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20 Jan, 4 tweets, 3 min read
Based on my rough calculation government has issued IT devices to around 20% of school children in Tower Hamlets
The highest number of any London authority & 8th highest in the country
Devices given to the Council + schools trusts = 8,789
45,000 pupils in Borough schools = 20%
1/
The 1,538 devices given to trusts is an undercount as I think I am missing a couple trusts so may update later
Source
…e-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistic…
Up to 17th January so some devices may not be in children's hands yet + no detail on what devices issued
Distribution continues
2/
Will be interesting to get more detail on both but clear that central government is giving children in Tower Hamlets a lot of devices compared to other local authorities reflecting deprivation data
3/
@ELAdvertiser not clear from your report whether 10,000 is on top of 8,797 already issued (or soon to be) or whether we are close to hitting the 10k target
As unclear when devices issued by government & then actually distributed to children
4/
 eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/news/laptops-a…

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More from @Andrewwood17

Andrew Wood Profile picture
20 Jan
Important counter to the narrative that Tower Hamlets is poor
TH Council estimates that it will have £458 million in reserves this March
& can generate at least another £71 million in asset sales
Both numbers probably understatements
Most of this £ comes with some restrictions
1/
So for example parking reserve can only be spent on transport related activity, same with schools
But New Homes Bonus reserve is increasing in value & can be spent on anything
The Council usually underspends its Capital budget so I expect reserves will be ⬆️ then these numbers
2/
Asset sales do not include value of some valuable primary school sites nor Jack Dash House which Council did want to sell at one point so £71 million is an understatement I suspect even with weaker market
But a lot of these reserves should be spent on capital projects
3/
Read 4 tweets
Andrew Wood Profile picture
8 Jan
Inflation now 0.6% but below is Tower Hamlets proposed increases in fee's & charges from this April
Average percentage increases per directorate:
Children & Culture 2.2%
Governance 0.9%
Health, Adults & Community 7.2%
Place 11%
Resources 11.2%
See Pt6.3
democracy.towerhamlets.gov.uk/ieListDocument…
1/
Children & culture - examples - see 2nd last column
Holiday Child Care example Working parents in receipt of Universal Credit booking 8am to 6pm - up 5.6% from £18 to £19
democracy.towerhamlets.gov.uk/documents/s178…
2/
Health, adults, community - total - see 2nd last column
Contribution towards the cost of refreshments - up 12.5% - 80p to 90p
democracy.towerhamlets.gov.uk/documents/s178…
3/
Read 7 tweets
Andrew Wood Profile picture
5 Jan
Orchard Wharf planning application live
You can now object to or support this development, five buildings up to 30 storeys in height for 826 residential apartments
development.towerhamlets.gov.uk/online-applica…
Site between Trinity Buoy Wharf, Good Luck Hope & East India Dock Basin in Blackwall
1/
The wharf would be safeguarded for future use, so in effect you have a box for future use, maybe as a logistics hub with barges bringing in goods with apartments above
Until 19th January online
I recommend you do this online as the system will then generate letters
More later
2/
PA/20/02488/A1 | Phased Hybrid Planning Application Part A - Full planning application for redevelopment of site following demolition of all existing buildings and enabling works to provide a mixed-use development consisting of the erection of five buildings between 15 and 30
3/
Read 6 tweets
Andrew Wood Profile picture
29 Dec 20
Every year the Conservative group of which I remain a member (as otherwise there would not be an opposition group in TH leaving Labour as the only political group)
provides an amendment to the Mayors budget, see
democracy.towerhamlets.gov.uk/documents/s164…
I have to do another one by the 24th Feb
1/
when the Council will approve the Mayors budget
But the process is flawed (one reason why I am building my own budget model)
Council budget only looks at changes the Mayor wants to make + external changes
We never look at the organisation as a whole
We need to do a zero based
2/
or bottom up budget looking at everything with fresh eyes
Is Council structured correctly for 2021/22?
So even though the budget pack is 366 pages long it actually lacks detail
Why is inflation cost up 105% from 2019/20 to 2021/22?
I can guess & ask but not in report
I think
3/
Read 4 tweets
Andrew Wood Profile picture
20 Dec 20
A no deal exit is now inevitable it appears
Maybe mini-deals will be agreed to smooth things over?
Although not my choice I think trading with the EU on WTO terms is the logical outcome of Brexit
Will make clear whether the single market was a benefit or not to the UK economy
1/
I wonder what Margaret Thatcher would think about that, she & Arthur Cockfield did so much to establish the single market across the EU
It allowed us to focus on our strengths, services
And 60% of our economy is services, very odd how little that has been discussed versus fish
2/
I do not believe WTO trade will be a disaster but this is also a bad start to Brexit
COVID ⬆️ + 10 days left + Christmas holidays
I always thought Brexit could be a success but required leadership, competence, preparation & vision for future
Was missing in 2016 & still missing
3/
Read 8 tweets
Andrew Wood Profile picture
20 Dec 20
Construction hours update
Earlier this year the government allowed construction sites to work earlier and later than the normal hours to keep on schedule during COVID
A number of sites locally applied for this exemption, none of which closed during the first lockdown.
1/
But the government made an exception where the applications were in dense residential areas
But TH Council never mentions that exception and allowed every application even when local residents & I objected
So I wrote to Lord Greenhalgh, the Minister who announced the change
2/
asking him to remind the Council that exemptions were allowed, that the Council did not have to grant every application for extended hours
His response is below
It makes clear that where extending construction hours has a significant impact on health that these applications
3/
Read 4 tweets

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