Damien Moore MP welcomes Government funding to help older and disabled people live independently

LOCAL Member of Parliament for Southport, Damien Moore, supports the announcement that Sefton Council will receive £420,887 in Government funding to help older people and those with disabilities to live safely and independently in their own homes.

The funding is part of £50 million allocated to Local Authorities by the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, which will be delivered through the Disabled Facilities Grant. Funding is available to homeowners, private renters, and those in social housing, and eligible people will be able to apply to their Local Authority for a grant to adapt their home to better meet their needs. Since 2010, there have been almost half a million home adaptions, backed by £4.8 billion in funding.

The £50 million comes on top of the annual £573 million already provided to Local Authorities for home improvement services and is the 1st part of a £102 million investment to be made over 2 years, which will enable Local Authorities to provide additional services that are agile, make minor adaptations quickly and support speedier Hospital discharge.

Damien Moore, Member of Parliament for Southport, said:- "It is only right that those with disabilities and other medical needs are provided with the necessary support to remain in the comfort of their own homes wherever possible. That is why I support the Government announcement that an additional £420,887 will be made available to provide specific home adaptations for residents in our town. For anybody requiring further information on the grant process, or anyone who is struggling to access funding they think they may be entitled to, my office and I can always be contacted through the usual channels."

Minister for Adult Social Care, Helen Whately, said:- "Everyone deserves the opportunity to live comfortably and independently in their own home, and the Disabled Facilities Grant supports people to do just that. This extra money will help to speed up the process so that Local Authorities can make minor changes quickly and people can live safely where they feel most comfortable. It will also help to get people discharged from Hospital quickly as being able to return to suitable housing will reduce the need to draw on other care and support."

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Felicity Buchan, said:- "We want everyone to have high quality, safe, and suitable homes so they can keep living more independently, including people leaving Hospital care. This funding provides Councils with additional resource to support those in need and builds on the funding already in place."

Delays to planning fee increase continue to cost taxpayer £5 million a week - Councils

TAXPAYERS will continue to subsidise planning services by almost £5 million a week until the Government finalises measures to increase fees to cover the cost of processing applications, Councils warn today.

The Government has committed to raising planning fees by 35% for major applications and 25% for minor and other applications, laying the regulations in Parliament before the summer recess. These now need to be voted on by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords before they can come into effect.

The Local Government Association, which represents Councils, is urging the Government to urgently make Parliamentary time to introduce the fee uplift, following the return of MPs to Parliament.

Planning fees currently do not cover the true cost of processing planning applications, with 305 out of 343 Local Authority planning departments operating in a deficit totalling £245.4 million in 2020/21.

LGA modelling has shown that in order to ensure all Councils in deficit are able to balance the books, fees would need to be increased by 57%, far higher than the proposed increase, highlighting the need for Councils to have the flexibility to set fees at a local level to cover their individual costs.

However, any delays to the proposed increase would mean further costs placed on the taxpayer.

As the House of Lords debates the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill today, the LGA has reiterated calls for Councils to be able to set their own planning fees.

Cllr Darren Rodwell, LGA planning spokesperson, said:- "It is good the Government has recognised the resource issues facing Council planning teams and announced it will increase planning fees. While this will not resolve all the capacity challenges within planning departments or prevent a significant national funding shortfall, it is vital the Government does not delay introducing the fee uplift, or taxpayers could be faced with a cost of subsidising the planning system to the tune of almost £5 million a week. Only by giving Councils the flexibility to set planning fees at a local level can they cover their full costs relating to planning. This would help to future-proof the sector and ensure planning departments can continue to support the delivery of much needed new homes, including:- the affordable homes and infrastructure that the country needs."