COMMUNITY NEWS FROM NORTH HERTFORDSHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL OUTLOOK WAste And RecyclinG SPeciAL Pull-out WHAT’S on this ChristmAS WINTERFEEL WARM Inside & Out: in north hertfordshire winter 2015 www.north-herts.gov.uk WINTER 2015 OUTLOOK 1 From the LEAder At Christmas time, all those bag or electrical item put in your Finally, there presents and extra food can grey bin won’t make a difference, are lots generate a lot more waste and it can have serious consequences, of festive so we have provided a reminder as it increases the likelihood that activities going of what can go in each bin on materials will be rejected at the on in our town pages 7 to 10. While we know that recycling facility, meaning whole centres this the vast majority of residents are lorry loads can end up being sent Christmas, putting a lot of effort into recycling to landfill, having significant cost so if you as much as they can, we need to and environmental implications. are looking for inspiration for make sure that the right items are Don’t forget also to check your Christmas presents, fancy joining going in the right bins. We have Christmas waste and recycling in some carol singing or want to seen an increase in the amount of collection schedule which you will meet Father Christmas in person, items we can’t recycle in the grey be receiving shortly, as there will take a look at our Festive What’s recycling bins over recent months, be changes to your collections over on Guide for events near you in particular plastic bags and films, the festive period. You can also (pages 14-15). hard plastics and electrical items sign up to our text alerts service so Merry Christmas and wishing are being found regularly. This that you can receive updates about you a very happy New Year. causes us problems because our changes to your services and any recycling facility will only accept disruption due to severe weather. Cllr LyndA NeedhAM, good quality, clean recycling. While Details of how to sign up can be LEAder of North you may think that the odd plastic found on page 6. Hertfordshire District Council In this issue... PAGE. 6 Winter weather tips PAGE. 3 New play area for Baldock PAGE. 10 Have a green Christmas PAGE. 5 Royston Leisure Centre is 10! PAGE. 12 Community Grants DIRECT LINES • North Herts Leisure Centre, ContActinG NHDC Letchworth 01462 679 311 Benefits 01462 474597 letchworth@stevenage- Most NHDC services can be accessed online. Careline Community Alarms leisure.co.uk Find out the date of your next waste collection, 0300 999 2 999 • Royston Leisure Centre apply for a licence, report an issue, register 01763 255 190 Housing Advice 01462 474 682 to vote or pay a bill all through our website: [email protected] www.north-herts.gov.uk Waste and Recycling Collection including: Other contActs: • Missed bins • Street cleaning Hertfordshire County • Graffiti • Litter Council • General waste & recycling queries Check call: Veolia 0800 328 6023 To report issues with streetlights, out OUT OF HOURS potholes, traffic lights and other our highways issues use the Herts NEW website Out of Hours in an Emergency: Highways fault reporting system Homelessness, Environmental www.hertsdirect.org/faultreporting/ Health, Street Cleansing, Parks, Public Buildings and Car Parks: For general enquiries contact 01462 459368 0300 123 4040 Other WAys to contAct us: LEISURE CENTRES NORTH HERTFORDSHIRE By email: [email protected] Stevenage Leisure Limited (SLL) HOMES by Phone: 01462 474000 manages NHDC owned Leisure Centres. Tel: 01462 704100 Email: [email protected] www.nhh.org.uk Like our Facebook page www.facebook.com/northhertsDC • Hitchin Swim Centre 01462 441 646 HOWARD COTTAGE Follow us on twitter • Archers Fitness Centre, HOUSING ASSOCIATION Hitchin 01462 437 111 Tel: 01462 683307 @NorthHertsDC [email protected] www.howard-cottage.co.uk 2 OUTLOOK follow us on twitter @NorthHertsDC WINTER 2015 Fantastic new play equipment for Clothall Common Play Area Clothall play area received some swings for younger children, with They did this fantastic new play equipment earlier stepping stones and a balance by conducting this year. The newly refurbished park bridge, along with a zip wire and an on-site in Baldock was officially opened with mega swing to keep older children consultation, a ceremony to mark the occasion. entertained. There is also a new gathering Trim Trail to help improve outdoor the views of The 10 week renovation was fitness for all ages. around 150 completed by Groundwork local people to Hertfordshire on behalf of NHDC. Ground formations were also find out the type of play facilities created in the play area so that The £120,000 project saw the tired the community wanted to see. wildflowers could be planted old metal play equipment removed Those elements and ideas were later in the year. and replaced with a range of new incorporated into the final designs equipment including timber play Before the designs for the new park and contributed to the final designs facilities that blend could start, NHDC together with of the park, with exceptional results. in more with the Groundwork Hertfordshire made it a surroundings. The priority to give the local community The new play equipment will provide Green area now features the chance to influence their hours of free fun for children of all Flags brand new cradle neighbourhood play area. ages, for many years to come. PAGE. 6 Winter weather tips North Hertfordshire Purwell Meadows in Hitchin and Ivel the Countryside Management PAGE. 10 Have a green Christmas is fortunate to have a multitude Springs in Baldock received their first Service (CMS) work extremely hard PAGE. 12 Community Grants of beautiful parks and open spaces. Green Flag award this year. Howard alongside the many volunteers This year, five of those green Park and Gardens in Letchworth and ‘Friends of’ groups to maintain spaces were rewarded with a received the award for a second the beautiful parks and open prestigious Green Flag award. year running and Norton Common spaces for everyone to enjoy. The five sites are proudly owned in Letchworth and Priory Memorial Congratulations and thank you to and managed by NHDC. Gardens in Royston received everyone who helps to keep those the national award for the sixth green spaces beautiful. The national Green Flag award consecutive year. scheme recognises the best parks and open spaces in the UK for However, maintaining those You can find information about having excellent facilities, being well award-winning parks is not all our parks and open spaces on our managed and maintained and for down to the Council. NHDC’s website www.north-herts.gov.uk engaging the local community. contractors John O’Conner and Celebrating the Green F lag Award at Howard Park, Letchworth follow us on twitter @NorthHertsDC WINTER 2015 like our Facebook page www.facebook.com/northhertsDC OUTLOOK 3 ADVERTISEMENT NORTH HERTFORDSHIRE .co.uk DISTRICT COUNCIL ONE CHILLY WINTER’S MORNING, MY CENTRE GAVE TO ME ... THE REST OF THE YEAR FOR FREENew Splash Parks for Hitchin and Royston Work on the exciting new splash parks at Bancroft Recreation Ground in Hitchin and Priory Memorial Gardens in Royston is underway. The work is expected to be completed early next year with the new interactive water parks due to be open to the public in May 2016, ready for the summer season. The addition of the two new splash parks will mean that all four of North * FREE MEMBERSHIPHertfordshire’s towns will now benefit from having aUNTIL wonderful water play facility for children to enjoy. The splash park in Hitchin will be ‘buccaneer’ JANUARYthemed and will include*JOINING features FEE APPLIES. such as TERMS2016! interactive AND CONDITIONS APPLY. NORTH HERTS LEISURE CENTRE Fishponds Road, Hitchin, Herts SG5 1HA Woodcock Road, Royston, Herts SG8 7XT Baldock Road, Letchworth, Herts SG6 2ER 4 01462OUTLOOK 437111 01763 255190 01462 679311WINTER 2015 Royston Leisure Centre celebrates 10 years! Royston Leisure Centre celebrated its 10th birthday in style in September with a special celebration event weekend. On Saturday 19 September, The £5m centre was officially Stevenage Leisure Limited, who opened by Sir Oliver Heald, MP manage the leisure centre for the for North East Hertfordshire on Council, invited the community 17 September 2005. to come and celebrate with free As the foundations were being dug, swimming, fun inflatables, a BBQ, children from nearby Meridian and sports challenges and face painting. Greenway schools were invited to On the Sunday there was a wide fill a time capsule with memorabilia range of free ‘Come and Try Us’ recording what it was like to be a activities on offer. student at their schools in 2004. NHDC’s Councillors were also The capsules contained photos, It was nationally recognised as a invited to celebrate the milestone poems and essays as well as school leading player in the leisure industry decade with an evening tour of dinner menus. By February 2005, in 2012, when it was presented the facilities and a special cake the steel frame had been erected with the Quest Excellence in Facility cutting ceremony. and the roof was attached. Management Award, receiving the top score of all centres inspected The centre now attracts over across the country. 379,000 visitors a year. It has hosted several special events, including an event in August For more information about what 2008 to mark the transfer of the centre has to offer go to the Olympic Flag from Beijing to www.sll.co.uk/enterprise/Royston London, where Lesley Owusu, part Councillors and Stevenage Leisure celebrate the 10th Anniversary.