Local Agenda 21 - 11. Local Agenda 21 - Health, Community and Access Action Plans

• Protect human health and amenity through safe, clean and pleasant environments

• Runs a 24-hour refuse and litter hotline (Tel: 01508 533730).
• Carries out street cleansing throughout the district with areas and roads swept, cleaned and litter-picked on various frequencies depending on need.
• Investigates and resolves litter complaints such as flytipping. Offenders are prosecuted where possible.
• Empties all approved litter bins on set frequencies depending on need.
• Carries out litter-picking in Council parks and play areas as part of the maintenance contract.
• Cleans and litter-picks all car parks as necessary. Recycling centres on Council car parks are also cleaned regularly.
• Works in partnership with Parish/Town Councils, Scout Groups and others to support the National Spring Clean campaign.
• Gives talks to community groups and schools on litter prevention and information leaflets are available to promote litter restraint and other waste issues.
• Builds and maintains public toilets to provide a high standard of cleanliness.
• Enforces the new dog fouling legislation, promotes responsible dog ownership through publicity, education, talks and the voluntary dog registration scheme.
• Provides a Pest Control Service
• Provides a hazardous waste collection free of charge for residents for items such as paints, solvents, chemicals and old refrigerators.
• Emphasise health prevention action as well as care

• Provides support for the GP Referral Scheme.
• Runs a Passport to Leisure Scheme.
• Provides facilities for people to take part in exercise and sport.
• Has established a Health Improvement Forum.
• Administers health improvement project funding to local groups.
• Gives talks to schools, voluntary groups and parish councils on healthy living.
• Is an active member of the Healthy Norfolk Group.
• Promotes "healthy alliances" with schools and businesses.
• Promotes healthy food options through the Top Spot Award.
• Promotes no smoking policies.
• Promptly investigates all complaints, accidents and notifications of infectious disease.
• Has produced a leaflet on the safe handling of asbestos.
• Ensure everyone has access to good food, water, housing and fuel at a reasonable cost

• Carries out routine inspections of all food and business premises in South Norfolk where the Council is responsible for enforcing legislation.
• Provides advice and guidance to businesses on what they need to do to comply with safety requirements.
• Investigates Food Safety and Health and Safety complaints made by the public and concerned employees.
• Gives talks on food safety and health and safety.
• Holds training courses to enable food handlers to obtain a nationally recognised certificate in Food Hygiene.
• Monitors all drinking water supplies.
• Ensures drainage systems function to dispose of sewage and prevent flooding.
• Produces a new Housing Strategy every three years, which is updated in other years.
• Undertakes a District wide Housing Needs Survey approximately every five years.
• Operates an Empty Homes Strategy to ensure that houses are empty for the minimum period.
• Has a Common Housing Register.
• Has carried out a stock condition survey of private sector housing.
• Supports the maintenance of, and improvements to, Council housing through the Housing Investment Programme.
• Negotiates for and supports affordable housing from the private sector.
• Provides and assists with the following:
• House Renovation Grants; grants for first time buyers; grants for Conversion into Rented Accommodation; and Disabled Facilities Grants.
• Operates a 'Care and Repair' scheme for elderly owner occupiers.
• Operates a 'Warm at Home' scheme, an Energy Efficiency Scheme
• Operates a Housing Associations Forum, a Homelessness Service, a Sheltered Housing Service, four Residents Associations and a Tenants' Federation.
• Provides support for the Tenancy Deposit Scheme.
• Meet local needs locally wherever possible

• Uses local suppliers, services and contractors wherever possible and has a prompt payment policy.
• Supports local businesses with numerous grant schemes and advice.
• Provides support for Farmers Markets.
• Supports and promotes the Local Exchange Trading Systems (LETS). These are community trading schemes which use local currency to trade goods and services.
• Supports and promotes Market Town Development Partnerships.
• Runs a Village Shop and pub Scheme.
• Has established a Credit Union Development Group. Credit Unions are mutual saving and lending schemes which are of particular benefit to people on low incomes, or without access to mainstream services.
• Encourage necessary access to facilities, services, goods and other people in ways which make less use of the car and minimise impacts on the environment

• Has appointed, with Norfolk County Council, a Community Transport Officer to develop and implement a community transport strategy and subsequent projects.
• Produced a Local plan which requires developers to provide for footpaths, cycleways and new or improved bus services in most new developments.
• Supports Park and Ride schemes by protecting potential sites from other development.
• Protects certain ex-railway routes and potential rail freight depot sites from other developments to encourage their future transport use.
• Is a member of the Norfolk Rail Policy Group - a discussion and pressure group to highlight rail issues and encourage railway development and use.
• Is a member of the East-West Rail Consortium which aims to provide a rail link between the east and west of the country to improve journey times and bypass London.
• Supports a Community Rail Partnership with funding and officer time to promote the use of the Norwich to Peterborough line.
• Has identified areas in the district where there is poor public transport.
• Has two further projects focusing on these transport 'hotspots'. One action has been the instigation of a moped loaning scheme called 'kick-start' which will probably be extended county-wide with one co-ordination point in South Norfolk. The 'kick-start' project will help unemployed people gain access to work or training.
• Part funds four community car schemes.
• Is funding volunteer drivers for Car Link through the Health Improvement Programme.
• Has funded a Post Bus scheme which operated between Hingham and Dereham.
• Subsidises bus passes and train passes for senior citizens.
• Runs a Cycling Forum which acts as a pressure and discussion group to further the needs of cyclists in South Norfolk. Through the activities of the Forum, County Council proposals for new off-road cycle routes in the district have been brought forward by up to two years, e.g. Hethersett to Cringleford and Poringland to Trowse.
• Has provided cycle racks in eight settlements including Wymondham and Brooke.
• Has located 78 mini recycling centres in villages, in the majority of cases located where both pedestrians and motorists can easily get to them. The message 'recycle locally' is promoted.
• Encourages businesses and organisations to come into the community by providing 'outreach services', e.g. The Enterprise Agency holds twice monthly surgeries in Diss and Wymondham.
• Runs its fleet vehicles on cleaner city diesel and, more recently, newly purchased vans are fuelled by Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG).
• Value and protect diversity and local distinctiveness, strengthen local community and cultural identity

• Aims to prevent developments which have a detrimental effect on the environment through planning control and policies.
• Aims to protect important archeological sites, ancient monuments and their settings, historic features and buildings of historic or architectural value.
• Keeps a register of all listed buildings at risk. Currently there are 61 listed buildings at risk in South Norfolk and a strategy is being developed to establish a priority list for action.
• Buildings at risk officer now employed.
• Gives grants to protect listed buildings.
• Works in partnership with Norfolk Churches Trust. An annual grant is given to the Trust to support the restoration and maintenance of churches in the district.
• Has produced Design Guidance Manuals covering a range of issues e.g. designing new buildings in conservation areas, conversion of farm buildings, alterations and extensions to listed buildings etc. The aim is to promote "local distinctiveness" by using appropriate materials and details when planning decisions are made.
• Has reviewed conservation areas and 51 have now been designated. Character appraisals of all conservation areas were due to be completed early this year. These define the character of each area in terms of building materials, details, open spaces, trees etc., and will be used in assessing whether proposed development within an area will preserve or enhance its character.
• Supports town centre and conservation area enhancement schemes with a capital fund programme.
• Assists local communities to identify issues and concerns particular to those communities and aids in developing plans and actions to tackle them. The following are examples of projects:
• Assisted in numerous village appraisals;
• Provided funding to the Harleston
• Voluntary Youth Group for a drop in centre for young people to meet, develop their social skills in a safe and friendly environment.
• Provided funding and support for a HomeFix scheme operating in the district, providing assistance for elderly and disadvantaged people with practical repairs such as fixing handrails, levelling paving slabs and mending gutters.
• Empower all sections of the community to participate in decision making and consider the social and community impacts of decisions

• Continues to implement and support the Anti-Poverty Strategy.
• Continues to organise and support the Environmental Liaison Group, a forum for consultation and discussion on environmental issues, which is open to Parish/Town Councils, local community groups and interested individuals.
• Continues to support the Four Residents' Associations.
• Continues to support the Tenants' Federation.
• Encourages public speaking at: Policy development groups; Area Planning Committees; Area Forums; Focus Groups.
• Maximise everyone's access to skills and knowledge needed to play a full part in society

• Supports and provides funding for the IT centres in Diss, Hethersett and Loddon. These are walk-in centres where IT equipment is available along with training and advice.
• Provides subsidies to training providers.
• Supported a Training Needs Analysis in Agriculture where the labour pool is often poorly skilled.
• Works with the Norwich Unemployed Workers' Centre to provide help and support for unemployed people.
• Operates a Welfare Rights/Debt Counselling Service.
• Promotes the take up of all welfare benefits through roadshows, talks, publications and partnership working.
• Has a number of leaflet racks in Parishes and Towns and produces a community magazine called "The Link" to keep all residents informed.
• Helping people to live free of fear of crime or persecution because of their beliefs, race, gender, disability or sexuality

• Coordinates the South Norfolk Community Safety Partnership.
• Produces a Community Safety Strategy, every three years, which is reviewed annually.
• Recently produced a Community Safety Audit for South Norfolk.
• Operates a Safe and Secure Scheme.
• Has implemented and continually supports its Equal Opportunities Policy.
• Operates four Equality Groups: Race, Disability, Gender, Human Rights.

ACTIONS TO MEET SOCIAL NEEDS (South Norfolk Council unless shown otherwise).	TARGET, DEADLINE & RESPONSIBILITY
PROTECT HUMAN HEALTH Update Pest Control leaflets Poop Scoop campaign Publish Ruff Guide and talks to schools on dog issues	Dec 2000 Dec2000-Jan 2001 Number of talks
EMPHASISE HEALTH PREVENTION Implement Norfolk Health Improvement Programme Implement Local Health Improvement Plan	2001 Dec 2000
ACCESS TO GOOD HOUSING, FOOD, WATER & FUEL
Revise the Housing Strategy	End 2000
Undertake a house condition survey of private sector houses	End 2001
Introduce a Home Maintenance Advice Scheme	End 2001
Increase the number of people assisted by the Care and Repair Scheme	500 more by end of 2001
Implement the Home Fix Scheme	April 2000
Establish a women's refuge in Diss	End of 2001
Establish a benefits user's panel	End of 2000
Provide road shows on benefits information	Feb/Mar 2001
Benefits take up campaign	2 by end of 2001
Establish a landlords panel	End of 2000
MEET LOCAL NEEDS LOCALLY
l Promote LETS schemes l Support Farmers markets	2000-2002 Diss and Loddon by 2001
ENCOURAGE LESS USE OF THE CAR
Investigate and create taxi/bus sharing schemes	End Feb 2001 SNC Parish Council and voluntary organisations
Investigate a vehicle brokerage scheme	End Jan 2001 SNC & Diss area Age Concern
Investigate Community Transport scheme for Surlingham	SNC Parish Councils & UEA students End Jan 2001
Update "Transport provision & Accessibility in South Norfolk" study	End Feb 2001
Develop vehicle database to support private hire and brokerage	End April 2001
Develop Community Transport Guide	End April 2001
Launch Peterborough to Norwich Community SNC and Central trains Rail Partnership	End Aug 2001
Investigate possibility of a Wymondham Community Transport Association to run the Flexi-bus	End April 2001
Produce six new cycle route leaflets	End 2001
VALUE AND PROTECT LOCAL IDENTITY
Encourage communities to carry out village audits	8 by April 2001 SNC and English Heritage
Develop strategy for saving buildings at risk	2003
Implement "one stop shop" for development advice	End of 2000
Support organisations to promote social cohesion	5 supported
EMPOWER COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
Support public participation in decision making	Increase the number of public speakers at Council meetings
ACCESS TO SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE
Develop at least two further information and learning centres	Loddon by 2001, Aim to establish one at Wymondham
REDUCE FEAR OF CRIME
Implement a new Community Safety Strategy	2004
Implement a CCTV Strategy	2002

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Page last updated on 12/05/2003