Covid-19 - Bramley Parish Council (Hampshire)

Hampshire County Council: Coronavirus (COVID-19): Edition 94

2020-08-25T16:13:52+01:00


	Local context


	Government job retention schemes The latest HMRC data shows that within the Hampshire County Council area, up to 31 July, a total of 244,300 residents have been covered by a government job retention scheme (SEISS or CJRS). Combined, the number of claims has increased by 13,100 compared to June, but the increase on the month is mostly attributable to furloughed employees (+12,500). There were 192,400 employees furloughed through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS). The take up rate for furloughed employment was 30% for July 2020, up 2 percentage points on June (28%). There were 51,900 Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) claimants. The take up rate for the self-employed income support scheme was 75% for July 2020, up 1 percentage point on June (74%). The data includes changes to the furlough scheme in July (allowing employers to bring furloughed employees back to work for any amount of time and any shift pattern, while still being able to claim CJRS grant for the hours not worked). However, the data does not reflect changes to the furlough scheme in August (requiring employers to pay national insurance contributions and pension contributions). In August the second round of SEISS was opened to claimants and the closing date for applications was confirmed as 19 October 2020. Figure 1: Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme – furlough take up rate % (claims received to 31 July 2020)


	Figure 2: Self Employed Income Support Scheme – take up rate % (claims received to 31 July 2020) Source: HMRC 2020


	Flying Start Hampshire Hampshire Futures and the Hampshire Careers Partnership have launched a new website - Flying Start Hampshire. It aims to support the county’s young people as they prepare to move on from secondary education to further and higher education, training or employment, having secured their GCSE results. Flying Start contains links to resources that will help students and young people consider their next steps and explore their options to achieve success. It also contains useful resources for young people on looking after their health and wellbeing. Parents and carers are supported with a section of specific information and links to help them as they support their family members.


	GCSE Results On GCSE results day yesterday (20 August), Hampshire County Council, issued a press release congratulating Hampshire students on their achievements. Councillor Roz Chadd, Executive Member for Education and Skills is quoted: “With schools finishing so suddenly this year and exams not taking place, it’s been an uncertain and worrying time for many 16 year-olds and their families. I’d really like to congratulate them on how well they have done in the face of the coronavirus adversity… I have been really impressed with how schools and young people have coped and gone above and beyond to maintain such high standards. A huge ‘well done’ to pupils, parents and teachers alike. And, I’m extremely pleased that, generally, colleges have said they will honour places that they offered to this group of 16 year-olds prior to lockdown.”


	National context


	Communities


	Face coverings The guidance on the closure of certain businesses and venues has been updated to include the latest information on face coverings. The guidance provides a list of indoor settings where face coverings must be worn. The public are also advised to wear a face covering in indoor places that are not listed where social distancing may be difficult and where they will come into contact with people they do not normally meet.


	Homelessness The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published experimental statistics on statutory homelessness in England. The release provides information on statutory homelessness applications, duties, and outcomes for local authorities in England. It also reports on households in temporary accommodation.


	Evictions The MHCLG has announced that the ban on evictions will continue for four weeks, meaning in total no legal evictions will have taken place for six months. The Government also intends to give tenants greater protection from eviction over the winter by requiring landlords to provide tenants with six months’ notice until at least the end of March, excepting in cases raising other serious issues such as those involving anti-social behaviour and domestic abuse perpetrators.


	Domestic abuse A joint investigation by Panorama and Women’s Aid into the impact of Covid-19 on domestic abuse, found someone called the police for help every 30 seconds in the first seven weeks of lockdown. The investigation found that three-quarters of victims say the lockdown has made it harder for them to leave the perpetrators.


	Social impact on disabled people The Office for National Statistics has published indicators from the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey on the social impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on disabled people.


	Children and education


	Awarding of GCSE, AS and A level Ofqual yesterday (20 August) published guidance for teachers, students, parents and carers following the decision to issue results using centre assessment grades or calculated results where higher.


	University places The Department for Education (DfE) has announced that the Government’s Higher Education Taskforce agreed to honouring all offers across courses to students who meet their conditions this coming year wherever possible, or if maximum capacity is reached to offer an alternative course or a deferred place. To support this commitment, the Government has lifted the cap on medicine, dentistry, veterinary science and undergraduate teacher training places.


	Vocational and technical qualifications Ofqual has written to headteachers and principals about awarding results for vocational and technical qualifications in England, summer 2020. Ofqual has also collated all publications relating to the awarding of vocational and technical qualifications in the academic year 2019 to 2020.


	Autumn term The DfE has updated the guidance for parents and carers about the new term by adding new information on school admissions, travelling to and from nursery, childminders, school and college, education, health and care (EHC) plans, wellbeing, online safety and assessment and exams.


	Holiday and after-school clubs The DfE has updated guidance for the autumn term on protective measures for providers of community activities, holiday or after-school clubs, tuition and other out-of-school settings offering provision to children during the Covid-19 outbreak.


	Adults' social care and public health


	Health and social care worker flu vaccination campaign launched Public Health England (PHE) has launched a new campaign - I’ve had my flu jab - to encourage health and social care workers to get the flu vaccination to protect themselves, their families and their patients. PHE has also created resources which can be adapted locally.


	Social care funding The NHS Confederation has published a new report, as part of the NHS Reset campaign, which explores the opportunities and challenges ahead for health and social care and considers the four critical factors needed to reset social care.


	NHS staff NHS Digital has published its monthly NHS workforce data for May 2020. It shows that the number of nurses in the NHS in England increased by 13,840 compared with last year, and the number of doctors has risen by 9,306. Numbers of professionally qualified clinical staff, doctors, paramedics and support to clinical staff are now at record levels.


	Local action The Government and local leaders in Oldham, Pendle and Blackburn have agreed additional measures to curb the spread of Covid-19, while removing Wigan, Darwen and Rossendale from intervention. Birmingham has been added to this week’s watch list as an ‘area of enhanced support’, and Northampton has become an ‘area of intervention’.


	Economy and business


	Health and Safety Executive offer to support spot checks Following a successful pilot with East Hampshire DC and Havant BC, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is offering to undertake initial stage virtual spot checks to local authority enforced local businesses and pass the results to the local authority. This service will be provided by HSE to local authorities using the money the government has made available to the HSE to support regulatory activity in response to the Covid-19 outbreak. More details via lau.enquiries@hse.gov.uk


	Indicators for the UK economy and society The Office for National Statistics has issued the latest release (20 August) of early experimental data on the impact of Covid-19 on the UK economy and society. The indicators are created using rapid response surveys, novel data sources and experimental methods.


	Environment, place and transport


	Strategic road network investment Highways England has announced details of plans for £27.4 billion investment in the strategic road network across the country. Highways England will deliver £14 billion of projects improving the quality, capacity and safety of the motorways and major A roads to support the nation’s recovery. Highways England has said its plans would help support 64,000 construction industry jobs.


	Acceleration Unit The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced a new ‘Acceleration Unit’ to speed up delivery of transport projects. The new team of specialists will join the DfT to tackle delays to infrastructure projects and drive forward progress for passengers.


	Back to school transportThe DfT has published back-to-school transport materials to support councils’ communications to parents and children about the guidance on cycling and walking, and using public transport safely.


	Travel corridors The Government has announced that Croatia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Austria are to be removed from travel corridors list. People arriving in England from these destinations from 4am Saturday 22 August will need to self-isolate for two weeks.


	National Covid-19 data


	Cases As of 4pm on 21 August, the total number of lab-confirmed cases was 322,280. The daily number of lab-confirmed cases was 1,182. The total number of Covid-19 associated deaths within 28 days of positive test was 41,403, with 6 deaths reported on the day. The data is available to view online. Please note: Daily reported Covid-19 deaths are now measured across the UK as deaths that occurred within 28 days of the first laboratory-confirmed positive test. The R number range for the UK is 0.9-1.1 and the growth rate range is -3% to +1% per day as of 21 August.

Basingstoke and Deane Update: 31st July 2020

2020-07-31T17:00:08+01:00

Friday 31st July 2020 – 3.30pm

Government announces changes to lockdown easing

The Prime Minister announced some changes to lockdown easing measures today in a briefing with Professor Chris Whitty. In response to increasing transmission of COVID-19 in England, the following measures are being put in place:

the lifting of restrictions to take place tomorrow will be paused - bowling alleys, ice rinks and casinos will not open tomorrow and will remain closed until at least 15 August
indoor performances will not resume and pilots of larger crowds in sports venues and conference centres will not take place
face coverings will be required in additional venues such as museums, galleries and places of worship from 8 August.

Full details are in the speech - https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/prime-ministers-statement-on-coronavirus-covid-19-31-july-2020

The ‘national pause on shielding’ will go ahead tomorrow as planned. The government is not changing the rules on social contact nationally but warns that unless people follow the rules further restrictions could be applied.

These changes are prompted by the weekly survey by the Office for National Statistics which reports that the prevalence of the virus in the community in England is likely to be rising for the first time since May.

Around one in 1,500 now have the virus, compared to one in 1,800 on 15 July and one in 2,000 on 2 July. The ONS also estimates there are now 4,900 new infections every day, up from around 3,000 per day on 14 July and 2,000 per day at the end of June.

Useful links

Hampshire County Council: Coronavirus (COVID-19): Edition 89

2020-07-30T14:03:48+01:00


Local context


	Skills and employment recovery plan The County Council is developing a skills and employment recovery plan which harnesses its extensive resources to respond to the impact of Covid-19 within communities. In particular, the plan will focus on programmes of activity to support young people to recover from the crisis and reduce the number of 18-24 year olds who are unemployed. There are four key areas of action that the County Council and its partners will take forward over the coming months: Apprenticeships – stabilise and grow apprenticeship provision in Hampshire by allocating an additional £1.1 million to the levy transfer scheme, bringing the total investment to £2 million by 2022; increasing capacity within the County Council’s apprenticeship team and continuing to promote the authority’s ‘Apprentice First’ policy. This will be an ‘all age’ initiative aligned to the Government’s new apprenticeship grant programme. Advice – ensure that young people and adults have access to timely, relevant and high quality information, advice and guidance to support their education, employment and training decisions; work with the Hampshire Careers Partnership (HCP) to co-ordinate the approach and continue to focus on ensuring all young people have an offer of a place in education, employment or training post-16 and provide extra support for those who need it most. By working through the HCP, the County Council will ensure the work complements the additional resource received by the National Careers Service from the DfE. Skills – provide access to relevant learning and skills programmes that support employment and wellbeing through the County Council’s £1.3 million adult and community learning programme and focus on functional skills, digital skills and resilience and wellbeing. Employability – support young people to develop their core and employability skills, giving them the best chance of gaining the skills they need to progress into a rewarding career; expand pre-employment opportunities such as traineeships, supported internships and work experience placements; continue to develop the Employment & Skills Hub, linking employers to a skilled and local workforce and providing opportunities for young people including those with additional needs. This activity will directly support the Government’s new ‘Kick Start’ employment programme for young people.


	Winchester Movement Strategy The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated some of the changing travel patterns that were previously anticipated within the Winchester Movement Strategy. The strategy, which was adopted last year by Hampshire County Council and Winchester City Council sets out an agreed vision and long-term priorities for travel and transport improvements in Winchester over the next 20-30 years. Plans are currently being considered which include creating more park and ride provision across the city, improved and enhanced walking and cycling infrastructure, and reconfiguring the city centre to prioritise bus, pedestrian and cycle traffic and to reduce car use. In the press release, the Deputy Leader of Hampshire County Council and Executive Member for Economy, Transport and Environment, Cllr Rob Humby, is quoted: “With more people already cycling and walking, this is a critical time for us to make changes for the future as the Movement Strategy starts to be implemented, alongside Hampshire entering into a stabilisation phase from the Covid-19 pandemic. We’re working with colleagues at Winchester City Council every step of the way to ensure an excellent quality of life for those in the community.”


	Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) Hampshire County Council is reminding residents who have not yet registered for the free entry system which will be managed using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) at Hampshire HWRCs, to do so. The system will ensure continued free access for Hampshire residents to any of Hampshire’s 24 HWRCs to dispose of household waste, while access for non-Hampshire residents (excluding Dorset Council residents) will be for a fee of £5 per visit. Up to three cars per Hampshire household can be registered for continued free access to Hampshire HWRCs using an online form. Nearly 389,000 households have already successfully registered. The ANPR registration scheme, which is being introduced on 1 August, was originally intended to begin on 1 April, but HWRCs were closed at the end of March following Government advice on essential travel. Residents are also reminded that due to the Covid-safety measures in place, they will still have to book a slot before visiting an HWRC - using the online booking system or by phoning 02380 179 949, Monday to Friday 9am to 5:30pm.


	National context


	Communities


	Managing local outbreaks The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) published an overview of the Government’s approach to managing local Covid-19 outbreaks. The overview sets out the five-step approach to managing local outbreaks and includes links to relevant guidance. DHSC also published a page with a list of areas with additional local restrictions. The page includes links to information for councils, residents and workers about what to do and how to manage the outbreak.


	Equality impact assessment DHSC has published the Coronavirus Act 2020: public sector equalities duty impact assessment.


	Children and education


	Death of a colleague or carer The Department for Education has issued new guidance for employers and providers following a Covid-19 related death of a carer or colleague across children’s services.


	CMA open letter to the early years sector Following analysis of the complaints received from various sources, the CMA has published an open letter and more detailed advice highlighting practices in the early years sector it considers unfair and contrary to consumer law.


	Adults' social care and public health


	Vaccines The Government has announced that they have secured a deal with GSK and Sanofi Pasteur to gain early access to another promising new Covid-19 vaccine. This new deal means the Government has secured early access to four different types of immunisation and a total of 250 million doses.


	PPE deliveries The DHSC has published experimental statistics showing the latest number of personal protective equipment (PPE) items distributed for use by health and social care services in England between 20-26 July.


	Economy and business


	Creative industries The Government has announced a new £500 million Film and TV Production Restart Scheme to support film and television production struggling to secure insurance for Covid-19 related costs. Further detail has also been released on how £880 million of the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund will support cultural, arts and heritage organisations.


	Grant overpaymentsHMRC has issued guidance for people who received a Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme grant but were not eligible, or have been overpaid – the document outlines HMRC’s current position on penalties. In addition, HMRC has published guidance which sets out what people should do if they have claimed too much, or not enough, from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Regarding the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, HMRC has updated the guidance on how to alert HMRC and pay money back if a claim has been made in error, or an overpayment has been made.


	Local authority grants The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has published updated data on the grants local authorities have distributed to support small and medium businesses. As of 26 July, £10.79 billion has been paid to over 879,700 business properties.


	Environment, place and transport


	Cycling and walking The Government has published their plan for cycling and walking. It aims to set out a ‘vision to make England a great walking and cycling nation’ and sets out the actions required at all levels of government under four themes: better streets; decision making; empowering local authorities and; enabling and protecting people. New, higher standards for cycling infrastructure have also been published in updated guidance, to ensure that schemes are better designed around cyclists’ needs and to make sure they can support a larger number of cyclists in the future. The Government has also released the first batch of bike repair vouchers worth £50 in a pilot scheme to encourage people to repair their old bikes and get back into cycling.


	Parks Keep Britain Tidy and its Centre for Social Innovation has developed a new ‘Love Parks’ campaign to address the issue of litter being left behind in parks across the country. New data shows that more than half of the country’s parks have had to secure extra resources to deal with the issues, including litter and anti-social behaviour, since lockdown was eased. Of those, 81% had to spend more on clearing up litter, 79% on bin emptying and 72% on maintaining public order or enforcing lockdown rules.


	National Covid-19 data


	Cases As of 4pm on 28 July, the total number of lab-confirmed cases was 300,692. The daily number of lab-confirmed cases was 581. The total number of Covid-19 associated deaths was 45,878, with 119 new deaths reported on the day. The data is available to view online.


	Additional links


	Hampshire County Council webpages on coronavirus (including links to press releases): https://www.hants.gov.uk/socialcareandhealth/coronavirus Latest information on coronavirus: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus NHS information on coronavirus: ahttps://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/ FAQ from the Cabinet Office: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do PPE guidance hub: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-personal-protective-equipment-ppe Guidance for local government: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-local-government County Councils Network (CCN) coronavirus information pages: https://www.countycouncilsnetwork.org.uk/coronavirus-information-for-local-authorities/ Local Government Association (LGA) councillor guidance: https://www.local.gov.uk/covid-19-outbreak-councillor-guidance

Basingstoke and Deane Update: 29th July 2020

2020-07-30T13:56:48+01:00

Recovery modelling information

A reminder that the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Local Resilience Forum information giving councillors, and other local representatives, an overview of the current COVID-19 recovery timeline, activities and statistics is updated every two weeks. The latest version, designed to brief you rather than for communication with residents directly, is available on the LRF section of Hampshire County Council’s website at https://www.hants.gov.uk/community/localresilienceforum/coronavirus

Other non-COVID-19 council news

Partnership created to deliver new garden community at Manydown

Following the signing of contracts earlier today, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and Hampshire County Council have entered into a long-term partnership with the UK’s leading master developer Urban&Civic and global charitable foundation the Wellcome Trust to develop a well-designed, sustainable new garden community at Manydown that will provide much-needed homes and create hundreds of new jobs.

The partnership will start engagement with residents, local groups and businesses in coming months as it begins to draw up the detailed plans for Manydown, following the decision by councillors earlier this month to grant outline planning permission for the development. This will be ahead of submitting the first planning applications for early infrastructure and the layouts and designs for the initial phase of new homes.

Initial infrastructure work is predicted to start in late 2021. This will allow time for the finalisation of the Section 106 agreement and for the next planning stages, including community engagement and consultation, to take place before infrastructure work, including access roads and utilities, begins to pave the way for building homes and community facilities.

For more information on the Manydown development, including on the new partnership and the main principles approved through the outline planning application, see www.manydownbasingstoke.co.uk

Councils collaborate for West Berkshire tip solution

Around 5,000 residents in the north of borough have been spared from having to make long journeys to visit a household waste recycling centre from 1 August, in a move supporting climate emergency targets.

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s calls to Hampshire County Council to rethink a decision to remove funding for some of the borough’s residents to dispose of their waste and recycling at West Berkshire’s recycling centre have been listened to.

The borough and county council have agreed to jointly fund the permits as a short term solution until July 2021, reducing additional pressure on the busy tip at Wade Road in Basingstoke and supporting both councils’ climate emergency targets to reduce carbon emissions.

The joint arrangement is designed to allow time to find a longer term solution which may see West Berkshire Council setting up a system for Basingstoke and Deane residents to use the Newbury centre for a £5 charge and Hampshire County Council exploring the opportunity of a new Household Waste Recycling Centre for residents in the north of the borough.

The funding decision was taken under the borough council’s urgency powers in consultation with all group leaders. County council Leader Keith Mans approved their part of the funding and next steps for a longer term solution at his Policy and Resources Decision Day today (Wednesday 29 July).

Useful links

Basingstoke and Deane Update: 23rd July 2020

2020-07-24T13:21:32+01:00

Weekly waste collections to resume mid-August

Weekly waste collections in Basingstoke and Deane are set to resume from Monday 17 August as staffing for the bin collection service stabilises during the pandemic.

The council and its waste and recycling contractor Serco have reviewed staffing and are happy the weekly service can be resumed as lockdown measures continue to relax. The day residents’ bins are collected will not change.

New subscriptions to the popular garden waste service will also be available from Monday 3 August but residents are being advised it may take over a month for bins or bags to be delivered and collections to start.

The council and Serco will continue to review the staffing of all waste and recycling services and will take measures to protect the core services during the COVID-19 crisis if required.

Reinstating the weekly waste collection and opening new garden waste subscriptions means all of the council’s waste and recycling services will be back online by mid-August. The council first made the difficult decision to stop garden waste and bulky waste collections in March and temporarily move to a fortnightly waste collection late April.

For more information and frequently asked questions visit www.basingstoke.gov.uk/covid-19-bins-and-recycling

Leisure facilities set to reopen this weekend

Facilities at Basingstoke Aquadrome and Tadley Swimming Pool and Gym will reopen this Saturday (25 July), following further easing of lockdown restrictions.

Officers have been supporting Serco, which runs the two facilities, to understand the measures that need to be in place to safely reopen.

At the Aquadrome, the gym, studio for classes and the 25-metre pool will reopen on a reduced capacity. The lagoon and health suite will remain closed.

The gym and pool facilities will also reopen at Tadley Swimming Pool and Gym. Due to the size of the studio, no fitness classes will be running at the facility.

At both facilities, swimming lessons will resume from Saturday 1 August.

All activities at both facilities will need to be pre-booked to allow Serco to monitor and maintain social distancing and customers will be encouraged by make card payments where possible.

The reopening of these facilities follows the earlier reinstatement of activities at Basingstoke Golf Centre, which is also operated by Serco. The pitch and putt, adventure golf and driving range facilities are available but the clubhouse and toilets remain closed.

Traveller encampment at Tadley Swimming Pool<

Officers were made aware of an unauthorised traveller encampment in the car park at Tadley Swimming Pool and Gym yesterday. This site is not covered by the traveller injunction granted to the council which prevents unauthorised encampments being set up.

We are working closely with Serco and the police and after discussions with the group, they have been asked to leave the site by 6pm today, ready for when the site reopens this Saturday.

Shoppers must wear face coverings from Friday

Shoppers across the borough are being reminded to wear face coverings from Friday (24 July) when visiting the town centre.

Officers have been helping retailers to safely reopen by ensuring they have the appropriate measures in place, as well as working with Basingstoke Together BID, Festival Place and The Malls to ensure Basingstoke town centre is a safe and pleasant experience for shoppers.

A number of measures have been put in place, including walking on the left hand side of walkways, an increased cleaning schedule of public areas, hand sanitising units and extensive signage reminding shoppers what they need to do.

On 14 July, the government announced that face coverings would be compulsory in all shops and supermarkets, in line with public transport, from this Friday (24 July).

This new measure will help to reduce the spread of COVID-19 from droplets from coughs and sneezes when visiting smaller areas where social distancing may be more difficult, alongside other measures such as regularly washing your hands.

The government’s guidance on face coverings can be found at www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own

Update on work of community safety patrol officers last week

Last week our community safety patrol officers dealt with 65 incidents, with incidents including welfare checks for shielded residents, littering and inconsiderate behaviour.

The team is continuing to carry out increased patrols in the town centre and open spaces across the borough following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. As part of this, the team has seen an increase in the amount of litter and has been proactively engaging with the public while on patrols, particularly in open spaces, to remind them to put their litter in the bins provided. CSPOs also continue to work closely with the Operations team to report and monitor locations of overflowing bins.

The CSPOs continued to prioritise patrols in areas where antisocial behaviour has been reported. As well as offering reassurance to residents, the team dealt with incidents where antisocial behaviour was taking place and engaged with groups who were gathering, encouraging them to return home.

As mentioned in last week’s update, the team will be carrying out high visibility patrols to reassure communities, monitor antisocial behaviour and encourage residents to be considerate to each other during the summer holidays. The aims of the Safer Summer campaign are:

A focus on increasing evidence-led patrols in the areas where antisocial behaviour is most likely to take place during the summer months to deter and intervene with incidents of antisocial behaviour and provide a visible and reassuring presence to support a feeling of safety for residents and visitors in the borough. This also includes a focus on the Basingstoke town centre area and parks and open spaces across the borough.
Identifying individuals engaging in antisocial behaviour or behaviours which impact negatively on the local community and use relevant interventions to support them in preventing such behaviours occurring in the future.
A focus on raising awareness of antisocial behaviour and safe play with targeted messaging.
Working with partners as part of a collaborative approach to address summer antisocial behaviour concerns.

Three transformed play areas reopen for fun and games

Three play areas in Brookvale and Kings Furlong have reopened after major improvements to the facilities.

Primary school aged children will be able to enjoy exciting new equipment thanks to £236,000 of funding to transform three play areas for the benefit the community.

The council has carried out improvement work at the play areas in Cordale Road, Culver Road and Goodman Close with money allocated from the council’s Local Infrastructure Fund. Each site includes new equipment for swinging, sliding, rocking, spinning and balancing, as well as explorative play.

The application for funding was proposed on behalf of the local community by Cllr Michael Westbrook, ward councillor for Brookvale and Kings Furlong.

Visitors to these and all of the council’s 150 play areas and parish and town council play areas are asked to follow Government guidance to help reduce the risk of spreading the virus when using the equipment. This includes:

giving other people space, in line with the current social distancing guidance
washing hands before and after visiting
using hand sanitiser gel or wipes to clean hands
putting tissues or rubbish in the bins provided.

No food or drink should be consumed in the play areas and people are asked not to use the facilities at busy times to help keep themselves and others safe.

For more information and to find your nearest play area visit www.basingstoke.gov.uk/playareas

Useful links

Hampshire County Council: Coronavirus (COVID-19): Edition 84

2020-07-24T13:04:26+01:00


Local context


	Supporting vulnerable residents The HantsHelp4Vulnerable helpline has, as of Monday 20 July, received a total of 14,879 calls in addition a further 17,971 outbound calls have been made by council officers. A total of 6,127 Local Response Centre referrals for voluntary support with food, medicine or other support have been made. The districts with the highest number of referrals from the contact centre were: New Forest (967), Basingstoke (943) and Havant (915). The districts with the lowest number of referrals are Rushmoor and Test Valley with 284 referrals each. Help with food shopping, and prescriptions consistently remain the top two reasons for residents seeking support. From 1 August, the Government will pause shielding unless the transmission of Covid-19 in the community starts to rise significantly. This means that from this date, people will no longer be advised to shield and the support for the National Shielding Service will cease. In line with the ending of shielding the HantsHelp4Vulnerable service will be scaling back its operation to five days per week. There are approximately 7,000 Hampshire residents who are currently shielding and receiving support through government food packages. The County Council Welfare Team will contact all residents currently receiving food parcels and ensure that they have sufficient support once shielding comes to an end. As of Monday 20 July, there 1,000 people left for the team to contact. To further support those coming out of shielding the council is launching the “...its Ok to...” campaign aimed at supporting people with practical advice to feel confident with getting going again safely.


	Local Covid-19 data Local Outbreak Control data Hampshire’s Local Outbreak Control Plan outlines the County Council’s key data objectives in terms of understanding and controlling the spread of Covid-19 (section 9), these include: Review daily data on testing and tracing. Identify incidents/trends, undertaking mapping and surveillance of Covid-19 Identify epidemiological patterns in Hampshire to: refine our understanding of high-risk places, locations and communities, support decision-making and monitor the effectiveness and impact of any actions. Provide intelligence to support quality and performance reporting to the Local Outbreak Engagement Board. Ensure that those who require access to the intelligence for different purposes can do so, regardless of organisational affiliation, whilst ensuring confidentiality requirements are met. There are a number of data sources, and public health analysis teams have worked collectively across the HIOW LRF to deliver intelligence products efficiently through sharing resources and avoiding duplication of effort. Hampshire County Council’s Chief Executive, Director of Public Health and Public Health Analysts also have access to data on numbers of confirmed cases at local level from PHE. This is from the restricted national Covid-19 dashboard (also known as the JBC Playbook) which contains data on testing from both NHS settings (known as Pillar 1) and the wider testing for all members of the public / residents (known as Pillar 2). The County Council will take a proactive approach to safely and appropriately sharing data with relevant stakeholders and partners, and will always have due regard to the relevant regulations. Members of the Local Outbreak Engagement Board will receive weekly reports to support them in their roles. A monthly report will be produced for the Board’s formal meetings and will be published with the meeting papers in the usual way. Number of cases by Hampshire District/Borough The Government’s publicly available Covid-19 data dashboard is updated on a daily basis and outlines the total number of cases and rate per 100,000 resident population at upper and lower local authority tier. The latest data (22 July) shows: Hampshire – 5,048 total cases (366.8 rate) Basingstoke & Deane – 943 total cases (536.6 rate) East Hampshire – 493 total cases (408.5 rate) Eastleigh – 435 total cases (330.0 rate) Fareham – 299 total cases (257.0 rate) Gosport – 226 total cases (265.0 rate) Havant – 360 total cases (286.1 rate) Hart – 269 total cases (279.4 rate) New Forest 456 total cases (253.7 rate) Rushmoor 596 total cases (626.4 rate) Test Valley 495 total cases (395.5 rate) Winchester 476 total cases (383.0 rate) Public Health England also maintain a map which shows positive cases by Middle Super Output Area. The Local Government Association’s LG Inform produced the below Covid-19 tracker using Public Health England data. The LG Inform reports show both the current data for authorities, as well as data over time. The information has also been combined with population data, to create a rate per 100,000 people and demonstrate relative rates of infection between authorities.


	The figures relate to confirmed cases of Covid-19 following a positive test and do not cover all cases of Covid-19 which may exist – for more information on the methodology see LGA and Gov UK. For more detail and to view other charts with Hampshire specific data see LGA LG Inform.


	Skills and employment recovery plan In Hampshire, 7.5% of 18-24 year olds were claiming out of work benefits in June, in comparison to 9% nationally. The County Council is committed to significantly reducing this figure and to supporting young people to find employment. The County Council is developing a skills and employment recovery plan which will reflect government policy. The plan will build on the extensive resources that the Authority already invests in Hampshire’s young people through, for example: the provision of a high quality careers service; the adult and community learning programme; Apprenticeship Programmes, including the Levy Transfer where small and medium enterprises can apply for funding to create their own apprenticeship opportunities; as well as Employment, Employability and Skills hubs which link employers to a local skilled workforce and promote skills and training opportunities for young people including those who have additional needs or disability. The County Council will continue to work in partnership with the district authorities and other partners such as the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership in order to maximise opportunities for young people to be successful.


	National context


	Communities


	Public sector pay rises The Government has announced public sector pay rises in recognition of their ‘vital contribution’ during the Covid-19 pandemic. For teachers, the starting salary will increase by 5.5%, and the upper and lower boundaries of the pay ranges for all other teachers are to increase by 2.75%. These recommendations are equivalent to a 3.1% increase in the overall pay bill. The police will receive an increase of 2.5% in 2020 to 2021. Dentists, doctors, prison officers, National Crime Agency staff, Members of the judiciary, armed forces personnel and civil servants will also receive pay rises.


	Support for victims of sexual violence and abuse The Ministry of Justice has announced the allocations to date of funding to Police and Crime Commissioners, Rape Support Centres, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence support organisations.


	Economy and business


	Green recovery in heavy industry The Prime Minister has announced a £350 million package to cut emissions in heavy industry and drive economic recovery from Covid-19. The investment comes ahead of the first meeting of the Jet Zero Council today (22 July), which will bring together key stakeholders to tackle aviation emissions.


	Competition policy IPPR has published a paper by the Competition and Markets Authority Chairman, Andrew Tyrie, discussing how competition policy can contribute to a robust and sustainable post-crisis recovery.


	Food businesses The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has updated the guidance for food businesses with new information, an easy-to-translate guide and links to posters.


	Grant funding The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has updated the data on local authority grant payments to small and medium businesses in England up to 19 July.


	Eat Out to Help Out HMRC are running free webinars over the next two weeks on the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme. The webinar provides an overview of the scheme, including how the scheme works, eligible establishments, registering and making a claim and what happens after a claim has been made.


	Reduced VAT rate HMRC has updated guidance for businesses to check if they can temporarily reduce the rate of VAT on supplies relating to hospitality, accommodation, or admission to include a new section on Retail Schemes.


	The Business and Planning Act The Business and Planning Act has today (22 July) received Royal Assent. The planning guidance to accompany the Act has been updated to reflect the provisions in the Act. The Home Office has today (22 July) also published guidance on the temporary alcohol licensing provisions in the Business and Planning Act.


	NHS Test and Trace service in the workplace The guidance on the NHS Test and Trace service for employers, businesses and workers has been updated. The update includes a new section on collecting customer and visitor data for NHS Test and Trace and additional information on if a worker develops symptoms and orders a test.


	Children and education


	Homeschooling and parenting The Office for National Statistics has published an analysis of homeschooling in the UK during the Covid-19 pandemic between April and June from the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey. They have also issued a release on parenting in lockdown which examines the effect on the work-life balance of parents in the UK.


	Early years and childcare providers The Department for Education has updated the guidance on childcare services, early years settings, and childminding services. The guidance now reflects that early years settings can return to normal group sizes and includes updated information about autumn funding, wraparound care, managing requests for site visits for new admissions in September, data collection changes, and reporting to Ofsted.


	Adults' social care and public health


	Care home visits The Department of Health and Social Care has announced that care home visits will restart where safe, following the publication of new guidance today (22 July). Local directors of public health will, with their authorities, lead the decision-making process for care home visits and appropriate safety precautions will be required, including face coverings, and social distancing measures.


	NHS Test and Trace On 20 July, the Health and Social Care Secretary delivered a statement about the measures to increase testing and support the NHS this winter, and the latest vaccine developments.


	Environment, place and transport


	Water industryThe Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has written to water companies inviting them to support a green recovery.


	Transport statisticsThe Department for Transport has published the latest statistics on transport use by mode.


	Rural DevelopmentThe European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development Q&A has been updated to include a new question and answer, which confirms that Ministers have agreed that contracts for existing RDPE socio-economic projects seriously affected by Covid-19 can be extended by up to six months.


	National Covid-19 data


	Latest R number range The R number range for the UK is 0.7-0.9 and the growth rate range is -5% to -1% per day as of 17 July 2020. The data is available to view online.


	Cases As of 4pm on 22 July, the total number of lab-confirmed cases was 296,377. The daily number of lab-confirmed cases was 560. The total number of Covid-19 associated deaths was 45,501, with 79 new deaths reported on the day. The data is available to view online.


	Additional links


	Hampshire County Council webpages on coronavirus (including links to press releases): https://www.hants.gov.uk/socialcareandhealth/coronavirus Latest information on coronavirus: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus NHS information on coronavirus: ahttps://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/ FAQ from the Cabinet Office: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do PPE guidance hub: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-personal-protective-equipment-ppe Guidance for local government: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-local-government County Councils Network (CCN) coronavirus information pages: https://www.countycouncilsnetwork.org.uk/coronavirus-information-for-local-authorities/ Local Government Association (LGA) councillor guidance: https://www.local.gov.uk/covid-19-outbreak-councillor-guidance

Hampshire County Council: Coronavirus (COVID-19): Edition 83

2020-07-21T17:17:40+01:00

Local context


	Hampshire Library Service Hampshire County Council has published its report on the Library Service consultation. The consultation, which received over 21,000 responses, considered the future vision for Hampshire’s Library Service and included a number of proposals for changes to how the service operates in order to adapt to the changing needs of customers and deliver planned savings of £1.76 million. The report contains an assessment of consultation responses, discussion and recommendations for the Executive Member for Recreation and Heritage, Councillor Seán Woodward, to consider at his Decision Day on Tuesday 28 July. The proposal being recommended is to reduce the number of libraries for closure from ten to eight, and to make a reduction in opening hours of the remaining libraries averaging 20%. In the press release, Councillor Seán Woodward, notes that the “aim is to provide the best possible library service within our means – one that is fit for the future. And although this means we must reduce costs, it does not stop us from innovating and seizing new opportunities. For example, while digital take-up was strong before lockdown, even more people of all ages have signed up to digital library services during the pandemic. People have responded very positively to the different ways of accessing library services through the innovative use of technology.”


	Farnborough International Airshow Farnborough International Airshow Connect - FIA Connect - has launched today. Running between 20 – 24 July, the same week that the Airshow would have taken place, FIA Connect provides a series of free-to-attend digital aerospace events. Over the five days, there will be high quality content, collaboration, thought leadership and industry insight aiming to connect the global aerospace industry. Speakers will include Grant Shapps and Nadhim Zahawi.


	Hampshire Music Service As the school year draws to a close, Hampshire County Council’s Music Service has shared a video on social media which demonstrates how the service has adapted throughout the pandemic to ensure that children and young people in Hampshire have been able to continue practicing their instruments. This included: moving individual and group music tuition online, creating a wealth of online resources and digital performances by HMS ensembles.


	National context


	Communities


	Covid-19 contain framework The Government has published new guidance for local authorities and local decision-makers on containing and managing outbreaks at a local level. The framework outlines how NHS Test and Trace and the Joint Biosecurity Centre will work with local authorities, Public Health England and the public to contain and manage local Covid-19 outbreaks.


	Local authority powersThe Department of Health and Social Care has issued statutory guidance to support the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (No.3) Regulations 2020 that came into force on 18 July.


	Nightingale courts The Lord Chancellor has announced the locations for ten ‘Nightingale Courts’. The temporary courts will begin hearing cases from next week, with the aim of easing pressure on the court system and tackle the number of outstanding cases.


	Next Steps Accommodation ProgrammeThe Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has confirmed that councils and their local partners can now apply for funds from the Next Steps Accommodation Programme. The funding is to cover property costs and support new tenancies for around 15,000 vulnerable people who were provided with emergency accommodation during the pandemic.


	Charity fundraising The Government has announced that between 18 July and 31 August, funds raised through selected Covid-19 charity campaigns will be match funded through the new ‘Community Match Challenge’. The £85 million available is part of the £750 million pot announced by the Chancellor for frontline charities across the UK during the pandemic.


	Weddings The MHCLG has updated the guidance for small marriages and civil partnerships to confirm that from 1 August, small wedding receptions will be able to take place. This includes sit-down meals for up to 30 people, subject to Covid-19 Secure guidance.


	Economy and business


	Aerospace funding The Business Secretary, Alok Sharma, has announced that government grants totalling £200 million, delivered through the Aerospace Technology Institute programme, will be matched by industry to create the total investment of £400 million in new research and technology to support the sector’s recovery.


	Facemask production The Government has announced that they are setting up face covering production lines in cooperation with UK manufacturers. Production has commenced at two sites: ten production lines have been procured and a further ten British production lines are being established with government support. The aim is to ensure that public demand for face coverings does not impact on the supply of higher-grade face masks for NHS front line staff.


	Pubs to offer non-smoking outdoor options An amendment tabled today to the Business and Planning Bill means that people using pubs, restaurants and cafes will have greater freedom to choose non-smoking outdoor areas.


	Children and education


	Funding for schools The Department for Education (DfE) has confirmed the national funding formula tables for schools and high needs: 2021 to 2022. The Government has also confirmed that allocations from the £650 million catch-up premium, one part of the overall £1 billion Covid catch-up package, will be based on the number of pupils and paid once a term over the 2020/21 academic year.


	Children's social care The Government has published a consultation on changes to the Adoption and Children (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 that were introduced to provide local authorities and children’s social care providers with temporary flexibilities during Covid-19. The amendments will expire on 25 September 2020, and the Government is seeking to extend a small number of these to manage future challenges. The consultation closes on 5 August 2020.


	Isolation for residential educational settings The DfE has updated the guidance on isolation for residential educational settings with information on how wearing a face covering may affect communication with those who rely on lip reading, facial expressions and clear sound.


	Adults' social care and public health


	VaccinesThe Government has announced that it has secured early access to 90 million vaccine doses from the BioNTech/Pfizer alliance and Valneva. The Government has also secured access to treatments containing Covid-19-neutralising antibodies from AstraZeneca to protect those who cannot receive vaccines such as cancer and immunocompromised patients. The Government has today launched the NHS COVID-19 vaccine research registry. The new online service will allow members of the public to register their interest and be contacted to participate in clinical studies. To enable large-scale vaccine studies to take place across the UK, the Government aims to get 500,000 people signed up by October.


	National Covid-19 data


	Latest R number range The R number range for the UK is 0.7-0.9 and the growth rate range is -5% to -1% per day as of 17 July 2020. The data is available to view online.


	Cases As of 4pm on 20 July, the total number of lab-confirmed cases was 295,372. The daily number of lab-confirmed cases was 580. The total number of Covid-19 associated deaths was 45,312, with 11 new deaths reported on the day. The data is available to view online.


	Additional links


	Hampshire County Council webpages on coronavirus (including links to press releases): https://www.hants.gov.uk/socialcareandhealth/coronavirus Latest information on coronavirus: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus NHS information on coronavirus: ahttps://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/ FAQ from the Cabinet Office: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do PPE guidance hub: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-personal-protective-equipment-ppe Guidance for local government: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-local-government County Councils Network (CCN) coronavirus information pages: https://www.countycouncilsnetwork.org.uk/coronavirus-information-for-local-authorities/ Local Government Association (LGA) councillor guidance: https://www.local.gov.uk/covid-19-outbreak-councillor-guidance

Basingstoke and Deane Today: Friday 17th July 2020

2020-07-20T14:31:37+01:00

The government’s Roadmap to March 2021 announced

The Prime Minister has today set out an updated Roadmap to 2021 outlining plans to prepare the NHS for the possibility of a second wave of COVID-19 in the winter and for the remainder of the economy and society to return to life “as normal as possible, as fast and fairly as possible, and as safely as possible”. The key points of the speech were:

Support for the NHS

Increasing the amount of testing capacity to half a million antigen tests per day.
Launching the biggest flu vaccination programme in history.
£3bn additional funding for the NHS for winter preparation.
Using the independent sector to increase resource and maintain the Nightingale hospitals as fully operational until March.

Local powers to deal with local lockdowns

A framework will be published today on how local areas should deal with local lockdowns.
Councils will be given powers from tomorrow to take action in their areas, for example, to close outdoor spaces and cancel events.
Draft regulations will be laid for ministers to be able to close local premises, issue stay at home orders, restrict travel, and prevent people from entering or leaving areas.

Easing Covid-19 restrictions

Effective from now people are encouraged to use public transport if they need to although they should consider alternatives if available.
From 25 July, as previously planned, indoor leisure facilities such as gyms and swimming pools can open.
From 1 August, bowling alleys, skating rinks, and personal beauty services can open. Nightclubs and soft play centres must remain closed for now.
From 1 August, employers will have the discretion to make decisions about how to get back to work safely – this could mean some people continuing to work from home, for some people this may be coming back into work settings.
From 1 August, indoor performances can take place. Wider audience attendance at sports event in stadia will be piloted with the aim to bring back audiences in stadia in October. Weddings of up to 30 people will be permitted from August.
From November at the earliest there will be a review on whether to relax social distancing measures and signal a complete return to normal.
The Government’s formal shielding programme is due to end on 31 July. Shielding will be stood up again at any point if required.

Further guidance is expected on each of these different stages and we expect a further Government update on 1 August.

‘Don’t just dump it if you want to donate’ message about textile banks

Basingstoke and Deane residents wanting to donate their clothing and textiles at the borough council’s recycling sites are being urged to check if their chosen charity has resumed collections before taking items to the recycling banks.

Many charities stopped collecting donations of clothing or textiles during the pandemic and have only just resumed this. Residents have continued to bring items to the council-owned sites creating a build-up at some sites, which is not only classed as fly-tipping but also presents a fire risk.

As a result, the sites are having to be cleared by the council’s waste crew rather than benefitting the charities they were intended for. To ensure the charities benefit from these donations, residents are being asked to hold on to items if the banks are full and not to leave bags on the ground beside them.

There are 59 textile bins at the council’s recycling sites across the borough. Find out more about the sites and where they are located at www.basingstoke.gov.uk/recycling-sites

Update on work of community safety patrol officers last week

Last week our community safety patrol officers dealt with 78 incidents, with incidents including fly-tipping, reports of gatherings and inconsiderate behaviour and alcohol-related incidents.

Patrols have been continuing in the town centre following the reopening of a number of premises, including beauty providers, pubs, bars and restaurants and to provide a reassuring presence for visitors. This work is taking place alongside partners. In addition, patrols continue to take place in parks and open spaces across the borough due to the likely increase in social gatherings. The team is proactively engaging with the public during these patrols to remind individuals of their responsibilities including disposing of their litter.

Following the ease of lockdown restrictions, the community safety patrol team has seen an increase in antisocial behaviour across the borough. This behaviour includes rowdy and inconsiderate behaviour, fires and littering. The team have also noticed an increase in large groups of young people gathering in several locations across the borough. In some circumstances alcohol has been seized from those drinking underage. The team are urging parents to be aware of where their children are, who they are associating with and that they are safe.

Over the next few weeks, the community safety patrol team will be carrying out high visibility patrols to reassure communities, monitor antisocial behaviour and encourage residents to be considerate to each other during the summer holidays. The team will work with parents of young people when they have been involved in incidents of antisocial behaviour. The team will also be working closely with partners, such as the police, as part of a coordinated response to tackling antisocial behaviour.

War Memorial Park entrance temporarily closed

A section of the footpath by the bandstand in the War Memorial Park is being replaced and so, to allow contractors to do this and ensure the public is kept safe, it will be temporarily closed off from tomorrow morning (Saturday 18 July).

This means that the entrance to the park by the bandstand will also be temporarily closed. But the other entrances to War Memorial Park will remain open to allow residents to access and enjoy the park while the works take place.

Useful links

Hampshire County Council: Coronavirus (COVID-19): Edition 81

2020-07-16T16:35:13+01:00

Local context


	Hampshire Library Service Hampshire County Council’s library service has loaned 25,000 items to more than 5,000 customers in the first week since branches reopened (6 July). More than 4,700 people have used the new Ready Reads service and around 18,500 people have made use of the online library, which was expanded in response to the Covid-19 outbreak. The online library now offers more than 63,430 eBooks, eAudiobooks, eNewspapers, eComics and eMagazines. The library service continues to support vulnerable customers who may not be able to visit a branch or access online services through the Home Library Service, and the Good Neighbour Scheme.


	Energy Projects Hampshire County Council’s Cabinet has agreed the first new projects to be launched which will impact on Hampshire’s carbon reduction and climate resilience targets as part of the Hampshire Climate Change Strategy. In the press release, Councillor Rob Humby, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Economy, Transport and Environment at Hampshire County Council, is quoted: “Hampshire’s Climate Change Strategy … clearly demonstrates the County Council’s continued commitment to climate change, despite the challenges of Covid-19 and the extreme financial pressures on local government.” The three initiatives include: Telephone and Online Advice for Residents on Climate Change and Sustainability: The Environment Centre will offer support to residents with advice on how to take action in their homes on climate change and wider sustainability. Establishing a Community Energy Network across Hampshire: This will stimulate growth of the community energy sector. Targeted Solar Group Buying Scheme for Hampshire: Local councils are collaborating with iChoosr to organise the scheme for homeowners and small and medium-sized enterprises (non-domestic), targeted to about 125,000 residents who can register for the Solar Together group-buying scheme.


	Supporting vulnerable residents The HantsHelp4Vulnerable helpline has, as of Monday 13 July, received a total of 14,702 calls. A total of 6,095 Local Response Centre referrals for voluntary support with food, medicine or other support have been made. The districts with the highest number of referrals from the contact centre were: New Forest (967), Basingstoke (942) and Havant (914). The district with the lowest number of referrals is Rushmoor (283). Help with food shopping, and prescriptions consistently remain the top two reasons for residents seeking support.


	Smart Living In Hampshire, a quarter of food waste that is thrown away could have been eaten. A new campaign has recently been launched which engages with two key audiences, parents and 18- 35 year olds, to help them maintain the good food waste prevention habits established throughout lockdown. An animation which promotes reducing food waste has been shared across social media platforms and has been well received. The animation has gained over 5,000 thruplays and has led to 300 clicks to the Smart Living website. Smart Living, Hampshire’s waste prevention and lifestyle initiative has promoted a range of additional waste reduction ideas to residents throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. The ideas and tips have been closely aligned with national restrictions easing and have also signposted residents to national campaigns – for example information on donating unwanted clothing following lockdown clear outs as charity shops re-opened.


	Local Covid-19 data The Local Government Association’s LG Inform produced the below Covid-19 tracker using Public Health England data. The LG Inform reports show both the current data for authorities, as well as data over time. The information has also been combined with population data, to create a rate per 100,000 people and demonstrate relative rates of infection between authorities.


	The figures relate to confirmed cases of Covid-19 following a positive test and do not cover all cases of Covid-19 which may exist – for more information on the methodology see LGA and Gov UK. For more detail and to view other charts with Hampshire specific data see LGA LG Inform.


	National context


	Communities


	Prisons The guidance on preventing and controlling outbreaks of Covid-19 in prisons and places of detention has been updated to include new information relating to controlling outbreaks, transition of prisoners or detainees into the community and court appearances during outbreaks.


	Fund for domestic abuse charities The Home Office has published a bidder clarification document for the second round of the £2 million fund for domestic abuse charities affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.


	Youth justice The Youth Justice Board for England and Wales has published Covid-19 recovery guidance for Youth Offending Teams (YOTs). This guidance supports YOTs to return to delivering activity which worked prior to Covid-19, but also to incorporate some of the innovative practices which councils have developed with their partners during the pandemic.


	Economy and business


	Eat Out to Help Out HMRC has collated all guidance and information on the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme for both businesses and customers onto one page. The service to help customers find participating restaurants will be available week beginning 20 July.


	Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme HMRC has published statistics on all Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme claims submitted by employers from the start of the scheme up to 30 June. It includes statistics on the claimants themselves and the jobs supported.


	Self-Employment Income Support Scheme HMRC has published statistics on the number of individuals claiming the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme grant up to 30 June by age, gender, industry sector and geography.


	Local authority grant payments The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has published data on the local authority grant payments up to 12 July, showing the total amount of money that each local authority (districts and boroughs) has received from central government and distributed to SMEs to date. As of 12 July, £10.7 billion has been paid out to over 872,500 business properties.


	Cultural venues and holiday parks The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has published a set of questions and answers on the 14 July announcement on preventing loss of cultural venues and planning conditions for holiday parks.


	Self Assessment payment HMRC is reminding Self Assessment taxpayers that they can automatically defer their July payment on account until 31 January 2021.


	Children and education


	Attendance in education settings The Department for Education (DfE) has published a summary of attendance in education settings up to 9 July.


	ApprenticeshipsThe DfE has updated the guidance on providing apprenticeships to confirm that from 13 July providers can welcome back 19+ apprentices into educational settings. The guidance also confirms that the flexibility to suspend functional skills for level 2 apprentices has been extended and provides more information on support for redundant apprentices.


	Free school meals The DfE has updated the guidance for schools and local authorities on free school meals arrangements with information on the temporary extension of free school meals eligibility to NRPF groups. This includes the increase in the income threshold from £16,190 per annum to £31,500 per annum for London and £28,200 for areas outside of London.


	Adults' social care and public health


	Face coverings The Government has announced that face coverings will become mandatory in shops and supermarkets from 24 July. Under the new rules, people who do not wear a face covering may incur a fine of up to £100, in line with the sanction on public transport. Children under 11 and people with certain disabilities will be exempt from wearing them. The liability for wearing a face covering lies with the individual. New guidance on face coverings has been published, which contains information on their role in reducing the transmission of Covid-19, the settings in which they are recommended, and how they should be safely used and stored.


	PPE deliveries New statistics have been published which show that in the 7 days to 12 July, DHSC distributed over 118 million PPE items for use by health and social care services in England through the PPE Dedicated Supply Channel, NHS Supply Chain and other routes.


	Imperial College London testing programmeThe initial findings from Imperial College London’s testing programme have been published. The research, which examined levels of infection in the general population in England, shows the rates of infection fell during May, the last month of lockdown, halving every 8 to 9 days. There were on average 13 positive cases for every 10,000 people, with an overall reproduction number of 0.57 – lower than previously reported. The report provides an insight into who was infected with the virus between 1 May and 1 June over lockdown, comparing geography, age, sex, ethnicity, key worker status and symptoms.


	Drug and alcohol services The guidance for commissioners and providers of services for people who use drugs or alcohol has been updated with new information on PPE supply, NHS test and trace, accessing treatment and meeting of groups inside and outside.


	Cleaning non-healthcare settings Public Health England has updated the guidance on cleaning non-healthcare settings outside the home with advice on cleaning and waste management that does not relate to a suspected or confirmed case.


	Environment, place and travel


	Transport useThe Department of transport has published the weekly statistics on transport mode.


	National Covid-19 data


	Latest R number range The R number range for the UK is 0.7-0.9 and the growth rate range is -5% to -2% per day as of 10 July 2020. The data is available to view online.


	Cases As of 4pm on 15 July, the total number of lab-confirmed cases was 291,911. The daily number of lab-confirmed cases was 538. The total number of Covid-19 associated deaths was 45,053, with 85 new deaths reported on the day. The data is available to view online.


	Additional links


	Hampshire County Council webpages on coronavirus (including links to press releases): https://www.hants.gov.uk/socialcareandhealth/coronavirus Latest information on coronavirus: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus NHS information on coronavirus: ahttps://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/ FAQ from the Cabinet Office: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do PPE guidance hub: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-personal-protective-equipment-ppe Guidance for local government: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-local-government County Councils Network (CCN) coronavirus information pages: https://www.countycouncilsnetwork.org.uk/coronavirus-information-for-local-authorities/ Local Government Association (LGA) councillor guidance: https://www.local.gov.uk/covid-19-outbreak-councillor-guidance

GWR - Update on Timetable Changes: 12th May 2020

2020-05-12T22:08:10+01:00

Below is a message received from Matthew Golton, Interim Managing Director, Great Western Railway

You may have seen the announcement made by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps today (12 May) about a phased return to work, if not I thought it might be helpful to share the media release issued by the Department for Transport here.

It’s clear that whilst the lockdown is starting to ease, advice for customers remains to avoid travelling by train wherever possible. With people who absolutely need to go to work encouraged to travel by car, cycle or to walk where they can. Social distancing will mean that trains can carry a fraction of the usual number of passengers and people are being urged only to go by train if it cannot be avoided.

That said, we have been working with industry partners, with the Department for Transport and with stakeholders so that we are ready to start uplifting capacity and service levels. We will have an amended timetable in place from next Monday (18 May) as we have been asked to be Government. This is now shown in online journey planners. There will be further staged increases responding to the easement of lockdown as things go forward.

Customers will still need to check the timetable weekly for a bit longer as we continue to accommodate infrastructure improvement work and may also add further services in the light of changes to government guidance for our customers. We are working to improve this, and I will keep you up to date on progress.   Our advice and messages for customers will support the need for customers to stay alert and continue to be aware of the need for social distancing and consideration of others when travelling by train.

We will be monitoring demand over the next few weeks and working with the DfT and industry colleagues to assess the need for further options to help manage demand. This might include measures to limit numbers on board services. We will make sure you are kept updated on this, and we would welcome any local insight that you might have on the timetable or the operation of services.

We understand the importance of rail to restarting the economy and our teams are working hard to make sure we deliver a robust, reliable service that is as safe as possible in these difficult times.