Could Regional growth fund secure Scotter House
01 November 2011 by Paul Rhoades
Today the council announced they have been awarded £10,000,000 as part of the regional growth jobs fund, having applied for funding of £4,300,000 following the closure of part of Scunthorpe's TATA Steel works resulting in the loss of 1,200 jobs
In a statement released today on the council's web site Cllr Liz Redfern, leader of North Lincolnshire Council, said:
“This is magnificent news for North Lincolnshire and will see £10million invested in the area. The money will be used to help create 500 sustainable private sector jobs and stimulate economic growth. We made this a commitment after the local elections and we are delighted that the Government has made our area a priority.
"Our bid was submitted in June with the backing of the Local Enterprise Partnership and the Tata Task Force and was designed to face the specific challenges currently facing the local economy.
“The Humber is proving to be the prime destination for businesses, especially those in the renewable energy sector, and the investment this area is now attracting is an enormous boost for our economy.”
This comes just days after the news that head of Children's and Adult Services, cabinet member Rob Waltham is to consider a report of the future of the Scotter House respite care home.
While the report hints heavily at its closure, there has been no indication from the council as to what their intention on this matter is, however, several sources close to VisitScunthorpe.Com have claimed that redundancy notices have already been issued to staff at the care home ahead of Cllr Waltham's expected decision on the 7th November. If this is the case then any decision on the 7th looks far from positive.
Reports in today's Scunthorpe Telegraph claim that the cost of respite care per person at Scotter house is just £118 per week, and that private sector equivalents which users of the service are being forced to consider are in the region of £500 per week.
Could it be that having received this windfall £10,000,000, which is £6,600,000 more than expected, the council could once again review the future of Scotter house and ensure that residential respite care remains within the area, and is affordable to those that need it, while at the same time protecting 21 jobs?
Labour sources claim that in the run up to this year's election they re-negotiated a waste management contract saving the council £700,000. They go on to claim that this would have been enough to save the service, providing that money was not spent on free parking, which has been recently introduced to car parks in Brigg, Scunthorpe and Ashby.
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£10,000,000 in but the council is only going to create 500 jobs. Thats £200000 per person. Thats absolutely ridiculous.
This £10000000 was taken from everybody and they are only going to spend it on employing 500 people. where the hell are all the political activists crying out for some common sense on this issue???
i know the hardcore socialists will say nothing as they are happy for the government to continue to take money from everyone by force so it can be redistributed. As much as they hate the tories, the tories do have socialist policies which socialists are not going to attack.
Christ! I could start a business that employed more than 500 people for £10000000
Please could we have some people on this website comment on this story. How is this good news? how is it good news that £10000000 pounds is to be taken from the collective pockets of thousands of people to be invested in employing only 500 People!!!!!
Our government doesnt know how to spend our money. Our local authority doesnt know how to spend our money. Why are people not completely outraged!!!
This money will be wasted, OUR money will be wasted. once this £10 mil is spent, thats it, its gone, its never coming back. What will we have to show for it? 500 people may be employed by a private sector employee.
Does that sound fair in anyway. £10 mil to employ 500 people.
Now i know someone is going to point out to me that the money will also be used 'TO STIMULATE ECONOMIC GROWTH' so i want those people to tell me how our Taxes are going to be used to do that. Would it not be better for us to have spent that money, at least then its us putting our money into the economy by being consumers. the government cant be consumers, they will give the money to friends and businesses that help them or are nice to them or support them.
This really is bullshit. People who are not politically active just wont see this, they wont hear about it or know about it.
Hey give us your money so we can go employ some people. We dont think you are smart enough to spend it so we will do it for you.
A little help from the tory hating socialists please or are you happy that £10 mil is going to be redistributed to a poultry 500 people.
Its all our money so why should it just go to bailout 500 people?
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