NEWS


Oxfordshire reverses speed camera switch-off


Speed cameras in Oxfordshire have been turned back on eight months after the county council switched them off.


Housing minister Grant Shapps has written to all council leaders laying out plans for cash pay- ments to encourage local com- munities to support new devel- opment, instead of resisting it by default.


It is part of a plan known as the ‘New Homes Bonus’.


The council switched off their 72 cameras and 89 mobile sites last summer, citing budget cuts. However, figures released by po- lice revealed that between August 2010 and January 2011 there were 18 deaths, 179 people seriously injured and 982 people slightly injured on Oxfordshire’s roads. Other figures suggest speeding had increased 88% at some sites, but police did not reveal how much of the increase in accidents was at or near camera sites.


Superintendent Rob Povey, of Thames Valley Police, said speed enforcement worked as a deter- rent to motorists. He said: “We think this is important because we know that speed kills and speed is dangerous. We have shown in Oxfordshire that speed has in- creased through monitoring limits and we have noticed an increase in fatalities and the number of people seriously injured in 2010.”


The cameras will now be paid for by speed awareness courses and police backroom savings, rather than from council coffers, although the council will pay for the maintenance costs of the fixed camera sites.


Councillor Rodney Rose said: “The county council did not de- light in withdrawing funding for speed cameras last year, but took this decision to protect other serv- ice areas following a huge reduc- tion in road safety grant from the Government.”


8 | public sector executive Mar/Apr 11


Shapps said: “The system where Whitehall told communities what homes they need to build never worked. Housebuilding declined for years, eventually slumping to its lowest peacetime level since 1924. The construction industry suffered terribly, and in many ar- eas plans for new homes created a bitter legacy of divided com- munities and animosity towards developers.


“This country needs more homes, so we need the nation to start building again - but this time with the backing of local communities rather than in the teeth of their opposition. That’s why we’re giv- ing communities a reason to say


Grant Shapps. Image: CLG


yes to new homes through these powerful cash incentives.


“But this funding from Government is only the start of the process - it is now essential that councils engage with their local commu- nity to decide how the money is spent, so residents feel the direct benefits of growth, rather than extra pressure on local services.”


Councils would receive payments of almost £9,000 on average for each band D home or almost £11,000 for an equivalent afford- able home.


Under the first cash payments for the scheme, 326 local authorities will receive a share of £200m for in- creasing the effective housing stock by almost 150,000 in 2010-11.


The Government said that “com- munities themselves” will decide how to spend this extra funding - whether council tax discounts for local residents, boosting frontline services like rubbish collection or providing local facilities like swim- ming pools and leisure centres.


For our report into social housing issues, see pages 48-51.


Charges soar to cover budg- et shortfalls


The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is still not achiev- ing value for money, according to the National Audit Office.


Despite some improvements in its financial management, the department is facing “substantial challenges” in financially oversee- ing its arm’s-length bodies.


It is doing well on Olympics prep- aration, the NAO said – but this commitment to financial man- agement needs to be replicated across the whole organisation.


Amyas Morse, head of the NAO, said: “Financial management at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has improved, but there is still a way to go be- fore I can say that it is achieving value for money.


Some decisions have been made based on insufficient financial in- formation and analysis, as exem- plified by the decisions to merge


and close some arm’s-length bodies.


“This can leave organizations ex- posed and unprepared for the fu- ture and lead to high overall costs or the displacement of costs elsewhere.


“In previous reports on the Olympic programme, I have rec- ognised the positive role played by financial management.


“I expect to see the finance func- tion gain similar influence within the department overall, and a commitment to take decisions based on appropriate and accu- rate information.


“The department should also seek a new, more coherent approach to the challenging task of overseeing its arm’s-length bodies.”


An analysis of rising local authority charges shows that they are col- lectively hoping to raise an esti- mated £330m this coming year to cover shortfalls in other areas.


Almost all councils are raising some charges, including for park- ing, play centres, green waste col- lections, street trading, burials, using public toilets, and applica- tions for licenses to use premises for civil ceremonies.


The Financial Times, which con- ducted the investigation, said: “Councils have defended their decisions, arguing the grim fiscal backdrop means they have to tar- get spending carefully.”


A 2008 Audit Commission report showed that more than a quar- ter of English councils generated more income from charges than they did from council tax. That re- port showed councils were raising £10.8bn a year in charges.


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