Thursday 26 March 2020

Due to staff shortages during the COVID-19 outbreak we are restricting some of our services to focus on priority areas.

BULKY WASTE COLLECTIONS

New bulky waste bookings have been suspended until further notice. Norse South East will complete existing requests provided that the waste is left outside your property for the crew to collect.

FLY-TIPS AND STREET LITTER BINS

It may take longer than usual to clear reported fly-tips and empty street litter bins.

RUBBISH, RECYCLING AND GARDEN WASTE COLLECTIONS

We are currently working as hard as we can to keep your rubbish and recycling collections running as scheduled.

However, we may need to prioritise domestic waste (green bin) collections as the situation with the COVID-19 continues.

We will endeavour to collect your recycling (black bin) and garden waste (brown bin) on your regular day, but this is likely to become increasingly difficult.

Please put your bins out as normal on your scheduled collection day. Please leave your bin out all day as the crews may be running later than usual. If your bin is not collected please leave it out, where it will not cause an obstruction, and our teams will collect as soon as they can. This may not be until your next scheduled collection day.

We will collect excess recycling which can be left in clear plastic sacks or a cardboard box next to your bin. If your rubbish collection is missed, we will collect any extra rubbish which can also be left in sacks next to your bin.

We will continue to update our website and social media pages regularly so please keep an eye out for service updates in your area.

For people suffering with symptoms associated with coronavirus (COVID-19) or self-isolating at home, please follow Public Health England guidelines regarding the disposal of waste.

Thank you very much for your cooperation and patience during this difficult time.

TIPS ARE CLOSED

Please remember that Hampshire County Council’s tips (Household Waste Recycling Centres) are now closed until further notice.

USEFUL LINKS

For advice from the government about keeping yourself and your family safe during the coronavirus outbreak, go to www.gov.uk/coronavirus

For updates on how council services are being affected by the outbreak go to www.easthants.gov.uk/coronavirus

REMEMBER:

Stay at home

•     Only go outside for food, health reasons or work (where this absolutely cannot be done from home)

•     Stay 2 metres (6ft) away from other people

•     Wash your hands as soon as you get home

A special event to promote the services available for people with dementia is returning to Petersfield this May.

The Dementia Festival will take place on 15 May and offers the best advice and guidance, not just for people with the condition but also for friends, families, carers and professionals.

Jeff Williams, of Petersfield Dementia Friends, said: “Around one in six people over the age of 80 is living with dementia and there are more than 1,600 people living across East Hampshire with a diagnosis of dementia.

“That’s why this kind of event is so important. As well as providing lots of information about living well with dementia, the festival encourages residents to be proactive and plan ahead as soon as they have a diagnosis.”

The event will be opened by The Petersfield Dementia Choir and Damian Hinds MP, a Dementia Friends Champion, who will also host a training event.

The venue, Petersfield Festival Hall, will be split into sections representing the four main areas in East Hampshire, Alton, Whitehill & Bordon, Petersfield and the southern parishes of Horndean, Rowlands Castle and Clanfield.

It will feature presentations, Dementia Friends training, the Memory Cafe, crafts, dancing and music from 'Tea for Two'.

Mr Williams said: “It is possible to live well with dementia and getting a diagnosis doesn’t mean your quality of life has to stop. Taking steps early and planning ahead for your future means you can live comfortably and happily for many more years.

“Getting the right advice and taking timely action is the key – visiting the Dementia Festival will give you all the information you need to give you and your family peace of mind.”

Cllr Julie Butler, EHDC Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Welfare and Community Integration, said: “Last year’s event was a massive success and gave so many people the reassurance and information they need about all forms of dementia. This is a big part of the work EHDC does to sport the most vulnerable people in our society.

“This event will provide a greater awareness and understanding of dementia and help reduce social isolation amongst those living with dementia and their carers.”

Tickets for the first ever East Hampshire Community Lottery draw go on sale on today (Tuesday 3 March) ahead of the first draw on Saturday 4 April.

Money raised from the draw will provide vital support to a wide range of local organisations and projects which benefit the local community.

Lottery tickets can be bought online at www.easthantslottery.co.uk or over the phone by calling 01730 631014. Players can select their chosen fund to support when signing up.

Along with the chance to win the jackpot of £25,000, participants will be making their district an even better place to live and work.

With every £1 ticket bought, players can allocated 50p to one of a host of participating good causes. A further 10p will go into a central community pot. This means a total of 60p from every pound directly supports good causes.

In total, 23 charities and community groups from across the district are already registered on the lottery website. Supporters can view a full list of these when choosing who they would like to contribute to.

There is still time for local charities and community groups to register for the first draw by visiting www.easthantslottery.co.uk.

Each ticket has a 1 in 50 chance to win a prize each week.

Cllr Julie Butler, Deputy Leader of EHDC and Portfolio Holder for Welfare and Communities, said: “We are really excited to be launching the East Hampshire Community Lottery, we are supporting local charities and worthwhile causes helping our residents.

“Please buy a ticket and choose which cause you want to support, with a chance of winning a prize as well… everyone’s a winner, so to speak!”

Gatherwell, the specialist running the lottery, will receive 20 per cent of the takings while the remaining 20 per cent will go towards the prize fund. Players stand to win a £25,000 jackpot, plus smaller prizes.

For more details on the lottery and to join visit www.easthantslottery.co.uk  

East Hampshire District Council will put money raised by a two per cent increase in Council Tax towards supporting the district’s most vulnerable people.

The increase was agreed by the council at its meeting on Thursday 27 February. It will amount to 5p a week for the average household but would contribute around £215,000 to the council’s Welfare Fund.

The council has previously made clear that residents’ wellbeing is one of its top priorities, with a particular focus on social isolation and mental health in young people.

EHDC Leader, Cllr Richard Millard, said: “I am extremely proud of this budget and what it stands for.

“As a council we have a responsibility to look after everyone, especially those who are not in a position to help themselves. That is why we all became councillors in the first place.

“This Council Tax increase will go a long way to providing services and opportunities for some of the district’s most vulnerable people.”

This is the first time in seven years the council has raised its share of Council Tax.

Cllr Charles Louisson, EHDC Portfolio Holder for Finance, said: “This budget seeks to balance the need for prudence with our visions as a council.

“We are running our finances like any family budget - if we can’t afford it, we won’t do it – while seeking efficiencies that allow us to provide better services at lower cost. Savings don’t have to mean cuts. This delivers a secure financial position with strong reserves.

“Robust finances allow us to support vulnerable residents through our welfare agenda to make a real difference to the people who need our help the most.”

Alongside the two per cent increase the budget also puts money aside to support other council priorities.

A fund of £50,000 has been earmarked for environmental projects as part of the EHDC’s commitment to fighting the climate emergency.

Councillors will once again have £4,500 to spend on local initiatives in their own wards. As part of the new budget, £1,000 of this allocation must be spent on green initiatives.

The budget includes £250,000 for Enhance East Hampshire, a strategy to improve key parts of the district.

A further £500,000 has been allocated to the council’s property portfolio to cover maintenance or voids. EHDC has turned to property investment to replace income lost from dwindling Government funding over the last decade. The council’s portfolio currently provides 33 per cent of the council’s total income, and this reserve will help protect it.

For the first time, the council will review the budget in six months to assess its progress.

The owner of a flooring company has been fined for failing to provide documentation to East Hampshire District Council as it investigated a fly-tip in Liss.

John Draper, of Castle Flooring, Portchester, was fined £440 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £44 and costs of £155.

Investigating officers from East Hampshire District Council asked Draper to provide documents in relation to a fly-tip of carpet and flooring materials found in a lay-by on Farnham Road on 26 March 2019.

Cllr Ingrid Thomas, EHDC's Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhood Quality, said: “Fly-tipping is a blight on East Hampshire’s valuable countryside, is a pollutant and is dangerous for our wildlife.

“We take instances of fly-tipping very seriously and will always investigate where possible.

“Residents and businesses must understand that they have a responsibility to ensure their waste is properly disposed and that they have the required paperwork.”

For more information on how to properly dispose of waste go to www.easthants.gov.uk/fly-tipping

The owner of a horse livery yard in Surrey was saddled with a £900 fine after East Hampshire District Council investigated a fly-tip at Whitehill Cemetery.

Emma Wickerson (26), of Horsham Road, Surrey, pleaded guilty at Basingstoke Magistrates Court to failing to ensure her waste was removed by a licensed carrier.

The waste, one ton of bags stuffed with equestrian items and household refuse, was subsequently dumped at Whitehill Cemetery in January 2019.

East Hampshire District Council investigated the tip and officers were able to trace it back to the livery yard.

Wickerson was formally interviewed and accepted she paid a carrier £80 to remove the waste but had not checked to make sure the carrier was licensed. The carrier could not be traced by officers.

She was fined £900 and ordered to pay a £90 victim surcharge, £100 costs and £440 compensation to EHDC.

Sonja Reames, EHDC environmental officer, who conducted the investigation, said: "The law is quite clear on this subject - a person has a clear duty of care to ensure their waste is disposed of properly.

“The only way to ensure this duty is discharged is to use a licensed waste carrier and to demand a written waste transfer note from them before the waste is removed.”

Natalie Meagher, Head of Service for Neighbourhood Support at East Hampshire, said: “The illegal dumping of waste is unfortunately a story that we are all too familiar with. Fly-tipping on all levels is a blight on the landscape in which we live and work.

“In response to this, EHDC’s Neighbourhood Quality team has worked hard over the last couple of years to develop effective, responsive processes to ensure that, wherever possible, investigations into fly-tipping are undertaken and prosecutions brought to court.”