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See below for News items on:-

Reporting Pot holes, lighting etc/Wheelie bin stickers/

Home Wood Chipping Service

North Warks Older Peoples Forum - Minutes

Kingsbury Play Area/Age UK/Fly Tipping

Emergency Planning-Kingsbury Oil Complex

Tame Valley Wetlands Project/Echills Wood Railway

Police Safer Neighbourhoods Team

Anti Terrorist Hotline/'Phillis' Service

Warwickshire Fostering Services

(all information correct at time of going to press)

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North Warwickshire Borough Council have nominated 4 of their green spaces as part of the project below:

Brook Walk, Mancetter

Abbey Green Park, Polesworth

Sycamore Road, Kingsbury

Old Arley Recreation Ground.

 

Starting on 18th October, there's one month to go online and vote for your favourite park or play area. See the following details. Please could you help spread the word through your websites and local newsletters. Many thanks!

 

'If you like getting out into the fresh air, having a kick about in your local park or just seeing a bit of green space then mark this date in your diary! On 18 October, for four weeks only, you can visit http://www.qe2fields.com  and show your support for your local green spaces. The Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge is campaigning to get local authorities and landowners to protect your outdoor spaces for future generations to enjoy. Go online, search for your favourite places or see which ones you like a look of and with one click, you can show you support them.

So go online on 18 October and say ‘Save a Space for Me!’. '

 
 
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WCC

Potholes, Pavement Repairs, Highway and Street Lighting Problems?

Report it to:

Call: County Highways 01926 412515

Online: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/roads

E-mail: countyhighways@warwickshire.gov.uk

Text: Lighting (followed by location and defect details) to 07950081082

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Warwickshire Fostering Services

For more information call 0800 408 1556 or

www.warwickshire.gov.uk/fostering

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Minutes : Open Meeting : North Warwickshire Older Peoples Forum 6th June 2011.

47 people attending with several apologies. £50 taken in the raffle.

The meeting began with an announcement from Gill Davies of the PCT. Coventry Godiva Lions Club have given £501 to support the forum

Minutes of Monday 4th April approved as a true record and signed by Iris.

Comments on the open meeting held 15 April

It was generally agreed to have been a very good day. Members particularly enjoyed the assistance dog and hearing about the help they can offer.

Lunch was deemed to have been excellent.

Disappointment was expressed that E-on did not have the usual supply of freebies, this was caused by the fact that the firm has recently been taken over.

It was suggested for next year to have health tests available, e.g. blood pressure.

Troop Aid and Dogs for the Disabled had sent letters thanking the forum for interest and donations.

The first speaker of the afternoon was Alison Insley from Warwickshire Library services to explain the situation as regards the cuts which are being considered for the service.

A survey has been taking place and people at the meeting took survey forms to fill in.

The County Council are offering one off payments to communities if they wish to set up their own service.

Worry was expressed that village libraries were being threatened in a situation where bus services were being cut making it more difficult for people to reach the centres of population.

The Home Library Service will be available to help with this.

The decisions about closures and cuts in hours will be made by councillors in July.

The second speaker, Barbara Brittain, talked to the meeting about the Police Service and what it had been like to be one of the first police women. She joined in 1956 and had seen many changes and developments. A very interesting and entertaining talk.

The meeting finished with tea and cakes and the raffle.

Next meeting August 1st Trinity Church Coleshill Road Atherstone 2-4pm

Anyone needing transport please ‘phone Iris on 01827 712040 before 26th July.

 Meeting 1st August 2011 at Trinity Church, Atherstone 2-4pm

 Agenda

 
  • Apologies
  • Minutes
  • Matters Arising
  • Speaker- MacMillan Care
  • Speaker- Kuawinder Kaur- A trip to India
  • Tea & Cakes
  • Raffle

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Work on the New Play Equipment at Kingsbury recreation ground started November 2010 only to be affected by the extreme weather conditions.

 

 

         

Drawing shows play equipment to be constructed, but pieces are not in their actual positions so that they can be seen on the drawing.

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Formerly Age Concern Warwickshire

 

AGE UK launch lunch club in Atherstone

 Age UK Warwickshire (formerly Age Concern Warwickshire) will shortly be opening a new lunch club for older people who live in Atherstone and surrounding areas.  The club will run each Wednesday across the lunchtime period at The Partnership Building on Coleshill Road in Atherstone.

 If you’re over 60 and want to join us on Wednesdays for a cooked lunch, some interesting social activities and an opportunity to meet  friends old and new, please let us know.  The cost of membership will be £5 per week which includes a two course lunch and tea/coffee.  Transport may be provided at extra cost.

 The first meeting of the Wednesday lunch club will be on 15th December, 2010, when we’ll be serving a festive menu and looking at ways in which the club can be developed to help its members.

Want to find out more?   Lunch club attendance must be booked and paid for in advance, so please contact Wendy Lynn from the Age UK team (01926 458117) for booking details.

 

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WCC Speeding Wastes Lives - Wheelie Bin Slow Down stickers 

www.warwickshire.gov.uk/speedingwasteslives

The County Council is now giving out free SLOW DOWN Wheelie Bin stickers. The stickers allow residents to ask drivers passing through to slow down in their community.

In the current economic climate helping our communities to help themselves is essential if we are to ensure the key road safety messages are still delivered effectively. The idea behind the low cost scheme Speeding Wastes Lives is to utilise free prime promotional space on wheelie bins throughout the County.

Individuals can request from the County Council up to 2 free 'Slow Down in our community' wheelie bin stickers by contacting the road safety unit direct:

Email: chrisfossey@warwickshire.gov.uk
Telephone: 01926 418612
Post:        Speeding Wastes Lives
        Road Safety Engineering
        WCC
        PO Box 43
        Warwick
        CV34 4SX


WCC say the scheme has been very well received amongst our communities and over 5000 stickers have now been sent out.. The stickers have not only been very popular amongst individuals, but have also been used to target local hotspots with the assistance of County Councillors. The stickers have a wide appeal and have featured at a number of events this summer such as Town and Village Fetes. The stickers can be used as part of a wide range of initiatives which can be tailor-made for the location/problem e.g. can be used in conjunction with other publicity materials, the work of other schemes such as SpeedAware or other local initiatives.

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Composting
 

Home Woodchipping Service

 
Blue ball
Subsidised service will be available weekdays (Monday to Friday) by appointment.

 
Blue ball
Residents MUST be present at all times for Health and Safety reasons.

 
Blue ball
Garden waste for chipping is to be left by residents in an area with vehicular access for the operator.

 
Blue ball
The cost of each visit (maximum 1 hour) is £20.00.

 
Blue ball
Garden waste must be no greater than 13cm (5inches) in diameter.

 
Blue ball
Chipping will be left with the resident in plastics bags supplied as part of the chipping service. They will NOT be taken off site.

 
Home Woodchipper Service

 
Available to book on 01926 738827
between 9.00am - 12.15pm
(answer phone outside these hours)
 

 

 
 
Why is the County Council providing a Home Wood Chipping Service?
Warwickshire County Council recognise that green garden waste is a useful resource for gardeners.

There are sound environmental reasons for keeping your chipped, green waste and using it in the garden. Landfilling garden waste contributes to the creation of methane gas which is a potent greenhouse gas thought to contribute to climate change. Also by using your very own chippings as a mulch you will reduce the need to buy chemical weed controls for the garden.

What can be chipped and how much will it cost?

The home wood chipping service will chip twigs and branches of up to 13cm (5") in diameter leaving you with chipped materials in bags to use around the garden.

The cost is currently £20.00 per hour.

If you only have a small amount of green waste then why not make an appointment with your neighbour? 

What can I do with my wood chippings?
The chippings can be used as a mulch. Mulches are an excellent way of:

4 Controlling weeds and clearing ground. They work by depriving weeds of light , which they need to grow.

4 Mulches are placed on the surface of the soil and can vary from light excluding membranes to loose shredded prunings. To ensure success it is important to use the appropriate mulch for your particular needs. Below are some suggestions for making and using mulch:

4 Woody prunings and other woody material produced in the garden (excluding manufactured wood products), can be chipped for use as mulch. These are best heaped up to compost for a few months before use on planted areas. Composting will darken the colour of mulch, giving it a more attractive appearance. The addition of nitrogen rich material such as grass mowings, nettle liquid and nitrogen rich manures to the heap of shredded material will help speed up the process. Why not consider buying a discounted composter through our county wide scheme. For details contact 0845 077 0757.

4 Mulch should be applied after any compost and organic fertilisers have been added to the soil. It should always be applied to warm, moist and weed-free soil.

4 When using loose mulch such as your chippings, top up as required (usually every year or two) to maintain a minimum 100mm weed-suppressing layer.

Please make use of your shreddings in  and around your own garden.  Please do not take them to a household waste site.  Processed wood and treated wood eg Pallets and fence posts will be left for the householder to dispose of.

April 2011
 


The Warwickshire West Safer Neighbourhoods Team

Covering Curdworth Ward, Kingsbury Ward, Hurley and Wood End Ward and Water Orton Ward

The Team includes

Sgt Ron Drake / PC Louise Baxter / PC Nina Bowden / PCSO Peter Beale /

 PCSO Gavin Scott / PCSO David Brown / PCSO Caroline McMurchie

Contact the Team ~ Tel: 02476 483554

E-mail:  nww.snt@warwickshire.police.uk

Website:  www.safer-neighbourhoods.co.uk/nww

 

Partners and Communities Together (PACT)

PACT is all about police, partners and the local community working together to improve their neighbourhood.  Police surgeries are held prior to PACT meetings.

 www.northwarks.gov.uk

North Warwickshire also has a nuisance Co-ordinator working proactively to reduce anti-social behaviour. 

To report anti-social behaviour please call 01926 415000

Dear Resident

Is there an issue in your community you want to raise but don’t know how?

North Warwickshire Community Safety Partnership is pleased to enclose your free Safer Neighbourhoods magnet and flyer.

North Warwickshire has 4 Safer Neighbourhoods Team's covering the Borough.  Teams are made up of Police Officers, Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) and Special Constables who engage with local people to understand the communities they serve and address the issues that matter most to them.  

The magnet enclosed contains contact details for your local Safer Neighbourhoods team including: contact names, contact telephone number, email address and web site details.   This will enable you to contact your team directly with any issues or concerns you have. 

The leaflet enclosed provides details about your Local Area Forum and Partners and Community Together (PACT) meetings.  These are multi-agency meetings where local people can raise issues within the community that can then addressed by the agencies.  30 minutes prior to each meeting the Police hold surgeries where residents can speak to their local officers about their concerns which the officers will action accordingly. The leaflet provides the contact details for North Warwickshire Borough Council’s Nuisance Co-ordinator.

This leaflet has been funded through the Safer Stronger Community Fund to encourage people to report crime and other community issues. If you have never been to your Local Area Forum do take the opportunity to meet your local Safer Neighbourhood officers. If you cannot get to a meeting, contact your Safer Neighbourhood team who can take your issue to the meeting on your behalf.

The latest crime statistics for North Warwickshire encouragingly show that overall crime has been reduced by 25% since 2005 with levels of crime being reduced for the fifth year running.

Through the work carried out by members of the Community Safety Partnership North Warwickshire has seen the following reductions over the last 3 years:

  • Business crime has reduced 24%
  • Vehicle crime has reduced 36%
  • Burglary has reduced 36%
  • Criminal damage has reduced 12%

Over the next three years the Community Safety Partnership is aiming to further reduce and sustain these impressive reductions. The partnership is aiming to achieve the following reductions;

  • Reduce violent crime by 15%, from 724 to 615
  • Reduce Criminal Damage by 15%, from 871 to 740
  • Reduce Arson (Small Fires) by 26%, from 125 to 92
  • Reduce Anti-Social Behaviour by 15%, from 3470 to 2950
  • Reduce Serious Acquisitive Crime by 15%, from 1035 to 880

Building safer neighbourhoods involves the police, partner agencies and, most importantly, local people. We are working hard to ensure that you feel safe in your neighbourhood by building on our achievements but we need your help. 

Please keep your magnet and leaflet so that you have your Safer Neighbourhood Team’s contact details for when you need them. Visit www.safer-neighbourhoods.co.uk to find out more about what your local team is doing to help protect your community.

Yours sincerely

Councillor Barry Beeson

Chair of North Warwickshire’s Community Safety Partnership

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NWBC - Fly Tipping, request for information

The Borough Council is re-launching it's efforts to deter fly tipping and to increase the effectiveness of enforcement measures. Be alert to suspicious behaviour and report it.  Reports are always treated confidentially, and can also be made anonymously (but with a lesser chance of an enforcement outcome).  Without a witness, our options are limited unless the suspect confesses or can be linked to items in the tipped waste. 

Council's telephone hotline 01827 715341, or on-line at www.northwarks.gov.uk or e-mail customerservices@northwarks.gov.uk

Sept 08

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  • We need our communities to help defeat terrorism. We need all our communities to be vigilant and to report any suspicious behaviour to the

Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789321.

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Who is Visiting North Warwickshire and Why?

Research has provided an interesting insight into why visitors come to North Warwickshire and what they particularly like about the area.

The visitor survey conducted by Heart of England Tourism, found that of the 200 people interviewed in North Warwickshire 84% of them were on a day visit mainly from the West Midlands metropolitan area and Warwickshire.

They found that the majority of the people they spoke to were in the area visiting attractions or walking/hiking.  They also cited the countryside, the amount of things to see and do, and  access as being the best things about the area.

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The 'PHILLIS' Service lends a helping hand to older people

PHILLIS stands for 'promoting health and independence through low level integrated support'.

This new preventative service is aimed at older people who may be finding it difficult to maintain their home or perhaps would like to get out more, socialise or learn a new skill.

It aims to support independent living for people over fifty living in the county, and who are not eligible for statutory support.  The PHILLIS service will assess what sort of support is needed for an older person and then, working with partners, will identify the services to best help them.

So whether it is help with shopping, getting out and about, home repairs, finding social or learning opportunities, claiming benefits, or keeping fit, PHILLIS is here to help.

Research shows that providing help and support fo older people as soon as they begin to struggle with some aspects of daily living, can help them live safely and confidently in their own homes.

Once an older person has had help from PHILLIS, the service will keep in contact with them on a regular basis, to ensure that they continue to receive appropriate support as and when personal circumstances may change.

The service is free, but for some community based services there may be a charge. 

Simply call 01926 731144 for more information.

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Echills Wood Railway at Kingsbury Water Park

Follow the link  http://www.ewr.org.uk to see the latest pictures and news about the railway.

Echills Wood Railway members have opened their 7¼ guage miniature railway to the public at Kingsbury Water Park.  The railway will operate on Sundays and Bank Holidays from 10.30am to 5.00pm throughout the summer.  For further information call 01926 498705 or visit the website (use link to take you straight to it)

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The Tame Valley wetlands project

Warwickshire Wildlife Trust has launched a huge partnership project, which changes the way wildlife is conserved in Warwickshire.  The Tame Valley Wetlands project will ensure that rare and protected species like otters, water voles, bitterns, bats, snipe, great crested newts, native crayfish and dragonflies will be protected by the creation of large areas for conservation stretching for miles across Warwickshire.

The project will be creating new habitat, improving existing habitat, assisting landowners to manage their land in wildlife friendly ways or building otter passes under roads.  This will in turn provide recreation opportunities for walking, bird watching and bike riding, encouraging people to enjoy the outdoors.

If you would like to get involved with the project, learn new skills in surveying, habitat creation and management, help us survey for otters, or if you know of areas near you which could be improved for wildlife please contact us.  The project contact is Tel: 02476308995 or e-mail louise.sutherland@wkwt.org.uk

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Emergency planning arrangements for the Kingsbury Oil Complex

 Representatives of the site operators, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service and the County Council Emergency Planning Unit recently met with Parish Councilors to discuss arrangements already in place for Kingsbury.

 The major incident at the Buncefield oil terminal in Hertfordshire that occurred on Sunday 11th December 2005 has obviously led to concerns over any similar event happening at Kingsbury. As with Buncefield, the Kingsbury Complex is covered by the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1999 (COMAH).  These regulations impose duties on both the site operators and the County Council to have suitable safety and response procedures in place and both on site and off site plans have to be produced.

 The emergency services and Warwickshire County Council have an active involvement in the emergency arrangements at Kingsbury.  Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service, Warwickshire Police and the County Council Emergency Planning Unit meet regularly with the Managers of all the terminals on the complex to discuss planning and training issues.  The site operators have very comprehensive emergency procedures for the day to day operation of the site. The emergency services also have detailed procedures for response to any event at Kingsbury and have taken part in several training events on the site over recent years. The County Council Emergency Planning Unit has also prepared the detailed "off site" plan which covers the roles and responsibilities of the many other agencies who would be involved in the coordination of the response to any major incident at Kingsbury.

 The recently appointed enquiry team will be reporting on Buncefield to both the Health and Safety Commission and the Environment Agency and any findings which result in changes to current legislation will be incorporated into the plans for Kingsbury.

 Jeremy Lee, Manager of Warwickshire County Council Emergency Planning Unit said "The approach taken towards emergency planning in Warwickshire is very much on a partnership basis and this is how we have approached our work with the Kingsbury Complex. We have a close working relationship with the site operators, emergency services and other agencies that would be involved in any incident. Exercising of plans is also important as we can validate procedures in a safe environment and learn lessons to improve our joint response".

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09/10/2011