Annual Firework Display

Due to government regulations for COVID-19, the Annual Bonfire and Fireworks Display which was due to be held on Saturday 7th November has been cancelled.  The Committee will be back with a bigger and better display in 2021.

Soon to Open

 The local Co-op on Bye Pass Road is due to open this week.

HMRC Scam Text to Self Employed

Be aware of a scam aimed at self-employed individuals and freelancers. Whilst genuine government financial help may be available, scammers are taking advantage of people's current vulnerabilities, sending text messages suggesting eligibility for a tax refund. A link in the text takes you to a very realistic web page. Initial information is asked for, the site calculates a fake refund amount, then asks for bank details and passport details for verification purposes. HMRC will never send a text that requires highly confidential information.  Scams can be reported to Action Fraud, contact 0300 123 2014 or go to www.actionfraud.police.uk.

TV Streaming Scam

Nationally a large number of reports have been received regarding scams where householders receive a telephone call about their TV subscription coming to an end and that they will have to pay in order to keep the service. Initially, an automated phone call states your subscription is about to expire and that you need to make a payment of £39.99. You are then asked to press a number on your telephone keypad in order to be put through to an operator to make payment. The operators can be very convincing. If you have a TV subscription, please check the company's website for advice on how to deal with any suspicious contact that you receive.

Beware Doorstep Callers

Park home residents are advised to be on their guard to cold callers offering to carry out property repairs on their homes. An elderly park home owner in the Fylde area was targeted by traders who knocked on his door offering to replace the skirting. The work was unnecessary and overpriced and was luckily stopped before any money changed hands.

In Lancaster a householder was cold called and agreed to the roof and gutters being cleaned. The trader then tried to escalate the job by claiming there was a problem with the pointing which was not true.

Always use local known traders. Make sure to get paperwork including full contact details, if you agree to the contract in your own home you will, in most cases, have 14 days to cancel.

Trading Standards advice is to always say no to cold callers. The Safetrader scheme can help you find a trader in your area, contact 0303 333 1111 or go to www.safetrader.org.uk

Switch to Cycling

'Switch to Cycling' is a new campaign from Lancashire County Council aiming to build on the momentum of those of you who have started cycling during lockdown and encourage more people to take up cycling for short journeys.  It promotes the benefits of cycling including fitness, saving money and beating the traffic as well as providing advice and information on starting cycling, cycling routes and free training sessions. This is part of the council's Active Travel work to encourage walking and cycling instead of using the car or public transport where possible, which is aligned with current government advice.  Now is an ideal time to start cycling with the school run starting up again and more cars on the road. The County Council has put in a range of measures including temporary pop up cycle lanes throughout the county to help people get around by bike.  For more information and advice about making the switch to cycling, visit www.lancashire.gov.uk/cycling

Join the Prinnce's Trust Team Programme and they can help you achieve your potential!

Team is a free 12 week personal development course for young people aged 16 - 25.
Gain new skills, a nationally recognised qualification, meet new people and have fun!
Take part in a community project, team building activities and gain workplace experience -
all aimed at your successful future.
Contacts:  Team Leader & Office: 07900268708 - Programme Support Worker: 07799114688
E-mail:  PTMorecambe@lancsfirerescue.org.uk

Did you know that there were quarantine restrictions in Bolton-le-Sands in 1720?

Check out our Facebook page to learn about this issue and its affect on Bolton-le-Sands.

UHMBT's Director of Finance leaves to take up new role in North West

Keith Griffiths, Director of Finance at University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT), will be leaving the Trust later this year to take up a new role in the North West. 

From Bodeltone to Bolton-le-Sands

Follow the story of our village on the Lancaster City Museum website or, if you have Facebook, log on to Bolton-le-Sands Village and follow the articles written on the history of Bolton-le-Sands.

Temporary road and car park closures on Lancaster hospital site due to operating theatre building work

University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) is preparing to temporarily close an on-site road, a small public car park, a large staff car park and a smaller staff car park at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary (RLI) due to building work on a new operating theatre.

On the weekend of Friday 21 August and Sunday 23 August, a large crane will be brought onto the RLI site which will necessitate the temporary closure of a site road leading off Ashton Road and down the road to Medical Unit 2. The Trust will also be temporarily closing a public car park outside Medical Unit 2, a large staff car park to the rear of Medical Unit 2 and a small staff car park at the rear of the Pharmacy.

Staff, the public and any other drivers will not be able to access the road leading from Ashton Road down to the car parks. Ashton Road itself will not be affected by the closure of the road.

As the road will be closing at 8pm on Friday 21 August, the Trust’s Capital Services Team and Car Parking staff will be on site to make sure that nobody attempts to drive down the road and park.

Members of the public and staff who want to park will be directed to the Ashton Road pay and display car park opposite Medical Unit 1 and can use the pedestrian access routes marked on the map of the site (please see our illustration of the pedestrian access routes).

The new operating theatre is being built to provide capacity while existing operating theatres at the RLI are being upgraded and it will result in an enhanced experience for patients and a greatly improved working environment for staff. It is being sited between the Cardiac Centre and the existing operating theatres.

When the crane is on site the North West Air Ambulance Service (NWAAS) and other services will be temporarily redirected to other hospital sites.

Beware Fraudulent Gas Bill Emails

Householders are being warned about a national scam. Fraudulent gas bill emails are being sent to members of the public informing them they owe money. The message threatens the recipient with a fine if they do not pay. It reads 'if we do not receive a payment or hear from you in the next 2 days and we have to contact you again, you will be charged £140 to cover our reasonable cost'.
This is a scam, do not respond. Do not feel panicked or pressurised into responding.
Contact the Trading Standards Service via the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133

Reduce Your Council Tax Email Scam

Rossendale residents have reported receiving an email claiming to be able to provide you with a refund for the last 2 years for a council tax reduction that it states you are entitled to due to being on a low income or on benefits. The email is headed up GOV.UK and shows how much money you can apply for. You are asked to click on a link which requires your bank details.
This is a scam. To find out if you are eligible for a council tax reduction go to www.gov.uk/apply-council-tax-reduction

Scam Visa Telephone Call

Please be aware of current telephone scams many of which are targeting elderly people in Lancashire. It involves phone calls or messages from a withheld number claiming to be from Visa or your bank about an unusual £600 transaction on your card, followed by fake calls from the police or your bank's fraud department. If a message is left, you will be asked to press 1 if you did not authorise a recent payment to a particular shop (such as Harrods) or to a foreign country. This will then be followed by a second call from 'police', 'Fraud Team' or similar where they try to obtain personal and banking details.
A Lancashire householder received a call claiming they were owed £3500 in bank charges. The caller explained he had got the information from a government website but was unclear who he was calling on behalf of. The caller knew the householders address details and said an officer would be visiting at lunchtime that day and would need to see the householders passport for photographic ID. The householder put the phone down and reported the incident to the Police.
Please ignore all such calls. If you receive an unsolicited call claiming to be from your bank and are unsure if it’s legitimate, always call your bank via its official contact channels instead of following any instructions. Also note that the scammer can leave your line open, so even if you think you have put the phone down there is a risk that when you dial again you may just end up speaking to the scammer- try using another phone or a mobile to make checks if possible.
Scams can be reported to Action Fraud, contact 0300 123 2014 or go to www.actionfraud.police.uk.
To reduce telesales calls join the Telephone Preference Service on 03450 700707. Many telephone service providers can also offer help to reduce the number of scam calls you receive.

Environment Agency SALMON AND FRESHWATER FISHERIES ACT 1975, AS AMENDED BY THE ENVIRONMENT ACT 1995, MARINE AND COASTAL ACCESS ACT 2009 ENVIRONMENT AGENCY (LIMITATION OF LUNE ESTUARY NET FISHING LICENCES) ORDER 2020

Notice is hereby given that it is the intention of the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to confirm an Order made by the Environment Agency under section 26 of the above Act. The Order will: Expire 10 years after the date on which it first comes into force: Limit the number of Heave or Haaf net licences, and drift; hang; or whammel net licences to be allocated for fishing for salmon and migratory trout in any one year in the specified area.

Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic situation, a copy of the Order may be obtained free of charge on application either by telephone please dial 03708 506 506 or by email sent to LuneSalmon@environment-agency.gov.uk and we will be happy to provide you with a copy to view either electronically or by post. 

A copy of the order and consultation can also be viewed at https://consult.environmentagency.gov.uk/fisheries/river-lune-net-limitation-order-and-byelaw-2020 Any objection to the confirmation of the Order should be made in writing and addressed to Migratory & Freshwater Fisheries (Salmon Byelaws), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Area 8A/B, Millbank, c/o Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London, SW1P 3JR or sent by email to: freshwater.fish@defra.gov.uk not later than 10th September 2020 

Please send copies of any objections to LuneSalmon@environment-agency.gov.uk.  Copies of any responses may be made public. The information contained may also be published in a summary of responses. If you do not consent to having your response published, you must clearly request that your response be treated confidentially. Any confidentiality disclaimer generated by your IT system in email responses will not be treated as such a request. You should also be aware that there may be circumstances in which DEFRA will be required to communicate information to third parties on request in order to comply with its obligations under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations.

Library Re-opening - Lancashire County Council

Lancashire County Council will be reopening 12 of its libraries, one per district, in the first phase to make sure there is a good geographical spread of libraries across Lancashire.

The following libraries will open Monday to Friday between 10am–1pm.

• Accrington - Hyndburn district
• Ansdell – Fylde district
• Chorley – Chorley district
• Coal Clough - Burnley district
• Fulwood – Preston district
• Garstang – Wyre district
• Leyland – South Ribble district
• Morecambe – Lancaster district
• Nelson – Pendle district
• Rawtenstall – Rossendale district
• Skelmersdale – West Lancashire district
• Whalley – Ribble Valley district

Other libraries will remain closed but you can book an appointment at any of the above libraries, even if you don't normally use them. 

The Harris library has re-opened and you can find more details on the Harris library website.

The Countryside Code

Respect other people

• Consider the local community and other people enjoying the outdoors
• Park carefully so access to gateways and driveways is clear
• Leave gates and property as you find them
• Follow paths but give way to others where it’s narrow 

• Protect the natural environment
• Leave no trace of your visit, take all your litter home
• Don’t have BBQs or fires
• Keep dogs under effective control
• Dog poo - bag it and bin it 

• Enjoy the outdoors
• Plan ahead, check what facilities are open, be prepared
• Follow advice and local signs and obey social distancing measures

Helping to keep Lancashire moving....

You can have your say on your roads and transport locally by completing a short survey. As part of a new campaign to promote the work of their highways service, Lancashire County Council is encouraging people to complete the National Highways and Transport (NHT) survey, which measures public satisfaction with services across different local authorities.
The campaign will also focus on their work maintaining Lancashire's roads, this year the team will fix around 36,000 potholes and resurface 175 miles of roads. But following a wet and stormy winter the council are finding more potholes than usual this year, so they are also asking people to help them by reporting potholes their website.
In 2020/21, the county council will spend £26m to maintain our 4,600 miles of highways and 5,300 miles of footways. They are continuously introducing new techniques to fix potholes and supplement the traditional repair teams. They have also introduced a new deep insitu recycling process for resurfacing and this year will recycle 19,000 tonnes of asphalt in resurfacing our roads. At 20 tonnes per wagon load that’s an amazing 900 loads diverted from landfill and 1800 return journeys eliminated.
Find out more about how Lancashire's roads are improving and complete the survey at www.lancashire.gov.uk/roads-parking-and-travel/pothole

Beware Free Trials

Take care when signing up to free trials – there can sometimes be pitfalls where we find we have signed up to more than we bargained for. Ask yourself:
• What am I agreeing to in order to claim this offer?
• Is the trial really ‘free’? Or could I have money taken from my bank account or card?
• Do I have to provide my payment details? If yes – stop and ask why.
• If there can be a charge, do I know how much it is and when the payment will be taken? Also, what exactly will I get in exchange for that charge?
• What must I do to stop the payment and by when?
• If I do get charged – what does the company say about giving me my money back?
• If I do get charged and do nothing, what happens next? Might the company take more payments in the future?

Look carefully at the wording of the ad and always check the terms and conditions to make sure you fully understand the extent and nature of an offer. If you think you may not want to pay to continue after the trial period, it’s a good idea to set a reminder to cancel.

Suspicious Email Reporting Service

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has launched a suspicious email reporting service in partnership with the City of London Police. The service makes it easier than ever to flag suspicious emails

Members of the public can send their suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk and the
NCSC’s automated programme will immediately test the validity of the site. Any sites found to be phishing scams will be removed immediately. As well as taking down malicious sites, the service will support the police by providing information and identifying new patterns in online offending.

Scam O2 Text Message

Beware receiving a fake message being sent to O2 customers claiming that payments have not gone through, so customers need to update their payment details. The link leads to a fake website enabling your bank account details to be stolen.

EATING OUT DISCOUNT

• In August, everyone in the country will be given an "eat out to help out" discount - 50% off up to a maximum discount of £10 per head at participating restaurants, cafes and pubs from Monday to Wednesday (Businesses can claim the money back, with funds in their bank account within five working days).

Scam personal alarm telesales call

Information has been received from a Poulton le Fylde resident who received a telephone call offering to sell a personal alarm that could be worn using a neck cord, claiming that the service was run by a doctor. These calls appear to target the over 60s, and attempt to obtain a large amount of personal information from the consumer, but do not want to provide information about the company when challenged. The caller used a 07733 mobile number that appears to be linked to online scams.
Always use known, established traders for such services.
To reduce telesales calls join the Telephone Preference Service on 03450 700707. Many telephone service providers can also offer help to reduce the number of scam calls you receive.

Memorial Bench

It has been brought to our attention that a plaque has been fixed to a memorial bench at Morecambe Lodge car park outside Red Bank House paid for by the deceased family.  This has been put there without permission and the parish council will be removing it after seven days unless the people concerned contact us.

New £320,000 X-ray facilities at Morecambe’s Queen Victoria Hospital to open next week

Newly refurbished X-ray facilities at Queen Victoria Hospital (QVH) in Morecambe will open to patients on Monday 6 July.

The refurbishment of the facilities includes a new Philips DigitalDiagnost C90 room which offers high-quality diagnostic images and ensures improved patient comfort and experience.  The X-ray department at QVH offers an open access service from Monday to Friday from 9am to 12.15pm and 1.30pm to 4.30pm for patients who have been referred via their GP, Outpatients Department and the Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC), on Hanover Street, Morecambe. The site’s Ultrasound service continues to be by appointment only. Due to the current coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions, patients must attend alone whenever possible to ensure social distancing and as per government guidance, a face covering must be worn when attending this department.

LOCAL BUS SERVICE ENHANCEMENTS IN LANCASHIRE

Whilst it has been advised against travelling on public transport unless necessary during the current COVID-19 pandemic, the county council's supported bus services and commercial bus operators are continuing to operate services for key workers, and those with no alternative, to access employment and make essential travel. Enhanced cleaning regimes and social distancing practices have been put in place on buses across the county, with Central Government currently providing emergency financial support for both the commercial and county council's tendered bus service networks. Beyond the phased release of lockdown measures, bus services will still need to play a vital part in keeping people connected and being able to access local amenities, employment, health and education in the future. Utilising newer more environmentally friendly buses, better customer facilities on board, such as contactless payments and Wi-Fi are all either in place already or will appear in the near future. With the easing of lockdown measures, bus service levels are gradually being restored.  The Government has issued safer travel guidance for passengers which is available to read - www.gov.uk/guidance/ coronavirus-covid-19-safer-travelguidance-for-passengers

building work restarting on a new operating theatre at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary.

Work has restarted on the construction of a new £2.5 million state-of-the-art operating theatre at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary (RLI).

The building work had been temporarily halted in March 2020 by University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Work to put in foundations for the building restarted on Monday 1 June and the Trust’s Capital Services Team has said there should be no major disturbance to patients and staff.
The work on the new operating theatre is being carried out as part of a £34 million investment announced in October 2019 to improve the Trust's buildings and infrastructure.

Action Fraud

Criminals are exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to try and get their hands on your money and personal information. To date, Action Fraud has received reports from 2,378 victims of Coronavirus-related scams, with the total losses reaching over £7 million.How you can protect yourself from Coronavirus-related scams:

There are some simple steps you can take that will protect you from the most common Coronavirus-related scams. Here’s what need to do:

1 - Watch out for scam messages
Your bank, or other official organisations, won’t ask you to share personal information over email or text. If you receive an email you’re not quite sure about, forward it to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS): report@phishing.gov.uk

2 - Shopping online
If you're making a purchase from a company or person you don't know and trust, carry out some research first, for example, by checking to see if others have used the site and what their experience was. If you decide to go ahead with the purchase, use a credit card if you have one, other payment providers may not provide the same protection.

3 - Unsolicited calls and browser pop-ups offering tech support
Never install any software, or grant remote access to your computer, as a result of a cold call. Remember, legitimate organisations would never contact you out of the blue to ask for financial details such as your PIN or full banking password.
NHS Test and Trace scams:
The NHS Test and Trace service plays an important role in the fight against coronavirus and it’s vital the public have confidence and trust in the service. However, we understand the concerns people have about the opportunity for criminals to commit scams.

What you need to know:
Contact tracers will only call you from the number 0300 013 5000. Anyone who does not wish to talk over the phone can request the NHS Test and Trace service to send an email or text instead, inviting them to log into the web-based service.

All text or emails sent by NHS Test and Trace will ask people to sign into the contact tracing website and will provide you with a unique reference number. We would advise people to type the web address https://contact-tracing.phe.gov.uk directly into their browser, followed by the unique reference number given to you, rather than clicking on any link provided in the message.
The NHS Test and Trace service will never:

• ask you to dial a premium rate number to speak to them (for example, those starting 09 or 087)
• ask you to make any form of payment or purchase a product or any kind
• ask for any details about your bank account
• ask for your social media identities or login details, or those of your contacts
• ask you for any passwords or PINs, or ask you to set up any passwords or PINs over the phone  
• ask you to download any software to your PC or ask you to hand over control of your PC, smartphone or tablet to anyone else
• ask you to access any website that does not belong to the government or NHS

If you think you have been a victim of fraud, please report it to Action Fraud at https://www.actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040. If you live in Scotland, please report directly to Police Scotland by calling 101.​​​​​​​

Emergency Road Closure

No person shall cause any class of traffic to proceed over that length of Wordsworth  Avenue, Bolton  le Sands, from its  junction  with Sunnybank Road, to a point outside property number 42 on Wordsworth Avenue.2.Nothing in this notice shall apply to persons engagewWordsworth Avenue from its junction with Sunnybank Road to No. 42 Wordsworth Avenue will be closed from 13.00hrs Friday 29th May 2020 to 17.00hrs on Tuesday 2nd June 2020 to allow United Utilities to repair a water leak in the carriage/footway.  A diversion will be signed locally.

Re-opening of Household Waste Recycling Centres

Reopening Household Waste Recycling CentresBriefing note for MPs and councillorsLancashire County Council will be reopening most of its recycling centres on Friday 15 May, after they had to be closed in March due to the coronavirus outbreak.Due to the need to ensure social distancing for staff and visitors there will be a number of important changes to the way the sites operate.Appointment systemPeople  will  need  to  make  an  appointment  beforevisiting. This  is  necessary  to  manage  what  is likely  to  be  very  high  demandand  limit  visitor  numbers  to  ensure  social  distancing  can  be managed.A  booking  system will  go  live  onthe  morning  ofWednesday  13  May allowing  people  to  make appointments. Appointments can be madeonline via the council's website www.lancashire.gov.ukor by calling the customer service centre on 0300 123 6781.People  will  be  given  a  30-minute  window  in  which  to  visit,  with  the  number  of  appointments available being limited to allow staff to check details on arrival and manage movementsaround the site to ensure social distancing.Appointments will be made available severaldays ahead, with new slots released eachday.People will be limited to one visitto one siteper calendar weekand will not be able to book multiple visits to different sites.Reopening Household Waste Rechttps://www.lancashire.gov.uk/waste-and-recycling/https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/waste-and-recycling/cling CentresBriefing note for MPs and councillorsLancashire County Council will be reopening most of its recycling centres on Friday 15 May, after they had to be closed in March due to the coronavirus outbreak.Due to the need to ensure social distancing for staff and visitors there will be a number of important changes to the way the sites operate.Appointment systemPeople  will  need  to  make  an  appointment  beforevisiting. This  is  necessary  to  manage  what  is likely  to  be  very  high  demandand  limit  visitor  numbers  to  ensure  social  distancing  can  be managed.A  booking  system will  go  live  onthe  morning  ofWednesday  13  May allowing  people  to  make appointments. Appointments can be madeonline via the council's website www.lancashire.gov.ukor by calling the customer service centre on 0300 123 6781.People  will  be  given  a  30-minute  window  in  which  to  visit,  with  the  number  of  appointments available being limited to allow staff to check details on arrival and manage movementsaround the site to ensure social distancing.Appointments will be made available severaldays ahead, with new slots released eachday.People will be limited to one visitto one siteper calendar weekand will not be able to book multiple visits to different sites.Briefing note for MPs and councillorsLancashire County Council will be reopening most of its recycling centres on Friday 15 May, after they had to be closed in March due to the coronavirus outbreak.Due to the need to ensure social distancing for staff and visitors there will be a number of important changes to the way the sites operate.Briefing note for MPs and councillorsLancashire County Council will be reopening most of its recycling centres on Friday 15 May, after they had to be closed in March due to the coronavirus outbreak.Due to the need to ensure social distancing for staff and visitors there will be a number of important changes to the way the sites operate.Lancashire County Council will be re-opening most of its recycling centres from Friday 15th May but to protect its customers and staff, it will be introducing a number of important changes to the way the sites operate.
It will be introducing an appointment system which is now operational.  Simply go on-line at www.Lancashire.gov.uk, or telephone 0300 123 6781.  People will be given a 30 minute slot in which to visit and will only be allowed one visit per calendar week.  Only one type of waste per visit and no construction or demolition waste will be allowed.  Unfortunately Carnforth will remain closed for the time being and the nearest is Lancaster.  Go on-line for more details.
People  will  need  to  make  an  appointment  beforevisiting. This  is  necessary  to  manage  what  is likely  to  be  very  high  demandand  limit  visitor  numbers  to  ensure  social  distancing  can  be managed.A  booking  system will  go  live  onthe  morning  ofWednesday  13  May allowing  people  to  make appointments. Appointments can be madeonline via the council's website www.lancashire.gov.ukor by calling the customer service centre on 0300 123 6781.People  will  be  given  a  30-minute  window  in  which  to  visit,  with  the  number  of  appointments available being limited to allow staff to check details on arrival and manage movementsaround the site to ensure social distancing.Appointments will be made available severaldays ahead, with new slots released eachday.