Latest news with #communityservices
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Community hub to open in former council office in Williton
Three publicly owned buildings will be sold off following the completed refurbishment of a former council Somerset House, on Killick Way in Williton, was the joint headquarters of Somerset West and Taunton Council until the council's abolition in April taking over the building, Somerset Council had been carrying out refurbishment work to allow the village library and other services to operate out of the site, the Local Democracy Reporting Service the building due to reopen on 25 June, the council said it would sell off the former library, children's centre and Beckett House, with the proceeds being used to fund front-line services. Since Somerset Council officially took over, no in-person meetings had been held at West Somerset House – with all meetings of its planning committee west taking place in Taunton and being decision to remodel the building was taken by the council in March Federica Smith-Roberts, the lead member for communities, housing and culture said: "By bringing the library, customer access point and other services together under one roof, we're creating a hub where people can access vital services and get support."The ground floor of the revamped West Somerset House will comprise the library, registration service and children's addition to selling off the former library building and children's centre, the council also intended to dispose of Beckett House on Bridge head of property Simon Lewis said the council's ongoing financial emergency meant it was not in the public interest for these surplus assets to be council has declined to state how much it expects to raise from the sale of these three buildings, citing commercial sensitivity.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Plans to turn business hub into affordable housing rattle West End neighborhood
For nearly three decades, a Parkland building has served as an incubator for local entrepreneurs and small businesses. Now, the TARC-owned property is potentially being sold, leaving over a dozen tenants and the communities they serve in limbo. The Nia Center, named for the Swahili word for purpose, opened in 1998 as a space to consolidate community services into one location easily accessible by TARC buses. On May 21, Goodwill Kentucky submitted a purchase proposal agreement to TARC, offering to buy the property for $2.1 million. According to a press release, Goodwill is interested in building affordable housing on the site, which is located next to its newly opened Opportunity Center. Norton Healthcare, which opened Norton West Louisville Hospital alongside the Goodwill development, has also expressed interest in "expanding its healthcare services" in the West End, the release stated. 'Goodwill's intent has always been to help build a stronger West Louisville with expanded services for those who need them the most, and we acknowledge the role the NIA Center has played,' Goodwill Kentucky President and CEO Amy Luttrell said in the release. 'With the help of our partners, Goodwill Kentucky is pursuing the property to build 76 permanent affordable apartments and to allow for potential hospital expansion on the campus.' Stop by and see us: The Courier Journal mobile newsroom is headed to Parkland TARC's board authorized Executive Director Ozzy Gibson to sign a letter of intent to sell the property to Goodwill at a meeting May 28. Shaun Spencer, owner of a printing shop inside the Nia Center, said tenants were previously assured the space would not be sold by TARC. But on May 29, they received a letter notifying them of the sale. Spencer said she thought Goodwill would add to the community when it opened the Opportunity Center in 2024, bringing the company's headquarters, child care services, computer labs, dental services, second-chance banking, a business center and workforce training to the area. 'Goodwill is going to offer personal opportunities to individuals, and then the Nia Center will continue to offer that economic opportunity. Great partnership,' Spencer said of the development. 'Little did we know they were planning to eradicate us, displace us. Remove us.' Spencer said she's not against Goodwill building affordable housing in the city. But she feels Parkland and other neighborhoods in the West End are inundated with housing complexes, and building another at the Nia Center's location would take away valuable resources for the community. 'We are against being displaced and resources being removed and replaced with what is seen as affordable housing," Spencer said. "… Let's use some existing properties that are already vacant and for sale. Let's convert those instead of tearing down a building that is providing community resources and then building on top.' Regina Whitlow, the owner of a salon inside the center, said she chose to open there to be closer to her customer base, many of whom are elderly. 'To hear this news on Thursday, it was devastating,' Whitlow said. 'And first thing you think, 'where am I going to go?' So we all are in limbo right now, just trying to figure out how come we weren't forewarned about our businesses. We pay taxes, and I just think that we as citizens should have been a little bit more fairly dealt with.' Spencer said tenants of the building should have been given the opportunity to purchase the building, and there are financial backers lined up to assist in the purchase. But they weren't afforded the chance, she said. The property is valued at almost $2.7 million, according to the Jefferson County Property Valuation Administration. That amount has not been reevaluated since 2000. Timothy Cox, president of the West Louisville Dream Team, said the building's tenants have support from nearby banks and community development financial institutions in order to purchase the space. 'The money is not the problem,' Cox said. 'Saving our tenants, saving our businesses and saving the community is our issue.' Tenants will be able to stay in the building rent-free through November 2025 as TARC prepares to sell it and redesign its transit network. Louisville Metro Government, which manages the Nia Center, is working with tenants to spaces to relocate, according to a press release. The sale of the property must go before Goodwill and TARC's board of directors before being finalized, according to Goodwill's purchase proposal. Reach reporter Keely Doll at kdoll@ This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Business owners fight TARC plans to sell Nia Center to Goodwill Kentucky
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Millions of patients to be treated by GPs instead of hospitals under radical reforms to cut NHS waiting list
Patients will be treated by GPs rather than getting specialist care in hospitals under radical reforms as Keir Starmer battles to tackle the NHS crisis. Routine appointments will be dealt with in community services close to patients' homes in a move they believe could 'fix the waiting list'. The health service will also ramp-up technology meaning patients will have less in-person appointments - instead using like the NHS app and wearable devices to monitor patients remotely. NHS bosses claim half of the 135 million hospital outpatient appointments every year are 'pointless' and follow-ups and consultations could instead be done in high-street surgeries. It comes as the government is set to launch a ten-year plan to create a 'neighbourhood health service', The Times reports. 'As we deliver the transformational shifts in our 10 Year Plan, from hospital to community, analogue to digital, and sickness to prevention, it will have radical implications for services,' Health Secretary Wes Streeting told the NHS ConfedExpo in Manchester. 'Much of what's done in a hospital today, will be done on the high street, over the phone, or through the app in a decade's time.' The plans are set to link family doctors, nurses, social care services and volunteers with money being paid to NHS regions based on how effective their care is rather than how busy the hospitals are. Streeting added: 'We will use financial incentives to invest more in public health outcomes, not just in more activity that reacts to sickness.' Earlier this week, figures revealed that the number of patients waiting has fallen to its lowest point in two years - but the number of patients waiting for more than a year for hospital treatment has increased. The news comes after Chancellor Rachel Reeves gave the NHS a cash injection worth an extra £29 billion per year. Speaking to the Commons, the Chancellor said she is making a 'record cash investment' in the NHS, worth an extra 3 per cent a year in real terms. The Chancellor insisted this would lead to 'more appointments, more doctors and more scanners' as Labour seeks to deliver on its manifesto promise to get the NHS 'back on its feet'. But the settlement received a lukewarm response from NHS bosses, who said they would need even more money if the Government is to achieve its aim of treating 92 per cent of patients within 18 weeks of a GP referral by the end of this Parliament. Matthew Taylor, of the NHS Confederation, which represents health organisations, said: 'Difficult decisions will still need to be made as this additional £29billion won't be enough to cover increasing costs of new treatments, with staff pay likely to account for a large proportion of it. 'On its own, this won't guarantee that waiting time targets are met.' Sir Jim Mackey, chief executive of NHS England, told the NHS ConfedExpo conference in Manchester that the health service has done 'really well relative to other parts of the public service'. But he added: 'We all know it's never enough because of the scale of advancement, all the ambition, the day-to-day cost pressures... but I think everyone's starting to accept and understand we've got what the country can afford to give us. 'We really need to get better value for that money – it is broadly the equivalent of the GDP of Portugal, so it's a huge amount.' Government documents accompanying the Spending Review show that, on average, from 2023/24 to 2028/29, the NHS in England will receive 3 per cent real-terms growth in day-to-day spending, equivalent to a £29billion increase in annual budgets The Government said it will also invest up to £10 billion in NHS technology and digital transformation by 2028/29, plus £6 billion to speed up tests and treatments. Scanners, ambulances and urgent treatment centres are among things the additional cash – part of the overall £29 billion – will pay for, with the aim of providing up to 4 million more tests and procedures in the next five years. NHS England figures show 7.42 million treatments were waiting to be done at the end of March, relating to 6.25 million patients – up from 7.4 million and 6.24 million respectively at the end of February.
CTV News
12-06-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Guiding new Canadian families through Alberta health care
Calgary Watch Arriving in a new country can be hard enough, but trying to navigate the medical system as a newcomer can be almost impossible without help.
CBC
11-06-2025
- CBC
Sandpoint Beach is closed indefinitely. Here's what you need to know
The City of Windsor says there will be measures in place at the city's only public beach this summer to make sure people stay out of the water. City councillors voted unanimously on Monday to close Sandpoint Beach for safety reasons pending the outcome of a coroner's report into a 15-year-old swimmer's death last month. In a statement Tuesday, the city explained the steps it's taking to prevent people from swimming. There will be staff on site to inform the public of the closure, more signage explaining that the water is dangerous, and fencing to close off access to the water. While the beach closure is indefinite and effective immediately, the city says it could take until June 24 for all of these measures to be in place. The parkland, playground and sand will remain accessible to the public. The city says the decision was made for safety reasons following nine drowning deaths since the beach opened in 1980. An area just west of the beach, where several people have drowned, is notorious for dangerous currents. Signs and fencing are already in place in that area. "We understand how much Sandpoint Beach means to residents and families, especially during the summer months. However, safety must always be the priority," Michael Chantler, Windsor's commissioner of community services, said in a media release. "The Parks and Recreation team is moving quickly and with urgency to put safety measures in place to protect the community. We are already on site, developing signage, arranging for additional fencing, and speaking directly with visitors. We want people to know we're taking this seriously, and we're doing everything we can — right now — to prevent further tragedy." The city has approved a $15-million master plan to relocate the beach a short distance to the east and upgrade the amenities in the area. Councillors expressed hope that the coroner's investigation into the most recent death will shed light on the safety risks in the area. Council will revisit the master plan for Sandpoint once the outcome of that investigation is known.
