Frequently Asked Questions

Contaminated land if defined in Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 as "any land which appears to the local authority in whose area it is situated to be in such a condition, by reason of substances in or under the land, that significant harm is being caused or there is a significant possibility of such harm being caused, or pollution of controlled waters is being, or is likely to be caused".

It is important to note that land that does not fit the legal definition of contaminated land may still be affected by contaminants.

Your weekly entitlement to council tax benefit will be converted to an annual amount, credited directly to your Council Tax account and be deducted from the balance that is due to be paid.

Payment of Housing Benefit will depend upon the type of your tenancy and other circumstances for example:

If you are a Council tenant then your weekly entitlement will be credited to your rent account so that the actual weekly rent that you pay will be the difference between the full rent and your housing benefit entitlement.

If you are a tenant of a private or Registered Social Landlord then your Housing Benefit entitlement may be paid either, to you, or to your landlord, by BACS (Bankers Automated Credit System) straight into a bank account or by cheque. If it is paid to you then you will be paid in arrears every 2 weeks but if it is paid to your landlord it will be paid in arrears every 4 weeks. You can sometimes decide who should receive the payment. However, if you are 8 weeks or more in arrears with your rent your landlord can insist that housing benefit be paid directly to them. Claims made now, at a new address, will be subject to the Local Housing Allowance rules which mean that, with certain exceptions, housing benefit is only paid to the tenant.

You will receive a reminder for the first instalment that is late. If you want to carry on paying by instalments, you must pay the amount shown on the reminder within 7 days. If you do not pay this amount within 7 days, you will lose you right to pay by instalments and you will have to pay the full balance of your business rates after a further 7 days.

If we cancel your instalments because you have not paid on time, we will apply to the Magistrates Court for a Summons to be issued against you to enable recovery of the whole outstanding balance.

Bumble Bees

Bumble bees are the large, furry bees that you will see flying on their own in your garden.

Their colonies can be found in places such as compost heaps, banks under hedges and beneath garden decking. The nest is a ball of vegetation with wax cells inside it and usually contains no more than 150 bees.

Bumble bees are unlikely to sting unless you touch them or disturb their nest, in which case they will want to defend themselves from what they see as an attack.

After the summer, bumble bees die out and only the females survive by finding a suitable place to spend the winter so they can start new colonies in the spring.

If you see a swarm of bees in this country, you can be sure they are not bumble bees, as bumble bees do not swarm.

Honey bees

In this country, honey bees are the only type of bee that will swarm.

A swarm is a ball of bees, the size of a football or larger, that will move from place to place looking for a suitable place to nest. This can be a space such as a hollow in a tree or in a cavity in a building.

This usually happens during May, June and July.

Swarms can be found in trees, on buildings and around chimneys. If they are left alone they usually present no serious risk to humans or animals.

If a swarm settles and remains outside, you can contact a bee keeper who may be prepared to collect the swarm from you.

The simplest way to prevent a nest being established in buildings on your land is to make sure brickwork and pointing is in good condition, so there is no way for the bees to get into cavities of your buildings.

Masonry bees

Masonry bees, or mortar bees, are a similar colour to honey bees but they do not swarm.

Their natural habitat is in earth banks or soft exposed rocks, but they can tunnel into soft mortar joints of buildings, which is how they get their name.

Although they are harmless to human health as they cannot successfully sting humans, they can cause significant damage to a building over a number of years.

The best way of dealing with this is to make sure you keep the pointing and brickwork of your property well maintained and in good condition.

In Oadby and Wigston it is the Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996. This makes dog fouling an offence unless the person in charge of the dog clears up immediately.

There is an exception for registered blind people who are in charge of a guide dog.

Anyone who does not clear up may be liable to a fixed penalty fine, currently set at £50.00.

Application forms for blue badges can be obtained, in person, from our Customer Service Centres. An application can also be downloaded from Leicestershire County Council's website or from direct.gov.uk/bluebadge.

Although you may receive a car parking fine within the borough, it is distributed by the Leicestershire County Council (LCC) Notice Processing Centre.

If you wish to dispute your fine or pay by an alternative method, you should go to the Leicestershire County Council webpage for car parking fines and follow the instructions.

The Council sets the standard level of Council Tax (called the band D tax level) in February/March each year. Each home is in one of eight valuation bands A to H based on the property’s capital value as at 1 April 1991. The actual tax paid depends on which band the property is in.

Leicestershire County Council are responsible for details regarding schools within the borough. You can find out which schools are within your area on their website.

The Council’s preferred method of payment is direct debit, but it also offers a wide variety of other payment methods. For details please see the back of your Council Tax bill or visit our Payment Options webpage.

The RV (rateable value) of a property is assessed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) who are an independent Government agency. The RV forms the basis of the calculation of your business rates liability. If you feel that your rates bill is too high, or if you have a valuation matter you wish to discuss, please address it to the VOA.

Instalments detailed on your rates bill must continue to be made on the basis of the existing assessment as it appears in the current rating list, even whilst an appeal is outstanding. Once official notification is received from the VOA of an amendment to the list, any necessary alterations to your account will be made and any appropriate refund issued, with interest for a qualifying overpayment.

It is important that all food businesses are run safely and hygienically, with no risk to the public from the food that is produced or sold. The council's environmental health officers are able to offer you sound advice about the many issues that will affect your business. These include food safety and health and safety requirements, noise control and the prevention of nuisances.

By contacting your environmental health officer at an early stage, you could save time, money and anxiety as the advice you receive will help you to operate within the law and make sure that your new business venture gets of to the best possible start from day one.

It is also a legal requirement that you register your food business with the council.

If you would like any information about starting, registering or running a food business in our borough, please contact us for free, impartial advice.

For a porch to be considered to be exempt under Regulation 9 (Exempt Buildings & Work) of the Building Regulations 2010, the proposal must only be single storey, constructed at ground level and the internal floor area must not exceed 30 square metres. In addition glazing in critical locations must be toughened or laminated safety glass in accordance with British Standard 6206.

When the conservatory is attached to an existing dwelling provision must be made to limit the loss of heat from the dwelling. Ways of meeting the requirement would be:

a) to retain the existing separation where the opening is not to be enlarged; or

b) to provide separation by new windows and/or doors having a Window Energy Rating (WER) of Band C or better or a U-value of at least 1.6W/m²k (Watts per metre square kelvin)

Where an opening into the proposal is to be opening is enlarged or newly created as a material alteration an application will be required for the structural alteration only.

Though the construction of the porch may be exempt from the provisions of the Building Regulations 2010, the electrical installation associated with this is not. To establish that the electrical installation is in accordance with the requirements, it is suggested that the services of a qualified electrical contractor be employed who is registered on a self certification scheme for Part P of the regulations (Electrical Safety) and is able to provide you with an electrical certificate which confirms the design installation and testing of the system is in accordance with British Standard 7671.