News

Discretionary Rate Relief Consultation

26 September 2017 0 Comments

ABC CrestDiscretionary Rate Relief – Autumn 2017

Ashford Borough Council

Opens: 25 September 2017
Closes: 6th November 2017

The revaluation of business rates by the Valuation Office Agency took effect on 1st April 2017. This has led to some businesses, including some in the Ashford borough, seeing large increases in the rateable value of the premises they occupy.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has now stated that the government has put in place a £300m fund to enable local authorities to put in place a discretionary rate relief scheme. This is intended to help businesses apply for assistance if they have suffered from the impact of the first revaluation for seven years.

Ashford Borough Council has been allocated a share of the £300m funding pot to cover a four-year period, with £350,000 funding confirmed for year one and £175,000 for year two.

The government has issued guidance for local authorities and the council has put together a proposed scheme to help those business ratepayers who have suffered significant increases following the recalculation of the rateable value of the premise they occupy.

We are now consulting on our proposed scheme and invite you to comment. Please read the information in this summary document and then comment via this consultation portal.

You can respond to this consultation before 11.59pm on Monday 6th November 2017. Once the consultation has closed, an ‘output report’ showing all the responses received will be available on the council’s website from Friday 10th November.

Cabinet will meet on Thursday 9th November 2017 and consider the responses to the consultation. Full council will then consider the cabinet’s recommendations on 14th December 2017 and agree how the scheme will work for the remainder of the 2017-18 and then the 2018-19 financial years.

Consultation Documents

Respond to this Consultation

Consultation Links

Consultation Summary

Name Discretionary Rate Relief – Autumn 2017
Description The council is consulting on its proposed discretionary rate relief scheme, following announcement of a funding allocation from government to help businesses adversely affected by the Valuation Office Agency’s revaluation that came into effect on 1st April 2017.
Dates From 25 Sep 2017 at 00:00 to 6 Nov 2017 at 23:59. The results will be published by 10 Nov 2017.
Status Open

Ashford Borough Council 25 September 2017
https://haveyoursay.ashford.gov.uk/consult.ti/Discretionary_Rate_Relief/consultationHome

Ashford Borough Council, Business, Consultation, Finance, News

Gas: Top tips to stay safe

25 September 2017 0 Comments

Gas Safety Week has ended but remember these six simple steps to help keep you safe and warm in your home:

  1. Only use a Gas Safe registered engineer to fit, fix and service your appliances.
    You can find and check an engineer at GasSafeRegister.co.uk (check out our graphic below) or call 0800 408 5500.
  2. Check both sides of your engineer’s Gas Safe Register ID card. Make sure they are qualified for the work you need doing. You can find this information on the back of the card.
  3. Have all your gas appliances regularly serviced and safety checked every year.
    If you rent your home ask for a copy of the landlord’s current Gas Safety Record.
  4. Fit an audible carbon monoxide alarm. This will alert you if there is carbon monoxide in your home.
  5. Know the six signs of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning – headaches, dizziness, breathlessness, nausea, collapse and loss of consciousness. Unsafe gas appliances can put you at risk of CO poisoning, gas leaks, fires and explosions.
  6. Check gas appliances for warning signs that they are not working properly e.g. lazy yellow flames instead of crisp blue ones, black marks or stains on or around the appliance and too much condensation in the room.

How to find a Gas Safe registered engineer

  1. Go to gassaferegister.co.uk
  2. Select Find an Engineer from the menu at the top
    Enter your postcode
  3. Check the business has an engineer qualified to work on your appliance
  4. Call 3 or 4 businesses to get the best price and check availability

To find this information in future go to Local Information > Safety and Security > Gas Safety

Consumer, Gas Safety, News, Safety

Seek professional advice around pest control

24 September 2017 0 Comments

Kent Fire and Rescue LogoKent Fire and Rescue Service was called to a family home in Bowens Field, Ashford where one of the occupants had tried to remove a wasps nest by burning it. The wasp nest was in ivy growing close to the house – however the burning got out of control and set fire to the ivy before spreading to the roof of the property. KFRS was called and when crews arrived they found all occupants of the property safely outside. They used a hose reel jet to extinguish the small fire and checked for hot spots with a thermal imaging camera. The fire caused a small amount of damage to the ivy growth and the soffit and facia of the roof of the property. The cause was accidental. There were no reported injuries.

Firefighters have urged property owners to always seek professional advice around pest control and to never attempt to burn anything or use naked flames close to their property.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service 23 September 2017
www.kent.fire-uk.org/news/incidents/?entryid2=13848

Ashford Borough Council advice regarding pest control can be found on their website at www.ashford.gov.uk/the-environment/pest-control/

Environment, News, Safety

Please leave space for engines

21 September 2017 0 Comments

Ashford firefighters are reminding people to ensure there is space to allow fire engines through.

This follows an emergency call to Cudworth Road, Ashford after a summer house caught alight during the early hours of this morning (Thursday, 21 September).

Firefighters were called at 3.52am and a fire engine raced to the scene but struggled to get down part of Cudworth Road, due to insufficient space between vehicles parked either side.

Ashford Crew Manager, Andy Harris explained what happened: “We had to keep sounding the siren to alert residents and, fortunately we still managed to reach the house within eight minutes. But in an emergency, every second counts and a delay preventing our crews from reaching someone in danger could make all the difference.”

Once at the property, fire crews used a hose reel to extinguish the blaze, which severely damaged a summer house in the back garden. Firefighters left the scene around 5am.

Andy added: “We appreciate that parking can be tight and that people like to park as close as possible to their homes, but a fire engine needs a gap of at least 3.1m (10ft) to get through – please keep that in mind when you’re parking. It could be your house we’re trying to reach.”

Kent Fire and Rescue Service 21 September 2017
www.kent.fire-uk.org/news/news-releases/september-2017/please-leave-space-for-engines-to-get-through-urge-firefighters/

News, Safety, Transport

Free Parenting After Separation Workshops

21 September 2017 0 Comments

Kent Family Mediation Service are offering Parenting After Separation Workshops.  These workshops are free for separated parents living in Kent. The workshops will help separated parents learn to communicate with each other better, will help them to deal with the impact of their separation on their children and improve the situation for their children. Parents attend separate workshops and if one parent doesn’t  attend their workshop, the other parent can still attend theirs. To book a place on the workshop, please email Karen at contact@kentfms.co.uk

Children, News, Wellbeing