Source: Department for Communities and Local Government

http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/1213182

Hazel Blears backs 'revolution to recycle' buildings
Published      28 April 2009

Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has today unveiled a series of measures to back a people's revolution to recycle buildings by putting real power in the hands of locals to support communities during the downturn and beyond.

The tougher economic climate has led to renewed interest in communities maintaining local assets, from post offices to pubs.

As part of the Government's empowerment agenda, Ms Blears has announced a new single advice line - 0845 345 4564 - and other Government support to make it easier for people to take control of community assets, from community centres to theatres.

Driving this revolution in the public sector, there are a range of options for local councils to give people real power including handing over buildings as a gift to a community group, selling at below market price, or keeping the building off the market while a local project develops their plans and secures the funding. Already, there are estimated to be over £1billion worth of buildings under community control - with some agreements dating back to the 1970s.

But from today, taking on a local building will become easier. As well as a new single national advice line for anyone wishing to find out how to do it, Ms Blears highlighted key projects that have set the standard - including Coin Street Community Builders in London and the Goodwin Development Trust in Hull - that anyone wishing to do it can learn from. A new Asset Transfer Unit will give local people the information they need to get through any planning, legal and financial barriers.

Hazel Blears said:

   "Local people have been leading a revolution to recycle buildings for the community, particularly during the downturn.

   "We want to help more local people get their hands on local buildings so they can put them to work for the community. For too long, too many have not even seen it as an option. And when they have it has felt like an endurance test.

   "We want to change the odds in their favour, and for them to know that taking the first step could be a simple phone call. From today the national advice line, backed by experts at local and national level who have been there and done that, can help guide people through the financial, legal and planning barriers.

   "It is more achievable than people think to recycle a building. And by calling 0845 345 4564 they can take that first step to taking control."

[…]

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Ms Blears was Policing Minister in 2005 when the authorities issued the 0870 number following the London bombings. See discussion thread on this.

There is an impending ban on GPs using 0844 numbers. Many of these are provided by Opal Telecom, Talk Talk's business telecoms division, all part of the Carphone Warehouse Group. This 0845 number is also provided by Opal Telecom.

Yet the public Helpline number for the same DCLG is 020 7944 4400.

As ever another clueless civil servant simply ticks the box with their greedy telecoms suppliers and asks no questions.  But it hardly helps that the useless OfCoN has does nothing whatsoever to publicise the advantages of 03 numbers and still allows 0845 and 0870 numbers to routinely be called "local rate" and "national rate" on phone bills. :o >:( :'(

Ms Blears is our local MP, and is widely regarded locally as being absolutely useless, at least as far as doing anything actually uselful locally is concerened.  She's too busy doing "big" things, though she'll come along for any photo-opportunity she can.  You should see the "newsletter" that came through the door a few weeks ago... She was beaming her way out of every photo on every page.  

I imagne in this case, as in most, the work, including choosing a phone number, was done by juniors, and she's just put her name to it...

irrelevant wrote on May 3^rd, 2009 at 2:00pm:

Ms Blears is our local MP, and is widely regarded locally as being absolutely useless, at least as far as doing anything actually uselful locally is concerened.  She's too busy doing "big" things, though she'll come along for any photo-opportunity she can.  You should see the "newsletter" that came through the door a few weeks ago... She was beaming her way out of every photo on every page.   I imagne in this case, as in most, the work, including choosing a phone number, was done by juniors, and she's just put her name to it...

Well, your fellow citizens of Salford have voted for her since 1997!!! [smiley=thumbdown.gif] Anyway whilst I agree with you, she can't be all bad as she has put the knife in Gordon's back today.  [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

sherbert wrote on May 3^rd, 2009 at 3:01pm:

Well, your fellow citizens of Salford have voted for her since 1997!!! [smiley=thumbdown.gif] Anyway whilst I agree with you, she can't be all bad as she has put the knife in Gordon's back today.  [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

Whatever they do with Gordon they can't save the Labour party from going down to a massive defeat at the next election.  People will want to take out their anger over the economic downturn and whoever is leader of the Labour party cannot now stop that happening.