Frequently Asked Questions

Banks and post offices often charge bill payers an administration fee for accepting payments made using a payment book or giro credit.

When paying with barcoded bills there will be no charge for customers paying by cash, cheque or debit card at post offices and no charge for paying by cash at PayPoint outlets.

Barcoded bills also generally offer a wider choice of payment locations and opening times.

Yes - season tickets are available at discounted prices which residents may purchase. There are no charges after 5pm.

It is important the parish council understand the process to be able to advise local people - but it is not appropriate for the parish council to be involved in the detail of the selection process. This would compromise both their position and the confidentiality of applicant’s details.

Verification of an applicant's local connection will be done by us or the Registered Provider, which may include a home visit if necessary. The parish council will be sent a list of the local connections of the selected applicants, but not the applicant's details due to data protection requirements.

Unless the landowner has a specific reason otherwise, the land will be sold freehold to the Registered Provider and the landowner can have no say in who the new homes go to. If the land is adjacent to land that the landowner is retaining, then they will consulted on the design and layout of schemes along with other neighbours as part of the planning consultation process.

Yes - An agreement with the shopping centre owners and us allows for a number of free car parking spaces on the Market Hall Car Park.

No. Respondents who completed the housing needs questionnaire and are on our Housing Register will be considered alongside all others on the register who meet the local connection criteria. 

It is true that there are a number of properties that have been unoccupied for too long in our villages.

It is important to realise there are many reasons why properties are empty.

Some may be empty where the owner is in hospital or in care, some where the owner has died and left no will and some where the owner is in prison.

In these instances we cannot force owners to occupy them.

We're aware of these properties and are currently revamping our procedures to ensure we are doing all we can to encourage owners to bring them back into use.

Where we have exhausted all possible avenues we have the powers to compulsory purchase the properties and to bring them back into use ourselves.

Council owned rural rented housing stock has reduced significantly over the last 30 years. Many of our rural homes were sold through the Right to Buy scheme.

Most of our homes are family homes that are now occupied by older residents who wish to remain in the villages but there isn't enough suitable smaller housing for them to move into. These people will not register on our list if they know there is nothing suitable for them in the village.

Others who live in rural areas believe that affordable housing will never be built in rural areas so do not join the housing register.

If the need was solely judged by the register, it would not identify everyone who has a need for certain types of housing. Housing needs surveys almost always turn up people who are in need, but have not joined the register.

A housing needs survey can also help in consulting with the parish community and may help in land coming forward.

Yes. The Street Trading legislation and the Licensing Act 2003 are independent pieces of law. As an example if you want to sell burgers in Coalville town centre after 11pm you will need a Street Trading consent and a Premises Licence authorising you to sell late night refreshment.