The celeriac seems to have gone down very well with all the volunteers, and various soup recipes have been exchanged, just the comfort food for the cooler weather – we shall definitely be growing that again next year! Not frosty or cold enough for the parsnips yet. They sweeten up with a good dose of frost, even so, being tucked up deep in the earth it is always a surprise how they are until they get dug up, you never know how well they have grown or if they have suffered from canker. We had a sneaky peek at the tops of a few of them but are saving them for Christmas – something to look forward to! The slow grow coriander is also going down well and appreciated – such good flavour compared with the ‘soapy’ taste from the supermarket. Mixed with carrots in a soup, or added to a curry or stir fry, it gives a certain amazingness!
Talking of amazing, Chris, one of our gardeners, and partner Suzy, have been getting some lockdown exercise every day by barrowing six loads of wood chips each, all the way up to the garden and laid down on the paths. It is all looking neat and tidy, and they are benefiting from the fresh air and workout too! No lockdown bellies for those two!
It was only mentioned last week that it is never a good idea to directly sow peas as the rodents find them in no time and make a meal out of them. It seems they found where they and the last broad bean sowings were growing inside their modules, up off the ground and seemingly in a safe place – but no! They were found, dug up and eaten! Rodents must be able to sniff them out at a distance. If we can get them to a certain point of growth, then they have made it and can be planted out safely – it is just getting to that stage.
Some things we will go out of our way to feed. We put up some bird feeders this week, and it will be interesting to see how long it takes for the local bird population to realise they are there. The feeders did not need refilling on Saturday, but apparently a couple of birds were spotted having a look at them earlier on in the morning. As time goes on, there is less for them to find in the garden and so we need to help them now.
We had a request from the Parish Council to take on a couple of planters on the seafront which could do with a bit of TLC. Inspired by last week’s seminar on Kent’s Plan Bee and what could be done to support insect life, we opted for some hardy flowering perennials, and some spring flowering bulbs. The planters do not look like much at the moment, but will be added to and changed over the seasons to give as much flower that bees like as we can cram in there. It is work in progress for now.
What’s next?
Following the easing of national restrictions on 2nd December, all of Kent and Medway will have restrictions at the ‘Very High Tier 3 Level’.
The Government’s decisions on tiers have been made by ministers based on recommendations by government scientists and medics, taking into account:
Local authorities were informed by letter this morning, outlining the decision and a reminder of the rules of each tier.
Following today’s announcement, Kent County Council Leader Roger Gough said:
“We appreciate that residents and businesses across the county will be extremely concerned and some areas may feel the Government decision is unfair. It is our priority now to work with everyone to move out of tier 3 as quickly as possible.
“We continue to work tirelessly to reduce the rate of transmission across Kent, focusing on the most affected areas with extra testing capacity and engaging local communities to ensure that we all comply with restrictions. At the same time continuing to provide support to our most vulnerable people, and providing vital advice and support to Kent businesses.
“We appeal to businesses to play their part by being strict with the guidance affecting them, their staff and their customers – making sure we all follow advice on social distancing and wearing a mask.
“Community outbreaks have been a major cause for concern in some areas of Kent and the second national lockdown had started to show an impact in a slight reduction in the numbers of people testing positive. But it is the same message to all Kent residents now; thank you for all your efforts so far, and we appeal to everyone to continue to take the restrictions seriously and follow the guidance. The faster we get infections down, the sooner we can hope to see restrictions eased to the benefit of residents and businesses.”
The Kent Local Tracing Partnership goes live in Kent from Friday 27 Nov, supporting the national Test and Trace service to locate residents who have tested positive for Covid-19. The local system will continue to support the NHS Test and Trace service, using the experience of the Kent Together helpline with KCC commissioned call handlers contacting people that the Government Test and Trace system has not been able to reach within 24 hours.
Once contacted, the advisors will be able to give advice on isolation and testing, establish close contacts, upload details to the National Contact Tracing system, and signpost to assistance available such as financial or practical in terms of supplies of food and medication.
Work also continues with the Department of Health and Social Care regarding supplies of Lateral Flow Devices and targeted wider asymptomatic testing.
Kent County Council Director of Public Health, Andrew Scott-Clark said:
“A local test and trace system, alongside mass testing, are significant undertakings and while they are an important part of managing the pandemic, it is not the solution and any testing needs to be alongside all the other public health measures such as social distancing, wearing masks and washing hands.
“We have been in national restrictions for two weeks and those high figures from before lockdown are now starting to level off so we are encouraged that the majority of people are doing the right thing by minimising their social interactions at home and carefully following social distancing guidelines when they are out but it’s really important that we protect the most at risk people among our older residents and this needs to happen now if we want to see restrictions eased further.”
Kent County Council and Medway Council lead on outbreak control plans for the county and continue to work closely with partners from central Government, the district and borough councils in Kent, the NHS and Public Health England, and continue to keep businesses informed.
Roger Gough added: “We know that Kent’s hospitals are getting busier – not just from Covid cases but because of normal winter pressures – so we need to help the NHS too and the main thing people can do is to follow the national restrictions and self-isolate if they have symptoms or have been advised to self-isolate. If you have symptoms, book a test. Play your part to help protect Kent and Medway – more information at www.kent.gov.uk/protectkent”
Understanding the Tiers
In tier 3, you must not meet socially indoors or in most outdoor places with anybody you do not live with, or who is not in your support bubble, this includes in any private garden or at most outdoor venues. You must not socialise in a group of more than 6 in some other outdoor public spaces, including parks, beaches, countryside accessible to the public, a public garden, grounds of a heritage site or castle, or a sports facility – this is called the ‘rule of 6’. There are also rules on hospitality settings, such as bars (including shisha venues), pubs, cafes and restaurants which are permitted to continue sales by takeaway, click-and-collect, drive-through or delivery services.
You can find the full list of guidelines and restrictions at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/local-restriction-tiers-what-you-need-to-know
“On the basis of our review of Sections 1 and 2 of the Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR), in our opinion the information in sections 1 and 2 of the AGAR is in accordance with Proper Practices and no other matters have come to our attention giving cause for concern that relevant legislation and regulatory requirement.”
Sandgate Parish Council will broadcast this meeting as a video on Facebook live at the time of the meeting itself on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pg/sandgatepc/ Comments made on the Facebook video during the meeting will not be monitored and are not a way of feeding back to the Council.
Env-Agenda-12-01-12-20We have received reports of a resident in Ashford being targeted by a Scammer claiming to be Age UK.
WHAT HAPPENS
You get a telephone call from someone saying they are Age UK – They ask you questions including the name of your Doctors Surgery and any medication you take.
WHAT TO DO
This is a scam – Age UK would not call and ask for personal information.
End the telephone call and make sure the line has cleared.
If you are unsure if a call is from AGE UK, contact your local Age UK.
For advice and to report contact Citizens Advice 0808 223 1133 or visit their website.
Please warn vulnerable family members, friends and neighbours.
Sandgate Parish Council will broadcast this meeting as a video on Facebook live at the time of the meeting itself on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pg/sandgatepc/ Comments made on the Facebook video during the meeting will not be monitored and are not a way of feeding back to the Council.
Members of the public can ask representations regarding an application. Any comments sent to clerk@sandgatepc.org.uk will be sent to all Councillors prior to the meeting and acknowledged by the meeting. If a member of the public would prefer to speak to the application (for up to three minutes) themselves, they can do so by emailing clerk@sandgatepc.org.uk at least 2 working days before the meeting asking to speak to Planning committee, specifying on which application. Members of the public joining a Council meeting to make a representation will be asked to follow the protocol at https://sandgatepc.org.uk/public-speaking-at-online-meetings-of-sandgate-parish-council-protocol/
Planning-Agenda-01-12-20-doc