Frequently Asked Questions

Choose from the topics below

Abandoned Vehicles
Accidents - Claims against the Council
Accidents in the Workplace: Guidelines how to report an accident in the workplace.
Adoption: Information, advice and support for adopters, prospective adopters, birth relatives and people who have been adopted.
Adoption: A guide to the law for young people in care.
Adult Protection: Information about protection of vulnerable adults.
Animal Welfare Education
Archaeology
Architectural & New Works Services (excl Housing)
Arts Development Courses
Asbestos: General information and guidelines
Asbestos Register
Asbestos Register
Asylum Seekers: Information and support for Asylum Seekers and refugees.
Avian (Bird Flu): For people, the risk of catching the disease comes from being in close contact with live poultry that have the disease, and not through eating poultry. There have been no reports of people handling poultry meat getting infected. Poultry can include chicke
Beach Hut
Bed Bugs
Beecroft Art Gallery: Situated opposite the Cliffs Pavilion, with magnificent views across the Estuary.
Blue Tongue Disease: Bluetongue is a disease that is caused by a virus that is transmitted by midges. Bluetongue virus naturally infects domestic and wild ruminants (such as, sheep, cattle, goats and deer) and camelids (such as, llama and alpaca).
Building Control
Building Services Division
Bus Passes: A Bus Pass allows the over 60s to travel free on any scheduled service operating in Essex between 9am to midnight and 9am till 11pm on the X30 on Monday to Friday and anytime at weekends and Bank Holidays.
Business Rates (Non-Domestic Rates)
Care Order: A guide to the law for young people in care
Care Plan: A guide to the law for young people in care.
Carers: Information and support for people who spend a lot of time caring for someone else.
Changing Your Name: A guide to the law for young people in care.
Child Protection: Information about Child Protection, how to make a referral and how to get advice.
Choosing Childcare
Civil Partnerships: From 5th December 2005, same sex couples can enter in a civil partnership allowing partners to achieve parity, as far as is possible, with spouses.
Cockroaches
Comments Compliments Complaints-Adult Social Care: Information about giving feedback related to adults' social services.
Commission for Social Care Inspection: Information about CSCI inspection services.
Complaints - children & young people's services: A guide to the law for young people in care.
Concert Series: Information on the evening Concert Series run by the Arts Development Team.
Concessionary Bus Travel: Frequently asked questions about the new changes coming in on 1st April 2008.
Contact With Friends Or Family: A guide to the law for young people in care.
Council Land & Property Management: The Council can only provide information on land or properties owned by us.
Council Tax: Information, and on-line forms to help understand and pay Council Tax.
Crime: A guide to the law for young people in care.
Cycle Training: Many aspects of safer cycling are covered in cycling skills training which is available to children aged eight and over.
Data Protection: “We shall develop respect for the private lives of individuals and encourage the openness and accountability of public authorities ", Extract from the Information Commissioner’s mission statement
Day services for adults: Information about day services for people over 65, disabled people, and other vulnerable adults.
Deisgn Award Scheme
Development Plans
Dial a Ride: Essential questions and answers on the Council's Dial-a-Ride service.
Direct Payments: Frequently asked questions about direct payments for social care services.
Disability - Services for adults: Information about disability services, for people aged 18-64, available via the Physical & Sensory Impairment Team.
Disability (learning) - services for adults: Services for adults with learning disabilities.
Disabled parking - Blue Badge Scheme: Frequently asked questions about using Blue Badges for disabled parking.
Dog Control Notices
Dog Fouling
Doorstep Collections
Drainage Records
Drains and Sewers - Cleaning
Education: A guide to the law for young people in care.
Equipment & Adaptations: Equipment and home adaptations for disabled people.
Fireworks: General information and guidance about fireworks
Fleas
Flytipping: What is flytipping?
Food Premises Registration: Food Premises Registration
Food Safety - for Business
Food Safety - if you are a member of the public
Food Waste Collection Service
Foot and Mouth Disease: Commonly asked questions
Foster care: Information about becoming a foster carer.
Foxes: Information about the fox
Further Contacts For Advice: A guide to the loaw for young people in care.
Graffiti
Grass Verges: What can be done about grass verge problems.
Health Care: A guide to the law for young people in care.
Hedges: Queries regarding the High Hedges Legislation
Highway Permits
Holiday Schemes: Find out about the Biz or other courses on offer.
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit
Jargon Buster: Explanation of terms used when talking about people in care.
Leaving Care: A guide to the law for young people in care.
Libraries: How to join, how many items you can borrow, and overdue items, as well as information on the mobile library.
Licensing Act 2003: The Act establishes a single integrated scheme for licensing premises, which are used for the supply of alcohol, to provide regulated entertainment or to provide late night refreshment.
Licensing Act 2003 – Guidance For Schools
Listed Buildings
Local Transport Plan
Locally Listed Buildings
Mice: Advice about Mouse Infestations
Microchipping for Pets
Mortgages
Music Services
Neighbourhood Watch
Nuisance from Construction and Demolition Sites
Nursery Education Grant
Nursing Agencies: Nursing Agency regulation
Occupational Therapy and Equipment Service: Occupational Therapy and Equipment Service Frequently Asked Questions
Parental Responsibility: A guide to the law for young people in care
Permission: A guide to the law for young people in care.
Pest Control: Advice regarding insect/animal infestations.
Planning: Common Planning Queries
Pregnancy: A guide to the law for young people in care.
Punishment: A guide to the law for young people in care.
Rats
Real Nappies: The most effective environmental solution to the waste problem is to reduce the generation of waste. New parents can do their bit to reduce waste by choosing real cotton nappies in preference to disposable nappies.
Religion: A guide to the law for young people in care.
Reviews: A guide to the law for young people in care.
Rights of Way: There are several kinds of 'way' over which there is a right to pass, and all of them are known collectively as 'highways'. The nature of the right depends on the status of the highway.
Road Safety
Rubbish Watch: A Borough wide scheme to clean up our streets from black sacks and dumped rubbish.
Safer Journeys to School
Salt and Sand Bins
School Admissions: Secondary School Admissions
Secure Accommodation: A guide to the law for young people in care.
SERT (South Essex Rapid Transit)
Skips: General Enquires
Smoke Nuisance
Sorted & Supported - Jargon Buster: An explantion of some of the words you will hear used as a young person leaving care.
South Essex Rapid Transit -SERT
Southend Adult Community College: Questions regarding the courses on offer
Southend Business Partnership
Southend Excellence Cluster
Southend Museums Service: The Service covers three museums, a planetarium and an art gallery.
Southend Pier: At 1.34 miles (2158 metres) Southend Pier is still the longest pleasure pier in the world.
Squirrels: Advice about Squirrels
Strategic Environment Assessment (SEA)
Stray and Lost Dogs
Sundry Debt Collection
The Prince of Prittlewell: Anglo-Saxon burial, unearthed in Southend during autumn 2003.
Travellers and Gypsies: General Information
Tree Perservation Orders: Some private trees which have public amenity are covered by a TPO. It is always advisable to check before felling or pruning trees on your property.
Trees: What can I do about ...
Types of Road Crossings
Unusual Waste: How to dispose of Household Waste
Useful Contacts: useful contact numbers
Vegetation and Overhanging Shrubs
Vehicular Crossings (PVX): Providing vehicular access to a property from a public highway, also known as driveways
Walking Bus: What is it? Can I Join....
Wasps
Waste Sacks: What to do if you need more waste sacks.
Winter Gritting and Snow Clearance: Some information on snow and ice.
Your File: A guide to the law for young people in care.