Borough Councillor Report for May 2022

Borough Councillors Report to Turvey Parish Council May 2022

 

Turvey Abbey Clock Appeal

The Rural Affairs Committee met on the 17th May and the Abbey Clock restoration was on the agenda this is what committee members have been furnished with and the decisions taken.

Grants requests parish details of scheme and amount requested

The application is submitted by the Olivetan Benedictine Sisters, Turvey Abbey, which is a registered charity. The Abbey is requesting £7,882 towards the restoration of a 200-year-old historic clock mechanism and face in the tower of a listed building which forms part of the Abbey and is visible from the High Street. They have sought one quotation from a recommended leading specialist in the restoration of historic clocks. The company worked on the clock of All Saints Church, Turvey, who have recommended the company to the Sisters. The project does not need planning permission. The following quotation has been provided: EX VAT Quote 1 Works to external clock £15,764 The total cost of this project is stated to be £18,916.80 including VAT and the request is for £7,882, which is 50% of the total cost excluding VAT. The organisation has secured the remainder of the balance through donations and grant funding as shown in the below table: Funds collected by the Abbey £2,000 Parish Council contribution £3,098 Ward Councillor £4,000 Inspired Villages £1,936 Total £11,034.

I am pleased to announce that the committee approved the grant of £7,882.

New Municipal Year

This will be the last year that the Kempston Rural Ward will exist. The new warding arrangements will start from the Mayoral and Borough Councillor and Parish Councillor elections in May 2023. So Turvey will become a two Ward Councillor ward and will be in the ward of Bromham. Along with Stagsden, Stevington will be added so again it will be in a ward with three other parishes. As Great Denham becomes a ward in its own right, I have already written to the chairs of the four parish councils in the present ward to inform them that I will be a candidate for the Ward of Great Denham at the next elections. I have also been asked by the two conservative candidates Robert Rigby and Dylan Simmons if the PC would mind them attending a future PC meeting to acquaint themselves with the issues Turvey faces? Robert was a Borough Councillor for 7 years and Dylan sits on Bromham PC.

As this new Council year starts, I thought it would be a good time to refresh the Executive information about those running the Borough and their responsibilities. On the separate PDF is a list of all the Portfolio Holders and their responsibilities. Please note the Executives stated purpose

COMPOSITION AND CONSTITUTION OF THE EXECUTIVE

£150 Council Tax energy payment

The £150 Council Tax energy payment is available to all eligible households in Council Tax Bands A to D, and Band E where there is a disabled Band reduction.

Direct Debit

If you pay your Council Tax by Direct Debit you will receive payment automatically. Thousands of payments were made in April and the majority of Direct Debit payers were paid by 3 May. Payments take a few days to reach bank accounts.  Direct debit payers whose first payment will be in May will be paid by mid-May.

There are approximately 3,000 households whose names on the Council Tax register are not the same as the name on the Direct Debit bank account. Where this is the case, the Government guidance states that payment cannot be made.  You will be contacted shortly with a request for additional details and further evidence.

Non Direct Debit payers

The form to apply for payment is now live.

To complete the form you need an access code.

Non Direct Debit payers apply here

Information and support for Ukrainians

If you are still in Ukraine, help and support is available:

If you have arrived in Bedford Borough and have nowhere to live please contact our Housing Team on 01234 718008 or email ukrainesupport@bedford.gov.uk.

Once you have found somewhere to live this welcome pack for Ukrainians arriving in the UK covers what you need to know in your first few days, getting used to life in the UK including how to access healthcare, childcare, education services, and how to find work.

See also this information leaflet from British Red Cross which explains your rights and gives information on services you can access.

More help and support is available from:

Information for Bedford Borough residents wanting to become a host/sponsor

The Homes for Ukraine programme enables UK residents to volunteer accommodation for Ukrainian refugees. If you want to offer a home to people fleeing Ukraine, you can become a ‘sponsor’ as part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

To apply to be a sponsor you must be able to offer accommodation in a spare room or separate self-contained accommodation for a minimum of six months.

We will complete property and safeguarding checks on sponsors who have successfully sponsored a Ukrainian after their visa application has been made.

If you do not know a named Ukrainian you will only be able to record your interest in becoming a sponsor. The government will try to match you to a Ukrainian via charities and other organisations.

You can also contact charities directly who may be able to match you to an individual or family. Some charities that are doing this include:

Further guidance for sponsors:

If you already know a Ukrainian national (or immediate family member) who you want to sponsor, you can help them apply for a visa under the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme.

Help and support when you are hosting

You can email ukrainesupport@bedford.gov.uk or phone 01234 718008 for more information.

  • We will provide a school places for children of school age and we will be given extra funding so that it does not impact the school places of children currently in Bedford Borough.
  • We will provide advice and referrals to public health services where appropriate, such as mental health services, adult social care, and children’s services.
  • We will provide an interim support payment of £200 to your guest.
  • We will administer optional ‘thank you’ payments of £350 per month to sponsors.

We will publish information about these payments on this page as soon as we have more information available.

Become a Ukrainian Guest support volunteer

We are working with The Harpur Trust and PBIC to coordinate care and support for guests from Ukraine arriving in Bedford Borough.

Visit PBIC to find out about becoming a Ukrainian Guest support volunteer or email them at UGV@pbic.org.uk.

Translations and interpreters

Ukrainian to English language support – including translations of key documents needed for visa applications – is available from Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI).