Lowestoft Town Council
Following the decision to close the Town Council owned car parks earlier this year in response to Covid-19 we have now reopened the car parks at Normanston Park and Links Road following the government advice issued on the 11th May 2020.
Greater Anglia is set to change its reduced emergency timetable and increase train services, to help maintain social distancing as more people return to work, and ensure that keyworkers can continue to travel safely.
From Monday 18 May, Greater Anglia will run an amended Saturday timetable, which sees increased frequency on the Great Eastern Main Line from Colchester, Clacton and Southend to London and the West Anglia Main Line from Cambridge to Liverpool Street. Regional lines will remain as they are currently, but the hourly Norwich to Cambridge service will now run as a direct through service to Stansted Airport again. The Norwich-London intercity service, will continue to run once an hour, but during peak periods will not call at Colchester or Chelmsford, running non-stop between Manningtree and Stratford.
A new online booking system will be in place when Suffolk’s Recycling Centres re-open on Thursday May 14th 2020. This appointment-only system is necessary to help reduce traffic disruption and queueing on roads around the sites and help manage additional demand on the waste sites. There are also new temporary restrictions and guidelines in place at all sites to support the safety of staff and members of the public.
Suffolk County Council has been working with its contractor FCC Environment to put plans in place to re-open all eleven sites to make sure that visits to the Recycling Centres are as safe as possible for residents and staff. In order to reopen the sites safely, people will need to book a time online when they can arrive and dispose of their waste. Through the online booking process, the council wants to limit the length of queuing on roads outside the Recycling Centres, which have occurred elsewhere in the country when sites have reopened. If you do not have an appointment, you will be denied access and turned away from the site.
For further advice please visit Suffolk County Council's website: https://www.suffolk.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/council-news/show/public-to-access-suffolks-recycling-centres-from-thursday-by-appointment-only
Read more on Public to access Suffolk's Recycling Centres from Thursday 14 May by appointment only
East Suffolk Council has set a date for the resumption of its garden waste collection service. Operations will restart on Bank Holiday Monday May 25, following an earlier suspension due to the impact of COVID-19, and all subscribers will receive their first collection during the subsequent fortnight. The Council has taken the decision to restart the service having been satisfied that criteria to ensure the safety of operatives have been met.
In a large, rural district, with over 50,000 subscribers, managing collections whilst implementing social distancing is a considerable challenge. However, we are satisfied that we can deliver the service, while also ensuring that no more than two operatives are in each vehicle cab at any given time.
Full details of the restart, including any changes to collection dates and payments or renewals will be confirmed shortly. Subscribers are asked not to call or email the Council about their collection at this time – all will be contacted individually in due course to confirm the new arrangements.
Subscribers are also reminded that all garden waste presented for collection must be contained within your allocated bin.
For further advice please visit East Suffolk Council's website: https://www.eastsuffolk.gov.uk/waste/waste-collection-and-disposal/garden-waste/
The Town Council is taking steps, where appropriate, to respond to Government’s changed requirement that we “Stay alert, control the virus, and in doing so, save lives”.
Anyone wishing to read more about social distancing and the Government’s publication “Our plan to rebuild: The UK Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy” published on 11 May 2020 can do so via the Government website:
· Social distancing https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/staying-alert-and-safe-social-distancing/staying-alert-and-safe-social-distancing
· Our Plan to Rebuild https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/our-plan-to-rebuild-the-uk-governments-covid-19-recovery-strategy
We understand the Government’s ambition of planning to ”return life to as near normal as we can, for as many people as we can, as quickly and fairly as possible in order to safeguard livelihoods, but in a way that is safe and continues to protect our NHS.”
Lowestoft Town Council has always strongly encouraged use of its open spaces, including by implementing a policy of providing sports and leisure facilities without charge for clubs and the public. We believe that exercise and outdoor activity is an important part of mental and physical health. We also recognised the need to implement measures to help contain spread of the virus and we did what we could to support this position in relation to our own assets and services.
Government has now decided to remove some of its initial limitations on outdoor exercise and is encouraging a return to work in certain circumstances. In response, the Town Council has implemented the following measures:
We continue to review the position and you will wish to monitor the information posted here to see any updates on our sites and services.
Read more on Measures being taken by the Town Council in response to the latest Government advice
As the country gets ready to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe, within the current social distancing guidelines, we would like to invite you to join us via live stream for an address by the Town Mayor and a two minutes' silence commencing with the Last Post being played from 10.55 am tomorrow morning (Friday 8 May). Click the links to view the stream on Facebook or view the stream on YouTube.
£1200 has been allocated from Lowestoft Town Council’s grants fund to ensure that fresh food can be included within the food boxes being distributed to the most vulnerable people in Lowestoft. Boxes are part of the Home But Not Alone offer and are being delivered through the East Suffolk Council Communities Team working with verified volunteers. The Communities Team are also in need of the following items to be distributed with the food boxes and if you are able to make a donation, these can be left at the Riverside Offices in Canning Road if it is safe for you to do so; deodorant, washing-up liquid, washing powder, and cat and dog food.
Anyone in need of support should call Suffolk Home But Not Alone on 0800 876 6926.
Read more on COVID-19 RESPONSE TO HELP THOSE SHIELDING AND IN NEED
Suffolk Highways are planning to carry out road resurfacing works on Kirkley Cliff, Lowestoft in the period between the 4 and 11 May 2020 (excluding the weekend) during the hours of 9am and 4.30pm. Suffolk Highways estimate that the works will take approximately 2 days to complete. This will require a temporary road closure so they can carry out the works safely. Traffic cones may also be placed to prevent on-street parking so the work site is unobstructed.
As Suffolk Highways plan roadworks in advance, they schedule extra days to allow for bad weather or other delays beyond their control. If they need to make major changes to the work dates, they will update the information signs on site.
During the unprecedented measures we are all having to take at the moment, although Suffolk Highways have scheduled this work to take place on the date shown, circumstances may mean that the work start date may be changed. They will do their best to update you on any changes, but as you will appreciate, their resources are focused on keeping Suffolk’s highway network safe at this most challenging time as the service is critical to ensuring safe travel for our emergency and health services, and for those carrying out essential tasks.
A plan showing the diversion route for these works is attached with this post. When Suffolk Highways close the road and put a diversion in place, the route needs to be accessible to vehicles of all shapes and sizes. They make diversions as clear as possible by placing appropriate signing along the route. More information about diversion routes can be found on Suffolk Highways' webpage.
Please note: Suffolk Highways' staff follow a range of health and safety measures, including the two-metre social distancing rule and cleaning down equipment more frequently and regularly. If you see any of their staff inspecting or working on the highway, for your safety and theirs, please keep your distance to allow them to do their work safely.
Suffolk Highways will not be distributing letters to householders who may be affected by our works so anything you can do to update your community would be much appreciated, for example using any websites, Twitter or Facebook accounts you may use in your role. The latest updates on works can be found on Suffolk Highways' website at "Temporary road closures for Suffolk Highways roadworks” and on the OneNetwork website https://one.network/
There may be times that essential emergency works are required to take place on the highway network without advanced notice – you can follow Suffolk Highways on Twitter for the latest emergency roadwork updates
Please contact Suffolk Highways on 0345 606 6171 if you have any questions.
Read more on Suffolk Highways Upcoming Works B1532 Kirkley Cliff, Lowestoft
