Welfare Reform Act: Changes to Housing Benefit
From April 1 2012 major changes will be made to the benefits system. And 2 million people will face a 25% cut in housing support.
The 'Bedroom Tax' - five key questions answered
The new 'bedroom tax' comes into force in April 2013. Here we explain how it will work and who will be affected.
The budget from a West Country perspective
Pub owners and drivers will benefit from duty cuts and freezes, but not everyone will like the support for fracking and nuclear energy.
Live updates
South West unemployment rises by 12,000
Unemployment in the South West rose by 12,000 in the three months to April, official figures have revealed. The Office for National Statistics showed that a total of 168,000 people were unemployed in the region between February and April.
The region's unemployment rate was 6.2% and saw a rise of 7.7% during the period. The worst area in the UK was the West Midlands which recorded a 19,000 increase in the number of people without a job.
South West house sales pick up
House sales in the south west are at their highest level since 2010. The Institute of Chartered Surveyors say agents sold an average of 18 properties in a three month period. And are predicting further increases this year.
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Plans submitted for new Sainsbury's in Bath
Plans have been submitted for a new Sainsbury's store in Bath.
The company has submitted the plans to Bath and North East Somerset Council to build a store on the current Homebase site near Bath Western Riverside.
The plans will be on display to the public a week on Friday.
Arena on Bristol's agenda
by Tamsin EamesBristol's bid for a new arena has moved a major step closer. The project has been granted £250,000 so that a business case can be prepared enabling companies to tender for the £80 million project.
If all goes according to plan, it could be completed in three years.
Watch Tamsin Eames' report.
PICTURES: the look of the proposed Arena:
Plans for an Arena in Bristol are back on the agenda.
Mayor Ferguson has agreed to release £250,000 of council money to look into the possibility of building it within the Enterprise Zone near to Temple Meads Railway Station.
School meals suppliers' statement on rising price
– Jane Woolf from Edwards & Ward and Stewart King, Lead Commissioner for Education and Skills at GCCDue to large increases in food, transport and staff costs, the price of a school meal is going up by 10p from June 3rd.
We recognise that parents are also being affected by the increased cost of living and we endeavour to keep school meals as affordable as possible. We are confident that school meals continue to offer excellent value for money.
– Jane Woolf from Edwards & Ward and Stewart King, Lead Commissioner for Education and Skills at GCCOur school meals are healthier and better quality than ever before, freshly cooked with as many local ingredients as possible, and pupils are telling us the taste has improved too.
That shows in their increased popularity, with a 7.4% increase in the number of pupils choosing hot school meals in the last year.
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Price of Gloucestershire school meals on the rise
The price of school meals in Gloucestershire is due to go up by 10p to £2.20 next month.
There's criticism that the rise is coming when money is already tight.
However, Edwards and Wards, which supplies primary and special schools in the county, says it's necessary due to large increases in food, transport and staff costs.
Demand for properties in south west is up
Demand for property in the South West rose over the last month according to the latest survey by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
It says the Government's 'Help to Buy' scheme announcement has had an impact on the market. The amount of houses to sell also increased.
Loan shark campaign coming to Keynsham
The Illegal Money Lending team is launching a week-long campaign in Keynsham on Monday. It aims to raise awareness of the dangers of loan sharks, encouraging people to turn away from them and report the crime if they have been a victim. It is supported by BANES Trading Standards team.
Organisers estimate that 310,000 households across the country are in debt to a loan shark. Their campaign will include:
- Stop Loan Sharks beer mats delivered to pubs
- Door-to-door visits in social housing areas
- Posters in local shops
- Promotion of the campaign at the Bath Citizens Advice Bureau
- Workshop for young people at the Timeout Drop-In Centre, Keynsham
Foodbank charity in Salisbury sees biggest ever rise in food recipients
A foodbank charity based in Salisbury says it's seen the biggest ever rise in people using its service.
The Trussell Trust says over fifty nine thousand people in the South West have received at least three days emergency food from its foodbanks during the last 12 months, almost twice the number helped in the previous year.
It runs three hundred and forty foodbanks across the country, with nearly all the food donated by the public.
