LANCASTER
CITY COUNCIL
Your District Council
Promoting City, Coast & Countryside
Matters Lancaster City Council’s Community Magazine
Issue 33 • Spring/Summer 2016
Tightening our belts – our budget for 2016
Inside Win an annual pass to Williamson Park Your guide to Council Tax Support for flooding victims Your guide to events at the Platform Platform @lancastercc facebook.com/lancastercc
www.lancaster.gov.uk
2|
Your District Council Matters Spring/Summer 2016
Tough times ahead for local government Lancaster City Council’s Cabinet has proposed plans to save £2.8million annually over the next few years, as part of an action plan to tackle a £5.6million funding gap by 2020. Subject to approval by Full Council, the plans will see huge changes to the services delivered by the city council. New charges will be brought in and some services discontinued as the council looks to balance the books in the wake of further Government cuts. In the current financial year (to March 2016) the council will receive £9million in funding from the Government. This falls to £7.9million in 2016/17 and £6.9million in 2017/18. By 2020, it is expected to fall to around £5.9million. A number of reviews will also be set in motion to determine how the council can save the remaining £2.8 million it needs to find between 2018 and 2020. The savings come on top of almost £5m savings that have already been made since 2010. Over the last five years the council has been able to make many savings by restructuring and changing the way it delivers services and becoming more efficient. Being more efficient will, however, only take you so far and the council is now at the point where it will not have enough money to continue running the services it, or the community, wants and needs. Final approval for the budget was due to go to Full Council on Wednesday March 2, as Your District Council Matters went to press. For more information on the final budget visit www.lancaster.gov.uk/budget-2016.
Your District Council Matters Spring/Summer 2016
Savings proposals for 2016-18 (due to be debated at Full Council on March 2) include: • Charging £1 for admission to the Splash Park in Happy Mount Park. • Proposals to invest in Salt Ayre Sports Centre to improve facilities and increase income. • Green waste – charging for collection. A yearly charge of £30 will be payable by residents who want their green waste collecting.
|3
Savings options for 2018-20. No decisions have been made to bring in these options and they are subject to further review. • Refuse collection – moving from two to three week collection.
• Ending CCTV coverage.
• Grants to the Arts – reviewing the grants provided to arts organisations.
• Withdrawing from the International Youth Games.
• Reviewing the future of Lancaster’s museums.
• Handing management responsibility for the community pools in Heysham, Carnforth and Hornby back to Lancashire County Council.
• Office accommodation – reviewing the buildings the council operates from (including the two town halls and Palatine Hall).
• Not planting flowerbeds in winter.
• Reducing the amount it costs the council to put on the Vintage Festival in Morecambe and the fireworks event in Lancaster.
Council Tax Lancaster City Council’s Cabinet has recommended its portion of Council Tax should increase by £5 a year (for an average Band D property) as it seeks to stabilise the council’s finances due to the reductions enforced by the Government.
As 80% of the district’s homes are in the lowest bands (A to C) the actual increase will be lower for the majority of households. More information is available on your Council Tax bill, along with the charges made by other organisations. While as the billing authority Lancaster City Council collects Council Tax, it only receives around 13% of the total bill to spend on its services. Excluding parishes, of the remaining bill, the majority goes to Lancashire County Council (73%), with precepts from Lancashire Police Authority (10%) and Lancashire Combined Fire Authority (4%) making up the rest.
4|
Your District Council Matters Spring/Summer 2016
Cash grant for Galloway’s building PLANS to develop a former newspaper office into a hub for the local blind community have been given a cash boost from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and Lancaster City Council. The council, through the Morecambe Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) 2 scheme, is providing a grant of up to £125,000 to Galloway’s Society for the Blind to improve the façade of the former Visitor offices on Victoria Street in Morecambe. The grant will allow Galloway’s to improve the building’s frontage and restore some of its key architectural features. Improvements to the frontage will include replacement windows to match the original style of the building and restoration of the horizontal blockwork detail. The mosaic to the floor in front of the entrance will also be restored. The whole redevelopment will cost £1.2million with the wider non-grant assisted work including the demolition of the rear print works and erection of a new smaller two storey extension. Work should be finished in the summer, around the same time as those to the eastern end of Victoria Street which are part of a £600,000 investment through the THI and Morecambe Area Action Plan. Work on the ‘Connecting Victoria Street’ project started in February and will see improvements made from the north part of Euston Road into Market and Victoria streets.
‘Connecting Victoria Street’ will: • Transform the streetscape between Barclays and the Post Office into a public place of real quality with a new name – Royalty Place. A shared surface treatment will make it much more pedestrian friendly and a fitting focus for the entrance to the Arndale. • Improve the existing but dated pedestrianised stretch of Euston Road with new surfacing, lighting, seating and signs. • Revise traffic arrangements at the junction of Market Street with Victoria Street and Euston Road. • Improve Victoria Street at the junction with Union Street. • Replace the existing column street lighting with new LED wall mounted street lights.
Your District Council Matters Spring/Summer 2016
|5
Save time and do it online Have you visited us online recently? Like most other organisations we’re finding that people increasingly prefer to contact us, find information and request services via our website, (www.lancaster.gov.uk) rather than in person or over the phone. Last year our website received 1.8 million unique visits, and served up over 2.5 million pages, and, for the first time, most of those visits were from users of smartphones and tablets, rather than desktop computers. Unfortunately our main website doesn’t provide the best of experiences for people using mobile devices, and although we do have a separate mobile-friendly website, it only provides a limited selection of pages from the main site. That’s why we’ve developed a brand new website based on a ‘responsive design’ that automatically detects the type of device you are using and responds accordingly. Whether you’re using a smartphone, a tablet, a PC, a Smart TV or indeed any device capable of viewing a web page, our new site will serve up a simple-to-use and easy-toread experience. This is one part of our new ‘digital by default’ drive to make it as easy and convenient as possible for people to access Lancaster City Council information and services online. Over the next 12 months we’ll also be making improvements to the way we deliver our customer services right across the council. This will allow us to make a wider range of services available directly from our website for those who prefer to contact us in this way, whilst at the same time providing a more efficient service for customers who prefer to phone us or call in person.
6|
Your District Council Matters Spring/Summer 2016
Don’t lose your vote On Thursday June 23 the country will go to the polls to decide if the UK should remain a member of the European Union. If you want to have your say you need to be registered to vote. If you aren’t already registered, here’s how (you will need your National Insurance number): • Go to www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. • Telephone our helpline on (01524) 582905 and we can complete the online application form for you. Electronic applications are really easy and they save a lot of paper and postage, but if you prefer to have a paper form we can send one to you and you can post it back to us free of charge. We also have the Police and Crime Commissioner Elections taking place on Thursday 5 May 2016, so now is a good time to make sure you are registered.
Don’t delay – register today.
Development plans to continue PLANS to redevelop a derelict and unused area of land in Lancaster have taken a step forward. Redevelopment of the Canal Corridor North site in Lancaster has been a long term goal but, as with many other projects across the country, has stalled. In the 11 years since regeneration of the site first started to be pursued the nature of retail has changed following the recession and economic slowdown.
A lack of demand from retailers has forced a rethink with the current concept focussing on creating a food and beverage quarter linked to growing the site as a cultural ‘hub’. The city council will be working with its development partner, British Land, and Lancaster University to put together proposals over the coming months.
Your District Council Matters Spring/Summer 2016
|7
Lancaster says yes, Morecambe maybe?
Businesses in Lancaster have voted yes to making the city centre, once again, a Business Improvement District (BID). The vote was independently managed by Electoral Reform Services and resulted in an overwhelming 69% of businesses who took part in the vote backing the BID, with 111 voting yes against 51 voting no. Turnout was 44%. The successful ballot means that the Lancaster BID will remain in position until March 2021. The BID operates on a levy paying system where business ratepayers who lie within the BID area and have a property with a rateable value of over £10,000 or more contribute a 1.5% levy. As a result of the yes vote a further £1.2 million of levy payers’ money will be used to improve the city centre of Lancaster over the next five years.
This money is then spent on projects and initiatives to increase footfall in the city. Previous campaigns have included extra Christmas lights, cleaning up Chancery Lane, additional funding for the Lancaster Music Festival, Jazz and Chilli Festival and crime reduction initiatives.
Morecambe could soon be reaping the benefits of being a BID as well if businesses in the town vote ‘yes’ this May. With help from Lancaster City Council and the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce, businesses in Morecambe have drawn up a proposal to include the majority of the town centre, Frontierland site and the eastern town centre approaches. They will go to the polls in May to decide if they want to say ‘yes’, raising around £130,000 a year to spend on encouraging more people to visit and spend money in the area. If successful the BID will be in place from October 2016 to September 2021.
8|
Your District Council Matters Spring/Summer 2016
Be prepared! AS the events of last December showed, a major incident or severe disruption can happen anywhere or at any time and, more often than not, unexpectedly. Whether you are a resident of the district or in business, preparing in advance will make it much easier for you to cope with the situation if it arises and then get back to normal.
Remember to: • Prepare a family emergency kit Store away an easily accessible supply of candles, matches, a torch and batteries. A battery, or wind-up, radio will also come in handy to listen to updates as it might be the only form of communication.
• Make contact with neighbours
Community spirit is one of the greatest resilience methods. Help each other out and share supplies. Check on those who live in isolated dwellings or who are vulnerable. Tell them to contact you if they need help and try to keep an eye on them.
• Check whether it’s safe to travel and on what routes
Bad weather brings with it travel disruption, not only to the roads but rail as well. Check before you set off whether it’s safe to travel on your preferred route.
• Stow away garden furniture and loose articles from outside.
More detailed advice on how to prepare for and respond to possible flooding, high winds, heavy snow and heatwaves, is available to download from the Civil Contingencies section of the council’s website at www.lancaster.gov.uk/emergency. There is also a business continuity plan template that any organisation is free to use to prepare for possible disruption. Following December’s storm the city council has been working with residents and businesses that were flooded to access grants and other help to get them back on their feet. Payments of £500 have been made to every flooded household and grants are available for both businesses and householders to make their properties more resilient. Flooded residential properties are also exempt from council tax for a minimum of three months and businesses can apply for an exemption from business rates. More information on what help is available can be found at www.lancaster.gov.uk/flooding.
Your District Council Matters Spring/Summer 2016
|9
Sea wall replacement
CONSTRUCTION work has started on the first phase of a multimillion pound project to replace Morecambe’s wave reflection wall. Built in the 1980s the wall, which runs the length of the promenade and protects approximately 12,000 properties from flooding, has started to deteriorate and needs to be replaced. The £10million project is taking place in three stages and the first phase will see the replacement of 1,800 metres of the wall on Marine Road East between Lord Street and Happy Mount Park. The new wall will feature three distinctive ‘up and overs’ - an access feature consisting of ramps and steps up to a wall top platform allowing even better views across the bay. New surfacing, seating and lighting will also feature as part of the project.
During the works the old playground opposite Lord Street will be used as part of the base for the construction offices and materials compound, but will be replaced at the end of phase one. Subsequent phases will focus on the Marine Road West area from the Midland Hotel to the Battery and the Sandylands Promenade area. In total the work is expected to last up to six years. The new wall will significantly reduce the risk of flooding to large parts of Morecambe. The wall will withstand predicted high tides and storms for generations to come, whilst reflecting the aspirations of the town and the beauty of Morecambe Bay. The project has been funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Environment Agency and Lancaster City Council. For more details visit the project website www.lancaster.gov.uk/wave-reflection-wall.
10 |
Your District Council Matters Spring/Summer 2016
New season at the Platform A TWO time Olivier Award winner is one of the highlights of this season’s line-up at the Platform in Morecambe Singer and actress Barbara Dickson OBE will be performing at the venue on Saturday June 25. In 1985 Barbara’s single ‘I Know Him So Well,’ recorded with Elaine Paige and taken from the musical ‘Chess’, was released. It reached number one in the UK and went on to become a top 10 hit around the world, eventually selling over 900,000 copies. Further hits followed, but in the early 1990s Barbara began to move away from pop and back towards her roots in folk and acoustic music, which she has continued to this day. She will be joined on stage by Nick Holland for a show that promises to be one the highlights of the season. Another highlight sure to delight will be award winning music from The Sons of Pitches - winners of the BBC2 TV series ‘The Naked Choir’. They will be taking to the stage in May. More live music will be on offer from a diverse range of genres including 80s alternative rock band The Icicle Works, 60s icons The Troggs, Country music veteran Raymond Froggatt, and 21-year-old Blues maestro Laurence Jones. Away from the musical front Saba Douglas-Hamilton will be visiting in April to share an exciting evening of animal stories and behind the scenes tales of life in Kenya. There’s also fun for the kids with popular children’s show The Owl Who was Afraid of the Dark in April and Marty McDonald’s Toy Machine in August. Further details about these acts and more are available in the Spring/summer edition of the Platform brochure which can be downloaded online at www.lancaster.gov.uk/platform. To buy tickets for events at the Platform visit www.lancaster.gov.uk/platform.
Your District Council Matters Spring/Summer 2016
| 11
WHAT’S ON at the Platform
Brochures are available to collect at the Visitor Information Centres in Morecambe and Lancaster.
April
May
July
1: Swing Commanders 8pm, £12/£13.
1: Disco Inferno 8pm to 1am, £10, (18+).
1: TJ Higgs 7.30pm, £18.50/£20.
2: Blackbeard’s Tea Party
7: Ferocious Dog 7.30pm, £12.50, (18+).
2: The Moonlight Serenade
7.30pm, £12.50.
13: Calan 8pm, £12.50. 9: Laurence Jones Plus Support 7.30pm, £15. 14: The Upbeat Beatles 7.30pm, £15. 13: The Owl Who Was 20: The Mindbenders Afraid of the Dark 7.30pm, £16, (14+). 2pm, £6 individual, £20 family. 22: Promenade Concert Orchestra 3pm, 16: Aly Bain & Phil £7/£13/ £15. Cunningham 7.30pm, £14. 27: The Troggs 7.30pm, £15. 21: Dan McKinnon 8pm, £12. 28: The Sons of Pitches 7.30pm, £20. 22: Showstopping Shakespeare June
Orchestra ‘It’s a Swing Thing’, 7.30pm, £14.50. 8: Talon (The Best of the Eagles) 8pm, £20. 22&23: Rock Back The Clock 7.30pm, £14, (14+).
August 6: The Lancashire Hotpots
‘Nowt Like The 80s Tour’
7.30pm, £14.
4&5: A Splendid Day Out (Steampunk Festival)
13: Tipitina with the One Voice Choir 7.30pm, £12.50. 14: Flanders and Swann Drop Another Hat
11am, £3.
2.30pm, £6/£12/£14.
10: Ritchie, Parrish, Ritchie 8pm, £14.
20: The Counterfeit Sixties 7.30pm, £14/£16.
28: Saba Douglas-
17: Andy Fairweather Low and the Low Riders
24: Marty Macdonald’s Toy Machine 2pm, £7/£8.
7.30pm, £15.50/£17.50.
22: Battle of the Somme
27: Motown Magic Outside (weather permitting), 12pm to 5pm, free. Inside 7.30pm, £10 (18+).
7.30pm, £10.
23&24: Bard on the Beach Market 11am-5pm (Saturday), 10am-5pm (Sunday). £1 suggested donation.
Hamilton - A Life With Elephants 29: The Icicle Works 8pm, £15, (18+).
7.30pm, £20.
Anniversary Evening, 7.30pm, £5. 24: The Raymond Froggatt Show 7.30pm, £15. 25: Barbara Dickson with Nick Holland 7.30pm, £22.
28: Juke Box Jive Outside (weather permitting), 12pm-5pm, free. Indoor 7.30pm-12am, £10.
Details correct at time of going to press. Please check with the venue before making a special journey.
12 |
Your District Council Matters Spring/Summer 2016
Combined authority
Do you know your local councillor?
Over the last few months each of the councils in Lancashire has been discussing the idea of creating a Combined Authority for the county.
Elections took place last May for all 60 seats on Lancaster City Council, resulting in 27 new councillors joining the council.
Lancaster City Council has backed the idea, subject to consultation, and is due to make a final decision whether to take the proposals to the next stage in April. If the proposal gets the go ahead it would mean that councils can work as one democratically strategic accountable body around the key areas of economic development, regeneration and county-wide transport to:
Your local councillor represents and supports the interests of the community. You can contact them to give your views on local issues and also ask for help in any campaigns or improvements you think can be made.
• Avoid duplication and more effective delivery of services
To find out which ward you live in and who your local councillor is visit
• Create a stronger basis for bidding for Government and EU money
www.lancaster.gov.uk/ mylocation
• Make best use of council and Government money
or call 01524 582000.
• Speed up decision-making A combined authority could streamline decision making, be more transparent and efficient and make it easier for Lancashire to attract investment and jobs. They are not about local government re-organisation and would not result in the creation of a ‘super council’ or local authorities merging. Each council would still be responsible for the services it provides e.g. bin collections, highways, education. For more information visit www.lancaster.gov.uk/combined-authority.
LANCASTER
CITY COUNCIL
Promoting City, Coast & Countryside
About your Council Tax
2016/17
2 | About your Council Tax 2016/17
About your Council Tax Council Tax is charged on most homes, whether rented or owned, lived in or not. There’s one bill per home, whether it’s a house, bungalow, flat, maisonette, caravan or houseboat. Each home is in a Valuation Band, A-H, based on what it would have sold for on 1st April 1991. The Valuation Office Agency, not the council, allocates a valuation band to every home. The council uses this to work out your Council Tax bill. You may be able to appeal against the valuation band if: • You have moved into the property in the last 6 months; or • There has been a change in the building, or the physical state of the local area, which could reduce the value of your dwelling. For more information write to: The Listing Officer, Council Tax North, Valuation Office Agency North East and North West, 17th Floor, 53 Portland Street, Manchester M1 3LD. Phone: 03000 501501 Email: ctnorth@voa.gsi.gov.uk Website: www.voa.gov.uk The law requires that you must continue to pay your Council Tax.Second Second homes (furnished dwellings in which no one resides) in this district are charged full Council Tax. If your second home is job-related (unoccupied because you are required to live elsewhere in a property provided for you as a result of your employment), you will be charged 50% of the full Council Tax.
Properties that don’t have to pay Council Tax Council Tax is not charged on homes which: • Only students live in; • Only people under 18 live in; • Only people who are severely mentally impaired live in; • Dependent relatives live in as an annexe to the main property (granny flats); • Unfurnished empty homes for up to two months; Council Tax is not charged on empty homes which: • A charity owns (exempt for up to 6 months); • The person who lived in it is in prison, in hospital or in a residential home; • The person who lived in it has gone to live with someone else to receive care, or has moved to care for someone else; • The trustee of is waiting for probate or letters of administration to be granted; • Is subject to repossession proceedings; • A student owns it and was the last person to live in; • A trustee in bankruptcy is responsible for; • Nobody can live in by law; or • A minister of religion is waiting to occupy.
Discounts The council is required to make sure discounts are being granted to the right households, in the right circumstances. We may do this by sending out forms asking for information. If you get a form asking about discounts, you don’t have to return it, but if you think you’re eligible, returning the
About your Council Tax 2016/17 | 3 form may speed up the decision. When we send your Council Tax bill to you, unless we have information that a discount should apply, we will assume that two or more adults, none of which come under any of the disregarded groups listed below, are resident in the property and issue a bill for full Council Tax. Alternatively, if we have made the assumption that a discount does apply, your bill will state the amount and reason for the discount, and whether this is due to there being only one resident, or because all except one resident is not counted for Council Tax purposes. In all cases, we will continue to assume that a discount does, or does not apply on every day of the period stated on your bill. You must tell us if this assumption is wrong. If there is no discount and you think you should get one, you should write to us explaining why. We will tell you what evidence you may need to provide in support of your claim.
Council tax is no
t charged on stu
dent properties.
• A care worker on low pay (usually working for charities); • A carer for someone with a disability who is not their husband, wife, partner or child under 18; • A member of a religious community; • In prison; or • A member of visiting forces.
If we have given you a discount but you have reason to believe that you are no longer entitled to one, or believe a discount of a smaller amount should apply; you must notify us within 21 days of this belief. Failure to do so could lead to a penalty of £70.00 being imposed.
Most of these categories have conditions which must be met and verified to qualify to be discounted, therefore we may need to request certain information before any discount is applied. In the absence of such information and verification, the council may assume that a discount does not apply, so we would recommend that you contact us to check individual circumstances.
Who is not counted?
Discounts for Empty Dwellings
• A student or student nurse;
Previously certain types of empty homes were exempt from paying Council Tax, but the Government made changes to regulations which abolished these exemptions from 1st April 2013, and gave councils powers to decide on local discounts instead.
• An apprentice or youth training trainee; • An 18-or 19-year old who is at or has just left school; • A long-term hospital patient; • A permanent resident of a care home, nursing home or hostel; • Severely mentally impaired;
Your council decided to apply the following discounts:
4 | About your Council Tax 2016/17
• Empty and unfurnished properties; 100% discount for the first two months; 50% discount for a further period of up to four months, then full council tax; • Empty and unfurnished properties which need major repairs or structural alterations to render them habitable; 50% discount for a maximum 12 months.
Empty Property Premium Properties which have been empty and unfurnished for two years or more will be charged an additional 50% premium on top of the full Council Tax. Exceptions may apply for empty annexes and property left empty by service personnel. Further details can be obtained from the Council Tax section.
Other Discounts/Reductions The council has discretionary power to award a discount, subject to application, if special or exceptional circumstances apply. If someone in your home is disabled and the property has facilities to specifically meet their needs, you may be entitled to pay less Council Tax. These facilities are:
• A room other than a bathroom, kitchen or toilet, needed by the disabled person; • A second bathroom or kitchen for the disabled person; or • Sufficient space to use a wheelchair indoors. Since 1st April 2014, annexes that meet certain conditions qualify for a 50% discount. If our assumption about the Council Tax liability is wrong, or you think you may be entitled to any discount, exemption or relief, please contact us. If you are no longer entitled to a discount, exemption or relief, or a smaller discount should apply; you must notify us within 21 days or may face a penalty of £70. This penalty may also apply if your property is subject to a premium and you fail to notify us that it should not apply, or the amount is incorrect.
Appeals If you have been refused a discount, exemption or relief or do not think you should be responsible for paying Council Tax, you can appeal to us in writing telling us why you think we have got it wrong. Our contact details are on your bill. We will look at your case again and might ask for more information. If we don’t change our decision and you still don’t agree, you can appeal to the Valuation Tribunal. See www.valuationtribunal.gov.uk.
Paying Your Council Tax
d it has disabled an ur home is yo entitled in be ne ay eo m you If som help them to d te ap been ad ount. to claim disc
The bill we send you will tell you how much you have to pay, how much your monthly instalments are and how many instalments we have given you to pay the bill in. Details of how to make your payments are on the back of your bill. It’s important that you pay the instalments on or before the day they are due.
About your Council Tax 2016/17 | 5
then please contact us and we will try to help you. We might be able to make an arrangement with you to pay what you owe. If you: • Make an arrangement but don’t keep to it; • Don’t pay anything; or • Pay something but not all of it we will send you a summons for the Magistrates Court, and costs will be added to your account.
If you are struggling to pay your counci l tax, please give us a cal l.
Bills issued at the start of the financial year will show payments in 10 monthly instalments. If you wish to pay over 12 months instead you must contact us in writing before 15th April 2016 to make this request. Our contact details are on your bill. Applications received after this date will have their instalments extended until March 2017. If you wish to receive your council tax bills by email, please see back page for more information.
What if I don’t pay on time? If you don’t pay your instalments on time we will send you a reminder. This will tell you to bring your payments up to date within seven days. If you can’t bring your payments up to date
You must pay the full amount shown on the summons, plus the costs, before the date of the hearing or contact us to make an arrangement for payment if you can’t pay the full amount. Before we will make an arrangement with you, we will ask you about your financial situation and who you work for and look at your previous payment record. You will still have to pay the summons costs and we will not cancel the court hearing, but you will not have to appear at court. If you don’t pay the amount shown on the summons in full, plus the costs, before the hearing we will ask the Magistrates to grant a liability order against you, and additional costs will be added to your account. This order shows that you’re liable for the amount of Council Tax shown on the summons and allows us to take further action to recover the money from you. If you have made an arrangement with us we will still ask the court for the order, but we will not use the powers it gives as long as you keep to the arrangement. Once we have a liability order from the court we may write to you and ask you for financial information.
6 | About your Council Tax 2016/17
If there is no contact or arrangement to pay, we can take action against you including: • Make deductions directly from your wages/salary; • Make deductions directly from your Income Support, Employment Support Allowance, Job Seekers Allowance, Pension Credit and Universal Credit; • Pass your account to our enforcement agents to recover full payment. This will mean more costs being added to the debt; • Take bankruptcy proceedings against you. You could have to pay additional costs of up to £20,000 or more and lose your home; • Obtain a charging order against your property and ask the court for an order for sale. You would have to pay the council’s costs and may lose your home to pay the debt; • Ask the court to consider sending you to prison for non-payment. We always prefer to make suitable payment arrangements, but if you don’t contact us we will be forced to choose one of the above actions to recover the debt. However, it is the council’s policy to use committal to prison as a last resort. If you are having difficulty paying your bills and need independent advice, we can refer you to a money advice worker at the Citizen’s Advice Bureau or you can contact them direct: Lancaster Citizens Advice Bureau 87 King Street, Lancaster, LA1 1RH Tel: 0344 488 9622 Email: enquiries@northlancashirecab.org.uk.
Morecambe and Heysham Citizens Advice Bureau Oban House, 87-89 Queen Street, Morecambe, LA4 5EN Tel: 0344 488 9622 Email: enquiries@northlancashirecab.org.uk. You can also get independent advice from the Welfare Rights Service: Welfare Rights Service Lancaster and Wyre Area Team, White Cross, South Road, Lancaster, LA1 4XQ Tel: 08450 530013 Email: lancasterwrs@lancashire.gov.uk.
Financial Information Information regarding gross expenditure and Council Tax requirements of the billing authority can be found on the council’s website: www.lancaster.gov.uk/counciltax. A hard copy of this information can be sent to you free of charge on request. Council tax information for Lancashire County Council is available at www.lancashire.gov.uk/ council/finance Relevant financial information for the Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire can be found at www.lancashire-pcc.gov.uk. A hard copy of this information can be downloaded from the website or sent to you free of charge on request. Please telephone 01772 533587. The financial information for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service can be found at www.lancsfirerescue.org.uk.
About your Council Tax 2016/17 | 7
How we can help you pay your Council Tax From April 2013, the national Council Tax Benefit Scheme was abolished and a new Local Council Tax Support Scheme was introduced, through which we may be able to provide help for you to pay your Council Tax. The scheme has now been reviewed and details of the scheme for the year starting 1 April 2015 are shown on our website. Please note that the Second Adult Reduction previously allowed in the scheme no longer applies for working age people from 1 April 2014.
New Claims from 1 April 2016 If you are on a low income, you should make a claim directly to the council. The amount of support you are entitled to will depend on your income and household circumstances. You cannot receive localised council tax support if you have savings or other capital of more than £16,000 unless you are receiving Guarantee Credit from the Pension Service. Child Benefit, War Pensions, War Disablement Pensions and some other social security benefits such as Disability Living Allowance (and Personal Independence Payment) and Attendance Allowance will be ignored when we calculate council tax support. It is important that you claim as soon as possible as delays in claiming may mean that you lose out on any support you may be entitled to. If you are in any doubt as to whether you can claim, please seek advice using the contact details shown. If you are of pension age, you may still be entitled to up to 25% off your council tax bill if other adults (not partners) live with you and they are in receipt of a low income, claiming Job Seekers Allowance or claiming Income Support. The other adults must not be paying rent to you. The council is keen to ensure that people claim the support to which they are entitled. In particular, the council is keen to offer advice to those people who are currently out of work and who would like to know more about the support they may be entitled to should they have the opportunity to return to work. Helping you claim the support you’r
e entitled to.
Access your Benefit, Business Rates or Council Tax account online
You can contact the Benefits Team in any of the following ways: • By post to: Revenue Services, P.O. Box 4, Lancaster LA1 1QR • By telephoning the Benefits Team on (01524) 582965 between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday • By personal visit to the Customer Service Centres at Lancaster or Morecambe Town Halls between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday • By email to benefits@lancaster.gov.uk • Customers with hearing difficulties who have a minicom machine can contact us through Typetalk on 18001 01524 582965. Alternatively, you can visit the benefits page of the council’s website at www.lancaster.gov.uk/benefits for further information. Did you know that you can register to receive future council tax bills and benefit letters by email?
Our online self-service facility is now available via the Council’s website where you can securely view your Benefit, Business Rates and Council Tax accounts. Landlords can also check details of payments of benefit for their tenants. What information can I check? You can check how much Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Support you are receiving and how it has been worked out. The system shows tenants and landlords when payments were made and how much they were for. You can view details of overpayments and copies of letters we have sent to you. You can see how your Business rates or Council Tax bill has been calculated and your outstanding balance. The system also shows when your payments are due and you can set up a direct debit to pay your bill. The website is available 24 hours a day, is 100% secure and it is real time information. Some transactions are also available such as setting up direct debits. You can also report a change of address and make payment arrangements. How do I access my account?
´
It costs at least 33p to print and post bills and letters. Sending them by email is free and the most efficient and cost effective way for us to contact you. If you would like to receive your bills and letters by secure e-mail please let us know by sending an email to customerservices@lancaster. gov.uk or fill in the online form at www.lancaster.gov.uk/ebilling providing your name and address and the email address you would like us to use. We will then contact you with further information and instructions.
´ ´
You will first need to register at www.lancaster.gov.uk/revenuesselfservice using your email address and like most online services, you will need to create a username (this can be your email address) and a password to register. The registration process is completed with us asking you to answer some security questions and to enter the reference numbers of the accounts you want to view. You will find your account reference number on your Benefit award letter or Council Tax or Business Rates bill. If you are a landlord registering for access to your tenants’ payment details you will need your payment reference number (creditor number) to complete your registration. You can find this on the payment schedule that we send you showing details of your payments. If you need any help with the registration process, you will be able to email revenuessupportteam@lancaster.gov.uk where someone will be happy to help.
Your District Council Matters Spring/Summer 2016
| 13
Turning empty properties into family homes OWNERS of empty properties are being urged to work with Lancaster City Council to bring their vacant assets back into use. In the last year the council has had direct involvement in bringing 70 long term empty properties back into occupation through negotiation and intervention.
Before
After
These are properties that would have potentially otherwise sat empty, which are now providing much needed accommodation. In the worst cases of properties that have been abandoned or have uncooperative owners, the council has the powers to enforce the sale to bring the property back into use.
Before
After
Funding is available to bring properties back into use through a partnership between the city council and Methodist Action North West. The partnership started in 2012 and with the help of central government funding, 13 long term empty properties were successfully brought back into use to create 16 new homes across the Lancaster district. Building on the success of the partnership, the city council has employed a full time Empty Homes Officer and now has a dedicated budget to target and spend on long term empty properties, which when brought back into use will provide high quality homes for local people in need. If you are aware of a problem empty property in your area or own a property that you would like to discuss, please contact Claire Taylor on (01524) 582321 or cdtaylor@lancaster.gov.uk.
14 |
Your District Council Matters Spring/Summer 2016
Where’s your food from? The horse meat scandal of a few years ago highlighted the importance of maintaining good records and checks on where meat comes from at every stage in its journey from farm to fork. Known as ‘traceability’ this helps to ensure confidence that food entering the human food chain is safe to eat. The lack of proper record keeping to verify traceability also breaches food hygiene regulations. In a recent joint operation with Wyre Borough Council, a large quantity of frozen game birds was seized by the city council’s food safety officers because of inadequate traceability. The company, HyFly Game Hatcheries Ltd of Pilling, was unable to provide sufficient documentation to verify where the birds originated or how they had been processed. As a result the birds were declared unfit for human consumption and an order for their destruction was made at Blackpool Magistrates Court. The ultimate cost to the company was around £60,000. This example shows how serious and costly it can be not to keep the proper records. In addition to this operation and their regular checks on local food operators (see article on page 15) the food team has also been very active in investigating suspected food poisoning outbreaks during 2015. The most common food poisoning organism is called Campylobacter and is associated with chicken. The Food Standards Agency campaign “The 2015 Chicken Challenge” was intended to halve the number of cases confirmed in the year. The campaign has been supported by encouraging people not to wash fresh chicken before cooking because it can spread the bacteria, and also to ensure it is cooked properly.
Your District Council Matters Spring/Summer 2016
| 15
What are the scores on the doors? A national food hygiene inspection scheme continues to go from strength to strength with 903 businesses out of 1,190 now achieving the top score of 5. Developed by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in partnership with local authorities, the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme provides at-a-glance information on food hygiene standards to help people make informed choices about where to eat or shop. Once local food outlets have been inspected by food safety officers to check that hygiene standards meet legal requirements, they are given a rating from 0 to 5. All inspections are conducted without warning. The owner is informed of how the rating was achieved together with advice on what to do to improve the score if necessary. Although we are pleased with the high standards of most local food businesses, where our inspectors find poor cleanliness and severe disregard for food safety they will not hesitate to prosecute the business. One food business found this out recently when it was prosecuted for failing to comply with food hygiene regulations. Ming Qin Chen from the Magic Wok on Newmarket Street in Morecambe, pleaded guilty to offences under the Food Safety Act of 1990 when he appeared before magistrates in Lancaster. The court heard that routine food hygiene inspections carried out on September 29 2014, January 5 2015 and April 27 2015 revealed numerous contraventions of food hygiene and a poor history of compliance. The 14 offences included poor standards and structure and risk of cross contamination. In total he was fined £1,800, ordered to pay £1,000 in costs and a £120 victim surcharge.
Scores for local food outlets are published nationally online at www.food. gov.uk/ratings or via the city council’s website at www.lancaster.gov.uk/ foodratings. The Government recently announced that it intends to make it compulsory for all businesses to display their rating so the public will instantly know what it is. No date has been set but we expect that it will be within the next 18 months.
16 |
Your District Council Matters Spring/Summer 2016
Thank you for being a friend DO the district’s parks and open spaces hold a special place in your heart? If so, perhaps you’d like to be involved in making them a memorable place to be for others too! Friends of Parks groups play a vital role in protecting and enhancing local parks, woodlands, play areas and green spaces. Working in partnership with the council, they give residents a greater say in what goes on in their local park. The groups volunteer their time and energy to get involved with a huge range of different projects including: • Fundraising for improvements and events • Enhancing biodiversity (eg creating wildflower meadows) • Practical tasks like clean-ups and tree planting • Improving access • Contributing to the planning and management of the park • Leading walks and talks • Producing promotional and educational resources It is entirely up to the group what level of activity they undertake. Some may operate at a low level, simply distributing information regarding the park, whilst others can be more active, raising funds and organising events. A number of parks including Williamson Park, Ryelands Park and Happy Mount Park have existing groups that you can join and make a difference to your community. Alternatively, if your local park or open space doesn’t have a group, you could start your own. The first step is to find like-minded people who want to get involved in your local park. This might seem quite daunting but there are a few simple things you can do such as sending out flyers or putting up posters. Personal contact, such as speaking to people in your park, is often the most important factor in getting the community involved. A good idea is to have an informal gathering or event in order to attract as many potential friends as possible. For more information and to get involved email PublicRealm@lancaster.gov.uk or visit www.lancaster.gov.uk/friends-parks.
Your District Council Matters Spring/Summer 2016
| 17
More than a meer park Lancaster’s Williamson Park is now better than ever with the introduction of some brand new attractions. Nine furry new friends in the shape of African meerkats are making their home in a new enclosure based in the park’s small animal zoo. The city council is also investing £75,000 which, along with a further £30,000 secured by volunteer group the Friends of Williamson Park, has been used to give a long overdue makeover to the play area near to the Ashton Memorial. As well as new play equipment significant work has taken place to improve the drainage, improve paths and to the landscaping. Sorry kids – no more muddy puddles to jump in on a wet day! Children aged eight years and above will be catered for with a new play area at the bottom of the hill. Phase one is due to be completed by the end of March and will be improved upon if funding becomes available. For more information on Williamson Park and its attractions visit www.lancaster.gov.uk/ williamsonpark or follow the park at Facebook.com/ williamsonpark and Twitter @williamsonpark.
Competition We have an annual pass for the Butterfly House, mini-beast house and small animal zoo to give away. Normally costing £40, the Wild Card gives unlimited access to the attraction for 12 months for two adults and two children.
To be in with a chance of winning simply answer the following question:
Which continent do meerkats originally come from? Send your answers by email to communications@lancaster.gov.uk or write to Williamson Park competition, Communications, Lancaster City Council, Dalton Square, Lancaster, LA1 1PJ. The deadline for entries is Friday April 29 2016.
18 |
Your District Council Matters Spring/Summer 2016
Help is just a phonecall away Have you spotted someone sleeping out on the streets that you think needs help? Contacting StreetLink is the most effective way of alerting local authorities and specialist services to someone who may be in desperate need of help, whatever the time of day or night. A dedicated team of city council staff are on standby 24/7 to respond to alerts and offer on the spot support and advice as well as making arrangements to get them off the street and into temporary accommodation. Although some rough sleepers are already known to the team, there can be others new to the district which remain unnoticed, bedding down at different times of day or night, and moving from place to place. Even though the Lancaster district doesn’t have the number of rough sleepers you might see in other towns and cities, the council remains committed to ensuring noone on its patch spends a second night out on the street. If you’re concerned about someone sleeping rough, the best thing you can do is to report what you have seen to StreetLink so that the council’s specialist team of staff can bring them in out of the cold and connect them to other local services which can get them back on their feet. You can contact StreetLink by telephoning the 24/7 StreetLink phone line 0300 500 0914 or report your concerns using the StreetLink website www.streetlink.org.uk.
Alternatively you can download the StreetLink App from the iTunes or Google Market store free of charge. At evenings and weekends, you can call Lancaster City Council’s out of hours service on 01524 67099.
Your District Council Matters Spring/Summer 2016
| 19
A lasting memorial A memorial stone has been unveiled to honour a hero of the First World War who spent his early years in Lancaster. Second Lieutenant James Leach was serving with the 2nd Manchester Regiment, which had been mobilised to the village of Festubert in Northern France, when his heroism earned him the Victoria Cross. The award was made for his “conspicuous bravery” after voluntarily launching an attack on a trench that had been earlier captured by a German advance. Working with one of his men, Sergeant John Hogan, the trench was recaptured and in the process of doing so eight members of the enemy were killed, two wounded and 16 taken prisoner. Leach and Hogan were awarded the Victoria Cross for their bravery with the award citation reading:
“For conspicuous bravery near Festubert on the 29th October 1914, when after their trench had been taken by the Germans and after two attempts at recapture had failed, they voluntarily decided to recover the trench themselves, and working from traverse to traverse at close quarters with great bravery, they gradually succeeded in regaining possession, killing eight of the enemy, wounding two and making sixteen prisoner.”
To mark the 100th anniversary of the First World War plaques of every VC winner are being unveiled around the country in locations relevant to their lives. Bowerham Primary School was chosen for James Leach as he attended the school while his dad was stationed at Bowerham barracks in the 1900s.
Armed Forces Day Lancaster City Council is working with a range of organisations to celebrate the anniversary of the First World War and also to raise the profile of Armed Forces Day. Taking place in June, events will be held in both Lancaster and Morecambe as part of the annual celebration thanking the county’s past and present service men and women. For more information visit www.lancaster.gov.uk/armed-forces-day.
20 |
Your District Council Matters Spring/Summer 2016
How should we plan for our district’s future? LAST autumn we asked for your views on a proposed overall approach to allocating future housing and employment land for potentially 9,500 jobs and 13,000 new homes over the next 20 years. The consultation identified a number of potential new strategic development sites, including urban extensions in Lancaster and sites in the Green Belt between Lancaster and Carnforth. The feedback from the consultation will be used to help prepare a local plan that allocates enough land to meet identified development needs. Over the next six to nine months these areas will be assessed to see if they are suitable, available and achievable for development. Overall 975 responses were received, highlighting objections, advantages and disadvantages for all of the potential sites. Key concerns included the need for additional housing and employment opportunities to support the level of growth, infrastructure provision and rural and environmental impacts. Alternative sites were suggested, although the majority of these have already been assessed and taken into account. The consultation feedback and other evidence will be used to prepare a draft Land Allocations Document for consideration with other Local Plan documents. The consultation report can be viewed at www.lancaster.gov.uk/planning-policy.
What is a Local Plan? The 2011 to 2031 Local Plan will set out how planning applications should be decided, identify areas for development and show which areas of the district should be protected for their environment, social or economic value. This will be made up of five documents: • Development Management (policies used to consider planning applications) • Morecambe Area Action Plan (actions to support regeneration of central Morecambe) • Land Allocations (sites that will be developed and protected shown on a policies map) • Arnside and Silverdale AONB Plan (being prepared in partnership with South Lakeland District Council) • Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Plan (policies that consider Gypsy and Traveller needs)
Your District Council Matters Spring/Summer 2016
| 21
Making your metals matter Did you know that the food or drink cans you recycle could be back on the supermarket shelf in as little as 60 days? Household metal waste can be turned into a whole range of new products, from a designer watch, to a washing machine or even a new bus. By making metals matter you’ll not only be putting your waste to good use and preventing valuable materials ending up on landfill, you’ll also be saving the planet’s precious resources.
What metals can I recycle? Metal household recyclables come in all shapes and sizes. • Drinks cans • Food tins • Empty aerosols • Foil • Foil trays • Sweet and biscuit tins • Metal bottle caps and lids To help the sorting process, all the above items should be empty and foil trays and tins wiped or rinsed. Your metal recyclables are separated from the glass and plastic before being passed on to different companies across the UK to be melted and turned into everyday products. To see exactly where all your recyclable items end up, visit www.globalrenewables.co.uk.
What about small metal electrical items? Small electrical items can be recycled at one of the following four recycling banks in the district: • Asda on Ovangle Road • Morrisons • Bull Beck picnic site • Thurnham Street - Lancaster
Food Waste
Food waste will no longer be collected and taken away for recycling following a decision made by Lancashire County Council to end the service. This means that residents can no longer use the green garden bin or kerbside caddy to dispose of food waste. Food waste should now be placed in the grey bin or composted at home. For further information on home composting visit www.getcomposting.com
or further information on reducing food waste please visit www. lovefoodhatewaste.com.
To find out what small electrical items or other metal items can be recycled visit www.lancaster. gov.uk/recycling.
22 |
Your District Council Matters Spring/Summer 2016
Salt Ayre redevelopment plans Salt Ayre Sports Centre is in line for a £5million renovation to improve its current facilities, create brand new attractions and reduce running costs. Subject to approval as part of the budget proposals, the ‘invest to save’ project will provide facilities much more in keeping with demand and allow many more people of all ages and abilities to enjoy leading a healthy lifestyle. Under the plans the centre – which opened in 1992 – will be transformed into a ‘community hub’ with many new or replacement facilities including: • Outdoor Facilities - A new high ropes ‘thrill tower’ would replace the outdoor artificial turf pitch along with a new BMX track and fitness training facilities.
• Projectile Hall - This facility would be transformed to a multi- functional training room, complementing the new fitness suite.
• Café - Complete refurbishment of cafeteria area including provision of specific birthday party facilities for children.
• Fitness Suite - Expansion of existing fitness suite to allow for circa 100 fitness stations and a dedicated ‘spinning studio’.
• Adventure Play and VertGo - Provision of three storey adventure play area within half the sports hall and a clip and climb facility (VertGo) which is suitable for young people and adults. Half the sports hall would remain for sporting use e.g. five a side football, badminton.
• Community Facilities - Additional community meeting rooms and areas for clubs and groups. • General - All changing rooms and toilets would be refurbished and numerous improvements made to building finishes.
In addition to providing better facilities the development put the centre on a better financial footing for the future. Investing now will save money in the long term with increased income and decreased costs helping to offset the initial outlay. The investment would be paid back within 12 years and without it the centre would need a bigger subsidy to stay open.
Your District Council Matters Spring/Summer 2016
| 23
Become a market trader - for free! Ever fancied running your own business but don’t know where to start? Our markets in Lancaster and Morecambe are offering a number of opportunities for budding local entrepreneurs to launch a new business or expand on an existing one with free and discounted rates for pitches and stalls.
Festival Market, Morecambe • Vintage Corner Traders in all things vintage, are being invited to be a part of a brand new venture launching in Spring this year, when the market introduces a new section dedicated to the sale of vintage wear, accessories and other items. Both established and new small businesses are being offered a portion of the new space for free until the end of April. This is followed by a rental of just £25 a month for three months, then £50 per month for a further 3 months. • Discounted rates for general traders For just £50 per month for the first three months, traders who take up a stall at the market before the end of May with a new commodity will be able to get off to a flying start and look forward to summer trading.
Assembly Rooms Emporium Located on King Street, Lancaster, the Assembly Rooms Emporium is on the hunt for new stallholders who can introduce exclusives to the mix of unique items on sale in this beautiful 18th century building. Rents start at a mere £16 a week.
Charter Market, Lancaster Free pitches are currently available for the first six months of trading in the Church Street section for new traders who can bring something different and exciting to this busy street market. For more information or to reserve a pitch or stall, contact the Markets Team on 01524 414251 or email markets@lancaster.gov.uk. Alternatively register an interest at www.lancaster.gov.uk/traderinterest More information on all Lancaster City Council’s markets is available at www.lancaster.gov.uk/markets.
How to contact us Did you know that information on all the services provided by the council can be found online at www.lancaster.gov.uk
Below is an at-a-glance guide to our most frequently used telephone numbers. Customer Services
01524 582000
You can make payments, report issues and make applications for a number of council services using our website too.
Domestic Waste and Street Cleaning
You can also email us with your comments and queries at customerservices@lancaster.gov.uk.
Council Tax
However, if you don’t have access to the internet or need to speak to one of our advisers you can contact us: ✓ In person at Lancaster and Morecambe Town Halls (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday). ✓ By telephone: 9am to 5pm weekdays (10am to 5pm on Wednesdays). Please note that our customer service centres are closed on all bank holidays.
Location, Location, Location At the touch of a button, and at any time of day or night, you can find out when your bins are collected, when your street is cleaned, where you can recycle things, where the nearest public toilet is, and much more. Just visit www.lancaster.gov.uk/mylocation and enter your address. Our My Location service covers every address in the district and gives you 24/7 access to a wide range of location-based information.
01524 582491 01524 582900 Elections
01524 582905 Residents Parking
01524 582972 Housing Standards and Homelessness
01524 582257 Ideal Choice Homes
01524 582005 Council Housing
01524 582929 Tell Us Once
01524 582000 Out-of-hours Emergencies
01524 67099 Markets
01524 414251
Preston City Council Design & Print Centre - LCC027