A new way of reporting and finding stray dogs is on its way for Hastings.
Hastings Borough Council has appointed Animal Wardens Ltd to take over the running of its stray dog control services, in line with many other local authorities across the country.
Staff from Animal Wardens will take responsibility for picking up strays, taking them to holding kennels and where possible, reuniting them with owners; powers which were previously shared by the council and Sussex Police.
If dog owners aren't found within seven days, the company will work to re-home them. As before, there is a charge for the return of dogs to their owners, which covers transportation, kennelling and any animal health bills.
From 1 April if you lose your dog or want to report a stray, please contact the Animal Wardens switchboard on 0845 241 7253. The service is available 24-hours, seven days a week.
Animal Wardens Ltd will not be dealing with other dog control issues such as fouling, dogs off leads, etc. Council staff will continue to enforce these laws.
The Sussex Community Rail Partnership has organised another of its walks based on the Marshlink Line, this time around Hastings.
The walk will start from Warrior Square station at 10.20am on Saturday 29 March, and will take in St Leonards Gardens and Alexandra Park, finishing at Hastings Station at around 1.30pm.
The walk will be led by Kevin Boorman from Hastings Borough Council.
Please book a place by telephoning 07891 556897, email Samantha.Bryant@ruralsussex.org.uk
Hastings Borough Council has welcomed its 'Annual Audit and Inspection Letter' which was discussed at its Audit Committee on Tuesday. It was produced by independent auditors working for the Audit Commission, and covered not only the audit of financial statements but also value for money and the conduct of public business.
The report concluded that the council is improving its services in line with its priorities and in those areas which matter to local people, the way the council uses its resources was scored as three out of four, and that the council delivers good value for money.
It also recommended three key areas for the council to take action: to continue to focus attention on the weaker performing services, seeking improvement in performance and costs as part of its commitment to improve value for money; to strengthen its arrangements for financial reporting and internal control; and to continue taking action to reduce the number of staff days lost through sickness.
Council Leader Peter Pragnell was very pleased with the report:
"I think this letter reflects extremely well on the council, and is a credit to everyone involved.
"We are not complacent, though, and recognise that there are areas where we could do better. We are, of course, happy to accept the auditors' recommendations.
"At a time when public spending is rightly under the microscope, it is extremely heartening to receive such a positive report. I was particularly pleased that the independent auditors said that we were improving our services in line with our priorities, and that we deliver good value for money."
If you're a commuter you can park even earlier at Priory Street Car Park in Hastings.
After growing demand for earlier parking, Hastings Borough Council will open the gates at 6am and is introducing a free parking period between 6am and 8am, so although drivers may park longer they are only paying their usual daily rate.
Priory Street Car Park is open from 6am to 11pm. A £1 fee is payable for cars left overnight.
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This page last updated: 26/03/2008