Author: Graham Burt

This new benefit will open on Monday 15 February 2021.
It’s a payment for families on certain benefits or tax credits.
Eligible families will get £40 every four weeks for each child
under six.
Find out more at mygov.scot/benefits
or call us on 0800 182 2222.

Fact Sheet

What is Scottish Child Payment?
It’s a new payment for families on certain benefits or tax credits to help towards the costs of looking after a child. It’s £40 paid every four weeks for each child under six.
It opens on Monday 15 February 2021 but we are taking applications now to help us
manage demand.
Who can get it?
People can apply for Scottish Child Payment whether in work or not.
People may be eligible if they, or their partner, are the parent or full-time carer of a child who will be aged under six on 15 February 2021 and if they get certain benefits or tax credits.*
*Child Tax Credit, Income Support, Pension Credit, Working Tax Credit, Universal
Credit, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and
Support Allowance (ESA).

How many children can qualify for Scottish Child Payment per household?
Every child under six in a qualifying family will get a payment.

How do people apply?
We take applications via our freephone helpline on 0800 182 2222, by post or online at mygov.scot/scottish-child-payment.

Why are you asking people to apply now?
We are expecting a huge demand for this new payment. Encouraging people to apply now means we can check that we have all the information and evidence we need to make a decision once the benefit starts on Monday 15 February.

What evidence will be required?
We need evidence that the person applying is responsible for a child under six, usually through the child being named on a benefits claim. If more than one person applies for the same child we have a process for deciding who gets the payment, prioritising the person who the child lives with for the majority of the time.
Kinship carers can demonstrate responsibility for a child with a legal order or letter of support from a local authority.

The transcript from the online consultation about Alva West Development became available today. If you follow this link them you will be taken to the full details about Alva West. http://www.bracewell-stirling.co.uk/alva-west

From Agent’s website. http://www.bracewell-stirling.co.uk/alva-west/

The Public Consultation Event between 4 – 6pm on Thursday 7th January will be conducted as a “Teams Live Event”, and can be accessed by clicking on a link which will be published here tomorrow morning. Clicking on this link will take you straight to the event.

There will be a brief introduction to introduce panellists at 4pm, however it will be possible to join the event at anytime between 4 and 6pm. Please submit your questions to the panellists by clicking “ask a question” then type in your question.

We would ask you to include your name, and please note that the event will be recorded. This will allow the applicant and panellists to review all questions raised and address these following the event. Details will not be used for any other purpose, nor passed onto any third parties, other than to inform Planning of the matters raised.

Once you ask a question, this will be answered by a member of the panel, either verbally or by a typed response. In the latter case, further discussions can take place between yourself and the panel member. All questions, and subsequent written responses from the panel, will be private and not visible to other attendees unless it is deemed to be a public benefit.

It may be that it is not possible to answer your question during the event, in which case we will ask for contact details, allowing us to respond after the event. If you are unable to attend the Live Event, you can still submit comments by email anytime until the 17th January 2021.

Finally, we would ask you to appreciate that this is not the traditional way of conducting Public events, but under the guidance relating to the current Pandemic physical attendance is not permitted and hence the need for online events. As such, we would ask you to bear with us.

Documents regarding the proposed Alva West Development are available to view and download here…
Presentation: http://www.bracewell-stirling.co.uk/…/4521-Alva-West…

Feedback Form: http://www.bracewell-stirling.co.uk/…/Consultation…

On the last page of the presentation it says…
Conclusion
Whilst during the design development and planning process further opportunities to engage with the community will arise it is hoped that this initial presentation will provide food for thought and encourage individuals and groups to communicate their early views. These views will be valuable in the liaison between the design team, Council and other statutory bodies and are therefore an essential part of the evolution of the design process.

As a stakeholder in this process your comments are welcome and these can be recorded either via the consultation feedback form provided, by e‐mail to Gavin.Lloyd@bracewell‐stirling.co.uk or telephone 01259 750301

Info about First Midland Festive Bus Times From Article in the Alloa Advertiser
Article Link: https://www.alloaadvertiser.com/news/18938566.festive-bus-times-released-first-issues-xmas-guidance/?fbclid=IwAR2dQYkAMMUBMrnnWh8929_kduN9uJ6SH6CADE9dulxOlAy9poueS-C0x_Q

BUS operators First Midland have issued festive guidance for customers in the Wee County.

Services will operate on a reduced frequency over the Christmas and New Year period with people advised to plan journeys in advance.

Passengers are also urged to check the latest Scottish Government guidance before travelling.

Those looking to travel are also asked to refer to the First Midland website in the first instance.

Saturday timetables will be in place on December 24 as well as between December 28 and 31.

It will be the same on Monday, January 4.

The last journeys on the days of December 24 and December 31 have also been published.

For service 51, the last bus from Cowie to Alloa will be at 8.22pm.

The last service from Alloa to Cowie will be at 8.25pm while people will be able to travel from Alloa to Manor Powis at 9.25pm.

For service 52, the last service from Alloa to Stirling will depart at 8.16pm and in the opposite direction it will be at 8.36pm.

Service H2 will convey passengers from Dollar to Forth Valley Royal Hospital for the last time on the above dates at 7.33pm and in the opposite direction the last journey will depart at 8.34pm.

No services will operate on Friday, December 25 and the following day, December 26.

Nor will there be any buses on January 1 and 2.

Normal service will resume on Tuesday, January 5.

Graeme Macfarlan, commercial director at First Midland, said: “We want to make it as easy as possible for people who need to make essential journeys to get around and get to their destinations safely during these unprecedented times.

“We have left no stone uncovered to continue to make sure services have been available when passengers need right throughout the pandemic and we have introduced enhanced cleaning regimes and industry leading social distancing measures to keep everyone safe whilst travelling.”

He added: “We wish our customers a very happy and safe festive period, and thank you for your understanding, patience and support over the past year whilst we have continued to deliver essential journeys.”

Passengers can visit firstscotlandeast.com/festive for further information.

(HILLFOOTS ROAD, MENSTRIE TO ALVA)(EXPERIEMENTAL PROHIBITION OF VEHICLES) (AMENDMENT NO. 1) ORDER 2020 SCHEDULE

List of Roads Side and section of road where vehicles are prohibited. Hillfoots Road, Menstrie to Alva

From a point 6 metres east of the access road to Mairtoun Hill Steading in an easterly direction to a point 160 metres west of the vehicular access to Myretoun Cottage a distance of 320 metres or thereby. Full details here http://www.clacks.gov.uk/transport/roadorders/?order=1476

‘Twas the week before December, when all through Alva not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. Let’s create a magical tour of Alva this Christmas!

If you are creating a Christmas display, visible from the pavement, add your address to the Alva Christmas Display Tour 2020.There are no prizes, there’s no judging, there’s no competition and there’s no checking if you’ve been naughty or nice. If it’s large or small, or if it’s Ho Ho Ho or He He He, we will love them all.

Register your address to add your location to the tour and encourage the festive season to be fabulous and fun in Alva in 2020. Last booking of addresses at 7pm on 23 December.

PLEASE FOLLOW COVID-19 GUIDANCE

BOOK BY CLICKING ON THE LINK BELOW
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/alva-christmas-display-tour-2020-tickets-130615653937?fbclid=IwAR2wqqOwrvH4VlyDqopOyKbAsjk1meSI9lH42M7rtmC5DW4oKHr0QyQrFk0

Alva Community Council (ACC) is delighted to announce that £2.2 million is going to be invested in Alva. The Community Action Plan Group (CAPLan) is a sub-group of ACC and since 2018 have had periodic meetings with Officers from Clackmannanshire Council’s Traffic & Transportation and Planning Departments for consultation on how the £650,000 should be spent in Alva from the Village and Small Town Initiative that has seen improvements in Sauchie and Tullibody town centres.

The CAPLan Group and Clacks Council officers held drop-in sessions in the former ‘Orchard’ shop in the town where over 650 people called in over the 3 day public consultation in February 2019 to see plans for the reconstruction of Alva town centre. There were plans of what could be done with the £650,000 as well as plans for what could be done if additional funding could be secured. A feedback drop-in session was held in May 2019.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to these sessions, your feedback has been critical in forming the final design for the street.The COVID-19 Pandemic restrictions prevented expected progress but the CAPLan Group had a socially distanced meeting with Officers on 23rd November to confirm the latest position.

We can now confirm that the proposals for Brook Street, now complete, and for the street scape improvements in Stirling Street have met with approval by Sustrans’ Places for People programme and Sustrans have provided the additional funding required for constructing the quality of street that we are looking for in Alva. Over the life of this project, there will be an investment of at least £2.2m in Alva.

Works are programmed to commence mid January 2021 and should take approx. 42 weeks, largely because works are phased so that only limited areas are worked on at any one time to facilitate the functioning of businesses and traffic flows. One of the empty shop units has been secured for the duration of works so that the contractor and Council staff will be able to assist traders and the public and to answer queries, etc.

The Council has allocated £120,000 from its Cycling Walking Safer Routes programme provide speed reduction measures and pedestrian crossings on the west approach to Alva. In due course traffic management features will be delivered at the east approach by the Silver Glen housing developer.

Moving on from the group’s success we are working with Roads and Transportation Services to secure further funding to construct a new active travel route from Fishcross via Sauchie Tower, to Alva, through Alva, including a new bridge over the burn, then to complete the route through to Menstrie.

Alva Community Council and Clackmannanshire Council would like to extend a huge thank you to Sustrans who have provided the help and funding that will bring Stirling Street back to life for the foreseeable future.

There are currently Seven vacancies on Alva Community Council (Alva CC), and applications from willing volunteers are invited from Alva residents.

The Community Council are currently meeting on zoom because of the pandemic.

Current planning applications, local issues, town maintenance, etc, are discussed, so that the views of the Alva Community can be accurately represented to Clackmannanshire Council and other public bodies. There are also various sub-groups including the Events Group who organise the annual Fun Day and Christmas Fayre and the Alva Community Resilience Team.

This is an opportunity for public spirited individuals to step forward and help to make a difference.

Past minutes are available on our website, which will give an idea of the range of issues and activities involved www.alvacommunitycouncil.org.uk.

Application Forms and Guidance Notes are available from:

• info@alvacommunitycouncil.org.uk

Completed applications, addressed to The Secretary of Alva CC, should be returned by Monday 21^st December 2020

For Further Information: contact the Secretary at info@alvacommunitycouncil.org.uk

Selection Process

The decision on filling these vacancies will be made at the Community Council meeting on Zoom on Monday January 11^th, 2021 which the public are welcome to attend as observers.

If the number of volunteer applications does not exceed the seven vacancies all will be co-opted on to the Community Council provided Eligibility Criteria is met, this is explained on the guidance notes.

If there are more eligible applications than vacancies an open vote will be taken by current elected Community Councillors.