News

KCC Libraries, Registration and Archives consultation

28 November 2018 0 Comments

Library imageLibraries, Registration and Archives Draft Strategy 2019-2022

Kent County Council

Opened 21 November 2018
Closes 29 January 2019

Introduction

The Libraries, Registration and Archives Service (LRA) run by Kent County Council (KCC) is a highly-valued community service. LRA’s wide range of services are delivered across Kent to anyone who lives, works, studies or visits Kent, and our services support everyone at important stages in their lives.

The communities and customers that LRA serves are changing and will continue to change over time. There are new challenges to face and opportunities to explore. The draft strategy sets out how KCC will continue to provide a sustainable libraries, registration and archives service to meet the needs and choices of their customers and communities.

Have your say

KCC want to hear your feedback on our draft strategy, which includes a proposal to tier libraries and review opening hours. No decision has been taken yet and your views are important in helping us to make a final decision.

The draft strategy is available to download from the ‘Documents’ section below. Please tell KCC your views by completing the online questionnaire via the link under ‘Respond’ below.

In the ‘Documents’ section below you will find the initial Equality Impact Assessments (EqIA) for the draft strategy and library tiering proposal for you to read and comment on via the consultation questionnaire.

Alternative Formats and Hard Copies

Easy Read and Accessible Word versions of the draft strategy and questionnaire are available from the ‘Documents’ section below. To request hard copies of any of the consultation documents, or for any other formats, please email: alternativeformats@kent.gov.uk or call: 03000 421553 (text relay service number: 18001 03000 421553). This number goes to an answering machine, which is monitored during office hours.

Documents

Respond

Links

Details

Consulting Organisation Type Kent County Council
Consulting Organisation Name Kent County Council
District / Borough areas affected by the consultation Ashford, Canterbury, Dartford, Dover, Gravesham, Maidstone, Medway, Sevenoaks, Shepway, Swale, Thanet, Tonbridge & Malling, Tunbridge Wells
Consultation Topic General interest, Libraries and archives
Consultation Methods Online survey / questionnaire / forms, Other survey / questionnaire / forms, Community event
Contact Details Email: lraconsultation@kent.gov.uk

Consultation, Kent County Council, News

Buying something online?

28 November 2018 0 Comments

Your rights can be different when buying from an online marketplace – websites where traders and private individuals list and sell products.

What are my rights?

If you’re buying from an online trader your rights are the same as if you were buying from any other online store.

  • You normally have up to 14 days after receiving your goods to change your mind and get a full refund.
  • If there is a problem with your item within the first 30 days from when you’ve bought it, you could get a refund, replacement or repair.
  • If it can’t be repaired or replaced, then during the first 6 months in most cases you’re entitled to a full refund.
  • If you’re buying online from an individual seller, the principle of ‘buyer beware’ applies.
  • Goods have to be how they were described to you by the seller, but the seller doesn’t have to disclose any faults.
  • The seller can’t misrepresent goods though – for example claiming something used is brand new.

What can I do if I have a problem?

  • Contact the seller to try to resolve the issue.
  • Check the online marketplaces’ terms and conditions. These will sometimes offer you more protections.
  • If the seller arranged delivery, and the item hasn’t turned up or was delivered to the wrong location, it’s the seller’s legal responsibility to sort out the issue.
  • Some traders belong to an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) scheme, which means they offer a way to solve your problem without going to court.

What if I have a problem with a private seller?

  • Try to resolve the issue by contacting the seller directly first, but if you can’t:
  • Check whether the online marketplace has their own protection and dispute resolution systems.
  • Consider making a claim to the court – this is sometimes called a ‘small claim’.

Find out more about your rights and National Consumer Week at
www.citizensadvice.org.uk/NCW18

#NCW

Communications, Consumer, News

Consultation on TV Licence for over 75s

25 November 2018 0 Comments

TelevisionAge-related TV licence policy consultation

BBC

Today people over 75 are entitled to receive a free TV licence, but UK Government funding for this concession is coming to an end in 2020. The BBC want to know your views about what they should do in the future.Please read the consultation document before responding. This sets out possible options for the future along with some specific questions to help you respond. You may also want to read the accompanying equality impact assessment.You may also find it useful to read the report prepared by an external economics consultancy, Frontier Economics. This provides some detailed analysis on possible ways to approach the new decision the BBC has to make. In addition, Frontier Economics published a related discussion paper which discusses the changing landscape since 2000, intergenerational fairness and the changing financial context.When you’re ready to take part, click the link below and you’ll be taken to the online consultation questionnaire.

Key Document

Have Your Say

Respond to this consultation
https://bbcconsultation.traverse.org.uk/

Related Documents

BBC
www.bbc.com/yoursay

Image: Creaticca Ltd
License:  Creative Commons (Attribution 3.0 Unported)

Communications, Consultation, Consumer, News, Uncategorized

Junctions are dangerous for cyclists

21 November 2018 0 Comments

45% of cyclist deaths occur at junctionsJunctions are another dangerous hotspot for cyclists, with collisions often occurring because drivers failed to look properly.18 Between 2011 and 2016, 45% of all cyclist deaths occurred at or near junctions, with more than half of these recorded at T-junctions. Just under a third of all cyclist deaths were recorded on roundabouts, mini-roundabouts and crossroads over the same period.

Take time to look properly before you pull out at junctions.

Turn your head to look, don’t just rely on a sideways glance.

Bikes are smaller and narrower than cars and it can take longer for our eyes and our brain to notice that they are there. Turning your head and looking for longer will help you to spot bikes and will help you to judge their speed and distance, so you can pull out safely and avoid a crash.

Always stop behind the lines at a junction.

Never drive into a bike box if the traffic light is amber or red. Riders need this space to enable them to move safely through junctions. Don’t drive or park in cycle lanes either.

News, Safety, Transport

Cycling is better for the environment

21 November 2018 0 Comments

Cycling lowers pollution, reduces congestion, increases property pricesCycling is also much better for the environment than driving. More than a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions are produced by cars and other vehicles,6 whereas cycling is generally considered to be a zero-emissions form of transport. Even when emissions from production and maintenance of bikes are taken into account, the emissions associated with cycling are significantly lower. And if UK citizens cycled to work with the same frequency as people do in the Netherlands, for example, where more than a quarter of journeys are made by bike, carbon dioxide outputs could reduce by more than 1,500 tonnes per year.

Estimates suggest that around 12,000 premature deaths could be prevented over the next 10 years if the UK and Scottish governments meet their targets for increasing the number of journeys made on foot or by bicycle. 

Choosing to ride a bike instead of driving can also help to reduce congestion in urban areas – almost four in ten people acknowledge that many of the two-mile journeys they currently make in a car could instead be made by bike.

 

Brake, Cycling -The facts 2018

#BikeSmart

Environment, Health, News, Transport

Drive slowly

20 November 2018 0 Comments

Give yourself time to spot danger and reactDrive slowly in places where people live

The vast majority (77%) of cyclist casualties are from incidents on roads with 30mph speed limits.15 At this speed, cars travel an average of 23 metres (or 5.75 car lengths) before stopping, and anyone hit by a car travelling at 30mph has a 20% chance of dying.

Driving more slowly will give you more time to spot danger and more time to react. It also means you can stop a lot more quickly. 20mph is the right speed in places where people live, work and play. Slow traffic makes more people want to walk and cycle in their communities.

Slow down on rural roads.

Cyclists are also vulnerable on roads outside towns and cities. In 2016, 59 cyclists died in collisions in rural areas, while 43 died in urban areas.

Many crashes involving bikes on rural roads are because drivers are travelling too fast.

Slowing down will help you to take sharp bends more safely and you will be more likely to spot riders in front of you. Brake

 

Brake:

  • Cycling – The facts, 2018
  • Smart drivers are Bike Smart, 2018

#BikeSmart

News, Safety, Transport

Cycling is one of the healthiest forms of transport

20 November 2018 0 Comments

Cycling improves fitness, boosts brainpower, increases wellbeingCycling is one of the healthiest, cheapest and most environmentally friendly forms of transport available, with the benefits to public health, congestion and the economy widely acknowledged.

Cycling is an excellent form of exercise and can help with both weight loss and physical fitness. It also reduces the risk of serious conditions like diabetes and heart disease later in life, and can contribute to higher overall personal wellbeing. Cycling can boost brain power too, by increasing blood flow to the brain by around 30–40%.

Even cyclists in busy cities report better lung health. Riders can experience five times lower pollution levels than drivers, because air is more able to circulate around them when they are riding, compared with being stuck in a vehicle. Cyclists who use quieter routes away from busy traffic see even greater benefits.

Brake, Cycling -The facts 2018

#BikeSmart

Health, News, Transport, Wellbeing