council

Zero tolerance on social housing fraud

An Exeter man has been sentenced at Plymouth magistrates after illegally subletting his Local authority council flat when he was living somewhere else.

David Mukanirwa, 31, of Darwin Court was prosecuted under S1(2) of the prevention of Social Housing Fraud Act 2013 for subletting his Exeter flat on two occasions whilst he lived in Swindon after advertising it for rent on Gumtree....

Benefit campaign tackles Elephant in the Room

Plymouth City Council is launching an awareness campaign to remind people to inform them of any changes in circumstances for housing benefits.

The ‘It’s great to be up to date’ campaign - which has been grant funded by the Department of Work and Pensions - aims to encourage more people to come forward and tell the Council about important life changes.

Look out for our ‘elephant...

Have your say on Plymouth’s gambling policy

The spotlight is being turned on Plymouth’s casinos, bingo halls, betting shops, and adult gaming centres as part of a review of the Council’s gambling policy.

The Council has to consult every three years on the way it licenses the gaming trade and if it is consistent with its objectives to:

• Prevent gambling being a source of crime or disorder, being associated with crime and...

Electoral registration campaign sees surge in Plymouth voters

A campaign to increase the number of voters in Plymouth has been deemed a success by a national body and shortlisted for a national award.

The Electoral Commission has published a report praising Plymouth City Council’s individual electoral registration campaign in the run up to the 2015 local and general election. The Council worked in partnership with Plymouth University and UPSU (...

Do you know who’s on the end of the phone?

Phone scams have been doing the rounds for years but people are still being sucked in particularly when it comes to claims of ‘free’ money.

Plymouth trading standards officers are now regularly seeing people who have been conned by scammers claiming that they could be owed money for things like repayment of bank charges or payment protection insurance, but first they always ask for an...

Plymouth committed to improving homes

Plymouth City Council is committed to improving private rented housing as a national list of rogue landlords is published.

Environmental Health News (EHN online) and The Guardian have published a database of landlords convicted under the Housing Act 2004 between 2006 and 2014. In Plymouth there have been two such convictions within the past five years, and the Council also recently...

Illegal tattoo equipment seized

Tattoo equipment has been seized as two more ‘scratchers’ have been raided through Plymouth Council’s Operation Itchy.

Officers from the Council’s Public Protection Service, together with the police, executed Court orders at addresses in Devonport and St. Budeaux over the last two weeks in the continued crackdown on illegal tattooists known as ‘scratchers’ who have bought a tattoo kit...

Private fostering awareness week

Plymouth City Council is using national Private Fostering Week (6-10 July) as an opportunity to appeal to people across the city to notify them if they’re involved in a Private Fostering Arrangement.

The week, which launches today, is designed to make people more aware of and give more details on private fostering arrangements. When a child is looked after by someone other than a...

Appeal in relation to historic offence

Police in Plymouth who are investigating an historic offence are appealing for information from the public.

As part of their enquiries officers wish to identify anyone who worked in the cleansing department at Plymouth City Council between 1977 and 1978.

Officers are investigating an allegation of sexual assault against a teenage boy and are keen to trace any witnesses or...

Could you be a foster carer?

Could you be a foster carer? The Fostering Network is calling on people across the south west to consider becoming foster carers, given the need for a further 550 new families across the region in 2015.

The call comes with the launch of the charity’s annual Foster Care Fortnight, and is supported by the results of a new survey showing that two in five (40%) fostered teenagers are...

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