STAFF WORKING FROM HOME
The Parish Council office is closed to visitors until further notice.
Staff are working from home so any queries can still be sent in by email and will be answered during normal office hours.
Parish Council meetings will be cancelled in the boardroom until further notice, but Council business will continue as normal over remote links. Residents are welcome to join meetings as they would do normally. See the link for information on remote meetings.
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FRONT GARDEN COMPETITION WINNERS
On a pleasantly warm day in early July judge Rob Wicke, Westfield’s Flower Contractor who looks after the beautiful hanging baskets and coal truck displays, toured the gardens of the parish to determine which were worthy of the first prize for the two categories – best front garden and best container. There were more entries than ever before this year – maybe a reflection of the time that people had been able to spend in their garden due to the lockdown, though getting hold of plants at the beginning of the season was proving tricky. One entrant told us that all the plants in her lovely tubs were cuttings or seeds of last year’s flowers. That proved to be amazing foresight!
Of the displays in Westfield gardens Rob said “there were a really great mix of gardens ranging from vibrant bedding plants to intriguing cottage style gardens and everything in between.”
The winner of the Best Garden was in Nightingale Way. Rob said “It fought off some very strong competition with great vision and use of a variety of plants in a way that instantly stood out and caught my attention. Clearly the owner had thought long and hard about the design in a very quirky space.”
The hanging baskets that caught Rob’s eye were on Elm Terrace. He said “They were a great use of colour and shape and were joyful to see, no doubt putting a smile on the faces of passers-by.”
While presenting the prizes to Mrs Kay Jennings for the best garden and Mr Austin Hudd for the hanging baskets Cllr Wallbridge, Vice Chair, said “It has been a pleasure to see the stunning gardens and baskets that have won the competition this year and brighten the neighbourhood for all.”
Thanks must go to Thomsons of Radstock who have kindly donated two vouchers for the winners and to Rob Wicke for giving us his time to do the difficult job of judging the competition.
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NOTICE OF PUBLIC RIGHTS
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WELTON RECYCLING CENTRE IS OPEN
| Old Welton Recycling Centre in Midsomer Norton opened on Thursday 9 July under an appointment only basis.
Councillor David Wood, joint cabinet member for Climate Emergency and Neighbourhood Services, said: “We know there has been a big demand from residents for the site to reopen and we are now in a position to open as staff have been returning to work. “We have been running extended hours at our Keynsham recycling centre to meet demand and will continue to do so in addition to Old Welton reopening. “While there is capacity for queuing cars at Pixash Lane, there simply isn’t at Old Welton, so in order to reopen safely we are putting a system in to manage visits. The online booking system is easy to use and has proved successful at other council-run sites.” Bath & North East Somerset Council is introducing an online booking system for visits to the recycling centre to ensure queues don’t build up on the A362. Residents will be able to select a day and a time slot by visiting https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/ To comply with social distancing requirements the number of vehicles allowed on site will be restricted and the number of unloading bays reduced from eleven to six. Old Welton Recycling Centre will revert to its usual opening hours:
It is re-opening under the following terms:
The recycling centre at Midland Road in Bath, will remain closed for now but we are working on plans to open reduced hours here by the end of the month. We continue to prioritise our refuse collection and commercial waste services at this site to keep them on track. The number plate system currently used for access to Pixash Lane Recycling Centre is to remain in use and the site will continue to offer extended operating hours. No booking is required here.
Follow us on social media for recycling centre upates: twitter.com/bathnes facebook More information about the council’s recycling services can be found here https://beta.bathnes.gov. Updates on all council services can be found at www.bathnes.gov.uk/ |
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NEW FITNESS EQUIPMENT AT WESTHILL
Work is well underway on the new running track and outdoor gym equipment at Westhill Recreation Ground. the running track is finished and being used by lots of different groups of people. The gym equipment is yet to be installed, but should be in place by the end of October.
We’ll soon have a fully operational outdoor fitness area for all to use.
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LATEST ADVICE AND USEFUL LINKS ON CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)
Government response
B&NES Council daily updates https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/coronavirus
Age UK B&NES – help for elderly people that need support whilst self-isolating. 01225 466135
Sustainable Food Partnership – On here, you will find local businesses which have adapted to the Covid-19 pandemic to provide food delivery, hot meals and takeaway services to Bath and North East Somerset residents.
Royal British Legion, support for serving military personnel, ex-service men and women and their dependents in Westfield. Call 07858 576597
Compassionate Community You can call 0300247 0050 for assistance with shopping, medication collection or just want someone to talk to.
If you would like to offer to help in any way B&NES Volunteers network 3SG and The Cooperative Alliance has set up an online form at Compassionate Community You can also follow B&NES 3SG on Facebook. You can contact them if you are in need of someone to help you, for example if you are self isolating and need someone to do some shopping for you.
The Parish Council is following advice for local councils via the National Association for Local Councils.
We hope that you are managing during these challenging times.
You will no doubt be familiar with Bath Mind – your local, independent mental health charity providing crucial mental health services across the whole of B&NES.
At Bath Mind, we put people at the heart of everything we do, and we would like to make your parish aware of the changes to our services as a result of the coronavirus.
As well as working as a lead in the Compassionate Community Hub, this week Bath Mind opened their new service “Breathing Space” providing a vital evening support line for those in crisis.
You can find us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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DON’T DELAY SEEKING MEDICAL HELP BECAUSE OF CORONA VIRUS
People living in Bath and North East Somerset are being advised not to let worries about coronavirus stop them asking for medical help for themselves or their children if they become ill, have a serious accident or have a concern about their health.
They are also being warned that not seeking medical help for symptoms that could be the early warning signs of serious conditions such as cancer could be putting lives at risk.
The warning comes as new data shows a considerable drop in the number of people coming forward to ask their GP for help and advice during the coronavirus outbreak.
Recent statistics show that, in Bath alone, the total number of weekly referrals from GPs to the Royal United Hospital have fallen from around 2,000 at the beginning of March to 300 at the end of April.
Dr Ruth Grabham, Medical Director at BaNES, Swindon and Wiltshire CCG, said the statistics made for worrying reading because the drop in numbers “is not because people are not experiencing symptoms.”
“While it may seem that coronavirus has put a stop to most aspects of everyday life, the one thing it hasn’t stopped is what’s going on inside our bodies,” she says. “Now more than ever, we need to pay attention to anything that isn’t normal and seek help early on.
“For example, if you notice blood when going to the toilet, or if you’ve found a lump that wasn’t there previously, or if you’ve just noticed something odd that is causing you to worry, you need to speak to your GP.
“Should the symptom be the early warning sign of something serious like cancer, that delay in seeking help could have serious implications for how successful possible treatments may be.”
Although GP practices across the region have adopted new ways of working, such as establishing isolated clinics for potential coronavirus patients, the practices themselves are still open to offer care, treatment, advice and peace-of-mind.
The same also goes for emergency departments at the three hospitals in Bath, Swindon and Salisbury, all of which continue to be open 24 hours a day for people with a genuine and life-threatening health concern.
Additionally, all healthcare facilities in the region, as well as those elsewhere in the country, have put in place stringent infection control measures to ensure that the risk of contracting coronavirus while visiting a hospital or GP surgery remains low.
· Details of which services continue to open, as well as how to get in contact, can be found online by visiting www.bswccg.nhs.uk
· For information about services at the Royal United Hospitals visit https://www.ruh.nhs.uk/
· Further information on how to stay well throughout the coronavirus outbreak can be found at www.nhs.uk/conditions/
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EVENT CANCELLATIONS
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WESTFIELD PARISH COUNCIL – QUALITY STATUS
We are delighted to announce that we have achieved, once more, the Quality status awarded by the National Association of Local Councils. This is indicative of our deep commitment to improve the local community
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GREEN AND OPEN SPACES IN WESTFIELD
Do you use the green and open spaces of Westfield?
Perhaps you are a dog walker who enjoys Waterside Valley, or you may take your family to the play areas and cycle paths of Westfield. Possibly you belong to a group which goes on nature walks or runs in our green spaces. Whatever your background, if you use the green and open spaces of Westfield you may like to take part in the Westfield Green and Open Spaces Group.
This group is set up to protect and enhance the green open spaces of Westfield, including their accessibility. Helping to prioritise the use of funding from developer contributions designated for green open spaces in Westfield forms part of their work.
Your input can be as little or large as you like. You might like simply to receive the minutes of the group and email some thoughts. Or you might like to come along to meetings, put forward your suggestions and work towards seeing them come to fruition. Input at all levels is welcome.
We hope to hear from you. Please contact the Westfield Parish Clerk on council@westfieldparishcouncil.co.uk or call 01761 410669 or look at the website to monitor the progress of the group www.westfieldparishcouncil.co.uk
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DON’T FEED THE GULLS
Please see the following notice from BaNES:
