Cathedral Ward Worcester City

Story by Tim Clarke Worcester Standard 21st June 2012 CHARITY muggers’ who roam Worcester’s High Street are facing a major clampdown after angry councillors described them as “parasites” and a “plague on the city’s streets”. Under a new agreement face-to-face charity fund-raisers - or chuggers as they are often called - could be banned from the city centre for up to six days a week. The move comes after we previously reported in March Councillor Jabba Riaz’s concerns that some people were being put off going into the city centre because of persistent street fund-raisers. The city council’s licensing committee has given officers the green light to thrash out a deal with the Public Fundraising Regulatory Association (PFRA), which regulates its member charities, to restrict the number of days chuggers can operate in Worcester to no more than one or two a week. Although the agreement would only be voluntary the council has warned it would consider passing a bylaw, like Birmingham City...

10:20am Friday 22nd June 2012 Worcester News Article A NEW £13 million swimming pool could be built in Worcester – with council chiefs calling it a “golden opportunity to create something great”. The city council’s cabinet has formally backed an option to build a new pool next to Perdiswell Leisure Centre. It will be include a 25-metre, eight-lane pool, a learner pool, 150-station gym, dance studios, creche, 250 seats for spectators and parking for up to 350 cars. The two five-a-side football pitches will be resurfaced and rearranged. The council will launch a public consultation in September and October to make sure the public’s view does not differ from its own, and is seeking funding. The current building will be demolished once the new leisure centre is open, which is estimated to be February 2016. Councillor Marc Bayliss, deputy leader of Worcester City Council and the cabinet member responsible for regeneration, said: “This is £13 million worth of investment. "Th...

City’s homeless to get their own lettings agency 8:00am Saturday 23rd June 2012 in News By Tom Edwards A NEW council-owned lettings agency is to be set up in Worcester to find vulnerable people places to live. Under the deal, residents at risk of being homeless can access private sector rental properties to keep them off the streets. The city council’s Conservative cabinet has agreed to formally back the scheme, and are hoping it will help tackle a waiting list 4,000 strong. The agency, which will be run by Worcester Community Housing, will identify landlords who want to rent out unused properties at lower rates.   A report before the cabinet, which recommended it be accepted, stated the private sector market is “closed off” to people unless they have rent in advance, references, a bank account and guarantor. As your Worcester News reported this week, 588 people were declared homeless in the city during the last year, the highest rate since 2005 and a 25 per cent surge since las...

Almost a year on from Tweetgate in which I was banned from using Twitter in the Council chamber,   the Council have come to a unprecedented and historic point on Tuesday 26 th June the Council will hear a recommendation from the Constitutional Review Committee on the use of Social Media, it includes the use of Twitter in Council meetings with certain conditions and quite rightly so. To reach this point is something I could have only dreamed of a year ago, where the Image of the council was a staunch supporter of old outdated rules and traditions. The incident last year showed how outdated our laws regarding this area were, the frightening change of the pace of technology has highlighted this further. This acceptance and realization that the council needs to move into the 21 st century has caused some heated debates in the Chamber of late and shown the Democratic Process in full flow with almost every member participating and having a view. I sincerely hope that we can accep...