News

We know that many people are looking forward to pubs, restaurants and other establishments opening this weekend and we’re confident the majority of people want to enjoy themselves safely.

In the run-up and over the course of the weekend we, alongside Local Authorities, will be working closely with the licensing industry across all areas of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. This is to ensure all businesses are aware of the new licensing objectives and COVID guidelines to prevent a second spike of the virus.

We have been preparing in anticipation of this busier period, and have patrol plans in place throughout the two counties this weekend to ensure the easing of restrictions is approached safely. Social distancing and good hygiene remains paramount and it’s everyone’s responsibility to follow this guidance.

If you are visiting bars and pubs this weekend, please drink sensibly, and pre-plan your travel and how you are going to get home. Reassess your plans if you arrive at your location and realise social distancing isn’t achievable. Be aware of how excess drinking and violent behaviour may impact the emergency services and the NHS. Covid-19 still presents a significant and deadly threat to public health.

It’s important to remember that it is our collective effort to comply with the guidance, such as keeping our distance and washing our hands, that has led to the re-opening of our local businesses.

Ultimately, we are still all in this together so it’s important that we all continue to limit the spread of the virus, whilst enjoying the summer.

We continue to work hard to keep us all safe in what remain challenging circumstances so we would ask everyone to work with us and remember that if you need our help we are here for you.

If you want to know more about what you can and can’t do from July 4, please visit the government website on Coronavirus. Please do not call our control room to ask questions about restrictions, we need to keep our lines open for emergencies.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Play areas and outdoor gyms are set to reopen in the borough from Saturday 4 July.

The borough council will start reopening its 150 play areas and 50 play areas belonging to parish and town councils from this Saturday and is encouraging people to follow government guidance to reduce the risk of spreading the virus when using the equipment.

Before each play area and outdoor gym can be safely reopened it must be inspected and residents are asked not to use the equipment until the council’s team has carried out this work and declared it fit for use.

Signage will be placed at each location asking people to follow government guidance including:

• giving other people space in line with the current social distancing guidance
• washing hands before and after visiting
• using hand sanitiser gel or wipes to clean hands
• putting tissues or rubbish in the bins provided.

No food or drink should be consumed in the play areas and people are asked not to use the facilities if they are busy to help keep themselves and other safe.

Residents can find their nearest play area at www.basingstoke.gov.uk/playareas

Preparations are under way to increase the number of booking slots available at Hampshire’s Household Waste Recycling Centres. We’re increasing the number of bookable slots each day to 5,000 in total across the 24 sites.

We are also increasing advance booking slot availability, so that residents can book up to seven days ahead.

Thank you for the patience and support you have shown, and for continuing to follow the guidance while measures are in place to manage the high demand while keeping visitors and staff safe.

More info and a link to the guidance and the pre-booking form here.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has today announced further changes to lockdown measures in England from Saturday 4 July.

• Prime Minister’s statement to the House
• News release on easing of lockdown measures

Guidance, giving further details, is awaited but the key points are:

• from Saturday 4 July:
  • if it is possible to keep the two-metre distance then we should do so;
  • in places where it is not possible then the guidance is for ‘one metre plus’, which means other mitigation is required – this will include plastic screens and masks but also measures such as giving details to restaurants so that if there are links to an outbreak of Covid-19 then people can be contacted;
  • despite reduction in the distance, “the fewer social contacts you have the safer you will be”;
  • two households of any size can meet in any setting inside or outdoors but multiple households can’t meet indoors – social distancing must still be in place;
  • restaurants and bars can open but must run a table service system and ensure minimal staff and customer contact;
  • places of worship can open for prayer and services, provided social distancing is maintained; weddings of no more than 30 people can go ahead;
  • hairdressers with appropriate precautions can open but nail bars and other close contact personal services cannot yet open;
  • people will be free to stay overnight in self-contained accommodation, including hotels and bed and breakfasts, as well as campsites as long as shared facilities are kept clean;
  • most leisure facilities and tourist attractions can reopen if they can do so safely, including outdoor gyms and playgrounds, cinemas, museums, galleries, theme parks and arcades as well as libraries, social clubs and community centres;
• ‘close proximity’ venues such as nightclubs, soft-play areas, indoor gyms, swimming pools and spas will need to remain closed for now, as will bowling alleys and water parks;
• the government will work with the arts industry on specific guidance to enable choirs, orchestras and theatres to resume live performances as soon as possible;
• courts, probation services, police stations and other public services will increasingly resume face-to-face proceedings;
• wrap-around care for school age children and formal childcare will restart over the summer;
• primary and secondary education will recommence in September with full attendance and those children who can already go to school should do so
• People shielding from COVID-19 will be advised they can spend more time outside their homes from Monday 6 July, the Health and Social Care Secretary has announced here.

The lock down caused by Covid 19, has led to a reduction in the overall traffic flowing through the Parish and subsequently a reduction in the number of vehicles travelling through at an inconsiderate speed.

As the lock down restrictions are eased, the overall traffic will again start to rise, but obviously as the summer approaches will, still remain at reasonable levels.

This Summer, the Parish Council will be running a Speed Awareness programme which will comprise of two elements.

1. Siting the speed awareness indicator sign in various locations around the parish, this is with the help of Parish residents who are willing to have the equipment sited on their property for short periods of time. No vehicle details will be kept, this is just to raise awareness that speed levels are being monitored.
2. At other times in the Summer, at various locations , at various times, formal Speed Watch exercises will be held, where car details will be recorded and forwarded to the relevant authorities.

We will be reporting back the outcomes of these exercises and look forward to your ongoing support as we continue to ensure that Sherfield Park remains a great place to live!

Following on from the huge support from Sherfield Park residents given to Helen King when she arranged a collection for Spotlight UK Food Hub, the Parish Council and Community Centre (SPCA) have decided to offer their support.

We have spoken with Spotlight UK about longer term support, but in the short term, a central collection point (drop off box) for donations has been set up outside the Community Centre until it reopens. This will be checked daily and deliveries by Councillors and Volunteers will be made to the main distribution point.

All donations are gratefully received and we thank you in advance for your support.

Garden waste collections are set to resume from Monday 15 June for existing customers as staffing levels begin to stabilise following the COVID-19 outbreak.

The fortnightly garden waste service, which has over 12,000 customers signed up, will start this month.  This follows the reintroduction of the council’s bulky waste collection service in May.

The staggered approach has seen those services requiring the fewest staff brought back online first to ensure the existing waste, recycling and clinical waste services can be maintained for the duration of the pandemic.

Waste collections, which were reduced to a fortnightly collection on Monday 20 April and have the biggest impact on staffing, will remain on the current collection schedule until both the council and Serco are confident the weekly service can be sustained by the crews during the pandemic.

Following the suspension of the service in March, all existing garden waste customers will receive a letter advising them that the service is restarting. This will include information on their collection date, frequently asked questions including details regarding the extension of their annual subscription. No new customers can be accepted to the service at this time but this will be reviewed.