Transforming Breckland - Spring 2017

Transforming

Spring 2017

Breckland A Breckland Council publication for all residents

A decade of making waves Sports centre celebrates tenth anniversary with record visitor numbers – p7

Inside this issue:

Thousands flock to Thetford Riverside – p6 Activities programme to keep youngsters active – p7 20,000 sign up to garden waste service – p8 & 9 Funding secured for new technology corridor – p10 Arts tour to engage isolated older people – p11

www.breckland.gov.uk

First Words

Welcome to the spring-summer edition of Transforming Breckland The weather is turning warmer, the flowers are in bloom, and the future is looking bright for our district.

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f the sun is proving too much and you’re planning on taking a refreshing swim at one of our local swimming pools, you’ll be in good company. More people than ever are now making use of our leisure centres, including the complex in Dereham which is celebrating its tenth anniversary (page 7).

And if you haven’t been already, why not take a trip to the new Thetford Riverside leisure complex, which has already welcomed tens of thousands of people since opening at the end of 2016? It continues to go from strength to strength and the first restaurant has now opened (page 6).

Thetford Riverside was delivered thanks to a partnership set up and funded by the council.

That same partnership has now delivered brand new homes in Mileham, helping to meet housing demand in the district (page 6).

The new version of our website makes it easier for you to find the information you need, while also enabling you to submit applications, report issues or make a payment at a time that’s convenient to you. Meanwhile, our new single phone number system is offering extra support to those who need it (page 3).

With technology in mind, we’re also making good progress to deliver the Cambridge Norwich Tech Corridor. The project will bring new businesses, jobs, and homes to the region, creating opportunities for our residents (page 10).

You can find out more about the services we provide at www.breckland.gov.uk.

To share your thoughts on any of our services or our new-look website, please email us at contactus@breckland.gov.uk

Contact us...

Transforming Breckland brings you news and information on the services and support provided by Breckland Council and its partners. Your comments and ideas are very welcome.

Email contactus@breckland.gov.uk or call 01362 656870. If you need this magazine in large print, or in an alternative version, please contact Breckland Council on 01362 656870.

Link-Up: Blind or partially sighted, or know someone who is?

Transforming Breckland can be sent on a memory stick with the independently produced Link-Up, a free, fortnightly audio newsletter.

To subscribe, email: contact@linkupbreckland.org.uk or call 01842 755131.

Delivery issues? If you know someone who has not received their copy of Transforming Breckland please contact us on 01362 656870.

Transforming Breckland is printed on chlorine-free paper from managed forests.

www.breckland.gov.uk 2

Quicker and easier

Information at your fingertips ur website – www.breckland.gov.uk – has O had a complete makeover to make it even easier for residents, businesses and visitors to access help and information online.

The site’s revised layout is simpler and clearer, making it easier to find commonly requested information, such as bin collection days, planning applications and councillors’ contact details.

See the back page for a list of some of the things you can now do online...

You can also easily and securely pay council tax, business rates, invoices, and service subscriptions online and use simple online forms to report issues and submit applications, for example to vote by post.

By offering even more options online and designing our website to be used on phones and tablets – as well as a PC or laptop – we’ve made the information you need available 24-7, whether you’re at home, at work, or on the move.

We’ve also recently further improved accessibility by making it possible for users to have the site’s content read aloud using the built-in screen reader. You can also now translate the content into other languages and change the background colour and typeface, which is particularly useful for people with dyslexia.

Visit www.breckland.gov.uk to find out more about the services we’re delivering to support your community.

What do you think?

To share your thoughts on the website, email contactus@breckland. gov.uk

One number is all you need F

rom paying your council tax or checking your bin collection day, to registering to vote or reporting a flytip; there are many reasons to contact your local council.

We’re committed to making support as accessible as possible and using our website (www.breckland.gov.uk) remains the quickest and easiest way of finding the information you need. You can also report issues, submit applications, and make secure payments with just a few clicks.

But for those who need a little extra support, we’ve recently made improvements to our telephony service. You now need just one number – 01362 656870 – to contact us about any of our services.

It takes just 25 seconds for callers to select the service area they need using the new touch-tone system and this means 90% of callers are helped by the first person they speak to.

You can also use the touch-tone technology to pay your council tax safely and securely over the phone, without needing to wait to speak to anybody at all.

Since introducing the ‘one number’ system, average waiting times have fallen from two minutes to around 80 seconds. During peak periods, we can now save you from waiting by offering to call you back.

A recent survey of more than 400 callers found 85% thought the system was easy to use and we continue to refine the service. Please continue to check our website for the information you need in the first instance, but if you get stuck, we’re just a call away.

Providing the right services, at the right time and in the right way

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Budget

Balancing the

Books

set a budget for 2017/18 which W e’ve balances the books while enabling us to

plan for the future by generating new income through investments.

Breckland Council will receive £3.3m less from central government in 2017/18, compared to 2010/11, so we have taken the difficult decision to raise district council tax. People in Breckland continue to pay the lowest district council tax in the country, but a small increase means we can further safeguard services.

Our priority is always to minimise the financial burden on local residents and businesses and we are on track to deliver £2.7m of efficiency savings or new income by transforming how we provide our services. We receive around as much money from our investments as we do from council tax, which helps keep tax as low as possible. Our agreed budget will enable us to continue our commercially-minded approach.

We are using this money to breathe new life into our market towns, to support our communities, and to deliver growth initiatives which will create new jobs and opportunities for you and your families.

Delivering a vision for a better Breckland W e are using the income we receive from council tax alongside a range of other incomes to deliver our long-term ambitions for the district.

Our refreshed Corporate Plan sets out our four top priorities to ensure we can make Breckland a place where people and businesses can thrive. They are: • Supporting Breckland to develop and thrive.

• Providing the right services at the right time and in the right way.

• Developing the local economy to be vibrant with continued growth.

• Enabling stronger, more independent communities.

Find out more about how we will deliver these priorities at www.breckland.gov.uk/corporateplan

Where our money comes from...

12% Council Tax

4

12%

Government Grants

18% Business Rates

11%

Rentals and Commercial Income

17% Fees and Charges

30% Other Income

Where your council tax goes...

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or every pound you pay in council tax, around 5p comes to Breckland Council.

The rest of the money goes to other organisations to pay for things like education, roads, social care, policing, markets, community centres, entertainment, and addressing other local issues.

76p Norfolk County Council

14p Norfolk Police and Crime Commissioner

5p

This year (2017/18), we have raised district council tax by £4.95, based on a Band D home. As 77% of our residents live in Band A-C properties, the increase you pay will likely be smaller. For example, people living in a Band A home will pay £3.30 more this year, or around 6p extra per week.

Breckland Council

5p Your Town or Parish Council

Help us save up to £120,000 with just a few clicks... know you could D idhelpyousave the public purse an estimated £120,000 each year, simply by registering to receive your council tax bill online?

To be as efficient as possible, council tax bills, benefits updates, and business rate letters are issued on our behalf by Anglia Revenues Partnership (ARP), who also manage the process for six other local councils.

Despite the efficiencies we gain, we estimate that printing and posting council tax bills and reminders costs, on average, around £2 per household each year.

That’s around £120,000 for the 61,000 households in our district.

By comparison, emailing this information to e-billing accounts costs us next to nothing. If only 10% signed up, we’d save around £12k per year. As well as helping to save thousands of pounds each year, signing up to receive

your council tax bill, benefits updates, and business rate letters electronically means you’ll receive the information as soon as its available. Plus it is a more environmentally-friendly option, reducing the need for thousands of envelopes, printed pages and delivery miles.

The e-billing service is quick and easy to set up, accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is absolutely free. To sign up, go to www.angliarevenues.gov.uk/ breckland and click on the ‘register’ option to create your e-account in just a few minutes.

Supporting Breckland to develop and thrive

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Growth

Thousands visit Thetford Riverside T

ens of thousands of people have already paid a visit to Thetford’s new £8m leisure complex, making the most of the restaurant, cinema and hotel. Thetford Riverside, on Bridge Street, was officially opened in November and is helping to drive the town’s regeneration.

At the end of April, the first restaurant at the complex opened to great excitement and it is already proving popular with local residents and visitors. The 156-seater Grand Central American Bar and Grill has brought an American flavour to the complex, offering favourites such as barbecue wings, macaroni cheese, lobster, hot dogs, burgers, salads, and a selection of steaks.

Meanwhile, more than 9,000 people visited Thetford Riverside’s three-screen cinema in its opening month. The cinema, run by The Light, opened towards the end of 2016 and has since welcomed thousands of cinema-goers. It has also hosted visits from local schools and community groups.

As well as showing the latest films, the cinema is also bringing critically-acclaimed shows to people’s doorsteps. The new ‘Light Arts’ screenings will enable people to see live satellite broadcasts of shows from the National Theatre, Royal Opera House, and ballets on its modern, digital screens.

At the other end of the leisure complex, the 62-bed

Travelodge has reported high occupancy rates ever since opening its doors. Rooms are proving popular with leisure visitors as well as business travellers.

We are in advance negotiations with other businesses interested in moving into Thetford Riverside.

Look out for announcements at www.breckland.gov.uk/ thetfordriverside

Thetford Riverside and the new homes in Mileham have been delivered by Breckland Bridge, a joint venture between Breckland Council and The Land Group.

New homes boost P

eople are now in the process of moving into 11 brand new homes which have been built in Mileham by the Breckland Bridge partnership.

The development, near Dereham, has been built on land owned by Breckland Council. It means the formerly unused land has now been utilised by the council to help meet local housing demand and a need

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for the district to grow. It has also brought in new income which can potentially be reinvested and support frontline services.

The site incorporates four shared-ownership houses, one detached house and six semidetached houses. The ‘affordable housing’ options are designed to help people who may otherwise only afford to rent get into home ownership. The new Mileham homes

are the first to be built on our land for a number of years. However, as part of the Breckland Bridge partnership we plan to build new homes in Attleborough and will consider further schemes in due course.

Developing the local economy to be vibrant with continued growth

Leisure

Discover the heritage on your doorstep T

Leisure centre’s 10th anniversary goes with a splash S

taff and visitors at a leisure centre in Breckland have been celebrating the tenth anniversary of its opening.

Dereham Leisure Centre, on Station Road, officially opened to the public in 2007 after building work on the brand new centre was completed.

More people than ever are now making the most of the facilities, with visits rising by around 76% since the centre opened. In its first year, around 217,500 visits were made to the sports centre, while in 2016/17 around 383,500 admissions were recorded – a rise of 166,000.

The facilities at the leisure centre have been expanded since the original opening, including the installation of a martial arts dojo and recent gym extension. It offers significant health and wellbeing benefits to local residents and brings together members from across the local community.

In mid-May, a special weekend of celebration activities and offers were organised by Breckland Council and Parkwood Leisure, the operator which runs the centre, to celebrate the tenth anniversary.

hetford is gearing up to host the county-wide launch of a popular heritage festival, which will get underway later this year.

The Norfolk launch of the Heritage Open Days annual festival will take place in the town on 31 July. It is being organised in partnership between Thetford Town Council and the county’s festival lead, The Forum in Norwich. The upcoming celebration in Thetford will be the first time the local launch has been held outside of Norwich.

During the Heritage Open Day festival, which will take place 7-10 September, historic sites in Thetford and across Breckland will throw open their doors to the public to give them a chance to find out more about our history and culture, visit new places, and try new experiences.

Last year, more than 20 locations in Breckland took part, alongside around 5,275 other locations across the country. To find locations near you taking part this time around, search the event directory at www.heritageopendays.org.uk

These included offering access to the swimming pool or gym for just 10p.

To find your local leisure centre, go to www.breckland.gov.uk/ Leisure-Facilities

Keeping children active this summer programme organised A nbyactivity Breckland Council will give

local youngsters a chance to play a range of sports and games over the school summer holiday.

as it gives 5-11 year olds a chance to socialise with their friends – or to make new ones – while remaining active throughout the school break. Participants will be able to play dodgeball, kwik cricket, rounders, and Danish longball, as well as traditional playground games.

The Rural Sports Programme promotes healthy lifestyles and strong communities,

Sessions cost £3 per child. More details and venues at www.breckland.gov.uk/holidayactivities

Enabling stronger, more independent communities

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Recycling and Waste

Garden waste service • Find your is a cut above the rest • ad Filldrinesyos ur I

f you’re looking for an easy way to dispose of grass cuttings and other garden waste, why not sign up to our collection service?

We already collect grass, hedge clippings, leaves, shrub prunings, weeds, cut flowers, and twigs from the 20,900 green-fingered residents who have subscribed to the Garden Waste Collection Service. Around 8,500 tonnes of garden waste was sent to local composting sites last year.

And more and more people are now signing up via our website.

The simple online form can also be used by people looking to extend their existing subscription for another year. It only takes a few minutes to complete, you can sign up at a time that suits you, and it works on laptops, tablets and phones. We can also now accept payment from most debit and credit cards.

Once you’ve signed up, you’ll be sent a confirmation email shortly afterwards and should receive your new brown bin within five working days. Your garden waste bin will then be collected every fortnight for a whole year.

contact details • Make your payment • Receive your brown bin!

The annual subscription is £44 per standard (240l) bin. For more information and to sign up online, go to: www.breckland.gov.uk/ gardenwaste

Don’t forget!

Renew your ore subscription bef may it expires or you e miss out on som collections.

Sign up online to win!

We’re offering you the chance to win a year’s subscription to our Garden Waste service for free!

To be in with a chance of winning, simply subscribe to the garden waste service or renew your existing subscription via www.breckland.gov.uk/gardenwaste and then email communications@breckland.gov.uk, quoting ‘Garden Waste Competition’, to enter. Please provide your name, age, address and contact details.

We’ll then hold a random draw and issue a full refund to five lucky Garden Waste service subscribers. You must be 18 or over and living in Breckland to enter. You must have an active subscription with our Garden Waste service and emailed your entry by 30 June 2017. One entry per household.

Full competition terms and conditions at www.breckland.gov.uk/Ts-and-Cs

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ks! o thanfood NNappies, and plastic bags reminding everybody W e’re living in Breckland of the importance of putting the correct items in household recycling.

There are lots of things we can collect in the recycling – including paper, plastic bottles, and glass – but there are some items that shouldn’t be put in with your recycling. This is because they can’t currently be recycled and could even ruin materials which could otherwise be turned into something new.

Plastic bags should never be put in recycling bins.

These bags, such as refuse or carrier bags, cannot be recycled and have to be removed by hand at the recycling plant.

Any missed bags could be shredded and mixed with

recyclable materials making it all unrecyclable. Never bag your recycling – remember, ‘Leave it Loose’.

Disposable nappies should be put in your general waste bin. Some people think the recycle symbol on the box means the nappies can be recycled – but

the symbol refers to the cardboard box they come in, not the nappies themselves!

Food waste can ruin materials that we could otherwise recycle, such as paper, meaning none of it can be recycled. Never put this in your recycle bin.

Other items that should go in the general household bins include polystyrene, crisp packets, lightbulbs, and mirrors.Your bin may not be collected if it contains the wrong items. You can check what can and can’t go in your bins at www.breckland.gov.uk/ recycle-right

Yes please!

We can recycle: • Paper • Cardboard • Food and drink cans and cartons • Plastic bottles • Aerosol cans • Plastic pots, tubs and trays • Tin foil • Glass bottles and jars Make sure everything is clean, dry and loose

Providing the right services, at the right time and in the right way

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Technology

Growth projects reach major milestones T

wo key growth projects which run alongside the dualled A11 and fall within the heart of the new Cambridge Norwich Tech Corridor have reached major milestones.

Breckland Council has accepted a £2.3m grant from the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to fund a major electricity upgrade at Snetterton Heath. We’ve also accepted a £450k contribution from the Norfolk Business Rates Pool to help pay for the construction of a new roundabout which will provide access to the proposed Thetford Enterprise Park (TEP).

The projects are expected to release around 212 acres of land for employment use, which will create or safeguard up to 5,650 local jobs.

Funding to support technology corridor with Breckland at its heart Council and a B reckland range of partners from Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire are working together to deliver a project which will bring new businesses, jobs, and homes to the region. Funding for the Cambridge Norwich Tech Corridor is being raised from a number of sources, including £200k from Norfolk’s pooled business rates fund and up to £37k from Breckland Council.

Breckland will lie at the centre of the corridor, with sites in Thetford and Snetterton forming key employment areas within the project.

Capitalising on the existing reputation of Cambridge as a centre

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for innovation and technology, Norwich’s reputation for research, the dualled A11, and improving infrastructure, we’re working with our partners to create opportunities for businesses to set up within the corridor, which will bring more and higher-paying jobs to our area.

The ambition is to make our region a world famous destination of choice for global technology businesses, including engineering, agri-tech and advanced manufacturing companies.

We estimate that by 2031 investors and businesses attracted by the corridor will add £558m to the regional economy. More at www.techcorridor.co.uk

Cambridge-Norwich Tech Corridor partners • Breckland Council • Cambridgeshire County Council • East Cambridgeshire District Council • Forest Heath District Council • Greater Cambridge Greater • Peterborough Enterprise Partnership • New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership • Norfolk County Council • Norwich City Council • South Norfolk Council • St Edmundsbury Borough council • Suffolk County Council

Developing the local economy to be vibrant with continued growth

Community

Silver Social arts tour – coming to a village near you soon be launching an exciting new W eartswilltour across the district, focused on

performances, singing sessions, art exhibitions, craft workshops, writing activities, and amateur dramatics.

engaging isolated older people with the arts.

The Silver Social tour will get underway from the autumn, visiting libraries, village halls and other community venues in the district’s five villages with the highest number of older people living alone and/or at risk of isolation – Mattishall, Harling, Shipdham, Necton and Ashill.

Our three-year Silver Social project is backed by a £185k grant from the Arts Council and will include a mix of live shows and participatory events across a range of art forms.

By offering new opportunities to get SILVER involved with the arts, we aim to encourage potentially vulnerable people to interact with their communities, build their confidence and reduce their feeling of isolation.

T HE

SOCIAL

We’re currently finalising the plans and hope to include opportunities for older people to attend live shows, musical

Photo ©Trish Thompson Creative Arts East

The tour will also come to Attleborough, Dereham, Swaffham, Thetford and Watton. For more details about the Silver Social tour and volunteering opportunities to support the tour in your area, go to www. breckland.gov.uk/ thesilversocial

Money to enhance market towns £25,000 will be used to further enhance Breckland’s five market towns and A lmost attract more visitors and businesses.

Last year, Breckland Council asked each of the town councils to draw up plans for how they could use a share of the money to give visitors and new businesses even more reasons to come to our market towns. We’re now working with the town councils to deliver their proposals, which include developing marketing strategies, installing new signage, making the towns more attractive by planting trees, and organising events.

Some of the money has already been used to bring a jobs fair to each of the towns. The roadshow was organised in partnership with the Department of Work and Pensions. More than 1,000 people came to the events, plus around 130 employers. The events were such a success that another jobs fair roadshow will take place in the autumn; details will be made available at www.breckland.gov.uk and in local press.

Enabling stronger, more independent communities

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Grants

Cash boost for communities

Our grant schemes are managed by Norfolk Community Foundation.

To see the grant funding available and how it could benefit you or your community, visit www.norfolkfoundation.com/?s=breckland

promising tenpin bowler from Hargham – between Snetterton A and Attleborough – has been awarded a £500 Gifted and Talented grant. Alexander Pates, 17, began bowling competitively at the age of eight.

His grant will help pay for lane hire for his practice sessions, bowling balls, wipes, sprays and shoes. After being part of the winning team at the National Inter-Counties Tournament three times, he has his sights set on playing for England and being selected to play in the European Championships.

Grant for gymnast Grace

young gymnast from Attleborough who has been selected to join A the 2017 Great Britain Development Squad has received a £500

grant. The money will help cover nine year-old Grace Davies’ training costs, as she often travels to competitions and training events throughout the country.

Improving sport and play facilities recently issued another series of grants from our Outdoor W eSport and Play Fund. The money will be used to create new, or improve existing, outdoor sport facilities and play areas across the district. Details on these grants are available at www.breckland.gov.uk/community-funding

BMX champ is

making tracks

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ourteen-year-old Morgan Dorrell, a BMX cycling champion from Mattishall, has been awarded a £500 Gifted and Talented grant to help pay for new kit and wheels ahead of this year’s competitions. Morgan is ranked tenth in the country and is clearly racing to success; Great Britain Cycling Team BMX Coach, Mark Seaman, backed her grant bid.

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Smashing news for tennis player Syer, a tennis player from Dereham, has been awarded a R uby £500 Gifted and Talented grant to help towards the cost of private lessons, fitness coaching, training camps and tournaments.

At only 10 years old, Ruby has already competed in two national contests and was previously crowned Norfolk under 9’s champion. Ruby’s ambition is to become a professional player and her weekly schedule includes squad and individual tennis sessions, tournament participation, and strength and conditioning work.

Talented Thetford swimmer is making a splash record-breaking Thetford swimmer has received a A £350 grant to help with the cost of swimsuits, equipment, entry fees and accommodation. Alice Fasey, 12, competes at county and regional levels and has already broken many of the Thetford Dolphins Swimming Club’s records for 12 year-old females.

They include the 100m medley record, which had stood since 1987, and the 50m breaststroke, which was set in 1976. She recently attended two Eastern Region Talent Camps which prepare participants for possible entry into national and even world-class programmes.

Community projects given a helping hand well as supporting talented individuals, A sBreckland Council grants are also helping local groups to deliver initiatives which will benefit their communities.

Recent grants have included £14k to enable Swaffham Town Council to develop a multi-use games area on the town’s recreation ground and £8k to help The Benjamin Foundation replace the roof of the Meet Up Community Centre in Thetford and insulate the sports hall.

Almost £8k will help pay for a new 30m zip wire, nest swing, toddler tower and slide, zig-zag balance beam and a stepping log snake at Beeston Playing Field, while a £5k grant will improve an existing play area in New Buckenham.

We have also approved a £20k grant contribution towards a £75k project which aims to create a brand new outdoor gym and play area on the former school site in Mattishall.

Enabling stronger, more independent communities

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Growth

Development Partnerships Thetford’s Kingsfleet project

T

wo groups which are helping to steer successful growth in the district have continued to make good progress. The Attleborough Development Partnership (ADP) and Greater Thetford Development Partnership (GTDP) bring together representatives from local councils, businesses, highways, education, and other services to coordinate and influence the development in their respective towns.

Attleborough At the recent ADP Board meetings, Board members discussed the completion of the Attleborough Neighbourhood Plan and progress being made by developers on the Sustainable Urban Extension (SUE).

The town is expected to grow by up to 4,000 new homes, with new employment areas and infrastructure put in place.

Members of the public were also invited to submit questions to the Board in a Q&A session. The Board welcomed a new chairman earlier this year. Chris Batten (pictured above) is an active member of the Chamber of Commerce in Norfolk and the Norfolk Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) committee.

Find out more at www.adpb.org.uk

Thetford To help people find out more about the work of the GTDP Board and its sub-groups, a new-look website has now been launched. The new site makes it easy for people to find out about the GTDP’s work and details of upcoming meetings.

It also features more information about other developments in the town, including the Thetford Riverside leisure complex and the 5,000 home KingsFleet development due to be built to the north of the town.

Details of upcoming meetings can be found at www.gtdp.org.uk

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Protecting you from nuisance behaviour W

e’re working with local communities to help deal with nuisance behaviour in our town centres.

The existing Designated Public Place Orders in each of our market towns will become Public Space Protection Orders in October. These can address a wider range of anti-social behaviours, so we will be seeking your views on the issues you would like to see covered.

We recently consulted with Thetford residents and are now considering their feedback. We’ll consult in our other towns soon – look out for more information on our website and in local press.

Blueprint for growth enters final stages P

lans which outline how Breckland is expected to grow over the coming 20 years have recently been further refined following comments from residents, businesses and our partners.

After being discussed again by local councillors, the latest version of our Local Plan will be made available for residents to view. It will be submitted to a Government Planning Inspector for scrutiny and, if approved, adopted to inform planning decisions in the district. Find out more at www.breckland.gov.uk/ Emerging-Local-Plan

Enabling stronger, more independent communities

Local Democracy

You elect your Have representatives your

say!

Y

ou can’t take part in elections if you’re not registered to vote. So if you’ve moved to the district or moved house within Breckland, you will need to re-register.

You don’t need to re-register for every election. If your details or address haven’t changed since you registered, you don’t need to do anything except respond to our annual household enquiry form to reconfirm your information is still correct.

Look out for the form in the post over the summer. If you are not registered, it is quick and easy to sign up at www.gov.uk/ register-to-vote

I

n early May, residents took to the polls to elect their representatives at Norfolk County Council.

Candidates stood in elections across Norfolk, including in the 12 divisions which cover Breckland. We supported Norfolk County Council’s election by organising local polling stations and counting votes cast in our area.

Those elected will serve on Norfolk County Council for the next four years and will make decisions on how services across the county are delivered.

Norfolk County Council is responsible for things like education, libraries, roads, recycling centres, children’s centres, and social care. The councillors representing Breckland residents on Norfolk County Council are: Attleborough..................Cllr Rhodri Oliver Dereham North..... Cllr William Richmond Dereham South.............Cllr Phillip Duigan Elmham & Mattishall..........Cllr Bill Borrett Guiltcross.................. Cllr Stephen Askew Necton and Launditch ............................ Cllr Mark Kiddle-Morris

Swaffham.................. Cllr Ed Colman The Brecks............. Cllr Fabian Eagle Thetford East............ Cllr Roy Brame Thetford West...........Cllr Terry Jermy Watton.................... Cllr Claire Bowes Yare & All Saints........ Cllr Cliff Jordan

A district council by-election was also held on May 4, to elect a councillor to the Harling and Heathlands Ward. Cllr Robert Kybird was elected to Breckland Council. Earlier in the year Cllr Theresa Hewett was elected to the council’s Saham Toney ward after a by-election was held.

You can find your Breckland Council member and how to contact them on our website at www.breckland.gov.uk/findyourcouncillor

Take a walk on the wild side Zoo is an award winning B anham family attraction and one of the

most exciting wildlife attractions in the country. If your little ones would love to pay a visit to the 2,000 animals that call the zoo home, we have the perfect prize for you.

We have five pairs of children’s entry tickets to give away, courtesy of Banham Zoo. Winners will have the chance to see tigers, giraffes, camels, monkeys, cheetahs, zebras, kangaroos, and leopards, plus penguins, eagles, tarantulas, scorpions, geckos, frogs, butterflies, and many more! To be in with a chance of winning one of five pairs of

children’s entry tickets, simply send your name, age, address and contact details, quoting ‘Zoo Competition’, to: communications@breckland.gov.uk or Zoo Competition, Communications Team, Elizabeth House, Walpole Loke, Dereham, NR19 1EE. You must be 18 or over and living in Breckland to enter. Entries must be received by 30 June 2017. Winners will be chosen at random from all valid entries.

Full competition terms and conditions at www.breckland.gov.uk/Ts-and-Cs

Enabling stronger, more independent communities

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Directory of online services Quick Reference Directory You can find out about our services, submit applications, make payments and report problems at: www.breckland.gov.uk

Apply for it!

You can apply for lots of things via our website at www.breckland.gov.uk/applyforit Direct links to some of the most commonly used application forms are below: Housing and Council Tax £ Benefits Apply, manage or pay for Breckland Council benefits and services: www.angliarevenues.gov.uk/ breckland Building Control Inspection:

Request a site inspection from our Building Control department: www.breckland.gov.uk/ building-control-inspectionbooking Bus Pass: The free passes are available to residents who meet the age or disability requirements: www.norfolk.gov.uk/ roads-and-transport/ public-transport/ buses/concessionary-travel-pass Garden Waste Collection Service Create or renew a subscription to have your garden waste collected every fortnight: www.breckland.gov.uk/ gardenwaste Library Service: Find your

nearest library, search for a good read, and more! www.norfolk.gov. uk/libraries-local-historyand-archives Register for E-billing: View your account and receive Council Tax bills online: www.angliarevenues.gov. uk/breckland Postal Vote request: If you

can’t get to your polling station on election day, you can still vote by post: www.breckland.gov.uk/ postalvoterequest Register to vote: To vote in future elections you must be on the electoral register: www.breckland.gov.uk/ individual-electoral-registration

Report it!

Come across an issue? Let us know using our Report It tool: www.breckland.gov.uk/reportit A number of key issues are listed below for ease of reference, but you can do more on our website.

Abandoned Vehicles: Let us

know about a vehicle that has been abandoned on public land without lawful authority: www.breckland.gov. uk/abandoned-vehicles Anti-Social Behaviour Affected by it? Don’t tolerate it, report it: www.breckland.gov.uk/ noise-or-nuisance

£

Benefit Fraud: Suspect a resident of Benefit or Council Tax fraud? www.breckland.gov.uk/ report-suspected-fraud Change of Address: For when

you are moving and staying in the district or moving out of Breckland: www.breckland.gov.uk/ tell-us-youre-moving Change of Circumstances: Let us know if something changes eg. you get married, have a child, your partner moves in, your pension is different: www.angliarevenues.gov.uk/ breckland Compliments, Complaints, Comments: Let us know what’s working well and how we can improve further: www.breckland.gov.uk/ compliments-complaintscomments Damaged Wheelie Bin: We’ll repair or replace your wheelie bin ASAP: www.breckland.gov.uk/ damaged-wheeled-bin Dog fouling: Let us know of any

incidents of dog fouling in public areas: www.breckland.gov.uk/ litter-and-dog-fouling Faulty Street Light: Pass on

details about street lights which are damaged or not working: norfolkstreetlighting.amey.co.uk

Fly Tipping: Let us know if you see

fly tipped waste or saw somebody dumping rubbish: www.breckland.gov. uk/flytip Full Public Litter Bin: Has a litter

bin near you been filled but not emptied yet? www.breckland.gov.uk/ full-public-litter-bin Highway Problem: Report problems with roads, pavements, cycle paths and Public Rights of Way: https://apps. norfolk.gov.uk/highwaysdefect Litter: Seen piles of dropped litter?

Let us know: www.breckland.gov. uk/litter-and-dog-fouling Missing Wheelie Bin: Has your

wheelie bin been lost or stolen? www.breckland.gov.uk/ missing-wheeled-bin Noise or Nuisance: Report loud music, barking dogs, industrial noise, bad smell, artificial light, smoke or bonfires, and more: www.breckland.gov.uk/ noise-or-nuisance Street Name Plates: Tell us if you’ve seen a street name sign that is unreadable, missing letters, missing the name plate, or damaged: www.breckland.gov.uk/ street-name-plate-problem

Find out first!

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Sign up to receive email alerts about the things that matter to you: from news and events, to council and committee papers, consultation documents and job vacancies.

Subscribe/amend your existing preferences at: https://public.govdelivery.com/ accounts/ukbreckland/subscriber/ session/new

Keep in Touch!

If you need help or advice, contact our expert Customer Contact Centre staff at: contactus@breckland.gov.uk

Pay for it!

Twitter: @BreckCouncil

Visit our website to pay invoices, Council Tax, business rates or benefits overpayments online.

You can also set up a direct debit to pay your Council Tax on a monthly date that suits you.

You’ll be able to pay for more things online soon, reducing the need to call during office hours or visit us in person. www.breckland.gov.uk/payforit

Facebook: Breckland Council Post: Breckland Council, Elizabeth House, Walpole Loke, Dereham, NR19 1EE. Local centres: www.breckland.gov.uk/visit-us