mph limit on the A54, and looking out for people crossing the solid white lines, which are on long stretches of these roads.
"The lines are there because visibility is limited, or the road itself creates a potential hazard."
Police and firefighters will set up safety presentations on the car park of the Cat and Fiddle and encourage riders to sign up for `Bikesafe' courses.
I wonder if the Cat and Fiddle pub is open again. Last time I was up there on my Honda 50cc it was closed.
Chris Sabian, Peak District View - 2007-04-01 02:26:13
'Ave it small...
Peter Kay is to play his next gig in a tiny Cheshire pub, its landlord has announced.
During his Mum Wants A Bungalow tour, Kay played the 19,000-seat MEN Arena in Manchester - but now he is being advertised at the 90-capacity Ox-Fford pub in Macclesfield.
And Jack Dee and Roy Chubby Brown will follow in his footsteps, landlord Darren Bennifer says.
Kay's appearance in May will be in aid of the local East Cheshire Hospice, and he will just mingle with the punters, since there's nowhere for him to perform.
Bennifer, a former manger of Jongleurs in Watford said 'I want to put this pub on the map.
'We're getting the exact date for Peter Kay next month, but he will be playing some time in May. We're also getting Jack Dee, Roy Chubby Brown and others too.
'The pub capacity is about 85 people but we could probably get 90 in if we move a few things about.'
'Our booking promoter is a mate of mine who knows a lot of people in the business.
'I can't tell you how he manages to book the acts, because it's through various favours and connections. If I did then every landlord in Macclesfield will be trying to book big names.
Bennifer has already attracted Bernard Manning, who performed there last Thursday. His act lasted 45 minutes with swear words and 2.69 minutes without.
Chris Sabian, Peak District View - 2007-04-01 02:19:28
During his Mum Wants A Bungalow tour, Kay played the 19,000-seat MEN Arena in Manchester - but now he is being advertised at the 90-capacity Ox-Fford pub in Macclesfield.
And Jack Dee and Roy Chubby Brown will follow in his footsteps, landlord Darren Bennifer says.
Kay's appearance in May will be in aid of the local East Cheshire Hospice, and he will just mingle with the punters, since there's nowhere for him to perform.
Bennifer, a former manger of Jongleurs in Watford said 'I want to put this pub on the map.
'We're getting the exact date for Peter Kay next month, but he will be playing some time in May. We're also getting Jack Dee, Roy Chubby Brown and others too.
'The pub capacity is about 85 people but we could probably get 90 in if we move a few things about.'
'Our booking promoter is a mate of mine who knows a lot of people in the business.
'I can't tell you how he manages to book the acts, because it's through various favours and connections. If I did then every landlord in Macclesfield will be trying to book big names.
Bennifer has already attracted Bernard Manning, who performed there last Thursday. His act lasted 45 minutes with swear words and 2.69 minutes without.
Chris Sabian, Peak District View - 2007-04-01 02:19:28
Barnsley 1 Derby 2 Rams fans roar Derby to victory
Derby won at Barnsley to extend their lead at the top of the Coca-Cola Championship - but the real talking point at Oakwell was a sickening injury to David Lucas.
David Jones had put the visitors in control with a sixth goal since his January move from Manchester United, but it was Derby's second for which the game will be remembered.
Making his first start for the club, goalkeeper Lucas was knocked out after clattering into Giles Barnes in the box, allowing Matt Oakley to fire into an empty net.
Despite several minutes of treatment, the on-loan Sheffield Wednesday stopper only regained consciousness en route to hospital.
Sam Togwell pulled a goal back late in stoppage time but Derby were worthy winners.
As well as Lucas, Barnsley made three other changes from their last outing, Bobby Hassell and Anthony Kay coming into the backline and West Ham winger Kyel Reid replacing the banned Martin Devaney.
Derby, meanwhile, entrusted Jon Macken with filling the boots of suspended top scorer Steve Howard, while Darren Currie was handed a first start in midfield at the expense of Seth Johnson.
Barnsley assistant boss Ryan Kidd revealed in midweek he and manager Simon Davey had devised a gameplan to beat the Rams.
That appeared to consist of flooding the midfield and playing Istvan Ferenczi as a lone striker.
The result was a scrappy start, Northern Ireland's Grant McCann - now a goalscorer at international level - first to try his luck with a weak shot from distance.
But Derby made the most of the minimum of ball when they broke from their own area in the 11th minute, Jones playing in Barnes, whose shot was parried by Lucas, only for Jones to net the follow-up.
The game then fell back into the same disjointed pattern with which it had begun.
It was a full 15 minutes until the next serious attempt at goal, again from a Derby break, when Oakley volleyed well over.
Reid then fired over the top at the other end as Barnsley abandoned their starting formation and moved Peter Rajczi up front.
A debatable free-kick then gave top scorer Brian Howard a sight of goal from 25 yards, but he sent the ball over the bar.
So too did Macken with a header from Jones' corner as the half wound down.
Rajczi then had a great chance to level when the ball reached him at point-blank range.
But his back was to goal and he hesitated long enough to allow Derby to clear.
The first half's lack of quality was of no concern to a very large and very vocal travelling contingent, who had more reason to celebrate shortly after the restart.
A flighted free-kick was played into the box for Barnes, who looked favourite to win it with his back to goal until Lucas decided to come and claim, flattening the midfielder in the process.
Before the referee could make a ruling, the ball ran loose to Oakley, who did well to guide it first time into the empty net from 20 yards with Barnes and Lucas still on the floor.
The keeper came off far worse and was eventually carried from the field on a stretcher.
Upon the resumption, the pattern of poor free-kicks persisted when Reid sent one straight at Stephen Bywater.
The home side came closer to pulling one back when the goalkeeper narrowly beat Ferenczi to a low cross.
There was another lengthy stoppage when skipper Paul Reid went down in agony. He was unable to continue and was replaced by Neil Austin.
Ferenczi and Barnes both had shots too close to the respective goalkeepers as the game became stretched.
Bywater was finally required to produce his best when Reid arrowed Rajczi's cross goalward, forcing a great reaction stop.
There was no surprise when an additional eight minutes was announced, giving Togwell enough time to pull one back from close range and set up a nervy finish.
Derby fans made up nearly half of the 17,000 crowd and certainly had value for money. they will be hoping for a Good Friday at Leicester next week.
Chris Sabian, Peak District View - 2007-03-31 16:54:20
David Jones had put the visitors in control with a sixth goal since his January move from Manchester United, but it was Derby's second for which the game will be remembered.
Making his first start for the club, goalkeeper Lucas was knocked out after clattering into Giles Barnes in the box, allowing Matt Oakley to fire into an empty net.
Despite several minutes of treatment, the on-loan Sheffield Wednesday stopper only regained consciousness en route to hospital.
Sam Togwell pulled a goal back late in stoppage time but Derby were worthy winners.
As well as Lucas, Barnsley made three other changes from their last outing, Bobby Hassell and Anthony Kay coming into the backline and West Ham winger Kyel Reid replacing the banned Martin Devaney.
Derby, meanwhile, entrusted Jon Macken with filling the boots of suspended top scorer Steve Howard, while Darren Currie was handed a first start in midfield at the expense of Seth Johnson.
Barnsley assistant boss Ryan Kidd revealed in midweek he and manager Simon Davey had devised a gameplan to beat the Rams.
That appeared to consist of flooding the midfield and playing Istvan Ferenczi as a lone striker.
The result was a scrappy start, Northern Ireland's Grant McCann - now a goalscorer at international level - first to try his luck with a weak shot from distance.
But Derby made the most of the minimum of ball when they broke from their own area in the 11th minute, Jones playing in Barnes, whose shot was parried by Lucas, only for Jones to net the follow-up.
The game then fell back into the same disjointed pattern with which it had begun.
It was a full 15 minutes until the next serious attempt at goal, again from a Derby break, when Oakley volleyed well over.
Reid then fired over the top at the other end as Barnsley abandoned their starting formation and moved Peter Rajczi up front.
A debatable free-kick then gave top scorer Brian Howard a sight of goal from 25 yards, but he sent the ball over the bar.
So too did Macken with a header from Jones' corner as the half wound down.
Rajczi then had a great chance to level when the ball reached him at point-blank range.
But his back was to goal and he hesitated long enough to allow Derby to clear.
The first half's lack of quality was of no concern to a very large and very vocal travelling contingent, who had more reason to celebrate shortly after the restart.
A flighted free-kick was played into the box for Barnes, who looked favourite to win it with his back to goal until Lucas decided to come and claim, flattening the midfielder in the process.
Before the referee could make a ruling, the ball ran loose to Oakley, who did well to guide it first time into the empty net from 20 yards with Barnes and Lucas still on the floor.
The keeper came off far worse and was eventually carried from the field on a stretcher.
Upon the resumption, the pattern of poor free-kicks persisted when Reid sent one straight at Stephen Bywater.
The home side came closer to pulling one back when the goalkeeper narrowly beat Ferenczi to a low cross.
There was another lengthy stoppage when skipper Paul Reid went down in agony. He was unable to continue and was replaced by Neil Austin.
Ferenczi and Barnes both had shots too close to the respective goalkeepers as the game became stretched.
Bywater was finally required to produce his best when Reid arrowed Rajczi's cross goalward, forcing a great reaction stop.
There was no surprise when an additional eight minutes was announced, giving Togwell enough time to pull one back from close range and set up a nervy finish.
Derby fans made up nearly half of the 17,000 crowd and certainly had value for money. they will be hoping for a Good Friday at Leicester next week.
Chris Sabian, Peak District View - 2007-03-31 16:54:20
Saturday, March 31, 2007
The real facts about Brown's '2p off' Budget
In another look at Gordon Brown's budget there are some winners and losers.
Let's start with the facts. The only major change Brown announced that happens this year is higher road tax on gas guzzlers. Apparently the high levels of fuel duty these motorists pay on every gallon of petrol are not enough.
Duty on cars in band G (which includes not just the Range Rover but also the Ford Galaxy and Renault Espace) goes up from £210 to £300 in October, and up again to £400 in 2008.
That was the easy bit. Now for a complicated set of tax and National Insurance changes.
-The 'starting rate' of income tax of 10% is abolished from April 2008.
-The Upper Earnings Threshold for employees' 11% National Insurance contributions rises from £34,840 to £38,790 in 2008 and then to £43,000 in 2009.
-The starting point for higher rate tax at 40% is £34,600 for 2007-08 (up from £33,300) and will also rise to £43,000 in 2009.
-Those aged over 65 get a big rise in their personal allowance from £7,550 (2007-08) to £9,000 in 2008.
-The inheritance tax threshold rises from £300,000 (2007-08) to £312,000 and then £325,000 in 2009-10.
The winners and losers
So who are the winners and losers from this?
The biggest category of losers is single people earning under £18,500 who will pay more income tax because of the abolition of the 10% starting rate. Gordon's clunking fist hits the working poor hardest.
The biggest gainers are 65+ people with income from savings, thanks to the higher personal allowance and the fact that the 10% starting rate of tax will still apply to saving income.
The higher paid go through a win, lose, lose, win cycle. This year the Income Tax (IT) higher rate threshold rises more than the rate of inflation to £34,600 (win). But next year (08/09) the Upper Earnings Limit for NI rises by £3,900 which means you pay 10% of that, or £390 more, in NI (lose).
Then the following year (09/10) the UEL rises again to £43,000 so you pay even more in NI - in fact in that year you'll pay £900 more than you did in 2006-07 (lose). But if you earn over £43,000 you'll also be paying 20% tax instead of 40% tax on £8,160 of your income, saving you £1,680 in tax (win), off which you have to take the extra tax you pay because your first £2,250 of taxable income is now taxed at 20% instead of 10% (lose). Overall in 2008-09 it looks as if you'll be about £500 a year better off.
Cutting the pay of the working poor to increase benefits
The number-crunchers at the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) reckon that overall, about one-fifth of households lose (mostly poor), two-fifths are barely affected and one-fifth gain (mostly rich).
By 2009-10, the effect is to cut taxes by £13.2 billion and raise them by £10.7 billion, producing a net tax reduction of £2.4 billion - chickenfeed in the context of a total government tax take of over £550 billion.
Many of the people in the 'unaffected' category in the middle will only be unaffected if they claim their tax credits, since both Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit have been raised to compensate for the abolition of the 10% tax band.
Winner and losers from the Brown decade
Up to this Budget, Brown's tax and benefit measures (again according to the IFS) have reduced the incomes of the wealthiest 10% of the population by 6% and raised the incomes of the poorest tenth by 12%.
Someone earning £70,000 a year pays about £4,000 more tax; someone on £40,000 pays £1,800 more tax, while someone earning under £28,000 is about £1,400 a year better off. As a socialist, Gordon will probably consider that a satisfactory record, not to mention his obvious delight in using dozens of stealth taxes to prevent people working out how the money made its way from their wallets to the Treasury.
But the real Brown legacy is in the thousands of pages of tax legislation that have made our tax system the most complicated in Europe. In his final Budget, Brown removed the 10% tax band he himself created in 1998 and tried to portray himself as a tax reformer, which is barefaced hypocrisy on an epic scale.
Brown's system is destined for the scrap yard
When he became Chancellor, the seriously rich might have needed advisers to help them dodge tax, but middle Englanders and the poor could work out what they had to pay. But Brown has tinkered so much with his tax credits over the years that virtually nobody understands them.
Last year teams of advisers had to be sent out to explain tax allowances to poverty-threshold old age pensioners because they were incapable of working out what they were entitled to. His final Budget represents just one more piece of tinkering with an appallingly inefficient machine whose obvious destination is the scrapyard.
God help us when he is Prime Minister.
Chris Sabian, Peak District View - 2007-03-31 04:18:50
Let's start with the facts. The only major change Brown announced that happens this year is higher road tax on gas guzzlers. Apparently the high levels of fuel duty these motorists pay on every gallon of petrol are not enough.
Duty on cars in band G (which includes not just the Range Rover but also the Ford Galaxy and Renault Espace) goes up from £210 to £300 in October, and up again to £400 in 2008.
That was the easy bit. Now for a complicated set of tax and National Insurance changes.
-The 'starting rate' of income tax of 10% is abolished from April 2008.
-The Upper Earnings Threshold for employees' 11% National Insurance contributions rises from £34,840 to £38,790 in 2008 and then to £43,000 in 2009.
-The starting point for higher rate tax at 40% is £34,600 for 2007-08 (up from £33,300) and will also rise to £43,000 in 2009.
-Those aged over 65 get a big rise in their personal allowance from £7,550 (2007-08) to £9,000 in 2008.
-The inheritance tax threshold rises from £300,000 (2007-08) to £312,000 and then £325,000 in 2009-10.
The winners and losers
So who are the winners and losers from this?
The biggest category of losers is single people earning under £18,500 who will pay more income tax because of the abolition of the 10% starting rate. Gordon's clunking fist hits the working poor hardest.
The biggest gainers are 65+ people with income from savings, thanks to the higher personal allowance and the fact that the 10% starting rate of tax will still apply to saving income.
The higher paid go through a win, lose, lose, win cycle. This year the Income Tax (IT) higher rate threshold rises more than the rate of inflation to £34,600 (win). But next year (08/09) the Upper Earnings Limit for NI rises by £3,900 which means you pay 10% of that, or £390 more, in NI (lose).
Then the following year (09/10) the UEL rises again to £43,000 so you pay even more in NI - in fact in that year you'll pay £900 more than you did in 2006-07 (lose). But if you earn over £43,000 you'll also be paying 20% tax instead of 40% tax on £8,160 of your income, saving you £1,680 in tax (win), off which you have to take the extra tax you pay because your first £2,250 of taxable income is now taxed at 20% instead of 10% (lose). Overall in 2008-09 it looks as if you'll be about £500 a year better off.
Cutting the pay of the working poor to increase benefits
The number-crunchers at the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) reckon that overall, about one-fifth of households lose (mostly poor), two-fifths are barely affected and one-fifth gain (mostly rich).
By 2009-10, the effect is to cut taxes by £13.2 billion and raise them by £10.7 billion, producing a net tax reduction of £2.4 billion - chickenfeed in the context of a total government tax take of over £550 billion.
Many of the people in the 'unaffected' category in the middle will only be unaffected if they claim their tax credits, since both Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit have been raised to compensate for the abolition of the 10% tax band.
Winner and losers from the Brown decade
Up to this Budget, Brown's tax and benefit measures (again according to the IFS) have reduced the incomes of the wealthiest 10% of the population by 6% and raised the incomes of the poorest tenth by 12%.
Someone earning £70,000 a year pays about £4,000 more tax; someone on £40,000 pays £1,800 more tax, while someone earning under £28,000 is about £1,400 a year better off. As a socialist, Gordon will probably consider that a satisfactory record, not to mention his obvious delight in using dozens of stealth taxes to prevent people working out how the money made its way from their wallets to the Treasury.
But the real Brown legacy is in the thousands of pages of tax legislation that have made our tax system the most complicated in Europe. In his final Budget, Brown removed the 10% tax band he himself created in 1998 and tried to portray himself as a tax reformer, which is barefaced hypocrisy on an epic scale.
Brown's system is destined for the scrap yard
When he became Chancellor, the seriously rich might have needed advisers to help them dodge tax, but middle Englanders and the poor could work out what they had to pay. But Brown has tinkered so much with his tax credits over the years that virtually nobody understands them.
Last year teams of advisers had to be sent out to explain tax allowances to poverty-threshold old age pensioners because they were incapable of working out what they were entitled to. His final Budget represents just one more piece of tinkering with an appallingly inefficient machine whose obvious destination is the scrapyard.
God help us when he is Prime Minister.
Chris Sabian, Peak District View - 2007-03-31 04:18:50
Peak District first loser of Olympics lottery
New Mills Volunteer Centre looks to be one of the first losers of the London 2012 Olympics after they failed to win lottery funding.
The failure of the five-year bid left such a hole in their finances that three members of the small team are being made redundant, the three who remain are having their hours cut – and ten of the 15 groups organised through the Centre are to be axed.
Centre Manager Dorothy Scapens said: "The fact is the Reaching Communities Fund is over ten times over-subscribed.
"Groups such as ours are putting a lot of time and effort in for a bid and you have just a one in ten chance.
"I was basically told that because it was oversubscribed by a long way it was having to turn down good applications such as ours.
"I am very concerned that a lot of money that should have come to cases such as ours is being siphoned off for the Olympics."
If successful, the bid would have paid for staff costs and allowed services and groups to be expanded further.
"All of our services will be carrying on as normal: the community car scheme, which is the biggest, the befriending scheme, shopping for the housebound and light gardening and basic DIY work," said Mrs Scapens.
But ten of the groups have been suspended, including craft for life and social inclusion, lip-reading and cookery for people with learning difficulties.
Mrs Scapens said many of the people who attend have very few other opportunities to interact.
"One person said the luncheon club was 'The only meal I share with anybody all week.'
"Another said: 'If I didn't come here I would just be staring at my own four walls,'" she explained.
The centre will now be closed on Fridays with the exception of one Friday a month when the Alzheimer's café is run in the morning.
"A lot of people have been involved for many years and worked hard to get the building and to build it up.
"There has been a lot of heartbreak," said Mrs Scapens.
Rest assured there will be a thousand or more cases such as this because of the Olympics from which people of the Peak District will not benefit!
Chris Sabian, Peak District View - 2007-03-31 03:55:17
The failure of the five-year bid left such a hole in their finances that three members of the small team are being made redundant, the three who remain are having their hours cut – and ten of the 15 groups organised through the Centre are to be axed.
Centre Manager Dorothy Scapens said: "The fact is the Reaching Communities Fund is over ten times over-subscribed.
"Groups such as ours are putting a lot of time and effort in for a bid and you have just a one in ten chance.
"I was basically told that because it was oversubscribed by a long way it was having to turn down good applications such as ours.
"I am very concerned that a lot of money that should have come to cases such as ours is being siphoned off for the Olympics."
If successful, the bid would have paid for staff costs and allowed services and groups to be expanded further.
"All of our services will be carrying on as normal: the community car scheme, which is the biggest, the befriending scheme, shopping for the housebound and light gardening and basic DIY work," said Mrs Scapens.
But ten of the groups have been suspended, including craft for life and social inclusion, lip-reading and cookery for people with learning difficulties.
Mrs Scapens said many of the people who attend have very few other opportunities to interact.
"One person said the luncheon club was 'The only meal I share with anybody all week.'
"Another said: 'If I didn't come here I would just be staring at my own four walls,'" she explained.
The centre will now be closed on Fridays with the exception of one Friday a month when the Alzheimer's café is run in the morning.
"A lot of people have been involved for many years and worked hard to get the building and to build it up.
"There has been a lot of heartbreak," said Mrs Scapens.
Rest assured there will be a thousand or more cases such as this because of the Olympics from which people of the Peak District will not benefit!
Chris Sabian, Peak District View - 2007-03-31 03:55:17
Suspended Sentence for Cartoon Copper
A policeman who was watching the Disney film Finding Nemo while a prisoner hanged himself has been given a suspended prison sentence.
Pc David Stoll, 49, who was found guilty of misconduct in a public office, was jailed for six months suspended for a year.
Stoll was the custody suite warden at St Mary's Wharf police station, Derby, when Craig Boyd died in March 2004.
Judge Michael Stokes criticised the "slack" regime at the police station.
Stoll, who had 23 years' experience in the Derbyshire force, ignored hourly checks on prisoners.
A jury at Nottingham Crown Court was shown CCTV video in which officers on duty at the time of Mr Boyd's death watched the Disney cartoon.
Judge Stokes told Stoll: "You have yourself accepted that the conduct of which the jury have convicted you would be 'unforgivable' on the part of a detention officer in the position you occupied."
He added: "This was far from being a properly-run custody suite.
"What we have seen is not merely a casual approach to duty but a lack of proper systems and a failure to deal properly and responsibly with detainees.
"It is not conceivable that senior officers could have been aware of the slackness and inappropriate behaviour that existed in this custody suite."
Two other officers, Sgt Nigel Rogers, 42, and Sgt Christopher Linscott, 43, were acquitted.
There use to be a saying of making the punishment fit the crime. I'm not sure what went wrong here.
Chris Sabian, Peak District View - 2007-03-31 03:43:39
Pc David Stoll, 49, who was found guilty of misconduct in a public office, was jailed for six months suspended for a year.
Stoll was the custody suite warden at St Mary's Wharf police station, Derby, when Craig Boyd died in March 2004.
Judge Michael Stokes criticised the "slack" regime at the police station.
Stoll, who had 23 years' experience in the Derbyshire force, ignored hourly checks on prisoners.
A jury at Nottingham Crown Court was shown CCTV video in which officers on duty at the time of Mr Boyd's death watched the Disney cartoon.
Judge Stokes told Stoll: "You have yourself accepted that the conduct of which the jury have convicted you would be 'unforgivable' on the part of a detention officer in the position you occupied."
He added: "This was far from being a properly-run custody suite.
"What we have seen is not merely a casual approach to duty but a lack of proper systems and a failure to deal properly and responsibly with detainees.
"It is not conceivable that senior officers could have been aware of the slackness and inappropriate behaviour that existed in this custody suite."
Two other officers, Sgt Nigel Rogers, 42, and Sgt Christopher Linscott, 43, were acquitted.
There use to be a saying of making the punishment fit the crime. I'm not sure what went wrong here.
Chris Sabian, Peak District View - 2007-03-31 03:43:39
Solomons Temple is top spot
Solomon's Temple has been tipped as a top spot for day-trippers in the North West.
Buxton’s hill-top tower, standing above Grinlow Wood, featured on the BBC’s Inside Out programme, after viewers nominated destinations for their ‘perfect day’ out in the area.
Screened a week last Friday, the presenters were seen setting out at 5am to climb the Temple and watch the sun rise over Buxton.
BBC1’s Inside Out is featuring a series of off-beat spots for UK tourists to discover in their own back yard. Other attractions included seal watching on the Isle of Man, Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding Shop in Cumbria and the Cotebrooke Shire Horse Centre, Lancashire.
for more information on Solomon's Temple visit www.peakdistrictview.com
Chris Sabian, Peak District View - 2007-03-31 03:28:18
Buxton’s hill-top tower, standing above Grinlow Wood, featured on the BBC’s Inside Out programme, after viewers nominated destinations for their ‘perfect day’ out in the area.
Screened a week last Friday, the presenters were seen setting out at 5am to climb the Temple and watch the sun rise over Buxton.
BBC1’s Inside Out is featuring a series of off-beat spots for UK tourists to discover in their own back yard. Other attractions included seal watching on the Isle of Man, Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding Shop in Cumbria and the Cotebrooke Shire Horse Centre, Lancashire.
for more information on Solomon's Temple visit www.peakdistrictview.com
Chris Sabian, Peak District View - 2007-03-31 03:28:18
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