Avian Flu - More information from IOW Council

Further to the information on avian flu in the Newsletter, the IW Council has sent out the attached press release.  Please read it if you keep any poultry, including ducks, and/or captive birds and feel free to pass the information on to anyone you know who might be interested.

Bird flu: further controls on housing birds  come into force After national biosecurity requirements were  introduced earlier this month, the Chief Veterinary Officers for England, Scotland,  

Wales and Northern Ireland have brought in new measures to help protect poultry and captive birds from avian influenza across the UK. 

The new measures came into force across the UK from 00:01 today, Monday 29 November 2021, to protect poultry and captive birds from avian influenza. 

There have been a number of confirmed cases across Great Britain in recent weeks,  but none on the Isle of Wight. 

The new requirements mean that bird-keepers across the Island, whether they have pet birds, commercial flocks or just a few birds in a backyard flock, must by law take a range of biosecurity precautions including keeping birds housed or in fully enclosed netted areas. 

Feed and bedding must be kept indoors. 

Fencing off and netting to certain areas, e.g. watercourses, ponds or other standing water must be in place to ensure that wild birds are not attracted. 

Regular cleaning and disinfecting of all concrete walkways, paths and similar surfaces must also be in place. 

The new housing and netting requirements are to keep poultry and other captive birds separate from wild birds. 

These housing requirements are in addition to the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone enhanced biosecurity measures which were introduced on the 3rd November 2021. A spokesman for the Isle of Wight Council said: "We've been contacting owners of larger flocks, but if you know somebody who keeps birds, even if it's only a few,  remind them to check the government website for the latest guidance. 

"Avian influenza is very low risk to humans and animals apart from birds, but nonetheless it can have a serious impact not only on commercial flocks but also on wild populations. 

"Pet birds who live in a family home are unlikely to have any contact with wild birds,  so are at less risk, but we still suggest that owners of pet birds take care to keep their pets from going outside, and store food in a place where wild birds cannot get to it. 

"Careful management of this disease will make sure that these restrictions can in due  course be lifted." 

Matthew Chatfield 

Communication and Engagement Officer 

Isle of Wight Council

Arreton Parish Council - Local information

Dear Resident

Here are a couple of items of information that would be out-of-date before I produce another newsletter.

St. George's Church is re-opening for a Communion Service on the second Sunday in each month and for Morning Service conducted by the churchwarden on the fourth Sunday.  They will be Covid 19 dominated for the moment with rules and regulations obeyed.

If you are in the habit of going to Newchurch or the Garlic Farm via the Downs Road then Newchurch Shute will be closed for resurfacing from July 28th for up to five days.  Please see the attached notice from Island Roads for further details.

Best wishes

Sheila

===================================================

July 2020 

Dear Occupant 

Island Roads, working in partnership with the Isle of Wight Council is upgrading and maintaining the Island’s highways network. We are writing to let you know about the carriageway surfacing works due to take place in your local area shortly and to provide you with some information and guidance about what will happen during the works to enable you to plan accordingly. 

Island Roads will continue to follow several new operating procedures in order to comply with the Governments’ latest guidance on social distancing as these essential highway improvement works are undertaken. Therefore, we request you respect the safety of all Island Roads workforce by keeping a safe distance from both operatives and resurfacing sites. Should you have any questions, the Island Roads Help Desk is contactable on 01983 822440 or info@islandroads.com. 

Location of works: Newport Shute, Arreton between The Downs Road and Mersley Lane Anticipated duration of works: 

Access to your property Vehicular access will be prohibited during the works. However, we will ensure we meet all of our responsibilities under the Equalities Act so if you require assistance accessing your property or you have any specific requirements please contact us so that arrangements can be made to assist you (tel. 01983 822 440 or email info@islandroads.com). 

Start date: Tuesday 28th July 2020 Duration: 5 days (we aim to work 

Monday – Friday only) Traffic Restrictions During the works, we will be using heavy machinery/equipment and materials that could damage your vehicle, making it unsuitable for vehicles to access the works area. The road will, therefore, be closed whilst these works are taking place and vehicle access will not be permitted, with the exception of emergency vehicles. Pedestrian footways will remain open. Time of works and vehicle access to properties/businesses.

 

Works will take place between the hours of 06:30 and 18:00, although the exact start and finish times may vary. The area of work will be this indicates the start of the works. When the cones are in place, we ask you to kindly park your cars off-street in preparation for the works the next day. Residents will be permitted access before 07:30 and after 16:00 where safety permits. Please ensure you have a copy of this letter to display. The team on site will have copies for multiple vehicle households. Parking /vehicle removal Island Roads will remove any vehicles that remain on the carriageway within the road closure and relocate them to a safe alternative location nearby. In these circumstances, you can locate your vehicle by contacting our help desk on 01983 822440. Please note that Island Roads has the authority to remove vehicles in these circumstances from the carriageway and costs may be charged to the registered keeper if a vehicle has to be relocated. FAQs Visit our website at http://www.islandroads.com/7-faqs.html or alternatively, please contact us for a copy of the FAQs to be sent to you. 

Island Roads Reception and Visitor Centre St. Christopher House, 42 Daish Way, Newport Help desk: 01983 822440 Enquiries: http://www.islandroads.com 

Preparatory Works In addition to the surfacing there will be preparatory works that need to take place. For these preparatory works, access can be allowed in and out of properties although there may be slight delays. 

Commercial waste collection If our works coincide with your usual arrangements for commercial waste collection please contact your service provider directly to make alternative arrangements with them. 

Household waste and recycling collection Your waste collection day will remain the same. However, the collection will take place before daily works begin. Therefore, please ensure your waste or recycling is at the kerbside before 7am on your normal collection day, the council cannot return for waste set out late. You may set your waste or recycling out from 7pm the night before your collection. Assisted collections will be collected from the agreed set out point. If the crew are unable to access your road due to a change in the start or finish time, please leave your waste or recycling out and it will be collected as soon as access is available. 

Alterations/Updates Please bear in mind that our programme can be affected by various external influences such as weather. The timeframe provided in this letter is as accurate as possible at the time of writing. Please take note of the advanced signage which will be updated in the case of a change to dates. 

We recognise that these improvement works may cause some inconvenience for local residents and businesses but we hope any disruption will be offset by the long-term improvements we are making. We would like to thank you in advance for your assistance in enabling us to complete these works. 

Yours faithfully, Island Roads