The 2022 Stirling Council Residents’ Survey is officially underway.
Your View will give people living locally the chance to have their say on satisfaction levels with the Council and its services, following on from the last survey in 2019.
The survey is open to every Council resident, as well as those who work or study in the Stirling Council area.
Outline plans to deliver a network of Regional Digital Hubs across Stirling and Clackmannanshire have been approved by the City Region Deal Joint Committee.
New, high quality, digitally connected business space will be set up across Stirling and Clackmannanshire under the programme, allowing growing companies to stay local and create new and exciting opportunities across the area.
Backed by £2million of investment from the Scottish Government through the £90.2million Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Region Deal, the Hubs will be established in Cowie, Callander and Clackmannanshire to benefit urban, rural and disadvantaged areas of the region.
Stirling Council Leader, Cllr Scott Farmer, said: “Within 10 years, the Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Region aims to be recognised as one of the UK’s leading areas for digital technology and as a centre of excellence for digital skills and education across a number of sectors.
The project will bring businesses together and foster innovation and rapid growth through collaborative working and targeted business mentoring and support.”
Cllr Ellen Forson, Clackmannanshire Council Leader, said: “The Digital Hubs will align with the Stirling & Clackmannanshire City Region Deal’s Skills and Inclusion Programme, which will deliver training through businesses, schools, STEP, Forth Valley College, the University of Stirling and local partners.
Stirling’s Councillors have adopted a new household waste and recycling policy which includes a 100% concession scheme for the new Garden Waste Permit.
The £35 annual opt-in charge for garden waste collection will start on 19 April and will support the Council’s drive to improve its household waste collection services.
Residents in receipt of a council tax reduction will be eligible to receive their permit for no charge, along with those who receive a garden maintenance service.
A household with someone who is ‘severely mentally impaired’ may also qualify for the concession.
Almost 7,000 of Stirling Council’s householders will be entitled to the free service and will receive their permit directly.
Transparency
The new policy consolidates the current practices of the Council’s waste and recycling services to households for ease of reference and transparency.
There are only four areas of current service provision which will change under the new policy (We will advise residents when these changes will apply):
A household of five or more, rather than a household of six or more, with excess non-recyclable can apply for their standard 240L grey bin (general waste) to be swapped for a larger 360L grey bin.
Households with more than two children in nappies will now be able to apply for the non-hazardous healthcare waste collection service – an additional 240L grey (general waste) bin.
From April 2021, and once the current stock is depleted, the Council will no longer provide food waste caddy liners from Council buildings. Residents can put food waste in their caddy loose, line their caddy with newspaper or kitchen roll or purchase compostable liners from supermarkets or online.
As part of the current standard household waste and recycling collection service, contaminated recycling bins are not emptied. Whilst the Council would encourage contamination to be removed, residents can now request a chargeable uplift for a contaminated bin.
Members of the Environment and Housing Committee approved the policy following a vote last week (11 February).
Almost 70,000 new grey and brown bins have been delivered to households (as of 10 Feb) as part of phase one of the transformation.
Along with the policy, the committee report also includes a list of waste and recycling requirements for the public, such as container presentation times, contamination guidelines, collection of missed bins, assisted collections and bulky uplifts.
Stirling Council will be continuing to take DRT bookings as usual.
The advice given by the First Minister to avoid the use of public transport where practicable, is not a ban on the use of public transport. DRT is similar to any other form of contracted public transport service, where the advice should be that it is there for essential use.
For more information see https://www.stirling.gov.uk/drt
