Hanslope Parish CouncilMarch 2011 NewsletterList of CouncillorsChairman - Mr. J. GearyVice Chairman - Mr. K. ReynoldsCouncillor - Mr. D. CookCouncillor - Mrs. D. CourtmanCouncillor - Mr. E. DodworthCouncillor - Mrs. C. HaywardCouncillor - Mrs. L. HetheringtonCouncillor - Mr. G. LancasterCouncillor - Mrs. S. MobleyClerk - Mr. A. McDonaldWard Councillor - Mr. A. Geary

Open Meeting

The next Open Meeting of HansiopeParish Council will be held on Monday11th April starting at the earlier time of7.15 pm.The agenda will start with an updateregarding the Community/SportsBuilding being considered for therecreation ground.This will be the last Open Meeting of thisParish Council so your contributionwould be appreciated.

Parish Council Elections

The current Parish Council is reaching theend of its term in office. Listed below are thearrangements for appointing a new Council.The last day for interested parties to benominated is Monday April 4th by 12 noon.Polling day is Thursday 5th May 7.00 am to10.00 pm.Nomination packs are available from MiltonKeynes Council Elections Team on 01908252529 or from the Parish Clerk on 01908290459.For further information or an informal chatring the Clerk on the number above.

Recreation GroundPlaybuilderThe Ward Councillor (Andrew Geary)together with the Parish Council hassuccessfully managed to resurrect the'Playbuilder1 scheme which in the Autumn oflast year seemed to be a lost cause. As aresult the children's play area in therecreation ground has had a refurbishmentand upgrading project completed. Thisinvolved repainting and repairing the existingequipment, replacing the see-saw andinstalling several new pieces of equipment.The funding for this scheme came fromCentral Government, Milton Keynes Counciland Parish Council areas. The work wasarranged and overseen by Milton KeynesCouncil. An opening ceremony has beenarranged for Saturday 26th March at 10.00am when the Parish Council Chairmanand the Major of Milton Keynes willjointly open the revitalised play areaCommunity/Sports BuildingWhen the Parish Plan was published one ofthe suggestions was that the Parish Councilshould investigate the possibility of a newCommunity/Sports Building in the recreationground.A Sub-Committee has been formed toconsider this and as a first stage hascontacted local groups and organisations inorder to canvass opinions.The response so far has been mostly infavour or interested in progressing the idea,with some groups being happy with theirexisting arrangements.Please see the Open Meeting article forfurther information

Horticultural Show

Hanslope Village Hall is hoping to reinstatethe Annual Horticultural Show this yearthanks to Martin Palmer who has offered toorganise it. We are trying to trace the Cupsand Shields that were awarded at the lastShow which took place over 10 years ago. Ifyou won a Cup or Shield at that Show couldyou please return it to John Sorrell,Secretary, Hanslope Village Hall 01908510747.

Dog Watch

Dog Owners of Milton Keynes can help toreduce crime and anti-social behaviour intheir neighbourhood by joining the new DogWatch scheme. You can help make yourcommunity a better and safer place!Dog Watch members will be able to reportback on incidents such as graffiti andVandalism; fly tipping; damage to pavementsand play equipment; faulty street lighting;untaxed and abandoned vehicles; dogfouling and littering; suspicious activity. Awaliet sized card is provided so you knowwho to phone.If you would like to sign up for communityand dog related messages and to receive adog watch pack please call Helen Sharratton 01908324626 or email

Volunteers Wanted

We also have a website

The RNLI is a National Charity whichreceives no government funding. It provideslifeboats around the coast and lifeguards onthe UK's popular beaches. In 2009 thelifeboats were launched over 9,000 times torescue over 8,000 people !There is a new fundraising group in MiltonKeynes and our first target is to raise enoughcash for an inshore jet ski used mainly forshoreline rescues.Can you help spare a few hours a year andhelp us with our collections ? We desperatelyneed some extra pairs of willing hands !!

See the website for further details

Thankyou

The Parish Council would like to thank thevolunteers who cleared snow from footpathsduring the bad weather in December.

Thanks also to the School Children whoplanted the spring flowers near the VillageSign.

Dog FoulingHOTSPOT; Hartwell Road is a very bad areaplease scoop the poop. Please keep ourvillage clean and tidy, clean up after youranimals.

AllotmentsThe AGM in January was very well attendedwith a lively discussion taking placeregarding the revised rules that were putforward. Thank you to the plot holders whoattended and contributed on the night.If you are interested in an allotment pleasecontact the Parish Clerk.

Trading Standards LetterIncluded with your newsletter is a letterproduced by Trading Standards which is fullof helpful advice, guidelines and contactdetails. The Parish Council hopes you willfind it useful

Published by Hanslope Parish Council.

14 March 2011

Telephone 01908 290459

E-rnail: hanslopeparishcouncil@hotmail.com

Energy CompaniesMany electricity and gascompanies will visit you to try andget you change your provider.Some unscrupulous companiesand sales people will useunderhand tactics. Be wary whensomeone comes to read yourmeter, they will often use this as amethod of getting into your homewhere the hard sell may start.Make sure you know who providesyour gas and electricity andalways check for identification andconfirm with the company directly.

If you do want to change yoursupplier never sign anythingstraight away, discuss it withfriends and family first. If you feelas though you are under pressureform the sales person, ask them toleave, if they do not then call thepolice as by not leaving they mayhave committed a criminal offence.

!f you do sign a contract in yourhome for a new energy supplieryou legally have the right to cancelthe contract within 7 days. Youshould do this by writing to them atthe address on the contract andsend the letter with a Certificate ofPosting (this can be provided by

the Post Office free of charge),also keep a copy of the letter.

Charity Doorstep CollectionsSome people have reported that aminority of door to door charitycollectors have been aggressiveand more forceful with theircollections.

It is your decision to give to charityso you should not feel pressuredinto handing over any money. Ifyou feel that collectors are actingunreasonably then report them tothe charity they represent and theCharity Commission.

The Chanty Commission haveprovided the following advice fordealing with doorstep collectors.

Does the organisation state thatit is a charity, or that it iscollecting on behalf of acharity?• An organisation can't call itself a

charity if it isn't one.. The needy in developing

countries' and 'poor families inthe Third World' are not specificcharities - look for a charityname.

• Where the organisation statesclearly that it is a charity, look forthe charity number.

• Where a collection is for'charitable purposes' or is 'onbehalf of a charity', are you toldwhich specific charity will benefitand how much of your donationwill reach them?

. Ask if the charity has a formalagreement with the collector. If indoubt, you can give the charity acall.

Can the collector reassure youof their credentials?• Be wary of ID that looks

photocopied or home-made, orleaflets with no address or landline telephone number.

• Where a leaflet or envelopeappears to be from a charity,check the contact details - it'sbeen known for a charity's nameto be falsely used with differentaddresses or telephonenumbers.

. Some organisations make asmall donation to charity and usethe subsequent 'thank you' letteras proof of an agreement withthe charity - it's not.

• If the organisation is reluctant toanswer your questions or giveyou information, think twiceabout giving.

How can I check if theorganisation is a charity?• All charities registered in

England and Wales can bechecked on the CharityCommission's online register atwww£hantycom|TissiOT.MMIk orcall 0845 300 0218

Clothing Collection BagsClothing collections bags are putthough our letterboxes on aregular basis. Some of theorganisations are charities and willshow their registered charitynumber on their leaflet. If thecollection company only shows acompany number then it is not acharity and will make money byselling on the items you donate. Ifyou would like to donate to acharity make sure you read theleaflet accompanying the bag ordrop your items off to a localcharity shop or supermarketoffering collection facilities(normally by using bins in the carpark).

Cooling off Period!f you buy any goods or servicesthat cost more that £35 and thecontract was made in your homeyou may have this 7 days tocancel your contract.

By law the seller must give youwritten details of your right tocancel. If the trader does not dothis then they may be committing acriminal offence and the contractcould be unenforceable meaningyou do not have to pay a penny,even for goods or services alreadysupplied.

If you want the work to start beforethe end of your 7 day cooling offperiod (e.g. an emergencyplumber), then the trader must askyou to sign to agree for the work tostart immediately.

Some goods and servicescontracts are excluded from theserules:

• Insurance Contracts .« Contracts relating to food and

drink supplied by regularroundsmen (not one off fishsellers)

• Contracts relating to shares andinvestments

Contracts relating toconstruction, sale or rental ofproperty

Buy With ConfidenceIf you are having work done inyour home use a Buy withConfidence trader. Thesecompanies are independentlychecked by Trading Standards,helping you find a legitimatetrader. Please contact 08454 0405 06 for details or visit ourwebsite.

Door Step CallersBeware, doorstep callers can bevery persuasive to try and get intoyour home. They may use thesetypes of lines.

"I've noticed there are a fewloose tiles on your roof."

"This offer is only available foryou today..."

"I'm in your area doing asurvey..."

"We have just done some workfor your neighbour..."

"We were doing a job in the areaand we have some materials leftover"

"We can give you a discount ifyou pay by cash"

A lot of these statements arecriminal offences so if a doorstepcaller use one of these linesplease contact Consumer Directon 08454 04 05 06

The following numbers areprovided so you can check that thecaller is legitimate:

British Gas Sales - 0800 048 0202BT-0800 800 150Npower -0845 071 4525E-on - 0800 051 0760Meter Plus - National Grid(formerly Transco) 0845 605 6677Anglian Water Billing & Generalenquiries - 08457 91 91 55Southern Electric - 0800 117116