Issue 17 June 2012
Wealden Cabinet News
Council Leader Bob Standley congratulated Council staff on the ongoing success of the Council’s Transformation Programme, which aims to make annual budget savings of £3million a year in the cost of running the Council. At the end of the Council’s 2011/2012 financial year, it had achieved a provisional surplus of £187,000 against an expected budgeted deficit for the year of £250,000 as the Council delivers a programme of changes.
This does not happen by accident. A lot of hard work has gone into achieving these savings and we have done extremely well to come in on time and on budget, said Councillor Standley.
LATEST PERFORMANCE INDICATORS published by the Council show that registration of planning applications has improved in the final quarter of 2011/12. Nearly 94% of applications were registered within 5 days (figures for the year overall were 87% against a target of 95% within five days).
Excellent performance was recorded in many sectors with more than double (244) the number of affordable homes built against target. Phone response speed averaged 22 seconds against the 30 second target and the average days per employee lost to staff sickness fell by 1.3. The number of people killed or seriously injured on Wealden’s roads fell from 115 in 2010/11 to 93 in 2011/12, and the course of the year 376 new jobs have been created as a result of planning permissions granted.
CABINET has agreed that Wealden will provide a free opt-in Garden Waste collection service as part of the implementation of a Joint Waste Contract in Wealden, and it will seek to include glass and cardboard among the recyclables collected at the kerbside.
As the final phase of the procurement process approaches, Cabinet has asked that the collection of food waste should continue to be explored, but while desirable in principle, it was important that this was also affordable. Wealden is expecting the JWC to make savings of at least £500,000 to the cost of waste and recycling in the District.
Sharing the service across Sussex authorities will produce real benefits in service and cost. Cabinet also approved an option to allow for seven day a week working, with restricted start and finishing times. This is in keeping with the service provided by other Sussex partners.
TO MEET THE new requirement to provide a Localised System of Council Tax support, Cabinet endorsed plans to develop an East Sussex-wide approach.
From April 1, 2013, the amount of money Wealden receives to provide assistance to residents who qualify for Council Tax support will be cut by 10 per cent. To meet the shortfall, Wealden, like other authorities, will have to find a way of modifying the amount of support received by households of working age.
Through these changes, outlined in the Local Government Finance Bill, the Government hopes to bolster economic growth and encourage people back into work. Nearly 9,500 of Wealden’s 63,000 households claim Council Tax Benefit. Pensioners claiming Council Tax benefit will not be affected – they account for 55% of all claimants. The reduced money Wealden receives will take account of amounts precepted by parish and town councils.
As distribution of working age claimants within a parish will affect that parish’s precepting ability, Wealden will be keeping towns and parishes informed throughout the reform process. In order to complete next year’s Council tax base calculations, Wealden’s Full Council will be expected to adopt the new procedures at its November 2012 meeting.
The Local Government Finance Bill also will give the Council the flexibility to vary existing Council Tax discounts and exemptions on properties. These include second home discounts, buildings which are uninhabitable, empty properties and those which have been repossessed. Such measures could affect 1,500 properties in Wealden and would ease the reductions on council tax benefit paid to occupied households. These measures are to be looked at in the proposals to draw up a Localised System of Council Tax Support.
Once the District Council has meaningful information to share with town and parish councils we will be in touch. As you can appreciate, this involves a lot of detailed work and we are awaiting reporting enhancements from software suppliers in order to allocate current Council Tax Benefit claimants to parish level. We anticipate being able to provide further information in August/September in order to aid parish councils with their financial planning.
Cabinet approved plans to transfer ownership of Uplands Court to the Orbit Housing Group and to work with Orbit to create 22 new homes which are much better suited to family needs than the current properties. These will be available at affordable rents. Housing officers are discussing options for alternative accommodation. Work is not expected to begin until autumn 2013.
Planning News
As part of a drive to get closer to customers, Wealden’s planning service is providing local planning advice for two days a week in Uckfield.
Through a joint initiative with Uckfield Town Council, a Wealden planning officer will be available to deal with public enquiries about prospective planning applications and enforcement matters and to advise the town and surrounding parish councils on current applications.
The officer will be based at town council offices in Uckfield Civic Centre on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Members of the public will be able to book an appointment with the planning officer on Thursday afternoons.
Cabinet changes following Wealden’s annual meeting
Two new councillors join the Wealden Cabinet: Cllr Jan Dunk, who takes responsibility for Corporate Assets and Revenues and Benefits; and Cllr Rowena Moore who takes responsibility for Waste Management.
Cllr Pam Doodes stood down at the Council’s annual meeting on 16 May, and was thanked by Councillor Standley for the number of roles she had taken in recent years. “The new composition of the Cabinet will help us to deliver a number of initiatives which are now underway and face the challenges that are before us while continuing to deliver good value-for-money services to our communities,” said Cllr Bob Standley, Leader of Wealden District Council.
The Cabinet responsibilities are: Cllr Bob Standley – Leader; also responsible for Finance and Policy; Cllr Claire Dowling – Corporate Services and Deputy Leader; Cllr Jan Dunk – Corporate Assets; Cllr Rowena Moore – Waste Management; Cllr Roy Galley – Planning & Development; Cllr Graham Wells – Affordable Housing and Cllr Johanna Howell – Community and Voluntary Sector. Cllr Jonica Fox was re-elected Chairman of the Council unopposed and Cllr Brian Redman was elected vice-chairman.
As part of the Partnership working initiative with Rother District Council, Wealden and Rother’s legal departments have now merged, with three of Rother’s legal team transferring over to Wealden.
Both Councils signed an agreement in November 2010 to look at creating greater efficiencies and resilience through sharing services where appropriate. The Councils already carry out a shared audit function and are examining the possibility of sharing the delivery of Environmental Protection functions.
Safety in Action for every primary school in Wealden
For the first time in its 21-year history, Safety in Action is holding two weeks of preventative safety exercises to ensure all primary schools within Wealden can take part.
Safety in Action is organised by Wealden District Council with support from a range of public and private sector services including Sussex Police, South East Coast Ambulance, East Sussex Fire and Rescue, Southern Railways, UK Power Networks, The Bowles Outdoor Centre. East Sussex County Council Trading Standards and Freedom Leisure.
The first week was held at the Bowles Outdoor Centre near Crowborough from 11-15 June. The second week will be at Herstmonceux Castle from 25 – 29 June. Hands-on safety exercises for year 6 pupils include: Road safety and stranger danger, Dealing with a casualty, Reporting an arson attack, Rucksack on the railway line, Electrical hazards, Safety in the Countryside and Water Safety.
Wealden Welcomes 2012
Wealden District Council has approved grants totalling nearly £5,000 to help ten local organisations provide special Olympic community events in 2012, under its Wealden Welcomes 2012 initiative.
They will promote community events which encourage visitors, improve well-being and support the economic vitality of the District. A total of 15 applications were received in the month in which bids were accepted.
The majority of successful applicants will receive £500. Successful schemes were put forward by Bewl Valley Sailing Club, Broad Oak Community Primary School, Cuckmere Community Bus Ltd, Crowborough Arts, Forest Row Parish Council, Hailsham Town Council, Laughton Community Primary School, Rotherfield Primary School, Rotherfield St Martin and Uckfield Festival Association.
Olympic Torch
Preparations are being finalised for the visit of the Olympic Torch to Wealden on Tuesday 17 July.
With over 1000 spectators expected at both Crowborough and Pevensey, teams of volunteers have been recruited to help steward the event. Temporary road closures will also be in place for parts of the day when the relay is taking place. The Torch will arrive at Steel Cross, Crowborough at around noon on 17 July and after a lunch stop at Beacon Community School, will leave via the A26 at approximately 13.40.
It will arrive at Pevensey Bay from Eastbourne at 16.30 and the depart for Bexhill shortly before 17.00.
Wealden’s Local Strategic Partnership
The benefits to healthcare of partnership working were top of the agenda at the recent Wealden LSP board meeting in Punnetts Town Village Hall.
After learning about the identification and prioritisation of health needs in Wealden from Dr Jane Thomas from NHS Sussex, members heard presentations from Sheila O’Sullivan of NHS Sussex on the work of the Health Improvement Partnership including smoking cessation support and older people’s health and activity promotion; Wealden’s Julie Wilkins on the contribution of housing to health outcomes and how reducing hazards and improving insulation can cut down on accidents and winter deaths; Freedom Leisure’s deputy managing director Ivan Horsfall-Turner on the system for referring GP patients to leisure services to promote healthy living;
Wealden’s Sophie Hepworth on Active Wealden and Safety in Action activity days and Dr Elizabeth Gill, chair of the High Weald, Lewes & Havens Clinical Commissioning Group, on the CCG’s priorities and work to date, including introducing local clinic services in Uckfield and Crowborough. Presentations and meeting notes will be available shortly on the LSP website at:www.wealdencommunitystrategy.co.uk .
Return to Vicarage Lane
From Monday 6 August, all our office-based staff will be located at our refurbished Vicarage Lane offices in Hailsham.
We will continue to operate a Customer Help Point at Crowborough, initially from Pine Grove, but for all visits and meetings please note that the office will be located at Vicarage Lane, Hailsham.
From now until 6 August departments are moving from their current locations to Vicarage Lane in stages. We hope to do this with a minimum of disruption but please understand if there is any delay in dealing with enquiries. For the time being you can still use direct dial telephone numbers with the 01892 prefix to contact officers, but the main contact number forgeneral enquires will be 01323 443322.
A wide range of services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, through our website, www.wealden.gov.uk. Wewill cease to operate our Customer Help Point in Prospects House, Hailsham, after 3 August.
The single site location will enable us to make savings of more than £350,000 a year in running costs and involve our staff adopting new working practices to make the optimum use of office space. Please note that our postal address will be:
Wealden District Council
Vicarage Lane,
Hailsham
East Sussex BN27 2AX
latest comments