The laying of Fibre optic cables down Stinchcombe Lane is almost complete having now reached Church Farm from the Street. Hopefully the Lane will soon be re-opened within a few days. Helping to bring the more remote areas of Stinchcombe into the modern era of technology, rapidly becoming more important as more and more people are working from home and require high-speed internet connections.
Chris Snellock has recently stepped down from the Parish Council because of pressure of work and the Council would like to thank him for his valuable contribution over the last four years.
There is therefore now a vacancy for a new Councillor and this is an ideal opportunity for anyone who would like to take more part in village life – and perhaps a good way for someone new to Stinchcombe to become involved.
The response to Covid 19 in the village has been amazing with 35 people signing up to “do their bit” and it’s very encouraging to know that there is still such a community spirit here – is our next Parish Councillor in that group?
The Parish Council will not now be holding the advertised Parish Assembly on May 13th or the AGM on May 27th. However, anyone who has any issue to raise is very welcome to do so by emailing the Clerk at clerk@stinchcombepc.co.uk. The Council is continuing to hold meetings remotelyy and any issues raised will be discussed as normal.
In the present circumstances, some exercise is essential for everyone’s physical and mental health, as well of course for that of our dogs, and we are very lucky to be surrounded by open space and to have a range of local footpaths to enjoy.
If you’re walking locally more than usual, you might want some ideas for different routes. Some of you may still have the Stinchcombe walks leaflets that were produced some years back. Don’t worry if you missed out or can’t lay your hands on them – they can be downloaded from Strolling in the Stroud District: https://www.strollinginstrouddistrict.org/downloadablewalks.asp
Scroll down to near the bottom of the page to find them. If you fancy a change from walking, there are also a few local cycle rides listed.
Gloucestershire County Council’s interactive PRoW map can be used to locate all the public footpaths in the parish:
https://maps.gloucestershire.gov.uk/MapThatPublic/Default.aspx?treeid=81@82@83
Drag the map to centre roughly on Stinchcombe. Click on the magnifying glass with the plus sign, bottom left, to zoom in. With repeated clicking you can zoom in sufficiently to see individual buildings and fields boundaries. Public footpaths are highlighted in pink. You might need to drag the map around to see the one you want.
Unfortunately, the Parish Council has recently been made aware of several places in the village where footpaths are not at present passable – because of locked gates, broken stiles, overgrowth and even electrified fences.
If you have public footpaths on your land, you have a legal obligation to maintain them and ensure that they remain open. The more walkable spaces there are, the easier it is for everyone to keep their distance.
Gloucestershire Highways says:-
“People living in close proximity to public rights of way are reminded that the public have a legal right to use a public right of way, and that they should not block or obstruct paths. Some paths pass close to residential properties, and in some cases through gardens, but with sensible precautions there is no reason that this would increase the risk to householders of contracting Coronavirus.
Public rights of way provide an opportunity for local people to take exercise and get some fresh air in these difficult times………
Where residents living near public rights of way have concerns then they should exercise suitable precautions to ensure social distancing from people on the path. They may also want to regularly clean any gate latches or other surfaces on any paths across their property.
The county council will work with the police and other agencies to take any further actions necessary in the event of any changes to legislation or Government guidance, however, at this time there are no plans or legal means to close public rights of way or the cycleway/ walking trail networks for COVID-19 related reasons.”
Paul Creamer, a resident on Stinchcombe Hill, is part of a group of volunteers who have recently developed a mobile app to help young people cope with the pressures of growing up in today’s fast-paced world.
It is driven from a passion to educate, enable and empower, and to shift the stats surrounding mental health in young people.
The app is interactive and contains articles and videos covering topics such as dealing with stress, down days, eating disorders, exercise and resilience to name a few. You can access the free app through the web site
In these challenging time the content will help young people. Please share the link and contact us through the web site if you would like to help, all feedback is very welcome.
Paul
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52140376
The government is aiming to carry out 100,000 coronavirus tests a day in England by the end of April, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said, as he announced a “five-pillar” testing plan. It comes as the government was criticised for not increasing the number of tests more quickly. Currently, there are around 10,000 tests being carried out a day.
The new target includes swab tests, which are already in use, and blood tests, which are yet to be launched. It was originally thought the target would be for the whole of the UK, but the government later issued a correction saying the goal will only be for England.
Speaking at the end of his seven days of quarantine after testing positive for the virus, Mr Hancock said 100,000 tests “is the goal and I’m determined we’ll get there”.
SO…..Follow this link through the month and see if he keeps his word!
However, the only country reputed to be doing 100,000 tests per day is USA, Italy is only doing 40,000 and South Korea is only doing about the same number as the UK, although it’s always help up as the shining example. So, 100,000 is probably a little bit of an exaggeration….or let’s say wishful thinking. I think a more realistic figure to aim for would be 50,000 and expect to get 40,000. – Richard
Bin collections are one of the essential services we’re trying hard to keep running as normal during the Coronavirus pandemic.
But with more people spending time at home now and creating more waste, there are things we can all do to help our waste crews keep up with demand.
“We know how responsive residents are to our award-winning waste and recycling service which means we’re one of the best performing councils in England,” said Environment Committee Chair, Simon Pickering. “By making these relatively small changes we can continue to offer as full a service as possible to the whole district.”
1. Please don’t put too much waste out. Extra bags (`side waste’) won’t be collected, so make sure your waste fits in your grey wheelie bin. If you have beige bags instead of a wheelie bin, crews will take a maximum of three bags on collection day.
2. Anyone who has, or suspects they have, Covid-19 should double bag their soiled tissues and cleaning cloths and store them for 72 hours before presenting in their wheelie bin or beige sack. Please do not put tissues or used face masks in your recycling box. These should go in your general waste.
3. Minimise waste where you can. There are lots of tips to help you reduce food waste at: https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/
4. Recycle as much as you can. Check the guide on our website for full details: https://www.stroud.gov.uk/environment/bins-rubbish-and-recycling/bins-and-recycling-containers/which-bin-should-i-use/green-wheelie-bin-and-box
5. Fold all cardboard to the approximate size of your recycling box. Larger pieces take up more space in the recycling trucks, resulting in more trips, and wasted time and fuel, so they may not be collected until made smaller.
6. We’re unable to take orders for extra or replacement receptacles so our staff can concentrate on keeping other essential services running. The two exceptions are replacement residual (grey) waste bins and receptacles for new build properties that haven’t previously had any containers. We’re still trying our best to deliver these. If you don’t have a recycling box, please improvise by using a storage box or laundry basket of a similar size; please just ensure it will be safe for the operative to lift. If you haven’t got a food waste bin then you can use your small food caddy.
7. New bulky waste bookings have been temporarily suspended. We know it’s not ideal but please keep large items at home until we’re able to start the service again.
8. The household recycling centres (`the tip’), operated by Gloucestershire County Council, are all closed on government advice. Please keep hold of everything you would have disposed of there until they re-open.
9. When your wheelie bin, food bin and recycling box and bag have been emptied please wash your hands after taking them in. Crews have enhanced hygiene systems in place, but we’re all still advised to wash our hands frequently.
10. Please avoid using our textile banks, which are not accepting further donations at this time.
11. Avoid overfilling your garden waste bin. We know gardens are receiving lots of love and attention at the moment, but please don’t overfill bins. If you have too much for your bin, don’t force it in, try and wait for the next collection.
12. Please keep your distance. Stay at least two metres away from everyone, including the crews. They really appreciate the public’s support – so a cheery smile and wave will make their day.