Garden waste collection resumes?

I have been reliably informed, though haven't yet seen any corroborative evidence, that Tewkesbury Borough Council is restarting Garden Waste collections next week - which in fact, for Maisemore, means the week after next - Tuesday 12 May 2020. I'll post the confirmation once received.

Neighbourhood Watch’s May 2020 eNewsletter is published

Neighbourhood Watch’s May 2020 eNewsletter is published.  Click here to read it.

This month’s edition looks at how neighbours are supporting their communities across England and Wales - from setting up a Calling Tree to providing shopping to the elderly, vulnerable or self-isolating. It highlights how Neighbourhood Watch groups, who supported communities through the recent flooding, are proving invaluable during COVID-19. Using local knowledge and a community resilience structure they are well-placed to call residents to action: organising food shopping; collecting medication; and ensuring the most vulnerable are safe and connected.

Suspension of garden waste collection continues

https://www.tewkesbury.gov.uk/news/suspension-of-garden-waste-collection-continues

Tewkesbury Borough Council is continuing the suspension of its garden waste collection service. 

The council anticipates having the service back up and running very soon, but in the meantime, is grateful to customers who have shown their support and understanding to waste crews during this uncertain time.

The decision to continue the suspension follows a review of how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting waste and recycling collection services across the borough. 

The council’s waste and recycling contractors, Ubico, will continue to focus its efforts on completing statutory collections (i.e. refuse, food waste, recycling and litter bins), and is continuing to suspend non-essential collections to allow for drivers and crews taking time off to self-isolate if needed.

Councillor Jim Mason, lead member for clean and green environment, said: “Ensuring the wellbeing of collection crews, who are key workers and not immune to this terrible virus, is an absolute priority. Ubico is doing a fantastic job of keeping statutory waste and recycling collection services going under very difficult circumstances and I echo the many messages of support and gratitude that crews have received from residents.

“I want to thank our garden waste club members for their understanding, patience and flexibility. We will get the service back up and running as soon as we can, but in the meantime, please hang on to your garden waste and store it wisely.”

Here are some helpful tips to help manage garden waste until the service resumes:

• Don’t lighting bonfires. Many people - especially those with Covid-19 symptoms, underlying health conditions or respiratory illnesses - are having to self-isolate and could be seriously affected by the smoke.

• Prop your brown bin lid open slightly and keep it in the shade to reduce odour.

• Dry out any new garden waste (grass clippings, for example) and store in a heap or in a bag until services are up and running again.

• Consider home composting - this is one of the most effective ways to minimise the amount of waste going to landfill and it will also act as a great fertiliser for your plants next year.

The council will review the price for the garden waste service for next year’s subscriptions, based on the length of the current suspension, to ensure that customers don’t lose out.”

The bulky waste collection service, used to collect large items residents are unable to transport to the tip themselves, has also been suspended. The grounds maintenance service has also been scaled back to essential grass cutting needed for safety and keeping the cemeteries looking neat.

For updates on waste and recycling services, please visit tewkesbury.gov.uk or follow Tewkesbury Borough on Facebook and @TewkesburyBCgov on Twitter.

Housing development around Maisemore Village Hall which was refused Planning Permission now goes to appeal

Letter received from Tewkesbury Borough Council:


Our Contact: Mrs Helen Stocks
Direct Dial: 01684 272265
Planning Inspectorate Ref: APP/G1630/W/20/3246937
Application No: 18/01202/OUT
Appeal Start Date: 17 April 2020

21.04.2020

Dear Sir/Madam,

TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1990
APPEAL AGAINST THE COUNCIL’S REFUSAL TO PLANNING PERMISSION

Proposal: Outline application for up to 25 dwellings (consisting of 15 self-build and 10 discounted market houses) together with access and associated works such as footpath links to village hall and play area (all matters reserved).
Address: Part Parcel 3538 Church Road Maisemore Gloucester Gloucestershire

I write to inform you that the Secretary of State for the Department for Communities and Local Government, (through the Planning Inspectorate), has received an appeal from Chamberlayne Farms Ltd against the decision.

The Appeal is to be dealt with by way of an Informal Hearing to be confirmed in due course.

Any comments made at application stage or when the appeal(s) was first determined will be considered by the different Inspector. You should post 3 copies or email 1 copy of your comments to the Planning Inspectorate to arrive within five weeks of the appeal start date 17.04.2020. Any comments received after the deadline will not normally be seen and will be returned to you.

Please forward these comments to the Planning Inspectorate via email to Helen.Skinner@planninginspectorate.gov.uk or by post to Room 3/J Eagle Wing Temple Quay House 2 The Square Bristol BS1 6PN. Please attach the above reference to any correspondence to the Planning Inspectorate.

As a consultee or person who may be affected by the proposed development you may attend the Hearing, and at the Inspector’s discretion, give your views. You may download information from the Planning Inspectorate website https://www.gov.uk/appeal-planning-inspectorate for guidance on Planning Appeals.

Details of the application and plans, the Appellant’s ground of appeal, together with the Appellant’s and the Council’s Appeal Statements and also the result of the appeal decision will be published on our website www.tewkesbury.gov.uk. If you are unable to view these documents on line please contact us on 01684 272151 so we can arrange a suitable alternative.


Please note that as I write this the appeal documents are not yet lodged at TBC's Planning website - a link will be posted once they appear. The original application can be found HERE

Please note that this will be debated at the Maisemore Parish Council meeting taking place by video-conference on Monday 11 May 2020. The Parish Council would welcome residents' views prior to or at that meeting please, since MPC's response will be determined at that time.

Hartpury, with Corse & Staunton and Maisemore Parish Magazine - May 2020

The usual printed copy of this magazine is not being produced, so instead an online version has been made available. Please download it from:

http://www.hartpuryvillagehall.co.uk/Hartpury%20Magazine%20-May%202020.pdf

Planning application 20/00287/FUL - Overton Farm

20/00287/FUL | Agricultural Building to house machinery | Overton Farm Maisemore Gloucester Gloucestershire GL2 8HR 

In December 2019 the parish council was alerted by a resident to a new structure - a silo - having been erected at Overton Farm and alerted Tewkesbury Borough Council.

TBC confirmed that the silo needed Planning Permission and a retrospective application has now been submitted. See a previous posting - Planning application 20/00270/FUL - Overton Farm

However TBC also advised that an adjacent steel-framed building at that time under construction had ALSO been erected without Planning Permission - hence this additional retrospective application:

Link to TBC website for 20/00287/FUL 

Note that the submitted plan both doesn't show all the buildings presently on the site, or another larger one to the west of this one which has been granted Planning Permission already (2018 - when the then parish council submitted a SUPPORT statement):


 

Maisemore Parish Council is presently examining this additional application.  

You are encouraged to submit your own observations. 

Tewkesbury Borough Council launches its COVID-19 Microsite

Council launches COVID-19 microsite to ease stress of accessing information

A council in Gloucestershire has gone a step further in making vital COVID-19 advice and support as accessible as possible, by creating a microsite.

Recognising the importance of making information easy to access, Tewkesbury Borough Council created its microsite so everything related to COVID-19 is in one place, and not sitting among general council information.

The microsite, which can be accessed via the council's main site, can also be found directly via: www.covid19.tewkesbury.gov.uk

As part of its commitment to putting its customers first, the borough council has also introduced a whole host of COVID-19-related online forms, so that customers can apply for grants and access support at a time that suits them. Forms include applications for business rates relief, business grants, retail discounts and community grants.

Utilising low-cost, user-friendly and accessible technology is something the council is already really good at, and it currently runs its main website using a platform costing around £150 per year.
Tewkesbury Borough Council’s Lead Member for Customer Focus Cllr Mike Dean said: “It very quickly became clear that we had a lot of information to get out to our residents and businesses. The front page of our website was becoming difficult to navigate, and we wanted to ensure our customers could access what they needed to know quickly and without frustration. Luckily, we have invested in our digital resource and have the skills in-house to create low-cost microsites and online forms. This is an extremely stressful and upsetting time for many people, and we want to ensure we make our customers’ lives as easy as possible, and hopefully our new microsite does just that.”

Coronavirus - a book for children

Axel Scheffler has illustrated a digital book for primary school age children, free for anyone to read on screen or print out, about the coronavirus and the measures taken to control it. Published by Nosy Crow, and written by staff within the company, the book has had expert input: Professor Graham Medley of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine acted as a consultant, and the company also had advice from two head teachers and a child psychologist.

The book answers key questions in simple language appropriate for 5 to 9 year olds:

• What is the coronavirus?
• How do you catch the coronavirus?
• What happens if you catch the coronavirus?
• Why are people worried about catching the coronavirus?
• Is there a cure for the coronavirus?
• Why are some places we normally go to closed?
• What can I do to help?
• What’s going to happen next?








https://nosycrow.com/blog/released-today-free-information-book-explaining-coronavirus-children-illustrated-gruffalo-illustrator-axel-scheffler

Beware this scam email supposedly from HM Revenue & Customs

This "official looking" email was received today by a village resident who reported it:

This is the answer received:

From: noreply.phishing@notifications.hmrc.gov.uk [mailto:noreply.phishing@notifications.hmrc.gov.uk]
Sent: 07 April 2020 11:18
To: <removed>
Subject: Thank you for your email you sent to HMRC

Thank you for letting us know about the suspicious email / text you have received.
We can confirm this is a scam and is not genuine correspondence from HMRC / DVLA. Do not respond, or follow any links that may be within the message.
Our specialist team will investigate and take the necessary action. Whilst we cannot inform you of the outcome of these investigations we do act on each submission we receive.
We strongly suggest that you do not open any attachments, or click on any links contained within the email as they may contain malicious software. If you have opened an attachment, we recommend that you run your antivirus software as a matter of urgency, and change any online passwords. Using the latest version of Office software may also help to reduce the risk of infection

HM Government will never send notifications of a tax refund or ask you to disclose personal or payment information by email.
If you have disclosed any of the below after receipt of a related e-mail scam, please forward a report to us at the following address: security.custcon@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk
• Personal information such as password/user ID;
• credit/debit card information or
• have reason to believe your computer has been exposed to a virus
Furthermore, if you have released credit/debit card information we advise informing your bank/card issuer immediately.
It is common for emails of this nature to contain malicious software, therefore we strongly advise that you delete the suspicious email from your email inbox and deleted items folder.
Emails such as the one you received are issued in huge numbers and sent indiscriminately. We recommend that you use up to date spam filters and continually update your computers anti-spyware and anti-virus software.
In common with all providers of online services, HMRC takes security very seriously but you need to be alert.
We continuously monitor systems and customer records to guard against fraudulent activity. The methods fraudsters use to get the information they want is constantly changing so we provide regular updates on the types of scams we are aware of. The main risk is identity or user ID and password theft. Please ensure that you keep your user ID and passwords secure and change your passwords regularly.
Further details of current scams can be found on our website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/phishing-and-bogus-emails-hm-revenue-and-customs-examples
Please continue to forward all suspicious HMRC related e-mails / texts to phishing@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk Alternatively, you can forward HMRC related scam text messages to 60599.
If you wish to know more about what we do with the data you provide, our privacy policy can be found by searching ‘HMRC Privacy Notice’ on GOV.UK.

Regards,

HMRC Online Security Team

Planning application 20/00270/FUL - Overton Farm

20/00270/FUL | Retrospective application for the erection of a cement storage silo. | Overton Farm Maisemore Gloucester Gloucestershire GL2 8HR 

In December 2019 the parish council was alerted by a resident to a new structure having been erected at Overton Farm and alerted Tewkesbury Borough Council.

 

TBC confirmed that the structure needed Planning Permission and a retrospective application has now been submitted.

Link to TBC website for 20/00270/FUL  

Maisemore Parish Council will be submitting an OBJECTION to this structure on the basis of intrusion into the landscape - its crude form is visible from many areas around.

You are encouraged to submit your own observations.

 

Planning Application 20/00212/OUT - Persh Lane

20/00212/OUT | Outline planning application for the development of 8 dwellings (including affordable housing contribution) together with open space, access, parking, landscaping, drainage and associated works. All matters reserved save for means of access and layout. | Land West Of Persh Lane Maisemore Gloucester Gloucestershire 

Link to TBC website for 20/00212/OUT

Development proposal

The Parish Council had hoped to have a public meeting to discuss this application but this was not possible.

The Parish Council are submitting an OBJECTION to this development on the grounds of inappropriate overdevelopment in this small village, traffic issues, sewerage issues, lack of services,
extension over the village boundary, an excess of housing development over the
disaggregated expectation for this village, sustainability and a number of other matters. This will shortly be available on the TBC website or can be obtained by request from the clerk - clerk@maisemore-pc.org.uk

You are encouraged to submit your own observations as soon as possible

Prescription Collection Service

The Parish Council has arranged for a prescription collection service to be introduced serving both Staunton & Corse Surgery and The Highnam Surgery.

This is so that people who are self-isolating can have prescription requests delivered and medicines collected.

This will operate twice weekly on Mondays and Thursdays.

To request a collection/delivery please ring the Maisemore CEP coordinator on 01452 523730.

Please advise any neighbours who aren't on this email service of this new facility.