Community News - September 2006 - St Albans City & District Council

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Historic St Albans District becoming... Council offers Great Cutting the cost of crime CCTV cameras in the district save the community around £370,000 a year preventing burglary, vandalism, pick pocketing and car crime. How much do you think you pay each week to have your rubbish collected? The answer might surprise you. The bill for refuse collection is just 62p a week for a Band D council tax property. And you might be surprised to know what good value other District Council services are. The average household pays just 32p a week towards the cost of maintaining parks and open spaces, 36p a week to keep the district clean, 44p a week for recyling and 42p a week for museums. The average council tax bill for a Band D property is £1,293 a year, but more than 85.3 per cent of this, £1,102, goes to Hertfordshire County Council and the Hertfordshire Police Authority. Overall householders pay an average of just £3.07 per week for a vast range of services provided by St Albans City and District Council from street cleaning and recycling to leisure centres and planning services. In this edition of the Community News, which costs 5.5p per copy, we have highlighted just a few of the many services that we believe provide outstanding value for money. Tell us how you want your money spent What do you want to see your council tax spent on? We are in the process of setting the budgets for next year and want to know what your priorities are. Should we be spending more money on recycling, housing provision, street cleaning or parks? Or do you want refuse collection, crime reduction, museums or licensing controls at the top of the list. Whatever your top priority let us know and we will use your suggestions to help us set the spending priorities for next year. E-mail your views to budget@stalbans.gov.uk, or cut out and post the slip below to Budget Suggestions, Policy and Communications Unit, District Council Offices, St Peter’s Street, St Albans, Herts AL1 3JE, by Friday 13th October. I would focus spending on: ❑ Arts, Theatres and Public Halls ❑ Cleaner District ❑ Community Safety / Crime Reduction ❑ Concessionary Bus Fares and Bus Subsidies and Taxi Vouchers ❑ Grants to Voluntary Organisations ❑ Homelessness ❑ Housing Provision ❑ Licensing ❑ Museums ❑ Parks and Open Spaces ❑ Planning and Building Control ❑ Refuse Collection / Recycling ❑ Sports and Leisure Centres ❑ Tourism ❑ Transport and Parking ❑ Other Name Address Did you know? Tourism Development costs council taxpayers £76,000 a year. However, it is estimated that tourism in the district contributes £150 million to the local economy and supports 2,400 fulltime equivalent jobs in the district. (figures from Cambridge Model report by East of England Tourist Board) St Albans City and District Council
...Hertfordshire’s premier community Value for Money Keeping down the cost of housing - The average tenant’s rent is £68.41 per week - From rents received we spend over £3m on repairing and maintaining the council’s housing stock of 5,357 properties. - We are completing a threeyear kitchen and bathroom improvement programme and savings have meant we can complete more bathrooms to a high standard more quickly It costs just… - 55p a week to rent an allotment - including water and car parking - £1.57 per person per game of football - including changing rooms and showers - £1.40 for a child to swim at Westminster Lodge (free for under 5s) Web transactions cost only 25p Help cut costs by logging on Did you know that you can help us save money depending on the way you contact us? There are lots of ways of getting in touch, the most popular being the telephone. But it is much cheaper to contact us for some services via our website at www.stalbans.gov.uk, which means we save money while still providing you with a good service. Government figures show that it costs councils about £15 to see a customer in person, £9 to deal with a letter, £2 to deal with a telephone call, and just 25p via the website. So next time you want to get in touch, why not log on or phone, rather than writing or coming to the offices? Have your say – register to vote Registering to vote has never been easier. Electoral registration forms have gone out to 56,000 households and should be filled in and returned as soon as possible. If your details have not changed you can easily renew your registration by phone or on the internet. Call 0808 161 7660 or log on to www.registeronline.co.uk and follow the instructions enclosed with the registration forms. Many people do not realise that they have to renew their registration each year. If you pay council tax that does not mean you are registered to vote, you must still return the form. If you need help filling in the form call our helpline on 01727 819291 / 819294 / 819545 or email elections@stalbans.gov.uk Did you know? The average household pays: - 32p a week to maintain parks, open spaces and commons - 42p a week for the museums - 22p a week towards housing services like preventing homelessness and grounds maintenance (excluding council house provision) All this for free… Did you know your council tax pays for all these services that are FREE for everyone to use? • Parks are free – make the most of them, they are the new green gyms • Small businesses and schools can learn about food hygiene for free • Entry to the museums is free • Charities holding fundraising events can use the parks for free • Blue Badge holders can park free for three hours in council car parks • All our play areas, skateboards parks and the Splash Park are free to use • The Tourist Information Centre has lots of free leaflets - did you know staff at the centre can help you book accommodation, travel and day trips for free? • District residents aged 65 or over, can park free for up to three hours in any Council car park provided a discounted parking permit is clearly displayed • Planning officers will give free informal advice to householders who want to extend their homes and / or carry out work on listed buildings • Road closures can be arranged free of charge for street parties and festivals St Albans City and District Council
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Community News - September 2006 - St Albans City & District Council

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