At a meeting of Rainford Parish Council held via Zoom on 26.10.2020, Liz Dodson was co-opted to fill the vacancy for Councillor for Crank ward.  The Parish Council extends its congratulations to her and welcomes her as a member of the Parish Council.

RAINFORD PARISH COUNCIL

NOTICE OF CASUAL VACANCY

CRANK WARD

Notice is hereby given that by reason of the resignation of Rupert Nichols a vacancy has occurred among the members of the Parish Council. This vacancy will be filled by co-option under section 21 of the Representation of the People Act 1985.

Any person willing to fill this vacancy should apply to the Clerk in writing on or before the 23 OCTOBER 2020.

 The applicant’s name must appear on the current register of the Voters List or the applicant should during the whole of the twelve months preceding the relevant date resided in or within three miles of the parish or the applicant’s only place of work during the whole of the twelve months preceding the relevant date is in the parish.  The applicant must not be debarred from standing as a Councillor.

PUBLIC elections cannot be held at the present time due to the COVID-19 restrictions but for the interim period election to the aforesaid Council will be voted for by the present sitting number of Councillors.

Sally Powell

Clerk to Rainford Parish Council

Rainford Village Hall, Church Road, Rainford WA11 8HB

clerk@rainfordparishcouncil.com

01744 884709

19 OCTOBER 2020

Why become a Parish Councillor?

If you’ve never been to a Parish Council meeting, you may be forgiven for  thinking that Parish Councillors are a group of (probably older) people who meet now and then in the Village Hall to have a chat about what’s going on in the Village.  However, the Parish Council in Rainford, for example, played a pivotal role in the Village Centre Improvement Scheme, providing funds and advice along with the Borough Councillors.  It has also assisted in recent years the formation of Rainford Heritage Society and Rainford in Bloom.  The Rainford Hub, the Beer Festival and the Community Cinema are all initiatives of the Parish Council.  It has also supported Rainford Action Group.

Parish Councillors are people that the community can look to for help, guidance and support; community leaders with the power to influence decisions for the benefit of the people they serve.  Seeing your community change for the better, as a result of decisions you have helped make, gives Councillors a sense of achievement and pride

RAINFORD IS WITHIN THE LIVERPOOL CITY REGION AND IS THEREFORE ON VERY HIGH LOCAL COVID ALERT

Please go to:

gov.uk/coronavirus

sthelens.gov.uk

for further information

Coronavirus

Residents in St Helens Borough face new measures in an attempt to stop the significant rise in Covid-19 cases.

The new restrictions announced by the government apply to all council areas across Merseyside from Tuesday 22 September.

There is a ban on the following: 

• People should not socialise with others from outside their household or support bubble inside a home or private garden.
• Hospitality for food and drink is by table service only.
• Late night restrictions for hospitality have been introduced, with leisure and entertainment venues including restaurants, pubs, and cinemas required to close between 10pm and 5am.

Residents are also urged to follow additional guidance to help limit the spread of the virus:

• Only use public transport for essential purposes such as travelling to school or work.
• Residents are advised against attending amateur or semi-professional sporting events as spectators.

These measures are on top of those already introduced by the St Helens Outbreak Management Board:

• Parents should wear face coverings when they arrive at the school gates to pick up or drop off their children and not gather in groups of more than six at the school gates.
• Care home visits have been temporarily suspended.
• Reinforcing the need for staggered drop off/pick up times for schools.
• Reviewing the council’s powers to be able to take action against non-compliance with the current legislation. If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, you should arrange a test as soon as possible or call 119.Symptoms include:
  • A high temperature (37.8 degrees and above)
  • A new, continuous cough
  • A loss or change to your sense of smell or taste.

  You can opt for a home test kit or to book an appointment at the Haydock Park Racecourse regional testing centre, which is open seven days a week, from 10am to 4pm.

  Mobile testing units are used for short periods on varying dates within the borough, which we will publicise in advance.

  If your test result is positive, you must self-isolate for a minimum of 10 days. Your household and your support bubble must self-isolate for 14 days. Anyone who develops symptoms in this time must arrange to take a test.

  Following a positive test result, you will be contacted by the NHS test and trace service, who will ask you for information about who you have seen in the past 14 days.

  Other updates

  Previous changes to restrictions came into force on 14 September, including the revised legal limit on social gatherings. When meeting with people you don’t live with, you can socialise in groups of up to six.

  ‪The government’s guidance for working safely during COVID-19 has been updated.‬

  Business owners should take priority actions such as completing risk assessments, cleaning more often, while recording customers’ details for NHS Test and Trace is now enforced in law.

  Face coverings are required by law to be worn in public indoor settings such as cinemas, libraries, hairdressers, museums, places of worship and public areas in hotels.