Page last updated Friday 9 October
General
The police are responsible for monitoring and enforcing the social distancing policies and any incidents should be reported with as much detail as possible online using the form here.
Council officers do not have the powers to take enforcement action and issue fixed penalty notices for a breach of social distancing policy. The council supports and champions the STAY ALERT, CONTROL THE VIRUS, SAVE LIVES instruction and discourages any unnecessary journeys. Council officers who are still working in the local community are supporting the police by providing advice to offenders and reminding them of the policy as well as monitoring and reporting incidents.
You can report a non-COVID 19 compliant business here.
Fylde Council is resolute in continuing to deliver essential services to our residents and offer vital support to the most vulnerable in our community; thanks to a wealth of volunteers across all sectors of the Council, together we have redeployed staff and resources to meet our changing demands.
Our staff are going above and beyond to meet the unprecedented coronavirus challenge, offering flexibility in working arrangements and stepping up to help in essential services which include Waste Management, Community Support, Bereavement Services, Finance, Customer Services and many others. The Council has been able to utilise the existing skills and experience in our workforce, thanks to previous job shadowing exercises, to bolster our front-line capacity which has meant that we have been able to continue to deliver essential services and prioritise discretionary services, which includes the well-received continuation of all household waste and recycling collections.
All redeployed staff have undergone additional training specific to their new role, with appropriate risk assessments and management taking place. Working alongside existing teams, redeployed staff are helping to deliver the essential services our communities rely on.
We are endeavouring to minimise disruption to our wide-ranging discretionary services, however, instances of self-isolation and redeployment inevitably means some of the services we normally deliver with pride, are being forced to adjust their priorities. The Council is implementing innovative ways to mitigate service disruption in the community, examples of this include offering webcast funerals as well as partnering with local volunteer groups who, as ever, have been fantastic in their efforts to delivery community support.
Our play areas have all reopened in all areas of the borough.
Scientific advice suggests that the COVID 19 virus can survive for up to several days on some hard surfaces, and while the risks are reduced when outdoors, you must stay alert. While all practical measures have been put in place, the user of any play area does so at their own risk.
Please follow the below rules when visiting any play area:
- Children under 14 years only unless otherwise stated. Follow age restrictions on each site – these will be signposted.
- 1 adult family member to accompany 1 child
- Please follow social distancing guidance and be mindful of other users
- Please use one-way system where possible
- Use of hand sanitiser gel or wipes is advised when using the equipment, please bring your own as there are no provisions on site
- When using equipment do not touch your face
- Consumption of food and drink within play areas is not permitted
- Please use bins provided or take litter home
Fylde Coronavirus testing site FAQs
Currently there is only one testing site in Fylde and it is located on the Fairhaven Road car park near the beach terrace café. The full address is Fairhaven Road car park, South Promenade, Lytham St Annes, FY8 1NW.
The site will be set up from Monday 9th November and will be operational from Monday 16th November. We expect it to remain in place and operational for around 6 months, however this is subject to change.
The site has been chosen by the NHS and other partners, due to the fact it is a large, open space with relatively easy access and does not suffer with any flooding issues.
You can only get a free NHS test if at least one of the following applies:
- you have a high temperature
- you have a new, continuous cough
- you’ve lost your sense of smell or taste or it’s changed
- you’ve been asked to by a local council
- you’re taking part in a government pilot project
- you’ve been asked to by NHS Test & Trace
No, you must have pre-booked an appointment to attend the site. You can book an appointment either online at https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test, by calling 119, or through the app on your smart phone if you have downloaded this.
Download the NHS COVID-19 app here:
The site is a walk-through only facility.
Electricity generators are needed to power equipment at the site. Unfortunately, this is the only way the site can get power, and every effort has been made to ensure these are placed as far away from any residential homes as possible to minimise any disruption caused.
The testing site will run 24 hours a day with security on site, however testing will only take place from 8am-8pm. The site could be operational until 8:30pm to allow tests to be completed before closing.
The testing site has been chosen by the NHS and partners as it is far enough away from residential homes so that there is no increased risk to local residents from anyone visiting the site who goes on to test positive for coronavirus. People attending the site must follow government safety guidance including wearing a face mask at the site, unless they are exempt, adhering to all social distancing rules, and continuing to follow self-isolation rules outside of the test site. They will also be asked to immediately leave the site following their test.
Whilst every effort is made to control the amount of traffic around the area, there may well be times when traffic seems heavier than usual for the area. A strict number of tests can be booked though the appointment system, limiting the traffic to be expected. We will continue to monitor the traffic implications with support from Lancashire County Council.
You can contact us via email listening@fylde.gov.uk, on our social media pages on Facebook or Twitter, or via telephone 01253 658658; however please be aware that currently wait times can be longer than usual to speak to one of our advisors.
There is lots of directional signage to help you navigate the site, as well as staff present to guide you through the process whilst you are there.
The test involves taking a swab of the inside of your nose and the back of your throat, using a long cotton bud.
You can do the swab yourself (if you are aged 12 or over) or someone can do it for you.
Parents or guardians have to swab test children aged 11 or under.
Although we anticipate that predominantly it will be Fylde residents using the site, it will be available to our neighbouring towns and cities to access a test.
The site is owned and run by the NHS Track and Trace Service with little involvement from the Council other than providing the car park it is set up on. You can however contact us on the above details should you have any concerns and we can contact the organisers for a response.
You can book a test online, by downloading the NHS COVID-19 app or by calling 119.
Cemetery and Crematorium
Current government regulations allow members of the public to visit cemeteries and gardens of remembrance to pay their respects. Access to Lytham Park Cemetery and Garden of Remembrance is available on foot seven days a week. Access by vehicle is available at weekends (except if funerals are taking place). Please check our current opening times here.
The Cemetery and Garden of Remembrance at Lytham Park are open from 9am to 7pm seven days a week. However, it is necessary to have in place social distancing measures which include barriers and signage to separate those attending a funeral service and those visiting a grave or memorial.
One of the measures is to reserve the driveway for those attending a funeral service with each side of the driveway used alternately to separate mourners and employees attending different funerals. Unfortunately, the volume of funeral services has increased to an extent that the chapel maybe in operation seven days a week. Funerals can take place every 30 minutes therefore the driveway is reserved to enable social distancing between the different groups of mourners. People visiting graves and memorials are asked to park outside the main gates and only take as much time as necessary to prevent disruption to residents on Regent Avenue.
Parking on the driveway is permitted for people visiting the cemetery or garden of remembrance at weekends if funerals are not taking place.
Thank you for your support and co-operation. The council appreciates that is a difficult time that requires difficult decisions over sensitive matters and offers sincere apologies to anyone who is inconvenienced by the arrangements in response to the COVID 19 pandemic.
Taking into consideration the national guidelines the arrangements for cremations and burials at Lytham Park Cemetery are to allow no more than 10 mourners who should be CLOSE FAMILY OR HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS and in exceptional circumstances FAMILY FRIENDS. The number has been determined by the access, layout, space and facilities available at Lytham Park Cemetery as well as taking into consideration the council and funeral directors’ employees.
The procedure for the conduct of funerals at Lytham Park Cemetery during the COVID 19 lockdown period is:
- Mourners and funeral service employees arrive and wait at the gates
- When the hearse arrives, the Funeral Director greets the mourners and checks that numbers are within the safe capacity of the chapel
- If there are any excess mourners the restrictions are outlined and it is explained that they cannot attend the service, but it is available to be viewed online at home
- The cortege enters the grounds, cars park on the drive, the family members enter the chapel
- At the end of the service the cortege exits as normal and return to their vehicles as expediently as possible
Extra care must be taken to ensure mourners do not “interact” with the mourners arriving for each funeral almost every half hour during the COVID 19 pandemic. Services are alternately split on the driveway between left and right to keep mourners on opposite sides of the driveway preventing unnecessary contact. The funeral director will advise which side of the drive your cortege will be using.
It is the responsibility of vulnerable persons to identify themselves to others present in order to keep the required distance apart. The current toilet provision provides enough capacity to meet the new regulations with hand sanitisers provided by the funeral directors on the flower cart at the exit.
The council appreciates that is a difficult time that requires difficult decisions over sensitive matters and offers sincere apologies to anyone who is inconvenienced by the arrangements in response to the COVID 19 pandemic.
Families now have the option to share a live-stream video link so that friends and relatives can attend a service from the safety of their own homes during the coronavirus outbreak.
Please note this is a free service to try to assist those who cannot attend funeral services, and unfortunately, Fylde Council cannot guarantee the service or quality of stream on an individual’s device or connection. Technical support is not available, however we have provided some simple troubleshooting guidance at this link to assist all users.
We strongly advise anyone who wishes to attend virtually, tests the service ahead of time so that they can make any alternative arrangements should their device not support the service.
Alternatively, mourners in physical attendance are welcome to video the service via their own device and live-stream to their own social media channels, if they wish to.
We hope this service helps to offer some comfort during this challenging time.
Please visit this page to find out how to access the service.
Waste and Recycling
The refuse, recycling and green waste collection services are all operating as per normal in Fylde. If there is any change as a result of the COVID 19 measures or loss of resource due to illness this will be communicated to all households. It has only been possible to maintain normal operations because employees have been able to continue to attend work and other resources have been redeployed into the team. However, the demand for the service is also increasing with people rightly supporting the STAY HOME, SAVE LIVES instruction. You can help us keep the service operating the normal collections if you recycle more and reduce your general waste in the grey bin, the crews are not able to take additional side waste because the additional bag handling increases contamination risk, it isn’t easy with everyone at home but every little helps.
The council is having to make difficult choices based on priority need during the COVID 19 pandemic, the primary objective is to support the STAY ALERT, CONTROL THE VIRUS, SAVE LIVES instruction. Please accept our apologies if the changes during this period cause any inconvenience.
The crew members are not able to take additional waste even if it bagged next to the bins because of the additional contamination risk from handling bags. Waste contained in the bins prevents less risk and every effort is being made to reduce the risk so that the service can continue without disruption. It is difficult for the crew members and householders to manage waste effectively with the current household isolation. We would ask that you assist as mush as you can by maximizing the amount you can recycle and reducing the general waste that goes in your grey bin. Thank you for all your support on this.
The council is having to make difficult choices based on priority need during the COVID 19 pandemic, the primary objective is to support the STAY ALERT, CONTROL THE VIRUS, SAVE LIVES instruction, please accept our apologies if the changes during this period cause any inconvenience.
The latest information on the Lytham Recycling Centre can be found on the Lancashire County Council website here.
