SCDC press resleases – February 2012 (2)

South Cambridgeshire District Council's crest.


Council Tax frozen as budget backed by Full Council

Councillors have voted in favour of plans that will keep money in taxpayers’ pockets by freezing the amount of Council Tax paid to South Cambridgeshire District Council.

The decision was made at a meeting of Full Council when South Cambridgeshire District Council’s budget for 2012/13 was approved.

A one-off grant from Government will be awarded to the Council in exchange for agreeing to freeze  Council Tax, and councillors have said they will build on past successes of driving efficiencies to protect front line services when savings of £470,000 are needed in just over one year’s time.

The Council has already saved around £4 million over the last three years to combat cuts in funding.

At the meeting of Full Council, 31 councillors voted in favour of the proposed budget, 8 voted against and 8 abstained.

The budget for 2012/13 will also see an extra £100,000 invested in making homes warmer and cheaper to run for tenants following a successful bid for EU funding, and an additional £70,000 to build on work to help businesses in the district as well as attracting new ones – including funds for superfast broadband.

Extra funding was also agreed to help build on existing and well-used community transport projects by helping set up schemes in areas where none currently exist.

Half a million pounds has also been put in place to support parish councils, community and voluntary groups through the Council’s grants programme next financial year – maintaining the level of support given in 2011/12.

The main areas of Council spend in the budget for 2012/13 will be:

  • Environment services – including waste and recycling, environmental protection, public health and food safety – £5.9m.
  • Finance and staffing – including costs of council meetings, Member allowances, elections, administration of benefits for residents and collection of business rates and council tax – £3.9m.
  • Sustainability, planning and climate change – including conservation, building and development control – £2.3m.
  • New communities – including Northstowe and other growth areas, sports and arts support and planning policy – £1.7m.
  • Housing – including homelessness, housing strategy and letting and advisory services – £1.3m


Councillors voted in favour of freezing the basic allowance Members are paid at a meeting of Full Council in November which has also been included in the budget. Basic allowances stand at £4,627, which is below average when compared to other district councils of a similar size and rural location.

Cllr Ray Manning, Leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “At a time when the national downturn has meant our residents are having to tighten their belts it is only right for the Council to take a share of the burden and freeze our share of  Council Tax for the second year running. We are committed to delivering exceptional services for our residents that represent great value for money.”

Cllr Simon Edwards, South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, said: “This decision does mean we will need to find further savings in just over a year’s time, and although we are already a very lean council, with one of the lowest  Council Tax rates in the country, we have a proven track record of good financial management and will continue to squeeze every penny out of the taxpayers’ pound for our residents.

“Councillors of all parties already took a decision last year to once again freeze the allowances we receive for the role we play in representing our communities, and it is decisions such as this that makes sure we can put forward a budget that commits to protecting front line services for our residents.”

Community orchards take root in Oakington and Sawston

A new community orchard was created in Oakington on 25 February 2012 with the first trees being planted by local volunteers.  

A variety of 27 apple, pear and plum trees local to the area will be planted, including the Cottenham Seedling, Willingham Gage and Robin Pear, providing fruit for the community in years to come.

The orchard will be created on the recreation ground, near to the pavilion, a popular public space for local people.

The idea for the community orchard was proposed by residents and driven forward by South Cambridgeshire District Council’s deputy leader, and district councillor for Oakington, Simon Edwards.  A £480 grant from the Council’s Community Chest fund has helped to pay for the trees.

Cllr Edwards said: “Projects such as this will help ensure that the traditional orchard, a focal point at the heart of many of our communities across the district, and an essential habitat for wildlife, will continue to be a part of our landscape. Our tree planting schemes have been a real success across the district, they maintain a heritage link to our past, conserve local varieties of tree, and bring communities together.”  

A community orchard is also taking shape in Sawston on a plot of land off Mill Lane belonging to the John Huntingdon Charity.  Not considered appropriate for housing, it was proposed the land be used for the benefit of the local people and wildlife.  Local volunteers have helped to plant 18 apple, pear, plum and gage trees, including the Chivers Delight Apple, Suffolk Thorn Pear and Cambridge Gage.  The Council awarded a £400 grant towards the Sawston orchard from its Wildlife Enhancement Scheme.

Cllr Nick Wright, South Cambridgeshire District Council’s cabinet member for planning and sustainability, said: "It’s great to see residents getting involved in improving their local environment.  The very fact local people requested these community orchards says a lot for how they value our landscape and its traditions.”  

South Cambridgeshire District Council is actively supporting local people to establish or restore community orchards and can help with guidance and funding.  For more information contact Ecology Officer, Rob Mungovan, on 01954 713402.

Final call for arts awards nominations

South Cambridgeshire residents are being urged to get in the act quick and beat the curtain closing on nominations for this year’s prestigious arts awards.

Anyone living in South Cambridgeshire who inspires communities to get involved in arts, culture and music could be the next winners – residents have until  Wednesday 29 February to put forward nominations.

The awards – supported by media partners Cambridge News – are in their fourth year and look to recognise the district’s most dedicated community volunteers who enrich the arts scene.

Since nominations opened in December, fifteen entries have been put forward so far and District Council arts chiefs have said there are already a number of strong contenders for this year’s gongs.

At the 2011 awards, winners ranged from Steve Lockwood who organised a group called Willingham Jam to bring together people of all ages to play musical instruments, to Hilary Gretton, a volunteer from Bourn who edited 'Inspirations', a community arts magazine for people with disabilities.

A new Cambridge News ‘promotions award’, will be part of the line-up of awards up for grabs at this year’s event, and entries are being encouraged from communities who want to recognise an individual or group who have promoted activities to help reach new audiences.

The arts awards this year will be held on Wednesday 28 March at Swavesey Village College with the roster of performances for the red carpet event currently being finalised.

Tony Orgee, South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Chairman, said: “If you know of someone in your community who gives up their time for free and inspires others in the fields of art, music or culture please take a moment to put them forward for an award. Dedicated volunteers are often right at the heart of communities and these awards were set up to say thank you to them all and recognise the huge commitment they make.”

To nominate an individual, or group of people, who have made a lasting impression on the arts in South Cambridgeshire communities, please download the nomination form from the Council’s website - http://bit.ly/rHJ2rR - or contact Andy O’Hanlon on 01954 713343.

Council investigators score hat-trick in war on fraud

Three benefit cheats will have to repay over £30,000 to South Cambridgeshire District Council after pleading guilty to swindling cash at Cambridge Magistrates Court.

Jane Thomas, 61, of Narrow Lane, Histon, pleaded guilty to two offences of making false statements to obtain benefit. A Council investigation uncovered that she failed to declare shares she held when making a claim in 2009 causing her to be overpaid £3,476 in Council Tax Benefit. She was sentenced to a conditional discharge for 12 months and ordered to repay the money and £449.58 in costs.

Alex Chambers, 45, of St Catharine's Square, Cambridge, pleaded guilty to six charges of dishonestly making false statements to obtain benefit. Data matching – a process where investigators compare records held by various Government departments, such as HMRC and the Department for Work and Pensions – found that Mr Chambers had been receiving a pension which he had not declared when making claims for benefit on six occasions. In total he was overpaid over £18,000 in Housing and Council Tax Benefit – which he has been ordered to repay.

Magistrates indicated that they were considering all options, including custody, and requested that the Probation Service prepare a pre-sentence report ahead of a further hearing next month.

In a third case for the Council, Susana Goncalves, 39, of Foxhollow, Cambourne, pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to promptly report a change in circumstances that affected her benefit entitlement. During a routine review of her claim, Mrs Goncalves provided details of her husband’s employment, which did not match information her benefit was calculated using. 

Had Mrs Goncalves reported the change in circumstances promptly she would not have been overpaid over £10,600 in Housing and Council Tax Benefit. Sentencing was adjourned to allow a probation report to be prepared, but the overpaid benefits must now be repaid.

Cllr Simon Edwards, South Cambridgeshire District Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for finance, said: "The message is clear; we will not tolerate fraud and people found to be stealing public money can expect to be caught.

"Our skilled and dedicated benefits assessors are aware of the signs of possible fraud when looking at applications, and where they see something suspicious the case is passed to specialist Council investigators to make sure we catch those people who are wrongly taking money out of the system which is there for those in real need.

"We also rely on members of the public to report their suspicions and match our records with other Councils and government departments to find potential fraud. If you suspect fraud please get in touch with us for a confidential chat.” 

To discuss a benefit claim with South Cambridgeshire District Council please contact 03450 450 061, or to report potential fraud, contact 0800 731 1892.

UK first so tenants can take the lead

South Cambridgeshire will be part of a UK first when a new not-for-profit company is launched in mid-February to give council house tenants the skills needed to monitor the performance of the Council.

The Audit Commission – an independent national housing watchdog – is currently in the process of being abolished, and although tenant satisfaction amongst South Cambridgeshire District Council tenants is high, Council bosses want to give tenants the skills and knowledge needed to be involved in overseeing the service to make sure it is still meeting their needs.

The new community interest company, known as Linchpin Project, was set up by experienced tenants and training consultants and sponsored by South Cambridgeshire District Council and five other social housing landlords in the East of England to provide training for council house tenants who, in South Cambridgeshire, represent people living in the 5,500 council-owned homes.

South Cambridgeshire District Council has worked with council house tenants to improve the services over recent years and the council-owned homes in the district are recognised as some of the best in the country.

As well as providing bespoke training to tenants, the company will provide training for housing providers and repairs and maintenance contractors across the Eastern Region.

Cllr Mark Howell, South Cambridgeshire District Council’s cabinet member for housing, said: “We are proud to be at the forefront of this new and innovative initiative as we want to be sure that our tenants have the skills needed to hold us to account and make sure we continue to provide the best possible service for them. Putting the tenants at the heart of what we do has seen the service continually improve, and we believe by giving better support than ever we will cement our successes.”

Residents say we’ve got a team you can trust

Residents across South Cambridgeshire have praised a District Council team who are behind making sure new and existing buildings are safe for communities.

In a recent survey, 93% of people who made South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Building Control team part of their construction project gave staff a glowing report – and satisfaction levels were up on last year’s results.

The survey also revealed that 99% of people felt staff are knowledgeable and have a high level of skill, with comments also being received on the speed and quality of information provided to clients.

The Council was also commended for the low cost of charges made for services – such as plan checking, building notices and site inspections – with more than 9 out of ten people surveyed saying Building Control advice and support represented good value for money

The Building Control Team promotes the health, safety and welfare of the people of South Cambridgeshire by:

  • Checking all applications for new buildings, or alterations to existing buildings, to ensure they follow legal building regulations and are structurally sound, that they are weather resistant, adequately conserve fuel and power, have adequate sound insulation and are accessible for all.
  • Visiting building sites regularly to check on work in progress.
  • Checking drainage, heating, lighting and plumbing systems.
  • Ensuring there are adequate fire exits and other precautions.
  • Investigating any dangerous buildings or other structures and ensuring that they are made safe 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
  • Control demolitions for buildings, or part thereof, with an external volume of greater than 50 cubic metres.
  • Providing advice and guidance to all on construction and compliance issues.
     

Cllr Nick Wright, South Cambridgeshire District Council’s cabinet member for planning and economic development, said: “We pride ourselves on delivering first class services that represent good value for money, and it is heartening to know we have the backing of the residents who have used the service. I would like to thank our officers for work they have done to continually improve the service we offer and the results of the recent survey speak for themselves.

Embarking on any building project is always a significant task and our aim is to have a team of trusted and knowledgeable staff available so we make the process easier for residents and protect the interests of our communities.”

To find out more about building control, or to talk to someone about a project you are planning, contact South Cambridgeshire District Council on 0345 455 215 or email building.control@scambs.gov.uk.

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