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News Report Page 10 of 10
Publication Date:-
2020-08-02
News reports located on this page = 4.

Pop up bike mechanics to assist Government voucher scheme with cycle "triage"

AS the Prime Minister announces his Government's plans to make cycling safer, on Tuesday, 28 July 2020, Cycling UK has said it is on stand by to assist in fixing England's bikes. The charity estimates there are 16.5 million bikes sitting in the hallways and sheds of England unused and neglected. Many of these bikes will require simple maintenance to start working again, with common complaints such as loose brakes, skipping gears and flat tyres, all simple to fix.

James Scott, Cycling UK's director of behaviour change, said:- "While shops reporting a shortage of bikes for sale, Cycling UK estimates there are just over 16.5 million unused bikes in England - 'shed' bikes so to speak. Most of their ailments, like loose brakes, skipping gears or incorrect saddle height, are all things which Cycling UK's Big Bike Revival can fix for free right there on the spot. From 15 August 2020, across the country our Dr Bikes will be carrying out a bike 'triage' service; fixing minor repairs and checking to make bikes safe and road worthy. That will take the brunt off retailers enrolled in the voucher scheme, leaving them to repair the bikes which need a bit more TLC than an on the spot repair can provide."

Via its Big Bike Revival scheme, funded by the Department for Transport, from 15 August 2020 Cycling UK will start sending Dr Bikes (cycle mechanics), out to fix England's bikes as part of a bike "triage."

These trained mechanics at pop up events around the country will look to fix bikes as they come through the door for free, aiming to help 100,000 over the 3 months it runs. For bikes needing more further assistance, owners will be referred to retailers using the Government's ₤50 bike repair voucher scheme.

The Government's ₤50 voucher comes as part of a wider package of measures to make cycling and walking safer for everyone. Mr Scott said:- "The Government has laid out a truly comprehensive and far reaching set of measures to improve cycling and walking in England, that will help would be cyclists on their journey as well as the regular riders. However, to shift gears and boost active travel as the Prime Minister has announced, so everyone can feel the transformative benefits of cycling, the ₤2bn of funding already announced will not be enough. With a forthcoming spending review, now's the time for the Chancellor to invest in the future and make the Prime Minister's vision of a golden age of cycling come true."

Other announcements Cycling UK has welcomed include:-

► National design standards for cycling infrastructure. Together with new body, Active Travel England, to make sure standards are followed. Cycling UK sees this move as positive for the future of cycling provision, ensuring future lanes are safe and funding is not wasted on substandard infrastructure.

► Highway Code revision.

The charity has worked with the Department for Transport to introduce 10 changes to make cycling safer including:-

► A new concept of hierarchy of road user. This places those most at risk in a collision (pedestrians) at the top of hierarchy, which then places the greater responsibility on those with the potential to cause the most harm to reduce the danger they pose. For example, a lorry driver would have a greater responsibility to those driving a car or motorcycle, and people cycling would have a greater responsibility than pedestrians.

► Junction priority; introduce an underlying principle that vehicles turning at unsignalised junctions should give way to pedestrians or cyclists going straight ahead across their path.

► Clarity on Rule 163 giving clear advice on the distance drivers should give when overtaking cyclists

► Advice on how passengers and drivers should open their car doors to prevent "dooring" cyclists and motorcyclists. This method known as the Dutch Reach makes you turn your head to look over your shoulder before opening the door, and should reduce the number of cyclists injured when someone opens a car door without looking.


How to train your dog in just a few weeks

WITH the absence of training classes and limited opportunities to properly socialise new puppies during lockdown, vets are now educating new pet owners on how to train their dogs at home in just a few weeks. This comes after more people have taken lockdown as an opportunity to acquire a new puppy, but vets are concerned that owners are going to struggle with behaviour problems as their puppies grow up. As part of its digital 2020 Vet Report exploring the human animal bond, Vets4Pets is offering a wide variety of advice on how to best train your dog, through an educational video series, to help ensure our pet's bad habits don't become permanent learned behaviours.

Dr Huw Stacey, vet and director of clinical services at Vets4Pets, said:- "A lot of people have turned to getting a pet during lockdown, recognising the benefits they have, from support with mental health to companionship. However, without dog groups and classes available the past few months, those who have got new puppies at this time may have struggled to train them. Despite this, a lot of the fundamental initial training can actually still be achieved at home or in the garden, 1 on one, and in a surprisingly short time if owners are dedicated enough. This is a topic we are very passionate about at Vets4Pets, and as vets we believe that training is a crucial element to pet ownership, as it not only keeps our pets safe, but also happy and healthy through physical and mental stimulation. That is why we have worked to create a series of educational videos to help owners train their dog; any breed, from any age. Many behaviours that we view as naughty or disobedient, like chewing the furniture and ripping up carpets, or incessantly barking and going to the toilet in places they shouldn't, can all be a result of boredom, frustration or anxiety, all of which may have been exacerbated during lockdown while we are all staying at home more. However, inconsistency, unpredictability and a lack of research and preparedness from owners can also contribute to bad behaviour, with the main cause being owners not training at the right time, leaving it too late and allowing bad behaviours to be formed. You may have the money, right environment and now more time to get a dog, but you also need to have the right frame of mind to train a pet from the get go. It is as much about training yourself too. You have to be committed to doing your research and ensuring you know your training routine inside out before even attempting it with your dog. Prevention of any bad behaviour is much easier than trying to restructure it later down the line and most problem behaviours can be corrected through training. That's why it's vital to start training a new puppy straight away, to prevent bad behaviours and habits from forming."

John Padden, trainer and owner of Premier K9, a dog training and rehabilitation Centre based in Cheshire, helped contribute to the video series, providing all the tips and tricks needed to train puppies quickly and effectively. "With time, dedication, the right regime and willingness from the owner to put in the effort, most dogs, especially puppies, can be trained within a few weeks I believe you can teach puppies the basic four commands; sit, stay, down and come; in a bare minimum of 2 weeks if you are training in the right environment with no distractions. The key with training is that you have to learn what pushes your individual dog's buttons, and what they value most, then you can use it as a reward through the basic training steps. It is also important to not do too much too soon, short 5 minute bursts are best otherwise you will lose your puppy's attention, and of course consistency really is vital. You can train a dog at any point in their lives, so you can very much teach an old dog new tricks too. However, it may just take longer with an older dog, as they will have to unlearn previous behaviours. Normal bad behaviour can be trained out, but there may be some issues that you may never be able to fully fix, especially aggressive behaviours. Breeds that aren't finely tuned to work with humans or that don't have a drive to work and learn may take longer to train, whereas breeds like collies and shepherds may be quicker. Training is a mentally stimulating and physically tiring activity for dogs, and not only helps them become more well-rounded, but helps improve the bond between dog and owner. In the age old argument of nature versus nurture, we are generally more to blame for our pet's bad behaviours than we realise, as we have a direct impact on shaping their behaviour, especially our dogs." explained John.

"Inconsistent rules can have a big impact on our puppy's behaviour. 1 minute we can be getting them to jump up on the sofa, then when we can now have guests over, we won't let them. It makes it really hard for the puppy to understand, and this unpredictability can also lead to anxiety which can then result in further bad behaviour. It is easy for us to be wrong; we aren't going to get it right straight away. It is important to set realistic expectations and not get frustrated with your puppy if they don't pick up what you would like them to learn immediately. There will be days when you don't get it so just call it a day, but always finish on a high note with a nice game that you both enjoy."
concluded Dr Stacey.


Liverpool's new era of Council housing delivery takes next step

LIVERPOOL City Council is to revamp its housing team to deliver a new generation of Council houses. The City; which built the 1st Council houses in Europe 150 years ago; was given the green light last year to construct a new generation of local authority homes for the 21st century. The Government confirmed the City Council can build properties for the 1st time in more than 30 years and not repay the ₤735 million of housing debt written off when it transferred the last of its stock to housing associations in the late 2000s. Combined with a successful application to become a Homes England funding partner in November 2019, the Council will lead the way as a key housing enabler and wants to embed this ambition within its housing function. As a result of this significant policy change, a report being considered by the Cabinet this Friday, 31 July 2020, seeks approval to establish a new strategic housing delivery team.

It has been tasked with working up further plans for an initial phase of delivery, which will contribute to the City's need to develop 30,000 new homes by 2030. They will bring forward a viable portfolio of sites for development, whilst working with the Combined Authority and Homes England to promote larger, strategic sites through the forthcoming strategic housing and infrastructure fund. The team will also oversee the Council's plans to retrofit 4,000 homes in an energy efficiency drive to make Liverpool a carbon neutral City by 2030. The funding request for this scheme was recently submitted to central Government as part of the Council's wider economic recovery plan.

A key element in the cabinet report is the transfer of staff from Liverpool Foundations Homes Ltd (LFH), which was set up before the Government's policy change, to deliver mixed tenure (for rent and sale) homes across the City. LFH will continue to operate as a stock holding company owned by Liverpool City Council, providing the flexibility to do mixed tenure schemes in partnership with the Council. LFH will retain its responsibilities as an operational landlord, and existing LFH properties and tenants will be unaffected by this change. Frank Hont will remain as chairman of LFH, while chief executive Mark Kitts will be seconded back to the Council's regeneration directorate to oversee the new housing team, supported by Louise Davies, development director of LFH, who will lead on housing delivery and enabling for the Council.

Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson; who grew up in a Council property at Kent Gardens near the City Centre; said:- "Liverpool pioneered public sector housing and my formative years were spent growing up in a Council tenement, so I am extremely proud that, 150 years on from the City leading the way on social housing, we are now able to do so again. The City has a diverse population with differing housing needs and aspirations so it is important that we do what we can to help people in every situation to get the home they deserve, and we need to rebalance the City's housing market with a wider choice of the homes that people need. That is why I have pledged that we will build new Council houses, incorporating social and affordable rent, as well as rent-to-buy and shared ownership tenures. I want us to be recognised as a local authority that builds Council homes for all, in wards across the City that have not benefitted from new build properties for a significant period of time. High quality, affordable properties are desperately needed to make sure nobody is left behind and that is why housing is an integral part of our plans. Liverpool Foundations Homes will continue to play a key role as we deliver this new era of housing, as a separate entity from LCC that is permitted to build homes for sale and private rent, as well as retaining its role as the Council's managing landlord. The LFH board and team have worked diligently and have laid the groundwork for this exciting new phase of delivery."

Frank Hont, chair of Liverpool Foundations Homes said:- "The board is proud to have delivered the company's establishment, securing rent-to-buy tenancies of its 1st properties on Park Street in the Dingle and obtaining planning permission for 105 new homes at Denford Road in Yew Tree. It is completely understandable why the Council, like many across the country, has taken the decision to change the operational focus of housing delivery, as a bi-product of changing Government policy. The Council is faced with making very difficult choices and I am pleased to say that housing and the role of Foundations will continue to play a vital role in supporting the Council's ambitions."


Sefton Council backs Royal British Legion's campaign to get veterans on the census

SEFTON Council is delighted to announce that the Government has announced the 2021 census will now include a question on whether someone has served in the Armed Forces. For the 1st time in the history of the census, it will now include a question on previous service in HM Armed Forces, providing a detailed snapshot of the number, profile and potential needs of military veterans living in England and Wales.  It has been estimated that there are 2.4m veterans currently living in the UK, who make up part of a wider ex-service community which includes their:- spouses, partners, dependent children and widow(er)s. However, little is currently known about the exact numbers, location and needs of this significant group. Including an Armed Forces question in the next census will provide public bodies, charities and local authorities such as Sefton Council with valuable information to ensure they are able to deliver the best services they can for our Armed Forces community, whether they are still serving, veterans, and their family members. The Royal British Legion, which led the campaign, is at the heart of a national network offering a range of support and services to the Armed Forces community. Cllr Ian Maher, Leader of Sefton Council said:- "I'm delighted that the 2021 census will now include this vitally important question and will significantly improve our understanding of the Armed Forces in our local community. As a Council will be able to use this new information to help shape our services, ensuring that we can deliver the best possible service to servicemen and women when it is needed. We are also delighted and are extremely grateful to have supported The Royal British Legion who have campaigned to make this happen."

 
      
 
   
 
 
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