Watersure and Water Meters – Help for vulnerable people & savings for everyone

Have a read of this blog entry if you want to save money on your water bills or know someone on a low income who could do with help. Water meters, and a scheme called Watersure can help different people, and there is a lot of advice out there for everyone on how to cut costs.

Watersure:

Have you heard of Watersure? Have a read below, and if you or someone you know may be eligible, contact Northumbrian Water for a form or download one at: https://www.nwl.co.uk/_assets/documents/Watersure_form_NW_2014_web.pdf

Water Meters:

If you are not currently on a water meter, you may save hundreds of pounds a year by having one fitted. Northumbrian Water can help you decide if you would save. Call them on 0345 733 5566 or try their online calculator: https://www.nwl.co.uk/your-home/your-account/usage-calculator.aspx

Already on a meter? There is plenty of advice here on how to cut your bills.

Are you with Durham City Homes?

If you are with Durham City Homes you can still transfer to a meter, but will need permission. I helped someone in a DCH property move to a water meter and they are now saving around £200 a year!!

Water Sure detail:

The WaterSure scheme is available for certain customers with a water meter. It allows them to have their bills capped. This is to make sure that these customers don’t cut back on how much water they use because they are worried about how they will pay their bill.

To qualify for help under the WaterSure scheme, you or someone living with you, needs be entitled to receive one of the following:

  • Universal Credit
  • housing benefit
  • Income Support
  • income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • Working Tax Credit
  • Child Tax Credit (except families in receipt of the family element only)
  • Pension Credit
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance

In addition, you need to either:

  • be responsible for three or more children under the age of 19 and in full-time education living in the property, or
  • have (or someone living in the property must have) a medical condition which requires significant additional use of water. Examples of medical conditions include weeping skin diseases (such as psoriasis), Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.

If you qualify for WaterSure, you will pay no more than the average household bill for your company, even if you use more than the average amount of water.

You will not qualify for WaterSure if you use a garden sprinkler system or have a swimming pool.

If you think you are eligible for WaterSure, use the link above to the form.

REMINDER – £140 GOVERNMENT ENERGY BILL DISCOUNT

A quick reminder. If your total household income is less than £16000 a year you may be eligible for a £140 discount off your electricity bill this winter. Call your energy company and ask them if you are eligible for the WARM HOMES DISCOUNT. This was introduced by the Lib Dems in government to help those on a low income with their energy costs.

Severe Weather Warning

The met office has issued a serve weather warning for tonight/tomorrow. You can find more information at:

www.metoffice.gov.uk

If you notice any blocked road or pavement drains in the next day or two please let us know so we can get them reported through the Council system. Alternatively email hal@durham.gov.uk and copy me in to the email

Trinity School Construction Complaints

Residents living near the new Trinity School construction site at Aykley Heads have had to deal with continuous problems with the construction of the new building since the work started last year.

Last week I chaired a meeting with residents and council officers to make sure that concerns were fully heard and to identify areas where issues still needed to be addressed.

Whilst all residents are fully supportive of the need for a new school facility, it is the way in which the developers and planners have acted which has caused great concern.

These concerns have included and in some cases still include working outside of the designated hours, including on a Sunday. Following the meeting I arranged last week an enforcement notice has now been issued to Sir Robert McAlpine the constructors ordering them to desist from Sunday working – residents need at least one day a week without the construction noise and the planning conditions require it.

The council has also been made fully aware of damage to the road surface in Dunholme Close which goes clearly beyond the damage you would expect from everyday wear and tear, and is most likely to have been caused by the repeated use of the cul-de-sac by heavy goods vehicles delivering to the site.

Noise and road cleaning issues have also been an ongoing problem, as well as concerns with the council planning department about the way in which the planning process and subsequent complaints have been handled. A huge advertisement for the developer and signs stating that they are considerate constructors have been seen by some residents as a joke. Planners have now asked that it is replaced with something more reasonable in size.

I am continuing to work with residents to help get all these issues addressed, and it is hoped that many of these issues will be addressed by the Council and by Sir Robert McAlpine in the coming weeks.

Of additional concern is safety when the school opens,  and associated traffic management issues. I intend to hold a further meeting with residents and officers after the school has fully opened to determine if further action needs to take place.

The new school is going to be a fantastic asset for the young people attending it. It must be a safe environment to be dropped off and collected from and must have as limited an impact as possible on the surrounding area.

This is always a balancing act and it is clear that up to now residents have not been treated to a satisfactory standard. This has now been made very clear to both the Council and the developer.

State pension set to rise by 2.5 per cent next year

Pensioners will benefit from a 2.5 per cent increase in their state pension thanks to the Liberal Democrat Triple Lock guarantee.

Figures out today (14 October) show that inflation is below target meaning that the basic state pension will be boosted by 2.5 per cent next year.

The Triple Lock guarantee means that pensions will increase with inflation, earnings or 2.5 per cent – whichever is highest.

key_Pensions.jpg

Commenting on the inflation figures, Liberal Democrat Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander said:

“This below target inflation number is good news for everyone, but will help pensioners in particular as the Liberal Democrat flagship ‘Triple Lock’ policy will kick in to give an above inflation pension increase.

“The Triple Lock delivers a pension rise of whichever is the greater of average earnings, inflation or 2.5%.

“This means that next year the basic state pension will rise by 2.5% or £2.85 a week.  With Liberal Democrats in Government the basic state pension has risen by over £950.

“This shows that pensioners are at the heart of our Liberal Democrat vision of a stronger economy and a fairer society.

“They’ve done their bit for society and paid their dues over a lifetime. Our Triple Lock policy ensures our country does right by them.

“This is in stark contrast to life under the Conservatives who broke the link between pensions and earnings in the Thatcher years, and life under Labour when pensioners were insulted with rises as low as 75p.”

Newton Hall Post Office NEW INFORMATION – HALF WAY TO SUCCESS

I have been trying to get updates from various places on the plans for Newton Hall Post Office.

The first thing to say is that the consultation process is still running behind the scenes. The national CAB / Consumer Futures who analyse the consultation data have confirmed to me that following our representations they are pushing for “Main” Branch status. They will thrash out their views on the 22nd with PO management at a national level.

The pressure from residents and ourselves as your local councillors appears to be having a positive impact. Whilst the existing site does not look like it will be retained, the services which were due to be lost may well be retained if the branch moves into McColls.

Proposals have been aired which would see McColls run the branch as a “Local Plus”. This means that almost all the services which would have been lost would now be retained – so half a success.

However the BIG issue which remains is capacity. We are still campaigning alongside the CAB for a Main branch model as we do not want to see queues for local residents. Given that it looks increasingly likely that Framwellgate Moor Post Office will move up the road to Nisa, losing some services, the pressure on capacity in the area will be exacerbated.

Clearly there are also concerns about what happens to the existing staff and some concerns about training in a newly located branch.

A planning application has been submitted for a disability ramp at McColls. Whist this may appear to be cart before horse, it takes 8-9 weeks to pass a planning application and if the move goes ahead, disability access is a requirement.

All of this reminds me of a silver lining: Under the last government thousands of post offices closed, under the current government branches are being protected either in their current location or an alternative. Whatever happens we will still have two post offices in the area.

We will continue to push to make sure they have the capacity and the services. Things are looking better than they were and when we know more we will of course update on here and in the community.

 

New Council Website Up and running

durhamwebsite

 

Over a number of years as your Lib Dem councillors we have pushed the council for a better website and particularly for more services to be offered online.

The new County Council website is far easier to use and it is hoped that as more people order services, report things and pay for things online, it will free up staff at the council to answer calls more quickly. It should also save the council a lot of money in the longer term as requests go to the right person and will ensure better monitoring of responses.

Please let me know if you find anything not working on the site so that we can feed this back to council officers and get it fixed.

Also, if you do not get a response to something as quickly as it says you will, or as quickly as you would expect let me know that too.

www.durham.gov.uk

 

 

 

Hedgerow Planting Plans

We are currently looking at planting some hedgerows in various areas for a number of reasons. The areas we have looked at include Rotary Way in Pity Me and Finchale Road in Framwellgate Moor.

We would appreciate your comments on these proposals and any other areas you feel would benefit from hedging.

Areas being looked at

1. Rotary Way (Arnison Centre bypass), Pity Me – Two areas, one on the left as you travel from the A167 roundabout, the second on the right to fill in the gap near the Mc Donalds carpark

2. A small area near the Arnison underpass.

3. Extend the hedge running from Bek Road traffic lights up Finchale Road on the left hand side.

4. Possibly plant behind the metal fence farther up Finchale Road on the school side opposite Caterhouse entrance with a view to removing the old metal fencing.

5. We are also looking at whether hedging could be moved, improved or removed on the path behind Hudspeth, to make the area less likely to get overgrown

The reasons for the planting program include:

Helping to fill in gaps in existing hedging

Protecting areas from illegal camping and parking

Helping to cut noise and air pollution from traffic

Creating proper screening on the edge of the built up area

Reinstating areas which used to have hedges

Promoting wildlife and making the area look better

 

Framwellgate Moor Post Office – Consultation on Move

A proposal is being consulted on to move Framwellgate Moor Post Office into the Nisa at the other end of Front Street. This is from the Post Office nationally and is not from the Council. However as your local councillors we are keen to make sure that the views of residents are listened to. Also the proposals do have some knock on effects which could become council issues.

Where to comment

I have yet to be contacted by anyone with views either way on this issue and would appreciate any comments from residents. You can find out more about this proposal at www.postofficeviews.co.uk by entering the branch code 17331399.

Newton Hall Post Office

My initial thoughts are that with the Newton Hall Post Office consultation not yet finalised, it is possible that we could lose services which are currently available at both these branches and be left with a seriously diminished service for the area.

The Pedestrian Crossing

Also, there is no pedestrian crossing at the Nisa end of Front Street, unlike near the existing post office. I have been asked in the past for a crossing farther up the front street, and cost and space have been an issue. However if the post office moves, then the case becomes even more overwhelming for a solution, which is why I have contacted council officers in relation to this particular issue in advance of public comments.

Service Losses

Some of the services which would be lost by the changes include parcel force worldwide, transcash, on demand travel insurance, premium bonds and payment by cheque. However, given that the Newton Hall consultation failed to full explain the losses of service, can we be sure that what we are being told this time is correct?

Will the capacity of the proposed newly located store be sufficient or, like the proposals in Newton Hall, will we find a huge queue, and will people be forced to go elsewhere including into town, particularly if Newton Hall is downgraded as well.

I have once again contacted senior post office management to ask to discuss yet another change for which we have only a few weeks to offer our concerns or support.

The consultation runs until 6th November, and the current proposed month of change is January/Feb 2015, so not too far off.