News

Kent Trading Standards Warning: as it’s the end of the tax year, please be aware that scammers are busy.

If you receive any messages like below impersonating HMRC promising a refund and that you need to click on a link, it is a scam. HMRC would never ask you to respond in this way and ask for personal details via a link.

Remember the ABC of scam protection and do not ASSUME or BELIEVE anything you receive via email, text, telephone is genuine, always CONFIRM by contacting a trusted source, Bank, Police, family or friend.

Never click on links or divulge personal data or account details when receiving an out of the blue message like the one above.

If it is “Too good to be true, then it probably is.”

There has been an alert from Action Fraud in relation to a phishing scam, where fraudsters are impersonating Tesco.

The fake Tesco emails are offering ‘free vouchers’ during the coronavirus outbreak and you are asked to click on a link, which takes you to a convincing looking phishing website that is designed to steal your login, personal and financial information.

If you receive one of these, please do not click on the link and delete it and report to Action Fraud.

For more info and extra help on how to keep yourself safe on line visit https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/

Use the A, B, C of scam awareness:

1. never assume a caller, email or text is genuine.
2. never believe a caller, email or text is genuine.
3. always confirm by contacting a trusted number, family member, friend, your bank’s fraud department or the police to check if it’s genuine.

Do you need assistance or additional support?

The Folkestone Covid-19 Community Support Hub can help with:

• Home meal deliveries;
• Food orders and collections;
• Collection and delivery of medical supplies;
• Dog walking;
• Directing you to other helpful services.

Or if you just need a chat and some advice please pick up the phone and get in touch.

Call: 01303 316186

Email: covid-19@3hsp.co.uk

You are not alone during this challenging time – Folkestone and Sandgate are pulling together and your community is here to help.

If you would like to volunteer to help, visit:

www.folkestone-hythe.gov.uk/volunteer/form

Although Sandgate Park remains open for exercise (although please maintain your distance from other users), on 23rd March the Government required the closure of:

Enclosed spaces in parks, including playgrounds, sports courts and pitches, and outdoor gyms or similar.

Our children’s playground, games pitches, zip wire, adult play equipment and petanque court are therefore CLOSED as of now, and should not be used.

Please respect this closure, which is for public health reasons.

Scammers and criminals are already looking for opportunities to scam people as a result of the Coronavirus / COVID-19 pandemic. Happily, there are many more stories of kindness and generosity but we want to make people aware of the scams as they emerge – which they seem to be on a daily basis.

Kent Trading Standards have received reports from Kent Police of people door-knocking and claiming to be from the Health Authority.

Kent Libraries have informed Sandgate Parish Council that all their libraries will close from Friday, so we will be closing Sandgate Library from 1pm on Friday. We will of course re-open as soon as we are advised we can do so.

The Parish Clerks will continue to work their usual hours and the email (clerk@sandgatepc.org.uk) and phone (01303 248563) will still be answered.

Further the recent Government updates / press conferences, the Parish Council continues to receive updated information on the response to the Coronavirus pandemic and the response from various organisations. We’ll aim to keep this page up to date with that information and links, both local and national, over the coming days.

If you are able, join the volunteer response team in Folkestone and Hythe: https://www.folkestone-hythe.gov.uk/coronavirus

Other updates:

• NHS updates https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
• Kent County Council updates at https://www.kent.gov.uk/social-care-and-health/health/coronavirus
• Folkestone and Hythe District Council updates https://www.folkestone-hythe.gov.uk/coronavirus
• National Association of Local Councils https://www.nalc.gov.uk/coronavirus

Sandgate Parish Council & Library

The library is now closed until further notice, and all activities and events have been cancelled with immediate effect. The Parish Clerk is working as usual and remains contactable at 01303 248563 or email clerk@sandgatepc.org.uk

All March Council meetings have been cancelled. Clearer advice is being sought on how meetings should continue in future / a potential move to online meetings.

At this time, Sandgate Park remains open, but please understand surfaces there are not regularly wiped and all users should be using appropriate social distancing. The Public Toilets on Granville Parade also remain open, but similarly, please exercise more than usual caution on hygiene including touching surfaces. And wash your hands for at least 20 seconds.

Community

There are numerous offers of help (and more are welcome from those who can), including to “shop, fetch and carry” for those who are not going out for a period of time, on some of the local forums online. Please note that you should of course keep safe and alert: if someone offers assistance, please take reasonable measures to ensure they are genuinely helping. There have been some sickening stories of people (NOT in Sandgate) knocking of doors and offering shopping assistance, only to then leave with the shopping money and not be seen again. there is no central verification of people offering to help (how could there be!) so act securely.

Those offers include:

• https://nextdoor.co.uk/ (requires registration and joining the Sandgate group – use the link https://nextdoor.co.uk/invite/kyksvraguxznqscdgsjr)
• On Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SunnySandgateKent/ and https://bit.ly/3bEikv6 (Sunny Sandgate Residents and Business Group)

District Councillors Tim Prater and Gary Fuller have been advised to suspend their two surgeries each month (at the Sandgate Farmers Market and the Sandgate Library) for a period of time, but are happy to help people as ever by phone, email, face-to-face appointment. If you want to contact them, their details are at https://folkestone-hythelibdems.org.uk/en/contact

Chichester Hall

Sandgate Farmers Market has been cancelled for the next few weeks, and all events in the Chichester Hall have also been suspended for now. Refunds are being offered for any event provider who wishes to cancel bookings.

For more information about the Farmers Market or the current status of events, email David Cowell at david@chichesterhall.co.uk

Folkestone and Hythe District Council

All Council meetings in March have been cancelled. there are regular updates on the services they provide and assistance they can offer at https://www.folkestone-hythe.gov.uk/coronavirus

All events on F&HDC land through until 31st July have been cancelled, including performances at the Folkestone / Leas bandstand.

Businesses

All pubs and clubs, cafes and restaurants in the area will have closed further to the government announcement on the evening of 20th March, but some cafes are still offering takeaway, collection and delivery options, including The Dog House. The Village Shop on Sandgate High Street remains open.

Elsewhere….

Folkestone Town Council

FTC have closed the Town Hall with immediate effect and are moving staff to remote/flexible working wherever possible.

All Council meetings in March have been cancelled.

All events and activities are being cancelled until further notice.

The Town Hall phone line (01303 257946) will be answered and officers will be contactable via email (http://www.folkestonetc.kentparishes.gov.uk/meet-the-officer-team/)

Hythe Town Council

Are meeting various community groups this afternoon to help co-ordinate cross town support.

Other

The Leas Cliff Hall has cancelled all performances and closed their cafe and the Channel Suite until further notice.

All events at Folkestone Quarterhouse have been suspended until Tuesday 14 April. During that time they will review the situation and decide the next steps.

In these soggy times, the following resources might be helpful to residents:

https://www.floodguidance.co.uk/

…and…

https://www.abi.org.uk/globalassets/files/publications/public/flooding/abi-guide-to-responding-to-major-floods.pdf – from the Association of British Insurers

There has also been the launch of a new code of practice about property flood resilience.

Property flood resilience (PFR) is an important part of the response to flood risk. PFR includes measures that reduce the risks to people and property enabling households and businesses to reduce flood damage, speed up recovery and reoccupation. PFR measures should reduce the amount of water entering buildings (known as resistance measures), or limit the damage caused if water does enter a building (known as recoverability measures).

This code of practice (CoP) is concerned with PFR measures that can be introduced to buildings at risk from flooding. Often these measures can be installed as part of the repair of buildings after they have been flooded. However, some property owners may wish to be proactive and fit measures in anticipation of a flood.

The CoP includes six standards that specify what should be achieved. These standards will be supported by comprehensive guidance on how the standards should be met by the following stages within the PFR delivery process. The guidance is provided in the CIRIA C790B Code of practice and guidance for property flood resilience.

https://www.ciria.org/ItemDetail?iProductCode=C790F&Category=FREEPUBS&WebsiteKey=3f18c87a-d62b-4eca-8ef4-9b09309c1c91

Councillor Vannessa Reay