Monday, January 23, 2006
Recycling
Latest Government figures show that St Edmundsbury residents recycle more than anywhre else in the country. Local residents now recycle over half their rubbish, the national average is 23%.
St Edmundsbury's three-bin system involves the collection of recycled items from two bins (compostable materials and dry recyclables such as paper, plastic and cans) one week with the rest of the rubbish (such as food, pet waste and disposable nappies) the next week. The garden waste and vegetable peelings are composted and turned into soil improver which is sold to individuals and organisations such as landscaping companies. The dry recyclables are sorted at Great Blakenham, sold on the global market and turned into items such as newspapers, traffic cones, fleeces, street signs and park benches.
Latest Government figures show that St Edmundsbury residents recycle more than anywhre else in the country. Local residents now recycle over half their rubbish, the national average is 23%.
St Edmundsbury's three-bin system involves the collection of recycled items from two bins (compostable materials and dry recyclables such as paper, plastic and cans) one week with the rest of the rubbish (such as food, pet waste and disposable nappies) the next week. The garden waste and vegetable peelings are composted and turned into soil improver which is sold to individuals and organisations such as landscaping companies. The dry recyclables are sorted at Great Blakenham, sold on the global market and turned into items such as newspapers, traffic cones, fleeces, street signs and park benches.
Friday, January 13, 2006
Free History for St Edmundsbury Residents (well, just those residents who can get to Bury - but this may be worth the trip if you can)
St Edmundsbury Museums Service will be throwing open its doors at Manor House and Moyse’s Hall Museums, Bury St Edmunds for a weekend of free lectures, children’s activities and live interpretation on Saturday 4th to Sunday 5th February 2006.
At Moyse’s Hall on Saturday 4th between 11am and 4pm, join Venta Icenorum looking at Romano-British Icklingham. This live interpretation group will be looking at the dress and lifestyles of these people at the time of the collapse of Roman administration in Britain circa 400-420 AD. Based on archaeological interpretation, representative characters will be on hand to talk to visitors. There will also be hands on opportunities including dressing in replica clothing of the period as well as exploring pottery and Roman writing.
Children are invited to come along to Manor House Museum on either day to have a special look at the fans in the collection and to make one of their own to take away. They can also have a look at toys at Moyse’s Hall on Sunday 5th and make one to take home. Adults are not forgotten with a lecture by Dr Keith Cunliffe on local artist Sybil Andrews, an ‘Armchair Tour’ looking at the history of the town, or ‘The Countess and Her Town House’ by Pat Murrell.
The usual guided tours and children’s quizzes will be available throughout both days. All events are free but spaces for lectures and workshops need to be reserved as there is limited space. For a full programme, including timings and venues please contact either Museum or telephone 01284 706183.
NORMAL OPENING HOURS – Moyse’s Hall Museum
Monday – Friday 10.30am – 4.30pm
Saturday – Sunday 11.00am – 4.00pm
Manor House Museum
Wednesday – Sunday 11.00am – 4.00pm. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Admission – Adults £2.60 / Child & Concessions £2.10
Residents of St Edmundsbury - FREE
St Edmundsbury Museums Service will be throwing open its doors at Manor House and Moyse’s Hall Museums, Bury St Edmunds for a weekend of free lectures, children’s activities and live interpretation on Saturday 4th to Sunday 5th February 2006.
At Moyse’s Hall on Saturday 4th between 11am and 4pm, join Venta Icenorum looking at Romano-British Icklingham. This live interpretation group will be looking at the dress and lifestyles of these people at the time of the collapse of Roman administration in Britain circa 400-420 AD. Based on archaeological interpretation, representative characters will be on hand to talk to visitors. There will also be hands on opportunities including dressing in replica clothing of the period as well as exploring pottery and Roman writing.
Children are invited to come along to Manor House Museum on either day to have a special look at the fans in the collection and to make one of their own to take away. They can also have a look at toys at Moyse’s Hall on Sunday 5th and make one to take home. Adults are not forgotten with a lecture by Dr Keith Cunliffe on local artist Sybil Andrews, an ‘Armchair Tour’ looking at the history of the town, or ‘The Countess and Her Town House’ by Pat Murrell.
The usual guided tours and children’s quizzes will be available throughout both days. All events are free but spaces for lectures and workshops need to be reserved as there is limited space. For a full programme, including timings and venues please contact either Museum or telephone 01284 706183.
NORMAL OPENING HOURS – Moyse’s Hall Museum
Monday – Friday 10.30am – 4.30pm
Saturday – Sunday 11.00am – 4.00pm
Manor House Museum
Wednesday – Sunday 11.00am – 4.00pm. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Admission – Adults £2.60 / Child & Concessions £2.10
Residents of St Edmundsbury - FREE
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Suffolk County Council proposing review of school organisation
A review of how education is delivered to children and young people in Suffolk will be proposed to Suffolk County Council’s Cabinet on 10 January 2006.
The review, which will involve widespread consultation with all interested parties, including young people and their parents, will take account of changes and developments across the whole system of schooling.
These include the need to look at population changes across the county, the need to improve breadth and choice of opportunities for 14-19 year olds and the need to examine whether the current mixture of two and three-tier education best serves all the pupils in Suffolk.
A review of how education is delivered to children and young people in Suffolk will be proposed to Suffolk County Council’s Cabinet on 10 January 2006.
The review, which will involve widespread consultation with all interested parties, including young people and their parents, will take account of changes and developments across the whole system of schooling.
These include the need to look at population changes across the county, the need to improve breadth and choice of opportunities for 14-19 year olds and the need to examine whether the current mixture of two and three-tier education best serves all the pupils in Suffolk.
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
This report is going to the Borough Council's Policy Development Committee on 9 January 2006
Community Centre Review
1. Introduction
The Cabinet has requested a review of the future management and funding options for Borough Council owned Community Centres. The Community Development Unit will be leading on this review. As with recent service reviews, this will be accompanied by the Asset Management Review of the properties.
2. Baseline Position
There are currently six community centres that are owned by the Council, five of which are leased to Community Associations. One is managed by the Borough Council. Appendix A outlines the baseline position of these community centres, looking at:
a) Where they are
b) Who manages them
c) Grants paid to them over last 5 years
d) Brief details of lease arrangements.
3. The Scope of the Review
The objectives of the review will be, in accordance with the Council’s asset management process, to ascertain if the community centres are fit for purpose and to identify the funding and management options which will most effectively and efficiently meet the long-term needs of local communities and the Council’s corporate priorities.
The review will encompass:
a) Asset Management review
In line with the Asset Management process.
b) Consultation
It is envisaged that full consultation with communities served by the community centres will take place, both through questionnaires and face to face consultations. This will try to establish community expectations and needs from the community centres, what is already being provided, whether this meets their needs and what the gaps are in provision, if any.
c) Management of the Centres
This area of the review will look at how and by whom the centres are managed, how effective that management is, how it is evaluated, governance issues and how grants have been spent.
1
d) Member engagement
It is envisaged that Policy Development Committee will be involved at two stages. Firstly, to agree the baseline position and scope of the review (this report) and secondly to consider options and shape the final report to Cabinet (at a session with this Committee no earlier than July 2006, with a report to Cabinet no earlier than August 2006). Those Members who have the Community Centres in their wards will be involved before, during and after the consultation with the communities.
e) Options for the future
It is envisaged that several options for the future management and funding of the Community Centres may be considered, once all the information is available. These are likely to include:
No change to current situation;
Transfer to a Community Trust or work in partnership with other agencies;
Transfer to the Town Councils;
Retain the ownership but set up service level agreements with the Community Associations that lease the premises.
There may be other options that become apparent during the review process
4. Recommendation
Policy Development Committee is requested to note the baseline position, and to approve the ‘scope’ of the review as outlined in (3) above.
Community Centre Review
1. Introduction
The Cabinet has requested a review of the future management and funding options for Borough Council owned Community Centres. The Community Development Unit will be leading on this review. As with recent service reviews, this will be accompanied by the Asset Management Review of the properties.
2. Baseline Position
There are currently six community centres that are owned by the Council, five of which are leased to Community Associations. One is managed by the Borough Council. Appendix A outlines the baseline position of these community centres, looking at:
a) Where they are
b) Who manages them
c) Grants paid to them over last 5 years
d) Brief details of lease arrangements.
3. The Scope of the Review
The objectives of the review will be, in accordance with the Council’s asset management process, to ascertain if the community centres are fit for purpose and to identify the funding and management options which will most effectively and efficiently meet the long-term needs of local communities and the Council’s corporate priorities.
The review will encompass:
a) Asset Management review
In line with the Asset Management process.
b) Consultation
It is envisaged that full consultation with communities served by the community centres will take place, both through questionnaires and face to face consultations. This will try to establish community expectations and needs from the community centres, what is already being provided, whether this meets their needs and what the gaps are in provision, if any.
c) Management of the Centres
This area of the review will look at how and by whom the centres are managed, how effective that management is, how it is evaluated, governance issues and how grants have been spent.
1
d) Member engagement
It is envisaged that Policy Development Committee will be involved at two stages. Firstly, to agree the baseline position and scope of the review (this report) and secondly to consider options and shape the final report to Cabinet (at a session with this Committee no earlier than July 2006, with a report to Cabinet no earlier than August 2006). Those Members who have the Community Centres in their wards will be involved before, during and after the consultation with the communities.
e) Options for the future
It is envisaged that several options for the future management and funding of the Community Centres may be considered, once all the information is available. These are likely to include:
No change to current situation;
Transfer to a Community Trust or work in partnership with other agencies;
Transfer to the Town Councils;
Retain the ownership but set up service level agreements with the Community Associations that lease the premises.
There may be other options that become apparent during the review process
4. Recommendation
Policy Development Committee is requested to note the baseline position, and to approve the ‘scope’ of the review as outlined in (3) above.
Public Service Village - better service at a lower cost?
An innovative concept which would see borough and county council services being provided at a lower cost to Council Tax payers will be discussed by St Edmundsbury's Cabinet next week (11 January) and Suffolk County Council's Cabinet (10 January).
A Public Service Village (PSV) will take shape in Western Way, Bury St Edmunds, if the Cabinets and then St Edmundsbury's full Council on 23 February give the go-ahead. They will be considering a business case, looking at whether the concept makes sense from the points of view of customers, planning, affordability and value for money. If councillors give the green light to the concept then the PSV will need to go through the development control process, with detailed studies on issues such as environmental and transport impact. Consultation will also be carried out with those who use council offices as well as borough and county staff.
The proposal involves demolishing the former factory building, St Edmundsbury House, which is currently used mainly by the borough's finance, planning, engineering, transport, computer, waste management and support staff. This would be replaced by a new, more cost effective and easier to maintain building, which would be cheaper to run. This would also house all the council's staff now working at the Borough Offices on Angel Hill, Bury St Edmunds. The Borough Offices would be sold to help finance the PSV.
Next to that would be another building for Suffolk County Council staff, replacing Shire Hall and other sites. There could also be a shared central "hub" building, with a council chamber, meeting rooms and other facilities, which both organisations could use.
Having all the council offices on one site will save money for Council Tax payers through combining services such as computer technology, receptions, cleaning and building maintenance. Other overheads, such as heating and lighting, will also be cheaper in a more modern building.
The size of the Western Way site means that other public sector partners could join the councils at the Public Service Village in the future, potentially making further savings.
An innovative concept which would see borough and county council services being provided at a lower cost to Council Tax payers will be discussed by St Edmundsbury's Cabinet next week (11 January) and Suffolk County Council's Cabinet (10 January).
A Public Service Village (PSV) will take shape in Western Way, Bury St Edmunds, if the Cabinets and then St Edmundsbury's full Council on 23 February give the go-ahead. They will be considering a business case, looking at whether the concept makes sense from the points of view of customers, planning, affordability and value for money. If councillors give the green light to the concept then the PSV will need to go through the development control process, with detailed studies on issues such as environmental and transport impact. Consultation will also be carried out with those who use council offices as well as borough and county staff.
The proposal involves demolishing the former factory building, St Edmundsbury House, which is currently used mainly by the borough's finance, planning, engineering, transport, computer, waste management and support staff. This would be replaced by a new, more cost effective and easier to maintain building, which would be cheaper to run. This would also house all the council's staff now working at the Borough Offices on Angel Hill, Bury St Edmunds. The Borough Offices would be sold to help finance the PSV.
Next to that would be another building for Suffolk County Council staff, replacing Shire Hall and other sites. There could also be a shared central "hub" building, with a council chamber, meeting rooms and other facilities, which both organisations could use.
Having all the council offices on one site will save money for Council Tax payers through combining services such as computer technology, receptions, cleaning and building maintenance. Other overheads, such as heating and lighting, will also be cheaper in a more modern building.
The size of the Western Way site means that other public sector partners could join the councils at the Public Service Village in the future, potentially making further savings.
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
New Licencing Hours
I have been asked about various licencing hours for local pubs. Follow this link to find the public register for all alcohol sales licences in St Edmundsbury http://www.stedmundsbury.gov.uk/sebc/live/Licensing-Act-2003-Public-Register.cfm
I have been asked about various licencing hours for local pubs. Follow this link to find the public register for all alcohol sales licences in St Edmundsbury http://www.stedmundsbury.gov.uk/sebc/live/Licensing-Act-2003-Public-Register.cfm
