Free Dog Chipping

dog-chipping

Free Dog Chipping

The Safer Colchester Partnership are offering free dog chipping in the Colchester Exhibition Unit which will be located at School Road Green Space, Monkwick, CO2 8NN on 26th may between 9:30am and 2pm.

Local wardens will either chip them then and there or, if it isn’t convenient, issue you with a voucher to be used at a later date (booking an appointment for a warden to visit). If your dog hasn’t been chipped it makes sense to follow well know dog trainer Cesar Millan’s advice, especially when the chipping is free:

I think it’s so much safer than other forms of identification. If your dog gets lost, he might lose his collar and tags; if your dog is stolen, the thief might remove his collar and tags. With a microchip, you can help people who find your dog find you and if someone else says it’s their dog, you can prove the dog is yours.
They make some neat stuff that works with your dog’s microchip, too. Like a pet door that recognizes your dog’s chip and lets him into the house (but not the raccoon that comes by later). The microchip won’t track your dog though. Your dog has to be taken somewhere to be scanned.

… not that we need to worry about too many racoons in Colchester.

As well as chipping, there will also be an ‘advice surgery’ on dog’s behaviour, so come along and talk about him if your terrier is a terror.

6th May 20158th December 2015

Colchester Events

Colchester Borough Council run numerous events throughout the year, some upcoming events are:

Bandstand Concerts in Castle Park

The concerts take place on Sunday afternoons (and the occasional Saturday) through the summer from May to September. Highlights areThe Band of the Parachute Regiment, The Colchester Band and Sweeting Swing Band.
Find out more here

Half term activities at Colchester Museums & Leisure World

Colchester Museums: live animal encounters, Roman food, puppets, kites and more!
Fine out more here

Leisure World Colchester: badminton, short tennis, swimming, arts, crafts, dance and more!
Find out more here

Celebrate the Moot Hall Organ restoration

Celebrate the restoration of the Moot Hall Organ with a mix of great events at firstsite and Colchester Town Hall. Meet the Organist, make your own organ pipe, join the Big Pipe Busk, Organs in the Archives and Organs in the Movies. Don’t miss the inaugural recital on 24 May! Find out more here

There are lots of great events taking place in Colchester – why not take a look at the Visit Colchester website

30th April 20148th December 2015

CBC Delivery of Black Bags

Black sacks In an earlier news update we advised that a roll of 52 black bags should be delivered to every household by the end of May. We have now heard that because CBC have been let down by their bag suppliers the dates are going back. Instead of deliveries in Winstred Hundred happening in w/c 6th May it will now be w/c 27th May. The date for complaining yours haven’t come goes back from 20th June to 11th July.

3rd April 20148th December 2015

CBC Update on recycling containers

Recycling Containers from 1 April 2014

From the 1^st April all garden waste sacks will be available to residents at a cost of £3.64. Free exchanges on worn out sacks will no longer be available.

This change will enable the Council to cover the cost of providing these containers as part of the service for those residents who choose to use the kerbside collection to recycle their garden waste. The Council’s garden waste sacks are specially designed and manufactured for us to safely collect this particular material.

All other recycling containers continue to be free of charge.

Where to get recycling containers

Free and paid-for containers can be collected or purchased from the network of stockists listed online at www.colchester.gov.uk/recyclingcontainers. These online listings are regularly updated, including for stock availability, so it is always best to check online first including how to pay.

Suppliers can be found in communities across the borough. Similarly, Community Zone team-led events, where the free recycling containers are available for collection, take place year-round. In the next few months we aim to expand these networks, working with partners. .

Residents requiring garden waste sacks without a nearby stockist can go online and arrange free home delivery, or alternatively email [email protected] or phone 01206 282700.

Green boxes – Free, collection from stockists
Clear bags – Free, collection of rolls from stockists plus one roll of 52 delivered in April – May
Food waste bins (small and large) – Free, collection from stockists
Food waste caddy liners – recommended retail price £1.00 per roll,- available from our network of retailers listed online
Garden waste sacks – £3.64, collection from stockists or pay for and order online for home delivery
Black bags – One free roll of 52 bags delivered in April – May. Further purchase from supermarkets and other retailers

23rd December 20118th December 2015

Recycling Centre Changes

Essex Council have asked us to let you know about changes to opening hours of their Recycling Centres for Household Waste. As of 9th January 2012 the following changes will commence:

All sites will open at 9am rather than the current 8am.
Winter opening times (from 9th January 2012– 29th February 2012) for all centres will be 9am to 4pm.
Summer opening times (1st March – 15th October) will be 9am to 5pm.
Late night opening on Tuesdays during a limited period over the summer will no longer take place.
Some recycling centres in the county will be closed on certain days of the week from the 9th January 2012 (including West Mersea – closed on Sunday, Wednesday & Thursday).

For further information on recycling centres or to find details about any specific centre either visit www.essex.gov.uk/recyclingcentres or contact 0845 603 7625.

24th August 20118th December 2015

Homefinder

homefinder_scheme Join Colchester Borough Council’s (CBC’s) Homefinder scheme today and you could secure a steady return on your property with no arrangement fee. CBC urgently need landlords for families waiting to be housed. Many of their customers want to rent in the private sector. This is a positive choice and CBC can help them, and you, sustain a positive tenancy.

Before CBC put any families forward for a private tenancy they check they are capable of sustaining a tenancy and make sure that this is the best option for them.

When you join Homefinder you can choose either:

a full property and tenancy management service which offers guaranteed rent, together with regular property checks and protection against tenant damage…. Call 01206 244700 OR
if you’d prefer to manage your property yourself, we can give you peace of mind with our free property checks and the first month’s rent and deposit paid directly to you…Call 01206 506513

Download the Homefinder leaflet by clicking here.

13th July 20118th December 2015

Colchester Customer Survey – be heard

cbc-survey-jul11 Colchester Borough Council has launched a Customer Service Survey to understand why residents access Council Services in the way that they do. From 11th July the Council begun to gather customer feedback to ensure it is providing the right services at the right location. Customers visiting the Customer Service Centre, High Street will be asked to take the opportunity to have their say, by participating in the survey and shaping the future delivery of Council services. The Customer Service Survey asks:

Why customers prefer to visit their office rather than use the phone or email and
Where they have travelled from and what mode of travel they use when they come into town to visit CBC.
Whether they would prefer to access Council Services within their local community from locations such as library or Parish Council premises.

Cllr Beverley Oxford, Portfolio Holder for Customers, said: “The Council is committed to providing excellent customer service to residents and the business community, and wants to future proof its services so that we can ensure we are providing customer service in a format and location that meets our customers changing needs. “Residents’ views are very important in helping us to shape the future of Council services. Complete our customer survey and communicate your priorities and needs to the Council.”

Customers can also complete the survey online at www.colchester.gov.uk/customersurvey until 2 September 2011. Following the 2 September we will collate and consider responses as part of the first stage of the Council’s customer services consultation.

12th April 20118th December 2015

Recycling and rubbish collections over upcoming Bank Holidays period

Lego Waste Cart Recycling and rubbish collections will take place one day later than usual over the Easter and early May Bank Holiday period, as in previous years.

From Good Friday 22 April until Saturday 8 May all recycling and rubbish will be collected the day after your usual collection day.

This also means that if your usual collection day is Thursday, you will receive a collection on the Royal Wedding Bank Holiday Friday. If your usual collection day is Friday, you will receive a collection on Saturday for three consecutive weeks.

Please remember to put your recycling and rubbish out by 7am on the morning of your collection day. All collections will return to your normal day from Monday 9 May.

Click here for more details about collections over this Bank Holidays period.

Click here to check the opening times of the recycling centres for household waste (the ‘tip’) over the Bank Holiday break.

2nd December 20108th December 2015

Refuse, gritting & other snowy updates

Waste & recycling collections

snow-ball The Parish Council have received the following update from Matthew Young, Head of Street Services at Colchester Borough Council:

We are carrying out refuse and recycling collections today and Paul English, the Street Care and Recycling Operations Manager, will inform you of our success rate at the end of the working day and we will ensure that the website and media are updated. Staff worked very hard yesterday and most collections were able to be made.

The weather forecast for the next few days shows little sign of improvement and therefore the same arrangements will apply where we will try to collect as much as we can using a variety of vehicles. We constantly review the situation and ensure as many collections as possible and Paul and his team will carry out a final review of the situation in the morning before crews are deployed. It is worth noting that collections are taking longer than normal in most areas but collection times may also be earlier as drivers choose the most suitable routes. It is therefore imperative that residents have their waste available for collection by 0700 and remain patient until 1600. We will not collect in the dark where conditions are much more hazardous.

I would also ask that any communication residents may wish to make is through our Customer Service Centre on 01206 282700 or [email protected] and not on direct lines. We greatly appreciate Members who do pass on emails to residents as communication is vital to service success. I would though point out that we will not be deviating from our normal schedule and therefore residents who do not receive a collection by 1600 are advised to simply retrieve and store their waste and recycling.

Gritting of roads and pavements

The gritting and salting of the highway network is the responsibility of Essex County Council. They have informed us that they will focus their gritting resources on keeping major roads clear. This includes all ‘A’ and ‘B’ roads, access routes for emergency services, rural link roads and major public transport routes. Therefore, estate or residential roads are not included whether they are on inclines or not. Colchester Borough Council will be keeping the pavements clear on the roads included in the memorandum of understanding and the list of the roads is on the CBC website linked here. If residents want to try and keep the paths clear in their roads then they need to follow the instructions we sent round yesterday to Members.

As you did earlier this year your assistance in this matter would be appreciated.

Thanks,

16th September 20108th December 2015

Your Colchester – Your Budget

your_colchester As balancing the budget becomes increasingly difficult, Colchester Borough Council needs to make some tough decisions that will impact on you as local residents.

Residents’ views are critical in helping the Council to shape the future of its services and Colchester Borough Council would like you to share your priorities with them. Simply tell them which services are most, and least, important to you.

Say what you think. Complete the quick questionnaire by visiting www.colchester.gov.uk/yourcolchester or share your ideas on Twitter at www.twitter.com/yourcolchester.

The questionnaire asks you to state the 3 most- and 3 least-important services to you from the folowing list:

Activity Centres
Arts and Culture
Benefits
Building Control
Business and Economic Development
Car Parks
CCTV
Cemetery and Crematorium
Community Support
Council Tax
Customer Service Centre
Housing and Homelessness
Licensing
Mayoral and Civic Duties
Museums and Heritage
Parks and Recreation
Planning
Planning and Transportation Policy
Regeneration
Sport and Leisure
Street Cleaning
Street Wardens
Support Services
Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour
Tourism
Waste and Recycling Collection

It also invites you to contribute any ideas you might have to save money or increase income.

The questionnaire will be available to complete until 4 October 2010. The Council will then collate and consider your responses as part of the first stage of its budget consultation.