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Notices

Access to Vaccination Sites

As part of Somerset County Council’s support of the wider Covid-19 vaccination programme, consideration has been given to assisting access to vaccination appointments. As a result, the following measures have been implemented, with effect from 1st February 2021:

 Concessionary Fares

  • The 09.30am start time for the acceptance of Concessionary bus passes on all local bus services in Somerset has been temporarily removed. Bus operators have all been contacted and have made the necessary changes to ticket machines, so no pass holder will be charged a fare if they travel before 09.30 am. This is a temporary measure and will be reviewed as the vaccination programme continues to roll out. Once this dispensation is no longer required then the restrictions will be reinstated.
  • For Community Transport and Slinky Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) Services where Concessionary Bus Pass holders do not get free travel but instead have to pay half fares, operators of these services across Somerset have agreed that if someone makes a booking, and when asked the journey purpose they state they are attending a Covid-19 vaccination they will be offered free travel. All passengers are asked the purpose of their journey at the point of booking, so this should be able to ensure that those being vaccinated benefit from free travel.

Additional Bus Service

Bath & West Showground – a half hourly service operated by First West of England from 08:00 to 20:00 from Wells Bus Station via Shepton Mallet terminating at the showground has been implemented temporarily. This will operate seven days a week providing connections to/from other bus services at both Wells Bus Station and Shepton Mallet Cenotaph (bus interchange). Concessionary pass holders will have free travel and fare payers will pay normal fares. The operator will claim back costs for this additional service through the Covid Bus Services Support Grant (CBSSG) scheme, so there will be no cost to SCC.

Two key pieces of information for passengers travelling are:

  • Passengers must take their appointment letters with them.
  • Passengers should aim to use the timetabled journey which arrives at the Bath & West Showground as close to their appointment time as possible to avoid waiting time on site.

We are working closely with the NHS and partners to consider the need for a shuttle service to the Racecourse. At this time the site management do not believe there is sufficient demand for a shuttle service and there are other vaccination site options in Taunton for those without transport. We continue to keep this under review.

If anyone needs help to access an appointment, they should call the Coronavirus helpline on 0300 790 6275. Lines are open from 8am to 6pm, seven days a week.

Covid 19 Car Sharing Advice

One in three people don’t have any symptoms of coronavirus, and it can easily spread in the small enclosed space of a vehicle. So avoid car sharing with those outside your household or support bubble. Think twice before getting a lift to work with colleagues or taking a friend or relative grocery shopping or to a medical appointment, unless they are part of your household or support bubble.

If you have to car share, please follow these simple steps to reduce the risk of spreading the virus:

😷 Everyone should wear face coverings

↔️       Sit as far apart as possible

‍♀️        Share with the same small group of people each time

💨 Open windows for ventilation

           Wash or sanitise your hands before and after your journey

           Clean the car between journeys, paying attention to touch points such as door handles.

Hinkley Point Connection Project – Winter Update

 

HPC Workforce uplift briefing and community drop in sessions

HPC are intending to increase their workforce from the current intended level of

5,600 to 8,500 by 2022 (a 53% increase).

A presentation  given to local councillors can be found on this link:

https://www.edfenergy.com/sites/default/files/workforce_uplift_-_update_briefing_presentation_26-01-2021.pdf

HPC have issued a brief newsletter to the Community as below

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Managing our workforce

During the pandemic, the number of people on the Hinkley Point C site will be limited by the many measures in place to ensure the safety of workers and the community. In the future, we hope that things will be able to return to normal without these constraints, but our approach will always put safety first.

When we look to the future, we do so with a better view of the number of jobs that will be created by the project. There is also a more detailed view of the phasing of different elements of the project. Latest estimates based on this information show that the number of people working on the project is likely to peak at around 8,500 towards the end of 2022 – assuming normal conditions.

Experience gained in the first four years of construction gives the project confidence that these numbers can be well managed.

Investment in skills and training means that many local people will benefit from these extra job opportunities available in the next few years.
Learn more or attend our virtual events

We are committed to ensuring that the community understands our latest plans for future workforce development and will be running a series of virtual engagement events in early February.

The events will be held online, with information on how we are minimising impact and continuing to support our local communities to bring maximum benefit both locally, regionally and nationally. You’ll also be able to speak to members of the Hinkley Point C team via zoom.

If you would like to attend these events, please register in advance by clicking on the relevant link below and submitting your details.

Tuesday 9th February 2021 – 10:00 to 11:00am

Thursday 11th February 2021 – 6:00 to 7:00pm

You can also visit their website, here.