Medway Council - Coronavirus (COVID-19): Medway’s Response

Medway Council’s priority continues to be providing essential council services for its residents.

The health and wellbeing of our residents is our top priority and we have robust business continuity plans in place to ensure we can continue to support the most vulnerable members of our community, as well as support our residents with critical day-to-day services.

All of our sites and buildings remain open to the public including our libraries and leisure centres, museums and heritage sites.

However, in line with government advice to help prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), we have taken the decision to cancel major events and all shows at The Brook and Central Theatres in Chatham up until the end of June.

Events cancelled include:
• Big Splash, 4th April

• English Festival, 18th April

• Sweeps, 2nd and 3rd May

• Focus On Rainham, 16th May

• Cycling Festival, 13th to 21st June

• Dickens Festival, 13th and 14th June

• Armed Forces Day, 27th June

• Focus On Walderslade, 28th June

There are currently no plans to reschedule these events. Tickets holders will be contacted as soon as possible.

All council sites and buildings remain open to the public, but under review. We have, however, cancelled group activities due to be held until the end of June at our libraries, community hubs, archives centre, museums and heritage sites. Leisure centres also remain open, with group classes continuing as usual.

All of our Medway Adult Education classes have been cancelled until the end of June. If you have booked onto a course within this time, you will be contacted.

We appreciate this may be disappointing news, but the health and wellbeing of everyone involved is paramount.

Any news on school closures will be announced by each school through their usual processes.

All other council services will continue to be delivered and we will continue to follow government advice and work with Public Health England to do everything we can to help prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

Coronavirus symptoms

Stay at home if you have either:

• a high temperature – you feel hot to touch on your chest or back

• a new, continuous cough – this means you've started coughing repeatedly

Length of time to stay at home:

• if you have symptoms, stay at home for 7 days

• if you live with other people, they should stay at home for 14 days from the day the first person got symptoms

For the latest advice and guidance on coronavirus, visit: www.nhs.uk/coronavirus

Medway Council

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Swale Borough Council - Leader's Response to Coronavirus

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak continues to develop, Swale Borough Council has begun activating plans to maintain essential services across the borough.

At present, council meetings are being scaled back to only those we are legally required to continue, and we are awaiting government advice on running these remotely - either online or by phone.

Council officers have begun working remotely, and for now council offices remain open to the public for essential services such as supporting rough sleepers and those at risk of homelessness.

Cllr Roger Truelove, leader of the council, said:

“These are serious times and we - officers and members of the council - will do all that is possible to protect people from this virus and maintain the services and decision making that we have to do.

“Over the last few weeks, we have been preparing for the potential impact on the borough.

“It is highly likely our services will be affected in some way, but we have been planning what we can do to minimise any disruption.

“Before any impacts become apparent it is important that people know where to get the right information. People should check our website and social media accounts for information and updates.

“We are already working with our partners across the public sector as part of the county-wide response to the outbreak, and we will continue to support each other throughout this crisis.

“We must also think about how we, as members of our communities, can support each other.

“When friends and neighbours are isolated, we need to support them too. Practical things like help with shopping can be a lifeline, but something as simple as a phone call to let them know someone cares can be a great morale boost.

“Our local businesses that employ thousands of people across the borough will most likely be affected, and it’s vital that we all support them however we can.

“We don’t know when this will end, but we do know that it will, and I want us to know we did everything we could to help each other through this difficult time.”

For information and advice about council services impacted during the coronavirus outbreak, visit www.swale.gov.uk/coronavirus

National information about the current situation, including travel advice and updates on what action is being taken, is available on the Gov.uk website

More specific health advice is available on the NHS website

If you are feeling unwell and worried about your symptoms, use the online NHS 111 coronavirus service

Do not go directly to your GP, pharmacy, hospital or other healthcare setting.

Swale Borough Council

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CANCELLED - Upchurch WI - Quiz Night

Wendy Pitts - Upchurch Women's Institute

Tel: 01634 362253

Email: marwen.pitts@btinternet.com

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NEW Social Distancing Advice to Help Delay the Spread of Coronavirus

Today we have announced new social distancing advice to help delay the spread of coronavirus.

Read the new advice now: http://bit.ly/2wdDYDZ

#coronavirus | #COVID_19

Department of Health and Social Care - DHSC

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Temporary Road Closure - A249 Kingsferry Bridge

Temporary Road Closure - A249 Kingsferry Bridge, Queenborough - 5th April 2020

Kent County Council has made an order to temporarily prohibit through traffic travelling on A249 Kingsferry Bridge, Queenborough from Sunday 5th April 2020 for up to 1 day between the hours of 08:00 and 18:00.

The road will be closed in the vicinity of the bridge, to the extent indicated by signs and barriers on site.

The alternative route for any through traffic is via Sheppey Way, Lower Road, Brielle Way, The Sheppey Crossing, A249 Sheppey Way, The Sheppey Crossing, Iwade Bypass, Grovehurst Slip southbound off, Grovehurst Road, Grovehurst Slip northbound on, A249 Iwade Bypass, Kingsferry Roundabout, Sheppey Way, Kingsferry Bridge and vice versa.

Access for emergency service vehicles and pedestrians will be maintained at all times during the closure.

The closure is required for the safety of the public and workforce while bridge inspection works are undertaken by Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd.

For information regarding this closure please contact Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd on: 0345 711 4141, who will be able to assist with the scope of the works.

For details of roadworks, see: https://one.network

Kent County Council - Highways, Transportation & Waste
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Swale Borough Council - Affordable Housing for Local People

Plans to increase the amount of affordable housing available for local people will be discussed next week.

Swale Borough Council’s cabinet will be asked to approve measures to meet the demand for affordable homes at a meeting next week.

An initial proposal being considered is to use council-owned land in Sittingbourne town centre, possibly selling it to registered social housing providers to include affordable housing.

Cllr Roger Truelove, leader of the council, said:

“We are looking at making use of Cockleshell Walk, Fountain Street and the Old Bus Depot.

The crucial difference would be that unlike the Spirit of Sittingbourne plans, we would be focusing on local need, the need for quality affordable homes and at a much lower density than previously planned.

Carefully planned development on this land will make the town centre and its retail offer, more viable in difficult times.”

The council would also work to set up a wholly owned housing company to deliver more affordable homes. This would allow the council to develop, buy and manage properties, and offers greater influence and control of developments, as well as a financial return which would fund future projects.

Cllr Ben Martin, cabinet member for housing at the council, said:

“Affordable housing is in short supply across Swale, and the developments we are seeing coming through the planning systems aren’t filling the gap.

Too many local people are being priced out of the housing market, and we want to try to give them a realistic option of finding a home.

This administration is committed to delivering more affordable homes, and we want a borough wide approach to meet our ambitions.”

Cllr Ghlin Whelan, deputy cabinet member for housing at the council, said:

“Developers don’t have a great track record of delivering affordable homes locally, and whilst we’re hoping to see that pick up in the next few years, there is still a long way to go.

By using the land we hold, we’ve can have more say on what is built there, and we can make sure it is built to benefit local people, not to make profits for developers.”

The plans will be discussed on Wednesday, 18th March 2020, and the report on the plans is available here

Swale Borough Council

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