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Newfeatures...newlook...muchmoretoread... about
Football’s
coming
home...to
Preston
● From Page 1
another fantastic oppor-
tunity to show what we
are about as a city and as a
club.
“We hope that bid is
successful and that we can
play host to one of the
world’s great footballing
nations at Deepdale and
our facilities.”
Richard Shelliker, of
the PNE official support-
ers club, said: “It should
be great. We are an old
club and we have been the
top club in the country at
one time.
“Anything that gets you
more publicity and a high-
er profile has to be good
for the city, good for the
club and good for the
team.”
Preston Council leader
Coun Ken Hudson said:
“I think this is absolutely
great for the North West
and Lancashire, not just
the city.
“Obviously it will bene-
fit the Preston economy.”
Hugh Evans, director of
policy at the North and
Western Lancashire
Chamber of Commerce,
said: “It’s great news for
the city.
“Football is a huge
global industry with the
World Cup second only to
the Olympics in terms of
international sporting
prestige.”
Representatives from
all four clubs were in Liv-
erpool this morning as the
city unveils detailed plans
to England 2018 inspec-
tors and almost 200
guests.
As well as identifying
Deepdale, Ewood Park,
the DW stadium and
Prenton Park as stadiums
for visiting nations to
train in, both Everton and
Liverpool presented their
plans for new grounds at
Kirkby and Anfield.
After today’s inspection
Liverpool has to submit a
final written bid to Eng-
land’s World Cup bid
company by November
2009.
England will announce
its host cities in Decem-
ber and will put forward
its official bid in May
2010.
...it’s all
Council tax frozen –
with ‘frightening debt’
COUNTY council tax is to
be frozen in Lancashire for
the first time ever.
But today opponents said the
freeze will only add to a spiralling
£555m blackhole of debt engulf-
ing County Hall.
It means an average band D house-
holder in Preston will continue to pay
£1,108.30 towards the authority’s sec-
tion of the bill.
Last year the overall band D home
paid £1,566.04, once precepts for the
police, fire service, district councils
and, where applicable, parish coun-
cils have been factored in.
Tories, who promised to freeze
their portion of council tax in its elec-
tion manifesto, said it will “help the
people of Lancashire” in tough eco-
nomic times.
But the opposition Labour group
said taxpayers will be paying for it “for
years to come”.
Borrowing at Lancashire County
Council is set to jump 21% to £670m
this year – with projections showing
debt could be as high as £760m by
2011/12.
Officers have already warned that
budget cuts of £79m and £142m – or
11% and 30% of the total budget –
will be needed between 2010/11 and
2013/14.
One financial expert today said the
level of County Hall debt was “fright-
ening”.
The 0% rise comes after the au-
thority said it would be overturning
Labour budget cuts from earlier in
the year including reinstating night
care staff in care homes, respite care
for carers of disabled children and
new CD and DVD stocks back to li-
braries.
There will also be £9m added to the
highways budget and £5m to help vul-
nerable and looked-after children.
At a heated cabinet meeting, coun-
cil leader Coun Geoff Driver said:
“There’s an economic crisis and the
On top of Africa for charity
THE mother of a 10-year-old with
cerebral palsy is aiming to climb one
of the world’s biggest mountains to
support a charity which helped her.
Catherine Towers, of Catterall,
near Garstang, will be joined by
friend Joanne Singleton on the six-
day hike up Kilimanjaro in Tanza-
nia in January to raise money for
Scope.
The charity helped Catherine when
Evening Post, Wednesday, September 2, 2009 5
YOU
by Chris Visser
chris.visser@lep.co.uk
county council should do its bit; we
said we would freeze the council tax
and the reason is we are trying to help
the people of Lancashire through the
crisis.”
Labour group leader Coun Jennifer
Mein said the council would be miss-
ing out on £3.4m per 1% council tax
increase.
She said: “Your leader (David
Cameron) castigates the Government
for borrowing for services and you are COUN GEOFF DRIVER COUN JENNIFER MEIN COUN CHARLIE BRIGGS
doing exactly that here in Lancashire.
“You have demonstrated the dif-
ferences between the Tory party na-
tionally and the Tory party in Lan-
THE NEW PLANS
cashire.”
● £5m to protect vulnerable children and ● £87,000 to support subsidised school bus
She also accused the Tories of
improve the lives of looked-after children; services
“bribing” the electorate to win power
with the council tax pledge adding: ● £150,000 to improve respite care for carers ● £150,000 to fund three additional trading
“The people of Lancashire will be of disabled children; standards officers to tackle loan sharks and
paying for this for years and years to sales of alcohol to underage drinkers;
● £250,000 for cleaning of roadside gullies to
come”. reduce the risk of floods;
The county’s new Lib Dem group ● a one-off investment of £9m capital in
leader Coun Charlie Briggs said: “We ● £100,000 reinstated to support library highways, and
are concerned with the debt. initiatives for young people; ● £1m through a capital grant so that faith and
“The Tories have come out and ● £227,000 to provide more night care voluntary groups can adapt their premises for
said they are not putting council tax
assistants in care homes for older people; use by young people.
up but how are they going to pay for
services? There’s obviously something
wrong with the maths.”
Leyland-based Greg Heath, of Der-
byshire Booth Financial Manage-
ment, said: “The increase is not real-
ly a surprise given the economic cli-
mate we are in; they are going to have
to borrow more to deliver the servic-
es they have promised.
“But the problem with it, and with
all debt, is eventually the buck has to
stop and we have to start paying this.
It is increasing at a hell of a rate.
“There are frightening figures. We
will have to pay for it – we will be re-
tiring at 105 by the time we have fin-
ished.”
Accounts show that the authority
forked out £37.3m on interest and
loan repayments last year alone.
her son Isaac, now 10, was diagnosed
with CP, aged two. Today, the young-
ster, who has difficulty walking, has
secured a clutch of medals at a na-
tional gymnastics competition.
Catherine and Joanne are holding
a grand raffle with a £1,000 top prize
as their main fundraiser. Tickets cost
£2.50 and will be drawn at a count-
down party in January. To buy one
call Catherine on 07918 910372.