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Residents are being warned by Bath & North East Somerset Council to beware of doorstep sellers, after an elderly lady from Bath became the victim of a suspected rogue trader by paying £600 cash for an hour of work which entailed pruning two small trees in her garden.

Rogue traders target vulnerable residents and carry out little or no work, charging exorbitant sums of money. They will usually offer roofing, driveway or gardening services at a reduced price, but work is often unnecessary or badly done and the trader later increases the price. While it might be tempting to agree to low prices being offered on the doorstep, Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Trading Standards team warns people to think twice. Their advice is:

• Never agree to have any work done as a result of a cold call, and don’t be pressurised into having the job done immediately
• If you think work needs doing to your home, get quotes from 2 or 3 traders and ask for references and check the trader out by speaking to their previous customers
• Ask for the full name and address from a trader before considering dealing with them, and never rely solely on a mobile phone number
• Ask for a written quotation detailing all the proposed work and a final price for the job
• Only pay once the work is completed to your satisfaction, don’t pay up front for materials, don’t pay cash
• Ask to see photo identification of all callers to your home, even if they claim to be from a utility company, the police or local authority
• When checking ID, check it carefully with the telephone number in the phone book and not the number on the ID
• Do not keep cash in your home no matter how well you think it is hidden, and never let traders know that you may have cash on the premises.

Cllr Bob Goodman, Cabinet Member for Development, said: “Rogue traders are a shameful blight on our community and make people’s lives a misery, as well as sullying the good reputation of decent local businesses. Rogue traders use underhand and high-pressure sales techniques to take advantage of householders; particularly preying on vulnerable people. Bath & North East Somerset Council will not stand for such dishonest trading practices and we continue to work closely with the Police, through intelligence sharing and joint initiatives, to help protect our residents and legitimate local businesses.”

Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Trading Standards team runs an approved trader scheme called Buy With Confidence. The members on the scheme are vetted and approved by Trading Standards to ensure that they operate in a legal, honest and fair way. Should you require a business to do work at your home, service your car etc. we advise you take a look at our Buy With Confidence scheme https://www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk/

Bath & North East Somerset Trading Standards has also produced door stickers for residents to display stating that they do not buy from doorstep callers. Residents can obtain a sticker by phoning 01225 396753.

If you or a neighbour or relative is approached by a cold caller and you are concerned please call the Citizens Advice consumer helpline 03454 04 05 06 (Trading Standards will also be referred a copy of the complaint). You can also report any suspicious vehicles you have spotted in your area if you think they are being used by workmen targeting houses or bungalows in areas predominately inhabited by older or vulnerable residents.

 Bath & North East Somerset Council is concerned that local residents are being misled by a company claiming they have the Council’s backing.  A Devon-based company has sent out letters with the Council’s logo on it offering free energy saving measures and asking recipients to call a customer service number.

However, the Council has absolutely no connection to this company – which has used the Council’s logo without permission.  Residents receiving this letter are advised not to contact the company.

Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Trading Standards Team has issued a warning to the company to stop using the Council’s logo. If you are unsure about an offer claiming to be backed by the Council, you can check with the Council by contacting Council Connect on 01225 39 40 41 or by emailing councilconnect@bathnes.gov.uk.

Residents interested in energy saving measures can contact the Council’s Energy at Home Scheme which provides free home energy advice and access to grants and support to make energy saving home improvements. Freephone 0800 038 5680 or visit the website www.energyathome.org.uk.

The Energy at Home Scheme is delivered by Bath & North East Somerset Council in association with the Centre for Sustainable Energy and Dyson Energy Services.

Look out for your new wheeled bin or re-usable rubbish bag delivered to your home between 25 September and early November.

Preparations are moving forward for the new service.

What is changing and why?

From 6 November we will be collecting rubbish every other week in wheeled bins or re-usable bags for the majority of residents. Recycling, including food waste will continue to be collected weekly. The chargeable garden waste collections will remain every other week.  The changes will help to keep the streets cleaner, increase recycling and make the services more affordable.

Find out your container allocation

In March we sent a letter out with the Council Tax bill to let you know what container you had been allocated. To check your allocation, enter your address at www.bathnes.gov.uk/recycle  or contact Council Connect.

If you have a query with your allocation please contact Council Connect.  Where households have 2 or more children in nappies, 6 or more people in their household or a clear medical need they may be able to apply for a larger bin.

If you need to change your allocation, please contact Council Connect on 01225 394000. They will talk through your needs, and then if appropriate pass on your request for change of container. We will contact you to let you know the outcome of your request.  In the meantime, your original allocated container will be delivered to you before the start of the new collection as it will be too late to prevent this happening. If we have agreed to issue an alternative container, we will arrange to replace your original with your changed container.

What happens next?

• Week beginning 28 August – Royal Mail will deliver a leaflet to you giving you more information about the new service
• From 25 September to early November– we will deliver the wheeled bins/re-usable rubbish bags to 78,000 households. The bins will be delivered to the front edge of your property or your re-usable rubbish bag will be delivered to your door.

Please

• do not put out your new bin/bag for collection until 6 November
• continue to put out your rubbish as you normally do until the new collection starts
• put out your rubbish for collection in your new bin/bag on your correct collection day from 6 November

Your bin/bag will be delivered with a welcome pack which will include further information about the new collection service including:

• How to use your new bin/bag collection
• Right day, right week collection calendar for 2017-18 – please check carefully as your collection day may have changed, so it’s even more important to make sure your recycling and rubbish is out by 7am. You can sign up now for text message reminders of when your new collection is due. Text your postcode to 07520 631700
• Details of Christmas and New Year changes
• How to make the most of your recycling collections
• 2 stickers to put on your recycling boxes to help you separate your recycling

Getting ready for the new service

• Please make sure you recycle all you can, including your food waste. You can order extra free recycling containers at www.bathnes.gov.uk/orderacontainer

If you prefer, from 7 August you can collect recycling containers at one of the three Recycling Centres, rather than wait for one to be delivered.

• Check our website for the latest updates. Check to see if your query is answered in over 30 FAQs we have on our website www.bathnes.gov.uk/recycle
• Visit one of our roadshows to see the new containers and find out more. Go to www.bathnes.gov.uk/roadshows for details and check on our website to find out where our display wheeled bins are.
• We are promoting re-usable nappies to help reduce waste. We are selling packs of Bambino Mio re-usable nappies for £150 (£100 less than the retail price).
• Resident’s packs – we are developing website materials you can download for free to help share messages with neighbours to advise them how to set out their waste etc. The website will explain this further and include a leaflet and tick-card to post to neighbours explaining how to use the service properly.
• Like our Facebook page www.facebook.com/recycleforbathnes to receive updates and tips.

 

 

NOTICE OF ELECTION

Election of a Mayor for West Of England Combined Authority

1. An Election is to be held of a Mayor for the West of England Combined Authority area. 2. Forms of nomination for this Mayoral Election may be obtained at 5th Floor, B Bond, Smeaton Road, Bristol, BS1 6XN from the Combined Authority Returning Officer who will, at the request of an elector for any electoral area prepare a nomination paper for signature.

3. Nomination papers must be delivered to the Combined Authority Returning Officer, 5th Floor, B Bond, Smeaton Road, Bristol, BS1 6XN on any day after the date of this notice, on Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (excluding bank holidays), but no later than 4 pm on Tuesday, 4th April 2017.

4. The required deposit may be made either by (a) the deposit of any legal tender or by (b) means of a banker’s draft or by (c) electronic transfer of funds using a debit card.

5. If the election is contested the poll will take place on Thursday, 4th May 2017.

6. Applications, amendments or cancellations of postal votes and amendments or cancellations of proxy votes must reach the relevant Electoral Registration Officer by   5 pm on Tuesday, 18th April 2017.

7. New applications to vote by proxy at this election must reach the relevant Electoral Registration Officer by 5 pm on Tuesday, 25th April 2017.

8. Applications to vote by emergency proxy at this election on grounds of physical incapacity or for work/service reasons must reach the relevant Electoral Registration Officer by 5 pm on Thursday, 4th May 2017.  The physical incapacity must have occurred after 5 pm on Tuesday, 25th April 2017.  To apply on the grounds of work/service, the person must have become aware that they cannot go to the polling station in person after 5 pm on Tuesday, 25th April 2017

Voting Area	Electoral Registration Officer’s Contact Details
Bath and North East Somerset	Address: Electoral Registration Officer, Bath & North East Somerset Council, Guildhall, High Street, Bath, BA1 5AW Telephone: 01225 477333 Email: elections@bathnes.gov.uk
Bristol	Address: Electoral Registration Officer, Electoral Services (B Bond), Bristol City Council, PO Box 3176, Bristol, BS3 9FS Telephone: 0117 922 3400 Email: electoral.services@bristol.gov.uk
South Gloucestershire	Address: Electoral Registration Officer, South Gloucestershire Council, PO Box 300, Civic Centre, High Street, Kingswood, Bristol, BS15 0DS Telephone: 01454 863030 Email: electoral.services@southglos.gov.uk