Page 4: So, what will intouch! happen to the Town Hall? WITH YOU AND WAVENEY DECEMBER 2013 CHEERS FOR LEISURE Leisure Trust and its great venues are flying high HOUSE IN ORDER Why Waveney’s Housing Team is top of the pile REGENERATION GAME Big plans to create jobs, housing and economic growth in Lowestoft www.waveney.gov.uk www.twitter.com/waveneydc www.facebook.com/waveneydc intouch! Getting New faces Following by-elections Mike, who was 57 and died in touch earlier this year, Waveney after a short illness, was a lov- ing husband and father to wife, Please check www.waveney.gov.uk for any has two new councillors. Labour’s Janet Craig is the Wendy and daughters, Emily information you require. Accessing services online is quick and easy and avoids you new member for the Harbour and Catherine. Leader of the having to wait in a queue. ward after voting took place in Labour Group, Tod Sullivan May. Then in August, Len said: “I knew Mike for some Call us on 01502 562111 Monday to Wednesday 8:45am to 5pm Jacklin - also Labour - was time before we realised our Thursday 9:30am to 5:30pm elected to the vacant seat in mutual interest in Labour poli- Friday 8:45am to 4:30pm Oulton. This by-election was tics. I came to regard him as a We aim to answer your call within 20 seconds and called following the sad death friend as well as a close and to resolve your query at first point of contact. The of Cllr Mike Ives-Keeler. trusted colleague.” telephone lines in our call centre are usually busy on Mondays and between 12-2pm each day. To avoid longer waiting times, please try to call us Life partners outside these hours. for what turned out to be a busy season.” You can send us an email to Beaches across Waveney are now protected [email protected] by a world famous lifesaving organisation For more information on beach safety and how At all our locations we provide public access following an agreement with the RNLI to to support the RNLI, visit their website at to computers allowing our customers to view provide lifeguard services. www.rnli.org/beach. For more information on appropriate websites and other useful Council The partnership brings many benefits to our lifeguard job opportunities contact information. local beaches including an increase in lifeguards [email protected]. Please note: when visiting us the first and last days to both Lowestoft and Southwold beaches, of the month are usually busy as residents pay improved emergency aid equipment, improved youth education and employment opportunities - their council tax bills. Pride Park Mondays are our busiest day and so is the period all at no extra cost to Waveney. A Lowestoft Park is celebrating after between 12 noon – 2pm. To avoid longer waiting The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a receiving a prestigious award for the times, please try to visit us outside these hours. hugely respected charitable organisation, made third year running. We are closed on all statutory bank holidays and up of volunteers, which provides safety at sea The Green Flag award is awarded to ‘green weekends. with 24 hour on-call lifeboat search and rescue services and a seasonal lifeguard service. They spaces’ which are considered the best in the Marina Customer Services Centre country for maintenance, facilities and The Marina Customer Service Centre (next to the were established in 1824, meaning they’ve been management, and Nicholas Everitt Park has Marina Theatre) Lowestoft. saving lives at sea for almost 200 years. Cllr Stephen Ardley, Waveney’s Deputy Leader been recognised in this year’s awards. It’s Opening Times been a real team effort with volunteers at the Monday to Wednesday 8:45am to 5:00pm and Cabinet member for Commercial Partner- park in Oulton Broad working closely with Thursday 9:30am to 5:30pm ships said: “We are delighted to have agreed a Waveney Norse to create an environment Friday 8:45am to 4:30pm contract with the RNLI and we’re hugely everyone can be proud of. Payments Office impressed with the level of service the beaches Richard Hackney of Waveney Norse said: Monday to Wednesday 8:45am to 4:45pm of Waveney now receive.” "Once again special mention must go to the Thursday 9:30am to 5:15pm Darren Lewis, RNLI Senior Lifeguard Manager, Friends of Nicholas Everitt Park whose Friday 8:45am to 4:30pm said: “The RNLI is delighted to have provided daily patrols on beaches in Waveney for the first tireless efforts throughout the year, I know, Accessibility will have impressed the judges. We have Hearing Loops / Disabled Access time this summer. Building on the expertise we been fortunate to have a dedicated Or at one of our local offices: have developed through 12 years of providing workforce, volunteers and supervisors who , 6 Market Street beach patrols, our new lifeguards trained hard Beccles Local Office have all ensured the park continues to flour- Beccles NR34 9AQ ish and improve.” , Broad Street Bungay Local Office Cllr Stephen Ardley, Waveney District Bungay NR35 1EE Council's Cabinet Member for Commercial , London Road Halesworth Local Office Partnerships said: "The partnership Halesworth IP19 8LW approach is key to our success and all those Opening Times for Local Offices involved should be extremely proud of their Monday to Thursday: 9.00am to 1.00pm and contribution. The Green Flag is recognition 2.00pm to 4.30pm for all of the effort put in to making Nicholas Friday: 9.00am to 1.00pm and 2.00pm to 4.00pm. Everitt such a wonderful green space." 2 www.waveney.gov.uk intouch! How are we doing? 2014-15: As part of our ‘Business Plan’ - which maps out Crunching the Council’s social and economic vision for the the numbers next 10 years - we identified The scale of the financial challenge seven key themes which facing councils is enormous, with represent our primary continued cuts in Government fund- purpose as a progressive ing creating budget gaps which are 21st Century Council and increasingly difficult to fill. From April 2014 until March 2016 a fur- reflect the issues that ther £2.6 million will be cut from the you tell us matter to your money we receive from the Govern- quality of life. Each of these ment; just under HALF of the money themes is crucial to the they currently provide us. balanced delivery of The Council Tax we receive is another services and each contain income stream and clearly enables us to finance the delivery of services to priority ambitions. our communities. However of the Economic Development, valued and empowered. • Promote and provide timely £49.7million paid by the people of Tourism and Leisure • Develop communities where access to welfare benefits. Waveney, it is worth remembering that • Promote economic growth and people's needs are met and we, the district council, receive only Community Health generate inward investment to where they can, and do, as £5million – just over 10% - with the re- • Protect and promote the health stimulate a prosperous, innova- individuals make a difference mainder shared between the County and well-being of all our tive, diverse, sustainable and to their community. Council, the Office of the Police and communities to ensure they dynamic economy that optimises Crime Commissioner for Suffolk and remain safe from harm, and able enterprise. Planning and Coastal town & parish councils. In addition to live healthy lifestyles. • Promote increased access Management 2012-13 saw Waveney FREEZE the to quality leisure and cultural • Promote and support the well Green Environment portion of council tax it receives for the facilities and activities. managed development of • Protect, enhance and make third year running. sustainable, thriving communi- sustainable use of our environ- Leader of the Council Colin Law said: Customers and Communities ties, with the quality facilities and ment; creating an attractive and “We must rise to even bigger chal- • Always put customers first services needed for a growing accessible rural, coastline and lenges as reductions take effect. This when we plan and deliver economy, whilst preserving the urban environment for the is why we launched our Business Plan services and provide different historic and natural environment people who live, work and visit - to show that Waveney means busi- ways for people to fairly access and pro-actively managing the the area; providing a rich and ness and to show that our financial the services that are required effects of our changing diverse legacy for future planning must be with the longer term effectively and efficiently. coastline. generations. in mind. The days of simply chipping • Build the 'Big Society' by away at budgets is at an end and we developing a diverse mix of Housing and Benefits Resources must seek ways to encourage growth, strong, proud, caring and sup- • Tackle poor housing conditions, • Embrace a more business like encourage businesses and help our portive communities that value and encourage the improved approach in directing resources economy prosper. their rural and coastal heritage, provision of, and access to, to support the delivery of key “Waveney District Council has contin- are aspirational for themselves appropriate housing to meet services whilst optimising both ued to meet these challenges robustly and for the future; feel engaged, existing and future needs. quality and performance. and this will not change. However fur- ther changes to the way we deliver services will clearly need to be made, Email: [email protected] using our Business Plan priorities as the anchor for the decisions we take. Throughout this magazine there are examples of Times are very hard and will continue to be for “And, as ever, we want to know what how the Council is trying to meet these priorities some time.