Wheatley Hill Parish Council approved its budget for 2020-2021 in the sum of £127,507 at the meeting of the Parish Council held on 13 January 2020.

The introduction by Central Government of a Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme grant which replaced the Council Tax Benefit Scheme significantly changed the calculation of the tax-base upon which Council Tax is calculated. Town and parish councils are not financially independent and are reliant upon Central Government grant support to compensate for the loss of tax-base. The grant support is paid to Durham County Council who then redistribute the grant to parishes but the County Council is under no obligation to do this. Durham County Council as our billing authority has agreed to redistribute the relevant part of the Central Government grant for 2020-2021.

The Parish Council requires a budget of £127,507 for the 2020/2021 financial year. To off-set the budget the Parish Council will use £4,489 of reserves and receive a Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme grant of £14,766. After deducting the £4,489 reserves and the £14,766 grant from the Council’s budget this will produce a precept requirement of £108,252. The total amount requested from Durham County Council for 2020/2021 is therefore £123,018.

This budget represents a standstill Band D charge and means that as a result of increase in the council tax base residents will pay exactly the same amount as last year. By keeping a standstill Band D charge the Parish Councils precept will increase by 6.79%.

Wheatley Hill Community Association needs volunteer drivers to assist with their daily Meals on Wheels service.

Volunteer drivers are urgently required to help deliver Meals on Wheels to the elderly in the local community. Volunteers will need their own transport and a standard mileage rate will be paid.

Drivers are needed Monday to Friday between 11.30am and 1.00pm. If you think you are able to help please contact Hilary Jamieson – Operations Manager, Telephone: 01429 820 214
Email: hilary.jamieson@greenhillscentre.co.uk

The neighbourhood policing team is made up of police officers, police community support officers and special constables. They work with local people to find out what matters most to you in the area you live. They work together with the community and other partners to tackle local problems and help improve the quality of life for local residents.

How to contact your Neighbourhood Policing Team:

Peterlee Police Station

Address:
St Aidan’s Way
County Durham
SR8 1QR

Telephone: 101
Fax: 0191 375 2610 / 2560
Email: peterlee@durham.pnn.police.uk

If you are interested in knowing about crime rates in your area then the Police have developed a new site to allow you to access this information. Why not check out the site by clicking on the following link and typing in your postcode or address.

Durham Constabulary Website – www.durham.police.uk

 

Did you know that one in every four people live below the poverty line in County Durham.

Durham Foodbank provide a minimum of three days emergency food and support to people experiencing crisis, but hey rely on food donations.Please give what you can. To find out where your local drop-off point is call 0191 303 7559 or visit the Durham Foodbank website.

Each Durham County Council salt bin located in Wheatley Hill has a unique reference number on it. Find your nearest salt bin at www.durham.gov.uk/saltbins

If you are aware of a salt bin that is empty and needs refilling simply call 03000 26 0000 or complete an online form at www.durham.gov.uk/saltbins and quote the unique reference number on the top or side of the bin.

 

Dog waste bins are located throughout Wheatley Hill at locations such as grass verges, pedestrian areas, footpaths and larger open spaces. The dog bins are checked and emptied on a regular basis. You can also use any litter bin to dispose of dog waste, provided it is properly bagged.

If you are aware of a bin near you that is not being emptied on a regular basis or have noticed problems with a bin please contact us.

Free Poop Scoop bags are provide by the Parish Council to all residents living in Wheatley Hill. The bags are available to collect from the Heritage Centre, located in the Cemetery, Woodlands Avenue.

Neighbourhood Wardens are working to improve the quality of life for residents by reducing the level of anti-social behaviour and the fear of crime. They tackle environmental problems to improve the local environment and promote community involvement and social inclusion, especially among young people. They also deal with stray dogs and enforce legislation around dog ownership.

The wardens work closely with the Police, Fire service, other enforcement agencies and other council service providers to deal with issues of concern to residents.

Wardens carry out regular patrols and deal with any issues they encounter or which are reported to them. They can be contacted on 03000 261 000. Neighbourhood wardens work Monday to Thursday 9am to 8pm, Friday 11am to 10pm and Saturday and Sunday 4.45pm to 10pm.

You can apply for Housing and Council Tax benefit in either of the following ways:

• Complete an on line application form on Benefits section of the Durham County Council website
• Contact the Benefits Service on 03000 262 000
• Contact the Council Tax Service on 03000 264 000

If there is a problem with dog fouling in your area or you see someone failing to clean up their dog’s mess, let us know, giving as much information as possible, such as:

• Date and time
• Location
• Description of the dog
• Dog owner and if possible their address

This information will be passed to the Neighbourhood Wardens to make enquiries and take the necessary action against the offender. All reports are dealt with in confidence.

If a pavement or verge is badly fouled, the problem can be reported to Durham County Council who can arrange for the mess to be cleaned up and/or arrange for an officer to patrol the area in an effort to catch the offenders.

You can report dog fouling to Streetscene on 03000 261 000 or email help@durham.gov.uk

Please encourage your family and friends to be responsible, it will help us keep County Durham clean.