Your local council is a vital source of information and ideas on how to stay safe in your home. From helping you to identify fire hazards in your property to providing specific advice on how to comply with the law as it relates to tenant and public safety, the council is a veritable library of knowledge and experience that anyone is welcome to draw on at any time.
What's more, unless you are requesting a specific service that requires a specialist on-site visit or the involvement of a contractor or third party, all the advice that you receive from your local council is free! You can access leaflets and documentation for free, and you can speak to a knowledgeable person without them charging you for their time. Compare this to the (sometimes astronomical) cost of seeking advice from other advisory professions, such as an accountant or solicitor, and it becomes easier to appreciate just what a valuable resource our local councils are.
Ways to seek advice
One of the easiest ways to get in touch with the council and receive advice relevant to your area and situation is to seek out their website. Every local council in the UK has an online presence. You can track down your council's site by simply entering the word 'council' and your place name / borough / district into a search engine. Alternatively, the Direct Gov website (www.direct.gov.uk) has an A-Z directory listing of all local councils in the UK together with a web link. To find the directory simply visit the Direct Gov website and use the 'Directories' option on the navigation bar. On the next page select 'Local Councils' to bring up the search facility.
Once on the council's website you'll have access to a comprehensive range of information. Most council sites are menu-driven - i.e. you can drill down to the right advice using a series of menus or drop down boxes. But, if you can't find what you are looking for, the council website will have a search box into which you can type keywords relating to the advice that you are looking for. One way or the other you should be able to locate the information you seek, either as a web page or a document or leaflet that could be downloaded and then saved to your PC or printed off.
In the event that you can't find what you are looking for on the council's website, or if you just prefer not to take the hi-tech route, you can of course just phone up the council offices. Before doing so it helps to have a think about the type of advice that you need, and which department might be in the best position to be able to help you. Your local telephone directory is likely to list phone numbers for different council departments. If you can select the right department to go through to straightaway you'll end up saving yourself a fair amount of time…and avoid all that call passing!
Alternatively, you can just visit your council offices and seek advice in person, or write to the council. If you visit you may need to book an appointment first. If you write you should specify the type of advice you need and how you wish to be responded to -- i.e. by booking an appointment, by sending you a written reply or by phoning you.
Services
Property safety is high up on the agenda for local councils. They want to ensure that you not only abide by the law but that you are doing your utmost to protect the safety of others, whether that be the general public or tenants in your property. With this in mind the council can provide advice on several fronts including…
- Gas and electrical safety
- Tenant safety
- Crime Prevention
- Fire Prevention
- Avoiding accidents and injuries around the home
For more details contact your local council.
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