General News
The Farnham Neighbourhood Plan
We want to hear from you…
Your postman is delivering a bitesize version of the Pre-Submission Plan through your door.
Please take a look and download further information at http://farnhamroyal-pc.gov.uk/neighbourhood-plan/
How to access emergency help from Buckinghamshire Council over the festive season
In the run up to Christmas, Buckinghamshire Council is highlighting where families and individuals can seek emergency help and support if they need it over the festive season.
Any Buckinghamshire residents needing emergency support or help with food and/or energy should contact the council’s Helping Hand service using the online form or by calling 01296 531 151. This service is available during office hours but is closed at weekends and on the public holiday days over Christmas and New Year.
Anyone in immediate need of food who cannot wait until the next working day when the Helping Hand service is open – and has no other avenue to help – should contact the council’s Emergency Social Work Team on 0800 999 7767. They will not be able to provide food on Christmas Day when the shops are closed, but otherwise can provide immediate help and advice in an emergency.
Many foodbanks will be operating different opening days and times over the Christmas period – residents who need to access a foodbank will need a referral from the council’s Helping Hand service, or another similar support service, so please contact the Helping Hand service in the first instance if you or someone you know needs to use a foodbank.
If you see anyone sleeping out on the streets in Buckinghamshire, please contact StreetLink online or call 0300 500 0914. They will notify the council’s dedicated outreach workers. If you see anyone you believe to be under the age of 18 and/or are concerned about the health or welfare of anyone that you see sleeping rough, please call 999.
Residents who may be finding this time of year challenging or lonely, or are experiencing difficulty with their mental health can find help and advice on the NHS Buckinghamshire Taking Therapies webpage. In addition, there are some top tips on mental health and being ‘kind to your mind’ during the festive period at Health and Wellbeing Bucks.
Information about additional support can be found on the council’s cost of living webpages.
Online advice is available 24/7 from Citizens Advice Bucks, plus the national advice line is available during office hours on 0800 144 8848 if you need immediate advice.
Arif Hussain is Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities. He said:
“While most of us are excited about the festive season, for some Buckinghamshire households it can be a challenging time of year, and some people may need to access some extra help or support.
“Please share the information above with your friends, neighbours and local networks. You never know who might need it this Christmas.”
Changes to household DIY waste disposal due from 31 December 2023
Residents in Buckinghamshire will be able to dispose of small amounts of DIY waste for free at Household Recycling Centres (HRCs) from 31 December 2023.
The changes have been brought in by central government and will make it easier for people to freely dispose of small amounts of waste created at home from DIY projects such as re-tiling, renovating a bathroom or digging a pond in the garden.
Today (Tuesday 12 December), Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet voted in favour of necessary changes to the council’s Waste Access & Acceptance Policy which sets out rules and procedures for the county’s 10 HRCs, to reflect the new legislation.
Following the change in law regarding the disposal of household DIY waste, the council is reintroducing a digital e-permit for DIY waste. From 31 December, any resident wanting to dispose of household DIY waste at a HRC will need to have an e-permit printed out or on a portable device, such as a mobile phone or tablet, before they visit. This only affects residents who wish to bring household DIY waste.
The DIY e-permit will allow residents to dispose of one load of DIY waste each week for free. One load of DIY waste is no more than 100 litres of loose DIY waste, or one large item no bigger than 2m x 0.75m x 0.7m such as one bath tub, one door or one kitchen unit. Staff will scan the permit and check the resident’s address, after which the e-permit will expire. It can be renewed after seven days, to allow residents to dispose of another load of DIY waste for free. Anyone wishing to dispose of more than one load of DIY waste in a week will be able to do so but will be charged, using the same price list which has been in place for the past four years.
Gareth Williams, Cabinet Member for Climate Change & Environment said: “We know these government changes will be welcomed by residents, but in order for us to manage them effectively, we are reintroducing a DIY e-permit system like we have used previously. This may be an extra step for residents, but it allows us to ensure that everything will run smoothly and will deter commercial traders from abusing the new system which is for residents only.”
Gareth continued: “We don’t want people to be held up in queues at the HRCs while the new system is bedding in, so we are looking to give people as much notice as possible of the changes and the need for them to download their e-permit before they visit the HRC from 31 December. We will be promoting the new process widely and would suggest people check our website and social media channels for the most up to date information. The whole process is very simple and straightforward and should become second nature to everyone once it has been up and running for a few weeks.”
The changes will only apply to DIY waste. Residents bringing garden waste, electricals, general and other types of waste commonly brought to HRCs will not be affected and can continue to use the sites in exactly the same way as before.
Commercial traders, landlords and residents disposing of waste produced by traders will still need to pay for commercial waste disposal.
For more information on the changes visit Buckinghamshire Council’s website.
Call blocker device helps vulnerable Buckinghamshire residents avoid scams
Buckinghamshire & Surrey Trading Standards is cracking down on telephone scammers this festive season by encouraging people with vulnerable family or friends to support them in applying for a free trueCall device, which prevents scam and nuisance calls.
The compact trueCall device screens incoming phone calls and blocks calls from unknown and unsolicited phone numbers.
Each year, a significant number of Buckinghamshire residents fall victim to fraudsters who employ deceptive tactics to steal sensitive data. Among the most prevalent methods used is cold calling, where fraudsters impersonate legitimate representatives of businesses or financial institutions.
Mark Winn, Cabinet Member for Homelessness and Regulatory Services, said:
“Our Trading Standards team helps to protect the vulnerable from telephone scammers year-round by providing these easy to plug in home devices. Once fitted, they enable all known contacts to dial straight through, with anyone else being screened on the various settings available.
“Christmas is a great time for getting together with friends and family and having conversations with the more vulnerable about cold callers. These conversations could help identify individuals who may benefit from having a trueCall device fitted in their homes. A great gift for any vulnerable person in Buckinghamshire, they are provided free of charge to those in need, so please do encourage people to contact us if they believe they could benefit from having one of the devices.”
Alarming statistics shared by the trueCall team reveal that the proportion of nuisance calls identified as scams has surged from 21% to 40% in the past two years. Furthermore, one-third of scam victims fall prey to a second scam within a year, with single older individuals being three times more susceptible than those living with partners. Vulnerable individuals are also targeted with approximately 40% more scam calls compared to the general population.
To date, Buckinghamshire & Surrey Trading Standards has successfully installed 547 trueCall devices. Over the past year alone, these call blockers have prevented over 48,000 scam and nuisance calls. It is estimated the use of these devices has prevented £600k being taken by deception from Buckinghamshire residents.
To apply for a free call blocker device, interested individuals should contact Trading Standards via email at ts.prevention@surreycc.gov.uk or call Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133. The devices are provided on loan for as long as they are needed – ensuring ongoing protection against fraudulent activities.
Any incidents of suspected fraud should be reported to Trading Standards via the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133.
Have your say on Home to School Transport
Buckinghamshire Council has today launched a consultation on proposed changes to its Home to School Transport policies.
Most of the changes reflect updated guidelines issued by the government earlier this year. The changes aim to make the school transport policies clearer and to provide more detailed information on some topics, including transport for children with SEND.
Some pupils between the ages of five and 16 are eligible for free home to school travel assistance because the walking route to their nearest suitable school is within the statutory walking distance limits, but the walking route is unsafe. Routes are assessed against the nationally recognised Assessment of Walked Routes to School guidance published by Road Safety GB.
The council encourages safe, sustainable ways of getting to school and we aim to reduce car and bus journeys by working within our budget to make walking routes to school safe. Improvements to walking routes will be considered where they can be made at a reasonable cost and where they will benefit the wider community as well as those travelling to school.
Where a walking route previously assessed as unsafe is made safe, the transport eligibility for pupils who could be using the walking route will be reviewed and transport assistance only provided to those who continue to be eligible to receive it.
Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, Steven Broadbent, commented:
“Home to school travel for eligible children is a statutory service that we must deliver, and the council’s school transport policies provide the framework for the services we provide. The proposed changes to our school transport policies are intended to make these policies easier to understand, as well as, to provide more detailed information on some topics including transport for children with SEND.
“The council encourages safe, sustainable ways of getting to school. By working within our budget to review and improve walking routes, we aim to increase the number of families walking or wheeling to school. Walking and talking on the way to school is a great way to connect with others. Reducing short car and bus journeys is better for the environment and air quality around our schools, and improved walking routes benefit all in the community.
“Our school transport budgets are under significant pressure, but by working within our budgets to improve walking routes where we can, we hope to balance our climate change ambitions with providing home to school transport to those who are eligible to receive it.
“We’d like to know what you think about these proposals – please take part in our consultation at www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/school-transport-consultation”
A fantastic addition to our community
The newest market in the Cooper’s Markets family!
A date for your diaries… 26 November 2023
Explore the great outdoors with Love Exploring
Families in Buckinghamshire are being invited to explore the great outdoors right here on their doorstep, using a new fun and simple interactive mobile app. The Love Exploring app is completely free and gives users access to a range of games to play and activities to do throughout the year, when visiting parks and open spaces around the county.
Love Exploring encourages communities to explore their local area, parks and green spaces more through walking. The app creates bespoke activities to bring audio mindfulness guides and augmented reality games such as Dinosaur Safari, to local areas. The app is free and invites users to play games and take part in guided trails which include quizzes to get them hunting for clues as they explore the place they are visiting.
The app has multiple benefits and specifically aims to:
- Motivate residents to become more active
- Increase usage of our wonderful local parks and green spaces
- Deter crime and anti-social behaviour and increase the confidence of park users.
Angela Macpherson, Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing said: “With the summer holidays on the horizon, now is the perfect time for families to download our Love Exploring app and discover the fun that can be had in our parks and open spaces, all for free. It’s not just families who can benefit, anyone can download the app and get exploring. There are activities for all ages and by taking part you can increase your activity levels without even realising it. So, what are you waiting for? Download the app today and get exploring!”
To see the locations and download the Love Exploring app visit the website: www.healthandwellbeingbucks.org/loveexploringbucks
Setting Community Priorities for Neighbourhood Policing Teams
