Report It

Neither B&NES Council or Saltford Parish Council are responsible for issues regarding private or company property e.g. telegraph poles, electricity cabinets etc.

Should there be an issue with private property, residents need to directly contact the owner or the company who owns the property to resolve.

Similarly, Parish Council’s are not informed nor holds information regarding private businesses or suppliers, or health care providers i.e. doctors or dentists. If you require information please contact the organisation directly. If you require assistance doing this please contact or visit a B&NES Council Library or One Stop Shop. Saltford’s nearest One Stop Shop is in Keynsham, and can help with general enquiries as well as assisting with a range of other matters.

In an emergency call 999

To report a non-emergency crime or incident call 101, or else contact Police.uk

Please visit Avon and Somerset Police’s Report a Parking Problem page for information on how to report vehicles causing a hazard or obstruction.

Keynsham Beat Team

Saltford is covered by the Keynsham Beat Team. To find out more or to make contact please visit the Keynsham Beat Team page. The Keynsham Beat Team page has details on beat crime statistics, priorities, surgeries, team members and local police station locations.

Information on reporting a crime is also available on the Avon and Somerset Watch page.

Local Neighbourhood Watch information is also available from the Avon and Somerset Watch website. To register for local crime alerts visit the Avon and Somerset Police Community Alerts sign up page.

Beat Officers for Keynsham and surrounding areas

In the first instance, residents are advised to contact the Beat Team via the online form on the Keynsham Beat Team page (scroll to end).

Other contact details are as follows:

PC 4135 Kerry GRACE – Beat Manager (Saltford) Kerry.Grace@avonandsomerset.pnn.police.uk

07739 628670

PC 3803 James EVANS – Beat Manager

James.Evans@avonandsomerset.pnn.police.uk

07889 656353

PCSO 9973 Christopher PURVEY – Police Community Support Officer Christopher.Purvey@avonandsomerset.pnn.police.uk

07889 659620

PCSO 8149 Sarah HEWLETT – Police Community Support Officer Sarah.Hewlett@avonandsomerset.pnn.police.uk

07889 656605

The above contacts are for information and non-urgent enquiries only. If officers are on rest days, leave or sick there may be a delay in responding. If you wish to report an incident or a crime or need to speak to a Police Officer you should contact 101. For all emergencies call 999.

Further information is available on the Avon and Somerset Police website.

SPC and the police

Saltford Parish Council maintains regular contact with Avon and Somerset Police when required, for example during periods of high visitor numbers to Saltford.

Relevant information shared by Avon and Somerset police to SPC is posted on SPC’s Twitter feed and Facebook page.

Saltford Parish Council also hosts the annual ‘Meet your community police officers’ meeting at Saltford Hall to which all residents are welcome to attend, including local Neighbourhood Watch groups. The most recent meeting took place in November 2021.

Crimestoppers

Crimestoppers is an independently registered charity which allows anyone to pass on information anonymously about crime or people they know or suspect are committing it.

To report crime anonymously call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. This line is a 24 hour service open seven days a week. You will always speak to Crimestoppers staff at a Crimestoppers call centre and NOT the police.

Crime can also be reported anonymously online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org. Follow the links for the online form.

Crimestoppers are not part of the police or the Crimewatch TV programme. They guarantee that calls cannot be traced and that calls are never recorded. Crimestoppers will never ask you to visit a police station, make a statement or go to court, and that any contact will always remain completely anonymous. More information is available on the Crimestoppers website.

Environment Agency

The Environment Agency exists to create better places for people and wildlife, and to support sustainable development.

Responsibilities and priorities can be found on the Environmental Agency website. The Environment Agency 24hr hotline is 0800 80 70 60.

If you are concerned about blockages, obstructions to flow in the river or know of cut vegetation being deposited in the watercourse, which can cause pollution, please call the EA’s Incident Hotline 0800 80 70 60 which is open and manned 24 hours a day. You will be given advice and guidance and the information you share will be recorded and
passed to the relevant duty team who will be able to take any necessary actions.

You can call the Environment Agency incident hotline to report:

• damage or danger to the natural environment
• pollution to water or land
• poaching or illegal fishing
• dead fish or fish gasping for air
• main rivers blocked by a vehicle or fallen tree causing risk of flooding
• flooding from any river, stream, canal, natural spring or the sea
• incidents at Environment Agency-regulated waste sites
• illegal removals from watercourses
• unusual changes in river flow
• collapsed or badly damaged river or canal banks

More information can be found on the Environment Agency’s incident reporting page. This page also has information on incidents to report to your local council (B&NES Council) or utility company, rather than the Environment Agency.

Canal River Trust
The River Avon flows through Saltford. The Canal River Trust is a charity who look after and bring to life 2,000 miles of waterways. It is responsible for some of the vegetation adjacent to waterways and locks (including Saltford Lock and Kelston Lock). (Please note: B&NES Council is the riparian owner of land either side of the river itself, and is also responsible for the bridge over the River Avon in Saltford).

The Canal River Trust can be contacted in an emergency and also can be contacted about non-urgent issues regarding the river. This includes boats at risk of sinking or that have been adandoned. The CRT FAQ page provides further information on the Canal River Trust’s responsibilities – these include moorings, pollution and vegetation.

Extreme weather

The Met Office has updated their Community Resilience leaflet which contains some really useful information about flooding advice; and community resilience during rain, snow and ice, thunderstorms and lightning, strong winds and gales, fog and extreme heat.

For local weather information including weather warnings visit the Met Office at: www.metoffice.gov.uk The Saltford Environment Group also has the ‘Saltford Weather Station‘ in the top right-hand corner of their homepage.

Flooding

Information about flooding emergencies can be found on B&NES Council’s website. Who to contact about a flooding incident can be found on the B&NES Council ‘Report a flooding incident’ page. Information about B&NES Council as the Lead Flooding Authority is also available.

B&NES Council’s policy is that provision of sandbags for properties are the responsibility of the property owner (not the council), and owners are advised to purchase and store sandbags in preparation for flooding emergencies. Further information about property flood resistance can be found below.

Flood warnings: To sign up for free flood warnings please visit this Government webpage. This allows residents to receive warnings by phone, email or text message if your home or business is at risk of flooding. The service is free. You will need to provide the address you are registering, a phone number you can be contacted on (day or night) and an email address. Avon Level at Saltford’ page.

Who to report flooding to: Who you need to contact to report flooding depends on what is flooding. The link below explains when you need to report an incident to the Environment Agency, your local water company or to B&NES Council: See Report a flood or possible cause of flooding – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Residents and businesses are able to report flooding online on the Flood Online Reporting Tool, FORT link: FORT – Home (geowessex.com)  For how this information is used to help the community, there is a pre-recorded presentation by Guy Parker from the Environment Agency that you can view here: Flood Online Reporting Tool (FORT) Presentation – YouTube The Floodline number (24 hour service) is: 0345 988 1188 (costs may apply, see here)

Prepare for flooding: This Government webpage details how to protect yourself from flooding, including advice if you own a riverside property. This Government webpage details information about creating a Personal Flood Plan. If you are a business, see here for advice on how to prepare for flooding. Practical EA advice about reducing the impact of groundwater flooding on properties can be found here. Residents may also find the Flood Hub’s Property Flood Resilience Toolkit useful. Further information including case studies of flooding and resilience measures which have been implemented can be found in this Property Flood Resilience booklet.

Guidance if you have been flooded: Environment Agency advice on what to do before, during and after a flood can be found here. If you have been impacted by flooding, the National Flood Forum is a charity that helps, supports and represents people at risk of flooding and during or after being flooded. Please find information on their website or call 01299 403 055.

Health and safety concerns following flooding: Public Health England have produced a document about frequently asked health questions to do with flooding . Please see here for more information.

Water leaks & burst mains

Bristol Water shares ongoing incidents updates here and further general information on their website at www.bristolwater.co.uk . For live updates about incidents also see Bristol Water’s Facebook and Twitter feeds which tend to have comments added on a regular basis during an incident.

 Bristol Water’s 24 hour emergency helpline is 0345 702 3797.

Bristol Water may arrange via external agencies safe places to collect drinking water during longer lasting incidents or e.g. during a heatwave, though this may be for more vulnerable people only. Please view the ongoing incidents page or call their helpline on 0345 702 3797 as well as checking social media and other communications channels, especially if you are a vulnerable person. Residents are encouraged to check on vulnerable friends and neighbours if there is an ongoing issue with water supply.

Bristol Water’s website has the latest updates on repairs and incidents, as well as planned works in a particular area. To report a leak – use the Bristol Water interactive map by entering your post code.

If you notice or have concerns about a leak please visit the Bristol Water ‘How to report a leak‘ page. This page includes information about spotting a leak and who might be responsible for pipework leaks.

If you can smell gas or suspect a gas leak call the 24 hr National Gas Emergency Hotline 0800 111 999, or via textphone (minicom) on 0800 371 787.

If you are worried about carbon monoxide escaping from a gas appliance, please also call the National Gas Emergency Hotline.

If you smell gas or suspect a leak, take the following actions:

• Do open windows and doors
• Do turn off gas at the meter (unless it’s located in the cellar or basement)
• Do turn your gas appliances off
• Do not smoke, light a match or use any kind of naked flame
• Do not use light switches, doorbells or any electrical switches
• Do not return to your home until you’ve been given the all clear

If you suspect there are high levels of carbon monoxide in your property:

1. Open all doors and windows
2. Move everyone into the fresh air
3. Call the Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999

If someone has collapsed, or is displaying severe symptoms: Call 999.

Call 105 to report a power cut, or get information about power cuts.

You can also call 105 if you see damage to electricity power lines and substations that could put you, or someone else, in danger.

If there is a serious immediate risk, you should call the emergency services too on 999.

105 is a free service, available to people in England, Scotland and Wales. You can call the number from most landlines and mobile phones.

A call to 105 will put you through to your local network operator. Use the postcode finder here to identify your network operator. This online tool will also tell you how you can contact your network operator via their website or social media.

105 has FAQs and further advice about what to do in a power cut.

You can also call UK Power Networks direct on 0800 316 3105 to report a power cut.

Check affected postcodes and the number of UK Power Networks customers affected by power cut incident, and the status of repairs on a live map.