your district council matters issue 25

• Christmas waste and recycling dates

• Just Bin It - new litter campaign

• Win a meal for two

• What's on guide

Your District Council

Mattersinsid

e:

issue 25 autumn 2011

Council gardeners are top of the plots - page 3

Welcome......to the latest edition ofYour District Council Matters.

It’s clear that the impact ofreductions in public serviceexpenditure will continue andpublic services will look verydifferent in a few years time.

Public sector partners withinthe district, including citycouncil, county council, police,health, fire and education, arecontinuing to work together, andto manage the impact of the cutsto ensure our district is wellplaced for the future.

Between us we providemillions of pounds worth of localservices, from emptying bins toproviding hospitals, educatingour children to policing ourstreets. The issues facing thisdistrict can be best addressed byworking together.

We are currently undertaking around of meetings with localpeople and organisations toshare the realities we all face anddiscuss options andopportunities. We will worktogether to ensure the publicservices available in the futureare those most important to localpeople.

What can you do to supportyour community? The role localpeople can play in shaping andsupporting their communitieshas never been more important.

To find out more about howyou can do your bit or to shareyour views and ideas about theservices that matter most [email protected] contact Jennifer Milligan,Town Hall, Dalton Square,Lancaster, LA1 1PJ.

On the front cover:• This month’s front cover shows this year’sentry to the RHS Tatton Flower Show, whichachieved a silver gilt.

If you would like a large print oraudio version of Your District CouncilMatters please call 01524 582041 oremail [email protected]

THiS year Remembrance Sunday fallson November 13 and a number ofservices have been arranged in theLancaster district.

Remembrance Day Serviceswill take place as follows:

LancasterGarden of Remembrance, Town HallLancaster commencing at 10.20am,to be followed by a service in thePriory Church at 11.30am. There willbe a parade and March Past leavingthe Priory Church at approximately12.25pm ending at Lancaster TownHall.

MorecambeCenotaph, Marine Road – Processionwill form up at The Platform atapproximately 10.20am for a Serviceat the Cenotaph at 10.55am.

CarnforthParade will leave the Carnforth TownCouncil offices at 10.35am for aservice and wreath laying ceremonyat the Cenotaph.

To help people to pay their respects,Lancaster City Council has suspended

Remembrance Sundayparking charges on the car parks atthe Bay Arena in Morecambe andNelson Street in Lancaster on SundayNovember 13.

For further information about theservices or to express an interest inlaying a wreath please contactthe Mayor’s Office, Town Hall,Lancaster, LA1 1PJ,telephone (01524) 582070or email [email protected].

Contact usYou can contact Lancaster CityCouncil for information by:

Telephone: 01524 582000.

Email:[email protected]

Website: www.lancaster.gov.uk

Post: Lancaster City Council,Town Hall, Dalton Square,Lancaster, LA1 1PJ.

In person: At one of the customerservice centres at Lancaster andMorecambe town halls between9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.

DON’T forget that there will be changes to the days on which your refuse and recycling will be collected overthe Christmas period. Details are on your collections calendar, or we’ve outlined them below for you.

Christmas refuse and recycling collections

LANCASTeR City Council is encouraging us all to show howproud we are of our district by cleaning up our patch andputting litter where it belongs - in the bin!

The council's district wide ‘Just Bin it’ campaign waslaunched in July with a mountainous display of all thecarelessly discarded rubbish from the centres of Morecambeand Lancaster following a busy weekend.

The aim of the campaign is to encourage us all to beproud of where we live and play our part in making thedistrict a cleaner place by disposing of litter properly.

With more than 1,200 all purpose litter bins availableacross the district in which to discard your gum, crisppackets, cigarettes and dog waste, there's no excuse and thecampaign message is clear “Litter is everyone’s problem –just bin it!”

At a series of town centre roadshows, the team have alsobeen offering advice and top tips and information on how itcan support community litter picks. it is also working withschools and colleges to highlight the problems caused bylitter to encourage the next generation to put litter where itbelongs.

information on the campaign, and how you can do yourbit, is available at www.lancaster.gov.uk/binit and you canalso follow the success of the campaign and get involved byliking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter@Lancastercc

Council gardeners pick up another medal atthe RHS Tatton Flower ShowLANCASTeR City Council has dug up yet another medal atthe RHS Tatton Flower show.

This year's entry picked up a silver gilt in the NationalFlowerbed Competition.

And, for the first time, local people got to see thewonderful display up close for themselves when it wasrecreated in Morecambe this summer.

This year's entry was entitled 'Flutter by' and featured twobutterflies on a raised flower bed emerging from a meadowof bedding plants and shrubs which attract butterflies intothe garden.

it was inspired by the edwardian Palm House atWilliamson Park, which now houses some of the world'smost beautiful species of butterfly and is one of the park'smost popular attractions.

The display showcases the district to the thousands ofpeople who attended the flower show, as well as adding anextra splash of colour and vibrancy for visitors to thepromenade gardens.

Litter campaign

Normal Collection Day Will be picked up onMonday Tuesday December 27Tuesday Wednesday December 28Wednesday Thursday December 29Thursday Friday December 30Friday Saturday December 31

Week commencing December 26

Normal Collection Day Will be picked up onMonday Tuesday January 3Tuesday Wednesday January 4Wednesday Thursday January 5Thursday Friday January 6Friday Saturday January 7

Week commencing January 2

Christmas trees can be recycled at Keer Bridge or SaltAyre Household Waste Recycling Centres, or can be cutdown to fit into your green garden bin.

Alternatively, St John’s Hospice will once again becollecting and recycling Christmas trees during theweekend of January 7 and 8, in exchange for a donationof £5 to the charity.

Collections must be booked in advance. For moreinformation visit www.sjhospice.org.uk or telephone01524 382538.

LANCASTeR City Council andAdactus Housing Association areworking in partnership toregenerate and improve some ofthe housing stock within the Westend of Morecambe. Considerableprogress has been made inbringing forward new housingopportunities within the area,which includes affordable housingfor outright sale and sharedownership.

Shared ownership provides anopportunity to help people intohome ownership who cannotafford to buy a home outright.Through this scheme, you can buya share of the property and payrent on the remaining share, andyou can buy further shares if youwant to.

The share you buy is usuallyfunded by a mortgage through abank or building society. Sharedownership is normally availableto first time buyers, people whoare in employment whosehousehold income doesn’texceed £60,000 and who have alocal connection.

Properties include large familyhousing, live/work units and oneand two bedroom apartments,which have been refurbished to ahigh standard, have modernkitchens and bathrooms, includegas central heating and doubleglazing and are close toamenities.

Morecambe’s West End is changing–are you ready to make the change?

For details on the full portfolio ofproperties, please call NicolaJohnson, the Property SalesCo-ordinator for AdactusHousing Association:

Tel. 01942 608715Mobile 07793 186802Or email Nicola.johnson@

adactushousing.co.uk

Cavendish Road3 bed terraced house (Live/Work unit)

Cavendish Road3 bed Terrace House

25 West End RoadApartments

Housing options serviceLANCASTeR City Council is offering a newservice called Housing Options to provideadvice and help to people in need of ahome.

Demand for affordable accommodationhas never been higher and the aim of theservice is to bring together a range ofdifferent options for people to explore.

These include private rentedaccommodation, access to the rentdeposit guarantee scheme, liaison withprivate sector landlords, resettlementand housing support, mediation servicesand access to affordable housingproducts.

A key aim of the service is to preventhomelessness wherever possible. To dothat it needs to know as soon as aproblem occurs.The earlier the councilknows that you have a problem, the moreit can do to help.

For more information visit thecustomer service centres at Lancaster andMorecambe Town Halls,telephone 01524 582257 or [email protected]

Another key part of the HousingOptions service is ideal Choice Homes,the new way in which council homes willbe allocated.

Launching on October 19, the aim is togive greater choice when choosingrented accommodation.

The scheme will include councilaccommodation, rented accommodationfrom registered providers of socialhousing (housing associations), privaterented accommodation and sharedownership properties.

Vacancies will be advertised on thewebsite www.idealchoicehomes.co.ukand in a weekly newsletter available atLancaster and Morecambe town halls.

Applicants can express an interest inany property for which they are eligible.

There are a number of ways to expressyour interest: online, by text, bytelephone, or by using the touch screenPCs in the customer service centres atLancaster and Morecambe town halls.

Properties will be allocated to theperson in the greatest housing need outof all those who have expressed aninterest in the property.

To find out more visitwww.lancaster.gov.uk/idealchoicehomes,contact us on 01524 582005, or [email protected]

Tell Us OnceWHeN someone dies, it can be a stressful and upsetting time.As well as coping with the emotional distress that a deathmay bring, you will need to notify a number of differentgovernment departments and organisations.

These could include council housing departments, adultservices, income support, libraries, driver and vehiclelicensing agencies and passport services.

in the Lancaster district, a new service called Tell Us Oncewill help to reduce the amount of time you need to spendcontacting government departments and organisations.Tell Us Once and we’ll do the rest.

How does it work?When you make your appointment to register the death atthe local Register Office, the Tell Us Once service will beexplained to you.

if you choose to take part, the Registrar will set up thedeceased’s details on a national database.

Once the details have been entered on to the database, afull Tell Us Once interview can be arranged. This can be doneeither face-to-face at the customer service centres atLancaster and Morecambe town halls, or via the telephone ata later date, to determine which agencies need to be notified.

The information you give will be treated securely andconfidentially. The organisations who are contacted will usethe information to update records; to end services, benefitsand credits as appropriate; and to resolve any outstandingissues. They may use this information in other ways, but onlyas the law allows.

For more information visit www.lancaster.gov.uk/once orpick up a leaflet from customer service centres and locallibraries.

House to housecollections policyBOGUS house-to-house charity clothing collectors are beinggiven their marching orders by Lancaster City Council.

The council has brought in a new policy to further regulatecollectors operating in the Lancaster district in light of a flurryof applications for licences from private companies.

Many of these donate only a small percentage of theirproceeds to charity, misleading householders who makedonations in the belief that the proceeds are going to charity.

The new policy will mean operators applying for acollections licence will have to donate at least 85% of theirproceeds - allowing for a small element to coveradministrative costs - directly to charity.

Collections will also be limited to prevent more than twocompanies operating within the district at any one time.

All genuine house to house collectors are licensed and youcan contact the council on 01524 582033 to check them out.

Home ImprovementAgencyARE you over 60 and living inyour own home?if you and all the members of your household areaged over 60 you are entitled to free support fromour Home improvement Agency.

Maybe your home is in need of some repair andmaintenance? Our qualified staff will come anddiscuss the work needed, provide a list of SafeTrader registered contractors, help you getestimates, and we’ll even supervise the works ifyou want us to.

Our service aims to bring peace of mind toresidents, enabling them to remain comfortableand independent in their own homes for as longas possible.

We also provide a Handyperson service to dosmall jobs around the home for you and, if you arestruggling to afford the repairs you need, we canhelp you find ways to raise finance, includingchecking that you are receiving all the benefitsyou are entitled to.

The service is also available for disabledresidents.

For further advice or to arrange a free home visitcontact us on 01524 582257 or [email protected]

We need your views to help shape thefuture of Morecambe’s Festival Market.

Based on Central Drive, the FestivalMarket in Morecambe is a traditionalcovered market with over 100 stallsand shops and two welcoming cafesto choose from.

events take place throughout theyear, including a fun Halloweenweekend on Saturday 29 and Sunday30 October and a Santa’s Grotto onSundays throughout December on therun up to Christmas.

To help us develop the marketfurther, we’re asking for your views sowe can better identify and respond tothe changing needs and expectationsof our customers.

To give us your thoughts pleasecomplete the adjacent questionnaire.All the surveys will be entered into aprize draw to win a two course mealfor two people at NiCe restaurant atthe Storey Creative industries Centrein Lancaster.

Send your completed entry to:Communications, Lancaster Town Hall,Dalton Square, Lancaster, LA1 1PJby 30 November 2011. You can handyour completed questionnaire intoLancaster or Morecambe Town Halland it can also be completed online byvisitingwww.lancaster.gov.uk/festivalmarket

Please tick the box to the following questions:

1. How often do you visit the Festival Market?

Weekly Monthly Rarely Never

� � � �2. Do you think the market is easy to find and well signposted?

Yes� No�3. How do you travel to the market?

Car On foot Bus Bike Train

� � � � �

4. What do you think of the selection of stalls?

excellent Good Satisfactory Poor

� � � �5. Do you think the market offers value for money?


� � � �7. What is your overall impression of the market?


� � � �Do you have any ideas on how the market could be improved?

9. Are there any products or services that you would expect to find in themarket that are not presently there

10. Which of the following would encourage you to shop at the market?

events Promotional offers/discounts Free parking

� � �New stalls Greater choice of products improved access

� � �

Other

if you would like to enter the prize draw please enter your details below.if you do not want to be entered into the prize draw, please enter your postcodeonly. This information will be used for evaluation purposes only and will not bedisclosed to any third parties.

Name:

Address

Post code Telephone number

if you would be interested in taking partin further consultation on the market please tick this box �

Trade youropinions on theFestival Market

At the time of going to press, adecision was due to be made onthe future of Lancaster IndoorMarket. To find out more visitwww.lancaster.gov.uk/marketsfor the latest news.

�

win a meal

for two at

Square set fortransformationLANCASTeR’S public spaces are avital aspect of city life. However it isrecognised that few of the publicspaces are of such a quality that theyneed to be improved if we wantpeople to linger and use them asplaces for rest, recreation and socialinteraction.

Through a long term project calledLancaster Square Routes the councilaims to rejuvenate the importanthistorical city centre of Lancaster,strengthening its position as a qualitydestination for both visitors andresidents of the district.

During 2009/10 a series of detaileddesign visions were produced toshow how key spaces and routes inthe city centre could be transformedto connect the retail and commercialheart with the more cultural offeringstowards the castle and quay.Following extensive consultation,these visions were endorsed by thecouncil’s cabinet. They includedetailed designs for Market Square,Sun Square, FFrances Passage andHorseshoe Corner amongst others.

A first phase of works to MarketSquare is planned for this autumn,commencing early October throughto mid-November. This will includeremoval of the fountain, partialresurfacing, improved lighting andrationalisation of street furniture.Further proposals will be broughtforward over time to make more andbetter use of the square during theday and into the evening. The overallvision for the square is to make itfunction as the civic heart of the city –a place to trade, gather, meet andcelebrate.

Resurfacing, new drainage worksand improved lighting are alsoplanned for FFrances Passage early in2012.

For more information about theforthcoming works and thebackground to the project, pleasevisit www.lancaster.gov.uk/squareroutes orpick up a copy of the latest LancasterSquare Routes newsletter fromCustomer Services at Lancaster orMorecambe Town Hall.

Shape yourFutureMANY of you responded to oursummer consultation on futureplanning policies for the district.Your feedback has provided uswith important information on thefuture direction of growth andinformation on the sites that youbelieve should be safeguarded andprotected from development. Afull report listing the commentsthat we have received will beavailable to view on our websiteshortly www.lancaster.gov.uk/ldf

We are currently workingthrough the comments receivedand undertaking more detailedassessments of potentialdevelopment sites and futureplanning policies. Using thisinformation we hope to publish apreferred options document forconsultation in early 2012.

To keep up to date with all ofthis work please register on ourwebsite at www.lancaster.gov.uk/ldfor join our facebook pages bysearching for ‘Shaping a Better Futurefor Lancaster District’ and ‘MorecambeArea Action Plan’.

Morecambe AreaAction PlaniN spring of this year we asked for yourcomments on a report summarising thekey issues concerning centralMorecambe, and explaining how thecouncil thinks the action plan couldaddress these issues. We have spent thesummer months considering thecomments and ideas put forward, andworking to identify opportunities thatcould make a positive and lastingcontribution to the regeneration of thetown.

A document containing outlineoptions and proposals for the future ofcentral Morecambe will be available tocomment on in late October.

This will be the first opportunity toconsider specific proposals for the areaso we urge everyone to get involved.There are a number of ways you canview the document and have your say.Visit www.lancaster.gov.uk/ morecambeaapfor more information.

Lancaster Music FestivalTHe third Lancaster Music Festival takes place from Friday October 14 to SundayOctober 16.

More than 20 venues across the city are set to host performances and almost allthe acts are free. Tickets for the bigger acts and events can be purchased at thevenues, via the festival website (www.lancastermusicfestival.com) or at the visitorinformation centres in Lancaster and Morecambe.

This year will see more than 200 performances from local, national andinternational acts ranging from classical to punk, electronica to blue grass, andeverything else.

We have a music city to be proud of and the festival aims to celebrate this for oneweekend of the year and draw attention to the venues and organisations thatsupport it.

Alongside the music there will be ale trails, beer festivals, Lancaster musicaltreasure trails and Lancaster’s first food festival courtesy of LeSS.

Ashton Hall OrganWHeN the Ashton Hall organ was installed in 1909 by the generosity of LordAshton it was a case of no expense spared.

This 'state of the art' instrument was one of the first to benefit from electricallyblown wind and its huge range of pipework makes it suitable for the playing of allkinds of music.

Organists throughout the UK love to be given the opportunity to come toLancaster and play it, but unfortunately it has gradually suffered from wear andtear and started to show its age.

in 2003 AHORP, the Ashton Hall Organ Restoration Project, was formed with DrColin Parsons as chairman. Fundraising has consisted of regular lunchtimeconcerts and singing events and two years ago composer Malcolm Archer wascommissioned to write a new suite of music.

The premiere of The Lancaster Suite was given in the Ashton Hall on July 13.The Suite consists of five sections:- Duchy Fanfare and March, Trough of Bowland

Pastorale, John O'Gaunt Gigue, Claire de Lune and Centenary Toccata.it is available to purchase from More Music, Marine Road Morecambe for £15,

with all profits going to the restoration project.Further fundraising events continue with lunchtime recitals in the Ashton Hall at

12.40pm on Thursdays in October and Wednesdays in November and a silentmovie evening with organ accompaniment on November 16.

For further information contact Jane Littlejohn, hon sec AHORP on 01524 840187

FireworksLancaster’s annual FireworksSpectacular will take place onSaturday November 5 and isshaping up to be bigger andbetter than ever before.

During the day there will be ahost of city centre eventsincluding themed walks, lanternmaking and storytelling.

As last year the castle andpriory precinct will be closed tothe public, but spectators willstill be able to watch the actionat close quarters from nearbyQuay Meadow.

Accessed from St George’sQuay, the area has been usedunofficially by people for manyyears to view the fireworks and isin the heart of the city’s historicquayside area, with an amazingbackdrop of Lancaster Castle andthe Priory Church.

it’s also just in front of the firingzone and will allow people to getas close as possible to enjoy theatmosphere as the fireworks arelaunched.

if you prefer, you can also viewthe fireworks at the other officialviewing areas at WilliamsonPark, Salt Ayre Sports Centreand Giant Axe field.

More details of the events willbe available nearer the time fromthe Visitor information Centres inLancaster and Morecambe andonline atwww.lancaster.gov.uk/fireworks.

October6-28: Two by Jim Cartwright – Dukes, £8 to £15.www.dukes-lancaster.org.7: Variety express – Platform, 2pm, £8.12: Dark History tour with costumed guide –Lancaster Castle, 7.30pm, £6. Suitable for 15+.14: Dizzy Hack and the Rhino Horns – Platform, 8pm,£10.14-23: Lancaster Literature Festival – various venues.Visit www.litfest.org for details.14-16: Lancaster Music Festival – various venues.Visit www.lancastermusicfestival.com for details.14-16: Lancaster District Slow Food MulticulturalFestival – various venues. Visit www.lessuk.org formore details.15: From the Jam – Platform, 8pm, £20.20: Chetham’s Symphony Orchestra – LancasterUniversity Great Hall, 7.30pm. www.liveatlica.org.22: Chris Farlowe and Norman Beaker Band -Platform, 7.30pm, £16.27: eddi Reader - Platform, 8pm, £20.27: Martin roscoe and Ulrich Gerhartz – LancasterUniversity Great Hall, 7.30pm. www.liveatlica.org28: The Very Selfish Crocodile – Platform, 2pm, £5/£6,family £20.29: The Johnny Cash Tribute Road Show - Platform,7.30pm, £16.50.29: Catwalks ‘Halloween Walks’ - Guided Walk aroundthe Historic City of Lancaster, 7.30pm, £4 adults and£1 children.31:Catwalks ‘Halloween Walks’ - Guided Walk aroundthe Historic City of Lancaster, 7.30pm, £4/£1.31: Halloween Tours – Lancaster Castle. Various times,£6/£5.

November3: earth Chroma Chamber ensemble – LancasterUniversity Great Hall, 7.30pm. www.liveatlica.org.5: Lancaster Fireworks Spectacular. For full detailsincluding daytime activities, visitwww.lancaster.gov.uk/fireworks5: Adrian edmondson and The Bad Shepherds -Platform, 8pm,£17.50. Suitable for age 14+ only.9: Dark History tour - Lancaster Castle, 7.30pm, £6.Suitable for age 15+ only.

9: A journey south with Chris Watson – LancasterUniversity Great Hall, 7pm. www.liveatlica.org.10: Amanda Roocroft and Joseph Middleton –Lancaster University Great Hall, 7.30pm.www.liveatlica.org.12: Remembrance Concert with Morecambe BrassBand - Platform, 7.30pm, £8/£5.15: Lloyd Cole – Platform, 8pm, 20.17: Glen Tilbrook - Platform, 8pm, £16.17: Ruth wall – Lancaster University Great Hall,7.30pm. www.liveatlica.org.18: Fish - Platform, 8pm, £17.50.19: One Night Of elvis - Platform, 7.30pm, £16.50.20: Morecambe and Heysham Canine Society DogShow – Platform, 9.30am.24: The Schubert ensemble – Lancaster UniversityGreat Hall, 7.30pm. www.liveatlica.org24: Christmas lights switch on - Market Square25: Chantel McGregor – Platform, 8pm, £10.25: November to January 7: The BFG, Dukes, £5-£16.50.26: The Big Chris Barber Band - Platform, 7.30pm, £17.26: Haffner Orchestra Concert – Lancaster UniversityGreat Hall, 7.30pm. www.liveatlica.org.27: The Promenade Concert Orchestra: Songs from thefilms - Platform, 3pm, £13/ £11/ £6.

December1: Sector 7 - Lancaster University Great Hall, 7.30pm.www.liveatlica.org.3: Chris Packham’s A Wildlife exposed - Platform,Marine Road Central, 7pm, £15/£10.10: Christmas Carol Concert – Ashton Hall., LancasterTown Hall For more details visitwww.ldcs-choral.org.uk10: Whole Lotta Led: Platform, 8pm, £13/£14.Suitable for 14+.12-16: Carol concerts – Ashton Memorial, WilliamsonPark.

13: A Christmas carol concert with the St LaurenceSingers – Platform, 7.30pm, £7.15,16 and 17: Deck the Hall, poetry, prose and musicfrom across the ages – Lancaster Castle, 7.30pm, £12.16: Morecambe Brass Band Association WinterShowcase - Platform, 7.30pm, £5.50/£1.17: Morecambe Band Christmas Concert - Platform,7.30pm, £8/ £5.20, 21, 26 and 27: Alladdin – Platform, 2.30pm,£7/6 £22 family.

January29: New Year Viennese Concert – Platform,£13/11/£6.

February15: The Owl Who’s Afraid of the Dark – Platform, 2pm,£6/£5 £20 family18: Gerry Cross the Mersey – Platform, 7.30pm,£16.50.24: Mike Harding – Platform, 7.30pm, £15.25: ULMS Big Swing – Platform, 7.30pm, £8/£6.

New PlatformbrochureTHe autumn/winter Platform brochure is outnow! To view it online visitwww.lancaster.gov.uk/platform, oralternatively pick up a copy from the VisitorInformation Centres in Morecambe or Lancaster,or Customer Service Centres at Lancaster andMorecambe town halls.

What’s On: October to February

www.lancaster.gov.uk/whatson

I want to… Go directly to…Find out about bins and recycling www.lancaster.gov.uk/bins

Apply for a job at the council /jobs

Find my nearest… /nearest

View/comment on planning applications /planning

Find Salt Ayre Sports Centre information /saltayre

Find council tax information /council-tax

Pay a council bill online /pay

Find a Morecambe Bay tide table /tide-table

Find what’s on at The Platform /platform

View all council festivals and events /whatson

Find my councillor /councillors

eACH month over 30,000 people visit our website to find information,report issues and apply for things. if you've never visited us online before,you might be surprised by how much you can do and how easy it is tofind what you want.

Visit www.lancaster.gov.uk and you will find links to all our popular pagesand online services. Alternatively, use the quick links below to go directlyto our most visited pages.

For example, our jobs page is at www.lancaster.gov.uk/jobs and our binsand recycling page is at www.lancaster.gov.uk/bins

FOLLOWiNG a meeting of its Cabinet in July2011 Lancaster City Council has now adoptedthe Lancaster Cultural Heritage Strategy as theframework for prioritising actions andinvestment in the district’s cultural heritageassets.

The strategy is a guide to investment in thedistrict's cultural heritage over the next 10years.

it is accompanied by an assessment of theeconomic impact that investment in ourheritage could achieve.

The main focus of the strategy is the city ofLancaster, its built heritage, the stories behindit and the way it is interpreted, especiallythrough the museums and other visitorattractions.

The strategy sets out a number of keyobjectives that all partners need to worktowards. These include managing Lancaster’sGeorgian buildings, improving the existingheritage offer and developing the castle as amust-see attraction, raising the profile ofLancaster and promoting it as a modernheritage city.

The strategy also recognises the value ofheritage to the identity of Morecambe,Carnforth and the district as a whole.The Lancaster Cultural Heritage Strategy andAction Plan is now available to download fromour website www.lancaster.gov.uk/cultural-heritage.

Lancaster CulturalHeritage Strategy

Save Time - Do it Online

LANCASTeR City Council is raisingawareness about Radon gas in the homeand needs your help.

Radon is a clear, odourless radioactive gaswhich escapes naturally from the groundinto the surrounding air. It can accumulateinside the home and if inhaled in sufficientconcentrations over a long time period,radon can damage lung tissue leading tolung cancer.

Due to its geology parts of the Lancasterdistrict are suspected of havingconcentrations of radon above the UKaverage.

The city council is looking for 100households to take part in a study into localvariation in radon levels across the district.each will receive a free and unobtrusive testkit for measuring radon gas over a threemonth period.

The results from the survey will beconfidential and no details of individual

properties will be passed on to thirdparties.

If you’re interested please [email protected] the words ‘Radon Kit’ in the subjectline, or telephone 01524 582935 and leaveyour name and address.

For more information on radon gas visitour website www.lancaster.gov.uk/radon.environmental Health officers are on handto advise if you would like practical adviceabout radon gas risks in the home.

Radon survey

Lancaster Slow Food FestivalFriday October 14 to Sunday October 16SLOW Food can also be fast food! Preparing a nutritious meal fromfresh local ingredients can be quick and easy. The Slow Food cookknows exactly where the produce has come from, who’s grown it,and who’s benefiting in the local economy.

Food festival programmeFriday October 14 Long Lazy Lunch in Lancaster Day.Local restaurants and cafes will do something special for the daye.g. free tasters, special ‘Slow Food’ meal deals or cookingdemonstrations. Why not take a lazy lunch break and take part?Saturday October 15Lancaster Charter Market stalls and some Music Festival venues willbe serving local food and FRee TASTeRS!Sunday October 16 Midday onwards – Multicultural FoodFestival. Sun Square and surrounding streets will be full of amazinghot and cold local food stalls and a cafe tent!Children’s activities will include the amazing ‘Taste Adventure’(FRee) and henna painting.

Why not come along and enjoy yourself!Funded by the Big Lottery Fund’s Local Food Programme.

Celebrating Far Eastern,European and local

Lancashire food!

KiDS TV channel CBeebies was in Morecambe earlier thisyear filming its ‘summer song’.

To the excitement of the town’s children and young atheart, presenters Alex and Sid travelled to Morecambe withtheir film crew.

They visited Happy Mount Park, the West end Gardens andthe beach, among other locations recommended by staff atLancaster City Council.

The film was shown between programmes at various timesthroughout the summer season, showcasing what the townhas to offer to millions of viewers.

Lancaster City Council works closely with film companiesto encourage them to the district by suggesting suitablelocations and securing relevant permissions.

Over the last 12 months TV programmes including Songsof Praise, Ade in Britain, Come Dine With Me, escape to theCountry, and Missing Millions have all been filmed onlocation in the district.

You can view the CBeebies video atwww.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies

Street PrideNOMiNATiONS from the public have helped to set thenew Street Pride programme for 2011/12.

Twenty areas around the district will benefit fromStreet Pride, which kicked off in July with King Street inCarnforth.

eleven nominations from the public have successfullyhelped to set the programme, with the remaindercoming from local councillors.

Street Pride is a series of deep cleans in which a hitsquad of city council workers moves into areas wherethere is a large amount of litter, dirt and overgrownvegetation to give them a thorough clean.

Six of the chosen areas will also benefit from an‘enhanced’ service and include more multi-agencywork, with Lancaster City Council, the police, LancashireCounty Council, the Probation Service and thevoluntary sector all playing a part.

More details on the scheme, including how toorganise a community litter pick and the streets whichare set to benefit from this year’s scheme, can be foundat www.lancaster.gov.uk/streetpride

CBeebies comes to town

Funding forYour EnvironmentalProjectsARe you planning a project to improveyour local environment and make alasting contribution to yourcommunity? Will it result in practicalenvironmental improvements, raiseawareness of environmental issues orpromote environmental events?

if so, you could be eligible for fundingthrough the Green Partnership Awards;a community partnership betweenLancaster City Council, LancashireCounty Council, and other key agencies.

The Green Partnership Awards (GPA)grants of around £500 forenvironmental projects includingconservation, waste reduction and artsdevelopment. These grants are availableto community organisations andgroups. Schools are also encouraged toapply.

For more information please visitwww.lancashire.gov.uk/environment/grantsand follow the link to theGreen Partnership Awards or call01772 531257.

THe Sustainability Partnership of Lancaster District recentlyheld the fantastically successful incredible edibles Awards.Around 150 people visited the Off the Ground Allotment sitein Lancaster to peruse local stalls and view the best foodgrowing projects in Lancaster district over 9 competitivecategories. The prize giving ceremony was enjoyed by all –winners included:

• Secondary Schools, HE & FE Institutions CarnforthHigh School

• Nurseries & Primary Schools Ryelands Primary School• Whole Allotment Site Shrewsbury Drive Allotments• Community Project Skerton Community Centre• Container Growing Bleasdale House• Private Garden John Macbeth• Individual Allotment Plot Chrissy Bailey, Ambleside

Road Allotments

Congratulations to those who took part!

For more information on the items above, please contactLancaster City Council’s Sustainability Team on 01524 582061 or [email protected]

The OnePlanet

Festival returnsTHe One Planet Festival, Lancaster’svery own eco festival is set to returnwith a week long series of events aimedat reducing the city’s carbon footprintand helping you to save money.

Running from 7-15 October 2011, atvenues throughout the district, thefestival includes environmentallythemed theatre and film events,‘Draughtbusting’ – a special eventwhere a team of commando insulationexperts will makeover a typicalLancaster house, sealing up all thedraughts in front of a live audience.

Find out if a Zero Carbon Britain ispossible, what Radical Gardening is, andtake the chance to invest in communityrenewable energy - the festival endswith the ‘Tour de Renewables’ – a bike(and minibus) tour of homes andcommunity buildings in the area usingrenewable energies.

The festival is organised by LeSS, anot-for-profit organisation whichpromotes sustainable living, withTransition City Lancaster and the DukesCinema. For more information seewww.lessuk.org/oneplanetfestival

The Incredible Edibles Awards

Local ClimateChange EventsTHe SustainabilityPartnership are organisinga number of events for the Autumn andWinter season

• Sunday, 9th October 2011Williamson ParkWonderful Woodlands – An eventexploring and appreciating our localwoodland environments

• October 2011Renewable Energies forYour HomeCome along to a public talk to findout how you could generate yourown electricity, or providerenewable heat for your home orsmall business

• December 2011Sustainable CelebrationsThe festive season is usually a timefor waste and expense but we canhelp you find ways to reducerubbish and your costs, whilsthelping the environment. Come andsee our stall in Lancaster for somegreat ideas

For full details seewww.lancaster.gov.uk/sustainability-partnership and follow the link to‘Sustainability Partnership Events’.

THRee of Morecambe’s parks andopen spaces have received GreenFlags, which reward standards ofexcellence in public green spaces.

Torrisholme Cemetery receives theaward for the 4th year running whilstMorecambe Cemetery together withMorecambe Parish Church wins theaward for the second year in a row.

Happy Mount Park has also receiveda Green Flag in recognition that it iswell-maintained and well-managed,with excellent facilities.

All three of the venues could not haveachieved the accolades without thehelp of the local community.

Volunteer groups have worked withthe city council to put into place newinitiatives and projects that would nototherwise have been possible.

if you’d like to learn more about howto get involved and volunteer withinthe community [email protected] orcontact Jennifer Milligan, Town Hall,Dalton Square, Lancaster, LA1 1PJ.

Face-to-Face Fundraising inLancaster City CentreCHARiTY fundraisers are to have new controls overwhere and when in Lancaster City Centre they can askpeople to make donations by direct debit.

Lancaster City Council has signed a SiteManagement Agreement with the Public FundraisingRegulatory Association (PFRA) to regulate direct debit‘face-to-face’ fundraising in Lancaster.

The agreement restricts fundraisers to two separatesites in the city centre between 9am and 6pm oncertain days of the week. Fundraisers will not bepermitted in the city on market days.

Up to five fundraisers will be allowed to operate inthe following areas at the following times:

• Market Street(Monday and Friday): Penny Street to Market Gateand the Museum to King Street/China Street.Market Square is not included in the area.

• Penny Street/Cheapside(Tuesday and Friday): Common Garden Street toJames Lane and Church Street to Market Street.Horseshoe Corner is not included in the area.

The agreement does not prevent charities from raisingmuch-needed funds – it balances their rights withthose of the public and puts into place a form ofcontrol over where and when they can and cannotfundraise in the city centre.

Anyone who believes fundraisers are breaking theagreement can email [email protected] ortelephone 01524 582033.

The details will be passed on to the PFRA who willact on the complaint.

Severe weatherARE you ready for winter?it might only be October but if this winter is anythinglike the last two then we can expect it to be a harsh one.The earlier you’re prepared the less likely you are to fallfoul of the conditions so make sure by taking a fewsimple precautions.

We’ve set up a page on our website –www.lancaster.gov.uk/severe-weather - with somehandy information on clearing your own property ofsnow and ice, links and tips on how best to prepare forwinter.

Most importantly, remember to take care when out andabout. Dress appropriately for the conditions withsensible footwear and, if you’re driving, allow extra timefor your journey.

Once winter hits we’ll be keeping our website up todate with information on any service disruptions such asdelays to waste and recycling collections, so keep an eyeout for the latest information.

Green Flags

Carols in Ashton MemorialLANCASTeR'S Williamson Park promisesto warm you up for Christmas withmulled wine, mince pies and carolswhen it hosts a programme of festiveconcerts at the Ashton Memorial fromDecember 12 to 16.

All concerts start at 7.30pm. For moreinformation or tickets, please contactWilliamson Park tel 01524 33318 orvisit www.lancaster.gov.uk/williamsonpark

Festival Market in Morecambe for abargain or two en route.

Step back in time at the AssemblyRooms market where you will find atreasure trove of vintage clothing,antiques and collectables, Americancomic books, pop memorabilia andcafé. Here you can also hire periodcostumes, ideal for those new yearfancy dress parties.

For those who are planning to get2012 off to a healthy start, the council’scommunity pools at Hornby, Carnforthand Heysham and Salt Ayre SportsCentre are also offering presents with adifference with six monthly swim passesand discount swimming books.

From providing free car parking for late night and Sunday shoppers, Santa’s Grottos, carol concerts and pantos,to offering an unusual array of gifts at many of its outlets, Lancaster City Council has Christmas all wrapped up.

Free parkingSHOPPeRs will be able to enjoy freeparking at selected times in Lancasterand Morecambe on the run up toChristmas.

On Sundays between November 27and December 18 there will be freeparking at all of Lancaster City Council’spay and display car parks in Lancasterand Morecambe.

There will also be free parking foranyone coming into Lancaster to enjoylate night Thursday shopping.

On Thursdays from November 24 untilDecember 22 all of the city council's carparks will be free to use after 6pm.

evening parking in Morecambe isalready free.

Unusual Christmas presentsLANCASTeR City Council’s museums,the Maritime Museum on St George’sQuay, City Museum in Market Squareand its visitor information centres (ViCs)at Lancaster and Morecambe have aselection of interesting and unusualChristmas gift ideas.

Popular items normally sold at theViCs are also available to buy online.Simply visitwww.citycoastcountryside.co.uk forspecialist local books, professional artprints, maps, novelties and souvenirs.

Don't forget to pop into Lancasterindoor Market and visit the bustlingCharter Market (found in the city centreWednesdays and Saturdays) and

Santa’s GrottoFATHeR Christmas will be visitingMorecambe’s Festival Market everySunday in December. Admission is £2per child including a gift. For moreinformation telephone the market on01524 414251.

Christmas at The PlatformTHeRe are plenty of celebrations to getyou into the festive spirit taking place inDecember at the Platform this year,including:

Tuesday December 13A Christmas Carol Concert with theSt Laurence Singers

Friday December 16Morecambe Brass Band AssociationChristmas Showcase

Saturday December 17Morecambe Band ChristmasConcert

Tuesday 20, Wednesday 22,Monday 26 and Tuesday 27Aladdin

For more information visitwww.lancaster.gov.uk/platform or call thebox office on 01524 582803.

Youth GamesTHe team representing Lancaster inthe international Youth Games havereturned with a total of 58 medals(15 gold, 17 silver and 26 bronze).

The games, which were held inAalborg, Denmark, from 2-7 August,saw more than 50 local youngstersaged between 13 and 15representing their clubs, schools,town and country at the games.

Representatives from most of thelocal high schools competed in amix of sports and the arts includingathletics, badminton, golf,swimming, table tennis, tennis,music and dance. Young peoplefrom the district’s special schoolstook part for the first time in a multisport event.

They competed againstyoungsters of a similar age from ourtwin and friendship towns Almere(Holland), Vaxjo (Sweden),Rendsburg (Germany) and Aalborg(Denmark). in total more than 1,000young people took part from 30countries including Russia, the USAand China.

HolidayactivityprogrammeHUNDReDS of children across thedistrict enjoyed a variety ofdifferent activities over thesummer holidays, thanks toLancaster City Council.

Over 120 different workshopsand activities offered childrenthe chance to take part inmountain biking, archery, buggydriving and mountain boarding,among a host of other activities.

A programme of holidayactivites will be also taking placeduring the October half termholidays (October 24 – 28).

For more information on what’scoming up visitwww.lancaster.gov.uk/holidayactivities

Take the plunge foryour district inLancashire’s BigSwim for 2012LOCAL residents are beingencouraged to swim for their districton Saturday 8 October 2011 asLancaster takes part in Lancashire’sBig Swim for 2012.

The Olympic themed challenge willsee all 14 districts of Lancashirecompete to swim 2012 lengths oftheir local swimming pool.

Prizes will be given for the districtthat completes the challenge in thefastest time and for the most localresidents taking part.

This year’s event is in preparation fora similar and larger competitiontaking place during the London 2012Olympic Games next year.

The Lancaster district event will takeplace in Salt Ayre Sports Centrebetween 1pm and 4pm on Saturday8 October and Lancaster City Councilis looking for local people to join inthe challenge.

Local groups and clubs can also takepart in the challenge and sign up todo a number of lengths as a team.Working together, it is hoped that theLancaster district will be successful inwinning a prize at this excitingcounty-wide challenge.

if you would like to take part as anindividual or as a team in Lancashire’sBig Swim for 2012, please visitwww.lancaster.gov.uk/bigswim andleave your details or call Stuart Gloveron 01524 582854. A full runningorder and further instructions will besent nearer the event.

Lancashire’s Big Swim is beingorganised locally by Lancaster CityCouncil and the county event isco-ordinated by the Lancashire 2012Sport Network.

The aim of the event is to increaseparticipation in swimming acrossLancashire whilst helping to raise theprofile of the 2012 Olympic andParalympic Games.

useful contact numbers Main contact details for keylocal services in the district

Lancaster City Council

Customer Services: 01524 582000

Domestic Waste and Street Cleaning:01524 582491

Homelessness andHousing Standards: 01524 582257

Elections: 01524 582905

Out-of-hours Emergencies: 01524 67099

Website: www.lancaster.gov.uk

Email: [email protected]

Lancashire County Council

LCC General Enquiries/Switchboard:0845 053 0000

Social Care: 0845 053 0009

Highways: 0845 053 0011

Registrars: 0845 053 0021

Welfare Rights: 0845 053 0013

Website: www.lancashire.gov.uk


EducationWhite Cross Education Centre

Telephone: 01524 60141


Website: www.lancashire.gov.uk

Lancaster and MorecambeCollege


Website: www.lmc.ac.uk

Lancaster University


Website: www.lancs.ac.uk

University of Cumbria(Lancaster campus)

Telephone: 01524 384384

Website: www.cumbria.ac.uk

Emergency servicesLancashire Police

Telephone: 0845 1 25 35 45.in an emergency always dial 999.Contact information for your localneighbourhood police team can be found atwww.lancashire.police.ukFollow us on Twitter @LancsPolice

Lancashire Fire andRescue Service

We can provide a free home firesafety check, fit smoke alarms ifneeded and give you advice onwhat to do in the event of fire.Call Freephone 0800 169 1125.

HealthNHS Direct: 0845 46 47 or www.nhs.uk

Stop smoking service: 01524 845145

Drug and alcohol service: 01524 834210

To access a dentist: 01253 306378

To find your nearest pharmacy:text ‘pharmacy’ to 64746

Voluntary sectorHelp Direct

Telephone: 0303 333 1111

Website: www.helpdirect.org.uk


Lancaster District CVS

Telephone: 01524 555900


Website: www.lancastercvs.org.uk

Published by Lancaster City Council.

your district council matters issue 25

Documents

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lancaster city council

lancaster townhall

thelancaster district

county council

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council gardeners

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