Waveney in Europe
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Waveney in Europe Funding for the region thanks to friends in Flanders Blooming Success Prizes galore for Waveney at Anglia In Bloom awards Serving the Community How Waveney is changing its approach to customers Christmas Collections Refuse news for the holiday season SPIRITS OF LOWESTOFT Charles Normandale’s Spirits of Lowestoft now has pride of place in the town’s Station Square. This elegant competition winner was paid for by the Waveney Sunrise Scheme (a partnership between Suffolk County Council, Waveney District Council and the Lowestoft & Waveney Chamber of Commerce) with additional funding from the European Regional Development Fund and the East of England Development Agency. Welcome! Waveney Welcome everyone to the latest edition of In Touch, the magazine for residents across the District of Waveney. Winners! This magazine aims to provide YOU with a range of Waveney were netball to cricket. interesting stories and information from your local Council Providing an outlet for the and if it enables you to find out more about the services thrilled when the Suffolk Sports Partnership we provide then we will have achieved our aim. District brought (hosted by Waveney District home the Overall Council), a pre Games coaching programme, Waveney is a wonderful and diverse district and I am very Winners trophy involving over 400 children proud to be leader of this Council. I am also proud of the once again at the has been delivered across efforts of everyone associated with Waveney District 2006 Redrow Suffolk, introducing young Council and their efforts to improve outcomes for us all. WAVENEY people to regular sporting Homes Suffolk activity and providing ongoing Youth Games! development opportunities so they can achieve their best. Claire Gallagher, the Council’s Councillor Wendy Mawer, Cllr Mark Bee Service Manager for Sports & Waveney’s Portfolio Holder for Leader, Waveney District Council. Leisure Development was Regeneration said “I would tasked with the co-ordination like to thank the support of Waveney’s representation received from all team and said: “To be overall managers, the Suffolk Sports winners once again this year Partnership and John Hughes is a great honour and is richly of the Lowestoft School deserved for the hard work Sports Co-ordinator Making payments and dedication that the team Partnership who once again managers, volunteers and made the Suffolk Youth coaches have shown.” Games a sporting success for Over 1000 youngsters aged Waveney. It was truly a day to between nine and sixteen and savour!” hundreds of supporters, Councillor Peter Collecott, You can now pay for most instructions. coaches, team managers and Waveney Representative on Council services without This service is available for volunteers from the seven Suffolk Sport Partnership said having to visit Council offices Council Tax, Business Rates, participating Suffolk districts, “I would like to thank our or sending a cheque! Housing Rent, Housing contributed to this well hosts St Edmundsbury for Payments can be made via Benefit Overpayment, Sundry established annual sporting staging an event to be proud Direct Debit or over the Debtor Invoices, Residents event, this year held in Bury St of. The new and improved telephone using our Parking Fines and Car Parks Edmunds. The Games Bury Leisure Centre provided automated service - just call Excess Charges. consisted of thirteen events a wonderful centre point for 01502 511805 and have your Both services are ranging from athletics to the days activity”. debit or credit card ready. Or available 24 hours a day you can head to the Council’s seven days a week except a website, short period between www.waveney.gov.uk/ 11.30pm and 00.15am each payments and follow the day. If you have any queries please call our payment helpline on 01502 523502. If you are required to leave a message you will get a response within one working Edited by Phil Harris. day. Designed by TMS Media. An additional charge of 1.5% is payable on Printed by Ancient House Press all credit card payments for Council Tax and on recycled paper. Business Rates payments. There is no surcharge if you use a debit card. Waveney’s young athletes celebrate success. 2 KEEPING WAVENEY PEOPLE were also nominated finalists in the special award for the Blooming Success best community project for their work at the Townlands Green Play area. Beccles flew the acknowledges efforts to Cllr Stephen Ardley, flag for Waveney renovate and team-working to Portfolio Holder for at the recent improve the overall look of a Operations and Facilities town and this led to Beccles’ believes that praise must go “Anglia In Bloom” richly merited award. Projects to all those who work so hard awards picking this year have seen the to improve the look of our up the “most renovation of both the War towns. Memorial and Exchange “An enormous amount of BECCLES improved town” Square in the centre of town. hard work goes into prize at the In total Waveney towns category. cultivating, designing and ceremony in received no fewer than 11 But it was Beccles who planting the flower beds and awards at the ceremony. stole the show, collecting a displays that you see around September. Lowestoft received a Silver special award for biodiversity Waveney and great thanks award overall and received thanks to the Crowford School and congratulations go to The town also received a the Drought Garden Special Planting Scheme to go with everyone involved in helping silver certificate in the Best award for the Roundabout at the overall town awards. They Waveney to look so good.” Town category much to the the North end of Castleton delight of Cllr Chris Punt, the Way. Beccles’ award recognises far more than just flowers including the renovation of Exchange Square. town’s Deputy Mayor. Lowestoft also received “This is a wonderful nomination awards “Best achievement and it is a real Conservation project at credit to the town to have won Gunton Woods, “Best these awards. The work that Community Project” (Kirkley has gone in to making Street) and “Best young Beccles look so beautiful persons project 12 - 18 years” brings a real sense of pride to (Harbour Pupil Referral Unit). the town and this recognition Meanwhile Bungay is thoroughly deserved.” achieved a Silver Gilt It is worth remembering that (between Silver and Gold) the competition does not just standard for their whole town recognise ‘blooms’, it also in the in the Small Town A recent survey of that the results of the survey customers of show, in the majority of cases, Waveney’s service users are very In Good Health satisfied with the quality of the Environmental improved.” work, food safety, infectious service being given. Where Health Team has In the survey, customers diseases, port health, pest there have been adverse recorded high were asked questions about control and environmental comments, we will be working the type of service used, how nuisances. to address these and improve levels of easy it was to access the the service. In WAVENEY satisfaction with service and how well The satisfaction ratings for the aspects of particular, we aim customers were kept the service were: to improve our the service informed. They were also Ease in finding the right person 81% telephone provided. asked for suggestions on how Length of time kept waiting 86% answering times the service could be Friendliness of staff 90% and keep Most of the replies to an improved. Helpfulness of response 82% customers even online and postal Over 30 staff work in the Providing necessary information 83% more informed questionnaire sent to Environmental Health Team, about the customers who had used the covering the full range of Councillor Ken Sale, progress of their complaint or service, were full of praise for services including: noise Portfolio Holder for Built enquiry.” the work of the team. nuisance, air quality, Environment said, “The daily If you would like to One service user said, “The contaminated land, waste work of the Environmental comment on your experience staff have been very friendly management and recycling, Health Team, improving the of Waveney’s Environmental and efficient. Another added, fly tipping, antisocial environment and protecting Health Service visit our “The speed of response and behaviour, licensing, dog public health, often goes website at follow up could not have been control, health and safety at unrecognised. I am pleased www.waveney.gov.uk. 3 WITH NEWS AND EVENTS IN WAVENEY Survey Results You may remember that in the last edition of In Touch we asked YOU the residents for your views on our WAVENEY plans for Waveney and our ambitions for the future provision of Council services. We included two surveys, one relating to the Community Strategy or ‘plan’ for the area involving key partners such as the Police and Suffolk County Council, and the other focusing specifically on our own service to you - our ‘Strategic Direction’. Community Safety: 40.36% services and information most important in the And this is what you believe that a visible police In education, discipline ‘regeneration’ section while presence is most important, was believed to be the most consultation with the had to say! closely followed by the important issue with 56.09% community is a priority from tackling of anti-social ranking it the highest priority. the possible options in the Community Strategy behaviour and information and access part The strategy aims to explain On health matters, the Strategic Direction of the survey. how we can work closely improvement of healthcare The strategic direction is the Out of six key health issues, together on the key things facilities, particularly for our way Waveney District Council the provision of public that make up quality of life for ageing population, was prioritises its service delivery conveniences was ranked the community.