New COVID drop-in rapid test centre now open in Jubilee Place, Canary Wharf
Has opened in the former Schuh unit in lower Jubilee Place mall (opposite Pretty Ballerinas and Black Sheep Coffee) today
It is the lowest level of the mall in which M&S is towerhamlets.gov.uk/lgnl/health__s…
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located but one level down
It will operate 07:30 – 16:30 every day for use by key workers, those who cannot work from home and their households
Please note the following before accessing the testing centre:
Testing is being made available for key workers including public
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sector, construction, retail etc who otherwise cannot work from home, and therefore must travel to work, along with their households
Testing is provided for people who are not experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. If you are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19 you must use the
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existing online portal to book an NHS test
The tests used are known as ‘lateral flow tests’, which, unlike the tests used in the NHS operated walk-in/drive-through and home test kits, provide ‘rapid’ results in around 30 minutes. If you receive a positive test result you may
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be instructed to take a follow up test booked through the NHS & self-isolate
To start with, the centre will operate on a drop-in basis, you do not need an appointment, but after that I understand it is likely to change to an online booking system
It is free like all NHS tests
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17 new Council apartments cost £8.4 million to build = £494,117 per apartment
Land already Council opened so free in effect but does not include architects, consultation, site preparation, planning, fit out costs maybe another £100k?
Total cost circa £600k with no land cost 1/
This illustrates one reason why property is so expensive locally, not cheap to build
But also concerns that like Croydon, TH Council building lots of small developments maybe losing economies of scale?
Also loss of estate gardens & trees on Council land. Better to concentrate
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Council development on fewer but bigger developments to get better economies of scale but they seem unwilling to do that even selling land they own to others to develop
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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
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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/
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/
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/
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/
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/