As lockdown restrictions were eased, Saltford experienced a high number of visitors especially to its ‘old village’ and river side areas. Many residents contacted SPC to raise their concerns in late May and June. For a full report on the immediate and ongoing actions by SPC in response to the ‘influx’ please see scroll below.
It is likely that Saltford will continue to have a high number of people visit its conservation and river side areas over the summer months. SPC advises residents to contact the police on 101 if urgent (or 999 in an emergency) should they have concerns relating to issues such as anti-social behaviour, dangerous parking or dangerous road congestion etc. Thank you to those residents who have called the police when required, and SPC has appreciated A&V police’s response to the concerns raised by residents. The Keynsham Beat Team can be contactedhere – scroll to the end of the page for the contact form. SPC continues to be in regular contact with A&S Police and B&NES Council regarding this matter, including requesting extra patrols and a strong police presence during periods of hot weather as anticipated this weekend.
SPC have also made contact with Avon Fire and Rescue, to identify both short and longer term strategies to raise awareness of water safety by the river. Following contact, SPC has been informed that members of Avon Fire and Rescue will be engaging with users of the river during hot spells to raise awareness of water safety, this will be accompanied by a social media campaign promoted by SPC. Councillors will be discussing longer term strategies to support water safety awareness with representatives of Avon Fire and Rescue, any actions and outcomes will be reported in due course. SPC has also recently approached the Bath River Safety Group and the Canal River Trust for guidance on improving water safety awareness.
B&NES Council have installed temporary parking bans at Mead Lane and The Shallows (full length of both sides of the road) to assist safety and access, including to help ensure emergency vehicle access following the recent heavy congestion experienced. SPC have been informed that B&NES Council enforcement officers are regularly patrolling Saltford at least twice a day, and enforcement notices have been issued by B&NES Council staff. For more information please scroll down this section of SPC’s website for articles about this matter and SPC’s actions. Please note that the Parish Council has no powers to close roads or issue parking tickets, these matters are police and B&NES Council responsibilities respectively.
A special thanks goes to the Saltford Wombles for their hard work these past weeks. Following SPC’s request to B&NES Council for support regarding littering, B&NES Council launched their ‘Don’t Be A Tosser’ anti-littering campaign in July, with signs currently displayed around the village. Excessive littering and overflowing bins can be reported to B&NES Council via the www.fixmystreet.com website.