Residents receive crime prevention advice from Lichfield’s Community Safety Partnership

Dated 04.11.2022
Lichfield’s Community Safety Partnership held an event in the city’s Hallam Park Estate recently.

Community Safety Officer Yvonne James, PCSO Andrew Lovatt and Christine Gillion of Lichfield Crime Prevention Panel were on hand to offer crime prevention advice and reassurance to residents.

Some 25 residents visited and met with the officers on Saturday 29 October from 10am to 12noon.

Similar crime prevention advice events are taking place on;

• Saturday 21 November at Clifton Campville Village Hall from 10am to 12noon
• Sunday 22 November at Elford Village Hall from 9am to 12noon and at Streethay, near the primary school, from 1.30pm to 3pm
• Monday 7 December at Tesco Extra, Lichfield from 10am to 12noon
• Tuesday 8 December at Waitrose, Lichfield from 2pm to 4pm.

Yvonne James, Principal Community Safety Officer at Lichfield District Council, said: “Partnership and collaboration is essential to combat neighbourhood crime.

“At the event on Hallam Park Estate we were able to engage with many residents, hear their concerns and offer advice.

“In addition to the other scheduled events more are planned, details of which will be announced soon.”

Electric – diesel – petrol vans: Benefits and Drawbacks

If you’ve ever owned a van or driven one for work, you’ll know the vast majority on the road are diesel fuelled. Diesel vans are popular because they last considerably longer than petrol vans – often to the tune of 10 years.

The longevity of a diesel van is largely down to the way diesel lubricates the engine  – and the way diesels are manufactured to withstand much higher pressures. It’s estimated that around 97% of vans are powered by diesel in the UK.

Until recently, the only other option was a petrol-powered van – but they have failed to make any headway into this diesel-dominated van range.

Local used vehicle website:

https://www.vanstop.co.uk/. VANSTOP Burntwood has a large selection of stock and is highly recommended. Some vans available already have Highway Chapter 8 chevrons Including Flashing beacons Installed and Internal storage and racking fitted

Diesel: Benefits of a Diesel van

• Diesel vans are well established, with many options available. While diesel has had a bad press in recent times, the newer 6D engines offer a quieter ride with superb fuel economy.
• Better resale value, they keep their value well.
• Additionally, they boast the largest payloads available and there is a much larger selection of vehicles to choose from
• While these reasons make them a no-brainer for most commercial users, they are undeniably less environmentally friendly than some alternatives.
• Some diesel vans are subject to fees in certain urban areas – such as ultra-low emission zones.(Congestion Charges).
• The benefits of diesel vans are hard to ignore. Not only are they more fuel efficient than petrol vans, they also provide more torque (force for rotation) and are better suited to moving heavy loads and towing.
• There is a wider choice of used vehicles on the market

Drawbacks:

• There are issues with the dangerous gases that diesel engines emit, such as nitrogen dioxide (NOx).
• Another issue lies with a small device that’s fitted to the exhaust of all modern diesel vans – a diesel particulate filter (DPF). This is a small device that sits in the tailpipe and prevents harmful diesel particles from being released into the atmosphere. Very similar to a Catalyst Converter in a petrol vehicle.
• The costs to replace a van’s DPF can span from a few hundred to a few thousand pounds, which are very similar to a Catalyst Converter on a petrol vehicle.
• They can also be a little nosier than the Petrol engine range of vehicles
• Vehicle road tax to be paid
• Vehicle servicing may be expensive

Petrol

Petrol-powered vans have failed to make serious inroads into the van market. Nevertheless there are some options still available.

Top-selling new petrol vans include Ford’s Fiesta van, Transit Courier Transit Connect,: the Citroen Berlingo, Peugeot Partner and Vauxhall Combo (all based around the same platform). There’s also the VW Caddy van and the Fiat among others.

There are fewer petrol used vehicles on the market today, this is due to lack of demand.

Benefits: of a petrol van

• Benefits of petrol vans include lower CO2 emissions, and no issues with suffering a blocked DPFs -. But there can be problems with the petrol Catalyst Converters.
• Petrol-powered vehicles have come a long way over the past few years, with many getting closer to the torque and payload ratings of their diesel counterparts, which is good news for city-based drivers and those who don’t cover enough miles to justify a modern diesel.
• There are some exclusions from some fee-paying congestion charge zones. (Brand new vehicles only)
• Quieter engines noise compared to the Diesel engine range of vehicles

Drawbacks:

• Petrol vans don’t have as much torque as a diesel, which means they can feel quite sluggish when fully laden. The running costs are also much higher and turbocharged petrol engines are known to struggle to get anywhere near their official fuel economy As a result, they are not the most cost-effective option.
• For companies who cover short distances, they make a lot of financial sense with much lower running costs
• Some manufacturers have offered petrol vans in the past but have withdrawn them due to lack of demand.
• On the downside, they don’t hold their value well, partly because fewer people want them.
• Poorer fuel economy compared to the Diesel vehicles
• Vehicle road tax to be paid
• Servicing of the vehicle may be expensive

Electric:

Benefits : of an electric van

• The key advantage of electric vans is the fact they offer zero emissions and therefore benefit from no congestion charges within ultra-low emission congestion zones.
• Some vehicle battery packs in some vehicles protrude into the storage rear area reducing the load area of the vehicle, but clever redesigns mean this maybe no longer be the case of some new type of Electric vehicles
• Electric Vehicles are quieter – meaning a more pleasant experience for drivers and the general public.
• No vehicle road tax

Drawbacks:

• One of the drawbacks of buying an electric van is the cost. Even a relatively small one can cost over £20,000.
• Obviously, electric vans are not for everyone. Most vehicles have a range of around 80 miles on a full charge and this is very dependent on the weight in the back and how the vehicle is driven. However, if your daily mileage is less than 80 miles, an electric vehicle could make a lot of sense when it comes to choosing a cost-effective vehicle.
• Choice is somewhat limited, but manufacturers are planning a number of new models in the coming years
• Additionally, early types of electric vehicles may find their chosen electric van has become obsolete as newer models with better range and faster charging batteries become available.
• Electric vans are a relatively a new option, BUT battery longevity is something of an unknown. Rumours are that replacement batteries are very expensive.
• The biggest hurdle for electric vans is their cost: they are expensive – and they DO-NOT hold their resale value, due to the unknown factors as above.
• Installation cost of the recharging station
• The location of the recharging station and the length of charging cable to reach the vehicle from the recharging station
• Downtime of the vehicle due to the recharging process of the vehicle
• Servicing costs of the vehicle may be expensive due to the electrical components

SHENSTONE PARISH COUNCIL INVITATION TO TENDER.
GROUNDS MAINTENANCE CONTRACT, ST JOHNS UPPER AND LOWER CEMETERY, SHENSTONE.

As part of its commitment to ensure the best level of service and price for our residents, Shenstone Parish Council is seeking expressions of interest from contractors with the resources, skills and experience to deliver a multiyear grounds maintenance contract.

Following receipt of expressions of interest the Parish Council will seek tenders for the grounds maintenance work required at St John’s Upper and Lower Cemetery in Shenstone.

If you are a Contractor interested in submitting a tender, please register your interest with the Parish Clerk by emailing admin@shenstonepc.pcwpreview.co.uk by Mon 24^th Oct 2022.

You will then receive a full specification document upon which your tender should be based.

Remembrance Sunday 2022

The Parish Council are seeking assistance with marshalling this important community event. 

If you can spare an hour on Sunday 13th November between10.15 am and 11.15 am, please contact Shirley in the Parish Office on 01543 481947 or via email  admin@shenstonepc.pcwpreview.co.uk, or by calling in. 

Thank You

Residents’ views sought on proposed Local Council Tax Support scheme

We are consulting now on a new Local Council Tax Support scheme aimed at helping more people of working age in the district who are living on low incomes.

The planned scheme, which would be introduced from next April, has been shaped by our officers so that it is focussed on people’s ability to pay.

Each applicant would be placed in an income band and their Council Tax support entitlement calculated accordingly.

The maximum council tax discount for non-vulnerable working age households is currently 80 per cent. Under the proposed scheme some households would get a 100 per cent discount based on their income.

There would be an exceptional hardship element to support those in need together with numerous other revisions to the existing scheme detailed in the consultation which is launched today.

These include:

• Disregarding Child Benefit
• The removal of the current banding restriction which limits Council Tax reduction to Band D level
• The removal of non-dependant deductions where an applicant has non-dependants living with them
• Protecting the disabled by disregarding Personal Independence payments or Disability Living Allowance and providing a further disregard of £85 per week where the applicant or partner is in receipt of the disability benefit
• Protecting carers by fully disregarding Carer’s Allowance.

Applicants receiving Income Support, Income Related Employment and Support Allowance and Income-Based Jobseeker’s Allowance would receive the full Band 1 discount. 

As well as providing more targeted support the scheme would be simpler, reduce administration costs and bring stability as recipients would receive fewer Council Tax demands during the year.

While some households with higher incomes may receive less support, it is anticipated the majority of applicants will receive the same or an increased level of support.

Lichfield District Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance and Commissioning, Councillor Rob Strachan, said: “ We had become aware that our existing Council Tax Support Scheme was not meeting the needs of our most vulnerable residents and in some cases, was actually creating a separate problem of increasing Council Tax arrears that they could never expect to address.

“After a review of the scheme, it became clear that its scope could be expanded to offer complete relief for those in the greatest need, with other income from benefits disregarded to ensure that people who need the support most, can get it and are not trapped into debt.

“This scheme focusses on the ability to pay, simplifies the applications process for claimants, and should help the Council to reach far more people than we had done previously.

“It is important that we now gather views, not just from other public bodies but most importantly from the residents and claimants themselves, to make sure that we are bringing forward the best possible scheme for Lichfield District.

“That is why we are asking people to participate in this engagement exercise that we have launched.”

Please give us your views through The Local Council Tax Support Scheme 2023/24 Consultation at https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/LICHFIELDCTRLIVE/ by 23.59 on Sunday 16 October 2022.

Hard copies of the consultation document are available at District Council House Reception in Frog Lane and we are offering help in completing the survey to people with disabilities.

ENDS

Andy Kerr

Interim Communications Officer

Lichfield District Council

Gravestones needing attention:

If you cannot access the information on this page please contact the parish Clerk, using this link

Staffordshire Police launches local policing with communities at its heart

Staffordshire Police has today launched its new local policing model for the county, which brings significant investment in the number of officers responding locally throughout Lichfield and Burntwood.

Designed to strengthen the force’s focus on local policing and partnerships, the new model sees emergency response officers operate from 10 local areas alongside neighbourhood officers and Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs).

Lichfield has a dedicated local policing team (LPT) with a dedicated Chief Inspector and Inspector. They are:

 Chief Inspector Paul Cooke

Inspector Karen Green.

Announced in February 2022 by the newly appointed Chief Constable, Chris Noble, the changes have been made to enable officers to respond quicker to emergencies; develop enhanced local knowledge in order to solve problems; have more time to investigate and provide a high-quality, consistent and caring service for victims of crime.

The changes also support the force’s policing priorities for the next 12-18 months and the commitments set out in the Police and Crime Plan published by Staffordshire Commissioner for Police, Fire & Rescue and Crime, Ben Adams.

The ten Local Policing Teams (LPTs) which will consolidate teams and increase the force’s three current response bases, are:

Leek
Hanley
Newcastle
Longton
Stafford
Burton
Codsall
Cannock
Lichfield
Tamworth
Chief Constable, Chris Noble, said: “I’m pleased we are now on day one of the new model. It’s been months of planning, analysis and consultation with colleagues and partners to build a model that will allow us to respond in the way the public want and need us to, also giving us more time to focus on the issues that matter most to local communities. The model has also received the backing of the Police and Crime Commissioner, who believes it will help deliver some of the commitments made in the county’s Police and Crime Plan.

“It is critical we are more closely embedded in, and visible to, local communities so we can work most effectively with the public and partners to solve issues and prevent crime and I am confident this approach to policing enables greater ability to deliver against these aims.”

As part of the new model, bespoke harm reduction hubs will operate in every local policing area, made up of dedicated problem-solvers who will tackle high demand, high risk crimes and anti-social behaviour through prevention, effective partnership working and early intervention.

There has also been investment in the force’s specialist crime teams and in securing more staff in the Force Contact and Control Centre. While the former supports teams who investigate the most serious and complex crime types, the investment in the Contact Centre will seek to improve call answering times and better resourcing of the digital channels used by the public to report crime, such as Facebook, Twitter and the force website.

Chris Noble added: “While we need to respond faster and more efficiently to emergencies, it’s important we look at and understand the changing nature of crime and the complex and sustained numbers of call we have to respond to on a daily basis. Our Contact and Control Centre is key to informing our daily operations and significant work is being undertaken in order to achieve an improved service for the public at first point of contact.”

Chief Inspector Paul Cooke, of the Lichfield Local Policing Team, said: “We’ve worked with communities, partners and colleagues across the force to design a model that will allow us to focus on the issues that matter the most to people in Lichfield, Burntwood and the surrounding areas, and respond in the way they need us to. This could be in emergency situations, working with partners to tackle the root causes of anti-social behaviour and criminality, or protecting the most vulnerable.

“Policing across the country is constantly changing and the demands we face today are not the same as those in previous years. Our previous model was introduced in 2018 and since then, crime has continued to become increasingly complex and the number of calls of service have remained consistently high.”

Shenstone Parish Council News Release 11.05.22

Shenstone Parish Council: admin@shenstonepc.pcwpreview.co.uk Tel: 01543 481 947

New web site for Shenstone and Stonnall residents launched.

www.heatingshenstonestonnall.co.uk

The site informs residents, community organisations and businesses about our zero carbon, affordable, community led Feasibility Study. The site provides project updates, how to get involved information, requests you submit an important questionnaire and responds to all questions about the project that are asked.

The Council has acknowledged it must play a part in providing responses to the climate emergency and how best to decarbonise heat. Shenstone Parish Council has received a grant from the government’s Rural Communities Energy Fund to undertake a Feasibility Study of viable, local renewable energy generation options in Shenstone and Stonnall.

The lead consultants appointed by the Parish Council are Bioregional and they have employed other specialists to determine, over the next few months, what a community heat network could look like. The Council and Bioregional have now set up a new Heating Shenstone and Stonnall web site found at www.heatingshenstonestonnall.co.uk Your initial questions about the Feasibility Study are very important and can be answered on the new web site. Information about your home and household is crucial to the project and can be submitted via the website. Work progress and public consultation dates will be provided via the website.

The Chair of Shenstone Parish Council David Salter stated that “The first Feasibility Study public consultation meeting will be in Shenstone on Monday June 20^th at 6.30pm Shenstone Village Hall and Stonnall on Tuesday June 21^st at 6.30pm Stonnall Community Centre and information about your household and heating submitted via the web site link www.heatingshenstonestonnall.co.uk will be vital to identifying future heating options”.

For further information about the study or to enquire about involvement, please contact David Thompson, Chair of the Parish Council Neighbourhood Planning and Property Committee at davidann.thompson@btopenworld.com telephone no. 07582 603003 or Shirley O’Mara, Parish Clerk at admin@shenstonepc.pcwpreview.co.uk telephone no. 01543 481947.

The Rural Community Energy Fund:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rural-community-energy-fund