A 4-star council Awarded top marks by the Audit Commission November 2008 HAPPY DAYS IT’S PLAYTIME TRUE GRIT Help others and £1m will boost play- While you sleep, help yourself grounds in your area we’re on the road Page 8 Page 3 Page 10 Audit plan to LET’S BIN weed pollution and waste with us out tax I will support Lancashire County Council in reducing the number of bags to residents. cheats plastic bags I use at home. By Mike Warren MATTHEW As well as banning bags and Ê THEBAGSTomlinson: using only renewable electricity A NEW anti-fraud I would like to receive emails giving me more useful tips LANCASHIRE County ban on in streetlights, the county council drive is being on climate change and discounts on environmentally- Council has pledged to bags. is having a renewed drive to launched to keep friendly products by becoming a Friend of Lancashire. banish carrier-bags from economise and increase recycling down Council Tax its services in the latest CHEAP in its own offices. bills. My name is ........................................................................ step of its fight against lightbulbs A special deal has also been ne- People who cheat the pollution. and renew- gotiated to give all members of system add to the bills My email address is .......................................................... able energy the Lancashire public a 21 per paid by honest people. From April the council will cent discount on energy-saving ban plastic carrier-bags - a for street- So Lancashire County lightbulbs. Council will help check .......................................................................................... move that will reinforce earlier lights will also help. County Councillor Hazel Hard- that information given steps to power streetlights by ing, county council leader, said: by people applying for Please return to: Environment Policy Team, Lancashire “green” electricity and to bags - and then we will look for al- “Banning plastic bags is an im- things such as County Council, Environment Directorate, PO Box 9, award climate-change grants ternatives. We are all sick of see- portant part of our fight against NoWcards and Blue Guild House, Cross St, Preston PR1 8RD to a range of community ing plastic bags littering the climate change. Badges actually tallies Alternatively, sign up at: www.lancashire.gov.uk/ groups. streets and hedges of our county. “It is a fight we are determined with that held by other climatechange A plan of action has been prom- “We are already leading a fight to win.” agencies. From time to time “Friends of Lancashire” may wish to forward details of ised to help residents seek alter- against climate change. Doing The Audit Commis- offers and discounts available to its members, If you agree to receiving natives to bags. away with plastic bags is a vital SAVE MONEY NOW - find out how to sion exercise is part of a information about offers and discounts from County Councillor Matthew part of this bigger picture.” order your discounted energy-saving national initiative to K “Friends of Lancashire” please tick here Tomlinson, Cabinet member for Libraries will lead the way this lightbulbs by logging on to www. stamp out fraud. Sustainable Development, said: month by launching new lancashire.gov.uk/climatechange NoWcard holders From time to time “Friends of Lancashire” may wish to forward your details to other organisations who may contact you with details of their offers or “I’m determined that, as one of reusable bags - a step currently You can support the new move by from neighbouring coun- services. If you agree to the county’s biggest organisa- being mirrored in supermarkets. signing the form (left) to become a cils will also be checked. tions, we need to take a lead in About 50,000 plastic bags were, Friend of Lancashire. By registering, Previous fraud checks K Receiving information about offers and discounts from these organisations please tick here. getting rid of plastic bags from until now, given to book borrow- you will receive regular email updates, have related to pen- our services. ers each year. tips and special offers on things sch sions, payroll, creditors, “An audit is now underway to County councillors will each be as low-energy lighting and home and private care homes. All personal data is stored in accordance with the Data see precisely where we are using able to give away re-usable composters. Insurance claims will Protection Act. For details visit: now also be checked. http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/corporate/vision/ Tell us! What are you doing to tackle climate change. Write to Climate letters, Vision, County Councillor Tony Martin, Lan- County Hall, Preston PR1 8XJ or email [email protected]. cashire County Council’s Cabinet member for Re- sources and Perform- FREE STICKERS ance, said: “People who cheat things such as FOR CHILDREN Single Person’s Discount on Council Tax only add PARENTS worried about their chil- to everyone else’s bill. dren’s safety are being offered free “By checking records reflective stickers to help them “Be in this way, we can Safe Be Seen” in the dark. make sure that honest As the nights and mornings get people are not cheated.” darker, Lancashire County Council’s The council is Road Safety Group is giving away required by law to pro- free Think! Hedgehog stickers for tect its public funds. children’s bags and bikes. It may share informa- The fluorescent stickers will reflect tion with other bodies light from drivers’ lights - so your responsible for auditing child will be visible. or administering public funds. To get your free hedgehog stickers For more information, call 0800 3281635 or email: visit: www. [email protected] lancashire.gov.uk/nfi or www.audit-com mission.gov.uk/nfi A cassette version of Vision is now available for visually impaired people from Galloway’s Society for the Blind by calling 01772 744148 The presence of promotional leaflets delivered inside Vision does not imply Lancashire County Council endorsement. YOURLANCASHIRE: APLACEWHEREEVERYONEMATTERS 2 November 2008 P r ov i d i n g • food safety • welfare advice www.lancashire.gov.uk A full job description of all vacancies is available on our website www.lancashire.gov.uk/vacancies ASK THE EXPERT Questions Let’s party answered by your friend in the know like it’s 1899 Celebration as historic records enter the digital era on the internet VOLUNTEERS are being done such a thorough job ourselves.” Parking fine invited to a thank-you party Lancashire County Council’s Record I am an elderly gentle- after they published details Office has a legal duty to preserve man and I am very such records which must be made of a massive 2.5m births, available to the public. cross as I feel that I marriages and deaths. have been issued with a Previously, such public inspections Their database is a boon to people meant a trip to the Lancashire parking ticket for the PARKING patrol: A ParkWise civil enforcement officer on tracing their family trees. But despite wrong reasons. Record Office in Preston. the streets. See “Parking fine”. the two years work so far, it is still Steve added: “We did a similar proj- If possible I would like less than half way done. to appeal against the Your district council ticular journey was ect with old wills a few years ago. The helpers have spent hundreds of That was one of the largest such proj- ticket or at least be hould offer a collection very daunting for my thousands of hours inputting old daughter and incidents ects in the country. given the chance to put service for household paper records onto a county council my opinion forward. items and pieces of fur- like these need to stop. “We now have 70 volunteers on this website. new project which is going to be just Although I think it will niture. This has to be Miss S Glover, Lytham St Annes Manager Steve Lloyd said: “We be inevitable that I will pre-arranged with the as important.” Lancashire County have paper documents going back to end up paying the fine, district council and 1837 - a fascinating insight into the I need to know who to involves a fee. Council’s Safer Travel FIND OUT Unit is very dedicated Lancashire of yesteryear. go to and if it can be For more information “Paper, however, does deteriorate done through the coun- contact your district and passionate about MORE stopping unpleasant and having the details entered onto cil please. council - in this case computer saves them, as well as mak- Details of births, deaths and mar- Council on journeys. Contact the Mr P Robson, Scarisbrick Rossendale ing it easier for people to use. riages can be seen on the website at: 01706 217777. Other ASBOB team (Anti www.lancashirebmd.org.uk Social Behavior on “You can now check such family You can challenge your district council num- records from anywhere in the coun- Penalty Charge Notice bers can be found on Buses) on 0845 Searches are free, but people have to 0530040. A customer try. These volunteers have done a pay for certificates. by writing to the the county council’s fantastic job - we could never have ParkWise office. website: service officer will be All appeals are consid- www.lancashire.gov. happy to help. The ered on their own mer- uk Safer Travel Unit is its and there is also the appreciative of all calls Anne tries her hand at signing option to take your that they receive, as Out and about this helps them to A NEW service to case to an independent I recently received my make bus journeys in adjudicator. support deaf people first Blue Badge which Lancashire pleasant for For more advice please is making life so much has been launched.