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Affluent Stoke Poges welcomes plan to ‘take pressure off’ by levelling up

Stoke Poges

Affluent Stoke Poges welcomes plan to ‘take pressure off’ by levelling up

Stoke Poges, the Buckinghamshire village name-checked in the prime minister’s speech as a potential beneficiary of his “levelling up” policy, is an archetypal home counties spot: green, pleasant, affluent, ageing and unaffordable, with all the attendant benefits and drawbacks.

It is reportedly the eighth richest village in England and sits in the heart of the Conservative “blue wall”. This area of Buckinghamshire has been relentlessly Tory-voting, at least until the byelection in neighbouring Chesham and Amersham when the Liberal Democrats overturned a big Tory majority.

Boris Johnson may well have calculated that the blue wall needed a bit of love. There were fears that levelling up would switch public investment out of south-east England and into the north and Midlands. There had been outrage at government plans to force through mass housebuilding in the shires.

Johnson said his policy would “take the pressure” off places like Stoke Poges, which had in effect become the victim of its own success – or as he put it, people’s “sheer lust” to live there. Invest outside the “overheated” south-east and people would live elsewhere. Thus, the logic goes, levelling up would leave south Buckinghamshire to its unspoilt green pastures.

“Boris Johnson has a very strong point,” said David Anthony, a councillor and chair of the Beeches Community Board, which represents Stoke Poges on the county council. “If investment were taking place throughout the country, business would be more spread out.”

Places such as Stoke Poges were overheating he said, though he accepted this was partly inevitable. It boasts beautiful countryside and excellent transport links. As the Telegraph, cited by Johnson, couched it: “It hits the sweet spot – a sliver of rural England slipped between the M25, M40 and M4, handy for Heathrow and Ascot.”

Anthony has lived in the area since 1982 and remembers when Stoke Poges was “more of a rural village”. It is now more of a commuter town. He said vigilance was needed to prevent encroachment from the likes of urban Slough. Anthony was pleased the mood music from government about greenbelt development appeared to be changing.

Homes in the new-build terraces and large gated estates here can sell for millions. The village has a sleepy feel with an ancient churchyard – St Giles was where Thomas Gray composed his Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, also cited by Johnson – and a manicured memorial lawn as a focal point. The village centre features a couple of shops and a Costa Coffee, and there are two pubs on the outskirts.

The greenbelt – about 90% of the village is protected from development – means there is little sprawl. After rapid growth after the second world war – ironically fuelled by postwar expansion in housebuilding – the population has grown little for 40 years. Instead it has got older, and the property more expensive.

Life expectancy is above the England average in the Beeches: people smoke less and drink less. Unemployment is 2.7%, compared with 5% for England. If it has an acute problem, according to local public health data, it appears to be loneliness.

Residents who spoke to the Guardian were unsurprised to learn that Stoke Poges had been cited as a shining example of levelling up. Several described the area as quiet and peaceful, and a “desirable place to live”, with easy access to nature, low crime rates and a close-knit community.

But they added that the popularity of the village had changed its character in recent years. Sandra Galatola, who works at the local preschool and has lived in Stoke Poges for 20 years, said high demand for housing had resulted in a parade of shops, including a popular pub, being shut down to make room for new flats. “There are more people coming from far away because they know about Stoke Poges,” she said. “House prices are expensive: people pay for them with family money.”

Wayne Mitchell, a decorator, also identified high housing demand as a problem, with prices often surpassing £1m for a family home. “Once you have a property, nobody sells. There are no properties for sale so you have to live outside the village,” he said. However, he added that his business benefited from being located in a “well to do’’ area. “We can charge top prices for decorating.”

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FG, states, LGs share N1.678trn for February – FAAC

The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), has shared N1.678 trillion among the Federal Government, states and the Local Government Councils (LGCs) for the month of February.

This is according to a communiqué issued by FAAC and made available by Bawa Mokwa, the Director, Press and Public Relations, Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF).

According to the communiqué, the total revenue of N1.678 trillion comprised statutory revenue of N827.633 billion and Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue of N 609.430 billion.

It also comprised Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) revenue of N35.171 billion, Solid Minerals revenue of N28.218 billion and Augmentation of N178 billion.

It said that a total gross revenue of N2.344 trillion was available in the month of February.

“Total deduction for cost of collection was N89.092 billion while total transfers, interventions, refunds and savings was N577.097 billion,’” it said.

The FAAC issued communiqué said that gross statutory revenue of N1.653 trillion was received for the month of February, which was lower than the sum of N1.848 trillion received in January by N194.664 billion.

It said that gross revenue of N654.456 billion was available from VAT in February, lower than the N771.886 billion available in January by N117.430 billion.

The communiqué said that from the total distributable revenue of N1.678 trillion, the Federal Government received total sum of N569.656 billion and the state governments received total sum of N562.195 billion.

It said that the LGCs received total sum of N410.559 billion, and a total sum of N136.042 billion (13 per cent of mineral revenue) was shared to the benefiting states as derivation revenue.

“On the N827.633 billion statutory revenue, the Federal Government received N366.262 billion and the state governments received N185.773 billion.

“The LGCs received N143.223 billion and the sum of N132.374 billion (13 per cent of mineral revenue) was shared to the benefiting states as derivation revenue,” the communiqué said.

It said that from the N609.430 billion VAT revenue, the Federal Government received N91.415 billion, the state governments received N304.715 billion and the LGCs received N213.301 billion.

“A total sum of N5.276 billion was received by the Federal Government from the N35.171 billion EMTL. The state governments received N17.585 billion and the LGCs received N12.310 billion.

“From the N28.218 billion Solid Minerals revenue, the Federal Government received N12.933 billion and the state governments received N6.560 billion.

“The LGCs received N5.057 billion and a total sum of N3.668 billion (13 per cent of mineral revenue) was shared to the benefiting States as derivation revenue,’” it said.

It said that Oil and Gas Royalty and EMTL, increased significantly while VAT, Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT), Companies Income Tax, Excise Duty, Import Duty and CET Levies recorded decrease.

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NNPCL refutes explosion rumour at Port Harcourt refinery, confirms containment

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has debunked reports of an explosion at the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) in Rivers State.

In a statement issued on March 19, 2025, Olufemi O. Soneye, Chief Corporate Communications Officer, clarified that the event was a flare incident, which has been fully contained without posing any danger to staff, surrounding communities, or the environment.

“There is no danger or health hazard to staff, the surrounding communities, or the environment,” NNPC said in the statement

The company therefore urged the public and media to disregard false claims of an explosion at the refinery, emphasizing that operations remain unaffected.

The NNPC Ltd also reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and safety in its operations.

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Rising data costs will worsen Nigeria’s connectivity gap – CITAD warns

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has raised concerns over the increasing cost of internet data in Nigeria, warning that it further widens the country’s existing digital divide.

The centre argued that the increase in data will leave many underserved communities without access to essential online services.

Haruna Adamu Hadeija, the Coordinator of Community Network, CITAD, revealed this while speaking at a press briefing held at the CITAD office in Kano on Monday.

He emphasized the impact of rising data costs on marginalized communities.

According to Hadeija, the 50% tariff increase on data, calls, and SMS approved by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has made it increasingly difficult for communities already struggling with poor connectivity to access the internet.

“Now that data charges have been jerked up by 50%, students and parents in underserved areas have to ‘dearly’ pay to enable their children to learn online,” Hadeija said.

“This cost hike not only widens the existing connectivity gap but also makes digital liberation nearly impossible for millions of Nigerians.”

Hadeija noted that while Nigeria has made strides in expanding internet access, an estimated 27.91 million people in 97 underserved communities still lack internet access, according to a 2022 report by the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF).

He highlighted how this lack of connectivity continues to disenfranchise students, youth, and women, particularly those in rural areas.

“In regions where internet access is absent, parents must send their children far from home just to register for computer-based tests, conduct exams, and check their results. It is unfair that many communities are left behind because they cannot afford internet services,” he added.

The CITAD coordinator stressed the need for urgent policy interventions to address the widening digital divide.

He called on the Minister for Digital Economy to officially recognize community networks as an additional layer of connectivity providers in the country.

“We urge the USPF to support local communities with grants to deploy their own connectivity initiatives. These community networks are not competitors to Mobile Network Operators (MNOs); they are complementary solutions to bridge the existing connectivity gap,” Hadeija appealed.

CITAD also proposed capacity-building initiatives to empower local communities in resource mobilization and sustainability to create self-sufficient, community-centered networks.

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