To receive any announcements from the Leader.
Minutes:
The following are the latest service updates from various Council departments.
· It is one year since the Covid-19 pandemic forced Spelthorne to move to an emergency footing and special measures put in place to protect the Borough’s most vulnerable residents. Nationally, over 125,000 people have succumbed to this deadly disease and we know that many Spelthorne residents will have lost a loved one. The anniversary provided an opportunity to come together and reflect on our collective loss, support those who’ve been bereaved and hope for a brighter future. As a mark of respect, the Council’s flag was flown at half-mast on 12 March.
· Spelthorne has awarded a total of £20,000 to the organisers of ten community events which have been affected by the pandemic. The recipients, which each received £2,000, are: Ashford Christmas Market, Laleham Village Fair, Lower Sunbury Christmas Market, Shepperton Big Tree Night, Shepperton Village Fair, Staines-upon-Thames Day, Staines Regatta, Stanwell Lantern Parade, Stanwell Village Fair and Sunbury Regatta.
· A resident has been successfully prosecuted for benefit fraud following an investigation by the Council. Lisa Hunt fraudulently benefitted from social housing and other benefits between 2017 and 2020 and, on 9 February, was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months. She was also ordered to attend 12 rehabilitation activity requirement days and carry out 120 hours of unpaid work.
· The ‘Send a Smile’ campaign launched by the Council with the Purple Angel Ambassadors has received a good response with over 100 pictures and messages of support being sent by children for people suffering with dementia.
· Spelthorne’s 2021 photography competition is now open for entries. The overall winner will see their photo as the cover of the Council’s Bulletin magazine and social media pages. The deadline is 31 August.
· An estate agent has been fined by the Council for flyposting. Spelthorne operates a ‘zero-tolerance’ policy on flyposting and has repeatedly written to estate agencies in the Borough highlighting their individual responsibilities to remain within the law.
· The Spelthorne in Bloom Committee has launched its annual poster competition for children aged 5-11, who live or go to school in Spelthorne. The overall winning entry will be used as this year’s Spelthorne in Bloom logo and feature on the front cover of the entry form and other publicity materials. The closing date for entries is Friday 9 April.
· The Council has been working with Everyone Active in anticipation of Leisure Centres getting the ‘green light’ to reopen from 12 April. Repairs to fix a problem with the swimming pools at Sunbury Leisure Centre will also begin soon and run until July.
· 27 new affordable homes will become available in the Borough from April with the delivery of the first phase of the Council’s Benwell House development in Sunbury. Planning permission is currently being sought for phase two of the project which will provide a further 39 units (20 affordable).
· Work is underway on the Issues and Options consultation for the Staines Development Framework, which is due to start mid-April, for a period of six weeks. The consultation will set out the key areas on which the Framework will focus, such as housing, infrastructure, transportation, parking, retail, and public spaces.