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