Gartree County Councillor
Harborough tip open 7 days
The Kibworth tip closed on 1 November. I requested that an alternative site be made available to cover the 12 months that the Kibworth site is being modernised. The two nearest are Oadby and Harborough but both were closed Thursdays and Fridays.
I am pleased to say that, after juggling staff rotas, the county council confirmed that the Harborough site on Riverside is now open 7 days a week (9am to 4pm).
Bus X3 timetable changes
Arriva have notified the Area Traffic Commissioner that they wish to alter their X3 bus timetable from 4 January 2022. It will no longer serve the southern estate in Market Harborough and, for Kibworth and Great Glen, will drop from four buses an hour (two in each direction) to three; this is returning to the 2018 schedule. Sunday services will also be reduced. After receiving a letter from the Arriva Area Head of Commercial explaining some of the reasons, an urgent meeting has been requested.
Queries or comments can be submitted to choosehowyoumove@leics.gov.uk.
Covid-19: face coverings in schools & local case numbers
Secondary school children are again being instructed to wear face coverings in communal areas of Leicestershire schools to try to reduce the spread of Covid-19. This direct action was taken before the Government’s latest rules on mask wearing.
Public health and education bosses at Leicestershire County Council recently wrote to parents, through headteachers, urging them to bring in extra measures to protect students and staff from the virus.
The county council is asking headteachers to instruct students to cover their faces in parts of schools including hallways, stairwells and when queuing for lunch, but not in lessons themselves. Officials also want to see the use of face coverings adhered to on school buses.
The county council is asking for the use of face coverings in schools to be kept in place for the rest of this term, though the situation will be regularly reviewed.
Covid-19 case numbers for the Great Glen/Kibworth area continue to vary from about 60 to over 90 over a 7-day period. This has meant rates of 450 to nearly 800 per 100,000. The Hands/Face/Space guidance is still very relevant.
Avian influenza case confirmed
Along with other farms across the UK, avian influenza (bird flu) has been confirmed in chickens at a poultry farm in the Charnwood area.
New national measures came into force across the UK on Monday 29 November, meaning that it is a legal requirement for all bird keepers across the UK to keep their birds indoors and to follow strict biosecurity measures in order to limit the spread of, and eradicate the disease.
People are being warned not to touch or pick up any dead or sick birds they find. Anyone who finds dead swans, geese, ducks or other dead wild birds, such as gulls or birds of prey, should report them to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) helpline on 03459 33 55 77.
Bird keepers should report any suspicion of disease in captive birds to the Animal and Plant Health Agency on 03000 200 301.
Kibworth’s Neighbourhood Plan
The Regulation 14 consultation began on 15 November and ends on 31 December. Dozens of business stakeholders have been notified as well as the Kibworth community via the Kibworth & District Chronicle and social media. A number of responses have already been returned to the clerk@kibworthbeauchamp-pc.gov.uk
Communications with local police
Following a series of daylight burglaries in Great Glen and discussions with officers in the Harborough North Team, I am very pleased to say that the level of communication has improved greatly.
Season’s Greeting to all Gartree residents.
Autumn and Half Marathon season
