Dear resident,

I had hoped I wouldn’t be writing another covid newsletter but with the very recent news of Leicester City being put in lockdown I feel I must.  As I write Rutland still has very few confirmed cases or coronavirus related deaths but neither the local authority nor the police can legally stop people visiting our beautiful county and, unknowingly, bring the virus here.  So, to keep safe, the message remains: wash your hands frequently and thoroughly; social distance when going out and stay at home as far as possible.

Meanwhile Rutland County Council officers are working hard to keep us all safe and are also working very closely with colleagues in Leicester and Leicestershire, albeit virtually, to ensure we learn from what is happening in Leicester.  Therefore don’t expect things in Rutland to return to normal any time soon.  There are no plans to open libraries and the museum nor the CA site at Cottesmore (North Luffenham remains open) and day to day business such as reviewing parking problems will not be happening; the Council simply doesn’t have the capacity.  Rutland Council’s web page for Covid is regularly updated https://www.rutland.gov.uk/my-services/health-and-family/health-and-nhs/health-and-support-services/coronavirus/ and offers useful information and the help line, 01572 729603, remains open during office hours.  Please feel free to contact me if you need any help. Stay safe.  Stay happy.

Gale Waller

County Councillor, Normanton Ward gwaller@rutland.gov.uk

Please see the attached notice of the temporary closure of Glebe Road between the above dates

Please see the attached notice from RCC with regard to the night time closure of Station Road railway crossing to allow improvements to the track by Network Rail.

The night time closures will start from 9.00pm on the 15th July through to 7.00am on 24th July 2020.

03/06/2020

Dear resident,

It has been a little while since I last wrote and we have seen some relaxation of the lockdown rules. We can now meet family and friends in our gardens; albeit with limited numbers and social distancing remaining. Many have returned to work and some returned to school. Year 6 children were particularly keen to return, judging by the statistics, no doubt because it is their last year at primary and many will be separated from friends as they move on to different secondary schools in September.

The opening of the civic amenities site has been a success and I would like to say thank you to the residents of North and South Luffenham for their forbearance in putting up with the additional traffic travelling to the site. Remember, though, if you have bulky waste to dispose of you can have that collected by RCC https://www.rutland.gov.uk/my-council/council-news/bulky-waste-collections-resume/, some waste can go in the normal bins and some you can store till everything returns to normal.

If you run a B and B, a charity, a non-rated business or are a market trader you may be entitled to the Local Authority Discretionary Grant provided by central government. Total funds are limited and there is a system of prioritisation so read all the guidance before you apply, both that provided by government and that provided by RCC. Details can be found here under “Local Authority Discretionary Grant”. https://www.rutland.gov.uk/my-services/health-and-family/health-and-nhs/health-and-support-services/coronavirus/business-advice-and-guidance/#an-LADGFupdat

Finally, Rutland Water partially re-opened this week and whilst they do not anticipate any problems whatsoever I have had people asking me about the potential for visitors to park on verges and cause a nuisance. As many RCC officers have been redeployed to covid related duties the Council will not have the staff to monitor the situation so if you encounter any real problem please feel free to get in touch with me.

Stay safe. Stay happy.

Gale Waller

County Councillor, Normanton Ward gwaller@rutland.gov.uk

Please see the attached road closure notice from RCC concerning Station Road railway crossing from 22.00 hrs on 4th July to 9.00 on 5th July 2020

Please see the attached notice to close Glebe Road North Luffenham on 3rd July to allow inspection of the railway bridge

Please see the attached Notice of Vacancies following the resignations of Geoff Mason and Wayne Bishop from North Luffenham Parish Council

North Luffenham Household Waste and Recycling Centre will reopen for essential waste from Tuesday 19 May 2020. The site will be open six days a week (Tuesday to Sunday), from 10am to 4pm. Waste should only be brought to the site if it cannot be stored safely at home or disposed of in other legitimate ways.

Wherever possible, we are asking people to continue using weekly kerbside waste and recycling collections, our Bulky Waste Collection Service or hold on to bulk waste for a few more weeks.

 A number of special measures will be in place to maintain social distancing and run the site safely. These include:

• A temporary road closure and one-way system between Pilton crossroads and the village of Morcott. No access to North Luffenham HWRC from the direction of Morcott. Access will be maintained for residents
•  A maximum of four vehicles unloading on-site at a time, with no more than two persons per vehicle
• Visitors must observe social distancing and stay two metres away from each other and site staff at all times
• The site will close for 15 minutes at 12.00pm, 2.00pm and 4.00pm each day so that it can be cleaned
• No trailers will be accepted on-site because of the need to move vehicles in and out as quickly as possible
• Visitors are asked to pre-sort their waste and separate out materials like metal, wood and plastics before traveling to the site
• Staff at the site will provide instructions but cannot help to unload or put waste items into containers
• Please see the attached frequently asked questions

Dear resident,

Two opportunities to have fun are coming up; the bank holiday weekend and the 75th anniversary of VE day on 8th May. Rutland Radio is inviting everyone to get into the swing of the now virtual VE day https://www.rutlandradio.co.uk/events/virtual-ve-day/ and the Lord Lieutenant is encouraging us all to raise a cup (or glass) at 3pm on 8 May and cheer. Anyone who is active on social media can enjoy and interact with dedicated ‘VE Day 75 Rutland’ social media accounts set up in advance of the anniversary: · Facebook · Twitter · Instagram

Rutland County Museum and Oakham Castle both have special digital exhibitions marking VE Day 75 on their respective websites: www.oakhamcastle.org/veday75 and rutlandcountymuseum.org.uk/v-e-day-75-years

Remember, though, the rules of lockdown. Keep to your own homes and gardens with only those you live with for any celebration, and social distancing also still applies. Only make essential journeys (sadly, visiting family isn’t essential) but have a super weekend.

A local service has been set up within the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland health area for anyone suffering a mental health problem. It’s a 24hr. help line and is open to anyone, including carers, simply call 0116 295 3060. If the matter is urgent, for example someone has taken an overdose, ‘phone 999 in the normal way. Public Health England also offer advice on mental health on https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/?WT.tsrc=Search&WT.mc_id=Brand&gclid=Cj0KCQjw-r71BRDuARIsAB7i_QOrf0–Ll_vwn0P3J4fldUe_27r6dRbSXsd3egtYzml5q6IgwKs6ygaAkigEALw_wcB

It’s only when something goes wrong, like toothache, that we realise what we are missing whilst in lockdown. Dentists are not, for obvious reasons, offering their normal services so the NHS has opened urgent dental centres. If you are in need of dental services ‘phone your dentist in the normal way or, if out of hours, call NHS 111. Do not go to A and E.

RCC is considering how it might be able to re-open a waste site but meanwhile it has resumed the bulky waste collection service. For more information go to https://www.rutland.gov.uk/my-council/council-news/bulky-waste-collections-resume/

Some people, unfortunately, have lost their jobs as a result of lockdown but Jobcentre Plus is open, at least virtually. Go to https://jobhelp.dwp.gov.uk/ for help.

Stay safe. Stay happy.

Gale Waller

County Councillor, Normanton Ward gwaller@rutland.gov.uk

Please see the attached notice from RCC relating to the above road to allow the re-opening of the amenity site situated between North Luffenham and Morcott. It is to be made ‘one-way’ with the flow of traffic being from North Luffenham. A plan is attached to the notice.

Following representations, the notice has been updated. A revised notice is now attached showing a slightly revised route

An alternative route was suggested by NLPC as it seemed likely that a large number of vehicles would be accessing the CA Site from the north and driving down Edith Weston Road and then through the village.

The suggestion was that the direction to the CA Site was via continuing down Edith Weston Rd., Station Lane, turning right at the roundabout on the the A1621, South Luffenham, Morcott and turning right at Willoughby Rd. Glebe Rd, North Luffenham would be one way from Morcott to North Luffenham and vehicles would leave the CA Site by turning left and back through North Luffenham by Glebe Rd., Lyndon Rd. and Pinfold Lane. As there would be only one car exiting the CA Site at a time it would avoid a lot of two way traffic on Glebe Rd, The Settings, and at the bottle neck in Lyndon Rd.

Full details of the opening of the Civic Amenity site will be published later in the week including opening times and what waste wil be accepted

We’re new at The Coach House Inn, and we have a food takeaway app to order Sunday Lunch, Saturday Cooked Breakfast, and a range of ready meals for collection Wednesday to Saturday.

Call 01780 720 866, message us on the facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/thecoachhouseinn, or use the app at http://m.appbuild.io/kadd6 and choose your pick up time:

Ready meals: anytime Wednesday – Saturday

Saturday breakfast: 9am – 12pm

Sunday lunch: 12noon – 3.30pm

Looking forward to serving you.

Emma and Elliot

#fortheloveoffood #southluffenham #northluffenham #barrowden #ketton #morcott #edithweston