News

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council Press Release

Household recycling and waste service update

We are writing to update you on our recycling and waste services in light of the current national emergency.

Our collection crews have been working hard to maintain services over the last few weeks. However, the measures put in place by the Government to control the coronavirus outbreak have led to a reduction in our staffing levels, despite the use of temporary staff.

With these pressures likely to increase, garden waste collections have been suspended from Wednesday 25 March so that crews can focus on collecting refuse, food waste, clinical waste and recycling.

We have also suspended our weekend Civic Amenity Vehicle service to safeguard residents’ health following the updated government advice on social distancing.

Street cleaning is continuing on a priority only basis, with the service reduced to reflect the current situation and the lack of activity on our streets.

What can you do to help?

Please ensure that the correct waste is placed in the correct bin. This will help avoid contamination which may mean your bin is not emptied.

Please do not overfill your bins as that may mean they will be too heavy for the crews to collect.

Please ensure your bin is placed at your property boundary by 7am on the day of collection; collections may happen earlier than usual.

Please report any missed collections online [https://beta.tunbridgewells.gov.uk/refuse-andrecycling/missed-bin-collection] within two working days of the missed collection. Our crews are trying their best to deliver the service and many are working on different rounds from normal or are new, so are unfamiliar with all of the property and bin locations.

If possible please wait until after 5pm on the day your collection was due before reporting a missed bin, as your collection may happen later in the day than usual.

Will there be further changes?

As we are sure you appreciate, the situation is changing rapidly, and we may need to make further adjustments to our recycling and waste services in the coming weeks.

We will keep residents informed via our website, on our social media channels and through direct emails as and when any further changes are necessary.

Thank you for your patience at this difficult time.

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council press release

Garden Waste collections – service suspended

Thank you for subscribing to the garden waste service.

We are writing to let you know that due to the impact current coronavirus outbreak, garden waste collections have been suspended from Wednesday 25 March.

The measures put in place by the Government to control the outbreak have lead to a reduction in our staffing levels despite the use of temporary staff. With these pressures likely to increase, garden waste collections have been suspended so crews can focus on collecting refuse, food waste, clinical waste and recycling.

You will be unable to report missed garden waste collections whilst the service is suspended. We apologise for the inconvenience the suspension of garden waste collections will cause, and thank you for your patience as our resources are focused on priority services and supporting the response to the current emergency.

What do I need to do?

Store any new garden waste in your garden rather than overfilling your garden waste bin as that might mean that it will be too heavy for the crews when the service recommences.

Look out for further information from us and we will let you know when collections resume.

Keep garden waste out of your other bins otherwise they will be considered contaminated and will not be emptied.

Please note that Kent County Council’s Household Waste and Recycling Centres are currently closed due to the current government guidance.

What about my subscription?

To help us keep our support staff free to deal with high priority and emergency contacts please don’t contact us about your subscription, which will remain in place. We are keeping the situation under review and will be touch regarding your subscription as soon as possible.

What is Social Distancing?

Public Health England (PHE) have lots of advice on what social distancing means in practice.   Below is an extract from their website as of 17 March 2020.  Please see their website for more details.

Social distancing measures are steps you can take to reduce the social interaction between people. This will help reduce the transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19).

They are:

1. Avoid contact with someone who is displaying symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19). These symptoms include high temperature and/or new and continuous cough;
2. Avoid non-essential use of public transport, varying your travel times to avoid rush hour, when possible; 3.Work from home, where possible. Your employer should support you to do this. Please refer to employer guidance for more information;
3. Avoid large gatherings, and gatherings in smaller public spaces such as pubs, cinemas, restaurants, theatres, bars, clubs
4. Avoid gatherings with friends and family. Keep in touch using remote technology such as phone, internet, and social media.
5. Use telephone or online services to contact your GP or other essential services.

Everyone should be trying to follow these measures as much as is pragmatic.

For those who are over 70, have an underlying health condition or are pregnant, we strongly advise you to follow the above measures as much as you can, and to significantly limit your face-to-face interaction with friends and family if possible.

This advice is likely to be in place for some weeks.

PHE are advising those who are at increased risk of severe illness from coronavirus (COVID-19) to be particularly stringent in following social distancing measures.

This group includes those who are:

• aged 70 or older (regardless of medical conditions)
• under 70 with an underlying health condition listed below (ie anyone instructed to get a flu jab as an adult each year on medical grounds):
  • chronic (long-term) respiratory diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema or bronchitis
  • chronic heart disease, such as heart failure
  • chronic kidney disease
  • chronic liver disease, such as hepatitis
  • chronic neurological conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), a learning disability or cerebral palsy
  • diabetes
  • problems with your spleen – for example, sickle cell disease or if you have had your spleen removed
  • a weakened immune system as the result of conditions such as HIV and AIDS, or medicines such as steroid tablets or chemotherapy
  • being seriously overweight (a BMI of 40 or above)
• those who are pregnant

If you would like to volunteer to support others in the Pembury Community, please visit the Pembury Volunteers Facebook Group where you can sign up to help.

There are also leaflets available to collect from shops for you to fill in your details and post through your neighbours doors if you are able to offer help to them.

Or download a leaflet help2 to print off yourself.

Stay at home if you have coronavirus symptoms

Stay at home for 7 days if you have either:

• a high temperature
• a new, continuous cough

Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital.

You do not need to contact 111 to tell them you’re staying at home.

For further details please check out the NHS website.

Symptoms of coronavirus

The symptoms of coronavirus are:

• a cough
• a high temperature
• shortness of breath

But these symptoms do not necessarily mean you have the illness.  The symptoms are similar to other illnesses that are much more common, such as cold and flu.

The NHS website offers advice and information and what you should do if you think you have the illness.

For updates on the current situation in Kent, please see the Kent County Council website for details.

Prevent coronavirus spreading

There are things we can all do to help stop viruses like coronavirus spreading:

• cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
• put used tissues in the bin immediately
• wash your hands with soap and water often – use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
• try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell
• do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean.

If you are worried about your symptoms, use the online NHS 111 coronavirus service or call NHS 111. Do not go directly to your GP, pharmacy, hospital or other healthcare setting.