water way to go! - North Lanarkshire Council

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North Lanarkshire News No. 75, February 2011
No. 75 February 2011
1
www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk
WATER WAY TO GO!
As North Lanarkshire’s thrillseekers flock to the new
Time Capsule, we have 10 family passes to give away...P3
Family gets the keys to our new housing development in Ravenscraig
Alice and her daughter Abi, 4,
are enjoying their new home
at Ravenscraig.
There’s no place like home
by GAYNOR BELL
2011 marks not only a New Year
for the Conway family, it also
signals a new beginning. They
are one of the first tenants to
move into their new home at
Ravenscraig.
While Alice Conway and her
daughters Allana, 14, and Abi, 4,
settle in to their new home, these
history-making tenants are just
the beginning of a growing new
community for North Lanarkshire.
They’re part of the £1.2 billion
regeneration of the Ravenscraig
site – one of the largest
projects of its kind in Europe.
When complete, this flagship
development will be home to
around 10,000 people.
Already on the former
steelworks site is a £32 million
regional sports facility and a £70
million campus for Motherwell
College. A total of 850 homes are
being created in the first phase of
housing.
Growing communities
As part of our £80 million five-year
new house building programme
‘Building for the Future’, we
pledged to build 500 new
affordable homes for rent across
the North Lanarkshire area.
This includes buying 18
two- and three-bedroom houses
from David Wilson Homes at the
Ravenscraig site as part of the first
phase of housing development,
which will predominantly be for
private sale.
A funding contribution of
£25,000 per property was
provided by the Scottish
Government towards the purchase
price. 16 of the new homes are
Council tax
to be frozen
COUNCIL Tax in North Lanarkshire
is to be frozen for the third year in
a row.
The administration’s decision
was announced ahead of
February’s crucial meeting to set
our budget for the coming year.
It means the Band D charge will
remain at £1,098.
Council Leader Jim McCabe
said: “I am delighted we are able
to once again freeze our council
tax rates.
“While this is obviously good
news for householders, we
cannot ignore the fact the council
faces real financial challenges.
In December we had to make
hard choices and big decisions
on £55million of savings for the
next two years. However, we
remain committed to maintaining
excellent services and protecting
the most vulnerable in our
society.”
The move to freeze council
tax will be considered by the full
council on 10 February. Rent levels
for tenants will also be considered
by the council on that date.
Time to get back in
the Beautiful game
now complete and tenants are
already unpacking their boxes and
putting their personal stamp on
their homes. Clyde Valley Housing
Association will also have a further
27 new homes to rent on the site
In common with other council
new build developments for rent,
the houses have all been built to
be flexible to meet the needs of
residents over the course of their
lives. Elements including step-free
access from the road, wider door
openings and clear space
In the two years
since North
Lanarkshire first
got involved with the Beautiful
Scotland campaign, it’s achieved
88 awards. Coatbridge has been
Best Small City two years running,
and the area’s success has been
recognised across the country and
raised at the Scottish Parliament.
From a standing start, North
Lanarkshire has become a major
player in this national campaign.
Now we want to make 2011 the
most successful year yet, and we
need your help to do it.
CONTINUED – PAGE 6
CONTINUED – PAGE 2
2
North Lanarkshire News No. 75, February 2011
Contacting us
online
Provost’s plaudits
www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk
Provost
Curley
welcomes
the German
Consul
Wolfgang
Moessinger
to North
Lanarkshire.
NorthLine
General enquiries
01698 403200
Punch the Crunch hotline
01698 403150
Environmental services 01698 403110
(Reporting roads, paths, lighting faults,
abandoned vehicles, pest control problems,
cleansing enquiries, including special uplifts)
Antisocial behaviour helpline 01698 403222
north lanarkshire leisure
(Sport, leisure and health opportunities)
web: www.nlleisure.co.uk
tel: 01236 437756
Bookings
01698 403120
(Community centres, parks and Civic Theatre)
Telephone payments
01698 403130
(Accepting payments for council tax and rent)
RECRUITMENT
www.nothlanarkshire.gov.uk /jobs
First Stop Shops
Airdrie
10 Bank Street, Airdrie
Bellshill
26 Motherwell Road
Coatbridge
126-130 Main Street
Cumbernauld
2/4 Forth Walk
Kilsyth
9 Parkfoot Street
Moodiesburn
17 Blackwoods Crescent
Motherwell
69-71 Merry Street
Shotts
162-164 Station Road
Viewpark
135 Burnhead Street
Wishaw
236 Main Street
First Stop Shops are open Mon to Thurs
8.45am to 4.45pm, and Fri 8.45am to
4.15pm. cash offices within First Stop Shops
are open Mon to Thurs 9am to 4.30pm and Fri
9am to 4pm. Moodiesburn cash office closes
between 1pm and 2pm. Contact Northline
for details.
NLC emergency out-of-hours
Social work standby services 0800 121 4114
24-hour repair reporting 0800 678 1166
Gas & solid fuel central heating
faults (24-hour service)
0845 606 1555
Other useful numbers
Disability advice
Benefits fraud hotline
Insurance fraud hotline
Crimestoppers
Consumer Advice
Trading Standards
01698 274418
0800 953 0400
0800 328 9270
0800 555 111
01698 274220
01698 274210
get in touch
North Lanarkshire News is produced
by Corporate Communications,
North Lanarkshire Council,
Civic Centre, Windmillhill Street,
Motherwell ML1 1AB.
If you’d like to comment on any
of the stories in this edition, please
write to The Editor at Corporate
Communications, call 01698 302582
or email corporatecommunications@
northlan.gov.uk.
Copies can also be provided in
large print, Braille, or in audio format,
and can be translated into other
community languages.
The last few weeks have been a busy start
to the year with the official re-opening of
the Time Capsule Waterpark in Coatbridge
and our annual Burns Supper. Both events
were a huge success and are covered in
more detail in this month’s edition.
I also had the pleasure of welcoming
Wolfgang Moessinger the Consul General of
the Federal Republic of Germany to North
Lanarkshire.
We spent some time discussing the
economic links between North Lanarkshire
and Germany, our twinning arrangements
with German towns, educational links and
the teaching of German in our local schools.
Our discussions were very positive and I
was delighted to extend a warm welcome
on behalf of all our residents to the Consul
during his time here in Scotland.
Towards the end of the month, I enjoyed
a fantastic evening at the Tudor Hotel
in Airdrie to celebrate the centenary of
Coatdyke Congregational Church.
I presented a commemorative vase to
Reverend Thomas Wilson and members
of the congregation to mark their special
anniversary and recognise their hard work,
commitment and dedication which has
made the church so respected in the local
community.
CONTinued from PAGE 1
This will be a challenging year. With
fewer resources across the council, we’ve
got to make the most of every one. And our
most important resource is you.
“We wouldn’t have done half so well
in this contest without the help of local
people,” said Kenneth Wilson, the council’s
Head of Land Services.
“The Beautiful Scotland judges don’t just
score a town on its flower arrangements –
they look at community participation, so it’s
important to be able to demonstrate that.
“We’ve been working with community
groups across the area and been hugely
impressed with their enthusiasm and
dedication. We want to build on our
success, and get more people than ever
involved in this year’s campaign.”
You don’t have to be green-fingered to
get involved. Maybe there’s a litter hot-spot
you could help clear. Maybe there’s a
community project you could get involved
with. You could make bird or bat boxes,
or plant wildflower gardens to attract
butterflies and bees.
You can even take simple measures
in daily life. Recycle more rubbish. Hang
a bird feeder. Plant a couple of pots for
your windowsill or doorstep. Whatever
you decide to do, we want to know about
it. So write to the editor or contact us on
[email protected]
For more information, contact your
local community forum or community
council, visit www.beautifulscotland.org
or the council’s
website.
•
Councillor Tom Curley
North Lanarkshire Provost
Burns evening supports Children in Need
Children in Need has received thousands
of pounds following this year’s Burns
Supper, organised by the council.
Sponsored by M&D’S Scotland’s Theme
Park, the 15th annual event was held at
the Alona Hotel at Strathclyde Park and
hosted by Provost Tom Curley. The Burns
Supper is one of the main events in the
North Lanarkshire calendar, with this year’s
auction and raffle raising nearly £4,000.
The traditional piping in of the haggis
was performed by Chris Geddes and Greg
McAllister from the North Lanarkshire
schools pipe band with Andrew Quinn
addressing the event. Council Leader Jim
McCabe said the Selkirk Grace before the
guests enjoyed a traditional Burns menu of
haggis, neeps and tatties.
Following the Loyal Toast from Sir
Charles Gray, guests listened to Bobby
Dalziel give the Immortal Memory and the
Lament by Greg McAllister. The Toast tae
the Lassies was performed by Alex Baird
and the Reply Frae the Lassies by Mae Weir.
The musical entertainment throughout the
evening was performed by Christine Sparks.
Provost Tom Curley said: “It was an
honour for me to host this very worthwhile
event. The Children in Need charity is such
Provost Tom Curley and Lord Lieutenant of Lanarkshire Mushtaq Ahmad are joined
by the event sponsors and invited guests including, Council Leader Jim McCabe and
Chief Executive Gavin Whitefield.
an excellent cause which benefits so many.
“Our annual supper to honour our
national bard is a great fundraiser, and
an evening in which everyone enjoys
supporting such a tremendous charity.
“I would like to thank all those who have
helped to make this year’s event such a
success, including the council staff and all
the people who have donated raffle prizes,
offered sponsorship or purchased a table at
the event.
“Children in Need gives grants to many
groups in the North Lanarkshire area so it is
always great to support the charity.”
www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk
North Lanarkshire News No. 75, February 2011
Revamped Time Capsule
celebrates 40,000 visitors
by colin fraser
The official opening of The
Time Capsule in Coatbridge was
boosted by the news that 40,000
people have visited the refurbished
facility since it reopened in
December.
Provost Curley officially
opened the venue following the
completion of the first phase of the
£6 million refurbishment works.
The 40,000 visits since
December represents an increase
of 130% on the same period last
year.
Provost Curley said: “The Time
Capsule looks fantastic and it’s
great credit to everyone who
worked hard to make it happen.
It has a proud past and can look
forward to an exciting future
thanks to the improvements that
have been made.
“I’d like to congratulate
everyone involved for making it
such a success and look forward
to seeing the centre continue to
develop and the plans for the
ice-rink coming to fruition.”
To allow the extensive
refurbishment work to take place,
the centre was closed for just
under a year.
It now boasts a unique new
attraction: Europe’s only indoor
Tornado Tantrum slide. The
thrilling 30-second slide, which
was imported from Canada, can
be enjoyed by up to four people
at once.
And Splashdown Island, the
interactive play area is also proving
a hit. It features Scotland’s largest
tipping bucket, which takes seven
minutes to fill before unleashing
up to two tons of water on
swimmers below.
Councillor Jim Logue chairs
the Time Capsule Trust. He said:
“Scotland’s Waterpark is a national
attraction. It brings people here
from all over the UK.
“We’ve set an ambitious
target of one million visitors
this year, so naturally we’re
delighted that so many
on budget and were delighted
to be a part of this prestigious
project.
“We wish North Lanarkshire
Council, the Trust operating
the centre, and the staff and
customers at The Time Capsule
every success for the future.”
For more information
about The Time Capsule call
01236 449572 or visit www.
thetimecapsule.info
•
•
WIN A FAMILY TICKET!
We have 10 Family tickets to The Time Capsule to give away. To be in
with a chance to win one, simply answer the following question:
Complete the name of The Time capsule’s exciting new slide.
The Tornado...?
A. Terror
B. Tantrum
Answer
Name
Address
Tel. No.
Send your answers by 25 February to:
RSJJ-GLAZ-EXYK
Freepost
NL News Time Capsule
Environmental Services
Fleming House
2 Tryst Road
CUMBERNAULD, G67 1JW
Have your say
on housing
This is your chance to have a say
on housing in North Lanarkshire.
We have published a
consultation draft of our new
Local Housing Strategy (LHS) and
we would like to hear your views.
The LHS sets out how we will
improve housing services and
options for people across the area
over the next five years.
This key strategic document
affects council and housing
association tenants, home owners
and private tenants as well as
those looking for their first or a
new home. It includes some of
the key housing issues we will
face over the next few years. It
also details our proposals to assist
people in housing need, address
homelessness, tackle fuel poverty
and improve the overall quality of
our homes and neighbourhoods.
Councillor Barry McCulloch,
Convener of Housing and Social
Work Services, said: “People
across North Lanarkshire can give
us valuable feedback on housing
issues affecting different groups,
including families, older people
and people with particular needs.
That will help us make sure all
housing needs are addressed in
our new strategy.
“Your views are important to
us and will influence the final
strategy which we are hoping to
have in place by the summer of
2011.”
You can find a copy of the LHS
on the council’s website at www.
northlanarkshire.gov.uk along
with a form for your comments.
Provost Curley and Councillor Jim Logue join young swimmers to
mark the offical reopening of The Time Capsule.
people have visited in the opening
weeks.
“Local people have been
enjoying the new facilities too, and
we’ve noticed many people with
young families using it during the
day.
“It’s important to remember
that this is just phase one of the
improvements. We’ll soon be
starting work on the refurbishment
of the ice rink and have plans to
include a health suite.”
Phil McEwan, the managing
director of Ogilvie Construction
– the main contractor on site –
said: “The project, which was
completed just before Christmas,
made major enhancements to
the leisure facilities on offer – and
also upgraded the plant and
structures behind the scenes. Here
at Ogilvie, we drew on our
considerable experience in the
leisure sector to deliver the
enhancements on time and
3
C. Twister
Reviewing our
Allocation Policy
We pledged to carry out a review
of housing’s new Allocation Policy
which was implemented last year.
Our review is now complete.
As part of this we consulted with
tenant groups, staff, partners and
a range of other interested groups.
All changes have now been made
and any changes to individual
applications due to the review
have been automatically updated.
If you’re application has been
affected you will be notified in
writing.
Copies of the revised
document are available from our
First Stop Shops, local housing
offices, partner offices and at
www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk
•
4
North Lanarkshire News No. 75, February 2011
Learning & Leisure report
makes positive reading
By colin fraser
Learning and leisure services (LLS) highlighted a
year of success in its recently published performance
report for 2009/10.
The service covers a wide range of areas including
nursery and school education, childcare, community
learning and development, libraries, information
services, sports development, creative services and
museums and heritage centres.
During the year, LLS went through a validated selfevaluation process with Her Majesty’s Inspectorate
of Education. This involved a range of staff
looking very closely at five themes: improvement
through building capacity; leadership and vision
(through Raising Achievement for All); inclusion
and equalities; delivering efficient services; and
partnership and engagement within Lifelong
Learning.
The highly positive report concluded with HMIE
stating: “LLS have demonstrated excellent practice
in the delivery of education services…We have
confidence that the service has a very strong capacity
for improvement.”
Among many highlights, the report details the
work on ten projects in the £250 million Schools and
Centres 21 programme, which will modernise schools
and community centres across the area; the highly
successful GlamMetal fashion shows at Summerlee;
and our new youth strategy, Going the Extra Mile.
Executive Director of Learning and Leisure Services
Christine Pollock said: “The annual report makes
highly positive reading and it shows that we are
committed to providing the very best learning and
leisure opportunities for our young people.
“We are not complacent and we will continue to
build on the achievements of the past few years.
“We aim to provide people with outstanding and
interesting learning opportunities. And we would
encourage all our residents to make the most of the
opportunities on offer.”
If you have any suggestions for improving our
services or would like a copy of the report, write to
Linda Wilson at Kildonan Street, Coatbridge ML5 3BT
or email [email protected]
•
Bringing couture to Coatbridge! Putting our young
School pupils showcased their unique
new clothing range at four fashion shows at
Summerlee Museum in Coatbridge.
The GlamMetal clothing range was
a collaborative art and design project
supported by the council, Heriot-Watt
University’s School of Textiles and Design
and the Scottish Arts Council.
Councillor Jim Logue, Convener of
Learning and Leisure Services, explained:
“Everyone who attended was blown away
by the high quality of the collection and
professionalism on show.
“The young people have worked
together for over a year developing, among
other things, their creativity, teamwork and
enterprise skills.”
The title GlamMetal was chosen to reflect
Lanarkshire’s industrial legacy, which the
Summerlee museum celebrates.
Christine Pollock, Executive Director
of Learning and Leisure Services, added:
“This project
has brought
schools
together with
our museums
and creative
services staff
to produce the shows.
“The pupils have worked really hard to
come up with the fashion label and get all
the work ready. Although tutors from the
university helped them with their designs,
much of the work was done in school art
departments.”
The pupils, from 16 schools, attended
workshops at the council’s outdoor
education centre at Kilbowie near Oban,
and spent a day at Heriot-Watt’s Scottish
College of Textiles campus in Galashiels.
A limited edition mini-skirt was also sold
at the shows, part of a project to promote
enterprise among young people.
MOre 2009-2010 highlights:
• It’s been a great year for our Schools’
Pipe Band. They picked up four prizes
at the Shotts Highland Games; won the
British and European Championships in
the novice category, and came fourth at
the World Championships.
• The Photomedia suite at Summerlee
– situated in the Ironworks Building – is
a new purpose-built community arts
resource offering community groups and
individuals the opportunity to work in
traditional and digital photography, the
moving image and computer-based music
making.
• Museums and heritage services received
full accreditation status from the UK
Accreditation Scheme for Museums.
• The £9 million Broadwood sports
facility opened, boasting a sports hall, fully
equipped strength and conditioning gym,
dance studios, martial arts dojo, children’s
soft play area, café, office space and
changing areas. Outside the building there
are artificial football pitches.
• The Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility
opened to the public. The £32 million
centre has some of the best indoor and
outdoor sports facilities in the world.
• The ICT
development
team provided
extensive
support to
teachers and
pupils using the
online education
service Glow.
• A hugely positive VSE (Validated
Self-evaluation) report jointly written with
HMIE demonstrates our strong culture of
reflective practice and self-evaluation.
• Thousands of children benefited from
an impressive array of sports development
courses.
Pupil attainment
• Primary to S1/S2 – North
Lanarkshire was listed as 4th
out of the ex-Strathclyde
councils.
• S4 to S6 – 2009/10
was the authority’s best
performance in over 10
years.
• Vocational education –
best year yet with over 2,300
young people taking part.
people first
We all want the best for our young people
– and that’s just what the we aim to do with
our new youth strategy.
Our Going the Extra Mile document
promises to give them access to
opportunities to broaden their experiences
and equip them with the skills and
knowledge they will need for the future. It
celebrates the talents and skills of young
people in North Lanarkshire and sets out
how we will work with them to make
sure our services meet their needs and
aspirations.
The strategy provides an infrastructure
for young people to get involved in service
delivery and have their voice heard through
pupil councils, area youth forums, the
council-wide youth forum Youth Buzz and
at the Scottish Youth Parliament through
our MSYPs.
Councillor Jim McCabe, Chair of North
Lanarkshire Partnership, said: “We want
to do everything we can to give children
and young people the best possible start
in life. So our strategy looks at how we
can provide the services and facilities they
need.”
The strategy was produced by young
people with support from the council’s
community learning and development
team and North Lanarkshire Partnership.
www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk
North Lanarkshire News No. 75, February 2011
5
Christmas makeover for safety zone project
Building Futures scheme helps unemployed
learn skills for the construction industry
A Bargeddie community project
benefited from some Christmas
cheer with volunteers from a local
construction firm helping to give
it a lick of paint before the holidays
began.
The Safety Zone Community
Project on Gairbraid Terrace
received a makeover from 14 local
people taking part in a training
scheme organised by Wates
Construction and employability
service North Lanarkshire’s
Working.
The Safety Zone’s purposebuilt community centre opened
in September 2000 to provide
activities to enhance the social,
physical and educational skills of
young people. It helps them to
achieve their full potential and to
provide local people with access
to leisure and learning facilities
which were otherwise missing in
Bargeddie.
The centre offers services to the
community including parent and
toddler groups, activity groups for
local children, computer drop-in
facilities and access to support
from the local credit union,
Citizen’s Advice Bureau and North
Lanarkshire’s Working partner
Routes to Work.
The Wates Construction
trainees who helped to paint the
centre were sourced through
the North Lanarkshire’s Working
project and are taking part in the
firm’s Building Futures training
programme. Building Futures
offers the long-term unemployed
the opportunity to learn new skills
and boost their chances of finding
employment in the construction
sector.
The trainees will take part in
12 weeks of construction training
at Motherwell College which
will provide an introduction to
plumbing, joinery, painting,
decorating and bricklaying.
‘People have a
great chance to
achieve financial
security for
themselves’
Working through the course will
allow each trainee to earn several
professional certificates and the
chance to find work with the
Wates Group.
Councillor Tom Maginnis,
Convener of the council’s
Regeneration Services Committee,
visited the project to meet the
trainees and Safety Zone staff.
He said: “The Safety Zone
Community Project provides a
vital function for local people and
I’m delighted that they will be able
to visit a much more attractive
and vibrant space in the new
Councillor Maginnis (2nd from left) joins some of the North
Lanarkshire’s Working trainees at the Safety Zone project.
year thanks to the help of Wates
Construction trainees.
“I’d like to thanks Wates
Construction for their support for
a valuable community project and
wish each of the trainees the best
of luck in their future careers.”
Isabelle McMillan, Project
Manager at the Safety Zone,
said: “It’s been over three years
since the centre’s main hall
and reception was last painted,
so we’re thrilled that Wates
Construction have helped us to
brighten the place up. The centre
looks much better now and
I’m sure service users will really
appreciate the difference.”
Wates Living Space is currently
building new homes in Wishaw
and Cumbernauld for the council
and is working to boost the job
prospects of people in the area.
Maureen McConachie, Head
of Regeneration Services at North
Lanarkshire Council, said: “We’re
pleased to be working with Wates
Construction to deliver training
and employment opportunities
to local people and provide Safety
Zone visitors with a more pleasant
place to enjoy meeting friends and
accessing advice and support.
“The North Lanarkshire’s
Working initiative has helped
more than 3,100 local people
into work, and we are committed
to continuing to deliver a
comprehensive employment,
education and training service into
2011.”
For more details about
education, training and
employment opportunities,
contact North Lanarkshire’s
Working on 0800 0730
226 or visit www.
northlanarkshiresworking.co.uk
•
Develop the ‘Next Factor’
Capital FM DJs Jennie Cook and Des Clark (far left and far right)
join local teenagers at Strathclyde Park to launch ‘The Next
Factor’. Capital FM and Radio Clyde will be running a series of
advertisements showcasing the stories of local young people who
have benefited from taking part in the Activity Agreement.
School-leavers in North
Lanarkshire are the focus of a
major push to encourage signup to a national programme
which provides learning and
employment opportunities.
The new campaign, branded
‘The Next Factor’, is designed
to raise awareness of the North
Lanarkshire Activity Agreement
programme.
Activity Agreements are part
of the Scottish Government’s
16+ Learning Choices initiative,
launched in 2009, which offers a
place in learning to every young
person who wants it. The Next
Factor campaign marks the first
time North Lanarkshire’s young
people have been directly targeted
with information on how they can
improve their career prospects
by signing up for an Activity
Agreement.
The programme is delivered
by a team of key workers at North
Lanarkshire’s six community
Learning Hubs in Motherwell,
Coatbridge, Airdrie, Bellshill,
Cumbernauld and Wishaw. Each
young person who joins the
programme works closely with
their assigned key worker to create
an individually-tailored Activity
Agreement. Each agreement is
a blueprint for a young person’s
development, setting clear goals
against a specific timeline.
Jane Liddell, chair of the local
More Choices More Chances
Sub-Group, said: “Leaving school
without a clear idea of future plans
can be intimidating or confusing.
Through the Activity Agreement,
key workers at the Learning Hubs
can provide all the support young
people need to reach a positive
destination at college, in training
or in employment.
“Many young people left
school over the Christmas period,
a substantial number of whom
are currently not in education,
training or employment. The
Next Factor campaign aims to
demonstrate how signing up
to an Activity Agreement could
help them to bridge gaps in their
education, give them new skills,
and provide the self-confidence
they need to build a better future.
“The Activity Agreement has
been a real success story to date,
with over 100 participants moving
on to a positive outcome, and
many more young people still
working with us to achieve this.
“We’re confident the Next
Factor will help encourage local
young people to realise the depth
of support which is available to
help them reach their goals.”
People aged 16-19 in North
Lanarkshire can find out more
information about joining the
Next Factor at www.nextfactor.
co.uk or by texting “NEXT” to
81156.
•
6
North Lanarkshire News No. 75, February 2011
North Lanarkshire performs
Housing services is the
largest council landlord in
Scotland and is responsible
for delivering a management
service to over 36,000
households.
Our annual performance
Housing repairs
Throughout the year we
undertake a range of property
repairs. Requests are prioritised
whether an emergency, routine, or
repair to an empty house.
• We carried out 132,785 repairs
during 2009/10, completing
125,562 (94.6%) within the
allocated timescale. This is an
improvement on last year when
our performance reached 93.3%.
This falls just short of our target
of 95% but exceeds the national
average of 93.1%.
Housing quality
The Scottish Government specifies
that all council dwellings should
meet the Scottish Housing Quality
Standard (SHQS) by 2015. This
means dwellings should be
of tolerable standard, free
from serious disrepair,
energy efficient,
healthy,
safe and
secure,
report details how we have
performed during 2009/10
– a summary is shown below.
For further information,
please call 01698 274184, or
email housingQ&P@northlan.
gov.uk
•
and have modern facilities.
During the year we invested
over £53 million in kitchen
and bathroom refurbishments,
heating system installations,
new windows, upgrading wiring
and roofing, and work to our
multi-storey flats, which involved
replacing floor coverings and
improving fire safety.
• We have made good progress
towards meeting the national
target, as 18,341 of our dwellings
now meet the SHQS (compared to
11,859 last year). This amounts to
almost half of all council dwellings
and exceeds the national average
of 42.4%.
CONTinued from PAGE 1
for wheelchair turning, 1.8 metre high
fences to the rear of properties and
windows overlooking public areas and
parking.
Councillor Barry McCulloch, Convener
of Housing and Social Work services, said:
“Our homes bring not only much needed
affordable, high quality houses to the area
but deliver additional community benefits,
investing in local people, local businesses
and creating jobs.
“This is the first council programme
of its kind to build new affordable rented
accommodation for the area and we’re
delighted with the progress of our new
builds.
“We are grateful for the funding support
of the Scottish Government and we are
very pleased with the high standard of
the properties at Ravenscraig which were
delivered ahead of programme. I wish all
our new tenants a happy future in their new
homes.”
Housing rent
Income received
from housing
rents is our
main source
of funding.
Local teams
manage
arrears,
providing
help and
advice to
tenants
annual pe
rforman
ce report
housing
service 20
09/2010
housing
and socia
l work se
rvices
Housing services publishes
annual report for 2009/10
on payment methods and possible
benefits.
Measuring our performance
in rent collection enables us to
maximise income, and manage
arrears effectively.
• In 2009/10 current rent arrears
reached just over £1.35m, which
is 3.3% (a small proportion) of the
total rent we are due in the year.
This is an improvement on last
year when arrears totalled £1.5m,
equalling 3.7% of rent due. Our
performance improves on our
target of 3.4%, and the national
average of 5.9%.
• Out of 36,273 tenants, 642
(1.8%) owed more than 13 weeks
rent. This is an improvement
on last year when 874 tenants
(2.4%) were in this position. Our
performance improves on our
target of 1.95% and the national
average of 4.2%.
• Out of 4,299 tenants leaving
their tenancy, 1,802 tenants
(41.9%) were in rent arrears – a
similar position to last year,
but not quite on a par with the
national average of 38.9%.
• Our average weekly rent in
2009/10 was £50.59 (£48.88 last
year) – this compares favourably
to the national average of £55.78.
Re-let properties
Some of our dwellings remain
empty for longer than
others, and during 2009/10
£1.3m rent was lost as a
result. This could be due to the
condition, type, or location of
the property, or the level of
demand for council housing in
an area. This is similar to last
year, but less than we predicted
and the national average.
We measure our efficiency in
re-letting properties to maximise
rental income.
• 1,858 dwellings that are low
demand were each re-let within
an average of 63 days. Although
not as quick as last year this is
an improvement on the national
average of 75 days.
• 48.4% of these dwellings
were re-let within 4 weeks – an
improvement from last year, and
exceeding our target of 45% and
the national average.
• 1,350 dwellings that are not
low demand were each re-let
within an average of 31 days – an
improvement from 36 days last
year and the national average of
43 days.
• 60.9% of these dwellings
were re-let within 4 weeks – an
improvement from last year, and
exceeding our target of 50% and
the national average.
Antisocial behaviour
We are committed to reducing
crime and the fear of crime, and in
particular antisocial behaviour, to
reflect the wishes of our residents
who have identified this as a
priority.
Settling in
“I couldn’t believe we were in our new
home for Christmas,” said Alice Conway,
“which was a very special Christmas present
indeed.
“As a family we all love our new home.
I’m absolutely delighted with the layout of
the property and the additional space it has
given us.
“My daughter Abi is always keen to give
any visitors a tour of the house and show off
her new room.
“I’m from Carfin so I didn’t have to
move very far and I already know one of
my neighbours. It’s exciting being part of a
new community and being part of a new
housing development. The area is really
quiet and I love being able to let Abi go out
on her scooter.
“I feel settled already and look forward to
many happy times in our new home.”
The story so far…
In December 2007, proposals were
approved for our new build programme
serv ice and
people
firs t
An officer from
Strathclyde Police is seconded
to our antisocial behaviour
investigation teams, enabling an
improved exchange of intelligence
to help combat this issue.
During 2009/10 we dealt
with 6,343 reports of anti-social
behaviour. This related to 2,680
individual cases, 67% of which
were new complaints received
in the year. These included
complaints about vandalism,
harassment, gangs, violence, and
drugs, although almost 70% of
reports received concerned noise.
• We received 4,163 domestic
noise complaints during the year.
85% were settled without the
need for attendance on site, 14%
required attendance on site, and
one complaint was dealt with
under Part V of the Antisocial
Behaviour (Scotland) Act 2004.
• Our average response time to
attend on site, if required, was less
than one hour.
If you would like to find
out how housing services is
performing throughout the
year, performance bulletins and
displays are available at all local
housing offices, first stop shops,
and neighbourhood offices.
•
approved which commit us to build 500
homes over five years.
Our first phase of 20 homes at Holytown
was completed last year. And work is
underway to build 20 two-bedroom
bungalows and cottage flats for older
people at Kirk Road, Cambusnethan.
Building work is also commencing in
Clarkston and North Road, Cumbernauld.
And work is also planned to start on sites
at Coshneuk Road, Millerston, Gartferry
Road, Moodiesburn and Laburnum Road,
Viewpark later this year.
with 125 homes planned. February
2010 saw increased new build proposals
Looking to the future
Partnership working is key to the progress
that’s already been made at Ravenscraig and
will be crucial until its completion.
The £600 million second phase of the
development will create a new town centre
featuring retail, leisure and community
facilities.
And for our new families they hope to lay
the foundations of a new community that’s
set to grow and grow.
www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk
North Lanarkshire News No. 75, February 2011
7
International praise
for Muirhead school
by colin fraser
A primary school in Muirhead has
been given a prestigious award by
the British Council.
St. Barbara’s is the first school in
North Lanarkshire to be accredited
with the Full International School
Award 2010-2013.
‘We are proud to be
the first school in
North Lanarkshire
to receive this
prestigious accolade’
Headteacher Sheelah McKinney
said: “We’re keen for our children
to learn as much about other
countries and cultures as possible.
The school is partnered with
schools in Poland, Romania,
Turkey and Spain.
“The ties are through a
multilateral Comenius project
called ‘Communicating through
Art’. This project has formed the
core of year round activities for
the whole school involving staff,
parents and pupils and the local
community.”
The award recognises
schools which are committed
to promoting awareness
and understanding of other
countries in the curriculum.
The latest accolade follows on
from a highly positive school
inspection last year and receiving
North Lanarkshire Council’s
International School Award,
which they have won two years
running.
As part of the application,
the school had to submit an
extensive portfolio of evidence
of the school’s development and
strengthening of its international
dimension to its curriculum.
Gerry Ward, who teaches at
the school, said: “The award
has had an extremely positive
impact on the pupils’ learning
and has helped promote our own
culture as well as developing
their awareness of our European
neighbours.”
In addition to the Comenius
project, St. Barbara’s has
established many links to the
wider world through Fair Trade
projects, charity links with
Ethiopia, and partnership in
the Confucius programme,
FLYING THE FLAG FOR ST BARBARA’S: Chanel Fox and Leo Hopper are joined by fellow pupils to
celebrate the school’s award from the British Council.
which promotes cross-curricular
activities on China.
The school also included an
international dimension to its
school sports day by adopting the
FIFA World Cup as the theme.
Future plans include
developing another multilateral
project including a twinning with
a school in French Polynesia.
And pupils at the school are
clearly enjoying the opportunities
which the international
curriculum brings. Domenic
Hamiltion, 11, a P7 pupil said:
“One of the best things is being
taught by teachers from different
countries when they come to visit
us.” Ciaran Padden, 11, added:
“We have pen pals from other
countries and keep in touch with
them through emails and sending
Christmas and Easter cards.”
Sheelah said the whole school
was delighted with the award:
“We are proud to be the first
school in North Lanarkshire and
one of only a handful of primary
school in Scotland to receive this
prestigious accolade.”
Young people make a drama of their first DVD
by gaynor bell
North Lanarkshire’s young
people have become stars of
the silver screen after watching
their debut film at Coatbridge’s
Showcase cinema.
Entitled The Good, The Bad
and The Children, the DVD
is made by young people for
their peers and highlights the
priorities of North Lanarkshire’s
Children’s Services Partnership
in their work to improve the
lives of children and young
people in North Lanarkshire.
The participants decided
that the best way to highlight
the priorities was to produce
short dramas about each one
contained in the Children’s
Summary Plan as a way of
getting other people involved
in discussions about the issues.
The DVD features a series of
short dramas about young
people who need extra help; are
affected by drugs and alcohol;
break the law; live in care and
keeping young people safe.
The young people developed
the storylines, acted the parts,
filmed the dramas and wrote
Councillor Barry
McCulloch,
Convener of
Housing & Social
Work Services,
helps the young
film makers launch
their DVD at the
Showcase Cinema
in Coatbridge.
a rap as a way of engaging
others in discussion about the
issues featured. Everyone was
presented with a certificate
in recognition of their
achievement.
An invited audience
comprising secondary school
pupils from Coatbridge
and members from North
Lanarkshire Partnership enjoyed
the screening. Work is now
underway to incorporate the
DVD in lesson plans at schools
to help raise awareness of the
Children’s Plan and encourage
the engagement of young
people.
Speaking on behalf of
North Lanarkshire Partnership,
Councillor Barry McCulloch
thanked everyone involved in
producing the DVD. He said:
“A tremendous amount of hard
work and dedication was shown
by all of the young people
involved in making this fantastic
DVD. Not only that, but the
talent they display is second to
none and it’s great to see them
use these talents to highlight
some of the issues that many
young people struggle with.
“I’d also like to thank FPS
(frames per second) Media for
helping to produce the film and
also to the Showcase Cinema
for allowing us to screen their
DVD at no cost.”
Welcoming our
new citizens
Fourteen North Lanarkshire residents
have received their British citizenship
at a ceremony conducted by Deputy
Lord Lieutenant of Lanarkshire Andrew
Braidwood and Councillor John Pentland.
The residents, of Turkish, Pakistani and
Russian origin, took their citizenship oath
and pledge at Bellshill Registration office.
The Government requires that everyone
aged 18 years or over, who is accepted for
naturalisation or registration as a British
citizen, take a citizenship oath.
Councillor John Pentland said: “I was
delighted to be able to share in the joy of
this group of our residents receiving their
British citizenship.
“Gaining citizenship is a memorable and
enjoyable event for all those who have gone
through the naturalisation process and a
special day for their family and friends.”
8
Golf competition
winners announced
In our December
golf competition, we
asked readers to tell
us the venue for this
year’s Ryder Cup.
Six-year-old Ryan
Mcgarry from Airdrie
and Jane Moore from Coatbridge
came up with the correct answer:
Wales. Ryan will enjoy a free place
at the Junior Golf Academy and
Jane will receive two free lessons.
Many thanks to everyone who
entered the competition.
North Lanarkshire News No. 75, February 2011
Pupils in a league of their own
Don’t forget to
‘switchover’
Put a note in your television
planner to make the ‘switchover’
as 2011 heralds the biggest
change in television broadcasting
in recent years – digital switchover.
“North Lanarkshire is set to
switchover in 2011 and we want
to remind our residents about this
and tell them how they can make
the change,” explained Councillor
Barry McCulloch, Convener of
Housing and Social Work.
“When the old analogue
signal is switched off, you may
need to convert or upgrade
your TV equipment to receive
digital signals, whether through
a new aerial, by satellite, cable or
broadband. This means that your
television may not receive digital
signals and you may not get any
TV channels in future.”
A switchover scheme has been
set up by the government to help
people convert one television
in their home to the new digital
service. To find out whether you
qualify for this service contact the
Digital Switchover Help Scheme
on 0800 498 5900 or visit www.
digitaltelevision.gov.uk.
Provost Tom Curley joins young
players to help launch the ASN
league.
by andrew craney
A new 7-a-side football league
for secondary school pupils
attending Assisted Special Needs
schools (ASN) in central Scotland
has been created. The games are
designed to encourage greater
participation from young people
with additional support needs.
The inaugural matches took
place at the new £32 million
Ravenscraig Regional Sports
Facility at the end of 2010 and
featured players from Portland,
Glencryan, Firpark, Drumpark
and Carrongrange in Falkirk ASN
schools.
The league has been set up
as part of a partnership project
involving the council and the
Scottish Football Association.
Former Scottish international
star and North Lanarkshire
football development officer
Andy Smith has worked hard to
set up the league. He said: “We
have been working in partnership
with the SFA for the last couple of
years to provide weekly coaching
sessions within our ASN schools.
“The pupils and coaches have
really enjoyed the sessions and
we have some very talented
footballers within these schools.
“We are hoping to expand the
league in the future and include
more local authority teams as
football provides a great way
of encouraging pupils to enjoy
exercise and become part of a
team game.”
‘Football is a great
way of encouraging
the pupils to enjoy
exercise and become
part of a team game’
Each school has a squad of 10
players with dedicated coaches
supporting their training ahead
of league games. The SFA has
provided funding to support the
coaching sessions in the schools
The next set of matches
takes place on 4 February at
Ravenscraig and this will be
followed up with further games
in March and April before the
top two teams go forward to
represent the Central region at
the national finals in June.
Councillor Jim Logue,
Convener of Learning and Leisure
Services, added: “We are proud
to be supporting the ASN central
league and the Ravenscraig
facility provides the perfect
sporting venue for this type of
competition.
“As a council, we are
committed to encouraging all our
pupils to get more involved in
sport and have healthier lifestyles.
“Through education and
the stimulus of sport, young
people can build self-esteem and
develop their sporting talents;
the ASN league provides a perfect
opportunity for this.”
Minister visits Wellwynd Centre for regeneration talks
Parliamentary Under-Secretary
of State for Scotland, David
Mundell MP, visited North
Lanarkshire for discussions on
the economic regeneration of the
area.
Council Leader Jim McCabe,
Head of Regeneration Services
Maureen McConachie and Chief
Executive of Voluntary Action
North Lanarkshire Kenny Moffat
met with the under-secretary of
state at the new One Wellwynd
social enterprise centre in
Airdrie. They outlined some of
the challenges faced by North
Lanarkshire in the current
economic climate and some of
the successes the council and its
partners have had in tackling skills
development and employability
issues.
Councillor McCabe said:
“I was pleased to have the
opportunity of discussing some
very important matters with Mr
Mundell. We have been successful
in transforming and restructuring
the local economy following the
devastating reductions in heavy
industry towards the end of the
last century.
“However, the current financial
crisis has brought new challenges.
“North Lanarkshire has the
second-highest number of 16-24
year old job seekers in Scotland
and, despite talk of growth in the
UK, it is clear we have a massive
fight on our hands over the
Council Leader
Jim McCabe,
David Mundell
MP, Maureen
McConachie
and Kenny
Moffat meet
in the One
Wellwynd
centre in
Airdrie.
coming months and years, and
we need help from government to
win that fight.
“One of the things that brought
huge positives for the area in the
past was the establishment of
Enterprise Zones and I encouraged
the under-secretary of state to look
at the benefits they brought and
discuss with his cabinet colleagues
the possibility of introducing
something similar in the future.”
Maureen McConachie added:
“We have a strong track record of
partnership working with other
agencies in North Lanarkshire
and have had major success with
the Future Jobs Fund and North
Lanarkshire’s Working – these
successes were welcomed by the
under-secretary of state
“Our partnership with the
voluntary sector is a vital one and
we were able to underline that
with Mr Mundell.
“We look forward to
continuing that dialogue so
that the real benefits of local
initiatives being properly
joined together with national
programmes can bear fruit for
local people.”