Lunchtime news Wednesady 17 September

Oxfordshire County Council has dismissed plans for the proposed eco-town at Weston Oxmoor as ‘deeply flawed’ and ‘unbelievable’. The council cabinet were presented with a report listing concerns in areas including transport, housing, deliverability, the eco-credentials of the plan and the lack of planned social and cultural services. The leader of the council said that the plans showed that no thought had been given to the people who might want to live there and what they may want to do.

Meanwhile the Advertising Standards Authority has backed campaign groups and Lichfield District Council over claims that an advert by Communities and Local Government (CLG) misled the public over the location of a proposed eco-town. The advert suggested that the town would be built on brownfield land on a former airfield. However opponents said most of the land was greenfield, as the majority of the airfield was already covered by a business park. CLG accepted that the advert was unintentionally inaccurate, but said there was no delieberate attempt to mislead the public.

Up to one in 10 of the country’s population directly benefs from housing association services, according to a survey by the National Housing Federation (NHF). The NHF found that 5.5 million people in England had accessed the services and facilities of housing associations in 2006/7, which delivered more than 6,500 neighbourhood services between them. These ranged from new business start ups and energy efficiency programmes to savings schemes. The survey also showed that housing associations invested almost £435 million in these services.

According to a survey by Payplan a debt management company, 50 per cent of their people who contacted the service for advice have resorted to using a credit card to pay their mortgage or a utility bill. Despite an average household income of £2,200 per month, homeowners who used the service were left with an average disposable income of £270 a month after paying their housing costs.

A prison is hosting a jobs fair in a bid to encourage resettlement and reduce reoffending rates. Based on a scheme piloted earlier in the year where 15 inmates went straight into work after their release, more than 24 employers are expected to attend the fair at the Leeds prison today.