Residents will be aware that Durham County Council charge for garden waste collections. If you subscribe by 14 February 2019, you will get 17 fortnightly collections between April and November 2019.

The annual subscription fee is £35. This is for one garden waste bin to be collected.

If you do not want to subscribe and pay for garden waste collections, or your property is no longer eligible for the service, you can get a garden waste bin removed.

For more information on the scheme and details of how to register telephone 03000 251 000 or go to www.durham.gov.uk/gardenwaste

Neighbourhood Wardens in the East Durham area can be contacted on 03000 261 000 up to 5pm after that ring 101.

Wheatley Hill History Club have launched a new microsite on their website.

Funding from the County Durham Foundation has allowed the Club to create a new microsite within their website which contains research on the people involved in the First World War from Wheatley Hill.

The benefits of having this information on the website is that it can be updated with new information very easily. If you have information on somebody involved in WW1 from Wheatley Hill and would like it adding to the website please contact Wheatley Hill History Club.

At a recent meeting of the Parish Council it was agreed that the Parish Council would once again provide financial support towards the Meals on Wheels service provided by Wheatley Hill Community Association.

The Parish Council has financially supported the Meals on Wheels service provided by Wheatley Hill Community Association since 2013.

The Meals on Wheels service was established in 2011 and is a lifeline to those, who for various reasons may not otherwise have access to a daily hot meal. It also provides a vital service to isolated individuals who look forward to the social interaction or the sight of a “friendly face”. The service coupled with the Luncheon Club at the Centre ensures that the elderly and less mobile in our community can receive a hot meal seven days a week.

Meals are freshly prepared each day at the Greenhills Centre. The service operates Monday to Friday delivering hot meals from a choice of menu, with fresh chilled meals available for weekends and Bank Holidays.

Last year the Parish Council provided a financial contribution towards the costs related to the transport and paid delivery staff for the Meals on Wheels service from the Section 137 Budget.  

The projected annual costs related to the provision of the Meals on Wheels service in 2019/2020 for transport is £4,727 and £4,269.00 for paid delivery staff. The centre also relies on volunteers and sometimes centre staff to deliver meals depending on the circumstances i.e. weather.

At present the centre does not deliver on Bank Holidays except for Good Friday and they deliver as much as possible over the Christmas and New Year period.

The total cost for the Parish Council to financially support the Meals on Wheels service is £8,996.00 which has been built into the Parish Council’s Section 137 budget for 2019/2020.

 

To become a driver or find out more about the service please contact Hilary Jamieson 01429 820 0214.

To vote at an election you must be on the electoral register and electoral registration is changing. In the past the “head of the household” registered everyone who lived at that address. Now individuals must register themselves.

Over the summer Durham County Council wrote to people to tell them of this change. If you received a letter saying you were not automatically transferred; or you have not registered before; or have just turned 18, visit Gov.uk to register to vote online.

If you didn’t receive a letter, contact 03000 261 212 or email electoralservices@durham.gov.uk.

Are you confused by benefit changes? Unsure about Universal Credit? Baffled by Bedroom Tax? Do not despair!

Welfare Champions are now available in local communities to help answer some of your questions and point you in the direction of further support and guidance. Welfare Champions are volunteers who have been trained to help local people who may have questions about changes to the Welfare system.

If you need help and guidance contact your local Welfare Champion; Evelyn Robson at the Greenhills Centre, Wheatley Hill on a Wednesday between 10.00am – 12 noon.

Between 1 October and 31 March, household waste recycling centres will operate winter opening times. Residents are advised to check site opening times before they visit.

Household waste recycling centres are for household waste only and businesses and landlords are not permitted to take rubbish to these sites. Residents who own a van, minibus, trailer or pick up will also need to apply for a waste permit to access the site or if they need to dispose of hazardous household waste.

If you need any further information please telephone 03000 261 000 or visit the Household Waste Recycling Centre section of the Durham County Council website.