Arreton Parish Council Newsletter May 2020

Arreton Parish Council Newsletter
May 2020

Welcome to the latest issue of our Newsletter.  There will inevitably be information on Covid 19 but for once we may be telling you about things that you can do, rather than things that you cannot.  More on that later.

VE-Day

May 8th is, of course, the day that peace was declared in Europe at the end of World War II there.  This year marks the 75th anniversary and so is that little bit more special.  The Government moved the date of the early May Bank Holiday from the customary Monday to Friday 8th.  I suspect that, in the present circumstances, most of us will not notice except that the postman will not come and the banks will be closed.  The Parish Council had planned to hold an event in the Community Centre but that went the way of all other arrangements that anyone had.  We are, however, still being encouraged to do our bit but, as always, we are reminded to stay at home.

Isle of Wight Council

Islanders are being invited to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day — the day the guns fell silent at the end of the war in Europe — from their homes.  To commemorate this unforgettable moment in the nation's history, the Isle of Wight Council is supporting the national series of activities that people can take part in without leaving the house — or even the sofa.  This will allow people to mark the occasion while still following national rules on social distancing during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. 

Council chairman, Councillor George Cameron said: "I hope this day can be a moment of shared celebration — and a reminder that, even in these dark days, we know that lighter times will return again." 

The Royal British Legion (RBL) has organised a programme of events to help families mark the spectacle responsibly.  It includes a national moment of reflection and Remembrance at 11am on Friday 8 May, not only in recognition of the service and sacrifice of the Second World War generation but also to reflect on the devastating impact Covid-19 has had on so many lives across the world.  Following the silence, the RBL is hosting a VE Day live stream, sharing stories and memories from those who served and sacrificed during the war.  Hosted by TV presenter Sonali Shah, the programme will feature contributions from social historian Julie Summers and cook and influencer Melissa Helmsley. The stream will be live from 11.15am on the RBL website.  

Later in the day residents are encouraged to take part in a UK-wide rendition of Dame Vera Lynn’s ‘We’ll Meet Again’ at 9pm. BBC One will feature the singalong as part of its VE Day 75 evening broadcast.   Other festivities include:  

The 'Great British Bunting' — a BBC Local Radio initiative encouraging residents to decorate their windows with homemade bunting made from cereal boxes, string, ribbon, sweet wrappers or whatever you can find.

A nationwide 'toast to the heroes' at 3pm on Friday, May 8. 

As part of the commemorations, the Isle of Wight Council is also on the hunt for Isle of Wight VE Day photos, memories, pictures — anything that you have from May 1945 along with photos from your 2020 ‘at home’ celebrations.  Email your contributions to digitalcontent@iow.gov.uk or tag us in your #VEDay75 posts on social media. We will share a gallery on social media at a later date.

Councillor Cameron added: "Please don't forget to share with us photos of your VE Day celebrations. We want to see how you're marking the anniversary responsibly from your home or garden."

While the council hopes people will find ways of celebrating together online, they are keen to stress the importance of continuing to follow social distancing guidelines.

VJ-Day

The Parish has a strong connection with VJ-Day and the IW Branch of the Burma Star Association due to Revd Chase, who was Priest-in-charge at St George’s between 1976 and 1982.  He had been a Colonel in the Army and was a member of the Association.  Veterans held their anniversary services in the Church and in 1992 a memorial window was created.  We held our first Fun Day in 2015 to commemorate the 70th anniversary and it would be nice to think that we could mark the 75th.  However, we will have to see what life might be like in August before we can make any plans and they are unlikely to be as adventurous as we were five years’ ago.

Waste Recycling Centres  

Isle of Wight Council - booking system launched to manage to open the Council’s recycling centres

A managed re-opening of the Island’s household waste and recycling centres (HWRCs) will begin next week. The arrangements will not be the same as the normal opening.  In order to maintain effective social distancing measures, to protect our staff and visitors, the HWRCs (Lynnbottom and Afton Marsh) will limit the number of visitors within 30-minute periods. Visitors must book a slot online: www.iwight.com/hwrcbooking.  

Residents will be able to book a time slot to go to the recycling centres (HWRCs) from Wednesday 6 May. Slots are available to book for up to four weeks in advance. Households will only be able to book one slot within a two-week period to ensure as many people who need to visit can do so.  There will be 10 slots available per half-hour at Lynbottom and five per half-hour at Afton Marsh.  Lynbottom will re-open with this reduced capacity from Monday 11 May and Afton Marsh from Saturday 16 May 2020; booking slots will be available from 10am to 5pm.

There will also only be a limited number of items that can be taken to the HWRC:
• Garden waste
• Asbestos and plasterboard with a permit ONLY (plus booking slot).
• Waste electronics and electrical equipment (WEEE) no larger than an under-counter fridge.
• Batteries
• Wood (man-made and natural)
• Hard plastics.
No general waste (non-recyclable/black bin), rubble, soil or DIY waste will be accepted on-site.
No vans, trailers or pickup trucks will be admitted in order to maintain the flow of car-sized vehicle waste volumes only.  HWRC operatives will not be able to assist the removal of waste from vehicles as they normally would, in order to maintain effective social distancing.

Natasha Dix, Strategic Manager for Waste said “While people have been on lockdown, we appreciate that they may have focused on organising at home and may need to remove some excess items from their properties that they cannot store or that cannot be collected at the kerbside. “We are still operating bulky waste collections if people cannot or do not want to travel to the tip. There are also a limited number of green waste subscriptions available if people would like to sign up for a fortnightly kerbside collection of their garden waste.”

“I would continue to request that people stay home, protect the NHS and save lives. Lockdown isn’t over. This managed re-opening is only to be used where excess waste cannot be stored at home or otherwise collected.” said Councillor Steve Hastings, Cabinet member for waste and recycling.

This will involve using a one-way system in Briddlesford Road.

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14 (2) (b)
The Isle of Wight Council – 6th May 2020
(Briddlesford Road, Newport, Isle of Wight)
(Temporary One-Way and 30MPH Speed Restriction)
Order No1 2020
TEMPORARY ONE-WAY RESTRICTION AND 30MPH SPEED RESTRICTION - BRIDDLESFORD ROAD, NEWPORT
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN under Section 14 (2) (b) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, that Ringway Island Roads Ltd, acting on behalf of
the Isle of Wight Council, to prevent the likelihood of danger to the public, or serious damage to the road, which is not attributable to any works on
or near the road, considers that the restrictions to the road as specified below should come into force as dated below:
a) ONE-WAY RESTRICTION - Briddlesford Road, from its junction with Gravel Pit Lane to its junctions with Long Lane, in a north to south direction. On-street signage will depict the exact time the restriction will come into effect.
b) 30 MPH SPEED RESTRICTION - Briddlesford Road, between its junctions with Gravel Pit Lane and Long Lane To introduce a maximum 30mph speed restriction. On-street signage will depict the exact time the restriction will come into effect. No speed limit imposed by this order applies to vehicles falling within regulation 3(4) of the Road Traffic Exemptions (Special Forces) (Variation and Amendment) Regulations 2011 when used in accordance with regulation 3(5) of those regulations.
DIVERSION ROUTE(S): The diversion will be signposted locally and will affect Long Lane, Staplers Road and Whiterails Road.
Diversion route(s) will be signed at the time the restrictions will apply.

PERIOD OF RESTRICTIONS: From 0001 hours on Monday 11th May 2020, for a maximum period of twenty-one days, the restrictions are to allow safe access and the management of Traffic to and from the Civic Amenity Centre.
If you have any queries regarding the above please contact Island Roads on 01983 822440.
Copies of all traffic orders may be viewed on the public notices website https://one.network
Scott Headey Traffic Manager
Isle of Wight Council
St Christopher House 42, Daish Way, Newport, Isle of Wight PO30 5XJ

Unfortunately, I cannot attach the accompanying plan but please note that you will not be able to drive down Briddlesford Road from the Robin Hill end but will have to go the scenic route via Coppins Bridge.  If coming from the Havenstreet direction, the road will be two-way from the small pine plantation down to the Whiterails Road/Park Road/Station Road roundabout.

Volunteers
A message from Community Action IW who have been coordinating the volunteer groups on the Island.

Doing a Great Job! 

The sun shone, the community rallied, the voluntary sector had weekly meetings with senior Council Officers, we all learned about new technology and everyone stayed at home. It’s been a remarkable few weeks!! The Island has done a truly outstanding job of meeting the needs of our vulnerable residents. More than twenty-five community-based geographical hubs were set up to help their immediate local community with shopping, collecting prescriptions and providing a listening ear in these times of fear and uncertainty. 

The weekly community meetings chaired by Michael Lilly, the Mayor of Ryde, are held every Wednesday via Zoom and are an opportunity for all the hubs to provide an update on the issues they have been dealing with and to link directly to IW Council officers who are leading the local authorities’ response to the Coronavirus emergency. Some of the Island’s established community organisations such as West Wight Sports and Community Centre, Aspire Ryde, Pan Together and Town and Parish Councils have changed their ‘business as usual’ to provide much-needed support with the help of hundreds of existing and newly recruited volunteers. 

We can all be proud of the community response to the Coronavirus. Well done!!! 

Philippa Daley

A big thank you goes to those of you who have volunteered in Arreton.  We have had few calls for help but that is because those in need have mostly been helped by family, friends and neighbours, which goes to show what a great community we are.  Whether or not you have been called upon to help yet, your willingness to sign up is much appreciated.

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