House prices in the East rising faster than elsewhere
House prices in the East of England rose faster than elsewhere in England during October according to the biggest survey in the UK.
Warnings over telephone scam
There are warnings today about a new type of telephone scam which is here in the East.
Huge rise in foodbank users
The East has seen its biggest ever increase in foodbank users. Over the last year there's been a 230% rise in numbers asking for help.
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Government projects slight rise in fuel poverty in 2013
The Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has projected that the number of families in fuel poverty will "increase marginally" over the course of this year.
Figures for previous years have been recalculated using the government's new definition of fuel poverty.
DECC notes that the figures could differ from the above projection, which assumes that the average price for gas an electricity will rise by seven percent in the Autumn.
How does the government define 'fuel poverty'?
The government changed the way it defines fuel poverty in July 2013 following a consultation that found that many rich households are technically fuel poor.
- Until July 2013, any household that spends more than 10 percent of income on gas and electricity was defined as being fuel poor.
- The new definition includes only households where total income is "below the poverty line" and where "energy costs are higher than typical".
Energy Secretary Ed Davey has said that the old definition meant that even the Queen could be considered to be fuel poor because of the high cost of heating her estates.
But energy campaigners have accused the government of trying to mask the problem of rising fuel poverty.
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Government to reveal number of fuel poor families
The Department for Energy and Climate Change will today release the latest figures for the number of families in fuel poverty.
But the figures are expected to show a drop in fuel poverty due to a change in definition by the department last month.
The new data will include the confirmed figures for 2011 and projections up to 2013.
Cambridge bank celebrates anniversary
A bank based in Cambridge is celebrating its first anniversary with the announcement that it's on course to meet its initial four year lending target in less than two years.
Cambridge & Counties Bank has issued around £40 million in secured lending in its first year.
The number of people employed by the bank has also increased in less than a year. Having had 10 employees when it was launched last June there are now 30 staff.
House sales expectations in the East hit 2-year high
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors says the expectations for house sales in the East of England have hit a two-year high.
36% more chartered surveyors in the East expect home sales will rise rather than fall in the coming three months. It's the most positive reading since May 2001.
RICS says there's increased confidence with interest from would-be buyers rising for three months in a row following the announcement of the government's Help to Buy Scheme.
Former Archbishop's trolley dash
The former Archibishop of Canterbury has given his first TV interview since taking up a senior position at Cambridge University. Dr Rowan Williams has become master of Magdalene College. Kate Prout reports.
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Former Archbishop in trolley dash
The former Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, pushed a trolley through the streets of Cambridge today to raise money for local food banks. Dr Williams has become master of Magdalene College since leaving office and taken on the role of patron of Cambridge City Food Bank.
He says: 'Although Cambridge seems like an affluent city more than 3500 people have been given emergency provisions in the last year alone.'
The food banks are run by the Trussell Trust and organised by volunteers from local churches who rely on donations of food from the public.
Huge rise in foodbank users
The East has seen its biggest ever increase in foodbank users. Over the last year there's been a 230% rise in numbers asking for help.
Read the full storyStilton in Stilton?
Campaigners trying to reverse a ruling which prevents Stilton cheese being sold in the Cambridgeshire village from which it gets it's name say they're making good progress.
At the moment the blue cheese can only be produced in Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire under a European Protected Designation of Origin ruling.
Villagers say DEFRA has now agreed to carry out a public consultation to see if it should be changed.
House prices on the rise
House prices in East Anglia have recorded the biggest month-on-month asking price jump according to the property website Rightmove.
They say prices in the East jumped up by 4.4 per cent. It means the average house here is now selling for over £224,538.
Across England and Wales, London was the only region where asking prices took a dip in April, falling by 0.5%, although at £493,635 on average they are still 6.2% higher than a year ago
Rightmove, whose records go back for more than a decade, tipped next month for a new asking price high, as a combination of confidence returning to the market this spring and a shortage of properties for sale continue their upward pressure on prices.
Miles Shipside, director of Rightmove, said: "With London prices pausing for breath this month but likely to bounce back next, May looks like an odds-on bet to deliver a new asking price record. More estate agents are reporting more activity in more segments of the market."
