Noticeboard
Changes to your Refuse and Recycling Collections
With effect from week commencing 2nd April 2012, all refuse and recycling collections will be made on a Friday.
What goes where?
Green Bag – plastics, food tins, drink cans, foil, aerosols
Black Box – newspapers, paper, card, telephone directories
Blue Box – glass bottles, jars
Caddies – food waste
Black bags – all other household rubbish
For further information, please visit look at the Waste, Recycling & Disposal page.
PARISH ANNUAL ASSEMBLY
WEDNESDAY 18th APRIL 2012
Extract from the Local Government Act 1972
“For every parish there shall be a parish meeting for the purpose of discussing parish affairs and exercising any functions conferred on such meetings by any enactment… “
The Parish Annual Assembly is YOUR opportunity to raise any matters of concern about YOUR village.
As a parishioner you are invited to submit items to be placed on the agenda of the meeting.
Agenda items should be submitted in writing to the Parish Council Clerk no later than Monday 9th April 2012.
Notice of the meeting and Agenda will be posted on Tuesday 10th April 2012 in accordance with the legislative requirements.
New Affordable Homes – Tollesbury.
Ten new affordable homes are due to be built in the Parish of Tollesbury. Completion is anticipated on the scheme at Station Road, Tollesbury, in Autumn/Winter 2013, and will provide affordable homes for rent for people in housing need who have a local connection to the Parish. The ten properties will comprise of 2 one bedroom flats, 4 two bedroom houses and 4 three bedroom houses all for rent. They will be managed by Hastoe Housing Association. The scheme will be promoted during the development and Hastoe/Maldon District Council will provide more information in due course.
If you would like to be considered for one of the homes for people of the Parish, please complete an online housing application form at www.gatewaytohomechoice.org.uk.
To find out more about this rural housing scheme please contact John Swords, Policy and Enabling Officer, Maldon District Council, 01621 876207, john.swords@maldon.gov.uk.
Hell of the East’ Cycle Tour
On Sunday 1 April 2012, Maldon will play host to the Maldon Dengie Tour 'Hell of the East' cycle race. One of British Cycling's Premier Calendar race series, a number of theUK's elite road racers are expected to compete.
The 120 competing cyclists will be leaving race headquarters at PlumeSchool in Fambridge Road at approximately 1pm. They will make their way down Maldon High Street to the start line in Park Drive. From the start, they will leave the town via Mundon Road to complete 100 miles of gruelling racing on the tracks and roads of the Dengie Marshes.
At approximately 5pm, the leading cyclists will return to the town via Mundon Road, ready to sprint to the finish in Park Drive.
To accommodate the start and finish of the race, Park Drive will be closed to through traffic all day on Sunday 1 April 2012. Access to properties and businesses will be maintained, and PromenadePark will be open and operating as normal.
A short full closure of Park Drive will be in place between 5pm and 5:20pm to allow the leading cyclists to race to the finish safely. This closure will be enforced by Essex Police motorcyclists who will accompany the race for its duration.
If you would like to come and watch the start/finish of the race, there is car parking available at a number of locations in and around the town. Car parking is also available at PromenadePark, which is only a short walk from the start/finish. PromenadePark car parking charges will apply.
If you are coming to watch the start or finish of the race, why not visit the SX Urban Games being held on PromenadePark. There will be opportunities to try out and watch demonstrations of different street sports including basketball and football freestyling, street dance, cheerleading and free running.
For more information on the race, please visit the Maldon Dengie Tour 'Hell of the East' websitewww.dengiemarshestour.com
Council says residents are in for a “tweet”!
Maldon District Council says that residents who “follow” them on the social networking website Twitter can be reminded when council tax payments are due, meaning that they avoid receiving reminder letters or having further costs added.
The Council has increased its use of the site in the last year, which it uses to send short updates called “tweets” to residents about events, news and service changes. Officers in the Revenues and Benefits team have now started to “tweet” about council tax payments and the latest news on the Government’s Welfare and Benefits changes.
Cllr John Archer, Leader of the Council, said: “We have nearly 1,000 followers on Twitter and we hope to increase this considerably over the coming months so we reach as many people as we can”.
He added: “We want to keep in touch with our residents as quickly and simply as possible and Twitter is a great way of doing this. The easiest way to pay is by Direct Debit but we realise this doesn’t suit everyone so by Tweeting about council tax we can try to remind people when payments are due. We hope this might avoid unnecessary costs being added and if by doing so we can help a small percentage of our residents with our updates then it’s worth it”.
You don’t need to have a Twitter account to see the Council newsfeed but if you are signed up to Twitter already you can go to www.twitter.com/MaldonDC to get updates automatically or go to www.maldon.gov.uk for information about all Council services.
More Outreach advice for residents
Maldon District Council has announced that from April it plans to expand its benefits and housing advice service for residents in the south of the District.
From April, officers in the revenues and benefits team will now be at the One Place offices in High Street, Burnham-on-Crouch twice a month on the second and last Thursdays between 11am-3pm.
Councillor Russell Porter, Vice-Chairman of the District Council’s Finance Committee, said: “Over the past year we have found the service to be of great use to those residents who find it difficult to get to the offices in Maldon. By having advice sessions in Burnham for longer hours we can help more customers and still provide the same great service as we can in Maldon”.
Appointments are not necessary for the service which aims to help residents who have questions about their benefits, housing situation or council tax bill.
More information is available at www.maldon.gov.uk or by calling 01621 854477.
Maldon District Council Element of the 2012/13 Council Tax Bill
Maldon District Council’s element of the council tax bill for 2012/13 has remained at 0% for the second year running.
Cllr John Archer, Leader of Maldon District Council, said; I am delighted that we have been able to maintain a 0% increase in our portion of the council tax for a second year. We recognise the financial pressure being felt by our residents and have borne this in mind when agreeing our increase. This, I believe, is a great achievement during what is a difficult financial climate for us all”.
A total council tax bill includes the costs of providing a variety of services which are delivered by the following authorities;
· Essex County Council – 0% increase
· Maldon District Council - 0% increase
· Parish/town councils - (this depends on your parish/town council) 7% average increase
· Essex Police – 3.47% increase
· Essex Fire and Rescue Service – 0% increase
Each organisation is responsible for setting the level of council tax that it needs to deliver the services.
The total amount is then collected by the District Council and paid to the relevant organisations. The District Council retains its share to pay for the services it delivers.
More details can be found in the council tax booklet arriving with your bill or form our web site www.maldon.gov.uk.
