Fireworks

You may want to know about this advice issued by Kent Trading Standards:

STAYING SAFE AND LEGAL WITH FIREWORKS

Although fireworks can play a big part in celebrations like Bonfire Night, Diwali and Chinese New Year, they can pose serious dangers. Fireworks are explosives and burn at high temperatures so they need careful handling and storage. Kent Trading Standards advise people not to buy fireworks from anywhere they are not sure about - like a van or a temporary unlicensed market stall. Only buy fireworks marked BS 7114 or with a CE mark – this shows that the firework meets British or European safety standards. There are other important legal restrictions.

People under 18 years of age can’t buy fireworks or have possession of fireworks in public places. Offenders risk the Police giving an on-the-spot fine of £80. 

Fireworks can't be let off after 11pm except:
until 12midnight on Bonfire Night (5 November);
until 1am on New Year’s Eve, Diwali (13 November 2012) and Chinese New Year (10 February 2013). 

They must not be let off in the street or any other public place. Complaints about noise should be reported to the Environmental Health Office of the District Council. 

Fireworks can only be bought:
between 15 October and 10 November;
between 26 December and 31 December; and
three days before Diwali and Chinese New Year. 
For the rest of the year, fireworks can only be purchased from certain specialist licensed shops.    

Population increase

Figures just released by the Office for National Statistics reveal that Walmer and Deal's local population increased by an extra 1,317 people  between 2001 and 2011. For more on this and other changes from the 2011 Census, see www.walmerweb.co.uk/news-local.html .

Christmas and New Year Public Services

WalmerWeb's roundup of public services over the 2012 Christmas and 2013 New Year holiday period has information on bus and rail changes; council, library and waste tip closures; Royal Mail last posting dates and much more.

To take a look, go to http://www.walmerweb.co.uk/news-local.html

Crime Prevention

The recently launched Crime Prevention Website claims it is the largest and most comprehensive online resource for free Crime Prevention and Home Security advice.

Created by a retired police officer with many years of crime prevention experience, the site contains comprehensive and up-to-date crime prevention advice and a free confidential Survey to help people improve their home and personal security. 

For more details and a link to the website, see  http://www.walmerweb.co.uk/walm-services/nhw.html

Dover DC to charge for green waste collection

It seems that Dover District Council intends to introduce charges for green waste collection in April. A wholly retrograde step.

Surely we already pay enough for council services in the form of council tax?

The council's suggestion that introducing charges for the current free service makes it possible to offer the service to all properties cuts absolutely no ice. The service should have been available to everyone anyway!

This very foolish and mean proposal looks like just another attempt to tax local residents. It will undoubtedly lead to fly tipping or more journeys to the waste tip - all damaging to the environment.

Perhaps our local elected representative need to be told to THINK AGAIN!

Local services for Christmas and New Year

WalmerWeb has a really useful list of local services over the Christmas and New Year holiday period. If you want to check out bus or rail services, refuse collection changes, closures for council offices and the library, sports centres times and more, take a look at http://www.walmerweb.co.uk/news-local.html

Shipping in the Channel - Live!

There's something new on WalmerWeb's companion site at DealWeb.

We've added a page where you can see the current shipping in the English Channel. It's updated every few minutes, letting you see the location of ships and details like their type and name and even a photograph.

To take a look, go to: www.dealweb.org.uk/channel_shipping.html