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Showing items 61 to 70 of 150 results

  1. Odours and fumes

    Nuisance smells seriously affect you in your home and can threaten your health

  3. Is your child safe?

    With the Easter holidays approaching when many young people spend more time without adult supervision can you be sure your child is not at risk of exploitation by criminal gangs?

    Hanging out with older people, new possessions and being secretive are just some of the signs of child exploitation. And it’s not just a problem in cities and big towns – it’s happening in Hart too. 

    That’s why we’re supporting National Child Exploitation Awareness Day which aims to highlight the issues surrounding child criminal exploitation (CCE), encouraging everyone to think, spot, and speak out against abuse.

    CCE is a term used to describe when children and young people are manipulated or coerced into committing crimes. Criminals groom young people to carry out illegal activity on their behalf – such as selling and storing drugs, carrying weapons and committing burglary, robbery or theft.

    All children are at risk of being exploited. Children from as young as seven have been criminally exploited in the UK, and in Hart, each month, an average of 10 Hart young people are identified as at risk of CCE and discussed in a multiagency meeting that seeks to protect them. The numbers may seem small, but the impact on each young person can be devastating.

    At Hart our Community Safety team works with partners across the district to keep young people safe. This includes running the Stay Safe awareness sessions in secondary schools, holding the Think Safe event for Year 6 pupils and attending other youth groups by request to cover this and other key topics such as the risks of knife crime.

    Kirsty Jenkins, Executive Director for Community, said: “Child exploitation can happen to children from any background at any age. Some criminals will deliberately target children who are vulnerable, such as those with problems at home or school.

    “However, criminals will also target children who do not at first seem to be at risk. They may be happy at home and have good marks at school but may be looking for some excitement. Criminals target these children too as they have no involvement with services and won’t be associated with criminal activity.

    “We all have a part to play in looking out for the signs of child exploitation and a responsibility to report any concerns we have.”

    Know the signs of CCE

    There are several signs to look out for that may indicate someone is being exploited by a criminal gang:

    • Being away from home more and being in places they wouldn’t usually be
    • Spending time with older people
    • Committing ASB / low level crime
    • Changes in emotional wellbeing
    • Unexplained injuries
    • New and expensive possessions
    • Deterioration in school performance or going missing from school

    How to report CCE

    Speak to the school, if known, to make them aware of your concerns and additionally report through:

  5. Hart supports White Ribbon Day

    We’re supporting White Ribbon Day today to end violence against women and girls and raise awareness of domestic abuse.

    The day falls in the same week as the start of the FIFA men’s World Cup, with the charity highlighting how men and boys can play their part to achieve gender equality.

    Domestic abuse affects the lives of thousands of people every year and can take the form of physical, emotional, psychological, sexual and / or financial abuse. 

    Along with a general rise in reported cases nationally, domestic abuse crimes in Hart accounted for 17% of total crime in 2021/22 with the number of reports to police increasing by 10% when compared to the previous year. 

    Hart figures for 2021/22 also show that ‘violence against the person’ accounted for 82% of domestic abuse crime. The most common offence types were common assault and battery (29%), actual bodily harm (21%) and sending letters etc with intent to cause distress or anxiety (10%).

    During the year ending September 2021, 139 victims of domestic abuse in Hart were referred to victim support.

    Kirsty Jenkins, Executive Director of Community Services at Hart District Council, said: “We know that, sadly, the number of domestic abuse case increased during the pandemic at the same time that there were fewer opportunities to get support. We’re committed to helping the victims of violence in Hart which is why White Ribbon Day is so important – it raises awareness of the issues and the support available.”

    Domestic abuse support

    Clare’s Law:  the domestic violence disclosure scheme designed to provide victims with information that may protect them from an abusive situation before it ends in tragedy. The scheme allows the Police to disclose information about a partner’s previous history of domestic violence or violent acts.

    Ask for ANI: if you are experiencing domestic abuse and need immediate help, ask for ‘ANI’ in a participating pharmacy. ‘ANI’ stands for Action Needed Immediately. If a pharmacy has the ‘Ask for ANI’ logo on display, it means they’re ready to help. They will offer you a private space, provide a phone and ask if you need support from the police or other domestic abuse support services.

    Hampshire Domestic Abuse Advice Line: 0330 0165112
    Monday – Thursday, 9.30am – 5.30pm
    Friday, 9.30am – 5pm 

    Virtual Drop-in Service: for victims of domestic abuse who cannot access a telephone. Please contact a worker via Facebook Messenger
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Southerndas/
    Monday – Friday, 9:30am to 11:30am, 3pm to 5pm, 6pm to 8pm 

    Refuge’s National Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0808 2000 247

    Men’s advice line: 0808 801 0327 

     

    25 November 2022
     

  6. Empty properties

    We want to work with owners of empty homes to bring them back into use

  7. New housing data supports Local Plan

    The protection of Hart’s towns and villages from inappropriate development has been further strengthened by new data on future housing supply.

    Hart, like all local authorities, is required to demonstrate it has a five-year supply of housing land under national planning policy. A new report shows that the district has a healthy supply for the next 10 years, rather than the required five.

    This is good news for residents because it strengthens the Council’s position to refuse planning permission for homes contrary to the Local Plan. The Plan, adopted in 2020, provides policies to protect our greenfield sites, ensuring that the design of new buildings is of high quality while safeguarding the environment.

    Councils which cannot prove they have a five-year supply find it more difficult to block planning applications for new homes in inappropriate locations.

    Councillor Graham Cockarill, Cabinet Member for Place, said: “Because we have a robust Local Plan and a good supply of housing land, we are in a very good position to ensure any development meets the community’s needs.

    “The findings of the housing supply report will help make sure we get the right type of development as detailed in the Local Plan.

    "Having a strong supply of new housing helps contribute to our overall vision to provide more affordable homes for current and future residents.”
     

    1 September 20022

  8. Climate change progress update

    A full update on the Council’s climate change progress has been presented to Full Council. 

    Overall, 37 items from the total action plan of 63 are being investigated and are currently on target, including nine live projects. 

    The key highlights from the report are: 

    • Electrical charging infrastructure across Hart car parks – positive progress has been made with legal agreements and installation will be rolled out across 2024. 
    • Buildings energy efficiency – decarbonisation reports have been drafted for four of our buildings. This includes the project to investigate solar panels in the car park and a data centre as a potential heat source at Hart Leisure Centre which was the subject of a Full Council motion last July. 
    • Resident housing retrofit project – a new project is underway to support residents identify potential home energy savings and access grant funding. This includes the lending of thermal imaging cameras piloted last winter. 
    • Transport upgrades – two vehicles from Hart’s fleet have been replaced with electric alternatives and waste vehicle upgrades to hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and are on target for completion in 2024. 
    • Hart tree strategy - we are working with the Countryside team and residents on a tree strategy for Hart, to deliver the health, wildlife and climate resilience benefits afforded by good healthy tree cover. 
    • Stakeholder Engagement Group - our first Stakeholder Engagement Group met in September and again in January, with plans to continue quarterly meetings. 

    Read the full climate change update.

    More information about Hart’s climate change goals is available on the Climate Change section of our website.

    This is the first six-monthly update and the next one will be provided in July 2024.