Tag Archives: council

Fly-tippers and rubbish dumpers cause recycling bank rethink

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Irresponsible companies dumping business waste and a few lazy individuals fly-tipping their household waste has led to a rethink over recycling banks across the Vale.

The district council is looking at removing the large green mixed recycling bins from its bring bank sites and wants residents to voice their opinion on the matter.

The sites have become a magnet for fly-tippers.  They’re often located in public car parks and have become a local eyesore, piled high with rubbish.

When fly-tipping takes place at these sites, the recycling in the bins becomes contaminated meaning all of it has to be sent to landfill.

All of this means the Vale has decided to ask residents what they think, and if they agree with the council, the green mixed recycling banks will be removed.

At the same time the council is reminding residents that they can leave any excess recycling that won’t fit into their green wheeled bin in a clear bag or open box, next to their bin – so there is no reason why they would need to use the recycling banks.

The mixed recycling banks have already been removed from a few sites at the request of the land owners.  This has put an end to fly-tipping at these sites and has not led to any complaints, nor has the council noticed an increase in fly-tipping elsewhere.

Cllr Reg Waite, cabinet member for waste at the Vale of White Horse District Council said: “It is a real shame that we’ve been forced to consider this course of action.  Many of our residents are keen recyclers and use these bins in good faith. Sadly some businesses and individuals are ruining it for everybody.  Thankfully, there are plenty of other recycling options and I would urge everybody to leave their extra recycling next to their green bin for collecting at the kerbside.”

The council has no plans to remove the charity containers that sit alongside the green bins.  These will remain in place.

We would like residents to tell us what they think by emailing comments to waste.team@southandvale.gov.uk before 3 May.

Faringdon joins the Neighbourhood Planning revolution

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Faringdon has been granted ‘front-runner’ status to produce a Neighbourhood Plan under new powers to be introduced through the Localism Act.

The Vale of White Horse District Council worked in partnership with Faringdon Town Council to bid for the grant of £20,000 that accompanies the award of front-runner status.

Neighbourhood planning is the government’s initiative to empower local communities to help make and take forward planning proposals at a local level.  The idea being that local people will be the driver to help shape how their local communities grow and develop.

The Faringdon Neighbourhood Plan will be driven by the Town Council, but the Vale will provide support in helping to ensure that the process conforms with the guidelines for neighbourhood planning.

Cllr Roger Cox, cabinet member for planning at the Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for the people of Faringdon to help develop a vision for the future of their town.  Being awarded front-runner status means that Faringdon is one of the early communities to benefit from the Localism Bill and it provides an exciting path forward for its residents, for the town council and for the Vale.”

Cllr Alan Hickmore, Chairman of Town Council’s Planning and Highways Committee, said  “Faringdon Town Council is delighted to be one of the “front runners” to produce a neighbourhood plan for our community. We look forward to working with the Vale of White Horse District Council and, most importantly, our townspeople in producing a plan that will benefit us all”.

Residents get the chance to win their 2012/13 council tax and help save thousands

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Residents in South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse are being encouraged to sign up to receive their council tax bill by email to help save money, and those who do so will be entered in a draw to have their entire 2012/13 council tax paid for them.

It costs more than £64,000 each year forSouth Oxfordshireand Vale of White Horse District Councils to print and send out council tax bills and leaflets.  To save money the two councils are aiming to get as many people as possible signed up to receive their council tax bill by email before February next year.

When people sign up to receive bills by email, a system known as e-billing, it saves money through the reduced need for paper, printing and postage.

To encourage people to sign up for e-billing the councils have agreed to pay the entire 2012/13 council tax bill for two residents (one from each district) drawn randomly from the e-billing list, including the portions of the bill allocated to other service providers such as the police, county and town councils.

To enter the draw, council tax payers simply need to sign up to receive their bills by email by Tuesday 31 January.

Please note that e-billing is only suitable for those paying council tax by direct debit, credit or debit card.

Anyone who has already signed up will automatically be entered into the draw.

Council tax payers who wish to sign up for e-billing, and therefore be entered into the draw should go to either www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk or www.southoxon.gov.uk depending on which council they pay council tax to.

Cllr David Dodds, cabinet member for finance at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “This is a fantastic chance for two council tax payers to win the opportunity to have their entire 2012/13 bill paid for them.  We are very keen to reduce the amount of money we spend each year on printing and postage, so hopefully anyone who hasn’t already done so should sign up.”

CllrMatthew Barber, cabinet member for finance at the Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “If every council tax payer who has access to email signs up to e-billing then we could put the money that we spend on sending out bills and council tax leaflets to much better use.”

Vale of White Horse District Council press release – car parking consultation begins

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A CONSULTATION has been launched on proposals for changes to council car parks in the Vale of White Horse District Council area.

 

Residents, businesses and visitors to the area are being given the chance to have their say on plans that could see a free period of two hours being introduced to help boost the local economy in the Vale’s towns.

 

Councillor Matthew Barber, leader of Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “The big change being proposed is the two hours of free parking – this has the potential to benefit both residents and businesses in the area’s towns.

 

“If things go to plan we will be able to implement the changes by the start of December which will be great news for anyone shopping or doing business in the run-up to Christmas.

 

“For many people two hours is enough to go shopping or attend appointments. Very few places in theUKare this generous, but we need to know what people locally think.

 

“There are also some other detailed changes being proposed that are needed to help us run the car parks efficiently but, again, we are asking for people’s views before anything is decided.”

 

The 21 day consultation period has now begun. To find out more about the proposed changes and to submit your views visit www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/haveyoursay, email carparks@southandvale.gov.uk or you can view the documents at White Horse District Council’s offices, Abbey House, Abbey Close, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 3JE or phone 01235 547665