UP FRONT
Blue badge
fraud Bloom for
one more
Ealing Council successfully prosecuted 61 people
for the illegal use of disabled ‘blue badge’
parking permits in the last financial year – which is
the fifth highest number in the country. As you begin to think of
preparing for spring, now is
the ideal time to sign up to
the council’s garden waste
service. More than 10,000
residents already do.
Blue badges are issued to people with serious
mobility problems and disabilities and misuse
can result in a maximum fine of £1,000, a
criminal prosecution and even a prison sentence.
Call 020 8825 8161 if you suspect a blue
badge is being used fraudulently; or if you
want to report one going missing.
Read more at ealingnewsextra.co.uk/
features/blue-badge-fraud
100 job roles
The council’s Ealing
Apprenticeship
Network has once
again exceeded
its target of
helping local
businesses
create 100
apprentice
placements.
Its latest ‘100 in 100’
campaign, which ran
for 100 days from September to December,
saw 106 places pledged. The network is
now working with the businesses who have
come forward to turn the pledges into new
apprenticeship jobs for residents. To find
out more about becoming an apprentice
and see what placements are available, visit
ealingworkwest.com/apprenticeships
Thinking about hiring an apprentice? The network
can support you through the process of setting up
an apprenticeship and ensure you get the right
candidates. Find out more at ealingworkwest.com/
information-for-employers
6
around ealing February 2019
A subscription to the
fortnightly collections is an
environmentally-friendly
way of losing the hassle of
getting rid of unwanted cuttings, leaves, twigs and grass. It is taken
away to be recycled into compost.
Annual subscriptions run from April until March 2020 and cost £75 –
with concessionary rates of £57.50 available for those aged over 65 and
those on means-tested benefits. You can choose between receiving
green bags or a green wheelie bin, depending on your needs. You can
pay either up-front or spread the cost by direct debit.
Councillor Mik Sabiers, cabinet member for environment and highways said:
“Thousands of people across the borough use it and the service represents
real value for money, even for those who do not see themselves as avid
gardeners because they can share the bin, and cost, with a neighbour.”
Current subscribers will be sent renewal notices and should renew
before 1 April to avoid disruption to their collections.
Visit ealingnewsextra.co.uk/features/collect-garden for more
information or go straight to www.ealing.gov.uk/gardenwaste
to sign up to the service.
Preparing for Brexit
As Around Ealing went to press, Brexit was due to take place
in two months’ time (on 29 March). Our borough is home to
around 55,000 people from other countries in the European
Union and the council’s website has an information page with
guidance for these EU citizens – at www.ealing.gov.uk/brexit
Last year, Ealing Council called for the government to guarantee
the rights of all EU citizens to live and work in the UK, even in the
event of a no-deal Brexit. The council also called for Parliament
and the British public to have the final say on any deal.