Latest news with #PatHayes
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Slough council spends £32m on temporary housing
A council that saw its bill for temporary accommodation climb to £32m last year has said it is in the "eye of the storm" for housing Borough Council, which effectively went bankrupt in 2021, has so far only been able to claim back £20m of the bill from the government. The authority's housing director said about 50 people per week were approaching it seeking temporary housing.A government spokesperson said it was committing £1bn to "prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation". The Local Government Association said councils were facing a combined £76m shortfall in temporary accommodation budgets across the council's bill has risen sharply each year since 2021, when its spending on housing families in need of immediate shelter was about £ accommodation, such as hotels, hostels or caravans, is organised by local authorities for those who lack a permanent home. Pat Hayes, council executive director of housing and properties, said the issue was a national problem, compounded by the town's proximity to London. "At the moment we're getting 50 people a week knocking on our door, asking for housing," he said."These are all people being evicted from the private rented sector because they can't pay the bills or the landlords don't want to rent to people anymore, they want to sell, people moving from West London out to Slough."We're right in the eye of that storm as somewhere that is a little bit cheaper than London and considerably cheaper than the rest of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire."It's going to need a national solution from government."The Housing Benefit subsidy used to pay councils back in full for money spent on temporary housing. However, in 2011 the subsidy was changed to be no longer adjusted for inflation, leaving some councils out of pocket. Currently Slough council's gap between the money spent and the money reclaimed for the 24/25 tax year is £12m. It is still in the process of claiming the remaining money back and has two years to claim. A government spokesperson said: "The levels of homelessness in this country are unacceptable."That's why we are making a £1bn investment in homelessness and rough sleeping services this year - a £233 million boost from last year - to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping."We continue to keep the rates used for Housing Benefit subsidy under review and are exploring the impacts of subsidy rates on local authorities." You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Irish Independent
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Fianna Fáil councillors in Clare defy Government counterparts with motion seeking to prevent the funding of Israeli war bonds
Fianna Fáil county councillors in Clare have united in submitting a motion to the Clare County Council showing support for Palestine. At the June sitting of Clare County Council, Councillors Pat Hayes, Clare Colleran Molloy, David Griffin, Antoinette Baker Bashua, Rachel Hartigan, Rita McInerney, and Patrick O'Gorman sought a united stance from Clare County Council to 'call on the Ministers for Finance and Foreign Affairs to investigate and instigate appropriate actions that can be taken at National and European level to prevent the funding of Israeli war bonds'.
Chicago Tribune
21-04-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Area's ancient landscape and human impact showcased at Orland Grassland
Long before settlers came to the area to farm, the Orland Park area contained creeks, wetlands and sloughs that attracted water birds and other wild creatures. Installation of miles of drain tile more than a century ago by the Army Corps of Engineers dried out the land making it more suitable for farming. But that also destroyed habitats for many wild creatures and native plants. Now, the 960-acre Orland Grassland Land and Water Reserve near Orland Park offers a glimpse of that ancient landscape, thanks to the removal of drain tiles and environmental mitigation work taken on 16 years ago by the Army Corps and Forest Preserves of Cook County. It's one of six such preserves maintained by the Forest Preserves of Cook County. For those wanting to commune with nature on Earth Day, Saturday, April 26, Orland Grassland offers paths for hiking and biking in a variety of grassland and wetland habitats. It also presents special opportunities for adults over age 18 to volunteer. Bounded on the north by 167th Street, on the south by 179th Street, on the east by LaGrange Road, and on the west by 104th Avenue, the grassland's changing terrain ranges in elevation from 699 to 775 feet and sits atop a continental divide. Most of the property drains westerly into the Des Plaines River watershed, though a smaller portion lies within the Calumet River watershed and drains eastward. Now that the drain tiles are gone, more rainwater and snowmelt stays put and the area's natural hydrology functions more like it once did. Wetlands and sloughs have returned along with many native plant species, according to Forest Preserve officials. Among those making a comeback are the scurfy pea, lead plant, hoary puccoon, prairie gentian, purple prairie clover, goldenrod, compass plant, prairie dock and numerous native sedges and grasses. Sandhill cranes and other migratory species now use the reserve for stopovers during spring and fall migrations. Grassland birds such as bobolinks, dickcissels, eastern meadowlarks and Henslow's sparrows consider the reserve a prime breeding area. Native amphibians, reptiles and insects also have returned. Supporting this resurgence of natural flora and fauna for the last 11 years, 40 or so Orland Grassland Volunteers have cleared away encroaching trees and brush, collected and planted seeds of prairie plants, monitored the presence of birds and frogs, rescued wildlife, and kept close watch on threatened and endangered native plants. 'Some do it all, and some just do one particular thing,' said Pat Hayes, volunteer site steward. 'You have to know a lot to do some of these things, but you don't have to know a lot to start. You can get as complex or stay as simple as you want.' For adults 18 or older wanting to join the Orland Grassland volunteers in their efforts, Hayes recommends signing up for an annual Earth Day cleanup, 9 a.m. to noon, at the Orland Grassland pole barn near the parking lot on 167th, a quarter block west of LaGrange Road. Tools, gloves and refreshments will be provided for those registered in advance via the Orland Grassland Volunteers Facebook page, Among Saturday's projects is the continuing effort to remove trash and debris from a portion of Marley Creek just to the north of 167th Street, Hayes said. Previous annual cleanup efforts have yielded plenty of trash and debris but also historic relics from early days of farming – wheels from old tractors, fencing, tires and rusted metal bed springs. During a recent collection, a volunteer recognized a box with two holes as an old air conditioner from a relative's farm, Hayes said. 'Early farmers didn't have trash collection as we know it today,' Hayes said. 'The creeks were as good a place as any to put it. We also want people to know, it's really important to remove the debris but also other obstructions like trees and shrubs.' Beyond farming and household waste, volunteers also have recovered plenty of drain tiles. 'The term tile is misleading,' Hayes said. 'It's really large tubing Earth Day enthusiasts wanting to find out more about the Orland Grassland Land and Water Reserve and related volunteer opportunities can also check out the display at Tinley Park Earth Day Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Tinley Park Village Hall. Or they can visit
