Dear Stoneleigh & Ashow Parish Council Clerk

As part of the ongoing public engagement exercise to gain the views of as many people as possible prior to drafting the new Rights of Way Improvement Plan, Warwickshire County Council has produced a poster to help publicise the public survey (attached).

 

I would be grateful if you could help to circulate this – either on social media, online or through posters on notice boards.

 

The link to the public survey is at:

 

https://ask.warwickshire.gov.uk/insights-service/warwickshire-rowip/

 

 

 

The deadline for survey has been extended to 7 April.

 

Thank you for your continued support.

 

To report a problem on a public right of way, visit Warwickshire County Council’s website https://rowreporting.warwickshire.gov.uk/CAMSWeb/standardmap.aspx

 

Best wishes

Sharon

Help for Warwickshire residents struggling to pay utility bills   

In recognition that an unexpected increase in costs can create real challenges for our residents who are experiencing financial hardship, another county wide utilities voucher campaign is launching today.   

Short-term financial assistance in the form of a one-off voucher payment will be available to help those who are struggling to afford energy and water bills. This will supplement ongoing emergency support from the Local Welfare Scheme for residents in financial crisis. 

Families and households in Warwickshire can apply whether they use pre-payment meters, pay by direct debit or on receipt of a bill.  Residents are invited to contact the Local Welfare Scheme team for a confidential discussion about their situation. All applications for the payment must be made by 24 March 2023.    

Anyone entitled to benefits eligible free school meals has already received this support. 

Vulnerable residents in Warwickshire who are struggling financially can apply for support by contacting the Local Welfare Scheme directly on 0800 4081448 or 01926 359182. For further information please visit:  

https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/localwelfarescheme   

https://www.costoflivingwarwickshire.co.uk/  

*********************************************************************************************************************************************************

Is your vision road worthy?

Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership is supporting a national road safety eyesight campaign to highlight that all drivers have a legal obligation to ensure their vision is roadworthy every time they get behind the wheel.

As part of the ‘Is Your Vision Roadworthy?’ initiative, which is being supported by a host of motoring, road safety and optical organisations, Warwickshire Police will be conducting roadside vision screening across the county.

Sergeant Shaun Bridle of Warwickshire Police said: "Most drivers know that worn or defective tyres on their vehicle can result in a fine and penalty points, but they are less likely to realise that driving with uncorrected defective eyesight is punishable with a fine of up to £1,000, three penalty points and possible disqualification and also can increase your risk of a collision occurring.

"Ninety per cent of the information a driver uses is visual," Sergeant Bridle added, "so we want to use the roadside screening to raise awareness of the fundamental importance of good eyesight. Drivers who fail to meet the required standards are not only breaking the law but putting themselves and other road users at risk.”

The voluntary roadside vision screening will ask drivers to read a number plate from a distance of 20 metres. All tests will be conducted in good daylight conditions, using a registration plate affixed to a vehicle at the correct measured distance (20m), with the driver wearing any eyesight correction (eg: spectacles) worn at the time of driving.

Under legislation known as Cassie’s Law,  drivers who fail a roadside number plate test could have their licence revoked on the spot if a police officer deems them to be unsafe to be on the road. Other penalties for not meeting the legal eyesight standards include a possible fine or penalty points on your licence.

In addition to the 20m number plate test the legal eyesight standards require motorists to have adequate fields of vision. The DVLA must also be notified about certain eyesight conditions. There are different standards for bus and lorry drivers (Group 2).

Full details of the legal eyesight standards for all motorists can be found at gov.uk/driving-eyesight-rules.

Vision can decline gradually without you realising, so eye experts recommend all motorists have regular sight tests – every two years unless advised otherwise by your optometrist – to help ensure your vision remains roadworthy.

Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner and Chair of WRSP Philip Seccombe said “Visual impairments can affect anyone. If you have a concern, please speak to your optician as soon as possible. Eyesight can decline with age and whilst there is no legal age to stop driving, the partnership wants to support mature drivers to make informed decisions and continue to drive safely. That’s why we are offering free Mature Driver Reviews in collaboration with IAM RoadSmart for drivers aged 65+ residing in Warwickshire. Our aim is to help drivers continue to drive for as long as it is safe to do so by providing an informed and trusted opinion on their driving, improving skills and reassuring family members.”

Chief Constable Jo Shiner, National Police Chief Constable Lead Roads Policing comments: “Personal responsibility is the starting point for safer roads.  Making sure your eyesight meets the standards of vision for driving is really important and something only you can do to keep yourself and all other road users safe while driving.”

Results from the roadside vision screening activity will be released later this Spring along with a wide-ranging public information campaign highlighting the importance of clear vision for safe driving.

Anyone wanting to know more about the legal eyesight standards for motorists or has a question about vision and driving is invited to attend an Is Your Vision Roadworthy? webinar at 2pm on 14 March 2023. To register for this free event, which is hosted by TV and radio presenter Valerie Singleton OBE, visit VisionAndDriving.info.  Please note places are limited to the first 1000 applicants.

*********************************************************************************************************************************************************

Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership is launching an online campaign to raise awareness of ‘What3Words’ in a bid to get more residents in Warwickshire using the app to provide emergency services with the location of a collision or emergency.    

What3words has divided the world into 3 metre squares and given each square a unique combination of three words - what3words address. For example, ///silver.label.smile will take you to a precise 3 metre square for Warwick Castle.   

If a collision or emergency occurs, callers can give the call handler the three words and this will help dispatch emergency services to the precise location. This is even more important in rural locations where it’s even more difficult to communicate location accurately. The app gives the caller a simple way to describe precisely where help is needed, enabling responders to find and get resources to the scene as quickly as possible.  It is hoped that this simple change, could help save more lives and reduce the seriousness of some injuries due to patients getting treatment more quickly.

The system works offline, making it ideal for use in areas with an unreliable data connection. what3words addresses cover the entire world and can be used in over 40 languages. 

For more information, please visit the following website. https://warksroadsafety.org/our-strategy/ 

*********************************************************************************************************************************************************