It is great to see plans for some non-essential retail shops in high streets and shopping centres in Thurrock to reopen from Monday 15 June. We continue to work with businesses through the Reopening High Streets Safely Fund to ensure they can begin to trade again safely, kickstarting our economy and helping people get back into work.

Please be kind and considerate to those who are working hard to reopen shops and stick to current distancing guidelines.

Although measures continue to be relaxed in stages, life has changed drastically over the past few months and we must continue stay alert in the weeks to come. We have all worked hard to get to this stage and we must still take care of others as well as ourselves.

We have been receiving numerous reports of tape being taken down from play equipment and outdoor gyms. While outdoor sports courts have been reopened, play equipment and outdoor gyms remain closed for everyone’s safety and we urge you not to use these areas until it is safe to do so.

Take advantage of the open spaces in parks and private gardens to exercise and meet up in groups of up to six people from different households, as long as you stick to social distancing rules.

We all need to play our part in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic together. We must follow the latest guidance for everyone’s safety and remember to stay alert, control the virus and save lives.

High streets are set to reopen from Monday 15 June and we have been working with local businesses to ensure the safety of shoppers and retail staff.

Please continue to follow current social distancing guidance when travelling to or visiting our local shops. To control the risk of infection and shop safe, residents should:

• follow the signage and guidance in the high streets, shopping centres and shops
• keep a safe distance from one another
• wash your hands the moment you get home or arrive at work
• travel by bike or car and avoid public transport where possible
• you must wear a mask if using public transport

Additional signage has been installed in shopping areas to remind people to maintain safe distances.

Go to GOV.UK: Coronavirus (COVID-19) for the latest government information, including up-to-date advice and guidance for businesses that can open.

We continue to provide help and support to residents via our digital services so that our phone lines can be kept free for our most vulnerable residents.

You can access many services online:

• Apply for it
• Pay for it
• Report it
• Have my say

Although libraries are currently closed, you can still take advantage of what they have to offer online. During Hi VIS Fortnight (1-14 June) we've been championing and raising awareness of the range of library services and activities that visually impaired people can use. 

• access newspapers using PressReader and magazines using RBDigital – these digital tools also read out text
• take advantage of e-books and e-audio with BorrowBox
• we work with the British Wireless for the Blind Fund and to provide CD and MP3 players for talking books
• if you are registered blind or partially sighted, you can apply to the RNIB talking book service for their free books

Next week we will see our high streets begin to reopen as lockdown measures start to ease. A welcomed step that will help kickstart Thurrock’s economy as we are once again able to shop local.

The council is making the necessary changes to ensure our transport networks support the recovery and provide a lasting legacy that is safe and green.

We have been awarded funds through the Transport Restart Fund to help facilitate these changes and if successful, this will help to release further funding to deliver permanent and more robust walking and cycling measures.

When we get back to work or visit local shops we need to carry on cycling and walking. If you are unable to walk please travel by car and avoid the use of public transport. These steps will help us to #ShopSafe and enable social distancing. It is more important than ever that we do not get complacent.

Stay alert, control the virus, save lives.

We continue to work hard to keep Thurrock clean and tidy – this week a prolific fly-tipper from Corringham was forced to pay £1,460 and had their vehicle seized for fly-tipping after we received a number of reports from residents.

There are many ways that you can get rid of waste and recycling:

• regular kerbside collections
• the Linford Household Waste & Recycling Centre – currently this is for waste and recycling which cannot be stored safely at home. Social distancing rules are in place at the tip for safety including limiting the number of vehicles on site with a maximum of five cars allowed in at a time
• bulky waste collections – these collections can be booked online via My Account. We collect items such as household furniture, carpets, flooring, bundles of wood, and bags of rubble and garden waste. Charges are:
  • £30.90 for up to three items
  • a further £8.24 for each additional item

We want to keep Thurrock clean and over the past 12 months we have issued 249 fixed penalty notices to people who have illegally dumped rubbish in our borough. Help us by reporting fly-tipping online.

The A13 will be closed from 9pm today (Friday 12 June) until 5am on Monday (15 June) between the Orsett Cock roundabout and Stanford-le-Hope. Traffic will be diverted via the A1013 Stanford Road.

During the closure, access in and out of the Linford tip will be via through Buckingham Hill Road – Linford end only. The temporary one-way system around Buckingham Hill Road, Butts Lane and Waltons Hall Road will not be in place during these times and will be reinstated at 7.30am on Monday.

Visit thurrock.gov.uk/a13 and thurrock.gov.uk/hwrc for more information about measures put in place to help keep local traffic on the move.

Roadworks are also taking place between Stonehouse Lane roundabout and Dolphin Way roundabout in Purfleet. Traffic will be diverted via Arterial Road and Purfleet Bypass.

Essex County Fire & Rescue Service (ECFRS) education officers visit thousands of schoolchildren each year in Essex, and work with Essex Police to deliver fire safety and crime prevention advice in lessons and assemblies.

While schools are closed or in the process of phased reopening, ECFRS education officers have put their presentations and videos online so children can continue learning from the fire service and police.

You can access home fire safety activities for children and their home education hub for Key Stages One to Five online.