Telephone 01543 308000 · www.lichfielddc.gov.uk
Lichfield District Council’s residents’ magazine
WINTER 2015 & SPRING 2016
intouch
Improving Stowe Pool £1 million bid to restore Stowe Pool & Fields
Christmas is coming!
Which council?
Give your views
A guide to the services your local councils provide.
Help us to shape our future priorities and aims.
Enjoy two weekends of festive cheer at Lichfield Christmas Festival.
PAGES 4 - 5
PAGE 7
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www.lichfielddc.gov.uk
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www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/news Keep up to date on council news
Welcome to intouch Councillor Mike Wilcox, Leader of Lichfield District Council
michael.wilcox@lichfielddc.gov.uk
Welcome to our winter and spring edition of intouch – Lichfield District Council’s magazine for local residents. On top of council news and information about our services, in this issue we are asking for your views to help us shape our Strategic Plan. This will outline the council’s priorities and direction, so it’s really important that local people get involved in this process. Please turn to page 7 to find out more. With three councils serving you locally, it can be confusing to know who is responsible for what, so we’ve created a handy centre page pull-out spread that lists the services we offer, as well as those provided by the county and parish councils. Below: New council website launches
Over the summer we re-launched our website – www.lichfielddc.gov.uk – following a complete redesign. We’ve still got some finishing touches to make, but feedback so far has been really positive with users telling us that it’s much easier to find information and that it works well from mobile devices.
Staffordshire County Council is set to repave three city centre roads in early 2016. This is because since our 2007 paving project, some of the paving stones have not proved as hardwearing as they should have been and have cracked. We’re part-funding the works, which includes repaving Conduit Street, Breadmarket Street and part of Market Street. Christmas is coming, and there are plenty of ways to get into the spirit across the district, including the Lichfield Christmas Festival weekends, Carols in the Trenches at Staffordshire Regiment Museum, Jack and the Beanstalk at the Lichfield Garrick and much more. I hope you find intouch interesting and that you have a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
Pictured: The Jack and the Beanstalk cast at the Lichfield Garrick
intouch If you need intouch in another format, such as large print, please call Esther Epstein on 01543 308778 or email esther.epstein@lichfielddc.gov.uk
Above: Friarsgate public exhibition
Friarsgate update Over the summer Development Securities asked for local people’s feedback on the new plans for Friarsgate – the retail, leisure and residential city centre scheme. The developers consulted with the local community by displaying the revised designs in a city centre shop unit and held two days of public consultation events. Around 900 people came along and 295 feedback forms were submitted. The majority of the comments received were positive, with respondents stating that Friarsgate will have a good impact on the city. Many local residents were excited by the new shopping and leisure facilities the development will bring, which also include a cinema. Some concerns were raised, including the design details of some of the buildings. These have been passed to the development team who are incorporating the feedback in their revised designs that will form part of the planning application. Scott Davidson, of Development Securities PLC, said: “Thank you to everyone who attended the open exhibitions and gave their views. This feedback is crucial in helping to shape a city centre development that is right for Lichfield.” The planning application is expected to be submitted later this year.
Lichfield District Council’s residents’ magazine
intouch
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Bin calendars and Christmas collections We’re sending out new 2016 bin calendars to every household across the district. The calendars also include information about festive bin collections. So that our crews can enjoy the festive break, we will not be emptying
Above: Fly-tipping at Whitacre Lane in Lower Stonnall
Spate of fly-tipping
bins on Christmas Day (Friday 25 December), Boxing Day Bank Holiday (Monday 28 December) and New Year’s Day (Friday 1 January). We’re also suspending brown bin collections from 28 December to 11 January. If your bin collection is affected, please check your new bin calendar to find out when your replacement collections will be. If you haven’t received a bin calendar by 15 December, download yours from www.recycleforlichfielddistrict.co.uk or call us on 0345 002 0022 (charged at the local rate if calling from a landline). We’ve written to around 6,800 homes to tell
Some bin days are changing 2015-2016
Following a surge in fly-tipping incidents since the summer, we are urging people to come forward if they see any rubbish being dumped across the district. In the past few months, we’ve removed piles of waste such as old furniture, wood scraps, black bags as well as conifer cuttings. Councillor Iain Eadie, Cabinet Member for
them about changes to their collection days.
Waste Services, said: “Fly-tipping is a criminal offence
This means it’s even more important for these
that is both unsightly and expensive to clear up.
homes to keep hold of their calendars to make
We’re encouraging anyone that may have seen the
sure they know when to put their bins out.
culprits in action to report what they saw, so we can investigate and prosecute those responsible.”
Commemorating Chasetown’s fallen heroes In the autumn we sought the relatives of 22 Second World War heroes whose names are engraved on Chasetown’s war memorial. We needed to find them to ask permission to use the men’s surnames as street names for a new housing development at Milestone Way in Chasetown. Councillor Chris Spruce, Cabinet Member for Finance & Democracy,
To help stamp out fly-tipping, report it by calling 01543 308999 or visiting www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/ reportit.
Full steam ahead for the BID Following a resounding ‘yes’ vote, the Lichfield Business Improvement District (or BID for short) formally started on 1 October. The newly formed BID Board is in the process of
said: “After using the local press and social media in our search, we were
recruiting a City Centre Manager who will deliver
amazed by the response with tens of thousands of retweets and reposts
the exciting BID plans.
and the local press taking a great interest in the story. “We’ve managed to track down many descendants who were delighted that we are commemorating their relatives in this way. Our thanks to Burntwood Town Council for proposing the idea, which we are delighted to be making a reality.”
Projects the BID is aiming to deliver include free WiFi across the city, Christmas events, new signage, Night Angels, parking offers and more. To find out about the BID programme visit www.lichfieldbid.co.uk
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A HANDY PULL OUT AND KEEP GUIDE TO WHICH COUNCIL DOES WHAT
Which council? Sometimes it can be confusing to know which council is responsible for your local services as Lichfield District is also served by Staffordshire County Council and parish councils. You’ll find the main services provided by each council on these two pages. The lists are not exhaustive but should give you a good overview of what each council does. Please pull out and keep these pages so you can quickly find out which council you need to contact.
Services provided by Lichfield District Council www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/whichcouncil
Waste, recycling & street cleansing
Leisure centres
Parks & open spaces
Planning & building control
Car parks & parking enforcement
Public toilets
Collecting council tax & business rates
Housing benefit & council tax support
Housing & homelessness support
Tourist information & development
Community safety
Creating plans for local development
Business support & economic regeneration
Monitoring CCTV
Running elections
Food safety inspections
Environmental health
Licensing businesses
Wildlife conservation
Community transport
If you can’t find the service you need, see those listed on page 5.
A HANDY PULL OUT AND KEEP GUIDE TO WHICH COUNCIL DOES WHAT
Lichfield District Council website Our website is full of useful information about our services, from finding out how to order an extra bin or register for social housing, through to swimming pool timetables and local events.
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Services provided by Staffordshire County Council
www.lichfielddc.gov.uk
You can also use our website to: Pay for it Pay for council tax, parking permits and more.
www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/payforit
Apply for it
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Schools, nurseries and children’s centres
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Adopting and fostering
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Children and adult social care
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Adult and community learning
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Roads, street lights, illuminated signs,
Apply for planning permission and more.
footpaths and rights of way
www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/applyforit I
Trading standards advice
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Operating waste and recycling sites (tips)
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Libraries and mobile libraries
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Public health
www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/voiceit
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Bus and transport issues
Get in touch with your councillor
Staffordshire County Council
If you have a local issue you need advice on, contact your local district councillor.
Telephone: 0300 111 8000 www.staffordshire.gov.uk
Report it Report a missed bin, a lost dog and more.
www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/reportit
Voice it Get involved in community consultations.
www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/councillors
Services provided by Parish councils I
Events and encouraging the arts
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Allotments and village halls
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Some recreation grounds
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War memorials
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Footpath signage and lighting
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Creating neighbourhood plans
Lichfield District Council
Parish councils
Telephone: 01543 308000 www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/contacts
Find your parish clerk’s details at www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/parishcouncils
www.lichfielddc.gov.uk
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www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/leisure Find out what’s on offer at our leisure centres and parks
A state-of-the-art, fully equipped gym
How can we improve Stowe Pool? www.lichfieldhistoricparks.co.uk/stowe-pool
We’re working on a funding bid to Heritage Lottery Fund which could see up to £1 million invested into Stowe Pool and Stowe Fields.
“If successful the funding could be spent on improvements, such as a new entrance, refurbished paths, and a new play area, as well as education and volunteering programmes.” Councillor Andy Smith Cabinet Member for Leisure & Parks
“We’ll start putting together our application in 2016, but first we need local views on what we should include,” continued Councillor Smith.
We will be collecting ideas at a drop-in workshop at the Discovery Hub in Beacon Park on Saturday 28 November between 10am and 3pm. So, if you haven’t told us your thoughts yet, please join us to tell us how you think we could improve Stowe Pool and Fields. If you can’t get along to this event, but still want to give your views email parks@lichfielddc.gov.uk
Historic parks newsletter To keep up to date with everything that’s going on across Lichfield Historic Parks, sign up to receive our free, seasonal e-newsletter ParkLife. It has news from Beacon Park, Minster Pool & Walk, the Garden of Remembrance and Stowe Pool. It also has a handy calendar of park events. Sign up to receive ParkLife by emailing parks@lichfielddc.gov.uk or read the latest issue online at www.lichfieldhistoricparks.co.uk/parklife
Personalised fitness programmes A wide range of fitness classes for all levels 1 to 1 induction and support Access to the centre’s two swimming pools
Fantastic health suite and sauna, spa and steam room
membership member ship from
£35 £3 5 a month
Call Inspire at Burntwood Leisure Centre on 01543 308810 www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/inspire www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/inspire
A range of great value memberships and classes Newly refurbished fitness suite 1 to 1 induction and support Excellent class programme Personalised fitness programmes
Access to the centre’s swimming pool
membership from
£27 a month
Call Evolve at Friary Grange Leisure Centre on 01543 308842 www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/evolve
TRY OUT THE GYMS FOR ONE WEEK FOR JUST £10! www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/oneweekpass
Lichfield District Council’s residents’ magazine
intouch
Are we heading in the right direction? We’re putting together our Strategic Plan that will set out where we’re going for the next four years. This will help us to focus on what is important locally and direct our resources where they will have the most benefit for local people and businesses. As part of this we’ve taken on board the results of last year’s Your View questionnaire, and we’re now asking for your thoughts on where we should be putting our energies. We also need to know whether we’ve selected the right priorities for our district. We’ve identified our main priorities, which include creating:
Clean, green and welcoming places
A vibrant and prosperous economy
Healthy and safe communities I
Do you agree with these priorities?
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Have we missed anything important?
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If you’ve got any ideas about where our focus should be, please tell us.
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Local factors to bear in mind:
People I
Our population is set to grow from 102,100 to 107,400 by 2024.
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9.5% of residents are over 75, and there will be a 62% increase in the number of residents aged over 75 by 2024.
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A quarter of all residents are inactive.
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While a safe community is important to local people, crime is low and fear of crime is disproportionate to reality.
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Local people are willing to volunteer for a good cause.
Place I
The average house price in the district is £192,000.
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Private sector rents are the highest in Staffordshire.
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The average household size is decreasing.
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29% of the population live in rural areas.
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One in ten local households live in fuel poverty.
Economy I
In general people’s salaries are higher – the average local wage is £29,276 compared to £27,195 nationally.
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We have low unemployment and good levels of education. However, nearly 5,000 people live in areas of deprivation where unemployment is a problem.
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There are a high number of business start-ups and good survival rates.
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50% of residents work in the district.
It is also worth bearing in mind, that we can only deliver certain services and have limited powers – turn to page 4 to see the main services we provide. This means we can only achieve our priorities by working in partnership with other agencies and volunteer groups.
“Creating a Strategic Plan will help us to formalise where the council is going in the future and where our priorities lie.” Councillor Mike Wilcox Leader of Lichfield District Council
“We hope our residents will get involved and give us their feedback, as it’s important that we consider local views in this process. Through the plan, we’ll also be calling on individuals, families and businesses to join us in helping to work towards these shared goals,” continued Councillor Wilcox.
You can help us to shape our plans going forward by giving us your thoughts. Please email your ideas to colin.cooke@lichfielddc.gov.uk or send them in writing to: Colin Cooke, Lichfield District Council, District Council House, Frog Lane, Lichfield WS13 6YU. The deadline to respond is by 5pm on Friday 8 January 2016.
www.lichfielddc.gov.uk
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www.visitlichfield.co.uk For local events, attractions, shops and places to stay
Snug as a bug Lichfield Christmas Festival Saturday 5 & Sunday 6 December and Saturday 12 December
Celebrate Christmas with two weekends of festive events and activities around Lichfield City. On Saturday 5 December visit the Twinkly Market along Minster Pool Walk and Santa’s Grotto in Beacon Park, where craft activities will also be on offer.
Our Warmer Homes, Greener District energy advice line offers free over-the-phone advice on: ■
Affordable warmth measures
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Problems with heating and hot water
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Fuel bills and fuel debt
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Energy efficiency and renewable technologies
For impartial energy advice, call Warmer Homes, Greener District for free on 0800 677 1543.
What’s On To keep up to date on events and activities across the district and beyond, pick up a copy of What’s On from Tourist Information at St Mary’s in the Market Square. Above: Christmas festivities at Erasmus Darwin House
The Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum is running A Johnson Family Christmas on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December, which will include festive music, refreshments and activities. On Sunday 6 December stock up on gifts at the Lichfield Chamber of Trade Christmas Fayre and enjoy entertainment on the Market Square. The day boasts an indoor gift fair, the chance to see Santa and craft activities at St Mary’s in the Market Square. Then in the afternoon, don’t miss Lichfield Cathedral’s lantern parade, music and lighting of the Christmas tree. The following weekend, on Saturday 12 December, Erasmus Darwin House and Cathedral Close will host a beautiful Georgian Market featuring festive food and gift stalls, to celebrate Erasmus Darwin’s birthday. Find out more information, including the times of activities, at www.visitlichfield.co.uk/christmasfestival or pick up a leaflet from Tourism Information, at St Mary’s in the Market Square.
You can also sign up for monthly special offers at www.visitlichfield.co.uk/specialoffers
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More news
To follow council news throughout the year, visit www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/news W
Feedback
To give us your feedback about intouch, please call Esther Epstein on 01543 308778 or email esther.epstein@lichfielddc.gov.uk
Intouch is published by Lichfield District Council, District Council House, Frog Lane, Lichfield, Staffordshire WS13 6ZB, Winter 2015 © Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this magazine is correct. However, the publisher cannot be held responsible for any loss or disappointment arising from misinterpretation, error, omission or subsequent change to the information.