By Cordelia O'Neill
ISLINGTON Council's plan to install a wind turbine on Upper Street are to go ahead in spite of criticism from energy experts.
Two consultants told a sustainability committee meeting last night that the council should invest in energy saving measures such as draft excluders and loft insulation instead of “gimmicks.”
Planning permission has been granted early for the turbine to be built above the municipal offices on Upper Street, as long as no complaints are received from residents.
Islington Council, currently London’s most polluting borough, has invested £3 million of their 2007 budget to a new climate change fund, in a bid to drive down carbon emissions.
But critics estimate that the turbine will generate just 5% of the energy needed to run the building, and will waste precious resources.
Labour councillor James Murray said: “It’s basically a waste of money. When you have finite resources you have to concentrate on what’s effective. There wouldn’t be a problem if the offices were just more energy efficient to start with."
He added: “A wind turbine would be the icing on the cake. But you need to bake the cake before you can ice it. It’s a drop in the ocean. The turbine won’t power more than a couple of light bulbs in a basement toilet.”
But council leader James Kempton said: “We can’t be complacent on this issue. The council may be the biggest polluter, but 95 per cent of the emissions in Islington come from other places. That's why it is so important we all work together.
"I look forward to seeing lots more renewable energy across the borough, from solar panels to wind turbines, to biomass boilers and ground source heat pumps.”
Wednesday, 7 March 2007
Windmills just hot air
Fair wage for Islington's carers
By Cordelia O'Neill
ISLINGTON Council last night unexpectedly apologised to its hard-pressed carers, as it announced an internal inquiry into the million-pound decision to privatise carers’ contracts in 2003.
In a change on the council’s previous position, Terry Stacy, the executive member for communities, said he “apologised for any distress caused” by the decision that left 83 carers on a minimum wage of £12,000 a year.
A task force headed by Andy Jennings, the deputy chief executive of the Liberal Democrat council, will investigate the circumstances that led to Islington Council paying £980,000 to Care UK to provide for the borough’s elderly people.
The council were accused of “paying to force people into poverty” and “employing people on the cheap” by Labour councillor Phil Kelly, after Care UK, who made nearly £200,000 profit last year, announced they were to cut carers’ wages in half in November 2006.
“Everything to do with this case has been kept secret,” said Andrew Berry, who is deputy branch secretary of Unison, the public sector workers’ union. “I very much hope that the review will help us.”
Councillor Natasha Chatterjee said the decision had created “huge problems” for the borough as it struggled to look after its elderly residents.
Figures from the Islington Carers Forum suggest that there are 5,000 elderly people in Islington who are dependent on home care provided by the Council, 3,000 of whom have been diagnosed as having ‘high support needs’.
Cllr Chatterjee said that the pay cut would “drastically reduce” the availability and quality of care for the most vulnerable people in the borough.
“I am deeply concerned we can’t get the same quality workforce,” she said. “Thirty per cent of the care workers we had have left the profession.
“We’re going to see huge problems with living costs and housing for care workers. Islington Council should never do business with a company that doesn’t give staff a fair wage.”
“They need almost constant care,” Councillor Chatterjee continued. “There are more elderly people than there are to look after them. I’m worried that the support just isn’t there for them.”
A Care UK spokeswoman said: “The proposed changes to the contract are driven by a desire to ensure the council receives best value for money. The changes will result in savings for the council and the borough’s council tax payers while at the same time ensuring there is no reduction in the quality of care for residents.
“Care UK’s proposed changes reflect standard terms and conditions within the care industry. Already the majority of staff employed on this contract are on these terms.”
The inquiry signals a turnabout in the council’s attitude to the crisis. In October Liberal Democrat Councillor George Allan said it would be “inappropriate” for the council to get involved and insisted the Liberal Democrat Executive had done nothing wrong.
“It is a private contract between Care UK and its staff,” he said then. “It isn’t a matter we could have intervened in.”
Tuesday, 6 March 2007
'Outrageous' recyling charges dropped
By Cordelia O'Neill
ISLINGTON Council have abandoned plans to impose an extra charge for recycling in Holloway after a deluge of complaints from residents.
The proposals, branded “an outrageous attempt” by Holloway councillor Paul Smith, would have seen residents in the Vizion 7 development in Hornsey Road coughing up an extra £200 for recycling bins, while their neighbours continue to be given the service for free.
Cllr Smith said: “It’s outrageous. It’s outrageous to expect £200 from these people. As tax payers we object to paying for a service we have already paid for in council tax.”
But Islington councillors, who preside over the most polluting borough in London were forced into a U-turn after opposition from residents.
Roger Milburn, a lawyer and resident of the Vizion 7 complex said: “I’m delighted that they’ve dropped the idea. Haven’t we paid them enough already? It seems unfair. People want us to be greener, but no one’s going to bother trying to recycle when it’s so expensive.”
Councillor Lucy Watt called the charge “an anomaly that will be put right.”
“Easy recycling is one of the reasons why Islington has the fastest increasing recycling rates of any London borough,” she said.
“We are taking steps to ensure all our recycling is free for everyone, regardless of where they live. We’ll keep listening and are keen to hear how we can make it even better.”