England has moved to Step 4

While cases are high and rising, everybody needs to continue to act carefully and remain cautious. This is why we are keeping in place key protections:

• testing when you have symptoms and targeted asymptomatic testing in education, high risk workplaces and to help people manage their personal risk.
• isolating when positive or when contacted by NHS Test and Trace.
• border quarantine: for all arriving from red list countries and for those people not fully vaccinated arriving from amber list countries.
• cautious guidance for individuals, businesses and the vulnerable whilst prevalence is high including:
  • whilst Government is no longer instructing people to work from home if they can, Government would expect and recommend a gradual return over the summer
  • Government expects and recommends that people wear face coverings in crowded areas such as public transport;
  • being outside or letting fresh air in
  • minimising the number, proximity and duration of social contacts.
  • encouraging and supporting businesses and large events to use the NHS COVID Pass in high risk settings. The Government will work with organisations where people are likely to be in close proximity to others outside their household to encourage the use of this. If sufficient measures are not taken to limit infection, the Government will consider mandating certification in certain venues at a later date.

Although most legal restrictions have been lifted at step 4, and many people have been vaccinated, it is still possible to catch and spread COVID-19, even if you are fully vaccinated, and we are still in the third wave of this pandemic in the UK.

COVID-19 will be a feature of our lives for the foreseeable future, so we need to learn to live with it and manage the risk to ourselves and others.

As COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, it is important that we all use personal judgement to manage our own risk. All of us can play our part by exercising common sense and considering the risks. While no situation is risk free, there are actions we can take to protect ourselves and others around us. Following this guidance will help you stay safe and protect others by controlling the spread. Every action to help reduce the spread will reduce any further resurgence of the virus in the coming months.

Notice of a Parish Council Meeting Monday 12th July 2021, 7pm

A parish Council Meeting will take place at The Methodist Chapel Hall on Monday 12th July at 7pm.

Due to current restrictions there will be limited number of spaces for residents in the hall. If you wish to attend please contact the clerk on 01493 718128 or hicklingclerk@gmail.com to register your interest. Spaces are on a first come first served basis. If you are not able to be there but wish for a question to be asked to the parish council or a statement read please advise the clerk who will be happy to do this on your behalf.

agenda-12th-july-2021Download

Boundary Changes 2023

The article in the Hickling Herald about boundary changes was submitted two weeks prior to publication, at the time of writing the interactive map on the Boundary Commission website (https://www.bcereviews.org.uk/) clearly showed that along with the constituency boundary change for Hickling, the boundary would also change for local government.

Following various correspondence we have had confirmation from Paul Wells, the senior parliamentary assistant for Brandon Lewis MP, that this proposal is solely regarding parliamentary constituencies and so will have no impact on the current local government arrangements. The interactive map on the Boundary Commission website has also been updated to reflect this.

May 17th – Whats changed?

You should continue to work from home if you can. When travelling within the UK, you should aim to do so safely and plan your journey in advance.

You should get a test and follow the stay at home guidance if you have COVID-19 symptoms.

• Gathering limits have been eased. Outdoor gatherings are limited to 30 people and indoor gatherings are limited to 6 people or 2 households (each household can include a support bubble, if eligible).
• New guidance on meeting friends and family emphasises personal responsibility rather than government rules. Instead of instructing you to stay 2m apart from anyone you don’t live with, you are encouraged to exercise caution and consider the guidance on risks associated with COVID-19 and actions you can take to help keep you and your loved ones safe. Remember that the risks of close contact may be greater for some people than others and in some settings and circumstances, there will be specific guidance that you will need to follow even when you are with friends and family.
• Indoor entertainment and attractions such as cinemas, theatres, concert halls, bowling alleys, casinos, amusement arcades, museums and children’s indoor play areas are permitted to open with COVID-secure measures in place.
• People can attend indoor and outdoor events, including live performances, sporting events and business events. Attendance at these events is capped according to venue type, and attendees should follow the COVID-secure measures set out by those venues.
• Indoor hospitality venues such as restaurants, pubs, bars and cafes can reopen.
• Organised indoor sport can take place for all. This includes gym classes. It must be organised by a business, charity or public body and the organiser must take reasonable measures to reduce the risk of transmission.
• All holiday accommodation can open, including hotels and B&Bs. This can be used by groups of up to 6 or 2 households (each household can include a support bubble, if eligible).
• Funeral attendance is no longer be limited to 30 people, but will be determined by how many people the COVID-secure venue can safely accommodate with social distancing. Limits at weddings, wakes and other commemorative events have been increased to 30 people. Other significant life events, such as bar/bat mitzvahs and christenings, will also be able to take place with 30 people.
• The rules for care home residents visiting out and receiving visitors have changed, allowing up to five named visitors (two at any one time), provided visitors test negative for COVID-19.
• All higher education students are able to access in-person teaching.
• Support groups and parent and child group gathering limits have been increased to 30 people (not including under 5s)
• There is no longer a legal restriction or permitted reason required to travel internationally. A traffic light system for international travel has been introduced, and you must follow the rules when returning to England depending on whether you return from a red, amber or green list country.

You can read the full changes on what you can and cannot do by visiting the government page at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-19-coronavirus-restrictions-what-you-can-and-cannot-do

Notice of an Annual Parish Council Meeting via Zoom 6th May 2021

The next meeting of Hickling Parish Council is the Annual Parish Council meeting that will take place will on Thursday 6th May 2021 via Zoom starting at 7.00pm.

Meeting ID: 241 853 8736
Password: 3PGuFb

Members of the public and press are welcome to attend. Should you wish to ask a question or highlight an issue or comment to anything on the agenda please contact the clerk at hicklingclerk@gmail.com who will raise this for you at the meeting.

Agenda-6th-May-2021Download