There will be a Merry Xmas singalong at The Yew Tree on 22nd December at 5.30 pm.

The programme and the words to singalong to may be downloaded here:

• xmas21_prog_lyrics

Avon Dassett bumper Xmas pop-up craft and produce market was a great success. Many villagers and visitors popped in to sample a Yew Tree breakfast bap and look round the large number of stalls with everything on offer from cruises to microgreens!

The preliminary results of the Parish Plan were available which provided some interesting discussions and food for thought.

The event also raised £100 for the worthy local charity, Carers4Carers.

We are grateful to the Fenny Compton Scout group for arranging for Santa to visit Avon Dassett on 12 December from 7 pm. This is his itenerary:

Thanks to everyone who completed the Parish Plan questionnaire. We had an exceptionally high return.

Stratford District Council have done a preliminary survey of the results and this will be available at the Avon Dassett Xmas Popup Market at The Yew Tree on Saturday 4 December, 0930-1130.

A full report will be distributed to all households in due course.

Warwickshire County Council (WCC) is inviting people who live, work or study in Warwickshire to take part in a survey to help understand the impact of the COVID-19 on our communities.

This is the second survey from the council and is an opportunity for residents to share their experiences through the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact it had has their lives, including health and wellbeing, employment and services they use.

The results from the survey will highlight key issues faced by people throughout the past 18 months and will help to inform how our services and communities recover to be the best they can be following the pandemic.

The first survey was conducted over a year ago and the feedback helped to shape council services to support residents:

• People said that outdoor space was important.
  • The council supported our hospitality sector to provide seating outdoors and have waived fees to use pavements. We are also investing in improving green spaces.
• People said the pandemic negatively impacted your wellbeing.
  • The council secured £1m to invest in initiatives to improve wellbeing and reduce social isolation.
• People said you were walking and cycling more for short distances.
  • The council invested in improving the cycling safety network across Warwickshire.
• People said you were unsure how to access tests and general support through the pandemic.
  • The council increased promotion of 119 & nhs.uk/ coronavirus as well as sending COVID support guides to households across the county.

The survey, which should take around 15 minutes to complete, is available online at https://ask.warwickshire.gov.uk/insights-service/covid-recovery-survey-2021. All respondents must be aged 18 and over. Anyone who would like to complete the survey but does not have internet access can call 01926 731484 for assistance to complete the survey over the phone.

For more information about keeping safe and well throughout the pandemic and to access council services visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/coronavirus

A new £1million fund designed to harness the power of communities in tackling inequality and social exclusion was launched on 4 November.

Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership is urging the public not to buy e-scooters this Christmas because it’s currently against the law to ride a privately owned e-scooter in any public place in the UK.  There are also concerns for the safety of e-scooter riders and other road users.

Inspector Jem Mountford said “Before you consider buying an e-scooter this Christmas it’s important to know that although you can buy one, it is illegal to use a privately owned e-scooter in any public space including roads, pavements, parks, town centres or canal towpaths for example. This means most people will be breaking the law if they use an e-scooter.”

E-scooters are classified as Personal Light Electric Vehicles (PLEVs) so they are treated as motor vehicles and subject to the same legal requirements such as MOT, licensing, tax and insurance.

As e-scooters do not have number plates, signalling ability and don’t always have visible rear lights, they can’t be used legally on the roads.

Warwickshire Police have legal powers to seize e-scooters and prosecute riders and between March 2020 and November 2021 31 e-scooters were seized in Warwickshire.

Whilst penalties for illegal use include a Fixed Penalty Notice for no insurance, with a £300 fine and six penalty points, officers will also be using Section 59 of the Police Reform Act to issue a warning to riders of e-scooters and educate them as to the legal requirements. If a rider is under 16 years old then this advice will also be given to the parents.

Inspector Mountford continued “As well as being illegal, we have real concerns about the safety of e-scooters.  In the first ten months of 2021, nationally there have been nine deaths and other casualties involving both e-scooter riders and other road users.” (Source: PACTS)

Whilst some parts of the country are taking part in Government trials for e-scooter hire with a view to making them legal to use on the roads, Warwickshire is not currently part of the trials so e-scooters cannot be hired at this time.

Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership Chair, Philip Seccombe, said: “We know it can be tempting to buy an e-scooter as a gift, however there simply is no public place where they can be ridden legally and you risk a fine or having the scooter seized if you do so. As a Partnership we want to make our roads as safe as possible for everyone so  we want people to think again and not buy e-scooters in the mistaken belief that they can be used in public spaces. We know they can be a hazard to pedestrians and other road users and put the rider at danger of death and serious injury when used in the wrong environment, such as on public roads, so please do consider purchasing more appropriate alternatives.”

Councillor Wallace Redford, Portfolio Holder for Fire & Rescue and Community Safety at Warwickshire County Council said “It is our priority to make sure the roads are safe for everyone and that’s why we are asking the public not to buy an e-scooter at the moment but to await the results of the UK trial.  There are other environmentally friendly options available that we are keen to promote and support and as part of this commitment we are looking at how we can make our town centres safer for cyclists and pedestrians.”

Two great village events!

Saturday 4 December: Xmas Pop-up Market at the Yew Tree, 0930-1130

Wednesday 22 December: Xmas Sing-along, 1730

Many thanks to Ray Randerson and the Parish Council for purchasing these moving silhouettes commemorating the men and women of Avon Dassett past and present who have served the country.

Avon Dassett Service of Remembrance will be held at 11 am on Sunday 14 November.

A parish plan is community-led and establishes priorities for the village in the future. Avon Dassett’s original parish plan was adopted in October 2007 and an action plan created in 2008. Progress against these actions continued until 2016. The village has clearly changed since then as has the wider context thus the need to refresh the plan and prioritise actions to improve the village going forward.

A new questionnaire has been designed and will be delivered over the weekend of 22-23 October 2021. It covers everything from housing to car parking! There will be an accompanying note to say when it will be collected and a return envelope provided for confidentiality.

All the questionnaires will be processed independently by Stratford District Council who will also produce the survey report. All answers will be treated in strictest confidence and used for research purposes only. It will not be possible for any individual or household to be identified in the findings. For further information see the privacy notice at www.stratford.gov.uk/privacy

If you have any questions please contact Liz Hirst or Sarah Richardson or speak to your distributor/collector.

It is hoped that preliminary results will be displayed at Avon Dassett Pop-up Market at the Yew Tree on 4 December.