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Council under fire over post office funding
SHEFFIELD Council has been criticised for asking for Government cash to reopen post offices it had offered to fund itself.
The authority has also come under fire for asking the Government for permission to let asylum seekers work.
The council's cabinet has approved the proposals and is now asking ministers for approval. Both applications are being made under the new Sustainable Communities Act, which allows councils greater powers in their local areas.
But city Labour politicians Richard Caborn and David Blunkett have attacked the proposals.
Sheffield Central MP Mr Caborn accused Liberal Democrat council leader Paul Scriven of "wriggling out of a commitment" to fund the city's post offices.
In a letter to Coun Scriven, he said: "You gave the people of Sheffield your word that you would find the funds to keep open a number of those post offices planned for closure by utilising financial support from the council's 17 million reserve left by the last administration.
"I hope the application for funding for the post offices through the act is not a political ploy for you and your colleagues to wriggle out of the commitment you have given and then to blame the Government."
Brightside MP Mr Blunkett said the idea of allowing asylum seekers to work would "drive a coach and horses through economic managed migration".
The former Home Secretary is concerned the proposals involved a lack of "regulations or restrictions".
The council is also asking the Government to allow community groups to grow food on vacant or derelict land, and set up a new body to plan and fund adult learning.
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Weather for Sheffield
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 11 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North east
