Week Ending: In a Pickle; Cannes-do attitude

AFTER a few, well to put it politely, somewhat fallow years for the region’s property types, there will at least be something to talk about at the annual MIPIM shindig in Cannes this year.

With confidence returning, speculative developments beginning again and Airport City gathering momentum a record 59 firms have so far signed up to the Manchester family outing to the the French Riviera.

Week Ending wonders, if at last this will be the year that the mysterious Tomorrow Project, which has been ‘imminent’ for 18 months – will finally see the light of day – peut-etre oui, ou peut-etre non?

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THE impact of central Government spending cuts on local authorities in the North West is starkly illustrated in a report prepared for a meeting of Manchester City Council’s executive.

It looks at the regional differences in reduced “spending power” – a Government calculation that tracks income streams for local authorities such as council tax, the main allocation called start-up funding, and other grants.

According to the council report the average reduction in 2014-15 will be 3.8% but Manchester’s will be 6.5% and Liverpool’s will be 6.2%.

Over the five-year period from 2010-15 the reduction per head will be £235 across the North West, the highest figure of any English region – way above the England average of £144. The next worst affected region is Yorkshire and the Humber on £197, then the North East on £189.

The region which sees the least impact is the South East whose residents are losing just £74 per head, half the national average. The South West is on £108, and London is just above the average on £158.

Local government secretary Eric Pickles argues its cuts are fair and says there is no hidden agenda, but the difference in absolute spending power reflects the fact that urban authorities in the north often have higher levels of social need and more expensive public services than their southern counterparts.