Here is tonight's COVID-19 update from Cardiff Council, covering: a ‘how to' guide for using our recycling centres during lockdown; latest information for parents and carers ahead of schools reopening; and how the democratic process is continuing virtually.
How to use our Recycling Centres during the Coronavirus pandemic
Please see our top tips for before, during and after your visit to our Recycling Centres:
Before Your Visit
- You should only take your waste to a recycling centre if you cannot store it safely at home.
- Do not come to the Recycling Centres if you are in the vulnerable category, if you're shielding, if you're self-isolating or if you have any Coronavirus symptoms.
- You must book online before visiting. Please book a slot here:
https://www.cardiff.gov.uk/ENG/Your-Council/Strategies-plans-and-policies/Emergency-Planning-and-Resilience/coronavirus-information/waste-service-changes/recycling-centres/Pages/default.aspx - Do not bring any restricted items to the Recycling Centre. We are not accepting mixed bags of waste (black bags) or green recycling bags but can now accept larger items including TVs and computers / screens
- Please check what items you can bring to the sites before you visit on our Recycling A-Z:
https://www.cardiff.gov.uk/ENG/resident/Rubbish-and-recycling/A-Z-of-recycling/Pages/default.aspx - We're now taking booking for vans at the Recycling Centres. Vans will be able to come to the Recycling Centres from Monday 29thJune. Vans will have 20mins at the centre, restricted to 1 visit per month, maximum 12 visits per year. If you have a van and a car each visit will count towards the 12.
- Sort your items when you pack your items to save you time at the Recycling Centre.
- Only pack items which you can lift into the skips on your own. Our staff will not be able to assist you to unload.
- Bring your booking confirmation email and proof of Cardiff residency to show to staff.
- Use a real-time traffic app to check how busy the roads are near the Recycling Centres before you leave for your allocated timeslot.
During Your Visit
- Do not arrive on site until 5 minutes before your time slot.
- Each vehicle will be given a maximum of 10 minutes to offload on site.
- Expect longer waiting times than normal.
- Read all the signs to help you use the site safely and observe social distancing rules.
- Be patient and respectful to staff on site and follow their instructions - delays are beyond their control.
- You will be allocated a parking bay when you arrive. If a member of staff isn't available, please follow the traffic management signs to park your vehicle.
- Wear protective gloves and use hand sanitiser before and after you drop off items. Hand sanitiser will be available on-site.
- Only one person will be able to leave the vehicle to drop off waste and approach a skip at a time.
- Recycling centres are for the recycling ofhousehold waste only. We will investigate and take enforcement action against anyone suspected of using the sites to recycle material from commercial activity.
After Your Visit
- When you get home from the recycling centre you should wash your hands immediately for a minimum of 20 seconds in accordance with Government guidelines.
- Visits to recycling centres are currently limited to 12 per household, per year with no more than one visit on a single day. You should only book if you cannot store items safely at home without risk of injury or harm to your health.
For more information, including an extensive list of what you can and can't bring to the Recycling Centres, visit:
Information for parents/carers ahead of schools reopening
Schools across Wales will be re-opening to some pupils from Monday 29, June and we have put together some useful information, answering the questions that parents, carers or pupils may have.
Please visit our FAQs herehere to find out more about Health & Safety, attendance, the school day, catering & more.
Children and families have been asked to walk, cycle or scoot to school where possible and the Council is continuing to promote Active Travel as the safest and healthiest way to get to school.
When Active Travel is not possible, a series of new traffic schemes will be in place so that children and families can maintain social distancing safely.
27 schools sites will have road closures to facilitate social distancing at school drop-offs and picks up, meaning that children and families can utilise roads where needed.
Other measures will include the widening of pavements and pathways and the introduction of temporary 20mph limits on roads at some school sites.
For a full list of school road closures please visit here
As part of Cardiff Council's commitment to promoting and assisting active school travel, parents and children are being asked about the regular routes they take on foot or by scooter and bike to help plan the Active Travel Network Map.
To have your say and for more information please visit here
Join the conversation #ActiveTravelCDF
The Democratic Process Continues Virtually during Lockdown
During lockdown The Committee Services Team, part of Democratic Services, have set an excellent standard for Wales, working remotely to support the continuation of the democratic process by developing virtual Council, Cabinet, Scrutiny and Committee meetings and making these available online to the public via our webcast library.
The first remote Council meeting took place successfully using Microsoft Teams on Thursday 21stMay, with over 70 Members virtually attending the meeting.Today's Council meeting is being streamed live, with regular updates on Cardiff Council's Twitter feed. Cardiff's residents are encouraged to join the webcast or watch it back via ourwebcast librarywhere you can find an archive of Council meetings.
The hard work that has gone on behind the scenes to develop this has been phenomenal, enabling us to be one of the first Councils in Wales to get this off the ground in a timely manner. The adapted process has involved working with IT to ensure the platform is secure, updating and training Members on the modified process and carrying out rigorous tests to ensure it was a success.
The team also established the first remote Planning Committee and were the first in Wales to include the public, allowing people across Cardiff to engage in the meeting and the democratic process.
Alongside the local meetings, our colleagues set up Joint Committees regionally, such as the Glamorgan Archive which involved organising a virtual meeting for six local authorities across Wales.
Moving forward the team will continually review this process and are working towards making the meetings more conventional as lockdown measures continue to ease.
The team continue to show commitment in valuing the democratic process they support and will continue to promote and be champions of the governance for the Council.