Spring 2012 - Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council

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Our thanks go to all the residents who contributed to this edition. Basingstoke & Deane Today is published twice a year by the communications team at Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council. It is designed, printed and distributed to over 71,000 homes in the borough at a cost of 17p per household and is also available online at www.basingstoke.gov.uk/go/bdtoday © Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council - February 2012. For further copies, please call 01256 844844 or email b&dtoday@basingstoke.gov.uk Photography by Stewart Turkington www.stphotos.co.uk Design by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council Printed by Woodford www.woodfordlitho.co.uk Printed on Ultralux Semi-gloss 100% recycled paper. Please read and If you find the size of any of our information difficult to read, please let us know. This magazine is also available in large print. For a copy, please call 01256 844844. Talking News, a local charity that regularly records news on tape for the visually impaired, also produces Basingstoke & Deane Today on tape. If you would like a copy, please contact Talking News on 01256 464378. Did you know… Facts about your borough • A total of 168,000 people live in the borough’s 245 square miles. • Basingstoke and Deane’s council tax is the lowest in Hampshire and the sixth lowest of all districts in the country – but with the eighth highest spend per head on services. The council spends around £112 million a year on running council services – but only 6% of this comes from council tax. • The daily cost of borough council services is approximately 29p per household. • Customer satisfaction was rated fifth best in the country for a district council. • The council was rated in the top15 in the country on value for money. • Over the last five years the council has found over £5 million of on-going savings and senior management staffing has gone down from 24 to nine. • Commercial property owned by the borough council is valued at £211 million, bringing in a rental income of £15.2 million a year to help keep council tax down. • The Malls shopping centre refurbishment cost £7 million, but is already helping to bring in £300,000 extra per year. • The council was instrumental in setting up one of the biggest local enterprise partnerships in the country - Enterprise M3 - which has just secured almost £14.5 million in government funding for infrastructure projects. Enterprise M3 covers 57,000 businesses, contributing £25 billion to the UK economy. • The borough came top among English districts in an annual Food Standards Agency survey for compliance of food businesses with legal hygiene requirements. • Home to Watership Down and Highclere Castle, the location for Downton Abbey, the borough has over 40 conservation areas, 1,800 listed buildings and 80 square miles recognised as being of outstanding natural beauty. Contents at a glance Planning our future Page 15 Don’t lose your vote Page 17 CrimeReports Page 19 Communities doing more together Page 20 2 Basingstoke & Deane Today Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council makes no warranties in relation to the content of any advertisements placed in Basingstoke & Deane Today and shall have no liability for any losses howsoever caused by or related to those advertisements. Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council makes no endorsements whatsoever with regard to any advertisements placed in Basingstoke & Deane Today.
Giving good value on the things that matter to you A welcome to the spring 2012 edition from Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council Leader Cllr Clive Sanders. Who makes you proud Nominations for the 2012 Place to be Proud of Awards close on Saturday 31 March. Now in their eighth year, the awards celebrate people, projects and organisations that make a special contribution to our community. There are six categories: • Arts and entertainment – sponsored by Basingstoke Leisure Park • Young achiever award – sponsored by Gazette Newspapers • Schools and Education award – sponsored by Barclays Corporate Trade and Working Capital UK & Ireland • Unsung Hero award – sponsored by AXA Wealth • Basingstoke Ambassador award – sponsored by Vitacress and Queen Mary’s College At a time of prolonged economic uncertainty and changes to national policy which will affect how local government works in future, the council’s focus continues to be on delivering key services that make a real difference to our communities and provide value for money. We’ve frozen our part of your council tax again this year despite cuts in government funding and rising costs. Over the past five years, we have saved over £5 million through efficiency measures while protecting the frontline services that you have told us are most important to you. Difficult decisions will still be required to balance the books in the coming years. Prudent management of the council’s resources has enabled us to invest over £50 million in the borough for the benefit of residents over the last five years. We continue to invest in the future despite the difficult economic climate. This magazine aims to keep you up to date on borough news, service information, local initiatives and what is going on in your area. In this edition we showcase how the borough is preparing for the Olympics and plans for the revived Basingstoke Festival, as well as giving updates on local community projects to bring people together on a more regular basis and provide more for young people to do. We highlight improved broadband, extended recycling services, community safety initiatives and important changes to housing benefits and housing association tenancies. There are also updates on the consultation on the borough’s key planning document to 2027 and what we are doing to regenerate Basing View and ensure people have good jobs and career opportunities in the future. I thank all those residents who have responded to previous editions and consultations telling us how we can make our services better meet your needs. Want to advertise in the magazine It is sent twice a year – spring and autumn - to all 71,000 homes in the borough To find out more see www.basingstoke.gov.uk/go/bdtoday email communications@basingstoke.gov.uk or call 01256 844844. Look out for your chance to vote for the winner of the Unsung Hero category – judges will select three finalists then ask the public to vote for their favourite. Nominate or vote on line at www.destinationbasingstoke.co.uk Changes to council tax benefit Some residents on low incomes currently get council tax benefit to help pay their bill. From April 2013, the government has announced that council tax benefits will no longer exist in their current form. Instead councils will need to operate local council tax support schemes, after deciding which groups should pay reduced council tax and how much discount should be given. Nationally, the government has said that eligible pensioners must get the same level of help as now. Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council will consult residents this summer, once more information is available from the government, as part of developing a local council tax support scheme. As the council has more information, it will make it available, including at www.basingstoke.gov.uk/go/ctaxchanges Basingstoke & Deane Today 3
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Spring 2012 - Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council

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