Intouch - Winter 2014 & Spring 2015

intouchWINTER 2014 & SPRING 2015

Lichfield District Council’s residents’ magazineTelephone 01543 308000 · www.lichfielddc.gov.uk

Shop local Support Burntwood andLichfield centres in the run up to Christmas

FREEBIES!

CENTRE PAGES PAGE 8 PAGE 9

Apply for fundingWe have various streams of fundingavailable for not-for-profit groups and organisations.

Leisure vouchers

See inside for free swimming and racquet court hire vouchers at our leisure centres!

Your Viewquestionnaire resultsFind out the results of ourYour View questionnaire,which asked for feedback on council services.

www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/newsKeep up to date on council news

www.lichfielddc.gov.uk

intouch02

Councillor Mike Wilcox, Leader of Lichfield District Council www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/leadersblog

Welcometo intouch

Welcome to our winter and spring edition of intouch – Lichfield DistrictCouncil’s residents’ magazine.

On top of council news and information

about our services, in this issue we have

the results of this summer’s Your View

questionnaire.

More than 1,400 people took part in

the questionnaire, in which we asked for

views on our services in advance of

possible changes to address funding cuts.

I’d like to thank everyone who gave us

their feedback. People of all ages and

from every ward across the district took

part, meaning we have a statistically

robust sample of local views to help

us shape our future services.

The questionnaire was not a

referendum, but was designed to

help councillors understand local

people’s views better and to help

them make sound decisions on

the future of council services.

Turn to the centre pages to see the

results or visit www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/

fitforthefuture to find out more and to

see a detailed analysis of the results.

In other news…

Following the disappointing news

that plans for a new health centre in

Burntwood will not go ahead due to

NHS budgetary pressures, we held an

urgent meeting with partner agencies

in August to discuss how Burntwood’s

health care needs could be addressed.

NHS England told us they have set up

a premises review to see what local

improvements can be made. In the

meantime, we have approved plans to

extend the life of the temporary Health

& Well Being Centre on the grounds of

Burntwood Leisure Centre for a further

five years.

From party nights and Christmas fairs, to carolconcerts and more, we’ve got a full calendar ofChristmas activities and events listed on our Visit Lichfield website.

Simply go to www.visitlichfield.co.uk/christmas to see all that’s on offer this yuletide.

Don’t miss! Lichfield Christmas Festival is on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 December.

Taking place at venues across city, it includes indoor and outdoor gift markets, a

Santa’s grotto, entertainment, a lantern parade and festive activities for the family.

For full details visit www.visitlichfield.co.uk/christmasfestival

This autumn we helped to cut the

ribbon on the city’s new 79-bedroom

Premier Inn hotel and restaurant. This is

the final element to be launched as part

of our redevelopment of The Friary site.

The new hotel, in such a central location,

is a fantastic addition to the city and

further boosts our tourism offer.

In October an independent planning

inspector scrutinised our Local Plan,

which sets out a framework for how we

believe the district should be developed

over the next 15 years. As Intouch went

to print we were waiting to hear if it

has been approved or if more work is

needed. Keep up to date on the

inspector’s decision, at

www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/localplan

We’re also awaiting the results

from the Local Government Boundary

Commission on the Lichfield boundary

review, which proposes changes to our

boundaries. We will also find out if the

commission’s proposal to reduce the

number of district councillors from 56 to

47 is confirmed. If confirmed, the proposals

will come into force at the next district

council elections in May 2015. We’ll publish

the results at www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/

boundarycommission

With Christmas fast approaching, there is

plenty to get you in the festive spirit across

the district, from the Lichfield Christmas

Festival weekend to Candle-lit Carols at the

National Memorial Arboretum. On behalf

of the council, I wish you all a merry

Christmas and a happy New Year.Above: The new Premier Inn Hotel

Christmas across the district

twitter.com/lichfield_dcFollow us on twitter

Lichfield District Council’s residents’ magazine

intouch 03

intouchIf you need intouch in

another format, such as

large print, please call Esther

Epstein on 01543 308778

or email [email protected]

Since a change in legislation gave councils more legal powers to tackle unlicensed scrap metal dealers, we’ve taken a tough stance and havecarried out unannounced patrols of local roads with the police, supported byNeighbourhood Watch.

We’ve targeted people who are operating

without scrap metal licenses, and those

who don’t have the correct paperwork

on scrap collection and disposal, and those

using loud speakers. As a result, a number

of dealers that previously operated in the

area are now off the road.

Action we’ve taken this year includes:

six stop and search patrols, one caution,

and we’ve successfully prosecuted four

scrap metal dealers.

Councillor Colin Greatorex, Cabinet

Member for Community, Housing &

Health, said: “It is so important that scrap

metal operators are operating within the

law, which is why we will continue to

work in partnership to tackle any rogue

scrap metal dealers.”

To report a concern, please visit

www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/reportit

or by calling us on 01543 308999.

Action on scrapmetal dealers

Since we repaved key city centre streets in 2007, unfortunately some of thepaving slabs have not proved to be as hardwearing as they should have been,and have started to crack.

The cracking has affected the roads only,

and not the pavements, on Conduit

Street, Breadmarket Street and part

of Market Street. Staffordshire County

Council has agreed to repave the

affected roads, which we will part fund

with money from the original project.

Councillor Ian Pritchard, Cabinet

Member for Economic Growth &

Development, said: “We're pleased to

have negotiated the repaving of the

affected roads. The timing of the project

is crucial and needs to be planned for

when it has the least impact on local

businesses and city users. Over the

coming months we'll be working with city

businesses, through the Town Team and

Lichfield BID Steering Group, to establish

the best time to complete the works.”

Find out more about the repaving

project at

www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/paving

Three cityroads to be repaved

New bin calendarsand Christmascollectionswww.recycleforlichfielddistrict.co.uk

The calendars are an

easy way to double

check when to put

your bins out.

They also include

information about festive bin collections.

So that our crews can enjoy the festive

break, we are not emptying any bins

on Christmas Day and Boxing Day

(Thursday 25 and Friday 26 December

2014) and on New Year’s Day

(Thursday 1 January 2015).

We are also suspending brown bin

collections over the Christmas period.

If you’re affected, please check your

new bin calendar to find out when

your replacement collections will be.

If you haven’t received a bin calendar by

15 December, please download yours from

www.recycleforlichfielddistrict.co.uk

or call us on

0345 002 0022

(charged at

the local rate

if calling from

a landline).

We are in the process of sending outnew bin calendars to every householdacross the district.

Your bin calendar

2014-2015


intouch04

Haveyou registeredto vote yet?

Last summer we wrote to all local homes to introduce changes to the wayvoters register. Everyone of voting age needs to register individually, ratherthan as a household. In these letters people found out if they had beenregistered automatically or if they needed to take any action.

We’ve been petitioning the HighSpeed 2 Phase 1 Hybrid Bill, callingfor changes to the proposals to lessenthe scheme’s impact on our district.

The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 cameinto force in October. It introduced simpler, more effectivepowers to deal with anti-social behaviour.

A Community Trigger can be requested

if you’ve made three complaints of

three separate incidents of anti-social

behaviour in the last six months, but

consider no action has been taken.

A Civil Injunction sets a standard of

behaviour for perpetrators, stopping a

person’s behaviour from escalating.

It can be applied for by councils, social

landlords and the police. It will replace

Anti Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs)

and should come into force by the end

of January 2015.

A Community Remedy gives victims

of low-level crime and anti-social

behaviour a say in the punishment of

offenders out of court.

Dispersal Orders enable police officers

to require a person who has committed,

or is likely to commit, anti-social

behaviour to leave an area and not

return for up to 48 hours.Councillor Colin Greatorex, Cabinet

Member for Community, Housing &Health, said: “The act has given partner agencies more powers to tackleanti-social behaviour, providing betterprotection for victims and communities.”

If you are experiencing anti-socialbehaviour, and are unsure how to report it, call us on 01543 308777 or [email protected]

This autumn, our canvassers visited homesthat had not responded to their invitationto register or to a household enquiry form.

If we have left forms for you, please fillthem in and send them back straightway.

However, if we sent a letter to yourproperty that’s addressed to someone whono longer lives there, please return it tosender, so we can update our records.

Diane Tilley, Electoral RegistrationOfficer, said: “We know a number of

local people are not on our electoralregister. This is why we need to updateour records to make sure as many people as possible can vote in next May’s localand parliamentary elections.”

If you haven't registered, or are unsure if you have, please act now. To register visitwww.gov.uk/register-to-vote

To find out more visitwww.lichfielddc.gov.uk/ier or call01543 308125.

HS2petition

Newwaysof tacklinganti-social behaviour

This autumn, High Speed 2 Ltd, acting onbehalf of the government, told us that itwill propose a number of changes to theBill in response to our petition, and that of Staffordshire County Council's.

Changes include:

■ lowering the railway so it will passunder the A38, the West Coast MainLine and the South Staffordshire line,rather than run over them on viaducts.

■ realigning the route to remove twoprevious crossings over the Trent andMersey Canal.

■ lowering the line at Hints to lessen theenvironmental impacts on the area andallowing for the diversion of BrockhurstLane over the railway.

“Although we haven’t achievedeverything we wanted, it’sencouraging to see that HS2Limited has accepted a numberof our demands.This is why wedecided not to appear beforethe Parliamentary SelectCommittee in October. However, we are notwithdrawing our petition, as it will allow us to work withHS2 and other petitioners toaddress other issues, such asnoise, ecology and more.”

Councillor Ian PritchardCabinet Member for EconomicGrowth & Development

www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/hs2

www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/winterdrivingAdvice and tips on driving in bad weather

New year, new you


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Burntwood Leisure Centre is the perfect destination to get fitand have fun, and offers state-of-the-art facilities and equipment.

• a 25m, six lane swimming pool and a shallow toddler pool

• Inspire Fitness gym with all the latest kit

• health suite with spa, saunaand steam room

• fitness studio

• two squash courts and afour-court sports hall

• floodlit synthetic football pitch

• full-size grass football pitches

• floodlit tennis courts and a multi-use games area

• a programme ofholiday activities

• café and conference facilities

• children’s party packages

• coaching courses

Inspire Fitnessat Burntwood Leisure Centre

www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/inspire

Inspire Fitness is our spacious, fully air conditionedhealth and fitness that offers a bright andexhilarating environment to work out and relax.

Find out more today!

Call 01543 308810 or visit

www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/inspire

Our extensive range of Cybex gym equipmentincludes treadmills, steppers, cross trainers, rowingmachines and resistance equipment, which arecomplemented by state-of-the-art HD TV screens.

Friendly instructors are available to createpersonalised fitness programmes and to help youreach your goals. Following your work out, you canenjoy the health suite, complete with spa pool, mixedsauna room, steam room, and a relaxation area.

We also run a range of fitness classes in ourpurpose-built aerobics studio, including yoga,aerobics and pilates.

Everyone’s welcome, and we have arange of memberships, from pay asyou go from as little as £3.80 a go,to monthly memberships which startat £35 a month.

Inspire Fitnessopening times

Monday to Thursday 7am- 10pm Friday 7am - 9pmSaturday 8am - 6pmSunday 8am - 9pm

For more information and to check timetables and pricesvisit www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/blc 01543 308810 High Street, Chasetown,

Staffordshire WS7 3XH

www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/leisureFind out what’s on offer across our leisure centres and parks

We’ve been cutting costs for a number of years throughour savings programme, Fit for the Future, and havealready saved £4.8 million in recent years. Due toongoing cuts in our funding from government, we needto save at least another £2.4 million by 2016.

The extent of our funding cuts meansthat our councillors will face some toughdecisions. While we will do our very bestto take on board the feedback from theYour View questionnaire, just becausepeople didn’t support a particular idea,it doesn’t necessarily mean we won’thave to consider it.

The responses to the Your View questionnaire are beingfed into business cases that explore how the ideascould be delivered and what impact they would havelocally. These will be used to help shape the decisionscouncillors will make about our future budgets nextyear and in coming years.

To keep up to date on our savings programmeand how we are using the views people gave as part of the Your View questionnaire visitwww.lichfielddc.gov.uk/fitforthefuture

Why we neededyour views

Thank you to everyone who gave their views. We arevery grateful to people who took time to fill in thequestionnaire and give us their thoughts. We regularlycarry out questionnaires and surveys on a wide rangeof issues. To keep up to date and give your views, visitwww.lichfielddc.gov.uk/voiceit

Thank you

More than 1,400 people took part in our Your Viewquestionnaire, with people of all ages and from every wardgiving their views on the services we provide.

We’re pleased that the number of responses has given us astatistically robust sample of local views.

Our questionnaire asked local people to tell us what theythink of the services we provide, as well as their opinions ona number of different savings and income generation ideas.

The questionnaire was not a referendum,but was designed to help our councillorsunderstand local people's views better. Thisis so they can make sound decisions aboutwhich services we should continue to provide,what we can cut or reduce, and which serviceswe could charge for to raise more income.

This document contains a snapshot of people’s responsesand also explains what we'll do next. We have also createda more in-depth report that assesses the responses we’vereceived which can be downloaded fromwww.lichfielddc.gov.uk/yourview

ResultsThank you to the hundreds ofpeople who gave us their viewsby filling in our Your Viewquestionnaire this summer.

District services questionnaire

If you have any questions or would like a largeprint version, please call 01543 308000.

We empty your black and blue binsand recycle your waste.

We make sure local restaurantsare clean and safe.

We investigate noise andpollution complaints.

We clear rubbish and fly-tipping and take legal action to stop it.

We clean and litter pick areas includingtown centres and some verges.

We make sure events and businesses(including pubs and taxis) are safe and well managed by licensing them.

We organise elections – includinglocal, general and European.

We give support to people in housingneed and help homeless people.

We give means tested grants to peoplewith disabilities to adapt their homes.

We give means tested council tax discounts and benefits to people in financial difficulty.

We make sure new buildings are approved and take action against those without planning permission.

We check new buildings and extensions to make sure they are safe and sound.

We make sure developers investin the local area – from street lighting, to schools and play areas.

We create plans for the future development of our district – such as where more housing or office buildings can be built.

We work with partners, including thepolice, to help make local areas saferand to reduce anti-social behaviour.

We provide a website so you canfind out information, report problems,order services and more.

We answer enquiries, complaints and freedom of information requests.

£

£

£

48.9 39.3 9.5 2.4

49.6 39.9 8.5 2.0

69.9 20.5 7.0 2.6

£££ 98.2 0.7 0.8 0.3

££

£

£££

£

££

££

£

£££

52.5 40.0 6.2 1.3

82.8 13.1 3.1 1.0

65.8 26.5 6.5 1.1

69.6 12.7 14.0 3.7

36.1 51.4 10.3 2.2

35.6 55.4 7.1 1.9

29.3 50.4 16.0 4.3

75.9 22.9 0.9 0.3

££

£

£££

78.0 15.5 5.4 1.2

47.3 31.1 19.8 1.9

41.9 35.1 19.2 3.7

Results overviewAll of our statutory services were considered important,even if people filling out the questionnaire don'tpersonally use them.

Waste and recycling, litter picking, clearing up fly-tipping,making restaurants safe and clean, and tacklinganti-social behaviour were considered some of themost important services.

At the lower end of the spectrum, whilst our websitewas considered important (over 78%), a significantpercentage of people (31.1%) don't use it, which meansthere's lot of opportunities to encourage more people torequest services and report issues online.

This is just a snapshot of the findings.To see a full analysis of the results, please visitwww.lichfielddc.gov.uk/yourview

£££ 51.6 28.1 15.3 5.0

The table below shows what% of people felt our statutoryservices are important,important but they don’tuse, or not important.

What people said about theservices we have to provide

*Key: small net budget (up to £50,000)£ ££ moderate net budget (between £50,000 and £200,000)

What people said about theservices we choose to provide

We empty your brown bin and compost your organic waste.

We collect big items of householdwaste, like sofas & fridges for a charge.

We provide a waste and recycling service to businesses.

We promote and support town and city centres to boost footfall into shops and businesses.

We help attract tourists to support local businesses and jobs.

We provide business supportand advice and encourage newbusinesses into the area.

We provide car parks at a range of locations and our wardens monitorparking in streets and car parks.

We provide scooters to city centre visitors with limited mobility.

We provide and maintain public toilets at a number of locations.

Our customer services desk is open8.45am – 5.15pm, Monday-Friday.

The table below shows what % ofpeople felt we should either protect,cut back or stop the range ofdiscretionary services we deliver.

£££

££

££

£

£

££

££

£

£

££

Protec

t

Cut b

ack

Stop

Don’t k

now

85.3 11.7 2.2 0.9

59.9 28.0 9.4 2.6

54.8 26.2 13.3 5.8

52.3 32.2 8.9 6.5

59.7 29.3 7.3 3.7

57.1 31.0 7.9 4.1

57.0 33.1 7.5 2.5

44.4 30.9 18.9 5.8

72.2 18.8 7.8 1.1

42.4 50.6 3.6 3.4

Currentcost* % Percentage

District services questionnaire | Results

£££ large net budget between (£200,000 and £900,000)

Currentcost*

Impo

rtant

Impo

rtant, b

utdo

n’t u

se

Not im

porta

nt

Don’t k

now

% Percentage

££ 77.2 18.3 3.1 1.3

What people said about the serviceswe choose to provide continued

Our telephone lines are open8.45am – 5pm, Monday-Friday.

We issue ‘intouch’ magazine twice a year to keep you up to date.

We give advice to help people keepwarm and reduce their energy bills.

We provide advice to protect and improve historic buildings and conservation areas.

We manage countryside and areas of natural beauty.

We manage some parks and openspaces in Burntwood and Lichfield.

We run three leisure centres and someoutdoor sports pitches in the district.

We financially support the LichfieldGarrick and its community work.

£££

£££

£££

Protec

t

Cut b

ack

Stop

Don’t k

now

71.1 24.8 2.6 1.4

58.8 30.2 9.2 1.8

30.7 39.0 27.6 2.6

Currentcost* % Percentage

The table below shows what % ofpeople felt we should either protect,cut back or stop the range ofdiscretionary services we deliver.

£££

£

£

46.8 46.5 3.7 3.0

21.3 31.9 43.7 3.0

29.8 36.7 30.7 2.8

££

££ 49.3 37.1 10.2 3.4

69.0 24.3 4.7 1.9

Results overviewWhen asked about the services we choose to provide,people most wanted to protect brown bins, public toiletsand parks and countryside.

In terms of cutting back, people felt most comfortableabout reducing the opening hours of our customerservice desk and telephone lines, although some peoplesuggested altering our opening times to better suitworking people. Similar numbers of people felt weshould protect (30.7%), cut back (39%) or stop (27.6%)the support we give to the Lichfield Garrick.

In terms of stopping services, nearly half of those whotook part felt we should stop delivering intouch to localhomes, although some people felt it was vital for olderpeople to keep in touch. Over half of those who tookpart also felt we should cut back or stop giving advice onhow to keep warm and reduce energy bills.



Charge for emptying brown bins –other councils charge around £30 a year.

Charge for evening parking in Lichfield city car parks (after 6.30pm).

Charge for parking in council run car parks in Chasetown – for example £1 a day.

Charge people to park in disabledcar parking spaces and bays.

Increase council tax by a small amount every year (between £2 and £5 a yearfor example).

Charge more for leisure activities –such as swimming and badminton.

Charge the public for events like LichfieldProms in Beacon Park, and charge events organisers more to use our parks.

The table below shows what %of people agreed or disagreedwith a number of ideas togenerate more income.

£790,000

This couldgenerate(approx)

£36,000

£10,000

£40,000

£70,000

£30,000

£5,000

Ideas to generate income

Agree

Disa

gree

Don’t k

now

26.7 69.9 3.3

37.3 58.1 4.6

60.9 22.0 17.1

57.1 37.7 5.2

52.5 41.6 5.9

42.9 47.2 9.9

60.1 33.5 6.3

% Percentage

Results overviewThe ideas for raising more income that received the mostsupport include charging for parking in disabled baysand in Chasetown car parks, and charging for eventslike Lichfield Proms in Beacon Park. Over half (52.5%) ofthose who took part supported the idea to raise counciltax by a small amount each year.

The ideas that received the least support include chargingfor brown bins, charging for evening parking in LichfieldCity and charging more for leisure activities, although asimilar number of people supported this idea.


All figures are indicative based on net direct expenditure and takeaccount of any income we receive. Figures for savings and income ideasare based on loose assumptions and may change if developed further.

*Key: small net budget (up to £50,000)£ ££ moderate net budget (between £50,000 and £200,000) £££ large net budget between (£200,000 and £900,000)

This couldsave(approx)

Agree

Disa

gree

Don’t k

now

% Percentage

Close the public toilets in Lichfield andBurntwood and work with shops, cafes and pubs so shoppers and visitors canuse their facilities.

Clean local streets, roads and pathsless often.

Maintain district council run parks and green areas less frequently.

Don’t give charities full business rate relief(by law charities get 80% relief, but sometimes we give a further 20%).

Reduce council tax discounts for working-age residents on lower incomes.

Cut back the annual subsidy we give to the Lichfield Garrick.

Reduce the amount of CCTV coverage in the district.

Open our customer services desk andtelephone lines for fewer hours.

Stop community transport that giveslow-cost transport to community groups.

Transfer leisure centres to a privatemanagement operator or trust.

Hand King Edward VI and/or FriaryGrange leisure centres back to theschools to manage them which couldchange public opening hours.

Stop monitoring or fining people for allowing their dogs to foul public places.

Transfer parks, outdoor sports facilities and areas of countryside to parish councils,sports clubs or voluntary organisations.

Stop or reduce large grants (between £5,000 & £50,000 a year) to voluntary organisations who deliver services in the community.

Stop or reduce small grants (between£50 & £2,000) to voluntary groups.

Stop managing development projects suchas play areas or community facilities, ifother organisations can deliver them.

Take longer to process planning applications(still within statutory timescales).

£34,000

£20,000

£490,000

£150,000

£20,000

£46,000

£25,000

£50,000

£75,000

£10,000

£100,000

The table below shows what % ofpeople agreed or disagreed with anumber of ideas to save money.

41.1 52.7 6.2

21.6 72.8 5.6

32.4 62.2 5.4

60.6 28.7 10.7

51.3 37.0 11.7

70.3 23.1 6.5

40.8 51.9 7.3

67.1 27.3 5.7

27.7 61.9 10.4

55.3 32.7 12.0

63.8 24.1 12.1

£7,500

£150,000

£196,000

11.1 86.1 2.8

52.0 33.6 14.4

39.1 46.8 14.0

£23,000 30.1 57.5 12.4

Ideas to save money This couldsave(approx)

Agree

Disa

gree

Don’t k

now

% Percentage

Merge more services - from planning and benefits to finance - with adjacent council(s) or become a unitary council so we can cut costs.

Stop having a chairman’s car and driver.

Further reduce district councillors.From May 2015 there’ll be 47.Could we cut back further?

†per councillor

£59,000

£10,000

£17,000

£3,000†

69.2 23.3 7.4

53.9 36.6 9.5

£570,000 72.5 16.9 10.6

90.2 6.5 3.3

81.0 10.5 8.4

Women

Live in LichfieldCity and surrounding areas 42.1%

47.4% 52.6%

35.8%

22.1%

Live in rural and surrounding areas

Live in Burntwoodand surrounding areas

Who took part in thequestionnaire?

Location

Gender

People of all ages and areas of our district filled in thequestionnaire. In total we had over 1,400 responses.Here's a snapshot of who took part:

Men

For a full breakdown of who took part in the surveyincluding age, service use and employment, visitwww.lichfielddc.gov.uk/yourview

All figures are indicative based on net direct expenditure and take account of any income we receive. Figures for savings and income ideasare based on loose assumptions and may change if developed further.


Results overviewThe ideas to save money that recieved the most supportinclude stopping the chairman's car, reducing thenumber of district councillors, merging more serviceswith nearby councils and cutting back the subsidy wegive to the Lichfield Garrick.

Other ideas, including reducing the business rate subsidieswe give to charities and not managing communitydevelopment projects, also received strong support, as didtransferring our leisure centres to a private operator or trust.

The ideas that were least supported include cleaning localstreets, roads and paths less often and not monitoringpeople who allow their dogs to foul public places.



intouch 07

Festive Crafts & Grotto Saturday 6 Decemberfrom 12pm to 3pm, Discovery Hub

Enjoy festive craft activities for all the family.Children can also meet Santa in his grottofor £2, which includes a gift.

This event is part of Lichfield ChristmasFestival Weekend. See what other festive funis going on across the city atwww.visitlichfield.co.uk/christmasfestival

Seed Sundays Monthly from February to June 2015Drop-in session from 11am to 1pm,Community Garden

A gardening activity where all the family canmake a paper pot, plant seeds, and takethem home to grow! £1 per pot, all proceedswill go towards the Community Garden.Seed Sundays will run on: 15 February,15 March, 19 April, 17 May and 21 June.

String puppet workshopsWednesday 18 and Thursday 19 February10am, 11.30am and 1pm,Discovery Hub

Learn how to make anduse a simple string puppet.Aimed at ages 6 and up.£3 per puppet.

Booking essential, call 01543 308869 or email [email protected]

Gardening challengefor local students

What’s On at Beacon Park

Springhalf termactivity

A group of 12 to 14 year oldshave been getting green-fingeredat Beacon Park.

“I am delighted the students areenjoying their time at the park,and that the Community Gardenis offering such a fantastic spacefor them to gain new skills.”

This is just a snapshot of what’s on atBeacon Park. To find out more visitwww.lichfieldhistoricparks.co.uk/whats-on

Lichfield HistoricParks bringtogether fourdistinctivegreen spaces inthe heart ofLichfield.Theseare BeaconPark, MinsterPool and Walk, the Garden ofRemembrance and Stowe Pool.

ParkLife is our free seasonalnewsletter to keep everyoneposted about everything that’sgoing on across our historicparks, so you need never miss any of the events and activities in our popular city parks.

You can sign up to receiveParkLife by [email protected] orread the latest issue online atwww.lichfieldhistoricparks.co.uk/parklife

We’ve been helping ten pupils fromQueen’s Croft High School learn how togrow plants and vegetables in ourCommunity Garden in Beacon Park.

The weekly gardening sessions runover two hours, and in that time thestudents help with weeding, watering,planting and harvesting.

This year’s harvest has been excellent,with the school using choice vegetables tomake soups and cakes, including leek andpotato soup and beetroot chocolate cake.

A scarecrow for the garden is next onthe students’ to do list, which they willbe working on at school.

Laura Grimshaw, Teacher at Queen'sCroft High School, said: “We all lookforward to our weekly gardening sessionsat Beacon Park, enjoying workingoutdoors and tending to the plants.It’s such a worthwhile project as it isintroduces my students to a new type of

hands-on work, which could develop alifelong interest in gardening and even leadto a career in the horticultural industry.”

Next year, the budding gardeners areplanning to grow onions, parsnips,broccoli and peas, as well as a small herbgarden. They are hoping to sell some ofthe healthy produce to buy more seeds.

Above: Local students hard at work.

www.lichfieldhistoricparks.co.ukFor visitor information and news of our city’s historic parks

Historic Parksnewsletter

Councillor Andy SmithCabinet Member for Leisure & Parks

getactiveKing Edward VI LeisureCentre is the ideal place

to get active.We offer a wide range of leisureactivities for all ages and abilities.So if you love squash or gymnastics,are a keen football or hockey player,King Edward VI is the venue for you.

Leisure centresFrom pool or inflatable parties, to sportyfun, we have a party to suit all tastes,age groups and budgets! Prices start atjust £50.We can provide party food at

Burntwood or King Edward VI leisurecentres, making your party ever so simpleto organise. There is a room available atFriary Grange Leisure Centre for you tobring along your own party food.

Find out more by contacting yourleisure centre of choice: Burntwood 01543 308810 Friary Grange 01543 308842King Edward VI 01543 308782

Beacon Park From bug hunting and pond dipping toa fairy and elf theme, we offer lots offun and interesting parties at beautifulBeacon Park for up to 12 children.We’ve got new parties planned for2015, including Teddy Bears’ Picnic forpre-schoolers and Pirate Pursuits for5 to 11 year-olds.You can also hire the Discovery Hub

and bring along your party picnic orarrange catering at Lakeside Bistro foran extra charge. Find out more by contacting BeaconPark 01543 308869

· four-court sports hall

· two squash and racketball courts

· a synthetic football pitch

· a bar and multi-purpose room

· a meeting room

· children’s party packages

· coaching courses

Name

Postcode

Email*

*Complete to receive promotions from Leisure & Parks

FREE Court Hire!

Name

Postcode

Email*

*Complete to receive promotions from Leisure & Parks

FREE Swim!

Find out more today!www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/kelc

01543 308782

We offer a fun mix of parties atBeacon Park and Burntwood, FriaryGrange and King Edward VI leisurecentres for children and teens.

To see the full range of parties, foodoptions and how to book, visit

www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/partyon


intouch08 www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/leisureFind out what’s on offer across our leisure centres and parks

Kings Hill Road, Lichfield,Staffordshire WS14 9DE

This voucher entitles the bearer to one free swim atFriary Grange or Burntwood leisure centres.Terms: This offer can only be used once per household.

Only one voucher per party. Use by 31.1.15

This voucher entitles you to one-hour’s free hireof a racquet court at Burntwood, Friary or

King Edward VI leisure centres. Terms: Includes tennis, squash, table tennis or badminton.

This offer can only be used once per household. Use by 31.1.15

!

Party On!


intouch 09

Nearly half a millionpounds is availablefor local initiatives

Four local organisations have come together to fund activities and projectsacross the district through a new Locality Commissioning Fund that will giveout around £477,000 in 2015.

Do you live in Burntwood and find ithard to get to the shops, visit friendsand family, or make your way to thedoctors, library or leisure centre?

From debt advice and local festivals,through to support for victims of domesticabuse, financial help for local projects hasbeen handed out separately in the past.

The new funding pot has combinedLichfield District Council’s budget forcommunity and voluntary sectororganisations, Staffordshire CountyCouncil’s funding to support vulnerablepeople to live independent lives and publichealth funding, South East Staffordshireand Seisdon Peninsula ClinicalCommissioning Group’s grants forvoluntary organisations, and StaffordshirePolice through the Police and CrimeCommissioner’s Locality Fund.

The new scheme launched in Octoberand will fund projects that aim to deliver a prosperous, healthy, independent, safe, thriving and cohesive community.

The deadline to apply for funding is 9am on 2 January 2015. Find out more at www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/fundingwhere you can download theCommissioning Prospectus, an application form and guidance.

If you have any further questions, please email [email protected]

Funding of £5,000 or more is on offer, and local organisations canapply for funding for one year, which may be extended annually fora further two years.

BurntwoodDial a Ride

If yes, join Burntwood Dial a Ride, which is a new service run in partnership withBurntwood Town Council, to help peopleget out and about.

Using our Community Transport mini buses, members of the scheme arepicked up from their homes and taken to their destination, and stops are madeen-route to pick up members going the same way. It runs on Mondays,Thursdays and Fridays between 9.30amand 3pm and costs £2 a journey.

Anyone who lives in Burntwood canregister with the scheme. Our CommunityTransport mini buses are fully accessible,so they’re suitable for people who use awheelchair or have mobility issues.

To use Burntwood Dial a Ride, registerwith the service by calling BurntwoodTown Council on 01543 677166.

How to use Burntwood Dial a Ride

■ Register by calling 01543 677166

■ Buy tickets in advance for £2 (each way)

■ Book your trip 48 hours in advance

Above: Community Transport Manager, Shahzad Iqbal

Whether it is help to replaceequipment, host a festival or providespecialist training, we offer local not-for-profit groups andorganisations the chance to apply for Grant Aid of up to £1,000.

Small grantsfor local groups

We also offer funding of up to £5,000through Grant Aid Plus for projects thatstrongly impact on our ambitions, and areaimed at people across the whole district. You can apply for Grant Aid and GrantAid Plus between 1 December 2014 and 12noon on 1 February 2015.

To download an application form (from 1 December), visitwww.lichfielddc.gov.uk/grantaid orfor more information call Susan Bamfordon 01543 308170 or [email protected]

www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/reportitReport a problem to us online


intouch10

Get big treats this Christmas by shopping small and local

Kicking off on Small Business Saturday on6 December, traders across Lichfield andBurntwood are calling for people to ‘shoplocal’ this Christmas. From The North Faceand Radley, to Pandora and UGG, localsmall businesses are big on style, big onbrands and big on great service!

Amanda, from Emporium Art Gallery in Bird Street, Lichfield, said: “SmallBusiness Saturday UK is a grassroots, non-commercial campaign endorsed by government encouraging consumers to‘shop local’ and support small independentbusinesses in their communities both onthe day and in the future.”

The campaign has resulted in increasedfootfall and takings for local businesses up and down the country, and localshopkeepers are hoping that it will do the same across Lichfield and Burntwood.

“We’re proud that the majorityof businesses in Burntwood andLichfield are small businesses –which means we are a majorpart of our local economy andtogether support hundreds of local jobs and make our town and city centres vibrant. So, please support us all bythinking and shopping local this Christmas and beyond.”

Burntwood Business Community isrun by Burntwood traders, whowork in partnership with the districtand town councils. It was awarded£50,000 government High StreetInnovation Funding to help boostlocal shopping areas and increasefootfall into shops and businesses.

So far, with the help of local partners

and councillors, the group has already

contributed towards the restoration of

Ryecroft Shop's car park. Plans are also

underway for new road signage to

highlight local shopping areas.

The team is now set to launch a Shop

Front Improvement Scheme, through

which local high street shops and

businesses will be able to apply for small

grants to improve their street appeal –

from new signs and windows through

to new paintwork.

Applicants will be asked to 50% match

fund any projects, which will double the

investment into the local area, making it an

even nicer place to shop, eat, drink & visit.

The fund in set to launch in spring 2015.

Find out more at

www.totallylocallyws7.co.uk

BoostingBurntwood’sshop fronts

BesafeatChristmas

Shop local thisChristmas

A Business ImprovementDistrict for Lichfield CityLichfield traders are working hard tolaunch a Business Improvement District in the city next year. If successful the BIDwill raise over £250,000 a year to invest in city centre improvements – from free WIFI through to more events andmarketing. To find out more visitwww.lichfieldbid.co.uk

Val Bostromfrom Munchies in Sankey’s Corner, Burntwood

Shops and businesses across Lichfield andBurntwood will be taking part in SmallBusiness Saturday on 6 December. To find outwhat’s on offer visit www.visitlichfield.co.uk/smallbusinesssaturday

Through Lichfield District Safer Community Partnership, we asked a range oflocal organisations for their best Christmas safety tips.

We’ve used the answers to put together a festive calendar of 24 top tips to keep you

safe and healthy in the run up to Christmas.The calendar is available from our Frog Lane

reception, our leisure centres, the library, and at venues across the district.

It includes useful Christmas themed safety advice, such as not leaving shopping on

display in your car, testing your smoke alarm, only using licensed taxis, not washing

your turkey and more.

Download the calendar at www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/xmascalendar

Pictured: Amanda and Jannette from Emporium

www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/carparkmapA handy map of our city centre car parks


You might need help because your

benefit has gone down, you need to

raise a tenancy deposit, or to help with

the costs of moving house.

Discretionary Housing Payments don’t

have to be paid back, and priority is

given to those who are most vulnerable.

Download an application form at

www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/dhp or call

us on 01543 308900 if you don’t have

access to the internet.

Please note: An award is only made

where the applicant satisfies the criteria

set out in our Discretionary Housing

Payments Policy. Find out more at

www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/dhp

If you get housing benefit and are stillunable to cover your housing costs,you can apply to us for a short-termpayment, called a DiscretionaryHousing Payment.

intouch 11

We helped hundreds of school children, shoppers and library users to get creative thisOctober through our Big Draw workshops.

Big Draw is the world’s largest drawingfestival to get everyone drawing. This year’s theme was ‘It’s Our World’,which celebrated the local environment and landscapes. Our project saw professional artists going

into 11 primary schools across the district to run art activities. Children had a go atprinting, soap carving, drawing and more. We also held two public art days.

The first was held at Three Spires ShoppingCentre, when more than 650 people of all ages joined in with the free activities,including drawing with their feet, makingwire birds, adding to art boards and more.

There was also the chance to design a plateat The Kitchen Shop. The second art day, at Lichfield Library

offered visitors the chance to create aversion of their world on circular disks.This day coincided with the launch of anexhibition at the library of the artworkfrom all the sessions, which was a chance to showcase the artistic talents of our district!

Hundreds enjoyBig Draw

Above: Making 3D wire birds

Above: Afra and Abigail show off their artwork

PCC funds Burntwood project

Money seized from criminals has been ploughed into positive activitiesfor young people in Burntwood.

The Proceeds of Crime Fund sees 100%of assets and money seized from criminalsin Staffordshire go back into local areas.We’ll use the money to buy new goals

for Burntwood Leisure Centre’s multi-usegames area and to fund extra sessions,including freestyle gymnastics, boxing andFriday night trampolining. The money willalso be spent on training staff, promotingPositive Futures and encouraging youngpeople to become volunteers.Positive Futures is hosted and funded

by Lichfield District Council. It is alsosupported by the Office of the Police andCrime Commissioner and Lichfield District

Safer Community Partnership through theLocality Deal Fund.

Burntwood boxing sessionsAre you aged between 11 and 19 and go to school or live in Burntwood? If yes, try out boxing for free at Burntwood LeisureCentre on Thursdays from 8pm to 9pm.There’s no need to book, just come to the tennis courts and have a go.

We successfully bid for £11,540 from Police and Crime Commissioner MatthewEllis’ Proceeds of Crime Fund, to provideactivities for young people as part of ourPositive Futures programme.

www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/housingoptionsFor housing help and advice

Are youstruggling topay your rent?


intouch12

Intouch is published by Lichfield District Council, District Council House, Frog Lane, Lichfield, Staffordshire WS13 6ZB, Winter 2014 © Every effort has been made to ensure that the information inthis magazine is correct. However, the publisher cannot be held responsible for any loss or disappointment arising from misinterpretation, error, omission or subsequent change to the information.

W

www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/contacts

www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/councillors

W

More news

To follow council news throughout the

year, visit www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/news

Feedback

To give us your feedback about

intouch, please call Esther Epstein

on 01543 308778 or email

[email protected]

Get in touchwith yourcouncillor online

Get in touch with LichfieldDistrict Council

01543308000

Driving community groupsacross the districtIf members of your community or voluntary group struggleto get to activities, why not let our Community Transportscheme help? The low cost mini bus service is available forhire and costs from just £5.50 an hour, plus 80p* a mile.

To find out more, call 01543 308165 or email [email protected]

VolunteerWe are always looking for more volunteers to devote a few hours of their time each week to become Community Transport drivers.Anyone aged 25 or over with a full, clean driving licence can apply.Contact the team to find out more.

· Accommodation booking service· National Express tickets· Tickets for local events and concerts· Free WiFi· Unique Lichfield souvenirs· Local arts and crafts· Tickets for guided walks and city tours· Homemade cakes and speciality teas and coffees in the café

OpenMonday to Saturday

9.30am till 4pmVisit our tourism websitewww.visitlichfield.co.uk

Lichfield Museum ChapelTourist InformationCafé Gift Shop

Tourist Information St Mary’s in the Market Square

01543 256611 | www.stmaryslichfield.co.uk

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ickets for guided walks and city tours

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Lichfield Museum Chapelourist Information

concert

This winter we launched the Keep Warm it’s Winter pack,which has handy information from a host of agencies tohelp older people keep warm and well in their homes overthe winter.

Through our Warmer Homes, Greener District initiative, we have included a section to introduce our free energyadvice service and why it’s so important tokeep warm throughout the colder months.

The pack also features a series ofleaflets offering information on eating well and keeping active, looking out forneighbours, and health and safety advice,as well as where to go for more help.

The Keep Warm it's Winter pack is free and available from our Frog Lane reception, GP surgeries, pharmacies and fromcommunity groups across the district.

In the meantime, to access energy saving advice call our WarmerHomes, Greener District service for free on 0800 677 1543

*90p a mile from 1 January 2015

This is a Lichfield District Strategic Partnership campaign, led by Lichfield District Council and Age UK, supported by a host of local organisations.

KeepWarm it’s Winter

www.visitlichfield.co.ukFind out about local festivals, events and attractions

If you have a

local issue you

need advice on,

contact your

local district

councillor.

Documents

Intouch - Winter 2014 & Spring 2015