Reporting local life since 1854 40p Monday, January 16, 2012 SEN-eO1-S2 [P] [P] Whelan: ‘Stoke loving life on the road’: Back Page SPORT ADAMS: ‘I CAN TURN IT AROUND’ BACK PAGE Man in court on GBH charge A 43-YEAR-OLD man is due to appear before Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court today after a man was found with serious head injuries. Mark Wint, of Cornwallis Street, Stoke, is accused of causing grievous bodily harm to 45-year-old David Heath. Wint appeared before magistrates on Saturday, and was remanded in custody until today. Mr Heath was found on Friday in City Road, Fenton, near to the Newtown pub. He was taken to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire where he has undergone surgery for his injuries, which magistrates were told are life-threatening. Shock over teacher death THE sudden death of a 54- year-old teacher has stunned a community. Liz Wood, who taught French and German at Painsley Catholic College in Cheadle for nearly 30 years, is understood to have died in her sleep yesterday. The mother-of-three, of Charles Street, Cheadle, would have been celebrating her birthday today. Her devastated husband Ray last night described her as his “soul mate” and said: “It has been the darkest day of my life.” Mrs Wood also taught French to pupils at feeder schools in Cheadle, including St Giles’ RC Primary School. See Page 3 Fears new scheme could leave council short of cash RIGHT TO BUY COSTS CIT Y £32m BY ALEX CAMPBELL [email protected] MORE than 1,300 council houses worth in excess of £87 million have been sold in six years for just £55 million. New figures show tenants have bought 1,326 houses from Stoke-on-Trent City Council since 2005, with some homes being sold for just 30 per cent of their market value. A total of 696 homes were sold with the Government’s max- imum discount of £26,000. The sales rack up a total loss of almost £32 million to tax- payers, but it means thousands of tenants have been offered a way on to the property ladder. The figures have emerged as the authority is consulting on cuts of £24 million, following £35.6 million of cuts in 2010/11. The homes were sold under the Government’s Right To Buy scheme, which offers tenants the chance to purchase their homes at a discount. Government plans will allow councils to offer discounts of up to £50,000 on their prop- erties to open the scheme to thousands more tenants. The average dis- count is 42 per cent. Savings include: ■ A council house valued at £80,000 and sold for £54,000, a 32.5 per cent saving; ■ A house valued by the council at £71,000 but sold for £45,000, a 36 per cent saving; ■ A flat worth £19,000 sold to tenants for just £5,700, a 70 per cent saving. Dorothy Meigh, of Townsend, below , bought her council house for £11,500 in the 1990s. She would have been paying £250-per-month in rent at present rates, but instead she has already paid off the £100-per- month mortgage. The 76-year- old said: “We wouldn’t have been able to afford a mortgage without Right To Buy – unless we had a big win or something. “If the Government is going to let more people buy their houses it’s a good thing, as long as they’re at the right price.” A council surveyor assesses the value of a property fol- lowing a Right To Buy application, and a discount is applied based on the amount of time they have been a tenant. Three quarters of the money raised goes back to the Government, while the council receives a 25 per cent cut. From next year, the council will become responsible for pay- ing for house building and maintenance using cash raised from rent. Officers have warned that a huge take-up on right to buy could leave a shortage of cash for maintaining the city’s 19,000 properties. Val Bourne, the council’s assistant director of housing services, said: “Right To Buy changes could affect our busi- ness plan and we’ll have to man- age that.” The council is currently building 17 two-bedroomed bun- galows in Chell Heath at a cost of £884,000 – the first new council homes built in at least six years. Councillor Gwen Hassall, cab- inet member for housing and neighbourhoods, said: “There are significant challenges in the housing industry but, despite this, delivering new housing is a priority in the city.” What do you think? Email us at [email protected] Comment: Page 10 BOYS RELIVE NIGHT MATE WAS HIT BY POLICE CAR SEE PAGE 5 ©NM Bad Credit? We can finance you a car Call 32 82 72 today We buy any car any make, any price. Quickly, fairly, safely and for the highest bid Visit our Showroom: 481 Hartshill Road, Hartshill, Stoke on Trent ST4 6AA Call Glyn for a FREE estimate: 01782 662133 www.dreamdoors.co.uk New Year’s Resolution This year I will...! 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Reporting local life since 1854 40pMonday, January 16, 2012
SEN
-eO1
-S2
[P]
[P]
Whelan: ‘Stoke loving lifeon the road’: Back Page
SP ORT
ADAMS: ‘I CAN TURN IT AROUND’ BAC KPAG E
Man in courton GBH chargeA 43-YEAR-OLD man is due toappear before Stoke-on-TrentCrown Court today after aman was found with serioushead injuries.
Mark Wint, of CornwallisStreet, Stoke, is accused ofcausing grievous bodilyharm to 45-year-old DavidH e at h .
Wint appeared beforemagistrates on Saturday, andwas remanded in custodyuntil today.
Mr Heath was found onFriday in City Road, Fenton,near to the Newtown pub.
He was taken to theUniversity Hospital of NorthStaffordshire where he hasundergone surgery for hisinjuries, which magistrateswere told are life-threatening.
Shock overteacher deathTHE sudden death of a 54-year-old teacher has stunned ac o m m u n i t y.
Liz Wood, who taughtFrench and German atPainsley Catholic College inCheadle for nearly 30 years, isunderstood to have died in hersleep yesterday.
The mother-of-three, ofCharles Street, Cheadle, wouldhave been celebrating herbirthday today.
Her devastated husband Raylast night described her as his“soul mate” and said: “It hasbeen the darkest day of myl i f e. ”
Mrs Wood also taughtFrench to pupils at feederschools in Cheadle, includingSt Giles’ RC Primary School.See Page 3
Fears new scheme couldleave council short of cash
RIGHT TOBUY COSTSCIT Y £32mBY ALEX [email protected]
MORE than 1,300 councilhouses worth in excess of £87million have been sold in sixyears for just £55 million.
New figures show tenantshave bought 1,326 houses fromStoke-on-Trent City Councilsince 2005, with some homesbeing sold for just 30 per cent oftheir market value.
A total of 696 homes were soldwith the Government’s max-imum discount of £26,000.
The sales rack up a total lossof almost £32 million to tax-payers, but it means thousandsof tenants have been offered away on to the property ladder.
The figures have emerged asthe authority is consulting oncuts of £24 million, following£35.6 million of cuts in 2010/11.
The homes were sold underthe Government’s Right To Buyscheme, which offers tenantsthe chance to purchase theirhomes at a discount.
Government plans willallow councils to offerdiscounts of up to£50,000 on their prop-erties to open thescheme to thousandsmore tenants.
The average dis-count is 42 percent. Savingsi n cl u d e :
■ A council house valued at£80,000 and sold for £54,000, a32.5 per cent saving;■ A house valued by the councilat £71,000 but sold for £45,000, a36 per cent saving;■ A flat worth £19,000 sold totenants for just £5,700, a 70 percent saving.
Dorothy Meigh, of Townsend,b e l ow , bought her councilhouse for £11,500 in the 1990s.
She would have been paying£250-per-month in rent atpresent rates, but instead shehas already paid off the £100-per-month mortgage. The 76-year-old said: “We wouldn’t havebeen able to afford a mortgagewithout Right To Buy – unlesswe had a big win or something.
“If the Government is going tolet more people buy their housesit’s a good thing, as long asthey’re at the right price.”
A council surveyor assessesthe value of a property fol-lowing a Right To Buyapplication, and a discountis applied based on the
amount of time theyhave been a tenant.
Three quarters ofthe money raised
goes back to the
Government, while the councilreceives a 25 per cent cut.
From next year, the councilwill become responsible for pay-ing for house building andmaintenance using cash raisedfrom rent. Officers have warnedthat a huge take-up on right tobuy could leave a shortage ofcash for maintaining the city’s19,000 properties.
Val Bourne, the council’sassistant director of housingservices, said: “Right To Buychanges could affect our busi-ness plan and we’ll have to man-age that.”
The council is currentlybuilding 17 two-bedroomed bun-galows in Chell Heath at a cost of£884,000 – the first new councilhomes built in at least sixye a r s.
Councillor Gwen Hassall, cab-inet member for housing andneighbourhoods, said: “T hereare significant challenges in thehousing industry but, despitethis, delivering new housing is apriority in the city.”
What do you think? Email us [email protected]
Comment: Page 10
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SEE PAGE 5
©NM
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NewYear’sResolutionThis year
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and get the kitch
en
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•Made tomeasure custom-built doors andunits• FreeEstimating andplanning• Installed in 1-2 days byprofessionals•Worktops…Find your perfect style
View our credentials at
We’ll paythe VAT
*
This month only
*Terms & Conditions apply, please ask in store for full details.