Transforming Breckland - Spring 2018

Transforming

Spring 2018

Breckland A Breckland Council publication for all residents

ShopAppy and support your high street!

Exciting new project lets you shop online at your local high street – p9

Inside this issue: Improving your customer service – p3 Breckland’s balanced budget – p4 New lottery benefits good causes – p7 Market Town Initiatives launched – p8 Summer fun for kids – p12 Support for vulnerable families – p14

www.breckland.gov.uk

First Words

Welcome to the spring-summer edition of Transforming Breckland I

t’s been a long winter, but at last it is a bit warmer, the sun is shining (mostly!) and the plants are springing into life. I love this time of year and think myself very lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the country.

We have some fantastic community projects happening around the district at the moment.

These include the four community fridges which are now up and running, in Swaffham, Thetford, Watton and the latest in Dereham, with our next planned for Attleborough (page 6).

Silver Social has been entertaining our older residents, with more great shows and activities planned (page 7). The Our Breckland Lottery launched at the end of March and even though there have been no £25,000 jackpot winners at the time of writing this, all the good causes you are supporting are certainly winners in this great new initiative www.ourbrecklandlottery.co.uk (page 7).

As a council we are working with our partners to try to reduce contamination of recycling and our recycling stars in Watton did an amazing job of getting on top of this (page 12).

As part of our Market Town Initiative we have recently launched www.thehighstreet.org.

uk as a central resource to help signpost residents, businesses and visitors to information about our district and local services (page 8).

From this site you can also access ShopAppy, which is the new website where you can shop online, while supporting your independent shops on the local high street. More information and a £5 discount voucher is on page 9.

We continue to work with our partners to develop the local economy to be vibrant with continued growth, and have recently secured further national grants to help unlock the potential housing and business opportunities on key sites in the district (pages 11 & 14).

Finally, just to mention the great competitions we have running in this edition.

Firstly we have five sets of tickets to the fascinating Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse (page 10), five sets of tickets to enjoy a film at the Thetford Riverside development (page 15) and five garden waste subscriptions to give away (page 13).

Enjoy the better weather and please do get in touch if you have any feedback – contactus@breckland.gov.uk.

Best wishes, Cllr William Nunn Leader

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.

Front cover: WellBread Bakers, Swaffham

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

Improvements

Digital Developments added a new live W e’ve web chat function to the Breckland Council website to make our services even more accessible for residents.

It means that when you are using our website, you may see a little message appear offering you a quick typed conversation with one of our officers.

They can then help you find what you are looking for or complete the application form you are using.

As well as making it quicker and easier for you to contact us, the web chat function will also help us identify any parts of our website which need to be clarified or simplified for other people to use.

Web chat will be available during normal working hours and is the latest feature in a series of improvements made to our revamped customerfocussed website. Also you will find an enhanced search function, easier navigation and a

cleaner look and feel.

The ‘My Breckland’ feature, which we launched a few months ago so residents could access useful information about where they live by simply entering their postcode, is already one of the website’s most popular functions.

Use this to check your bin collection day, find out who your local councillors are, and even check the nearest doctors and dentist surgeries. Further website improvements are planned for early summer, so keep visiting our website regularly to take advantage of the latest developments.

Try it for yourself at www.breckland.gov.uk

Our customer services are changing to better meet your needs I

n light of the changing needs of our customers, we are reorganising our customer contact centre service. This will see increased support made available at our main sites in Dereham and Thetford.

visit our two main sites, which we share with the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), as the introduction of Universal Credit this year will mean the majority of people requiring assistance will need to visit one of our ‘one-stop-shop’ shared offices.

However, we have made the difficult decision to withdraw our presence in Swaffham, Watton and Attleborough, from summer 2018.

We are putting our resource where it is most needed, as more and more people have been visiting our main sites, while footfall at our small sites has been in decline.

To support the transition to the Universal Credit system for our residents, we will also be offering a temporary one day-a-week customer contact services presence in Attleborough, Swaffham and Watton. These will be at a location to be confirmed and be in addition to our five days-a-week service in Dereham and Thetford.

Around 90% of people who visit us do so to discuss benefits, council tax, or housing issues, and we have appropriate resources and expertise on hand at Dereham and Thetford.

We also expect even more people to

We have already expanded the online options available, including the roll out of additional online application forms and payment options, and the ability to provide

evidence documents as scanned email attachments. See the above article for more about our new web chat and My Breckland online functions.

Visit www.breckland.gov.uk to check your local customer contact centre location and opening times and to make the most of our online options. Don’t forget: for those who need a bit of extra help to do things online, we can talk you through it – or even do it for you – over the phone.

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

3

Budgets

Norfolk County Council:

76p

Norfolk Police:

14p

Breckland Council:

5p

Town or Parish Council:

5p

Breckland’s Balanced

Budget Council has B reckland agreed a budget that will

protect front-line services, invest in the district’s future and inject £1.7m into community projects in 2018/19.

We remain in a good financial position, with a balanced budget, and we are on track to remove our reliance on New Homes Bonus – money we receive from central government for growing the district.

This means that funding can now be spent on community projects and we intend to invest £1.7m in supporting communities across

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Breckland in 2018/19, followed by a further £1.4m in 2019/20 (subject to the Government not altering their New Homes Bonus Scheme).

We’ve avoided making cuts to frontline services through sensible financial planning and by making our services and back-office teams more efficient. We’re set to deliver £2.4m of efficiency savings or new income by 2019/20.

By making a small increase in district council tax we are able to further safeguard services going forward, for example by enabling us to make investments that will bring

in new income. It is particularly important for us to be as financially self-sufficient as possible, as income from central government continues to fall, and costs associated with delivering services are rising due to inflation and other pressures.

Where your council tax goes As your district council, we collect all of the council tax and business rates in Breckland. Only 5p of every £1 we collect from council tax is kept by us, the rest is passed to Norfolk County Council, Norfolk Police, and your town or parish council.

Developing the local economy to be vibrant with continued growth

Where our money comes from...

12%

Council Tax

12%

Rentals and Commercial Income

18%

Fees and Charges

26%

Business Rates

T

he latest increase in district council tax of £4.95 will mean residents in Band D properties will pay £83.88 per year, which is expected to still be the lowest in the country. The majority Government Grants of residents live in Band A-C (77%) so will see an increase of less than £4.95 per year, for example those living in Band A homes would see an increase of £3.30 per year, around 28p a month, or 6p a week.

2%

30%

Like many councils we have been affected by central government cuts to public sector funding, however due to sensible financial planning have avoided making cuts to frontline services. In order to keep the financial burden off local residents we continue to generate as much money as possible from existing investments, and strive to make our services and back-office teams more efficient.

Do it online I

t’s quick and easy for you to pay your council tax online, either by monthly direct debit or a one-off payment.

By registering online, you can also apply for a reduction, discount or exemption, or let us know about a change of address. Check our council tax FAQs if you have any queries about your bill: www.breckland.gov.uk/counciltaxfaqs Also why not receive your council tax bill online and help save up to £130k per year. 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, however it still costs around £2 per person using this method, which across around 65,000 Breckland households amounts to £130,000. Go to www.angliarevenues.gov.uk/breckland and click on the ‘register’ option to create your e-account in just a few minutes, or to pay your bill. Sign up for paperless billing and you will automatically be entered into a monthly prize draw to WIN £20 worth of shopping vouchers!

Other Income

A bright idea part of our 2018/19 A sbudget, we’ve committed funding for a replacement programme for streetlights in the district at or nearing the end of their life.

It is expected to take up to four years to replace all 2,500 Breckland owned streetlights.

End-of-life lighting will be replaced first, using LED smart technology to improve lighting levels whilst reducing energy usage and on-going maintenance costs.

Any lighting faults can be reported through our website’s ‘report it’ function, or via email: facilities@breckland.co.uk.

Lighting on main trunk roads is managed by Norfolk County Council so faults in these areas should be reported directly to them.

Supporting Breckland to develop and thrive

5

Community Dereham Community Fridge

Swaffham Community Fridge

Food waste is a big issue in the UK – the average family throws away £700 worth of food every year!

recently opened our W efourth ‘community fridge’ in the district as part of Breckland Council’s ongoing efforts to reduce food waste and support local people.

This network of fridges makes it easy for local businesses to give away leftover or surplus food and beverages that are perhaps nearing their ‘use by’ date. The fridges can then be visited by anyone who can help themselves to whatever is then on offer, whether they need a snack for lunch or would like some ingredients and inspiration for dinner.

All contents will be monitored based on advice from the Food Standards Agency and our Environmental Health Team to make sure they are always safe to consume.

Our newest community fridge opened in Dereham, at Green Pastures bookshop, and follows successful similar launches in Watton, Thetford and Swaffham.

We will soon be adding a fifth Breckland Council-owned

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£330,000 improves play areas and open spaces across Breckland Outdoor Sport B reckland and Play Fund, managed

community fridge in Attleborough, once we find a suitable venue.

We run our fridges in partnership with local organisations and with support from environmental charity Hubbub UK. If you would like to get in touch or involved then email your local community fridge: community@ breckland.gov.uk. You can also contact any of the fridges via their individual Facebook pages (just search ‘Dereham Community Fridge’ for example) and Facebook is also the best place to check for updates, such as when new food is available to collect.

Where can I find my local community fridge?

• Wayland House, Watton • Abbey Neighbourhood Centre, Thetford • Green Pastures bookshop, Dereham • ICENI Community Centre, Swaffham • Attleborough coming soon, venue tbc at time of going to print

by Breckland Council, has granted the last £72,215 of their £330,000 funding pot.

Thirteen organisations across the district received a total of £40,779 in grants, and a number of parish and town councils in the district shared £31,436 – all to use on improving play facilities and open areas.

The £330,000 has been financed by housing developers as part of a section 106 planning condition, which is imposed on developers by Breckland Council where residential development takes place.

This particular fund has now closed, however grants are available for future community projects through the Norfolk Community Foundation, who administer grants on behalf of Breckland Council. For further information or to apply for funding visit www.norfolk foundation.com

lottery draw, this time tickets for the family to enjoy great local attractions, Banham Zoo, Dinosaur Park and Go Ape, over the summer months. The winner will be picked at random from all those who have signed up for tickets.

Good causes hit the jackpot Council has B reckland recently launched a weekly lottery; with the top prize, for matching all six numbers, an amazing £25,000.

The lottery raises money for good causes and we are looking to raise £30,000 in the first 12 months, then grow it year on year. The Council makes no money from this initiative.

Our first draw was on 31st March and we had 16 winners, though no jackpot on this occasion!

To celebrate the launch one lucky resident, Mrs A Rose from Dereham, won a year-long pass to swimming, classes and gym facilities worth £389 sponsored by Parkwood Leisure. We have another big additional prize for our end of June

Our Breckland Lottery prize draws are held weekly and tickets are only available to buy online. To buy your tickets, and for information about whether your organisation is eligible to sign up as a ‘good cause’, visit www.ourbrecklandlottery.co.uk How does it work?

Players are asked to choose one of the local good causes registered with Our Breckland Lottery. From their £1 ticket: • 50p goes to the good cause • 10p to a general fund, which will be distributed locally as grants • 20p to the lottery prize fund pot • 20p towards running costs @ourbrecklandlottery @ourbreckland

Exciting new Silver Social events S

ince the launch of The Silver Social last year, artists, including singers and poets, have visited Breckland’s towns and villages, offering daytime activities for older residents within the community. It’s been a great opportunity to try something a little different, with free workshops on embroidery, cyanotype printing, dancing and singing.

The project, which is funded by the Arts Council’s Strategic Touring Programme, Norfolk County Council Public Health and Breckland Council, has a full programme of events planned for this summer, including a musical comedy called ‘The Ministry of Biscuits’.

This show, performed by the Foundry Group, is set in 1940s London, in a world where decadent biscuits are prohibited and tea time elevenses are strictly monitored… but everything changes when a junior biscuit designer falls in love! Join us at a library near you – there’ll be lots of laughs and plenty of biscuits!

To find out about more upcoming Silver Social events, visit www. thesilversocial. com or follow @thesilversocial Watton Library............................................... 11 June Dereham Library............................................ 12 June Attleborough Library...................................... 13 June Thetford Library............................................. 14 June Swaffham Library.......................................... 15 June All performances are 2pm-4pm, tickets are £5 each, payable on the door. If you need travel assistance or to book tickets, please call 01362 656870 or email community@breckland.gov.uk.

THE

Volunteering opportunities are available – see the panel for contact information. @thesilversocial

SILVER S OC I A L

@thesilversocial

Enabling stronger, more independent communities

7

Market Town Initiative

Supporting your market towns Council have committed almost a quarter of a B reckland million pounds to its Market Town Initiative, to ensure the district’s towns remain vibrant and sustainable in the long-term.

The money will be spent on projects to strengthen the economic, social and cultural standing of Breckland’s five market towns – Thetford, Dereham, Attleborough, Swaffham and Watton. A new signposting website has also been launched to help direct people to appropriate services – thehighstreet.org.uk. This provides a central point for both residents and visitors to access information on what to see and do across Breckland, takes you to the ShopAppy site (see page 9) for each town and also to ‘Talk of the Town’, which will explain what help and activities are available for both residents and businesses.

The £230k funding has been reallocated to the Market Towns Initiative from the council’s Pride in Breckland programme, which has previously been used to provide small grants.

A helping hand for businesses part of the Market A sTown Initiative,

Meet the

Glutton!

Council has invested in a new urban industrial B reckland cleaning machine to keep our market towns clean and tidy, as part of the Market Town Initiative.

The Glutton will revolutionize the work of outdoor cleaning and litter picking, saving time whilst making the job easier and more hygienic. This amazing machine is unstoppable and will be heading to a town near you very soon.

Let us know if you see the Glutton at work... take a photo and post on our @BreckCouncil Twitter page with #Gluttonnearme and your town, and five lucky Glutton spotters will win 3 free tickets to the Our Breckland Lottery. Please check with the Glutton operator to ensure they are happy for you to take the photo, they might want to make sure they are out of the picture! Winners will be selected at the end of July.

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businesses moving into retail premises in the Breckland district are being encouraged to take advantage of a new scheme which offers eligible companies up to 80% business rates relief.

The rates relief applies to a variety of different properties including village shops and business units, as well as empty premises within the market towns. The application process has also been streamlined to ensure a decision is made in around seven working days.

For further information, visit www.breckland.gov.uk/ businessrates or contact the Economic Development team on economicdevelopment@ breckland.gov.uk.

ShopAppy and support your unique high street F

ive market towns have been given a boost by a new Breckland Council initiative that launched in April. To protect independent shops from increasing competition from national chains and online retailers we have joined with ShopAppy.com and created a ‘digital high street’.

Attleborough, Swaffham, Dereham, Watton and Thetford are all part of this exciting joint venture whereby any independent shops in these historic towns can pay a fee to be part of a shared website, giving them a 24-hour web presence.

Potential shoppers can then browse www.shopappy.com, make an online purchase, and then choose to ‘click and collect’ their goods from in store (during normal trading hours), or from out-of-hours collection points.

With almost 100 diverse shops already signed up, we have committed to subsidise the first 200 shops by reducing the normal £20 monthly fee to £5 for a limited period. Independent shops can find more information or join the scheme by visiting the shopappy website.

We are funding the project for three years as part of the ongoing Market Town Initiative. Even though this is a first for Norfolk, ShopAppy has already rolled out very successfully in Yorkshire.

How it works

Give shopping with www.shopappy.com a go and enjoy a £5 off voucher by using the code ‘Transforming Breckland’ Minimum spend £20 on www.shopappy.com. Simply choose your shopping then enter the discount code at the checkout. One use per customer, valid for the first 1,000 customers.

Must be redeemed before the end of July 2018.

Types of goods you can buy through ShopAppy: 1. Order Use the ShopAppy.com website to browse items in local shops and place your order

2. Packing Each shop packs its part of your order

3. Collect You collect your order in the daytime from the shop or in the evening from a central pick-up point

4. Smile Convenience with a local conscience Shop Appiness!

• A washing machine or fridge freezer • Gift vouchers for the cinema • Boutique clothes, handbags and jewellery • Fruit, veg, bread and meat • You can even book a meeting room, a market stall pitch or an allotment plot!

Supporting Breckland to develop and thrive

9

Training

Expert training to support local businesses T

he Environmental Health Training and Consultancy (EHT&C) team is a commercial arm of Breckland Council. They offer jargon-free, expert food, health & safety, licensing and environmental protection training, consultancy and pre-application advice to local businesses.

If you would like to learn from experienced local authority environmental health professionals, EHT&C can provide competitively priced courses at training centres in

Dereham, King’s Lynn, or your place of work. The team also offers e-courses. Whichever way you choose to undergo training, you will have the chance to earn a nationally accredited qualification, as EHT&C is registered with the Highfield Awarding Body for Compliance.

This is regulated by Ofqual and all EHT&C trainers are members of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health or the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.

To find out more about EHT&C’s consultancy, pre-application and

EHT&C is running some face-toface food safety courses in Breckland in the coming months – visit www.ehtc.co.uk/Taught Courses to book your place: Dereham • Level 2 Food Safety (Refresher), 12 June, 9.30am-1.30pm.. £45 • Level 2 Food safety, 10 July, 9.30am-4.30pm................. £59 • Level 2 Food Safety, 18 Sept, 9.30am-4.30pm................. £59 Thetford • Level 2 Food Safety, 8 May, 9.30am-4.30pm................. £59 • Level 2 Food Safety (Refresher), 9.30am-1.30pm................. £45 training services take a look at www.ehtc.co.uk or call 0800 689 3512.

Win family tickets to explore the history of rural Norfolk!

Voices from D iscover the Workhouse at Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse.

Enjoy a fascinating journey through the story of rural Norfolk at this museum and traditional farm with rare breed livestock, all set in 50 acres of beautiful countryside.

Stand in the evocative workhouse settings, face to face with projections of staff and inmates, and listen to first hand stories, often tragic, sometimes inspirational, from the people who once walked these whitewashed corridors.

Treat your dad with a special beer and brewing

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themed Father’s Day (17 June), or explore an exhibition on Norfolk’s rural pubs (daily until 28 October). Enjoy an adventure to the centre of the earth with performances by Strange Fascination Theatre Company on 8 July, and other activities each day of the summer holidays. For more information visit www.museums. norfolk.gov.uk/Gressenhall Five winners will be picked at random to enjoy a ‘family pack’ of six tickets to enjoy this fascinating experience. To enter simply send your name, age, address and contact details, quoting Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse Competition,

to: communications@ breckland.gov.uk or Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse Competition, Communications Team, Elizabeth House, Walpole Loke, Dereham, NR19 1EE. You must be 18 or over and living in Breckland to enter the competition.

Entries must be received by 30 June 2018. Winners will receive 6 tickets each. Prizes are non-transferable. Full competition terms and conditions at: www. breckland.gov.uk/Ts-and-Cs.

Enabling stronger, more independent communities

Growth

Millions of pounds secured to support district’s growth have been successful in bidding for W ealmost £10m from central Government to support the delivery of thousands of new homes on the outskirts of Thetford.

The £9.95m investment comes from the Homes and Communities Agency’s Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) and will be used to improve infrastructure at the Thetford Kingsfleet development, which is earmarked for 5,000 homes. It was one of the largest allocations in the East of England, and one of only a small number of schemes funded in Norfolk. The money will be spent on constructing a new primary electricity substation, and connecting it to the electricity grid, as well as making improvements to the water capacity in northern Thetford.

The bid was submitted with support from a number of partners, including Norfolk County Council, the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership and developer Pigeon. The funding will help to support the ongoing growth of the town, which will boost the local housing supply and the economy. The construction of additional homes will create opportunities for existing residents, while also attracting new people to the district. It is a long term growth plan which will help to meet the ongoing housing demands of an expanding town and district.

The Thetford Kingsfleet development is a key growth site for the district and falls within the Cambridge Norwich Tech Corridor, which the council is supporting alongside a number of partners.

Breckland Council’s Core Strategy and Local Plan has also identified Attleborough as a strategic growth location, with 4,000 new homes and supporting infrastructure, services and facilities to be accommodated in to the south west of the town.

Snetterton Heath

£2.65m investment will help create more jobs in Snetterton Council recently secured £2.65m B reckland from the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to support our Snetterton Heath Employment Area Electricity Upgrade Scheme.

The money will be used to expand Snetterton Heath’s existing electricity supply capability, which will enable existing businesses in the area to grow, while attracting new businesses to the district. We expect this could create 1,700 new jobs and safeguard 1,450 more.

The money, in addition to funding we’d already secured, will mean we can build a new substation on the site and lay the necessary cabling to triple the power available at the site.

At 68.1 hectares, Snetterton Heath is one of the largest employment sites on the A11 and is part of the Cambridge Norwich Tech Corridor, a project we are working on with partners to support growth at key sites between the two cities.

Kingsfleet artist’s impression

Developing the local economy to be vibrant with continued growth

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Summer fun forNo kids! booking required!

Community

can stay active C hildren and make new friends

over the summer break, thanks to Breckland Council’s Holiday Activities Programme.

These sessions are available for 5-11 year olds and give youngsters the chance to play sports, including dodgeball, kwik cricket, rounders and Danish longball as well as more traditional games.

Delivered by Aspire PE, sessions last for two hours each and cost £3 per child. Advance booking is not

required but it is a good idea to complete the parent consent form you can access online, and bring it with you on the day. Children are advised to wear loose, comfortable clothing and bring a drink.

Breckland Council’s Holiday Activities Programme will run throughout the summer holidays.

More information including times and venues can be found at www.breckland.gov.uk/ holidayactivities. @breckholidayactivities

Watton pupils prove to be Recycling Stars S

t Peter & St Paul Church of England Academy in Carbrooke has been awarded £1,000 and announced as ‘top scorer’ in a project which has harnessed pupil power to reduce recycling contamination in the Watton area.

Cheques for £500 were awarded to the two other participating schools, Watton Westfield Infant School and Wayland Junior Academy, in the ‘Recycling Stars’ project, as both greatly exceeded their target amounts.

Throughout the six-month project, organised by Breckland Council in partnership with Norfolk County Council, households in the Watton area were awarded recycling stars

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for every bin presented containing only clean, dry recyclable items.

Residents determined which of the three participating schools would receive their stars, and thanks to the schools’ efforts recycling improved during that time.

Contamination is a problem nationally, as bins containing items which cannot be recycled, such as recyclable items which have been placed in carrier bags, or unwashed food containers, contaminate the

whole load, which then has to be disposed of in a different way.

Locally, councils are working together under the Norfolk Waste Partnership to reduce contamination across the county and Breckland’s Recycling Stars project supports this wider campaign.

Enabling stronger, more independent communities

Recycling & Waste

Nappies are rubbish, not recycling! backing a major Norfolk Waste W e’re Partnership campaign to make sure people in Breckland know that dirty nappies cannot be recycled.

Each year, around 400,000 used disposable nappies end up at Norfolk’s central recycling facility, which contaminates otherwise clean recycling and is extremely unpleasant for workers who have to sort the recyclable materials by hand. It takes just one nappy to contaminate your recycling and we want to stop this

happening. Please do continue to recycle the cardboard box disposable nappies come in, but always put nappies in your household rubbish bin. Other absorbent hygiene products like kitchen roll and paper tissues also should only go in your rubbish bin – these cannot be recycled either.

Follow @Recycle4Norfolk on Twitter and Facebook for more information about what can and cannot be recycled in Norfolk, or check the Recycle for Norfolk website www.recyclefornorfolk.org.uk

Please check with Norfolk County Council for any changes at your local recycling centre – www.norfolk.gov.uk/rubbish-recycling-and-planning

Making life easier with a brown bin L

ove gardening but not the time, cost and inconvenience of taking your garden waste to a recycling site? Sign up to our brown bin collection service and we’ll collect it for you every fortnight! You could even win a year’s free subscription if you sign up before 30 June 2018.

Signing up online using a debit or credit card is the quickest and easiest way to take out (or renew) a subscription. It costs £44 a year and you can do this on a tablet, phone or computer via www.breckland.gov.uk/gardenwaste.

We’ll deliver a brown 240 litre bin for you to put your hedge clippings, grass cuttings, leaves, cut flowers, shrub prunings, weeds and plants in.

Five free annual subscriptions to be won!

We’re giving away five free subscriptions – all you have to do is email communications@breckland. gov.uk and follow the below instructions: • Put ‘Garden waste competition’ in the subject line of your email • Provide your name, age and address • State that you heard about the competition through Transforming Breckland magazine

To be eligible to enter, you must be aged 18 years or over, live in Breckland, and have an active garden waste subscription on 30 June 2018.

One entry per household.

Winners will be picked at random and notified in July. Their subscription fee will be refunded. Full terms and conditions at www.breckland.gov.uk/ garden-waste-Ts-and-Cs2

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

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Developments

New homes in Attleborough W

ork is expected to get underway soon on 10 new homes on Chapel Road in Attleborough. Planning permission was granted in October 2017 as part of the partnership between the council and developers, The Land Group.

The homes are to be built on land formally used by the Chapel Road school, following its relocation to Old Buckenham earlier this year.

Breckland secures £300,000 Council has B reckland secured £300,000 from central Government to improve access to an area of unused land in Shipdham.

This site could be utilised for new houses in the future.

The investment comes from a £5.8m funding pot from the Land Release Fund, which aims to support councils across the East of England to free up land for new homes.

Other developments delivered by this joint venture are Thetford Riverside leisure complex and the Burghwood Drive housing project in Mileham.

Support for homeless families Council is investing over £1 B reckland million in providing new temporary accommodation to help meet the needs of those who experience homelessness in the district.

This extra funding will ensure families can stay together during this very difficult, and often unexpected, change in circumstances.

The £1 million is half financed by the Council, the last of the fund put aside in 2010 to support housing need, and the remainder is from a pot paid into by developers.

We currently have 14 temporary homes and, when these are filled, families are placed in B&B accommodation.

This type of accommodation is often not suitable, and is costly. The additional provision will reduce the council’s reliance on B&Bs while providing better support for those in need until they are back on their feet and able to find a more permanent place to live.

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Developing the local economy to be vibrant with continued growth

A Healthier Community

Tackling air quality T

hank you to everyone who gave us their valuable feedback during our recent Swaffham Air Quality Consultation on proposed measures to help improve air quality in the town.

Nearly 200 people shared their views with us. Findings showed a high level of support for all the measures proposed for further investigation, including changes to road layouts, encouraging cycling and car-share, education in schools and considering air quality impacts when determining planning applications.

Government’s annual air quality targets and all the measures to tackle the issue were supported by the majority of respondents.

Since the consultation ended in February, we have been reviewing the draft Air Quality Action Plan together with Swaffham Town Council and Norfolk County Council, in light of the feedback received.

We will submit the final document to Defra (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) by November and will share updates on our website in due course.

A small stretch of Swaffham currently doesn’t meet the

ucher! o v r e f f pecial O PLUS S We are thrilled to offer our readers the chance to win one of five nights out at the cinema, at The Light in Thetford. The Light Cinema Experience has three auditoriums with state of the art projection and sound systems.

That’s not all, they also have a café bar that serves all your favourite cinema treats as well as tap beers and wines. Why not treat yourself to a bottle of wine and enjoy it in the auditorium? Each prize consists of 4 tickets, 4 popcorn vouchers and 4 drink vouchers. To be in with a chance of winning, simply send your name, age, address and contact details, quoting Cinema Competition, to: communications@breckland.gov.uk or Cinema Competition, Communications Team, Elizabeth House, Walpole Loke, Dereham, NR19 1EE.

For more details on the cinema and other offers go to www.lightcinemas.co.uk

Cut out this voucher and take it along to take advantage of a great ‘Couples Offer’ – two tickets for any film and a bottle of house wine for only £19.95. Offer expires 30th June 2018.

T&Cs apply. No photocopies accepted. This voucher must be exchanged at the cinema and has no cash value nor can be exchanged for any other item. House wine list and other T&C can be found at the cinema or by emailing Thetford@lightcinemas.co.uk. This offer can be withdrawn or amended at any time.

You must be 18 or over and living in Breckland to enter the competition. Entries must be received by 30 June 2018. Winners will receive 4 tickets plus vouchers for popcorn and a drink for 4 people. Prizes are non-transferable. Film certification restrictions apply. Full competition terms and conditions at: www.breckland.gov.uk/Ts-and-Cs.

Supporting Breckland to develop and thrive

15

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/article/3080/Report-anabandoned-vehicle 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: www. breckland.gov.uk/article/3089/ report-a-faulty-street-light

Pay for it!

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

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.

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Keep in Touch!

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

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