Arreton Parish Council Newsletter 2 May 2020

Dear Resident

Attached is the latest edition of Arreton Parish Council's newsletter.  I hope that you are enjoying the fine weather (yes, I know that the gardens need some rain if yours is anything like mine) and managing to get out more if you are permitted to do so.

Best wishes
Sheila
Mrs Sheila Caws
Clerk to Arreton Parish Council

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Arreton Parish Council Newsletter 2  May 2020

Welcome to the latest issue of our Newsletter. Hopefully, there is a mix of the informative and the interesting this time. Also, just to let you know that the Parish Council is still meeting although obviously not face-to-face. We are using Zoom which, whilst not perfect, is easy to download onto a laptop, phone or tablet and is reasonably user-friendly. Residents are still invited to attend and anyone wishing to do so should contact me for the log-in details in the week before the meeting. We meet on the second Monday of a month (except August) and the agendas go up on the website on the Monday or Tuesday before the meeting. 

John Orchard As you know from the previous newsletter, Cllr John Orchard achieved the rare milestone of fifty years’ service with the Parish Council this month. He was given a gift as a token of our appreciation of his service and in his thank-you letter, he gave a brief outline of some of his experiences. This may be of interest to some and may spark your own memories. 

“As local records will show several members of the Orchard family of Blackwater have served the local community in one way or another. Grandfather William Orchard and uncle Charlie Orchard were both blacksmiths in the same forge in the village, next to the Post Office (the family home) of which Grandmother Bertha was Postmistress for over forty years. When she died the role was passed to Mrs May Orchard, a widowed daughter-in-law until she herself died and the Post Office was closed and never reopened. 

“William was Chairman of the Parish Council and also appointed as Trustee of the Arreton Trust. The position of Trustee was passed to Charlie who was co-opted due to William's failing health. William passed away in 1966 and in 1970 Charlie suggested I put up for Councillor which I successfully did. The Chairman at that time was Roger Taylor of Perreton Farm. Donald Campbell of Little East Standen Farm and Edgar Calloway of Arreton, both also farmers, served as Councillors. 

“Charlie's sister, Hilda, became the wife of Martin Moore (Pat Phillips' father) the Clerk to the PC and she was one of the Founder Members of the now-disbanded Arreton W.I. During the time the old Village Hall was being replaced by the Community Centre the Parish Councillors were invited to hold one of the monthly meetings at "Kimberley", the Moore family home. A warm fire and Auntie Hilda's tea and cakes certainly helped proceedings along. 

“There have indeed been changes over the fifty years. 

“I have seen a large expanse of agricultural land opposite Gore Cemetery change from food production to a motorcycle scrambling circuit and then to a state-of-the-art piece of engineering. Bringing with it issues regarding odours emanating towards the village. 

“At one time the school's problem was a lack of local children attending. Then there was a remodelling of education and the doors were widened to allow children from further afield. The problem then became one of parking to accommodate the incomers. 

“In 1977 the then Headmaster Mr Valentine arranged for every child of the Parish to receive a Celebratory Crown Coin. The residents of Blackwater held their own Jubilee Family Fun Day and BBQ in a field at Birchmore Farm. At that time there were approximately 25 children in the village, today there are 4 ..... and John and I [his wife] are, apart from one family, the longest residing Villagers. 

“A state-of-the Art-Cricket ground has been successful in raising the profile of the Island's sporting venues but brought with it noise issues and complaints from extracurricular events held there. 

 

“In the early 1970's oil drilling was carried out at Perreton with very little if any issues, unlike UKOG's current proposal which has certainly caused a stir. 

“We have been informed that St Georges Church is in danger of being closed for worship due to lack of usage and footfall which raised much-needed income. In Blackwater, due to the absence of a congregation St Barnabas's Church, which had at one time had an active Sunday School to supplement the low attendance at services, was sold to a Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable merchant and stands to a reminder of gentler times. 

“What was once a well-respected business, incorporating a building business and a garage/service station, as well as a Funeral Directors, all under the ownership of Roy Westmore and with a substantial workforce, (indeed John's late father was a Carpenter there) is now a shiny, glass car showroom for imported vehicles. 

“Times change and not always for the better...” 

Asda Food boxes 

ActionIW has sent us the following information about Asda food boxes. 

Please see below a link for the Asda Food Box. 

https://foodboxes.asda.com/index.php 

The box will typically contain 31 store cupboard staples for just £30 (including delivery), making it the best value supermarket food box available on the market. 

Whilst the food box is available to all, Asda hopes it will help those most vulnerable who are struggling to get to the supermarket or those who are self-isolating. The box will be delivered directly to the doorstep within two days of the customer placing the order. The delivery will be made by a third-party provider so customers need not worry about this affecting the Asda home delivery service. 

Isle of Wight Council 

Restrictions to be eased at household waste recycling centres from Monday.

Islanders will be able to take more items to the tip for recycling from Monday — but trips must still be essential. As part of the gradual re-opening of the Lynnbottom and Afton Marsh household waste recycling centres (HWRCs), the Isle of Wight Council is easing restrictions on the types of waste residents can take. Vans, trailers and pickup trucks will also be admitted on-site with the appropriate permits while from Tuesday 26 May, the current one-way system on Briddlesford Road will be lifted — but the temporary 30mph speed limit will remain in force. 

Natasha Dix, the council's strategic manager for waste, said: "Thank you to everyone who has used the HWRCs responsibility over the past fortnight. 

"We continue to urge people to only consider visiting the tip if it is genuinely essential. 

"Booking and making a journey to recycling centres must only be undertaken if your waste or recycling cannot be stored at home safely or disposed of safely by other means, such as your kerbside or the bulky waste collection or garden waste subscription. 

"And certainly, do not visit the tip if you have symptoms or are confirmed to have coronavirus (Covid-19)." 

From Monday, HWRCs will accept all the usual items except general 'black bag' waste — nappies, sanitary waste and cigarette butts etc — which people should continue to put out as part of their kerbside collection. 

In order to maintain effective social distancing measures, to protect staff and visitors, entry to recycling centres is by pre-booked appointment only. To book a slot, visit www.iwight.com/hwrcbooking 

The system has also helped to avoid congestion on Briddlesford Road, allowing the one-way restriction to be lifted from next Tuesday. 

Natasha added: "It was important for us that we opened the centres in a managed way to ensure our approach helped to maintain social distancing on site. 

"The centres can only remain open if we all do our bit to help maintain social distancing which helps us all control the spread of Covid-19. So far people are supporting us in this for which we’re really grateful. 

"However, I must emphasise that the reopening is not a return to normal and I would urge residents to only visit our HWRCs if they really need to. 

"Public safety and that of our staff and the need for social distancing is of the utmost importance” 

Hampshire Constabulary 

An extract from a letter from the Olivia Pinkney, the Chief Constable of Hampshire Constabulary - 15th May 2020 

The efforts of the public over the past few weeks have meant our police officers have rarely had to enforce the Government Regulations and I thank our communities for their tremendous commitment and resolve. We have had to resort to formal Enforcement by way of a Fixed Penalty Notice only a handful of times a day, I am also confident the vast majority of public will continue to do their bit, continue to take personal responsibility and follow the guidance in this next phase of social restrictions. 

As many of us are now able to spend much more time outdoors, all citizens will need to continue to take responsibility for doing that within the restrictions set out by the Government. The Constabulary has a role to continue to encourage and support our communities to comply fully with the restrictions, thereby saving lives. 

Our role in policing has changed as public health Regulations have changed. We will continue to police the Regulations (which do not extend as far as government guidance and so we have no role in enforcing (2m) social distancing, wearing of masks or avoiding public transport, by way of example). What has changed is the nature of ‘reasonable excuse’ for being out of our homes. It is still not permitted for someone to gather in groups with those not in their household or if they have left their house for one of the reasons not designated as reasonable, such as: 

• To go on holiday (this includes to visit and stay overnight at a holiday home or second home). 

• To visit the homes of friends and family (exceptions include to protect a vulnerable person, for medical purposes or to escape the risk of harm). 

My officers and PCSOs are actively patrolling in all our communities, and I am fortunate to be regularly spending time with them. I understand the challenges they face and see first-hand how they engage with the public, asking questions to establish circumstances, explaining Regulations, and encouraging those breaking the rules to comply. 

This approach has gone a long way to maintaining the excellent relationships we have with our communities. We continue to have millions of direct social media connections every week where we engage, encourage and explain. 

Island Roads 

Information from Island Roads regarding resurfacing work. 

Road resurfacing work to resume on the Island 

Road resurfacing work is set to resume on the Island again, towards the end of May, following a review of Government guidance and staff safety training. 

Island Roads, in consultation with the IW Council, have continued with their highway service throughout the Coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak providing essential maintenance to keep the road network safe for vehicles and pedestrians including NHS staff and emergency services. 

Work has included repair to road defects, keeping the streets clean and bins emptied, cutting the grass to ensure visibility at junctions and keeping traffic signals and streetlights working as well as continuing work on the St Mary’s junction improvement scheme. This week a programme of work to improve skid resistance at key sites also got underway. 

Road resurfacing, which is normally carried out from March each year, was however suspended owing to the larger crew sizes required to complete this work and concerns about the supply of materials. But following assurances on materials supply, further staff training and risk assessments, and in line with latest Government advice, resurfacing work will resume from 26th May 2020. 

All staff have full construction PPE and will be working within social distancing guidelines wherever possible. 

Keith Gourlay, Island Roads Construction Manager said: “This year’s programme of carriageway improvement work will see more residential streets being completed, however, I want to reassure residents that our crews will be maintaining a distance from the public as they complete this work and we ask that residents do the same for our crews. 

“As we have before, we will be carrying out letter drops in advance of any work. These contain essential information including for example, what to do regarding waste collections and removing vehicles from the highway. We also ask residents to keep a close eye on our yellow information boards which will appear on site ahead of any works as the timing of works can be affected by external factors such as inclement weather. Residents can also view a list of forthcoming works on our website https://islandroads.com/current-works/ 

“We aim to complete our work without impacting substantially on residents, however, we will need people to remove their vehicles from the road the night before to enable us to carry out our work. If this presents difficulties for anyone, they can call our hub on 01983 822440 so we can discuss this with them. 

“We thank residents in advance for their support as we continue with our work to improve the Island’s highway network.” 

Councillor Ian Ward, Cabinet member responsible for highways added: “We are pleased that this important work can resume, and it makes particular sense to do so when there are still fewer vehicles on the roads. 

“We appreciate people may have got used to quieter streets, but we ask that the public respect the need for this work to continue – we all benefit from improved roads.” 

The weekly programme of works can be found on our website here https://islandroads.com/current-works/ 

May virtual half term fun and family activities

 

Are you looking for something the family can do this half term? 

With libraries and museums closed due to the coronavirus crisis, Isle of Wight Council 

staff have put together an exciting programme of online activities to bring some 'virtual' fun to the school holidays. From Monday to Friday, families can enjoy a different activity from Dinosaur Isle and Isle Be Active, as well as the authority's museum, heritage and library services. The council's online 'Lockdown Kitchen' will also be rustling up some recipe ideas, using everyday ingredients and leftovers, to help Islanders hone their culinary skills. The activities will be posted on the council's Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/isleofwightcouncil/ at 9am each day. 

Council leader, Dave Stewart, said: "There's a diverse range of activities with a mixture of indoor and outdoor things to do. "There's something to suit all ages and abilities — head over and enjoy some of the brilliant services that the council provides to residents." 

From exploring two very different Island shipwrecks, each with their own fascinating tale to tell, to creating your own dinosaur artwork and getting baking in the kitchen, there’s something for everybody. It’s important that we keep active during lockdown so lookout for a rainbow challenge and photography competition with prizes for the winners. 

Helen Wheller, the council's principal communications and engagement manager, said: "We have used social media to highlight essential information and public health messages since lockdown began. "These activities are a great way for our services to engage with the community in a fun way and we really hope residents will get involved, including sharing their photos with us on Facebook!" 

Follow the council on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/isleofwightcouncil/ and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/iwight 

HMRC 

And finally – a message from HMRC 

COVID-19 Update 

Dear customer, 

We’re writing to let you know that the coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme will launch online on 26 May. 

The scheme will enable employers with fewer than 250 employees to claim coronavirus- related Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). Tax agents will also be able to make claims on behalf of employers. 

You’re eligible to use the scheme if: 

• you’re claiming for an employee who’s eligible for sick pay due to coronavirus 

• you had a PAYE payroll scheme in operation before 28 February 2020 

• you had fewer than 250 employees across all PAYE schemes on 28 February 2020 

• you’re eligible to receive State Aid under the EU Commission Temporary Framework. 

The repayment will cover up to two weeks of the applicable rate of SSP, and is payable if a current or former employee was unable to work on or after 13 March 2020 and entitled to SSP, because they either: 

• have coronavirus 

• are self-isolating and unable to work from home 

• are shielding because they’ve been advised that they’re at high risk of severe illness from coronavirus. 

To prepare to make a claim, you should keep records of all the SSP payments you wish to claim for. 

For more information about eligibility and how employers can prepare to use the scheme, please visit GOV.UK and search 'Check if you can claim back Statutory Sick Pay paid to employees due to coronavirus (COVID-19)'. 

Please only call us if you cannot find the support you need on GOV.UK advice pages or through our webchat service – this will leave our lines open for those who need our help most. 

You can find out more about this coronavirus support measure, and others such as HMRC’s Job Retention Scheme, by signing up to one of our webinars. For more information please visit GOV.UK and search for 'Help and support if your business is affected by coronavirus (COVID-19)'. 

A word about scams 

We are aware of an increase in scam emails, calls and texts. If someone gets in touch claiming to be from HMRC, saying that financial help can be claimed or that a tax refund is owed, and asks you to click on a link or to give information such as your name, credit card or bank details, please do not respond. You can forward suspicious emails claiming to be from HMRC to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk and texts to 60599. 

We will continue to update you about this scheme. 

Yours sincerely 

Jim Harra 

Chief Executive and Permanent Secretary – HMRC 

An Isle of Wight helpline has been set up to support people who are affected by coronavirus self- isolation measures. You can call 01983 823600 between 9am and 5pm, seven days a week. 

PARISH COUNCIL CONTACT DETAILS Chairman: Cllr Martin Kimber – martinkimberapc@gmail.com Clerk: Mrs Sheila Caws - arretonpc@outlook.com 07587 008183