Join the drive and register to vote today

Bath & North East Somerset Council wants to encourage anyone not yet registered to vote, to take advantage of National Voter Registration Drive next week (1 to 7 February 2016) and go online now to register. The good news is that it only takes a few minutes to register online atwww.gov.uk/register-to-vote.

On Thursday 10 March 2016 voters in Bath and North East Somerset will go to the polls to vote on a referendum to decide whether Bath & North East Somerset Council should have a directly elected Mayor and Cabinet or whether it should keep the current system of Leader and Cabinet.

Later in the year, on Thursday 5 May 2016, voters will go to the polls to elect a Police and Crime Commissioner for the Avon and Somerset Police Area. 

Anyone who isn’t registered to vote won’t be able to take part and have their say. National Voter Registration Drive exists because it’s important that anyone who’s eligible, but has not yet registered to vote, does so. It’s a chance to join the thousands of people across the UK being encouraged to register next week.

Dr Jo Farrar, Chief Executive and Electoral Registration Officer, for Bath & North East Somerset Council, said: “Anyone not yet registered to vote should do so as soon as possible so they can have their say on issues that affect their day-to-day lives. I’d urge people living in Bath and North East Somerset to use National Voter Registration Drive to spread the message amongst family and friends that it only takes a few minutes to register online.”

Going online is the quickest and easiest way to ensure that you’re registered to vote, but you can also request a form  to be posted to you by calling 01225 477333.

Bathnes Council Tax rise cause for concern

Residents are to be hit with a financial double whammy in the coming financial year, according to Lib Dems in B&NES. The Conservative-run Council has today confirmed that local Council Tax will be raised by a total of 3.25%. However Lib Dems are warning that this will not meet the budget gap and that cuts to public services and increases in fees and charges are to be expected.

Lib Dem Group Leader Dine Romero (Southdown) said:

“This budget announcement is short on detail and long on passing the buck. What is particularly concerning is that the Cabinet appears to be looking at only the next financial year. The next four years will see over £40 million of cuts to Council budgets and the Conservatives have been very secretive about where these will fall. Residents will have to expect cuts and changes to public services plus increases in fees and charges, on top of an annual Council Tax hike.” 

“This clearly shows the difference between the coalition government, which protected residents from Council Tax rises, and an unfettered Conservative government which has the knives out for local government.”

Councillor Andy Furse (Kingsmead, Lib Dem) is Lib Dem spokesperson on the budget. Andy commented:

“The 2% so-called ‘precept’ for social care is a Council Tax increase in disguise. When added to the 1.25% general Council Tax increase announced today, the total is a 3.25% rise in the coming financial year. This will come as a nasty surprise to local residents – many of whom will not be receiving any pay increase – after rates were frozen for 4 years under the Liberal Democrats. ”

“Liberal Democrats in B&NES recognise that our social care system is under a lot of pressure and that the added flexibility to draw in more funding is hard for Councils to refuse. Nevertheless, it cannot be left solely to local taxpayers to fix our chronically underfunded care system. This is a government sleight of hand to offload an expensive responsibility.”

Universal Credit Cuts

Last year Lib Dems achieved a huge victory in stopping George Osborne's tax credit cuts to low-income working families. But while the Chancellor backed down on these plans, he quietly kept plans to impose similar cuts to Universal Credit. These cuts will make millions of people in work worse off from 2017, cutting their income by more than £1,000 per year. It's unfair punishment for people just trying to get by. These cuts will affect the same people as the Tax Credit cuts, just in a few years’ time rather than in April this year so we have to stop them. We cannot stand by while the lives of those on low-incomes are made more difficult. That’s why Lib Dem MPs and Peers are fighting against the cuts. Our Peers have tabled a vote in Parliament that would stop the cuts in their tracks. Labour - just like with tax credit cuts - haven't committed yet, so it's down to us. Will you help build momentum by backing the campaign today? Add your name

Beware of bogus charity collectors in Bath

People are being warned to be wary of bogus charity collectors operating in Bath city centre, after Bath & North East Somerset Council received a number of complaints from members of the public.

The Council’s Trading Standards and Licensing teams have received reports of emotive causes being used by street cash collectors carrying buckets – who do not represent a registered charity – in order to part unsuspecting residents and visitors with their money.

The council are very concerned that people may be duped into believing that they are giving money to a registered charity when this is not actually the case. As well as it being troubling for anyone caught out in this way, it’s also unfair on the many legitimate charities who may be missing out on vital donations.

Some of the individuals that we’ve received complaints about have the materials you would normally associate with legitimate charity collectors, such as branded outfits or buckets. However, the causes they are collecting for are rather more ambiguous which leads us to question whether any of the monies donated are reaching good causes after all.”

All street charity collectors need to have a permit from Bath & North East Somerset Council, with the exception of those who are specifically selling periodical publications rather than collecting donations.

If you’re unsure about giving money to a street collector:

• Ask the collector what their registered charity number is and look it up if necessary
• Ask the street collector how much of the money they receive actually goes to charity.

Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Trading Standards team is keen to hear from anyone who believes they have been approached by unregistered street collectors, or who may have given money believing them to be genuine charity collectors. Please get in touch via the Citizens Advice Consumer helpline on 0345 4040506.

Planning Committee to be pod cast

The development control committee on Bath and North East Somerset Council is to be pod cast in a trial last for 3 months thanks to Liberal Democrat Councillor Paul Crossley who persuaded the committee to a agree the trail period.

I hope that this will become permanent as public interest in planning matters is high and it would be good to see democracy in action as far as planning matters are concerned.

The Liberal Democrat administration between 2011 & 2015 introduced the Pod casting of both cabinet meetings and Full Council so adding planning committee is a natural development.

Bathnes Tories rack up problems?

The conservative administration on Bath & North East Somerset Council have certainly got off to a rocky start in their taste of real power.

It could be assumed that with 37 Councillors and a sitting MP they would have an easy time far from it.

So what hurdles have they failed to jump so far?

1) Total chaos in their efforts to deliver a park and ride site to the east of Bath with residents up in arms after they were not listened to.

2) Huge Cuts proposed to Adult services pushed down form government.

3) Recycling not being collected properly for weeks now and no resolution in sight.

4) Additional Housing could be dumped in Bathnes to meet Bristol Shortfall (numbers could be in thousands).

5) Mayoral referendum to take place for an elected Mayor for Bath & North East Somerset.

6) This years Council budget could show the first increase in Council Tax for 6 years,

These are just a few of the issues that they are failing to resolve how may more will they rack up in the coming months.

Deadline for B&NES home improvement grant approaching

Hurry to access Council home improvement grant

Bath & North East Somerset Council currently has a grant of up to £6,000 available through the Energy at Home scheme to help you make energy saving improvements to your home. 

The grant can be used to help cover the costs of improvements such as:

• improved heating systems (including gas and oil fired systems, and electric storage heaters),
• internal, external, or cavity wall insulation, and loft insulation, 
• upgraded glazing including secondary glazing, double glazing and external doors,
• and renewable energy technologies.

Installing measures like these can help improve your home’s energy performance, reduce the amount you spend on your energy bills, and help keep your home warm and cosy over the winter.

This grant is available to all home owners, private landlords and privately renting tenants.  You do not need to be on a low income or an elderly person to be eligible for this grant, but you do need to be signed up before the end of February. 

The Energy at Home scheme will continue to be available after this particular grant ends, with access to other local and national grants, however funding to this level, accessible for so many people, and for this range of measures is unlikely to be available again...
 

..so contact the Energy at Home Advice Service today!

0800 038 5680

New housing standards for rental set.

The work that I Started before the last election to drive housing rental standards has been moved forward by the council.

Landlords in Bath and North East Somerset are being encouraged to apply for accreditation under the new West of England Rental Standard.

Bath & North East Somerset Council is promoting this new scheme that sets out specific requirements that landlords and letting or management agents in the private rented sector should reach – with the aim of driving up standards for tenants.

Through this scheme a single badge of quality accreditation will be awarded to all landlords and letting agents who meet a set of requirements. Nearly 18% of homes in Bath and North East Somerset are privately rented - that’s 13,730 privately rented homes. We want to drive up standards and help tenants to rent with more confidence, protecting them by exposing poor landlords and agents.

“The benefit to landlords and agents is that they will be easily recognised as complying with a recognised standards and procedures. However it is a voluntary scheme, and does not replace the enforcement tools available to the Council to make landlords comply with minimum standards.”

The West of England Rental Standard will endorse organisations and, through them, their members, not individual properties. The endorsed organisation will be expected to ensure that its members (individual landlords or agents) meet and continue to meet the membership requirements.

Letting agents and landlord organisations can now apply to join the scheme atwww.westofenglandrentalstandard.co.uk

Applications can be completed online and need to be returned with a fee of £300 by February 2016. The fee for following two years is £150 per year. This will be used to pay for the advertising and promotional costs of the scheme. The successful organisations will be announced in March 2016.

The West of England Rental Standard will replace a voluntary accreditation standard for rented accommodation that was agreed across the West of England some years ago. Bristol City Council will administer the scheme on behalf of the four West of England authorities for an initial period of three years.

Council to take measures to curb rise in unauthorised advertisements

The council are at long last going to take some action on the amount of unauthorised advertisements on our streets.

I know from bitter experience of the problems with posters on boards on our highways and footpaths as I am sure many other residents are.

Local businesses and organisations who want to advertise on roadsides must have consent before they can legally display an advert.

Over the past year Bath & North East Somerset Council has seen a significant rise in complaints about unauthorised advertisements across the district, principally banners being displayed along roadsides. 

Whilst there are some exemptions in the regulations (usually relating to banners advertising a specific event) the majority of these advertisements require consent and it is an offence to display them without consent.

In an effort to reduce the detrimental visual impact these adverts are having, in both rural and urban areas, the Council is to bring in measures set out in the Town and Country Planning Act to remove unauthorised banners. 

From January 18, 2016, anyone displaying an unauthorised banner or placard will be given 7 days’ notice to voluntarily remove the advert. If the advert is not removed the Council will remove it for them and store it for a limited period. There will be a fee of £50 for administering the removal and storage of the unauthorised adverts.

Details of how to make an application can be found on the Council’s website athttp://www.bathnes.gov.uk/roadside-ads

There is also a useful Government guide to advertisinghttps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/11499/326679.pdf

Anyone wishing to discuss these measures, or seeking advice about how to make an application can contact the Council’s planning department on 01225 394041

Beware rogue tree surgeons

Members of the public are urged to be vigilant of rogue tree surgeons after numerous reports of cold-call tradesmen operating across Bath and North East Somerset.

“Several local residents have been approached by tradesmen posing as qualified tree surgeons offering to cut down or provide maintenance to garden trees in exchange for cash."

Not only is this potentially dangerous for the tradesmen, it can also cause lasting damage to the tree, possible damage to the property and, in some cases, may result in enforcement action from the Council.”

Bath and many of its surrounding villages and hamlets are covered by Conservation Area designations. In addition, some trees (including trees located in private gardens) may be subject to a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) – which protects specific trees, groups of trees or woodlands in the interests of amenity. The Council must be notified six weeks in advance of intended works to a tree located within a Conservation Area or covered by a TPO unless a specific exemption applies (such as where a tree poses a risk to the public). To cut down, uproot or destroy a tree covered by a TPO or within a Conservation Area, or to authorise such an action to take place, is considered an offence under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. Rogue tree surgeons are therefore leaving landowners potentially liable to criminal prosecution.

Work to trees will often require careful consideration by an experienced Arboriculturalist or a person who is practiced in assessing the health of trees and their appropriate management. Tree works should also ideally be undertaken outside of the bird nesting season (March – October) to prevent destruction of eggs and harm to birds protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

The Council would advise anyone who is considering undertaking or contracting work to trees on their property to first ensure that the trees are not located within a Conservation Area or covered by a TPO. The Arboricultural Association provides a Directory of Tree Surgeons on their website which lists professional, qualified tree surgeons by name, area or postcode. The website also contains information relating to good tree care.

If residents remain in doubt as to the works that can be undertaken to trees covered by a TPO or located within a Conservation Area they can contact the Council for further advice and guidance by emailing Trees_andWoodlands@BATHNES.GOV.UK or calling 01225 394041.