Trustee Poster
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Citizens Advice Trustee
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Notice of Casual Vacancy in the office of Parish Councillor for Shouldham
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Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards
Housing Standards – MEES Regulations
For more details See the Borough Council leaflet and website
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Police Budget consultation now live – Have Your Say
Norfolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Giles Orpen-Smellie has today launched a public consultation into the proposed budget for policing in the county for the coming year.
The PCC is required by law to set the budget for Norfolk Constabulary and as part of this, determine how much the people of Norfolk contribute to the policing element of the Council Tax they pay.
To inform this decision, Giles is consulting with people across the county.
The consultation will run until 5pm Friday, 14 January and asks residents across Norfolk whether they will support Giles’ proposal for funding.
In the consultation information published today, Giles outlines some of the key challenges facing Norfolk Constabulary in the changing face and complexity of crime.
Being able to respond to the growth in domestic abuse incidents and the need to ensure Norfolk is a safe place for women and girls are amongst the items at the top of the agenda for the PCC, as he also prepares to launch his new Police, Crime and Community Safety Plan in the spring.
The plan will outline the priorities that Giles will hold Norfolk Constabulary to account for and where investment will be made.
In the consultation document, Giles says: “My Police, Crime and Community Safety Plan will set a specific expectation for the police, in partnership with other agencies, to promote a co-ordinated county-wide response to violence against women and girls and to tackle high harm behaviours and criminality such as domestic abuse, rape and serious sexual offences.
“It is incumbent on me to ensure the police have the necessary funding and resources to do so.”
Following consultation with Norfolk’s Chief Constable Paul Sanford, Giles is seeking the community’s understanding for a precept rise of 3.59% – equivalent to £9.99 per year or 19p per week for a Band D property or £7.77 per year or 15p per week for a Band B property. The majority of properties in Norfolk are bands A to D.
In the Chancellor’s October spending review, the rise was capped at £10 per year.
“I understand that the last question many people will want to be asked is whether they support additional demands on their household budgets,” said Giles.
“The reality we are faced with is that without an increase to police budgets the constabulary will not be able to maintain either the current level of service or be able to respond to these growths in demand.”
As well as enhancing capacity with a number of officer and staff roles to respond to crimes of violence against women and girls, the PCC outlines the need to enhance drone capacity, which further enables the constabulary to respond to crimes particularly impacting rural communities, a growth in digital investigation resources and the need to ensure the force is able to meet the government’s carbon neutrality targets in its buildings across the county.
“It is imperative that the plans we are making for the constabulary are ones that will support keeping our communities safe and responding to the changing face of crime,” said Giles.
“Norfolk is a safe county to live and work in and I want it to stay that way – we must not lose through not sufficiently funding our police force.”
Paul Sanford, Chief Constable of Norfolk Constabulary said: “The cost of providing effective policing has risen and so have the number of calls for our service.
“Whilst we have seen significant decreases in neighbourhood crimes such as burglary, theft and robbery, crimes committed behind closed doors and particularly domestic and sexual abuse continues to rise.
“I have reviewed every part of our budget to identify savings to meet our financial pressures and allow further investment in the frontline to address growing demands.
“However, the savings that we have found are not enough and I have asked the PCC to consider an increase in precept. The increase that I have requested is below inflation, but will enable me to make the improvements that are needed in areas such as our response to domestic abuse and serious sexual offences. Without an increase in precept, I will not be able to make the improvements that recent events have shown are critically needed.”
Have your say now The consultation closes at 5pm on Friday, 14 January 2022.
Printed copies of the survey and consultation documents are also available and can be requested by contacting the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Norfolk (OPCCN) in the following ways:
Post: OPCCN, Jubilee House, Building 1, Falconers Chase, Wymondham, NR18 0WW
Telephone: 01953 425657
Email: [email protected]
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Local Support – Funding
Support targeted to voluntary and community groups £1,000,000
Norfolk Community Foundation has set up a fund so that frontline voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations can deliver vital winter aid to the people they support.
Norfolk VCSE organisations, as well as town and parish councils and faith groups, will be able to apply for funding to deliver £50 vouchers for groceries / household essentials (supplied through Edenred). Where vouchers can’t be used because someone lives in a very rural area or does not have access to the internet, groups can offer a grant of £50 cash instead. The vouchers or grant will be given to the charity that applies for it, and they will then pass this on to those needing support.
Funding for support with energy and other bills will be initially directed to Age UK Norfolk, Norfolk Citizens Advice and Mancroft Advice Project. Once this approach is tested, more organisations will be added. Any enquiries to be part of this approach should be directed to the Norfolk Community Foundation.
Referrals can be made via the NCAN system or direct referral where NCAN is not in use (see appendix 1)
Where no prepayment meter is in place organisations are able to make payments directly to energy companies – there is no cash alternative. Where individuals need support with the purchase of oil, a referral will need to be made to NAS who have specific links to oil providers and access to tariffs. For more detail about who can apply, for how much and when please go to https://www.norfolkfoundation.com/funding-support/grants/groups/norfolk-household-support-fund/ (scroll all the way down the page for full information and the apply button).
NCF will also communicate with wider VCSE organisations how they link people up with longer term support offered via District Council teams and NAS so that they can be helped past the initial £50 sum where needed.
Food support £500,000
We will work with local councils to ensure that local foodbanks are provided with support where needed to meet additional needs of residents over the winter. Many foodbanks are reporting that they are well funded and seek to find longer term solutions for people to eradicate the need for foodbanks in the future.
Support available from libraries £132,000
From the 21 December Norfolk’s network of 47 libraries will offer free hygiene packs with essential toiletry and sanitary products, as well as ‘warm and well’ packs including things like blankets and warm socks. People will be able to go to libraries and pick up these packs in a discreet way, when they need them.
Other support
We are exploring ways we can provide winter support to some specific groups of people who do not always access mainstream support, such as Carers, Gypsy, Roma, Travellers, and those supported by the Council’s People from Abroad Team. This will be promoted through the relevant channels once funding is confirmed.
Local support in the community provided by district councils £1,400,000
Funding has been divided up in proportion to the number of Universal Credit claimants in each district as follows:
Norwich £301,000
Great Yarmouth £275,800
King’s Lynn and West Norfolk £221,200
Breckland £193,200
South Norfolk £151,200
Broadland £128,800
North Norfolk £128,800
City, district, and borough councils are using their in-depth knowledge about their residents and local community to proactively target support to where it is most needed. This support will be delivered through existing local organisations and council services who come across individuals and families in need. City, district, and borough councils will be in touch directly with partner organisations with more detail about their individual schemes. Links to local council officers for more information can be found at the end of this briefing. To ensure adequate funds are allocated at a local level we will continue to review demand and spend with each local council and make adjustments accordingly.
How long is this funding in place?
This additional Government funding for winter support ends in March 2022. Vouchers/ grants can be distributed until the end of March 2022 and must be redeemed/ fully spent before the end of April 2022. Edenred vouchers will expire on 30 April 2022. We will review the demand and funding allocations at the end of December to reprofile to meet need as necessary.
How can people access support?
People can go to www.norfolk.gov.uk/wintersupport to find out how to access the support available. Organisations and support workers can also do this on people’s behalf. If people have problems accessing online services, then they can visit their local library or call us on 0344 800 8020.
What can I do to help?
If you are working with, or aware of, a family who you think may be eligible for free school meals, who are not currently receiving them, please encourage them to speak to their children’s education provider or support them in that conversation where needed.
Please direct people to the website www.norfolk.gov.uk/wintersupport so that they can find the right support for their needs.
If someone needs emergency help with food or fuel, then direct them to the Norfolk Assistance Scheme www.norfolk.gov.uk/NAS or tell them to call 0344 800 8020.
Who can I contact for further information?
- Hardship Support General Information – Ceri Sumner, Director Community, Information and Learning, Norfolk County Council [email protected]
- Norfolk Assistance Scheme and the support on offer – John Baldwin, Head of Finance Exchequer Services [email protected]
- Free School Meal vouchers and support for families – Sarah Jones, Director of Commissioning, Partnerships and Resource [email protected]
- VCSE, libraries and wider community support – Natasha Morter, Head of Communities, Communities Information and Learning [email protected]
- Broadland District Council’s support offer – [email protected]
- Breckland Council’s support offer – [email protected]
- Great Yarmouth Borough Council’s support offer – Sue Robinson [email protected] 01493 846375
- King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council’s support offer – [email protected]
- Norwich City Council’s support offer – [email protected]
- South Norfolk Council’s support offer – [email protected]
- North Norfolk District Council’s support offer – [email protected]
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Christmas waste, recycling and garden waste collections
Residents are being reminded to check when their waste and recycling collections will take place over Christmas and New Year by visiting west-norfolk.gov.uk/yourbins.
Cllr Paul Kunes, borough council Cabinet member for the Environment, said: “The festive period is the busiest time of the year for domestic waste and recycling and I ask that residents do what they can to support our collection crews.
“I ask people to plan ahead for how they manage their waste and recycling over the holiday season. With Bank Holidays falling on Monday and Tuesday after Christmas, along with another one after New Years Day, there are some unavoidable delays for certain rounds and I recommend that people check when their bins will be collected.
“Please remember that you can put additional recycling in any clear bag and put it out with your green recycling bin for collection. In spite of the challenges we have all faced this year, residents have recycled more than ever, please keep up the good work.
“Additional black bin waste can be put out for collection with your black bin but must be in a bin bag secured with an official red tag. These can be purchased at west-norfolk.gov.uk/redtag for £1.95 each plus £2.00 postage per order. Please allow enough time for delivery bearing in mind Christmas mail deadlines.
The borough council is also keen to remind residents that they can now put food waste into ordinary plastic bags before placing it in food caddies rather than using expensive compostable liners.
Cllr Kunes continued: “Using the food waste caddies is easier and more hygienic than before. I hope this will encourage more people to make use of them instead of putting food waste into the black bins.”
Food waste from caddies is sent to an anaerobic digestor where the bags are stripped out, and the rotting waste then produces methane which is then burnt to produce clean electricity. The remaining food waste is pasteurised before being used as fertiliser by farmers, reducing the need to put chemicals on the land.
Cllr Kunes added: “I’m also pleased to say that, for the first time ever, brown bin collections will take place during the festive period this year. Please check on the borough council website to see when your collection will take place.”
You can also dispose of any excess waste before Christmas by taking it to household waste recycling centres – check norfolk.gov.uk for opening times and locations.
To report that your bin has not been emptied, please search for ‘missed bin’ at west-norfolk.gov.uk or call 0330 1099220 before 12pm on the next working day. There will be no collections on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Bank Holiday Monday 27, Bank Holiday Tuesday 28 December, New Year’s Day and Bank Holiday Monday 3 January.
For further information please contact: Tim Baldwin on 01553 616506
