Monthly Archive 13 August 2024

A new consultation has been launched to find ways to help support people in need with their Council Tax bills.

Council Tax Support is a discount that helps people on low incomes pay their Council Tax bill.

This is separate to the support offered to pension age households and other discounts, such as single person discount. There is no change proposed to the maximum Council Tax Support allowed – this remains at 65%.

As a local authority, the Council is legally required to consult on any proposed changes to the Council Tax Support scheme. We want to:

• make the scheme easier to understand and access;
• continue to support for households on the lowest incomes;
• make the scheme work better with the Universal Credit system;
• support families and applicants who receive a disability benefit;
• take away the need for constant changes in awards; and
• make the scheme easier to manage.

If approved, from 1 April 2025 the Council would replace the existing means tested system with one that’s easier to understand and is more supportive for the people most in need.  

The changes to the scheme would affect working age households in the North East Lincolnshire Council area who receive Council Tax Support from 1 April 2025. 

Councillor Stephen Harness, Cabinet member for Finance, Resources and Assets said: “The Council’s offer of financial support for low-income households paying council tax helps many in our communities. This consultation will help us to decide on the future of the support, and how it should be shaped going forward to make it easier for people to understand.”

To have your say in the consultation, visit www.nelincs.gov.uk/have-your-say- external site .

The online consultation closes to the public on 30 September 2024.

Article from NELC.

Two new 210-place primary schools in North East Lincolnshire will be built by building contractor Hobson & Porter.

The schools, sited close to Matthew Telford Park in Scartho, and on land off Sunningdale in Waltham, have been commissioned by North East Lincolnshire Council working in partnership with EQUANS and will, once open, be run by Lincolnshire Gateway Academies Trust (LGAT).

The announcement follows a tender process, where contractors could bid to win the project to build Waltham Gateway Academy and Scartho Gateway Academy.

Hobson & Porter are an award-winning construction firm based in Hull, with significant experience on education projects.

Councillor Philip Jackson, Leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, said:

“It’s great to see this project now progressing, with a building contractor appointed and getting on site. Over the coming months we’ll start to see things happening on site and that’s fantastic.

“These two schools will provide some much-needed additional education provision for children in our area.”

Martin Brown, Chief Executive Officer of Lincolnshire Gateway Academies Trust, appointed to run free schools Waltham Gateway Academy and Scartho Gateway Academy, said: 

“We’re delighted the council has appointed contractors and look forward to the builds quickly taking shape.

“We’re excited about working with partners to create dynamic learning and teaching environments and look forward to welcoming our first children at both academies in September, 2025.

“Much more detail for prospective parents will be revealed in September.”

Joe Booth, Business Development Director for Hobson & Porter said:

“Winning these two contracts is testament to both our experience working in the education sector and our continued growth across Lincolnshire, where we have established a strong and diverse local supply chain.

“We’ve recently started work on the new £12m Skegness Learning Campus for the TEC Partnership and we also currently delivering the pioneering Grimsby Youth Zone project in the town centre. 

“These two new primary schools in Grimsby are also very similar to one we are due to handover to North Yorkshire County Council in Northallerton this summer. We’ll be utilising all this experience on these two latest education projects and we’re looking forward to starting work on site soon.”

Stephanie Ledgerwood, Head of Professional Services at Equans, said:

“Equans will continue to support the council through the proceeding design and construction phases of the build of the two new schools. I’m delighted a building contractor has now been appointed and I am excited to see the builds start to take shape. It will be fantastic to welcome students through the doors next September.”

The primary schools are being funded by North East Lincolnshire Council, the Department for Education and through Section 106 developer contributions.

The two schools will offer much-needed school places for children aged four to 11. Each school will offer 210 places for students, including specialist provision for 12 students with special educational needs and disabilities.

As part of ongoing engagement with the community, North East Lincolnshire Council and Hobson & Porter will issue further updates as the project progresses.

The two academies will open in September 2025, with admission details for parents being released this Autumn.

Article and image from NELC.

The Activation and Community Engagement (Activation) Fund, launched in November 2021, has already supported several projects, and the council are keen to encourage more activity to Grimsby town centre.

The funding, which is part of the Towns Fund programme, is ring-fenced to Grimsby Town Centre, and offers capital grants to business ventures and community-based organisations to reactivate empty properties for alternative uses and encourage activities that will help revitalise the town.

The aim of the scheme is to bring forward smaller projects which will enhance the major regeneration works that are currently taking place, including a repurposed Riverhead Square, major works at St James House to create a small business hub, an NHS Community Diagnostics Hub, the Horizon Youth Zone, and a new cinema and leisure development.

The fund can cover projects that fit with at least one of the following six town centre priorities identified in the Masterplan:

• Introduce more diverse uses to the town centre
• Reconnect the town centre and the community with the waterfront
• Promote and support community ownership and participation
• Identify development opportunities within the town centre, including low-carbon initiatives
• Prioritise health and wellbeing activity in the town centre
• Enhance employment, skills and entrepreneurial opportunities

Since its inception many businesses and organisations have benefitted from a range of grants. Anne Bickerstaffe of Christian Action Resource Enterprise (CARE) has been thrilled with the funding which helped to secure the group a building.

She said: “CARE is so grateful to the Activation & Community Engagement Fund for supporting our project, which has levered in other national funding to support the project, as many funders have asked us about local support. This newly renovated building will be a lasting legacy for Grimsby, creating and safeguarding jobs, as well as building pride in the community. It will ensure our charity’s sustainability, meaning we can serve the residents of Grimsby for many decades to come”.

Others have used the funding to provide a base of operations, such as Monica Chatterton from Our Big Picture. In 2022, Our Big Picture was awarded funding, which then enabled them to secure an additional £175,000 match funding (Capital & Revenue) from the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) to purchase a Listed Heritage building (circa 1700) in the centre of Grimsby.

She said: “This blended funding supported the establishment of North East Lincolnshire’s first Arts & Heritage Community Hub. The NLHF funding supported 2 years running costs which included four staff members. The Activation Fund was key to the continued development of Grimsby’s Arts & Cultural creative community.”

For more information and to apply for the fund, visit https://www.nelincs.gov.uk/business-and-investment/support-for-businesses/

Article and image from NELC.