Spelthorne Borough Council

Providing Quality Services to the People of
Ashford, Laleham, Shepperton, Staines, Stanwell & Sunbury

Latest news from Spelthorne Council - 28 October 2011

Welcome to the latest electronic newsletter. If you have any questions or comments regarding the newsletter please e-mail us at news@spelthorne.gov.uk.

Weekly food waste collections

The first week of food waste collections has been very successful. With your help we have collected over 35 tonnes of food waste that will now be diverted from landfill and sent for re-use.We would like to thank all residents who are using the scheme and would encourage those who have not started yet to try it. The basic rules are as follows:-

food waste must be either placed in a compostable liner or wrapped in newspaper before placing in the outdoor green bin
the outdoor green bin should be placed with the handle in the upright position outside with your other rubbish/recycling bin by 6am at the kerbside
the smaller grey caddies are for internal use only and must not be put out for collection or emptying

Please help us to get it right by following these guidelines and help us to recycle more of your waste. Spelthorne Santa Sprint 2011

Join the 2011 Spelthorne Santa Sprint the entry fee is £8.50 for adults and £5.50 for children Santa suits are included and there will be medals for all finishers. Runners are welcome to take part and support a charity of their choice and sponsor forms will be provided.

The race will take place at 9.30am on Sunday 4 December. Come along, dress up as Santa and take part in the 1.5 mile fun run/walk through the centre of Staines. The event is suitable for all ages, although under 11s must be accompanied by an adult. For further information or to book your place please contact customer services on 01784 451499 or register online A name change for Staines

Two questions regarding the proposal to change the name of Staines to Staines-upon-Thames were raised by the public at last night’s Council meeting.The first question related to whether a wider regeneration had been considered for Staines and the cost of a survey commissioned to establish views held about Staines.

Cllr Colin Davis, Cabinet Member for Economic Development answered by saying that "Staines has benefitted in the last 12 years or so from significant improvements to shopping facilities and the environment with the Two Rivers scheme, refurbishment of the Elmsleigh Centre, pedestrianisation of the High Street and enhancement of the riverside". He added: "The Council plans to consolidate this success by encouraging further improvements to shopping facilities, improvements to business space and the environment." Addressing the second part of the question, he advised that the cost of the survey had been £1,100 and was funded from the Economic Development Theme Group of the Local Strategic Partnership. A second question from the public asked if there is evidence the name change would boost the local economy and whether the Council was following a recommended process. Cllr Davis responded by saying: "The 'Staines-upon-Thames’ proposal is an integral part of the process of increasing tourism and inward investment into the Borough’s flagship town centre. It is important to place the name change proposal into the context of economic development across the Borough as a whole; the name change will not on its own lead to significant changes to the economic prosperity of the Borough, but it is a key component within the range of initiatives that are taking place." He went on: "town names do not change that often and there is no government recommended process for doing so. In any event a town name has no legal status so this is why the Council is consulting with residents and businesses on the change of name." Speaking after the meeting Cllr Davis said: "It is rather irritating that those who are asking these questions have already put out a leaflet of their own that not only implicitly advises residents to oppose the change but urges the to do so in a manner calculated to cause optimum disruption to the working of the Council". The consultation ends on 31 October. Residents can let the Council know their views on the proposal by visiting www.spelthorne.gov/stainesuponthames or by writing to the Communications Team, Spelthorne Council, Knowle Green, Staines TW18 1XB. Advice from DVLA about possible name change

If the name change goes ahead (the decision is expected in December and if positive will be implemented next May) there is no requirement for drivers/motorists to return their driving licence or registration document to DVLA for amendment. This is not a change of address, it is merely a modification of an existing address and mail can be delivered using either the old or new version. It will remain the personal preference of the driver/motorist if they chose to update their document(s) when the change happens. Alternatively they can wait for the natural replacement of their document(s) by which time the post code package will have been updated.

Off the Hook

Saturday 12 November is Spelthorne’s inline skate night for 11-19 year olds. It takes place at the Spelthorne Leisure Centre from 6pm until 8.30pm. Meet your friends have a great time and exercise all for just £5.

Tell Us Once

A new service has been launched that will make it easier to share information about a death. Losing a loved one is hard enough without the stress of paperwork and phone calls to make. Tell Us Once aims to ease this burden by allowing you to tell multiple government agencies about a death, all at the same time.

The service will be offered to all residents when they make a booking to register a death with their local registrar and the updated information will be shared with organisations such as the Department for Work and Pensions, Identity and Passport Service, the DVLA, Council Tax and even libraries.

The service has been developed by the Department for Work and Pensions and is being used by Surrey County Council in partnership with the 11 District and Borough councils in Surrey.

For more information about registering a death and the Tell Us Once service, please visit www.surreycc.gov.uk/registeringadeath (external website) or phone 0300 200 1002 Cash rewards offered by Crimestoppers to help burglary crackdown

Cash rewards of up to £1,000 are being offered by Crimestoppers in Surrey in a bid to catch burglars In order to help Surrey Police reduce burglary this autumn Crimestoppers are urging residents to tell the crime fighting charity what they know about burglary and the handling of stolen goods.

If you would rather not contact Surrey Police directly, you can pass information to Crimestoppers anonymously by phoning 0800 555 111 or use their online form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org (external website) The charity has pledged to give cash rewards to residents who call 0800 555 111 and give information about burglars that leads to an arrest and charge. In a new development for the independent charity, Surrey Crimestoppers are using Facebook for the first time to make the public aware of the reward and pledge of anonymity that they offer. This initiative, which is supported by Legal & General, Hidden Surrey Fund and the Community Foundation for Surrey will last for four weeks starting on 17 October 2011. Kevin Morris Deputy Chairman of Surrey Crimestoppers said “I am delighted that we are working with Surrey Police on this campaign once again. Burglaries cause so much pain and suffering to victims and I hope we can help prevent them and catch those who profit from this insidious crime” Maria Woodall Detective Superintendent said “As the nights draw in and winter approaches, Surrey Police is targeting local burglars and those who travel in from outside the county to burgle Surrey residents. We are delighted to be working alongside the independent charity Crimestoppers during this period and would encourage anyone to contact either the police direct or Surrey Crimestoppers anonymously if they have any information which could lead to the capture and conviction of anyone involved in this distressing crime". If you wish to pass on information about crime, safe in the knowledge that your identity will remain anonymous, please contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or use the untraceable online form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org (external website) Voluntary Action in Spelthorne’s 2011 AGM

Voluntary Action in Spelthorne's AGM will be held on Tuesday 8 November 2011 in the Goddard Room, Spelthorne Borough Council Offices from 6:30pm. They will be joined by the Mayor, Councillor Sam Budd, and Councillor Vivien Leighton, Leader of the Council, who is this year’s guest speaker. A ‘Meet the Mayor’ event will be held before the AGM, commencing at 6pm, this is a good opportunity for organisations to meet the Mayor.

The First Steps Newsletter

First Steps is an NHS-led service offering friendly advice and information on mental health and emotional issues. Their aim is to help individuals, communities and local services to improve their knowledge and understanding of mental health and emotional well-being.October 2011 Newsletter (Pdf kb)

Mayor's engagements

The Mayor, Councillor Sam Budd, will be undertaking the following official engagements:-

Ashford Camera Club Annual Exhibition
Re-launch of BHS, Elmsleigh Centre, Staines
Poppy selling lauch at Staines Football Club

'My Spelthorne'

My Spelthorne allows you to find out about the services and facilities in our Borough. Simply set a location and use the My House, My Nearest or My Maps tabs to access a wealth of local information.

Recent planning applications The provides a list of all the planning applications either validated or decided by us each week - view the planning applications Events View the calendar of events Job vacancies Current vacancies Calendar of Council Meetings View the calendar of Council Meetings Publications Borough Bulletin
Rubbish and recycling calendar Follow us on Twitter You can now follow us on Twitter, visit http://twitter.com/spelthornebc (external website) Find us on Facebook You can now find us on Facebook - visit www.facebook.com (external website) and search for 'Spelthorne Council'. Roadworks in Spelthorne Surrey County Council's website (external website) provides information on roadworks in Spelthorne. Useful contacts for those having difficulty in the downturn Money worries information page
Age Concern (external website) - 0800 009966
Citizens Advice Bureau (external website) - 01784 444220 or 01932 765041
Revenues Team (Council Tax and Business Rates) - 01784 446490
Housing Section - 01784 446380
Housing Benefits - 01784 446374 Partner links Community web (external website)
DirectGov (external website)
Spelthorne Neighbouhood Watch (external website)
Spelthorne Together (external website)
Surrey County Council (external website)
Surrey Alert (external website)
Surrey Police (external website) Media links Radio Jackie (external website)
Star FM (external website)
BBC Sussex and Surrey (external website)
Eagle Radio(external website)
Radio Wey (external website)
Staines and Ashford News (external website)
Staines People (external website)

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