Issue 41 - Wigan Council

Borough Life / Spring 2013 / www.wigan.gov.uk 5NewsMore freenursery placesnow availableCHANGES to childcarerules mean more childrenare now eligible for freenursery hours.Until recently, only children agedthree and four were entitledto 15 hours of free childcare aweek. Now this offer is beingextended to some children agedtwo. Find out if your child iseligible at www.wigan.gov.uk/familyinformationservice‘Good’ news for adult learnersAdult education in Wigan Borough is“good”, according to Ofsted inspectors.The council service provides trainingprogrammes for adults includingapprenticeships, qualification coursesand skills workshops. They are aimedat anyone aged over 16.It was inspected earlier this yearand deemed “good” – an improvementon its last inspection in 2009 when itwas rated “satisfactory”. The reportfound there had been progress madein every area. See Ofsted’s full reportat www.ofsted.gov.ukBeware ofbogus counciltax claimsPEOPLE in Wigan Boroughare being warned to ignorecompanies who claim thecouncil owes them money.Scores of residents – manyof them elderly - have beencontacted by firms saying theyare due a council tax refund.Some of these companies statethey are working with WiganCouncil to recoup the cash.Wigan Council is not workingwith any company regardingcouncil tax refunds. You canfind out for free if your counciltax banding is wrong - withoutpaying a commercial firm tofind out for you.Blog bloomsDamian Jenkinson, Wigan Borough’s in Bloomcoordinator, has begun a monthly blog on TheGuardian’s website.Damian, who came second in theBBC’s Young Gardener of the Yearcompetition, was asked to write forthe online version of the newspaperfollowing Wigan Borough’s successin Britain in Bloom last year. Theborough’s entry received a silver giltprize in the national competition.So far Damian has written three blogsfor the gardening section of the website.He said: “It’s a great opportunity to spreadthe word about all the hard work that goesinto Wigan Borough in Bloom. It’s aboutso much more than hanging baskets andbedding displays. It’s a real communityproject and I’m thrilled to have the chanceto tell a new audience about it.”You can find his blog at www.guardian.co.uk/profile/damian-jenkinsonThe council has been told elderlyresidents in particular are beingtargeted by firms claimingcouncil tax changes mean theyare owed huge sums. Residentsare then asked for a fee upfrontto pursue the financial claim andrecoup the money.However, council tax bandingsare rarely altered and any changewould generally affect a group ofproperties and would be wellpublicised.Residents who wantto know if they are paying thewrong amount, or if theyare owed a refund, can findout by contacting the ValuationOffice in Manchester who willinvestigate for free. The numberis 03000 503 600. To find outmore about council tax visitwww.wigan.gov.uk/benefits