I love the idea of this project and just had to respond positively and share it with you. I've signed up as Janet.Nunn with post code here in Barton-le-Clay and hope to get a group going. I plan on doing the energy audit over one of the upcoming bank holiday weekends.
"Please could you help us let people in your area know about the energyshare grant fund which has just launched with up to £500,000 for community renewable energy projects? We’re calling for communities across the UK to register their interest . It would be great if you could you help us spread the word by forwarding this on to any contacts you have or putting us in touch with the most appropriate team in your local authority.
energyshare is a 100% renewable energy community giving everyone in the UK the opportunity to get involved in sourcing, using, and generating your own renewable energy.
This is just the beginning. energyshare’s founding partners, River Cottage and British Gas are committed to finding more funding. As a start British Gas are committed to distributing a further £3m to community renewable projects through the energyshare fund over the next 3 years. By getting involved in energyshare you can help decide which projects get funded.
We’ve got lots of other features on the site for households and communities, including case studies on the site of really successful community projects like Woolsery Community Hall who have cut their running costs by 90%, and MOZES where each household is saving an estimated 20% / year on their energy bills!
Please forward this on to anyone you think might be interested. We hope to see you on www.energyshare.com soon!"
For any more information please contact: Emily.oliver@keofilms.com / t: +44 (0) 20 7490 3580 / m: +44 (0) 7970 658 682
Sunday, 10 April 2011
Highway repair plans in Barton ward 2011-14
Residents and frequent users of Manor Road in Barton-le-Clay will send a cheer up at the news that the road is due for re-surfacing this next year. Two years ago, I was told by an elderly neighbour that it hadn't been done in 20 years (I can corroborate the 17 years I've lived here), so run up the flag!
STREATLEY ROAD (RURAL) STRUCTURAL MAINTENANCE Non-Principal Roads Surface Dressing Barton Sundon 7 X £13,700 2011-12
COMMON LANE STRUCTURAL MAINTENANCE Non-Principal Roads Resurfacing Barton Sundon 7 X £23,166 2011-12
HARLINGTON ROAD & CHURCH ROAD (URBAN AREA) STRUCTURAL MAINTENANCE B & C Roads Resurfacing Sundon £77,077 2011-12
SHARPENHOE ROAD (SERVICE ROAD) STRUCTURAL MAINTENANCE Non-Principal Roads Resurfacing Barton £16,445 2011-12
MANOR ROAD STRUCTURAL MAINTENANCE Non-Principal Roads Resurfacing
Barton £121,550 2011-12
OLD ROAD STRUCTURAL MAINTENANCE Non-Principal Roads Resurfacing Barton £70,642 2013-14
Streatley Rd DRAINAGE Drainage Drainage
Barton £70,642 date t.b.c.
STREATLEY ROAD (RURAL) STRUCTURAL MAINTENANCE Non-Principal Roads Surface Dressing Barton Sundon 7 X £13,700 2011-12
COMMON LANE STRUCTURAL MAINTENANCE Non-Principal Roads Resurfacing Barton Sundon 7 X £23,166 2011-12
HARLINGTON ROAD & CHURCH ROAD (URBAN AREA) STRUCTURAL MAINTENANCE B & C Roads Resurfacing Sundon £77,077 2011-12
SHARPENHOE ROAD (SERVICE ROAD) STRUCTURAL MAINTENANCE Non-Principal Roads Resurfacing Barton £16,445 2011-12
MANOR ROAD STRUCTURAL MAINTENANCE Non-Principal Roads Resurfacing
Barton £121,550 2011-12
OLD ROAD STRUCTURAL MAINTENANCE Non-Principal Roads Resurfacing Barton £70,642 2013-14
Streatley Rd DRAINAGE Drainage Drainage
Barton £70,642 date t.b.c.
CBC bureaucrats also party poopers
With one hand, Central Beds Council (CBC) is giving: it has made a traffic order to cover the whole district, which means charges for road closures that would usually be paid by organisers will instead be "covered by the council" (meaning foregone, as to charge would have been seen as freeloading on the back of the royal wedding).
But with the other hand, it takes away: while all 'agreed' road closures will be free of charge, applications for road closures have to be made by Tuesday 12 April (this deadline was announced only on 1 April by CBC) and Public Liability insurance will cost £60 (£63.60 including insurance premium tax), and an 'All Risks' cover for public property and people being injured will be an optional addition of £25.00 (£26.50 including insurance premium tax).
Organisers should complete an application form available from: www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/streetpartyguide
Can you club together with your neighbours and do something on private property instead? I'm lucky enough to have lovely neighbours with open frontage who are willing to set up tables and seating across their driveways and host the party like that without tapping us up for cash. We'll just bring food, drink and good cheer! No cash; no paperwork. Sorted.
But with the other hand, it takes away: while all 'agreed' road closures will be free of charge, applications for road closures have to be made by Tuesday 12 April (this deadline was announced only on 1 April by CBC) and Public Liability insurance will cost £60 (£63.60 including insurance premium tax), and an 'All Risks' cover for public property and people being injured will be an optional addition of £25.00 (£26.50 including insurance premium tax).
Organisers should complete an application form available from: www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/streetpartyguide
Can you club together with your neighbours and do something on private property instead? I'm lucky enough to have lovely neighbours with open frontage who are willing to set up tables and seating across their driveways and host the party like that without tapping us up for cash. We'll just bring food, drink and good cheer! No cash; no paperwork. Sorted.
Election day 5 May: deadline 14 April for new registrations and postal vote requests
With both local elections and a UK-wide referendum taking place on Thursday 5 May, you need to make sure you are registered in time to vote. With several bank holidays coming up, residents who are going to be away on 5 May can also apply to vote by post or by proxy.
New voters and postal voters must be registered by Thursday 14 April. 197,000 poll cards have already been issued.To apply for a postal or proxy vote, either register online via www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk website or for more information, phone the Electoral Service Team on 0300 300 8008.
The elections will decide who sits on Central Bedfordshire Council for the next four years and also establish who will make up town and parish councils across the district.
The referendum is on the voting system used for elections to the UK Parliament. The question being put to voters on 5 May is, "At present, the UK uses the 'first past the post' system to elect MPs to the House of Commons. Should the 'alternative vote' system be used instead?"
The Electoral Commission, the independent elections watchdog, is sending a booklet to every household in the UK with information about how to have your say on 5 May.
New voters and postal voters must be registered by Thursday 14 April. 197,000 poll cards have already been issued.To apply for a postal or proxy vote, either register online via www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk website or for more information, phone the Electoral Service Team on 0300 300 8008.
The elections will decide who sits on Central Bedfordshire Council for the next four years and also establish who will make up town and parish councils across the district.
The referendum is on the voting system used for elections to the UK Parliament. The question being put to voters on 5 May is, "At present, the UK uses the 'first past the post' system to elect MPs to the House of Commons. Should the 'alternative vote' system be used instead?"
The Electoral Commission, the independent elections watchdog, is sending a booklet to every household in the UK with information about how to have your say on 5 May.
Thursday, 31 March 2011
How would you like the new music service to operate?
A consultation has been launched at virtually the 12th hour seeking views on the future provision of music in Central Bedfordshire.
Bedfordshire Music is currently managed for the whole of Bedfordshire by Central Bedfordshire Council. From July 2011, Central Bedfordshire Council will be delivering a new music service.
The consultation, which ran until 9am on Monday 28 March, and provided an opportunity for parents, pupils, schools and other interested parties to contribute to the planning for the future provision of music services in Central Bedfordshire.
Through the recently announced Henley Review, the Government has given its commitment to support music education. The Government has advised that, from 2012 onwards, local music services should be provided in line with the National Plan for Music Education and music hubs based on local authority areas will be introduced.
The music hubs will deliver music services at a local level from April 2012 and will place partnership at the centre of a larger aspiration to provide all children with the music education they deserve. Feedback from the consultation will be used by Central Bedfordshire Council to support the bidding process for these music hubs.
To have your say on this consultation, please respond to the online consultation questionnaire at http://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/surveys/Music/service.htm
Hard copies of the consultation questionnaire are available on request from the Customer Service team on 0300 300 8102 and from the reception of the Council Offices in Dunstable and Chicksands.
While CBC asked for responses to this consultation to be received by 9am on Monday 28 March 2011, this was thoroughly unreasonable given that they didn't press release the launch until 20 March, so I urge anyone with a view to submit it ASAP, regardless.
Bedfordshire Music is currently managed for the whole of Bedfordshire by Central Bedfordshire Council. From July 2011, Central Bedfordshire Council will be delivering a new music service.
The consultation, which ran until 9am on Monday 28 March, and provided an opportunity for parents, pupils, schools and other interested parties to contribute to the planning for the future provision of music services in Central Bedfordshire.
Through the recently announced Henley Review, the Government has given its commitment to support music education. The Government has advised that, from 2012 onwards, local music services should be provided in line with the National Plan for Music Education and music hubs based on local authority areas will be introduced.
The music hubs will deliver music services at a local level from April 2012 and will place partnership at the centre of a larger aspiration to provide all children with the music education they deserve. Feedback from the consultation will be used by Central Bedfordshire Council to support the bidding process for these music hubs.
To have your say on this consultation, please respond to the online consultation questionnaire at http://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/surveys/Music/service.htm
Hard copies of the consultation questionnaire are available on request from the Customer Service team on 0300 300 8102 and from the reception of the Council Offices in Dunstable and Chicksands.
While CBC asked for responses to this consultation to be received by 9am on Monday 28 March 2011, this was thoroughly unreasonable given that they didn't press release the launch until 20 March, so I urge anyone with a view to submit it ASAP, regardless.
Private Fostering Awareness Week
Private Fostering Awareness Week ran from 21 to 27 March. This year named "Somebody Else's Child', the campaign aimed to raise awareness of the issues around private fostering and change people's response.
Private fostering is when a young person under the age of 16, or under 18 if disabled, lives with somebody who is not their immediate family for a period of longer than 28 days.
Examples of private fostering arrangements might include an older teenager who is living with their friend's parents due to a family breakdown or a child living with a family friend whilst a parent is recovering from an operation. Other examples could be a young teenager attending school in this country and living with a family cousin whilst their family live abroad or a child staying with a host family previously not known to them whilst they complete their education.
Sometimes parents will arrange for their children to live elsewhere and sometimes teenagers decide themselves to live with a friend or friend's parents. The Fostering Service needs to be made aware and has a responsibility to offer advice and support to all parties involved in these kind of arrangements.
There are an estimated 10,000 children living in private fostering arrangements in England and Wales, yet last year only around 1,500 notifications of these arrangements were made to local authorities. While most of these children will be safe, others may be at risk of abuse and neglect at the hands of their private foster carers. Without children's services intervention, this could go on for years.
Although the legal responsibility lies with the parent and the carer, the campaign is also urging anyone who works with children - teachers, childcare and health care professionals - to play their part. Those who come into regular contact with children can help identify these potentially vulnerable children and help by either speaking to the child's carer, if appropriate, or informing children's services. Help us keep children safe and support families.
It is a legal duty for parents or the private foster carer to notify Central Bedfordshire's Fostering Service if a child is staying with somebody who is not an immediate family member for more than 28 days. An immediate family member is defined as a grandparent, brother, sister, uncle or aunt, or step-parent.
If you are part of, or aware of, any Private Fostering arrangements please contact the Private Fostering Coordinator on 0300 300 8090 for more information and advice.
The Bedfordshire Adoption Service is a shared service that covers both Central Bedfordshire Council and Bedford Borough Council areas. We strive to find families for children who cannot live with their birth families and who have a plan for adoption.
Private fostering is when a young person under the age of 16, or under 18 if disabled, lives with somebody who is not their immediate family for a period of longer than 28 days.
Examples of private fostering arrangements might include an older teenager who is living with their friend's parents due to a family breakdown or a child living with a family friend whilst a parent is recovering from an operation. Other examples could be a young teenager attending school in this country and living with a family cousin whilst their family live abroad or a child staying with a host family previously not known to them whilst they complete their education.
Sometimes parents will arrange for their children to live elsewhere and sometimes teenagers decide themselves to live with a friend or friend's parents. The Fostering Service needs to be made aware and has a responsibility to offer advice and support to all parties involved in these kind of arrangements.
There are an estimated 10,000 children living in private fostering arrangements in England and Wales, yet last year only around 1,500 notifications of these arrangements were made to local authorities. While most of these children will be safe, others may be at risk of abuse and neglect at the hands of their private foster carers. Without children's services intervention, this could go on for years.
Although the legal responsibility lies with the parent and the carer, the campaign is also urging anyone who works with children - teachers, childcare and health care professionals - to play their part. Those who come into regular contact with children can help identify these potentially vulnerable children and help by either speaking to the child's carer, if appropriate, or informing children's services. Help us keep children safe and support families.
It is a legal duty for parents or the private foster carer to notify Central Bedfordshire's Fostering Service if a child is staying with somebody who is not an immediate family member for more than 28 days. An immediate family member is defined as a grandparent, brother, sister, uncle or aunt, or step-parent.
If you are part of, or aware of, any Private Fostering arrangements please contact the Private Fostering Coordinator on 0300 300 8090 for more information and advice.
The Bedfordshire Adoption Service is a shared service that covers both Central Bedfordshire Council and Bedford Borough Council areas. We strive to find families for children who cannot live with their birth families and who have a plan for adoption.
New Transport Policy for 16 to 19 year olds approved
Central Bedfordshire Council has approved a new policy on the provision of free or subsidised transport for students in further education. The new Post 16 Transport Policy is being introduced following a public consultation with students, parents, carers and other interested parties that was completed in December 2010.
While Central Bedfordshire is not legally obliged to provide free or subsidised transport for students aged 16 to 19, it must consider how it will help learners access further education. A key element of this in what is a very rural area is the provision of transport.
The new policy replaces existing guidelines which were carried over from Bedfordshire County Council. It brings transport for 16 to 19 year olds in line with that for school aged children and meets the standards within the Department for Education guidance issued in June 2010.
The new policy provides a clear set of criteria to assess the eligibility of students enabling a fairer and more consistent assessment process. Under the new policy eligible students will be able to access the most suitable education, training or work based learning provision available.
Central to the new policy is a change to the maximum distance for which a student can receive free or subsidised travel. Subsidised travel will now only be available to students who live more than three miles but less than 20 miles from the school or college they wish to attend. It will mean that students who wish to take advantage of subsidised travel will be required to study at the nearest school or college to their home address that offers the qualification they are studying for. It will also include new criteria for those on low income, with medical and special educational needs and looked after young people.
The new policy supports Central Bedfordshire's key priority of educating, protecting and providing opportunities for children and young people and will be implemented from September 2011. The council is required to keep its policy under regular review.
While Central Bedfordshire is not legally obliged to provide free or subsidised transport for students aged 16 to 19, it must consider how it will help learners access further education. A key element of this in what is a very rural area is the provision of transport.
The new policy replaces existing guidelines which were carried over from Bedfordshire County Council. It brings transport for 16 to 19 year olds in line with that for school aged children and meets the standards within the Department for Education guidance issued in June 2010.
The new policy provides a clear set of criteria to assess the eligibility of students enabling a fairer and more consistent assessment process. Under the new policy eligible students will be able to access the most suitable education, training or work based learning provision available.
Central to the new policy is a change to the maximum distance for which a student can receive free or subsidised travel. Subsidised travel will now only be available to students who live more than three miles but less than 20 miles from the school or college they wish to attend. It will mean that students who wish to take advantage of subsidised travel will be required to study at the nearest school or college to their home address that offers the qualification they are studying for. It will also include new criteria for those on low income, with medical and special educational needs and looked after young people.
The new policy supports Central Bedfordshire's key priority of educating, protecting and providing opportunities for children and young people and will be implemented from September 2011. The council is required to keep its policy under regular review.
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