• Heating oil security advice

    Norfolk Police have complied the following advice about preventing theft of heating oil:

    Heating oil security

    It is inevitable that some homes will be the victim of heating oil theft. We appeal for people to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the police. The following crime prevention advice is given for oil tank owners

    Keep your tank in a well overlooked position – this will ensure thieves are more likely to be seen

    If your tank is close to your house make sure that it can be seen from your windows – this coupled with lighting will make it less of a target

    Security lights can help deter potential thieves. Low level ‘dusk ‘til dawn’ lights positioned close to the tank should, in most cases, provide sufficient light to illuminate any suspicious activity.

    Enclosing your tank in a building which can be secured is better still. However it is important not to overlook the importance of ventilation; advice should be sought from your oil company.

    If you have a gate keep it closed and locked when you are out.

    Make sure your perimeter fence is in good condition and is not easy to climb. Consider the use of trellis on top of any rear fencing to increase height.

    Invest in a good quality lock. Close shackle padlocks are recommended as they offer better resistance to bolt croppers and other tools that thieves usually come equipped with.

    Check your oil gauges regularly to alert you to any potential thefts and help investigations by narrowing crime times down. Many tanks can be fitted with a gauge to monitor levels which can be read inside the house.

  • Change to mobile library dates

    Norfolk County Council have apologised for the late notification but have advised that the mobile library visit dates will be changing from 21 September 2017.

    The new timetable can be found here:

    Mobile Library Timetable

     

  • Breckland Older People’s Forum – 8 September 2017

    Our next meeting will be a Question Time Panel on the Future Care of Older People. We have a prestigious panel:
    Lorrayne Barrett, Director of Integrated Care (Adult Social Care, NCC);
    Antek Lejk, Chief Officer, North & South Clinical Commissioning Groups;
    Stephen James, Communities Manager, Breckland District Council;
    Paul Smyth, previous County Councillor with special interest in older people;
    Niki Park, Commissioning & Client Manager, Travel & Transport for NCC.
    Our chairman for the afternoon will be Graham Creelman, Chairman of the Norfolk Older People’s Strategic Partnership.
    We would like to have some questions for the panel ahead of the date to start us off but please come along with questions on the day as well. This is your chance to ask about how the health and social care system in Norfolk is changing for older people; how transport provision impacts on this and to find out how your district council is dealing with these changes in your community.
    Please bring a friend or colleague, invite an older person or client to come and have their say and listen to the answers. All are welcome.
    We will finish by 3.30 with Tea/Coffee and Cake.
  • Local Plan Infographic

    This infographic shows the stages of Local Plan Production:

    Local Plan Infographic

  • Breckland Older People’s Forum – 5 May 2017

    This meeting will concentrate on safety at the home. There will be three guest speakers, including the Norfolk Fire & Rescue Service Community Safety Advisor. Full details on the poster:

    older peoples forum may 2017

  • Speedwatch Appeal

    Community Speedwatch

    Great Ellingham is plagued by illegal speeding.

    Whilst the local police do their best, they are not the solution to this problem. We are and you could be.

    We are launching a Community Speedwatch group. We already have some volunteers but we need more.

    The police will provide us with the equipment and the training; all we need to do is to devote some time. The more of us there are, the more effect we will have upon this menace and the less it will impinge upon each volunteer’s time.

    So, call Tim Betts now (07500 104836) to register your interest. Thank you.

    Tim Betts

    Chairman, Great Ellingham Parish Council

  • Defibrillator News

    Life Saving Defibrillator in Great Ellingham

     The Public Access Defibrillator is located on the outside wall of the Methodist Chapel in Church Street. It was purchased thanks to the contributions of: British Heart Foundation; ChitChat Group and the Parish Council.

    Thank you also to the guardians of the Methodist Chapel for allowing us to affix it to the outside wall of their chapel and to Martin Gent (MGB Electrics) who worked out the intricacies of the public access cabinet.

    Using the defibrillator is very straightforward; not only are there instructions in the case but the defibrillator communicates with the user as he/she uses it. Do not be afraid, you won’t do anybody any harm by using it.

    The Parish Council will be arranging some CPR classes soon. Please check The Ellingham Pump and village Notice Boards for details.

    Thank you.

    Tim Betts,
    Chairman, Parish Council

  • Temporary Road Closure 23 – 27 January 2017

    A small section of Bow Street will be closed between 23 and 27 January 2017, to allow for a new water connection. Full details can be found here:

    Great Ellingham STRO608 PT

  • UK Power Networks Priority Service

    UK Power Networks (UKPN) delivers electricity to homes and businesses across the Breckland area – as well as London, the East, and South East of England.

    While the frequency of power cuts has been reduced by 42% since 2010, when they do occur they can be very worrying – especially to older people, people with chronic medical conditions or parents of very young children.

    The Priority Services Register enables UKPN to identify vulnerable people quickly in the event of a power cut and provide them with the help they need. This may include a priority number to call for help, updates during a power cut, tailored support such as home visits and hot meals, or even a free hotel overnight.

    The register is for people who may be vulnerable during a power cut. This includes (but is not limited to) people who: rely on medical equipment; have a disability; are blind or deaf; are elderly; or have children under 5 in the household.

    You can find out more about the free Priority Service Register at:

    http://www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/internet/en/power-cuts/priority-services-during-a-power-cut/

     

     

  • One number for Breckland

    Breckland Council is switching to one main customer contact number – 01362 656 870 – with new, simple touch-tone options to make it quicker and more convenient for customers to contact us.

    The changes are being introduced from today (12 December 2016), so from this date we will only be promoting ‘one number for Breckland’.

    By investing in touch-tone technology, the Council aims to not only improve its customer service, but also to work more efficiently by making better use of officer time and council resources.

    For the time-being, all other existing customer contact numbers (Eg: Housing or Council Tax) will continue to work, but will be phased out by 1 April 2017.

    Alison Webb, Executive Member for People and Information at Breckland Council, said:
    “When customers make contact with us, we want to make sure we’re doing everything we can to make their experience a positive one. Switching to one, easy-to-remember number with touch-tone dialling is a big step towards us achieving this aim.

    “By pressing three buttons or less, customer can get to the right person, information or service first-time and as quickly as possible. They will also be able to make simple, automated payments for things like Council Tax, or beat the queue at peak times by requesting a call-back.”

    Encouraging the use of automated payments for simple transactions, like Council Tax payments, means the Customer Contact Team will have more time to deal with complex enquiries, and supporting vulnerable residents who need extra help.

    By giving customers the choice to break out of the queues and leave a message (requesting a call-back) will also save them time, as well as reducing queue volumes and helping the Council to improve its performance.

Cookies For Comments Image