News items for Ingleby Barwick
Ingleby Barwick Enforcement Team
The photograph depicts the Ingleby Barwick Enforcement Team. Their contact details are :-
Enforcement Mobile Number 07970266660
07:30 a.m. to Midnight - 7 days a week
Security & Surveillance Centre 01642 528989
24 Hrs Message Taking/Radio Despatch
Email address - Enforcement.Admin@stockton.gov.uk
9 to 5 Monday to Friday
Temporary Footpath Closure
There will be a temporary footpath and cycleway closure of the unnamed footpath and cycleway north of the roundabout on Lamb Lane, Ingleby Barwick, from alongside Ingleby Barwick Nursing Home in a northern direction for a distance of about 140 metres to the footpath and cycleway south of Tesco. This temporary footpath closure is necessary in order for landscaping construction works to be carried out safely. Consequently there will be no access for pedestrians from Monday 12th January 2009 for 12 weeks.
Community Skips
These skips are for residents only. If you see a tradesman using the skip please take the registration number of the vehicle or the trade name and let me know as soon as possible.
The next skip date is not yet available
Splash Extension
A multi million pound extension to Splash in Stockton is due to start on Monday 10th November 2008. Parkinson Ltd has been appointed to complete the construction, during which time Splash will remain open.
Access between Church Road and the rear car park will not be available during the majority of the construction works and a section of the eastern part of the car park will be used as the site compound. The footpath alongside 16 Church Road will not be available as a through access but will be maintained as a fire exit from the building.
More details of the extension and the timeline for the work can be found on the council website
stockton.gov.uk/citizenservices/splashrefurb/
Stockton Council Access Point is OPEN FOR BUSINESS
The opening hours of the Access Point at Tesco in Ingleby Barwick have changed to make it easier for people to take-up this new and innovative service. Council staff are based at the supermarket every Friday, at the new time of 11am to 3pm, to help people with any questions they have about their Council and the services it offers.
Tesco shoppers can find out about Council Tax, benefits, Care For Your Area (which includes refuse collection, fly tipping and horticultural services) and school admissions. Customers with questions about other Council services are also encouraged to visit the stand where the advisors will endeavour to answer their query.
Plastic and cardboard recycling
The kerbside collection of plastics and cardboard begin in Stockton during October 2008. Introduction of the scheme is phased during the coming year. The collections will be part of the normal recycling collection process on your usual day. Details can be found at a new website called www.recycleforstockton.co.uk and also via road shows that the council is running in the next few months.
The road shows In Ingleby Barwick are as follows: -
18th November Tuesday 1:00pm - 4:00pm Tesco Supermarket, Myton Road, Ingleby Barwick
3rd December Wednesday 10:00am - 12:00pm Ingleby Barwick Library, Community Campus, Blair Avenue
Collapsing bank financial markets and bank account scams
Another twist to trying to get people to pass details of their bank accounts via supposed on-line connections to banks has been noted.
Playing on the fear some may have on the security of their savings and bank accounts in general, fraudsters - not the banks - are inviting people to help them ensure personal accounts are safe.
Watching, reading or listening to the news, at the moment, may make it difficult for the average person to understand how banks do operate, but, you are reminded they definitely do not operate via these e-mails. No matter how convincing these sound do not get taken in.
Romano Park Contractor Appointed
The Play Practice, from Stirling, has been chosen as the contractor to design and build Romano Park in Ingleby Barwick. Potential contractors gave presentations to residents, children, town and ward councillors and other interested people during September 2008. Detailed designs for Romano Park, the new play space, are now being drawn up.
Romano Park will be a landscaped park with play equipment for children of all ages from toddlers to teenagers. Earlier this year a group of children were invited to get involved in the design process for the park and they were invited along to see the presentations and evaluate them along with other members of the public.
The Town Council have also been working hard to secure funds for equipment for the 'Landscape for Play'
Once the detailed designs have been drawn up it is hoped that work will start on the park in January 2009 and it will be completed by the spring and ready to use in the summer of 2009.
£1 Billion Housing Package Announced
The government has recently announced new initiatives to help with the immediate difficulties in the housing market to help first time buyers get onto the housing ladder, homeowners in difficulty and to support the house-building industry.
HomeBuy Direct - Offering up to 10,000 first-time buyers the chance to get onto the property ladder through a new shared equity scheme. Buyers will be offered, on specific new build properties, an equity loan of up to 30% of market value co-funded by Government and the developer. The loan will be provided free of charge for the first five years. The eligibility criteria for applicants will be the same as those already in place for other HomeBuy products i.e. households earning less than £60,000 who could not afford to buy on the open market without assistance. We are waiting further details.
Stamp Duty Holiday - Starting from 3/9/08, for one-year, the lower stamp-duty threshold has been raised from £125,000 to £175,000.
Mortgage Rescue Scheme - By the end of the year the government is aiming to have a system in place for the most vulnerable homeowners to offer them one of three products: -
Shared equity to help those who have got into difficulty paying their mortgage. The Registered Social Landlord (RSL) will provide an equity loan enabling the mortgage payments to be reduced;
Shared ownership to help those with a bigger financial gap but still able to make monthly contributions. The RSL will buy a share, enabling the owner to pay off some of the mortgage.
Sale and rent back to help the most vulnerable on low incomes with little chance of sustaining a mortgage. The RSL will clear the secured debt completely and the applicant will pay rent to the RSL at a level they can afford.
Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) - Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) can be paid to people on Income Support, Pension Credit and income-based Jobseeker's Allowance if they are experiencing problems with the interest payments on their mortgage. The Government has announced reforms to the system to more accurately reflect the value of people's property and reduce the waiting time before help from SMI starts. As a temporary measure from April 2009, waiting time will be cut from 39 to 13 weeks for all new working age claims. The capital limit on loans upon which SMI is based will also be temporarily increased from £100,000 to £175,000. (Pensioners getting pension credit do not have to wait to get help with their mortgage interest payments).
Bringing forward £400 million nationally - to deliver up to 5,500 new social homes over the next eighteen months.
Regeneration - The government is working with Regional Development Agencies (RDA) to support the most critical regeneration schemes, which have the most potential to transform their communities
Support for those Working in the Building Sector - A clearing house is to be established to support those currently training in the house building sector who are at risk of redundancy, by matching them with new employers to complete the remainder of their apprenticeships.
What is Happening in Stockton - Stockton Council will continue to work with Registered Social Landlord partners and the Housing Corporation to bring forward new housing schemes in the Borough. Over £8.6 million has already been secured in the first year of the National Affordable Housing Programme 2008-11. The Council now has a dedicated Affordable Homeownership Team, which is working to increase the number of 'affordable homes for sale', and ensure that local people can access these. In April 2008 Stockton introduced an 'Affordable Home Ownership Register'. This enables new affordable homes for sale to be offered to local people who, without this assistance, would be unable to enter the housing market. For more information on housing matters go to www.stockton.gov.uk - Homes and Property.
New Mums Walking
Exercise sessions for mums wanting to get back in shape are being held across the Borough.
Mums and babies can head along to Fit 2 Push and Prambles sessions run by Stockton Council's Leisure and Sports Development Team where those taking part can exercise those troublesome areas and power walk. Don't worry about having to get childcare, bring your baby in the buggy!
Get power walking in the Prambles sessions held on Tuesdays at Ingleby Barwick from 11.30am until 12.30pm meeting at Barleyfield's Children's Centre on Lamb Lane.
If you can't make it on Tuesdays then you can head along to Preston Park from 11am until noon on Wednesdays, meeting in the main car park.
Two sessions are held at Preston Park on Fridays - the first from 10 - 11am and the second from 11am until noon.
For more information call Joanne Heron, Stockton Council's Health and Fitness Development Officer on (01642) 526697 or email Joanne.heron@stockton.gov.uk
New Noise Complaints Service
Stockton Council is launching a new Out of Hours Noise Complaints Service for residents across the Borough. The new service, launching on 1 August, will operate each Friday and Saturday evening between 10pm and 3am the following morning. Enforcement Officers will also be on hand every night between 6pm and midnight to deal with any noise complaints. At all other times on-call Environmental Health officers will provide cover to deal with emergency noise incidents. Anyone wanting to make a complaint about noise during these times can call (01642) 528034. This is manned at all times. The noise patrol service will be manned by Stockton Council's Environmental Health officers in partnership with the Neighbourhood Enforcement Service.
The normal daytime service remains unchanged and calls during normal office hours (8am to 6pm) can be made to (01642) 526575 or by email to environmental.health@stockton.gov.uk
Street Lighting
Once September is over, autumn will almost be with us again and the return of the dark nights! If you are aware of a street light near to you which is broken, why not report it to Stockton Council to make the environment safer for everyone. Your IBIS Councillors do report broken street lights as and when we notice them. Simply take a note of the light number, which is painted on the yellow patch on the front of the light column and also its location and report it to Stockton Council on 526769 or email the details to street.lighting@stockton.gov.uk
Reporting Anti-Social Behaviour
Reporting acts and details of anti-social behaviour can now be made directly to Stockton Borough Council's Anti-Social Behaviour Team (ASB) who will be on hand to deal with calls 9am to 5pm Monday to Thursday and 9am to 4:30pm on Fridays.
Calls can be made directly to (01642) 607943 to report an incident or for advice and support. Outside of office hours calls on this number about, or from, Tristar Homes tenants will be taken by Stockton Council's Security and Surveillance Centre.
Anyone ringing the ASB Team will be given a sympathetic ear and offered advice and support and the name of the person who can deal with their issue. Details of incidents will then be passed to the relevant section for action.
Crimes should still be reported to Cleveland Police on (01642) 326326 and, if serious and currently taking place, they should still be reported on 999.
Two Sure Start Children's Centres
These are now both operational, one at the Community Hall in Beckfields Village, and the other at Barley Fields Primary School. Thanks go to the governors and staff at Barley Fields and the Town Council and Community Hall Management Committee for their work on these new facilities. Please visit either centre to find out what time certain services are available.
Extra Youth Activities in Ingleby Barwick
Ingleby Barwick's young people now have an extra four hours of activities each week, including a new Thursday Youth Club session. The increase has come about after a survey of local children by council youth workers. Any 12-19-year-olds are welcome at the club, which is supervised by qualified youth workers and offers everything from pool to Wii gaming, table tennis to arts and crafts and cooking to cricket. The new equipment even includes DJ decks for members to use.
The Youth Club takes place at the Ingleby Barwick Community Hall on Haresfield Way on Tuesdays at 5.30-9.30pm, Thursdays at 7.30-9.30pm and Fridays at 6-8.45pm.
Football sessions, led by qualified coaches who are youth workers, also take place at All Saints School on Mondays at 8-9pm, Tuesdays at 6-7pm and Fridays at 6-7pm.
If all goes to plan, the new Youth Café could also be open within the next nine months.
Youth Cafe
We have been trying for a long time to get this much needed facility in Ingleby Barwick. Stockton Council Officers have identified three sites within Ingleby Barwick where it can be located. Consultation will take place over the Summer with the youth of IB to identify the best possible location. At long last somewhere for our older children to go.
All Saints School Humanities Status
All Saints CE School in Ingleby Barwick has been successful in gaining Specialist Humanities College status from September 2008. The new status will mean that the school will aim at improving literacy, forging community partnerships, increasing life long learning opportunities and supporting young people to take an active role in society. The English, RE and History departments will lead the Humanities College, but developments and improvements will be achieved right across the curriculum. The Government will invest additional funds of around half a million pounds over four years. This will help to create a Learning Resource Centre and pay for equipment, extra staff and support for work with other schools and the community.
Romano Park Progress
Funding is now in place. A contractor will be chosen during the autumn and the work starting on site after Christmas. Children living on Ingleby Barwick have helped design and choose the styles of play equipment for the park. It is hoped that the park will be operational before Spring 2009.
Under Building schools for the Future part of the land for the western side of Romano Park, behind All Saints School, could be used for any school playing field expansion. If this does turn out to be the case, it is hoped that alternative options within Ingleby Barwick could be found for use of the unused funding secured for Romano Park. It is hoped that another park could be provided as well. This is dependent upon the outcome of Building Schools for the Future. As soon as there is any progress I will let you know. Please contact Councillor Dixon if you have any questions on the Romano Park development.
Building Schools for the Future
Stockton Council intends to increase All Saints School by 300 places to 900 places under the above scheme. This is the planned total increase for Ingleby Barwick so many children may still have to travel to schools outside of Ingleby Barwick. Construction work may not take place until 2014. We are still discussing the plans with all parties involved in an attempt to secure more places on the All Saints site. Consultation will take place in the autumn on the above proposals. We will let you know when this is to take place so that you can give your views too.
Small Environmental Improvements
Stockton Council have once again distributed its Small Environmental Improvement Budget to Ward Councillors to spend on local issues in their Wards. This particular budget can be used to fund small projects such as bulb planting, litter and dog bin provision, small parking bays etc.
A small number of residents contacted Ward Councillors with suggestions. Once again, can I ask residents to have a think about the environment in your local area. Perhaps there is a small green near to you that could benefit from some spring bulbs, or a public owned area in need of an extra litter bin? If you would like to make any suggestions, please let me know.
Speed Indicator Devices (SID's)
You may have noticed four Speed Indicator Devices, known as SID's on three main roads (Blair Avenue, Lowfields Avenue and Beckfields Avenue) within our community. These devices have been acquired in response to the regular complaints about speeding traffic especially near school zones. As you are travelling around our community, you may have noticed these new large black devices, which are located on light columns at the side of the road. If you approach them exceeding the speed limit, they illuminate to remind drivers of the 30mph speed limit on the road. The device is a non-threatening way of encouraging drivers to observe the speed limit for the benefit of community safety and quality of life. We are trying to secure additional funding to place a further three SID's on main roads around our community.
Noise problems at Underpass
Some residents have raised concerns regarding disturbances from youths who are using the subway underpass on Ingleby Way to congregate in to the early hours of the morning at certain times. It appears this has being going on for some time and the residents in that particular area have suffered noise problems and other unruly behaviour. It is a concern that these youths are out in some instances till quite late and I would respectfully ask all parents to be aware where your children are particularly at such late times. The Community Wardens are going to pay specific attention to the underpass areas and I have also requested that the Police patrol this area more often. To date there has been some successful arrests in this area and more stop/checks are being carried out with youths being warned about their conduct. The Police intend to give this problem more attention so please ensure that YOUR child is not the one to be arrested for unacceptable behaviour.
School Transport ProblemsWe have received a number of complaints recently about the provision of school transport. Please make one of your IBIS Councillors aware of any problems you are experiencing. My contact details are available at the top right of this page. Most of the complaints have been about the service to Conyers and Egglescliffe schools. It has been confirmed that a safe walking route along Leven Bank would take at least 5 years to construct. Watch this space for updates.
Tesco expansionWhat are your views on this application? Please contact one of your IBIS Councillors to let us know your opinions. My contact details are available at the top right of this page. Currently there are a number of potential issues with the application not least those related to the existing traffic network in the area. Watch this space for updates.
MiBusI am really pleased to see the go ahead for the MIBus scheme which is an innovative new bus link connecting Stockton and Ingleby Barwick with Middlesbrough and the James Cook University Hospital. It provides a new bus service for Ingleby Barwick and the expanding Preston Farm Industrial estate, connecting people with job opportunities. It should also go someway to help alleviate traffic congestion in the future in Ingleby Barwick.
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