Cuts, Bovis, housing and loans

The prospect of swingeing cuts to public services edged closer today despite plans by nearly every local authority in England to raise council tax in 2017.

The BBC reports that rises of up to 4.99 per cent are expected across the country. Nevertheless, libraries, bin collections and other services will still face funding problems. The Local Government Association says the cost of care for increasing numbers of elderly people is forcing up bills. But a spokesman for the Department for Communities and Local Government insisted that local authorities had been given a ‘historic’ four-year settlement. Bovis Homes  Following widespread publicity of the alleged shoddy quality of new houses built by Bovis, The Guardian reports that the company is being forced to pay £7 million for ‘remedial action’ to fix customers’ homes. Angry home-owners formed a Facebook group with some accusing Bovis of pressuring them to move in to incomplete houses to hit sales targets, also claiming that they had to spend their own money fixing faults at newly built properties.