Training for Parish Councils
The 'Ethical Framework for Parishes' is intended for both new and longer serving Councillors and Clerks. The evening will examine the Code of Conduct and how it affects the actions of those involved with Parish Councils. The training will take place on:

Thursday 16 October 2008
6.30pm
Jubilee Hall
Bishops Waltham

A number of practical examples will be given related to everyday situations which Councillors and Clerks may encounter.

Contact Katherine Pryor at the City Council Committees team on kpryor@winchester.gov.uk  or (01962) 848 264 for more details.



BT Consultation
British Telecom is proposing the removal of 43 phone boxes in the Winchester district, as part of a national review.

Winchester City Council, as the local planning authority, is co-ordinating a consultation on the issue and will collate any responses from councillors, parishes and residents.

The phone boxes are located at sites spanning the whole district, with many of them in rural areas.

A full list can be found at www.winchester.gov.uk/BT.

A survey is available to complete online or people can alternatively write in to the Planning Department at City Offices, Colebrook Street, Winchester, SO23 9LJ. Comments should relate to specific phone boxes.

Comments must be received by the City Council by Friday August 22nd in order for them to be compiled before BT’s deadline.



Our services closer to you
From mid-July residents who live outside of Winchester town will find it much easier to access the Council’s services, with Council officers working in well-used community facilities in Bishops Waltham, New Alresford and Whiteley.

In Bishops Waltham residents will be able to speak to council officers at the new Citizens Advice Bureau offices in Well House which are currently being refitted. The New Alresford venue is being finalised and will be announced shortly, and in Whiteley residents will be able to pop into Meadowside Leisure Centre to access council services.

In each area there will be a Customer Service Advisor one day a week, to help residents report issues such as graffiti to be removed, damaged pavements, faulty street lights, as well as to provide information about planning applications, bin collections and even take Council Tax payments (non cash). There will also be alternate weekly visits from Housing and Benefits Officers, who will be available for appointments or for you to just drop in and see if you prefer.

This initiative is part of the Council’s push to provide a better service to residents in the more rural parts of the district. It reflects the emerging findings of the new Local Development Framework, which identifies these settlements as important locations for key services.

It is hoped that these services will start in July but we will give you a further update as soon as timescales are confirmed. For more information contact Community Development Manager Steve Lincoln on slincoln@winchester.gov.uk.



Design for Play:
Creating Successful Play Spaces
A presentation based on the forthcoming publication 'Design for Play: A guide to creating successful play spaces', published by Play England and the Department for Children, Families and Schools is now available on the Free Play Network website.
Go to: www.freeplaynetwork.org.uk/designforplay

There will be an opportunity to put your questions direct to the authors of Design for Play in an online discussion forum on designing for play from 16-27 June 2008 on the Free Play Network website.

Go to: www.freeplaynetwork.org.uk/discussion/designforplay



Capital Investment in the District
The City Council invested £9.4 million in capital projects in the financial year 2007-08. Major expenditures were on housing, the Bar End sports facility, affordable homes, renovation grants, e-government and the Winchester Discovery Centre.

Just over £2 million of projects were delayed and will be carried out in the current year. These include building additional affordable homes, investment in the River Park Leisure Centre, the Tower Street car park, and the Knowle community building, improvements at the Meadowside Leisure Centre, improvements to Abbey House and the environmental enhancements at Denmead Village Centre.



Children’s Centres - Phase 3 Consultation
Hampshire County Council is undertaking consultation on the development of Sure Start Children’s Centres across the county, under phase 3 of the Government initiative.

A further 23 children’s centres will be developed to enable access to high quality services for all children under five and their parents. Consultation is central to the development of children’s centres in Hampshire, and a range of consultation activities will take place to inform their development.

The consultation documents set out the vision for delivering phase 3 of the children’s centre programme within Hampshire and seek views and feedback from all stakeholders on the draft proposals. 

Access the consultation documents

A questionnaire is available, which seeks views and feedback from all stakeholders on the draft proposals, and can be downloaded in hard copy or completed online.

IMPORTANT
An additional three children's centres will be developed within the Winchester District in phase 3. The consultation documents outline the notional catchment areas for these new centres.

A consultation event to seek views and feedback from key stakeholders on the draft proposals for the Winchester District is being hosted by the Hampshire Action Team (HAT) on:

Thursday 26th June 2008
10am–12noon
Lionel Tubbs Hall and Community Centre
Fraser Road
Kingsworthy
SO23 7PJ

Anyone wishing to attend should contact David Crosby via email on david.1.crosby@hants.gov.uk or telephone (01962) 845 687 by the June 19th to reserve a space.



Winchester Savers
When Hampshire Credit Union started life in the late 1990s it had just 20 members - but now with more than 8,000 members it has opened a local branch in Winchester.

The Winchester Savers have now also launched their website www.winchestersavers.co.uk