Announcements

Argyll & Bute Council – changes to bins, roads and amenity services

Announcements, Uncategorised

Keeping people safe from the spread of coronavirus means making changes to how we work.

We must concentrate on the services that will help to keep people safe, and that the council must deliver by law.

To ensure we have enough people to do what we need to do, we have made some changes to services.

We will continue to:

  • Collect the general waste bins, maintaining the current schedule. Please put your general waste bin out on your usual day and we will collect it as soon as we can.
  • Providing burial and cremation services but limiting attendance to immediate family members only (up to a maximum number of 8);
  • Limit ferry and air travel via our ferries and Oban airport to emergency/essential travel only
  • Make repairs to dangerous defects in infrastructure and follow up inspections as required;
  • Respond to emergency call outs and winter maintenance as necessary; and
  • Provide any home to school transport as required for essential/key workers.
  • Commercial waste uplifts for businesses that are permitted to continue to trade and have a contract with us. Those that deal with food will have their food waste collected separately.

These are services which we have had to stand down
to comply with government guidelines around social distancing, for the three weeks that current guidance on staying safe is in place, and to meet staff shortages:

  • Public conveniences to be closed.
  • Emergency road repairs to continue; all other road works to cease on account of lack of materials and staff. All roadworks to cease and current jobs will be made safe and traffic management will be removed where possible.
  • Following Scottish Government instructions, play parks will close immediately, along with outdoor gyms. Football pitches should no longer be used for matches, but can be used for exercising as long as social distancing is respected.
  • Civic amenity sites will close to the public immediately.
  • We will not be collecting blue bins/bags. Please store your recycling where possible or flatten your recycling to get as much as possible into your blue bin and bag any extra.
  • We will not be collecting glass or domestic food waste.
  • There will be one more collection of commercial waste for businesses that have to close as a result of the response to Covid-19. It will then stop for customers who don’t need it. There will still be a service for businesses that are open and have a contract with us eg supermarkets.

The situation is fluid and we may need to make changes at short notice. Urgent changes will be posted on our website: Service Disruptions Page. Information on longer-term changes will be issued on our social media channels, website and local press.

We would appeal to members of the public to work with us during this challenging time. We are working hard to protect our frontline staff. You can help us by reading the guidance about waste disposal if someone in the household has or is suspected of having COVID-19: NHS Coronavirus Self Isolation Advice.

We will resume services wherever possible. Until then, our focus is on maintaining the most vital services.

Kind regards,

Argyll and Bute Council

Latest coronavirus advice and info from the Practice 26/03

Announcements

The advice is look at NHS INFORM https://www.nhsinform.scot/, if you need more advice the 0800 0282816 number and if you have worsening symptoms (also described on NHS inform website) then call 111.

The Oban Hospital is splitting its staff and building in to two, Covid and Non Covid. If you meet the criteria you will be assessed in the Red side (COVID side) or admitted straight to ward B (COVID WARD), all via 111. When the Hospitals are full people will have to be looked after at home.

We are all working hard to stay well and stop the virus spreading. This is the best protection we have to coping with what lies ahead.

Stay safe , stay well.

Kind regards

Mary Phillips
Practice Manager
Easdale Medical Practice

No Blue Bin Collections

Announcements

NO blue bin collections during the lockdown. Flatten everything and store it somewhere. Green bin collections to continue on schedule as far as possible.

Changes to GP & Covid-19 telephone system

Announcements

From today – Monday 23rd March –  please DO NOT call your GP at Easdale Medical Practice with Covid-19 symptoms or questions related to Coronavirus.

For information go to NHSinform and if you can not find the advice phone the helpline 08000282816.  If you need more advice than is available online at NHS Inform, call NHS 24 on 111

For all other health matters: Call your GP. You should only call NHS 24 if your GP is closed and you cannot wait until they re-open.

 

Ferries and measures to discourage visitors

Announcements

As you are all aware things continue to evolve and all ferries will now only take residents across and are closed to everyone else.

This has been reported in the news so doubtless you are already aware of these steps.  There are signs up advising of this and the Community Council are in the process of erecting further signs to try and stop tourists and visitors coming to Seil.  They  hope to have these up later today.

Seil Island Community Hall – Coronavirus

Announcements

Following the Prime Minister’s press conference and First Minister’s statement this afternoon, the Hall Trustees have decided to close the Hall for all events, meetings and club/group activities until further notice. The Hall will remain accessible for maintenance/cleaning, etc.

Furthermore, the Trustees have decided, reluctantly, to close the Play Park until further notice. Since the Play Park is very popular, there is a real risk of transfer of virus by contact with the equipment, which could not be sanitised effectively, and by the interaction of small children and families which might detract from the social distancing that is required at this time. The playing field will be available to all for walking and general play, but any activity should be limited to a small number maintaining a safe distance between individuals (greater than 2m). The goal posts will remain out of service until further notice.

The next Hall Committee Meeting on April 5th will not take place. Instead we will endeavour to find a way to continue to do business virtually by email or other means, so that we can inform clubs and other users of the financial situation and any other developments. The Lottery will continue to be drawn and results announced. Await further detail on this in the coming week or so.

The situation changes daily and we will keep you informed of any further changes as we become aware of them.

Balvicar Stores and Covid19

Announcements, Uncategorised

Balvicar Stores is fully stocked with everything you could need.

There is a delivery service available and Wendy can now take card payments over the phone.

Just ring on 01852 300373 or e-mail

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Covid19

Announcements, Notice, Uncategorised

The Secretary of State for the Rural Economy has requested that people stay at home and do not come to rural areas to self-isolate as it could overwhelm local services. Visit Scotland have agreed with this, as have our local MP and most of the Argyll islands community councils and local communities.

A Facebook group has been set up for people to request and offer help during the crisis – Seil Survival. The latest post – our own Seil lockdown singsong – is a fantastic example of community spirit – let’s keep looking after each other. Please use this page responsibly – there are plenty of other places on the internet for a rant.

The latest information from the Community Council can be found on their facebook page HERE.

To play our part this site has shut down the Accommodation directory and other parts of the Business Directory for the duration. We will also be closing the relevant sections of our Oban directory for the duration, and any paid for advertisements on this site will be refunded if requested. The directories  will be restored as soon as life returns to normal. This is my decision as the owner and operator of the site, it is not at the request of the Community Council  – though I hope they will support these moves.

– Nick Bowles