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Notices

SWP Recycling Centres Opening Times 2020

Reopening Recycling Centres & Garden Waste collections

July 2020 Update 

Recycling sites: ‘Business as Normal”

Visitors to Somerset Waste Partnership’s recycling centres will find ‘shop-style’ social distancing arrangements in place.

Floor markings and other extra signs are being introduced to all 16 sites in the coming days. The set-up will be similar to that seen in supermarkets and other shops, with visitors expected to take responsibility for keeping themselves and others safe.

Sites were closed in March in response to COVID-19 and reopened in May with extra staff and barriers on hand to make sure social distancing was followed and to control access to waste skips.

This extra staffing has been gradually phased out and over the course of the next week, starting on Saturday (20 June), barriers will be removed.

Other safety and access restrictions remain in place:

  • Gloves to be worn when outside the vehicle
  • Maximum of two people per household
  • Trailers and 3.5 tonne vans only allowed between 4pm and 6pm on weekdays
  • Lifting assistance not available.

Sites have experienced long queues at times, especially in the morning, and the public is still advised to only make trips to the tip if really necessary.

Mickey Green, Managing Director of SWP, said: “These arrangements will be familiar to everyone from their trips to the supermarket, with the responsibility very much on the public to do the right thing and maintain social distance.

“The way that visitors have accepted the restrictions and followed the guidance so far has been great and I’m sure this will be no different.”

All sites are now open for their usual summer hours. Queue cams are operating for Bridgwater, Chard, Highbridge, Minehead, Street, Taunton, Wells and Yeovil. Please check before you leave

www.somersetwaste.gov.uk/recycling-centre-queue-cams/

For more information about how to reduce and reuse your waste, visit www.somersetwaste.gov.uk

For the latest information about services and any disruption visit www.somersetwaste.gov.uk/coronavirus and follow @somersetwaste on Twitter and Facebook.

 

Free baby carrier hire during pandemic

Somerset County Council’s Public Health team is stepping up support during the coronavirus pandemic and offering free carrier hire to give every baby the best start in life, building an even closer and loving connection with their parents.

The Council is working with Carry Me Kate Parenting Services CIC to provide free hire of carriers for new parents during the coronavirus crisis.

Councillor Clare Paul, Cabinet member for Health and Wellbeing at Somerset County Council, said: “Everyone is spending much more time at home at present, this may mean that many new parents have more time together after their baby is born. Sling use can provide benefits to the whole family, supporting baby to be close during daily routines and while taking daily exercise.”

Carry Me Kate Parenting Services CIC provides a universal sling library, breastfeeding peer support, a cloth nappy library, parenting and community support – these have all moved to virtual platforms for the time being.

Every baby born in Somerset between April and September will be able to benefit from a carrier, hired cost-free, for a month. A scheduled virtual video session will be scheduled with parents as it’s vital that slings are worn correctly and safely. Further support can be provided on a one to one basis as well as the option to participate in group online sessions

Kate Mahoney, who runs the community interest company, said: ‘During this time we are really pleased to be working with Somerset County Council to be able to offer free hire and advice. Becoming a new parent can be challenging at the best of time, and during this pandemic we wish to offer parents as many tools as possible to enable them to make close and loving connections with their babies and to make their lives as easy as possible.

“Safe sling wearing is essential, and the scheme promotes safety and wellbeing. The TICKS checklist should be implemented every time your baby is in the sling full details can be found here: http://babyslingsafety.co.uk/

“Evidence shows that babies carried in a sling form a close bond with their parent or carer. It promotes the release of oxytocin, a hormone linked to feelings of love, wellbeing and connection with others.”

After the initial cost-free month, continued sling hire is available and can be discussed with the sling consultants at Carry Me Kate. To get in touch contact Carry me Kate Parenting Service CIC Sling Library on Kate@carrymekate.co.uk

Families are encouraged to visit Somerset County Council’s Public Health’s website Healthy Happy and Safe at home pages which provide a wealth of practical information, advice and ideas to help you during these exceptional times. There is a special families and children section included.

Somerset Waste Partnership during Covid-19

Delay to Recycle More

Coronavirus is affecting the delivery of many key projects. Unfortunately, this includes the roll-out of the new Recycle More service which will eventually allow people to recycle more from their kerbside, notably considerably more plastic.

Regrettably, SWP has had to pause the introduction of Recycle More, which had been due to start in Mendip at the end of June (to be followed by South Somerset in September) because:

  • Impacts on staffing and supply chains mean that essential depot upgrading is being delayed, as is the delivery of new recycling containers – the big blue bags – that will be used to collect much of the new material.
  • The large-scale public engagement and communication that needs to take place in advance of Recycle More cannot happen because of the current uncertainty around timescales and the restrictions on non-essential travel and social isolation.
  • SWP and contractor staff are focussed on maintaining essential services, which means they are unable to prepare for what is a big change to the way we work.

SWP will develop a new timetable and roll-out the new service out as soon as possible once the current crisis is over.

This is disappointing, but unavoidable and information about new timescales will be shared as soon as possible. The SWP asks for your understanding and patience, and asks for the public’s ongoing support in sorting all their recycling to make the important work of our hard-working collection crews more manageable in these challenging times.

Helping us manage service disruption

SWP’s current services are being unavoidably disrupted by Coronavirus, as staffing numbers are reduced and advice on non-essential travel and safe distancing is followed.

Recycling and rubbish collections continue, but where recycling collections are missed we are unable to make return collections.

  • Please check somersetwaste.gov.uk/coronavirus and follow @somersetwaste on Twitter and Facebook for the latest service updates
  • If you have coronavirus symptoms or are in a household with someone showing symptoms, government guidance on safely dealing with personal waste is available at somersetwaste.gov.uk/coronavirus
  • If your recycling collection is missed, please take containers back in and put them back out again for the following week for collection.
  • To help crews finish their rounds: rinse containers, squash all but aerosols and glass if safe to do so, flatten and tear up all cardboard, sort-segregate materials without using carrier bags, and put it all – including all food waste (in the food waste bin) – out by 7am.
  • Leave garden waste in the garden, cut back on mowing, allow the garden to become more wildlife friendly with a corner for any woody materials, compost all other garden waste and suitable foods. More advice: https://www.somersetwaste.gov.uk/home-composting/
  • Cut food waste, save money and reduce shopping trips with simple tips about meal planning, portion control, better storage and using up leftovers, here: https://www.somersetwaste.gov.uk/tackling-food-waste/
  • Rubbish and clinical waste collections are not affected. If either of these are missed, report it to get a return collection with the pull-down My Waste Services menu atsomersetwaste.gov.uk or via district council customer services: https://www.somersetwaste.gov.uk/contact-us/

 

Stogursey Community Support Network

 

  • Are you self-isolating?
  • Do you need help organising a shopping delivery?
  • Do you need a prescription collecting?
  • Would you like to chat or some other help?
  • Do you live alone and need someone to contact you daily by phone to make sure you are okay?
    Or
    • Are you an NHS, Emergency Service or other Key Worker?
    Do you need practical help from your community so that you can carry on delivering your service to us?

If the answer is ‘Yes’ to any of these questions, just call the Helpline numbers and we will put you in touch with a volunteer:

Sukey & Steve     07485350560
Hilary                   07947238566
Sue                        07579765201

Or you can message us on our Facebook Page: Stogursey Community Support Network

Further details can be found on the Stogursey Community Support Network Flyer