The step is seen as a victory for those who want to see more empty homes brought back into use. Almost 500 homes in Norwich are currently classed as empty.

Commenting following Tuesday’s full council meeting, Cllr Alan Waters (Crome, Lab), deputy leader of the council said: “We hope this decision[..] will encourage owners of homes that are sitting unoccupied to rent those properties out or put them back onto the market. Removing any incentive to hang onto an empty home is clearly a positive step with the potential to benefit home seekers.”

Opposition councillors pushed for this tax loophole to be removed. Cllr James Wright (Eaton, Lib Dem) commented:“The 10% council tax discount on empty homes incentivizes people to keep homes vacant. At a time when we have a housing shortage in Norwich and a stubbornly high housing waiting list this makes no sense”.

He added: “I hope that ending this discount will help the process and it will bring nearly £60,000 into public coffers, as councils will gain from its closure. In the long term we should be looking at ending the council tax discount given to 342 second homes as well.”

Some UEA students, who had bought annual bus passes, returned on the first day of this term to find their route had been withdrawn.

Simon Wright wants to hear people’s experiences and concerns ahead of the meeting.

“Many passengers have been in touch with me about their concerns. I want to encourage anyone who is affected to get in touch so I can present First with clear evidence of the impact of these changes on my constituents,” said Mr Wright.

The meeting comes as First announced changes to its services across Norwich including the 21/22 which will no longer stop at the University of East Anglia. In Lakenham & Tuckswood the number 17/17a has also changed its route.

Tash Ross, Community and Student Rights Officer at the Union commented: “This is really worrying. There seems to have been little thought of the students who use the service, especially given that many of them will have bought a yearlong pass expecting to be able to use the services for all of the academic year. We call on First Bus to review their decision, and consult with students who use the service, especially those who have already paid for their bus pass for the year.”

Dawn Dewar, UEA’s Transport Co-ordinator said: “The university encourages staff and students to use public transport in preference to cars wherever possible, but the services offered by First Buses are run on commercial grounds and decisions on which routes to operate rest with them.”

Nigel Barrett, Regional Managing Director, for First South East & Midlands has responded to criticism saying: “An extensive evaluation of the 21/22 service [..] was undertaken and showed that very few passengers were being carried between the University and the N&N Hospital. During these times of austerity, the UK bus industry continues to fight rising fuel and insurance costs, changes to concessionary fares reimbursement procedures, as well as reductions in fuel duty rebate and council funding.  We have to ensure that all of our routes are being fully utilised.”

The bus company has agreed to hold a UEA focus group inside 3 months to review the situation and are looking to create a similar group with staff and members of the N&N adding: “Our recent research has also indicated that there was customer demand at peak times between the Bowthorpe area and the University, and we have therefore introduced new ‘circular’ 40 Service between these points.  We expect that this will be adjusted in time to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of the UEA, using the feedback from the focus groups and customer service centre.”

They have also agreed to refund any passengers who bought an annual ticket who are no longer able to use it.

You can email your experiences and comments to Mr Wright by emailing office@simonwright.org.uk, by phone on 01603 627 660.

Emergency arrangements were made late last night, after contractor The Fountains Group went into administration.

The Fountains Group plc held an £8 million contact with Norwich City Council to cover street cleaning, tree management and grounds maintenance at parks, cemeteries and open spaces in the city. The waste management company, Biffa, who provide the city’s rubbish collections, were subcontracted by them, leaving questions over what would happen next.

The City Council, who had been given no warning that the group would go into administration, started immediate discussions with the administrators, The Fountains Group and Biffa to make sure key services such as bin collections continue.

Alan Waters, cabinet member for resources at Norwich City Council, said: “Our absolute priority is that we continue to provide the waste and recycling collections and other important services to our residents. As soon as we were told, we went into immediate discussions about how to maintain the waste and recycling contract with Biffa so that people’s bins continue to be emptied and their recycling collected.

We also focused on how to deliver the services Fountains has been providing, such as street cleaning, tree management and grounds maintenance at parks, cemeteries and open spaces in the city. We have already spoken to the administrator as a matter of urgency to discuss the continuation of these contracts and what we can do to try and protect local jobs. Sadly, this is another major company which has ceased to trade because of the difficult economic conditions and these unforeseen situations are now a financial reality for large organisations like ourselves, especially in the public sector.”

150 staff at The Fountains Group were told they were being made redundant yesterday. The company subcontracted the waste and recycling element of the contract to Biffa, worth £3.3 million per year, delivered by 60 staff.

A spokesperson from Biffa said this afternoon: “Biffa’s senior managers and the council are discussing possible options for the short and longer term future of the refuse and recycling collection contract.”

Samir Jeraj, who represents Town Close ward, argues it’s time for tenants to come together to fight for decent conditions and rents.

Read Samir Jeraj’s thoughts, over in our Opinion section.

Want to submit an Opinion piece to us? Email editor@southnorwichnews.co.uk

Norwich South MP Simon Wright became Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Sarah Teather, Minister of State for Children and Families, in August.

Mr Wright said: ”Many of the policies she is delivering in Government are those that Liberal Democrats have been championing for years. The Pupil Premium is delivering a real boost for the education of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds locally, while the massive expansion in free early years education will also thousands of families in Norfolk.”

The Minister will address Liberal Democrats at the local party’s Annual Dinner.

The new leader of the Liberal Democrats explains they’ve drawn up an alternative plan for saving the city millions.

Click here to see the map in detail showing which streets are affected by the 5 hour night time switch off.

The policy to switch lights off between midnight and 5am proved controversial when first proposed but Norfolk County Council say it will bring estimated annual savings of £47,000 across the city.

Over 12,000 letters were sent out across south Norwich, asking for comments on turning off the lights in June. The Union of UEA students are among those who object to the plans, raising concerns about student safety late at night. Shift workers, elderly people and people who live alone also raised concerns with their ward councillors about security. Bert Bremner (University, Labour) said: “I believe there will be real problems, but I hope there are not.”

Some roads have been ruled out for reasons such as speed bumps, emergency services routes or high security premises. Remote footpaths, subways and alleys linking residential streets will be exempt. The police have advised on exemptions for areas where crime could be increased as a result of lights going off, or where reducing crime will be affected.

More detail can be found on the council’s website,

Organised by Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, the focus will be on the potential the Norwich Research Park has to grow the local economy.

“The growth potential of the Norwich Research Park will be of benefit not just to science-based organisations but to the entire regional economy”, says its Director Alan Giles: “Our aim is to leverage the science excellence and reputation of the Norwich Research Park to create a supportive environment for early stage, potential high growth companies and generate 5,000 jobs in the Greater Norwich area over the coming 10 to 15 years.”

“We are already seeing the success of this strategy.  The Norwich BioIncubator has supported over 20 new companies, with 112 jobs created.”

The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills officially opened the Innovation Centre on Norwich Research Park in July 2011. There are also significant opportunities being created with the planned construction programme, enabled by the Government’s £26m capital grant announced earlier this year.

Companies interested in opportunities on the Norwich Research Park should contact  innovation@nrpic.com

Councillor Judith Lubbock (Lib Dem, Eaton) who put forward the proposal at this week’s council meeting, asked: “In the interests of transparency would the Cabinet Member agree with me that this Council should follow the example of many other local authorities and publish online all expenses claimed by senior managers?”

Following the meeting, Cllr Lubbuck commented: “There is a perception that senior managers of local councils are putting in lavish claims for food at Michelin star restaurants, first class travel, and stays at five-star hotels. Whether there is any truth in these ideas here in Norwich is unclear. To make it clear I have suggested that all expenses claimed by senior managers should be in the public domain. Then the public can judge whether these expenses are justified. After all this is council taxpayers’ money and they deserve to know how every penny of it is spent.”

The ruling Labour administration refused to publish the information.

At a meeting this week, Green councillors pushed to make sure local people have a say in what happens next.

But the ruling Labour party accused the Greens of scaremongering, stating there are no plans to close any community centres at present.

The 16 centres, which include Eaton Park Community Centre and the Belvedere Centre off Dereham Road, offer a range of activities, from art classes to pensioners’ clubs.

Local Green councillors have raised concerns that centre users could be ignored in the rush to save money and sell off assets.

Councillor Lucy Galvin (Green, Wensum) raised the issue at this week’s full council meeting: “In uncertain times such centres could well prove to be a rock of mutual support for young and old. The city council has admitted it is reviewing centres and how they are run, possibly with a view to closing some, but has given users no chance to participate in the review so far. When will users be asked for their ideas on how to make their centres more efficient and guarantee their future?”

In reply, councillor Julie Westmacott (Labour, Catton Grove) refuted the idea that some centres are under threat: “There are no proposals at this time to close any community centres. As Councillor Galvin is aware, the scrutiny committee have identified this topic as an area they wish to look at in more detail. I welcome scrutiny committee’s involvement.  In this context it would seem that the question is both premature and potentially scaremongering. I am therefore at a loss to understand why the question is being asked other than to score cheap political points and create uncertainty in the community centres.”

South Norwich centres under review include Belvedere, Eaton Park, Harford, Wensum, West Earlham and Russell Street.