Continued help for flood victims

This summer has been dominated by unseasonably wet weather. Many homes have been devastated by floods caused by heavy rain. As a result of this many individuals and families have been displaced from their homes and are living with family, friends or in temporary accommodation.
Council staff and the emergency services have been working around the clock to ensure the well-being of the residents of Hull and this is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.
To date, the council has helped thousands of Hull residents whose needs have been prioritised by a bronze, silver and gold scheme, helping them to find temporary accommodation, providing them with white goods, and advice on how to dry out their homes. The council has also brought in council tax allowances for flood-affected households. The National Flood Forum has also praised the efforts of the council during the floods. There is still a lot of work to be done, but with the council, its partners, and the residents of Hull working together, the city will eventually return to normal. You can read more about flood recovery on pages 12 and 13.
Meanwhile, the council is forever looking at new ways to increase recycling in the city. We are currently promoting the brown bin recycling scheme for paper and cardboard and are also giving away home composters and re-useable green waste bags. We are also just starting on the construction of a new recycling centre in Sutton Fields to make it easier for households to recycle their waste at one central point (see pages 16 and 17).
On pages 18 and 19 there’s an interview with Ian Bourne who has cerebral palsy, who talks about his experience of hate crime.
Hate crime is still an issue in the city which affects many residents, and the article explores how we can both identify and report it.
Finally, the £200 million St Stephen’s retail and leisure development opens this month.
We’re hoping it will improve visitor numbers, increase the number of jobs and boost Hull’s night-time economy. You can read more on pages 21-24.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy reading about some of the city’s other success stories.

Cllr Carl Minns
Leader, Hull City Council