Weekly media roundup – 14/04/12 to 20/04/12
Weekly media roundup – 14/04/12 to 20/04/12
353 LGA mentions in national, regional, trade and online publications
Seven mentions in national newspapers
Four national broadcast interviews.
LGA media activity
More children rejected from first-choice primary school
Thursday 19 April
Cllr David Simmonds, Chair of the LGA's Children and Young People Board, was interviewed by BBC Radio 4's 'Today Programme' following a report that rising numbers of infants face missing out on preferred primary schools this year. As many as one in seven parents are being forced to accept second, third or fourth-choice schools for their children in September following a surge in applications. Cllr Simmonds said between 2010 and 2015 it was estimated that England would need 450,000 more school places and as many as 800,000 by 2020. He said that most extra capacity will come down to councils trying to expand existing popular schools or building new schools from scratch. Despite the problems, he insisted that local authorities "have been quite well prepared", adding that the "vast majority" of children get into one of their parents' six preferred primary schools.
BBC R4, Today
Booze price hikes spark lethal fears
Wednesday 18 April
To coincide with the LGA's alcohol strategy conference, the press office issued a release stating that the sole focus on introducing a minimum price for alcohol would fail to tackle the problem of binge drinking – unless it was part of a package of measures – and could lead to a surge in black market booze. Cllr David Rogers, Chair of the LGA's Community Wellbeing Board, said: "National gestures like minimum pricing and banning multi-buy discounts will only go as far as deterring binge drinking and don't take into account varying issues of town and city centres across the country." The release was picked up by the 'Mirror' and 'BBC Online'.
Mirror
BBC Online
Letters: Funds for elderly care
Wednesday 18 April
A joint letter signed by Cllr David Rogers, Chair of the LGA's Community Wellbeing Board, Bupa Care Services, Carers UK, the International Longevity Centre and the NHS Confederation warning of a funding shortfall in the social care system featured in the 'Telegraph'. The letter stated that: "Councils, providers, councils and the NHS agree that extra money is urgently required."
Town halls call for more powers over high streets
Saturday 14 April
An LGA survey of local authorities which revealed councils concerns about clusters of betting shops and strip clubs hitting economic growth got extensive national media coverage. Our press release, which quoted Environment and Housing Board Vice-Chairman Cllr Clyde Loakes, was written up in 'The Sun', 'Daily Express', 'Guardian', 'Daily Sta'r, 'BBC Online' and featured on numerous local and national 'BBC News' bulletins. Cllr Tony Newman was interviewed on Radio 4's 'Today Programme' and 'Sky News Sunrise' about the LGA's call for councils to be given more powers over high streets. Cllr Loakes was interviewed by LBC Radio and the story was written up by several local and regional newspapers.
Express
BBC Online
Guardian
Star
BBC R4 Today (MP3)
Sky News Sunrise (Windows Media Player)
LBC Radio (MP3)
LGA media release
Proposed free schools still homeless
Saturday 14 April
Interviewed on 'BBC Breakfast', following news that half of the free schools due to open this year have not yet secured premises, Cllr David Simmonds said that councils had a statutory duty to provide schools places for children in their areas and were already working hard to offer a range of solutions where there was a shortage of places.
Turn out the lights: the stargazers' plea for dark skies
Saturday 14 April
A 'Guardian' feature on the Campaign to Protect Rural England and the Campaign for Dark Skies' annual report on light pollution quotes the LGA saying that safety has to come first. Responding to calls for more to be done to reduce street lighting, a spokesman said: "Scores of local authorities up and down the country are trialling the switch-off and dimming of street lights late at night in quieter areas, including East and West Sussex, Devon, Dorset, Durham, Monmouthshire, Lincolnshire, Surrey and Hampshire. However, councils will not cut lighting if a large number of people are strongly opposed to the idea and there are genuine safety concerns."
Guardian
£1 billion bill for council staff to take early retirement
Saturday 14 April
A statement was issued to the 'Daily Mail' in response to a story claiming that early retirements taken by council staff as a result of redundancy or ill-health had cost £1 billion over three years. LGA Workforce Board Chairman Sir Steve Bullock said: "These payments are made to cover the pensions of those forced into retirement by ill-health or redundancy. As good employers, it is right that we support those pension fund members who have been incapacitated by illness. The costs associated with redundancy are indicative of the fact that local government has dramatically downsized to save money. Since 2008 the local government head count has been reduced by nearly 10 per cent. This has caused a short-term spike in pension costs but the payments are one-off with no ongoing liability."
Daily Mail
1 June 2012
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