Public Spaces in Huntingdon

People in England are able to:

• spend time outdoors, including exercise, with one person who is not in your household as long as you stay 2 metres apart
• exercise more than once a day
• go for a picnic, to sunbathe or relax and read a book
• spend time at sports courts, including outdoor tennis, basketball courts and golf courses
• go fishing on their own, with their household, or with one other person while adhering to social distancing rules
• drive to outdoor open spaces irrespective of distance. You can travel to outdoor open spaces, in a private vehicle, alone or with members of your own household
• travel to beaches and beauty spots. But you should check first if facilities, such as car parks, are open to receive visitors
• travel to the countryside – but continue to follow the Countryside Code by respecting the local community and protecting the natural environment
• go swimming in either lakes or the sea as part of daily exercise provided that social distancing guidelines are observed – advice against using public indoor and outdoor pools remains in place.

This new provision enabling increased outdoor activity does not allow people to:

• go on holiday
• visit and stay overnight at a holiday home or second home
• visit the homes of friends and family, unless it's to help a vulnerable person, for medical reasons, or to take a child to another household with whom parental responsibilities are shared
• gather with more than one member of another household for recreational reasons e.g. to play group sports
• swim in a public pool
• use a playground or outdoor gym
• exercise in an indoor fitness studio, gym, swimming pool, or other indoor leisure centres or facilities
• visit a private or ticketed attraction

Read the full Safer public places guidance.

Allotments

The Huntingdon allotment sites are open for plot holders only. Tenants are reminded to remain 2 metres away from others. Please do not go onto the sites in groups.

There are currently no vacant allotment plots available. If you are interested in taking on an allotment, please keep checking the website, where we will advise when plots are available to rent.

Huntingdon Town Council provides your local services. We strive to make Huntingdon a better place to live, work and visit. Our website includes a wealth of information about how we conduct business and what we do. Use the search or browse the site to find whatever you are looking for. If you can't find the information you require then please contact us.

Opening Times:

• Monday - 8.30am - 4.30pm
• Tuesday - 8.30am - 4.30pm
• Wednesday - 8.30am - 4.30pm
• Thursday - 8.30am - 4.30pm
• Friday - 8.30am - 4.00pm

Message from the Town Mayor

As you will all be aware, the recent spread of a new illness called Coronavirus (COVID-19) has caused widespread concerns in our community. I would like to reassure the public that Huntingdon Town Council is taking all the necessary precautions, which include the closing down of the Town Hall Offices and the Coneygear Centre and the cancellation of all civic events and council meetings until further notice.

Where possible our Officers will be working from home, to ensure as much continuity with their duties and responsibilities during this uncertain time. Our Government has recommended that staff work from home to lessen the spread of the illness and reduce the impact on our busy NHS.

Please look out for your neighbours and the vulnerable members of your family, it is in difficult times like these where we can really show the strength of our community, by working together to care for those in need. Do consider others when buying your groceries by only buying your normal quantities of items so no one must go without. There are some things that you can do to protect yourself and others from coronavirus, NHS England have released the following advice:

Do

• Wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds
• Always wash your hands when you get home or into work
• Use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
• 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 and wash your hands afterwards
• Avoid close contact with people who have symptoms of coronavirus
• Only travel on public transport if you need to
• Work from home, if you can
• Avoid social activities, such as going to pubs, restaurants, theatres and cinemas
• Avoid events with large groups of people
• Use phone, online services, or apps to contact your GP surgery or other NHS services
• Protecting the vulnerable in our community is of vital importance in the coming weeks

Don't

• Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean
• Do not have visitors to your home, including friends and family

Thank you for your consideration, Cllr Steve McAdam, Town Mayor

For more information visit the websites below:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response

Great Northern & Thames Link Railway Update

We increased the number of services in the timetable on Monday providing more space for passengers but despite this, in applying the 2m advice around social distancing, there is space for only 10% of those who travelled under normal circumstances on the railway.

That is why the industry continues to promote the key government advice that public transport should only be used by those who must travel to work and have no other way of getting there. This week so far, we are pleased to report that people are heeding this advice and we have not seen a major rise in passenger numbers.

At our stations

We've reviewed our station operating plans to assess the best way to apply social distancing through changes to pedestrian flow, good communications & signage, and staff support. Depending on passenger footfall and size & layout of the station this could mean one-way systems or flexible queuing arrangements where necessary. Staff will be encouraging and facilitating the flow of passengers, although they will not be involved in policing social distancing directly.

We have put up posters in each of our 234 stations, stressing the need for social distancing and have begun applying high impact passenger communications, such as floor and gateline stickers to help remind people of the changes. In addition, throughout the day, there will be regular announcements through our passenger information systems at stations, on trains, and on social media to remind people to only travel if they have to, to wear a face covering, to observe social distancing and to keep washing their hands. Staff will be encouraged to use roving microphones to reinforce the message and encourage customers to social distance i.e. using full length of platforms, allowing customers off before boarding.

Information at the station will be both directional to help guide people through the station, but we will also be emphasising the wider recommendations for good health and hygiene practices.

Cleaning

We are working across the industry to deploy best practice in cleaning, adopting the best routines possible. Our cleaning practices have already been enhanced with a greater focus on areas where passengers are more likely to touch. We've brought in extra cleaning staff, concentrating on equipment such as ticket machines, chip and pin devices, door buttons and handles and we are using anti-viral cleaning products which have long term effectiveness on hard surfaces.

Our train carriages are cleaned every night using special anti-viral sprays and this is repeated where possible during the day at 'turn around' stations and in depots.

Additionally, our entire train fleet and our stations are being applied with an anti-viral product which is shown to last for 30 days. This is applied after a thorough 'deep clean' of the area, and re-applied every 21 days, with regular checks on its effectiveness in between.

On our trains

Once passengers board a train, they will be expected to sit in a socially distanced manner, which will be highlighted – see below for an example of how this could work in practice. Driver cabs will be sanitised every night and as stated above, there will be extensive cleaning of carriages using a long-lasting virucide.

Monitoring

A great deal of emphasis is being placed on real-time monitoring of passenger numbers and flow so that we can respond to any short-term spikes in passenger numbers at a particular location, and to understand changing trends so we can adapt our operations and/or communications as necessary.

On many of our trains, we receive real time passenger number updates; we can record how many entries and exits are being made through gatelines; and we have rolled out a new app for staff who can immediately update our control room in Three Bridges of any issues, or indeed to confirm that there are no social distancing issues at their location.

These measures have already allowed us to make subtle changes to our operations this week to help with social distancing. For example, we've worked with Network Rail on a platform change to reduce the number of people waiting on a narrower platform.

This vital close assessment will continue as more people return to work in the coming weeks and months.

I'd welcome any feedback you have or are seeing from your constituents on these changes. If you have any questions or would like to discuss any aspects of our service, please contact me on 07971 489404 or tom.moran@gtrailway.com.

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