News………..

Ramsbury won the Wiltshire Large Village

Best Kept Village 2021

Well done to everyone for keeping the village clean and tidy-let’s keep it up

On Sunday September 26th Anne Henshaw, Chairman Wilts CRPE, Sarah Troughton Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire and President Wilts CPRE, Sir Charles Hobhouse, High Sheriff of Wiltshire and Mike Hill CEO of Hills who sponsor the event will attend a presentation ceremony at 12.45pm in the Square. All are invited

The audit of accounts for Ramsbury & Axford Parish Council for the year ended 31 March 2021 has been completed and the accounts have

been published.

The Annual Governance & Accountability Return is available for inspection by any local government elector of the area of Ramsbury &

Axford Parish Council on application to:

Carol Standage RFO/CLERK

Parish Council Office Memorial Hall High Street

Ramsbury SN8 2QF 01672 520045

10-12.30 Mondays or by appointment

 Copies will be provided to any person on payment of £1.00 (c) for each copy of the Annual Governance & Accountability Return.

Announcement made by: Carol Standage RFO/Clerk Date of announcement: 14^th September 2021

The Annual Governance Statement, Annual accounting Statement and Auditor’s report can be found on the Parish Council Accounts page

TO PROTECT RESIDENTS AND STAFF PLEASE CONTINUE TO WEAR A MASK IN VILLAGE SHOPS AND OBSERVE SOCIAL DISTANCING EVEN OUTSIDE. THIS VIRUS IS DEADLY AND TRANSMITS VERY READILY.

Local hospitality venues now open

Ramsbury British Legion open for tea/coffee cake sandwiches Wed-Sun 10am -2.00 Sun 10am-4 pm

The Bell restricted hours takeaways available contact 01672 520230 for details

Crown and Anchor lunch and dinner contact 01672 520335 for details

Phoenix wood fired pizza every Thursday in the Memorial Hall car park 16.45-20.30 contact 07990 872585 07941 803194 for details

Farr’s fish and chips Memorial Hall car park Wednesdays 16.30-20.30 07394 523623 for details

The Library is now open Monday 2-4 Wed 10-12 and Sat 10-12. The library needs volunteers in order to stay open. If you think you could help contact Jane Hunt, Volunteer Coordinator for Wiltshire Libraries on 01225 713792 jane.hunt@wiltshire.gov.uk

Hills Stores Charity Shop now open as usual 10-12.30 Tues Wed Thurs Sat morning 2-4.30 Tues Thurs afternoons

LINK can organise lifts for medical appointments, shopping, collect prescriptions etc. Ring 520111 for details

No 48 bus service is operating as usual

The Post Office will deliver essentials to vulnerable and isolating residents in Ramsbury & Axford Please ring 520229 for details

The allotment site is closed to all but plot holders

Play areas are open

Ring Sheila Glass 07979327505/520409 if you need help with shopping, prescriptions etc.

The Recreation Centre is open for sensible socially distanced exercise, tennis, bowls,football,cricket etc. please contact relevant clubs for details

IT IS NOT A DOG EXERCISE AREA(EVEN IF YOU PICK UP) PLEASE ACT RESPONSIBLY THE GRASS IS A RECREATION AREA

Please take care to avoid passing infection-if you have any symptoms -fever, cough, headache loss of taste or smell, isolate yourself for 14 days. Elderly people and those with medical conditions-diabetes, COPD, asthma, heart disease, immunocompromise are more at risk from serious complications so take particular care around these groups. Wash hands regularly if you have been out or use hand sanitiser and avoid touching your face with unwashed hands.

If you have vulnerable neighbours who you think may need help and you are well you could print off a note and use to make contact without risking infection.Deliveries of shopping etc should be done with no contact. If the person/s being helped are ill defer taking payment until the quarantine period (14 days) has passed and there are no longer symptoms. Telephone contact, especially for those who live alone, can help to alleviate loneliness and help pass the time.

If you have problems with shopping or obtaining supplies ring 07979327505/520409 or 520045 parishcouncil@ramsbury.org or candsglass@btinternet.com and we may be able to help.

Volunteers from the Parish Council have planted up tubs at the village entrances.

17 September 2021

Latest Wiltshire COVID-19 casesThe number of cases in Wiltshire has decreased slightly in recent days. The rate of cases per 100,000 has gone from 331.9 to 323.4. There are a number of ways we can all help to keep case numbers down. These include the following: Please keep washing your hands regularly or sanitising them, and consider meeting others outside or open doors and windows when indoors with others. Also, please get your first and second dose of the vaccine when offered, wear face coverings on public transport, and if you have COVID symptoms, please book a test and self-isolate immediately. Let’s protect each other. #WiltshireTogether

Young people aged 12 to 15 to be offered a COVID-19 vaccine

Young people aged 12 to 15 in England will be offered one dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.Parental, guardian or carer consent will be sought by vaccination healthcare staff prior to vaccination in line with existing school vaccination programmes.Healthy school-aged children aged 12 to 15 will primarily receive their COVID-19 vaccination in their school.

More information on vaccine being offered to 12-15 year-olds

Autumn and Winter Plan published The Government has published its Autumn and Winter COVID-19 Response Plan and we’re asking you to continue to do what you can to protect one another and local health services at a challenging time.

Read the Autumn and Winter plan now

Help the NHS as it prepares for extremely busy weekend Please only visit your local hospital if absolutely necessary this weekend as all parts of the local health and care system remain under significant pressure.    Calling 999 or visiting a hospital emergency department for anything less than a genuine, life-threatening emergency takes already-stretched healthcare workers away from their sickest patients, who are most in need of urgent medical assistance. Thank you for your support.

Afghanistan families update We’re working with Afghan families currently staying in a hotel in the county to provide support while they are based in Wiltshire.This month a number of adults and children from Afghanistan were brought to the hotel, which will act as a bridge until they are provided new homes in the UK.

Read the full update

Black History Month 2021 Together with partners we are hosting a free online conference as part of Black History Month. It’s on 11 October from 1pm-5pm and we have a great line up of speakers including June Sarpong, Stuart Lawrence, Anton Ferdinand and David Olusoga.

Book your free place now

Free home energy efficiency improvements   If your household income is under £30,000 a year and you live in a home with a low energy performance rating (EPC D, E, F or G), you may be eligible to apply for up to £10,000 of free energy improvements to your home.   These home improvements could include:InsulationSolar panelsDouble glazing (for single glazed homes)A new front door (to replace old wooden doors)

Find out if you’re eligible

Building Bridges programme is available to support you into education or employment  The programme gives you the confidence and experience you need to be able to progress towards, achieve and sustain ongoing employment. As part of the programme, a dedicated key worker is assigned to you to develop a personalised plan to help address your barriers and support you every step of the way, at a pace you feel comfortable with.

Find out more about the Building Bridges programme

Keep up-to-date with improvement works Contractors working on our behalf are carrying out road resurfacing and associated works in a number of towns across Wiltshire. You can also see the full list of all roadworks taking place in the county by visiting the One Network map and typing ‘Wiltshire’ into the search box.

Government has published its COVID-19 Autumn and Winter Plan What are the aims of the plan? The Government has published its autumn and winter COVID-19 response plan and we are asking you to continue to do what you can to protect one another and local health services at this challenging time. Within the plan, the Government states that the country is learning to live with COVID-19, and the main line of defence is now vaccination rather than lockdown. The Government’s plan is to prepare the country for future challenges, while ensuring the NHS does not come under unsustainable pressure. It wants to achieve this by: Building defences through pharmaceutical interventions: vaccines, antivirals and disease modifying therapeutics. Identifying and isolating positive cases to limit transmission: Test, Trace and Isolate. Supporting the NHS and social care: managing pressures and recovering services. Advising people on how to protect themselves and others: clear guidance and communications. Pursuing an international approach: helping to vaccinate the world and managing risks at the border.       Booster vaccines and vaccines for 12-15 year olds Booster vaccines will be offered to those who received a vaccination in phase 1 of the programme. 12-15 year olds will be offered a first dose and the NHS will work with school immunisation teams to implement this.       PCR tests The Test, Trace, and Isolate system remains critical to the Government’s plan. Everyone with COVID-19 symptoms should continue to self‑isolate and take a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. The legal requirement to self-isolate for 10 days if an individual tests positive for COVID-19 will remain in place in order to prevent those who are infected from mixing in the community and passing on the virus. Over autumn and winter PCR testing for those with COVID-19 symptoms will continue to be available free of charge. PCR tests can be booked online.       Asymptomatic testing Regular asymptomatic testing using lateral flow tests will continue to help find cases and break the chains of transmission. It will be particularly focused on those who are not fully vaccinated, those in education, and those in higher-risk settings such as the NHS, social care, and prisons. You can find out more about asymptomatic testing on our website.       Flu vaccination To help support health services, at an already busy time, a free flu vaccination will be available for more people than normal. It will be available to the previously eligible groups, which includes primary school children, 65 year olds and over, vulnerable groups, and pregnant women. Eligibility for a free flu vaccination this year will also be extended to include secondary school children and 50-64 year olds.     International travel The Government will shortly set out a revised framework for international travel, in advance of the next formal checkpoint review, with a deadline of 1 October.     Vaccine certificates Mandatory vaccine‑only certification (or ‘COVID passports’ as they’ve been called) will not be implemented from the end of September where large crowds gather, but this does remain a contingency option.       What can you do to keep yourselves and others safe? Wear a mask in enclosed indoor spaces Wash or sanitise hands regularly Isolate and book a PCR test if you have any COVID-19 symptoms Get the vaccine when offered to you Take regular lateral flow tests to help break transmission Try to stay at home if you’re feeling unwell Let fresh air in if you meet people indoors Download the NHS COVID-19 app     Full plan We have just provided a brief summary, and we encourage you to take a look at the full plan that can be found online. Our reaction to today’s plan can be found on our website.

r   10 September 2021     Latest Wiltshire COVID-19 cases #WiltshireTogether       All care home workers to be vaccinated From 11 November 2021 the law will require all professions working or visiting care homes to be fully vaccinated. If you work in a care home or wish to visit one, you must also have received at least your first jab by 16 September 2021.   More information on all care home workers and visitors to be vaccinated     Help the NHS as it prepares for extremely busy weekend Please only visit your local hospital if absolutely necessary this weekend as all parts of the local health and care system remain under significant pressure.   A combination of staff absences and increasing numbers of coronavirus cases, coupled with a huge surge in people wanting same-day urgent and emergency care, has resulted in hospitals and the ambulance service experiencing demands for their services not normally seen outside of the middle of winter.   Calling 999 or visiting a hospital emergency department for anything less than a genuine, life-threatening emergency takes already-stretched healthcare workers away from their sickest patients, who are most in need of urgent medical assistance. Thank you for your support.         Climate change affects us all: Have your say on our Climate Strategy Engagement is underway on our emerging Climate Strategy, which sets out how the council – and Wiltshire as a whole – can tackle climate change over the next five years. We all need to reduce our impact on the climate by cutting carbon dioxide emissions. This means making some changes to the way we all live our lives – and that’s where our Climate Strategy comes in. The engagement runs until 23:59 on Sunday 17 October, and you can comment on the draft strategy document, and attend online and in-person engagement sessions to ask questions and find out more.   More information about the Climate Strategy, sign up for engagement events and take the survey     Have your say on our Natural Environment Plan We want your views on our Natural Environment Plan. The strategy will support our emerging Climate Change Strategy and will help us to become carbon-neutral. We’re holding two engagement webinars on 15 September, 10.30am-11.30am, and 30 September, 7pm-8pm for you to find out more.   Sign up to attend an engagement webinar now   Have your say on the Natural Environment Plan now     Financial update   With the first quarter of the financial year now complete, at our next cabinet meeting on 14 September, a number of reports will be presented to provide an update on our finances as we seek to meet the ongoing challenges brought on by the pandemic, while continuing to invest in quality services and programmes to improve the county and strengthen communities.   The reports provide will provide updates on the revenue budget monitoring, capital programme, and medium term financial strategy.   Read more details on the financial update       Easily find planning applications in your area   We’ve made it easier for you to find newly submitted and approved planning applications in your area. To find application, go to the planning pages on our website, where you can search by application number, address or category. If you click on the ‘weekly list’ tab, you can see all the new planning applications or approved planning applications for a week of your choosing, and you can also change the view to make the list easy to print or to save as a PDF. If you’d like to tailor your search to include your local area only, click the ‘advanced search’ tab to find what you need.   Search planning applications now       Beat the Street coming to Calne A fun game to encourage you to get out and about either by walking, running and cycling is coming to Calne. From next Wednesday (15 September) until 13 October people from Calne can get involved in Beat the Street. The purpose of the project is to empower communities and increase the use of urban green spaces and to improve health by encouraging people to get more active.       Heritage Open Days 10 – 19 September 2021. What will you discover?

Consider your healthcare options Hospitals in the area are incredibly busy at the moment. Please try and use the right health and care service for your needs, which may be to self-care or to visit a pharmacy. The ambulance service is for people with genuine life-threatening emergencies when 999 should be called immediately. Thanks for your support.   More information on healthcare options       Climate change affects us all: Have your say on our Climate Strategy Engagement began this week on our emerging Climate Strategy, which sets out how the council – and Wiltshire as a whole – can tackle climate change over the next five years. We all need to reduce our impact on the climate by cutting carbon dioxide emissions. This means making some changes to the way we all live our lives – and that’s where our Climate Strategy comes in. The engagement runs until 23:59 on Sunday 17 October, and you can comment on the draft strategy document, and attend online and in-person engagement sessions to ask questions and find out more.   More information about the Climate Strategy, sign up for engagement events and take the survey   Are you a private landlord with empty properties? We are asking private landlords that have a property which is ready to let to get in touch now so we can have the details to hand if they are needed and add them to the list we are already compiling. We’re committed to do everything we can to help more Afghan refugees settle in Wiltshire.    More information on how you can help welcome Afghan refugees settle in Wiltshire       Keep up-to-date with improvement works Contractors working on our behalf are carrying out road resurfacing and associated works in a number of towns across Wiltshire.

Thanks as always for your support.       Changes to self-isolation requirements The law on self-isolation in England has now changed. Close contacts of positive Covid-19 cases no longer need to self-isolate if you are either: Double jabbed Under 18 Instead you should take a free PCR test. Book a test here     Visit the Government website       Vaccines available for 16-17 year olds Vaccinations are now available for 16 and 17 year olds find the nearest walk-in clinic on the Grab a Jab website. Bookings are not required, just turn up and receive a 1st dose of vaccine. There are specific vaccinations clinics listed for this cohort throughout Wiltshire.   Find a walk-in COVID-19 vaccination site       Consider your healthcare options

Thanks as always for your support.       Find a walk-in coronavirus vaccination site   If you’re aged 18 or over, you can get a vaccine from a walk-in COVID-19 vaccination site without an appointment. A small number of walk-in vaccination sites are also now available for people aged 16 and 17. More sites should become available over time. View a guide and more information on COVID-19 vaccination for eligible children and young people.   Find a walk-in COVID-19 vaccination site       All care home workers to be vaccinated Anyone entering a care home for work or volunteering will need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by 11 November 2021.   This will help to protect those most at risk from the virus.   Full details on the changes to regulations for care home workers     Our statement in response to the situation in Afghanistan   Cllr Richard Clewer, Leader of Wiltshire Council and Cabinet Member for Military Civilian Integration, said: “We are monitoring the difficult and distressing situation in Afghanistan and are awaiting government guidance as the situation unfolds. Here in Wiltshire we have always been ready to help those who need a safe place to stay and we will respond as necessary when guidance is published. This includes offering support to interpreters and those trying to reach a safe haven. We are already looking to provide homes for at least two families and there may be more in due course. “Wiltshire has a strong military presence and we recognise the extraordinary efforts of our service personnel who have served in Afghanistan as part of the UK efforts to bring peace to the region. We know the latest news may be difficult for our local military communities and we are here ready to support them at this time.”       Do you have a 16-year-old?  HMRC are urging parents to confirm whether their child is staying in full-time education or training beyond 16, in order to continue receiving Child Benefit payments. If your child is staying in education beyond 16, you need to update HMRC by Tuesday 31 August, or your Child Benefit will be stopped.   Update your child benefit records now       Online content created by our libraries during the pandemic reaches 200,000 views! In the first lockdown, our libraries moved many of their activities online, and this popular content on the library Facebook pages and the Wiltshire Libraries YouTube channel has now received over 200,000 views. Since libraries reopened, staff have been continuing to provide online rhyme times, story times, tea and chat sessions, book reviews, author talks and ‘how to’ guides, which can be found at: www.wiltshire.gov.uk/leisure-active-communities.   Library teams are also delivering the Summer Reading Challenge in libraries until Saturday 4 September. Children aged 4 to 11-years-old can sign up to the challenge to read six or more books during the holidays and receive rewards along the way. There is limited availability so families are urged to join up while stocks last.   More info on our online library content     The Fulltone Music Festival is coming to Devizes The Fulltone Orchestra, created and lead by Musical Director Anthony Brown, is a 65 strong orchestra of some of the top musicians in the South West. There’s lots of top live music planned on The Green in Devizes, so if live music is your thing, be sure to check out the Fulltone Music Festival taking place on 28 August and 29 August.   More information on the Fulltone Music Festival       Keep up-to-date with improvement works Contractors working on our behalf are carrying out road resurfacing and associated works in a number of towns across Wiltshire. You can also see the full list of all roadworks taking place in the county by visiting the One Network map and typing ‘Wiltshire’ into the search box.

Cabinet approves next steps for Wiltshire Local Plan The 10 step plan follows a consultation period held between 13 January – 9 March, of which we had more than 3,500 responses from residents. We are currently on step four, which involves preparing the draft version of the plan. Once this draft is considered by Cabinet, we will carry out a public consultation which will be another chance for you to have your say. The key elements of the Local Plan focuses are on proposals for the scale and distribution of housing and employment growth across Wiltshire and climate change.   More information on the Wiltshire Local Plan

We are working to improve accessibility on the website if you encounter problems please contact webmaster@ramsbury.org

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