Missing Cat
If anyone is missing a black cat, or knows of anyone who had one, sadly it appears it was run over and it has been placed on the grass bank opposite Cherry Tree Rise.
DID YOU ENJOY THE PEACE & QUIET WHEN THE PLANES STOPPED FLYING?
HAS THE RETURN OF FLIGHTS DISTURBED YOU?
If so it’s important to raise
awareness to Luton Airport of
aircraft noise, pollution and the
Climate Change effect.
BUT WHAT CAN I DO?
100 complaints from 1 person is just not effective.
1 complaint from 100 people is!
If you feel you have been unreasonably disrupted by an
aircraft being off route, too loud, too low or disturbed your
sleep in the night or early morning
You can complain RESPONSIBLY by contacting Luton Airport:
Here’s what to do :
This map shows the flight path ALL aircraft must take :
Blue for Departures : Red for Arrivals
Follow these easy steps to make your complaint to Luton Airport:-
1. Download the App Flightradar24 to your phone or tablet to locate the flight details
2. Email the details of the Flight date & time, the reason for complaint with your name, postcode & phone number to: or
a. on their own tracking system “Travis” https://travisltn.topsonic.aero/
b. or google “Luton Travis” and follow instructions
Further details are available on the LADACAN website www.ladacan.org
In-person drop-in engagement event
Redrow Eastern, the owners of the land east of Gresley Way, are holding an in-person drop-in engagement event on Tuesday 14 September 2021 from 3.00 pm – 7.30 pm, for members of the public to view the proposed plans, speak to the developers and ask any questions relating to the development. This session is being held at the Chells Pavilion on Gresley Way. Do feel free to pop in between these times to view the plans.
Introduction to the Fitness Trail
FREE: Introduction to the Fitness Trail
WHERE: WSCC
HOW LONG: 30 minutes
WHEN: 10am Sunday 5th September
Neighbourhood Plan Event
SUNDAY 1 AUGUST 2021 – WSCC – 2.00-5.00 pm – UPDATE OF WALKERN NEIGHBOURHOOD
PLANWalkern Parish Council is in the process of updating its Neighbourhood Plan and we would like to invite residents of Walkern Parish to come along and have a look at the updated plan on Sunday 1 August 2021 between 2.00 pm and 5.00 pm at Walkern Sports & Community Centre. We will be inside and on the stage area, during the Something 2 Sing Choir event.
We look forward to seeing you and hearing your feedback.
A message from the Leader of East Herts Council
Councillors agreed the budget for 2021/2022 at a meeting of East Herts Council’s Full Council on Tuesday.
Managing our budget for the coming years is a challenge in the face of reducing income and increasing demands as a result of COVID-19. Like the vast majority of councils across the country, the pandemic has put a strain on our finances so we have to cut our cloth accordingly in order to protect our vital statutory services for residents and businesses.
The budget for 2021/22 takes into account the impact of the pandemic and changes in rules on the assets we can invest in, with a predicted £2.1 million shortfall of income and additional expenditure due to this. We will meet some of these from our financial reserves in the short term.
Continued financial uncertainty unfortunately means that we will need to raise the council tax rate in April. East Herts Band D Council Tax is set to go up by £5 a year to £179.09 from the new financial year starting on April 1 2021. The rise, which amounts to 10p a week, means that residents of Band D properties will pay £3.44 a week towards funding all services provided by East Herts Council.
We only get to keep 10p of every £1 of council tax collected with the majority going to Hertfordshire County Council along with the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire and the parish and town councils in East Herts.
We will be reviewing the services we provide and the way we provide them over the coming months. Our aim is to keep the services we offer broadly the same but the savings we need to make will mean some tough choices ahead. I will continue to update you on this as and when things come forward.
Food Waste Action Week
This week we launched a new campaign encouraging residents to think about the food they waste as part of the first ever Food Waste Action Week.
In East Herts, Food Waste Action Week kicks off a month of activity designed to help make wasting food a thing of the past.
Approximately 70% of the food waste from UK households that ends in the residual waste stream is edible. Not only is reducing food waste a good way to save money but it is also good for the environment.
Through our Facebook and Twitter accounts, we will share knowledge and inspire changes in the way people think about food waste with practical tips on how to drive down the amount of food wasted.
Stay at home. Protect the NHS. Save lives.
Cllr Linda Haysey, Leader of East Herts Council
GARDEN WASTE SERVICE
From 1 April residents will need to have signed up for East Herts Council’s chargeable garden waste service if they wish to continue receiving collections of their brown bin. Sign up now.
BUSINESS SUPPORT
Eligible businesses are now able to apply for the latest Additional Restrictions Grant. Find out more.
ELECTIONS 2021
On Thursday 6 May residents in East Herts will go to the polls to have their say on who represents them at Hertfordshire County Council and the Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner as well as several town by-elections. Find out more.
CENSUS 2021
The census is coming on Sunday 21 March. By filling in your census, you will help shape your community for the next 10 years. Find out more.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
PL ANNING APPLICATIONS
Lates News find out more.
Get Ready for the thaw
You may remember, the Beast from the East in 2018 ended with a rapid thaw, which caused widespread bursts on pipes at customer properties and on our network.
From Sunday, we are expecting a similar thaw after weeks of sub-zero temperatures.
What we’re doing to prepare
We are putting additional teams of our key workers on standby and have full stocks of water main fixtures and fittings at the ready to ensure we can respond to bursts quickly when they happen.
We have made sure our storage reservoirs are at full capacity to help keep supplies running during the rapid freeze and thaw.
Our network teams also have plans in place to adjust our network to divert water to where it’s needed in the event of an interruption to your supply.
Support for customers
We are also reminding customers that if someone they know needs help during a water supply incident, e.g. those with a medical condition, such as home dialysis then they can sign up to our Priority Services Register at www.affinitywater.co.uk/
How can you help
We have put this quick guide together to help you share this urgent message to the people you represent to get their homes and businesses ready for the thaw.
* Social Media – Share our social media messages using the templates below for your convenience and images
* Video – share our preparing for winter video
Key messages
Preparing for winter tips
- Insulate exposed water pipes in your loft and outside. You can use felt, pipe wrap or other insulating material and cover any outside pipe or fitting with a waterproof material
- If you have a cold water tank, make sure it is insulated.
- If you have an outside tap, insulate it too.
- Check that your external and internal stop taps are working so you will be able to turn off your water supply in an emergency.
- If it’s very cold outside leave central heating on a low setting overnight.
- If you are planning on leaving your home or business unattended for a long period, turn off the water supply at your stop tap.
- Consider leaving the heating on a low setting.
- Fix dripping taps – even a small trickle can lead to a frozen pipe.
Dealing with frozen pipes
If pipes do freeze, use the stop tap to turn off the water supply. Slowly thaw the pipe with a hairdryer or a towel soaked in hot water or a hot water bottle. Start thawing at the end nearest the tap. Never use a naked flame or blowtorch to thaw the pipe.
Dealing with burst pipes
Turn off your stop taps and make sure your central heating boiler or immersion heater is turned off. Leave an internal tap on to allow thawed water to escape and contact an approved plumber.
To find an approved plumber please visit: www.watersafe.org.uk
Sample Tweets and Facebook posts
Protect your home from the big thaw this weekend. Insulate exposed pipes that are at risk of freezing and thawing, which can lead to bursts n your home. Check out affinitywater.co.uk/
Prepare for the big thaw this Sunday! Leave your heating on at a low temperature to prevent your pipes from freezing then thawing, which can lead to burst pipes in your home. Check out affinitywater.co.uk/
Affinity Water offer additional services to households that require extra support or assistance during a supply interruption. Join their free Priority Services Register at www.affinitywater.co.uk/
Winter can be a challenging time, which is why local water provider Affinity Water is continuing to support those who have been affected financially by Coronavirus. Find out more at www.affinitywater.co.uk/
Star Count
A message from The countryside charity
A velvety black sky scattered with shining stars is a sight we should all have the opportunity to see. But too often, light pollution obscures our view of stars.
Just 3% of people in England experience ‘truly dark skies’, and 61% of us live in areas with severe light pollution.
That’s why we need your help to map the nation’s view of the stars, so we can better protect our dark skies in the countryside and our towns and cities.
By counting the number of stars you can see in the constellation of Orion this February, you’ll help us build a better picture of our view of the stars.
This year we’re asking everyone to take part in Star Count from home.
Want to take part? Sign up below.
Sign up for Star Count
Not sure how to take part? Here are our five simple steps for doing a Star Count from home.
1 – Find a good spot to do your Star Count. This could be your garden, balcony, doorstep or even bedroom window. You’ll need to be able to look south.
2 – Turn off all the lights in your home so it’s as dark as possible.
3 – Look south in the night sky (the way satellite dishes face)
4 – Let your eyes adjust to the dark – the longer you wait, the better. Count the number of stars you can see within the rectangle formed by the four corner stars.
5 – Head to our website to submit your count and help us map the nation’s view of the night sky.
Want to take part? Sign up by clicking the button below.
I’ll take part
Happy star-gazing!
Emma
Emma Marrington
Dark skies campaigner
PS: Please don’t travel to do a Star Count, and remember to stay safe and observe social distancing rules.
KEEP FIT IN THE OPEN AIR
We are moving forward with plans for a Fitness Trail at the WSCC field. This will have equipment that can be used by all members of the community, including the disabled.
During these really difficult times we want to help everyone to keep healthy, both physically and mentally.
WE NEED YOUR HELP TO APPLY FOR GRANTS!
If you are in favour of the Trail please email
and say YES.
Help spread the news and benefit the community.