Braddan Parish Commissioners Recent News

Clubs & Organisations

Braddan Parish Commissioners, mailto:braddan@braddan.gov.im — Thu, 17 Oct 2002 15:34:50 GMT

The following is a list of organisations which meet in Braddan.

Braddan Guides

Contact: Sally Harvey
Telephone: 662798
E-mail: s.harvey@willaston.shc.im
Location of Meetings: Braddan Church Hall

Braddan Guides meet on Monday evenings during School terms between 6.10pm and 7.30pm. For girls between the ages of 10 and 15.
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Braddan Youth Club

Contact: Sue Crowe or Jane Leece
Telephone: Sue 851185 or Jane 852448
Location of Meetings: Braddan Primary School

Wednesday evenings, between 7pm and 8.30pm for children aged 8-10 and Friday evenings between 7.30pm and 9.30pm for children aged 11-13. The clubs are currently full, but if you want to join please contact us.

Our Clubs do general Youth Club activities including Games and Sports; Arts and Crafts; Computer Games; discussion groups on issues affecting young people; visits to other clubs; bowling; cinema; participation in Department of Education organised events including Super-dance, Football Competitions, participation in Youth Festival Films and Shows.
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Friends of Old Kirk Braddan Church

Contact: Mrs McDonald
Telephone : 851782
Website: Friends of Old Kirk Braddan Church

We are a voluntary organisations which raises funds for the old Kirk Braddan

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Union Mills Brownies

Contacts: Mrs June Gawne
Telephone: 851807
E-mail: kitgawne@enterprise.net
Location of Meetings: Union Mills Methodist Chapel

We meet on Monday evenings between 6.15pm and 7.30pm during school term. Our membership age from 7-10 years. We follow the Guide Association Programme.
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Union Mills Rainbow Guides

Contact: Alison Crowe or Kirsty Cassidy
Telephone: Alison on 670120 or 450861 or Kirsty on 615028
E-mail: a.crowe@doe.sch.im
Location of Meetings: Memorial Hall, Union Mills

We meet on Monday evenings between 6pm and 7.15pm for girls aged 5-7. We follow the First Stage of the Guide Association programme which aims at play and making new friends.
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Braddan and Marown Royal British Legion

Contact: Mr H Cannan, Hon. Sec.
Telephone: Mr H Cannan on 851746

Braddan and Marown Royal British Legion is currently seeking to recruit new members.

Although it is called the Royal British Legion it is not just for Service Personnel, anyone can join. Full or Associate Membership is available.

For further details please contact Mr Cannan.
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Union Mills Football Club

Telephone: 852862
E-mail: union_millsfc@manx.net
Website:Union Mills Football Club

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Braddan Womens Institute

Contact: Mrs Joyce Quine
Telephone: 851543
Location of Meetings: Union Mills Methodist Church Hall

We meet on the third Tuesday of each month at 2pm.

For further details please contact Mrs Quine.

Bin Collections and Street Cleaning - Douglas Borough Council

Braddan Parish Commissioners, mailto:braddan@braddan.gov.im — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:38:00 GMT

Bin Collections:

The Commissioners have negotiated a new agreement for the collection and disposal of waste for household and commercial properties in the Parish with Douglas Borough Council. The agreement starts in April 2012 and is for a period of 3 years.

Between now and April you may notice an officer from Douglas checking your bin to see if it is still in good condition and if not, we will replace it.

They will also install a small microchip to allow us to check which bin has been emptied and how much refuse, in terms of weight, the Parish is disposing of each year.

The collection dates for residential and commercial properties will not change, and the first domestic collection will be Monday 2nd April and the first commercial collection will be Good Friday 6th April.

We hope it will be a smooth and simple transition, but if you have any problems please call this office on 852808 during office hours and we will try and resolve it for you.

Street Cleaning:

Part of the new agreement includes the sweeping of roads in the parish. We have highlighted the main residential estates, streets and industrial areas but we do have the facility to have other streets cleaned if there is a problem.

The routes that we have initially set up are available at our counter for inspection or are in 'Related items' below.

No Rate Increase for 2012/13

Braddan Parish Commissioners, mailto:braddan@braddan.gov.im — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:55:00 GMT

Press Release
Braddan Parish Commissioners
27th January 2012

The board of Braddan Parish Commissioners are pleased to announce that for the third year in a row they have been able retain their rate at 227p in the pound.
Careful scrutiny of the cost of core functions, including waste disposal and the effective use of the authority's finances has allowed this to happen.

From April 2012 a key change is the partnership with Douglas Corporation to provide the refuse and kerbside collection services. Both form part of the waste management service and both authorities will be carefully examining opportunities for further efficiencies through closer co-operation with other like-minded authorities.

Even without a rate rise, the board is still heavily committed to providing improved services to the youth of the parish, and a large investment, in excess of �100k, is included in the estimates for play equipment at all the play parks. In particular, Grianagh Park will see the creation of a BMX track and skateboard and BMX tricks area.

The Commissioners also intend to upgrade play equipment in each of the three playgrounds to allow less able bodied children to participate, a matter that has been a wish of the Commissioners for some time now.

The Commissioners have several other projects, large and small, in the planning stage including improvements to the facilities at the Memorial and Port Soderick Halls. The upgrading of various lights in the parish is still on the agenda as is the development of Strang Corner Field.

However, it is unfortunate that the board still has to make contingent provision to defend the legal action against the authority brought by Mr Lewin, the former clerk to the authority, as this money would otherwise allow greater investment in services, or facilities, in the Parish.

Further details of the Commissioners' plans for the forthcoming year, 2012/13, will be contained in their Business Plan which will be issued to all ratepayers in April.

Colin Whiteway
Contact Details:
Mr A Jessopp
Vice Chairman
622937

Contact in the Office:
J C Whiteway
Clerk
852808

Kerbside Collection

Braddan Parish Commissioners, mailto:braddan@braddan.gov.im — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:47:00 GMT

Braddan Parish Commissioners are now committed to the Kerbside Collection Service in partnership with Douglas Corporation on a permanent basis.

The sale of recyclable material collected helps to offset the cost of the service; you can help us by fully committing to the scheme.

Every tonne of recyclable material sent to the incinerator in your refuse bin costs you more money and the charge for disposing of "waste" at the incinerator is only going to increase over time.

In particular, the operator of the incinerator does not want your cans or glass as they adversely affect the operation of the plant.

If you have stopped putting out your recycling boxes it would be greatly appreciated if you could start to use them again. If you have any problems with the boxes or need a new collection calendar, please feel free to call the Commissioners Office on 852808.

The Commissioners accept that not all properties in the parish are included in the scheme, mainly due to location, but they are actively considering how to accommodate all parishioners' needs.

Douglas Borough Council have recently launched a website dedicated to the Kerbside Collection service and you can download the relevant collecton calendar by looking up your address.

It also gives advice on exactly what materials you can recycle and other useful information about recycling on the island.

A link to the website can be found in 'Related Items' below.

Planning Approval for BMX Track in Cronk Grianagh Park

Braddan Parish Commissioners, mailto:braddan@braddan.gov.im — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 11:50:00 GMT

Braddan Parish Commissioners have recently obtained planning approval for a BMX track within the lower portion of Cronk Grianagh Park. The Commissioners are keen to provide new amenities for the parish, particularly for younger people and feel that a BMX track would be a welcome addition to the park.

Details of the planning application can be found in 'Related Items' below.

Commissioners Office Revised Opening Hours

Braddan Parish Commissioners, mailto:braddan@braddan.gov.im — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 10:56:00 GMT

The Commissioners Office will open an hour later on Thursday mornings to allow staff training. The opening hours are set out below:

Monday : 9am to 5pm
Tuesday : 9am to 5pm
Wednesday: 9am to 5pm
Thursday : 10am to 5pm
Friday : 9am to 5pm

2012 - 2013 Parish Rate

Braddan Parish Commissioners, mailto:braddan@braddan.gov.im — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:47:00 GMT

The Parish Rate for 2012/2013 has been fixed in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Act 1985 [as amended] at 227p in the pound, no increase over the 2011/12 ate.

A copy of the 2012/13 estimates is attached below

Petition of Doleance - Access to Local Authority Accounts

Braddan Parish Commissioners, mailto:braddan@braddan.gov.im — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 11:20:00 GMT

Petition of Doleance: Tels Ltd. v Braddan Parish Commissioners.

Press Statement

In 2010 Braddan Parish Commissioners were faced with a Petition of Doleance lodged by a ratepayer of the Parish, Tel's Ltd, who challenged the Authorities refusal to allow inspection of "books of accounts" as set down in Section 45 of the Local Government Act 1985.

Both parties put forward different interpretations of the legislation which were widely diverse. Tels Ltd sought total access to all the Authorities computerised accounting systems as well as associated information which could include personal information about ratepayers, tenants and staff. The Commissioners interpreted the legislation as reading that it meant simply access to the prepared accounts of the Authority whether they are audited or unaudited, and contested the Petition because this information was already freely available at their offices for all ratepayers to inspect.

The Chairman of the Commissioners Mrs Hodge stated that "The Commissioners were sorry to have to face such a challenge from Tels Ltd and had offered on numerous occasions to provide any legitimate information that the company was seeking provided it did not breach Data Protection or Human Rights legislation, but unfortunately they received no specific requests and had to face the matter in Court."

The judgement by Deemster Corlett was handed down on Friday 15th April and found in favour of the Commissioners position.

Mrs Hodge added that "The Commissioners recognise that a Petition of Doleance, similar to a Judicial Review in the United Kingdom, is a serious legal challenge, not something to be undertaken lightly, and we are pleased that the Deemster has confirmed our interpretation of the legislation.

The issue of public access to information is of major importance to all local authorities and the definition of 'books of account' in the modern age of computer technology is exactly the clarification that was needed."

Tels Ltd in letters to the Authority felt that their actions were legitimised because the accounts for the Authority had not been completed, and it was their impression that the Authority's financial situation was unstable. The Commissioners had made it clear to the Company that all their accounts had been referred to the Auditors but the completion was beyond their control.

At the time of the Hearing in March 2011 the Authorities accounts had been audited up to March 2009 and the 2009/10 accounts were expected before the end of April.

Mrs Hodge went on further to add " We were disappointed that Tels Ltd. saw fit to challenge the Commissioners in this way but the legal position has now been clarified and this can only be of benefit to all local authorities who could be faced with such a dilemma in the future.

We hope that Tels Ltd will now publicly acknowledge that Braddan Parish Commissioners actions were correct and all the information that they were legally entitled to was produced as and when it was requested."

The work of the Commissioners is released in their annual Business Plan issued to every ratepayer, and copies of all its recent audited accounts are available on their website www.braddan.gov.im. All accounts, audited and unaudited are available at their public counter.

In conclusion the Chairman stated that "We have made a concerted effort over these past four years to turn the Authority's financial situation around. Our secure financial situation and forward thinking approach is demonstrated in our accounts and our Business Plan and we welcome any questions on our plans or finances".

Mrs M Hodge
Chairman
Braddan Parish Commissioners

15th April 2011

Contact

J C Whiteway MBA
Clerk

852808

A link to the Judgement can be found below.

How to pay your rates

Braddan Parish Commissioners, mailto:braddan@braddan.gov.im — Fri, 18 Oct 2002 13:25:43 GMT

You can pay your rates by the following methods:-

* By cash or cheque to the Commissioners office on or before the 30th June which entitles you to a 5% discount.

* By cash or cheque after the 30th June in any year, but you will not be entitled to a 5% discount.

* By Direct Debit, which allows you to spread your repayments over 10 months, but you will not be entitled a 5% discount. You can also elect to make one payment of the whole amount in June, or alternatively, three payments made in April, May and June; both options would ensure you still received the 5% discount.

* You can also pay your rates bill by Debit Card either over the phone or in person at the Commissioners Office.

* A further way to pay is by making an electronic bank transfer from your bank account, directly to the Commissioners bank. For further information, please contact the Commissioners Office on 852808.

Direct Debit Instruction

Braddan Parish Commissioners, mailto:braddan@braddan.gov.im — Fri, 18 Oct 2002 13:27:26 GMT

We offer an instalment payment option with a maximum of 10 monthly instalments. This enables you to spread the cost of your Rates throughout the year, with the convenience of knowing your Rates are being paid automatically.

We also offer a one off lump sum payment which is deducted in June or alternatively, three payments taken in April, May and June; both options ensure you still obtain your full discount.

Direct Debits are protected by a guarantee which contains three main safeguards which are as follows:

* Advance Notice - we will notify you at least three working days in advance of your account being debited.

* You are guaranteed a full and immediate refund from your branch of the amount paid, if an error is made by us.

* You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by writing to your Bank or Building Society.

If you wish to take advantage of this method of payment, please print off and complete the Direct Debit Instruction which is attached below under Related Items and return it to the Commissioners Office.

Please ensure you include the postal address of your property to allow us to correctly reference the instruction to your Rate Account, and select which payment option you require

For further information please contact Moira at the Commissioners Offices.