Swale Borough Council - Helping High Streets Reopen Safely

Sittingbourne High Street - John Salmon

Shoppers are being welcomed back to our high streets from Monday as non-essential retailers reopen their doors.

Swale Borough Council is supporting local shops by putting in place measures so people feel confident they can safely come back to our high streets.

Things won’t be the same as normal, as people need to maintain social distancing. Individual shops must have plans to manage how people can socially distance inside their premises, and in any queues outside along their frontage.

The council will be supporting local retailers with a range of measures to encourage people to maintain social distancing as part of a campaign welcoming shoppers back to our high streets, and encouraging people to be kind, be patient and be safe.

People will be encouraged to follow a one-way system as much as possible with markings on the pavements in the busiest areas.

Street furniture and car park machinery will be cleaned daily, with signage installed around them to remind people to social distance.

There will also be real time monitoring of the town centres by CCTV cameras, to give an overview of activity in the local areas.

Cllr Monique Bonney, cabinet member for economy and property at the council, said:

“It’s encouraging that local shops will be able to open their doors again, but we have to make sure it’s safe and people feel comfortable visiting them again.

But it won’t be the same shopping experience as usual as shops will have measures in place to keep customers and their staff safe.

This will probably mean queues inside and outside shops, particularly at busy times, so we want people to be kind and courteous.

It’s been a tough few months for a lot of people and you don’t know what the person in front of you has gone through. We’re famous for queueing, so it would be great if people used it as an opportunity to say hello to someone in the queue with them - you might be the first person they’ve spoken to in a while!

People need to be patient as it might take a bit longer to shop. This will be new for the staff in the shop too, and any changes are for good safety reasons.

On narrow paths and in doorways, please wait at a distance for others to go past so they don’t feel uncomfortable about getting too close.

It is important people stay safe. We need to keep socially distancing, washing our hands and consider wearing facemasks.

This is new for us all, it will take a bit of time to bed in, so we need to be adaptable. Things may change and we’ll have to react to that, but we need to support our local high streets, they are very important.

The last thing we want is a second wave, so we all need to do our bit and work together to prevent that, so please, be kind, be patient, and be safe.”

The council is hand-delivering letters to shops in high streets to let them know about the changes, providing posters and signs for their windows, and encouraging them to get in touch to highlight any issues they are facing.

For more information about the work being done to support shops reopening, visit www.swale.gov.uk/back-to-business

Swale Borough Council

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Road Surface Improvement - A2 High Street, London Road, Hartlip Hill, London Road, Newington, Hartlip, Upchurch

Road surface improvement works are programmed to start on Thursday 25th June 2020 and should take 5 days to complete (including the weekend). Work will take place during a working window between 7:00am and 7:00pm.

Residents and businesses nearby may experience some disruption, which KCC will try to keep to a minimum. Pavements will remain open at all times, but vehicle access to properties will need to be restricted for a short period while work is carried out in front of each property.

If you have any particular access needs, please let the workforce on site know and they will do their best to help you.

If your vehicle is usually parked on the carriageway, please make sure you park it somewhere else away from the site whilst the works are carried out, so the road is clear to resurface.

These dates are subject to change at short notice due to weather conditions and unforeseen circumstances.

For information, please contact Kent County Council on: 03000 418181, 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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Medway Council - Medway’s High Streets Reopen for Business Next Week

Rochester High Street looking East - Prioryman

Shops and businesses across Medway have been busy preparing to reopen and welcome customers back through their doors.

Residents will be able to return to Medway’s high streets and go into more shops from Monday, 15th June, as many unlock their doors to customers for the first time since lockdown started on 23rd March.

Medway Council has produced a guidance pack for retailers to help them put plans in place to safely reopen from Monday, in line with government guidelines. Each shop is responsible for putting its own plans in place to help protect its staff and customers.

Customers are asked to be mindful that shops might have different social distancing measures in place, depending on their size and layout. Some shops might limit the number customers allowed in at once, ask customers to queue outside along the front of the shop or have a one-way system inside the store. Some shops offer contactless payment options and customers are reminded they can now use contactless payment up to £45 after the government increased the spend.

Medway Council has committed to supporting local businesses as they prepare to welcome customers back through their doors. The council has put a number of its own measures in place in town centre high streets to further reduce the spread of the virus and protect the public:

• Medway Greeters will be on hand during peak hours to welcome residents back to town centres and encourage people to queue responsibly and follow social distancing guidelines.

• Enhanced cleaning will be carried out in each town centre high street.

• Public toilets have been reopened and hand sanitiser dispensers have been installed.

• Public bins will be regularly emptied and sanitised.

• Litter picks will be carried out to help keep the streets clean.

• Some benches will be taped off to help comply with social distancing measures.

• Signage will be installed reminding all residents to social distance.

• All Medway Council car parks are open and offer a cashless payment option, provided by RingGo.

• Motorists are encouraged to use the cashless payment option in car parks to protect themselves and others, but the payment machines will be regularly cleaned for those paying by coins.

• A temporary road closure order has been put in place restricting vehicles from driving along Rochester High Street, between 10:30am and 3:00pm, Sunday to Friday (this has been put in place to protect potential pedestrians queuing in the high street and will be kept under review).

• Existing road restrictions remain in place along the high streets, including on a Saturday in Rochester High Street, between 10:00am and 4:00pm.

Leader of Medway Council, Cllr Alan Jarrett, said:

“It is great that we are able to get more shops in Medway’s high streets open for business again. Medway has many shops based in our high streets and across our five towns, and it is important for our economy and local job prospects that they can continue to do business.

Medway Council has continued to support local businesses and is helping them through this evolving journey. The council has produced a useful guide for all retailers to offer them advice on reopening their doors to the public.

Business owners and shop employees have been working extremely hard to put safety measures in place to welcome customers back and to keep them and staff safe. Medway Council has also worked hard to put its own measures in place to protect the public and help Medway’s high streets thrive again. Customers will see some changes to the way we shop during the ongoing pandemic, but I would encourage residents to support Medway high streets and our local businesses. Please be patient and polite with staff, who will be doing their best to keep businesses open and the public safe.

We will continue to offer our support and advice to shops reopening in our high streets, as well as in other areas and villages within Chatham, Rainham, Strood, Gillingham and Rochester. We are proud that Medway has more than 14,000 businesses and we will do all we can to further support them through these challenging times and maintain Medway’s prosperous economy.”

Business owners and shop employees can download Medway Council’s guidance for retailers, by visiting medway.gov.uk/shopping

Medway markets currently remain closed while social distancing plans are finalised to enable them to safely reopen.

Restaurants and cafes remain closed in line with government guidelines.

For more information about support available for businesses, visit - medway.gov.uk/business

Medway Council

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Medway Council Encourages ‘Hidden’ Carers to Come Forward this Carers Week

Medway Council is encouraging residents who are looking after loved ones to find out more about the support that is available to them.

This week, 8th - 14th June, is Carers Week and the council and its partners are working together to ensure hidden carers know that they are not alone and that help and support is available.

A hidden carer is anyone of any age who is helping to look after a friend or relative without being paid. They can be from a wide range of social and economic backgrounds and could be a child, an older person or suffer from a long-term illness themselves. They may not recognise themselves as a carer but rather as a parent, husband or wife, son or daughter or a friend or neighbour who is supporting a loved one.

As part of their contract with Medway Council The Better Together Consortium, a collaboration of organisations from Medway’s voluntary community sector, work together to ensure carers of all ages, from all parts of the community, are identified and offered support. Once carers are identified they are referred to the council’s carers service, Carers FIRST who work directly with unpaid carers to provide personalised information, advice and support including signposting residents to community support networks and group activities.

Cllr David Brake, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder covering Adult Services, said:

“The health and wellbeing of all of our residents is of the upmost importance to us. I would encourage anyone who helps look after a friend or relative to get in touch and see what support might be available to them. It is incredibly important that they know they are not alone and we will continue to work with our partner agencies to do all we can to help carers across Medway.”

Maggie Cane, manager of Healthwatch Medway, said:

“Looking after someone can be tough on a normal day, but during lockdown it becomes much harder. We know lots of people may be struggling and we really want to chat to as many of you as possible to ensure you know what support is available to you. It’s also important that we understand how you are coping so we can make sure the emergency planners hear what you need.”

Alison Taylor, Chief Executive of Carers FIRST, said:

“The lockdown has created many additional challenges for carers. It has cut many off from their normal support systems, taken away the opportunity for respite and increased isolation and anxiety. Carers FIRST is pleased to be part of The Better Together Consortium and hope that the initiative will help us to reach those carers who may be struggling to access the support they need at this time.”

Penny from Gillingham looks after her mother who has dementia. She said:

“It’s been useful to find out what support is available to me, so I know where to call if I need help. I would encourage people to get in touch and find out what is there for you.”

Carers FIRST Medway has been supporting a 14-year-old boy who cares for his dad who has terminal brain cancer. At the moment his father is living with his own parents but the Covid-19 lockdown has made it difficult for him to visit his dad. Carers FIRST organises lunch clubs, after school support groups and summer holiday activities for young carers. During lockdown the group has been holding weekly video calls which he really looks forward to.

He said:

“Young carers have been absolutely amazing for me, it is a safe place to talk about how you feel and will support you in any way possible. It is filled with such kind, friendly and caring people who love to make new friends. It’s a place to feel normal again and understand you're not the only one. They will comfort you and support you to ensure you feel good not only within yourself, but in all aspects of life.

Lockdown means that young carers can’t physically meet up and enjoy the company of each other. I can’t wait for lockdown to release or become less strict so that travel is less stressful and hopefully everyone can meet afterwards. A massive thank you to everyone for being so helpful, supportive and kind to me.”

If you’re a carer phone 03003 031555 or visit www.healthwatchmedway.com and a member of the team will get in touch.

Medway Council

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Swale Borough Council Cabinet Agrees to Consultation of Housing Allocation Policy Review

People can have their say on how Swale Borough Council decides who can get social housing.

The council’s housing allocation policy is being reviewed and councillors gave the green light for a public consultation at last week’s virtual cabinet meeting

The policy aims to provide a fair and transparent system that prioritises social housing by making efficient use of the homes available, promoting choice to applicants and developing sustainable mixed communities.

The policy was first agreed in 2013, and the review proposes changes to provide better access to affordable housing for those who need it most.

Proposed changes include tapering income considerations to provide a more realistic approach for single people and larger families that are at opposite ends of the spectrum is up for consideration.

Another suggested change is moving homeless households from band C to B to make it easier for them to be moved from temporary housing into permanent accommodation.

There is also a proposal to reduce the amount of time a resident is expected to have lived in the area from four to two years.

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

“Local, affordable housing is a priority for us.

We know how important it is for local people to have access to affordable housing for their families.

The demand for housing has never been higher, and the housing allocation policy makes sure that we use the accommodation we have available efficiently, to provide homes to those who need them most.

Providing a tapered income approach, a reduction in residential years required before application, and an increase in banding for those who are homeless, will help people qualify for social housing.

We hope the proposed changes will improve the fairness and transparency of the policy while seeking to ensure those in the greatest need are prioritised.

It’s important to us to work with the community and give members of the public the opportunity to have their say on matters that affect them, so the reviewed policy will now go to a public consultation next month.”

The consultation is set to launch next month.

Swale Borough Council

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Thank You from Foodbank Co-ordinator Gill Gay and Swale Foodbank

Hi Everyone,

Thank you to all who gave so generously to Swale Foodbank on Wednesday 10th June.

We filled their table at the warehouse - with more hidden behind this young man who kindly helped us unload.

There was also £40 cash donated.

Thank you ♥️

You are great!

Gill Gay - Foodbank Co-ordinator
Email: gilliangay99@yahoo.co.uk

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