Vaccination centres shut, schools closed & call to look after pets in snow
A yellow weather warning of snow is still in place across Essex
Last updated 9th Feb 2021
Vaccination centres remain shut, schools are closed and RSPCA call for us to look after pets in snow across Essex.
A number of large-scale vaccination hubs in the county are staying shut today (9th Februay) because of Storm Darcy.
The sites at Clacton Hospital and the Jobserve Community Stadium in Colchester will be closed.
It's as we're expecting more snow later today.
A number of CCG vaccination hubs remain open though:
School closures
A number of schools in North Essex will also be staying shut due to weather conditions.
You can find the full list from Essex County Council here.
Bin Collections
We've also heard from Colchester Borough Council who say the recycling and rubbish collection service this week has been disrupted.
Council rubbish and recycling vehicles will continue to be deployed and will attempt collections where it is safe to do so.
However, current road and footway conditions, particularly on minor roads, housing estates and rural areas are making it impossible for the large HGV refuse vehicles and their crews to operate safely.
Continued freezing weather is forecast for the rest of the week, so it is unlikely that conditions will improve to levels that will enable a return to a full and comprehensive service. As such, a very limited service is likely to operate for the rest of this week.
Householders should put out their bins and containers on their scheduled collection days as normal.
If no collection service is provided by 5.30pm on that day, then they should take them back to their property until the following scheduled collection day.
- If you are on a Blue Week w/c 8 February: re-present your bins and containers on your next Blue Week (w/c 22 February).
- If you are on a Green Week w/c 8 February: re-present your bins and containers on your next Green Week (w/c 22 February).
Residents are asked not to call the council’s contact centre if their bin/containers are not collected and will not be able to report a missed bin on its website. The council will have a note of all properties it has been unable to collect from.
Cllr Martin Goss, Colchester Borough Council Portfolio Holder for Waste, Environment and Transportation, said:
“Every effort will be made to provide households with a collection of rubbish and recycling on their scheduled collection day.
“I understand any frustration that residents may have, but the weather has left us with no choice. Conditions will be reassessed daily, and adjustments made to collection schedules to ensure that services are provided safely.
“We ask residents to bear with us over the next few weeks.”
In the meantime, residents are asked to reduce and recycle their rubbish as much as they possibly can.
Metal cans, glass bottles and jars can all go in the green boxes (separate your glass and cans where possible). Paper and plastics can be recycled using clear bags (separate paper and plastics). Please continue to use food waste caddy’s for as long as possible.
Residents are asked to help pass this message on to friends, family and neighbours in Colchester.
The council will continue to monitor the weather conditions over the coming days and will update and advise further.
The council’s Bulky Waste collections are continuing where it is safe for crews to do so. Residents will be contacted if the council is unable to collect as planned.
Public transport
Even though there wasn't much snowfall overnight we have heard from Ipswich Buses who say they will be running a limited service on some routes due to the icy conditions.
- Colchester Town Services – Normal Tuesday Service from 09:00
- There are also problems on the trains this morning.
- Greater Anglia has suspended its service between Manningtree and Harwich Town due to a points failure.
- The train service has also reported problems on a Colchester line:
Met Office advice
- Essex has a yellow weather warning of snow in place until midnight tomorrow (10th February).
What can we expect:
Frequent snow showers may lead to travel disruption in places. Some places are likely to miss the showers altogether.
Some roads and railways likely to be affected with longer journey times by road, bus and train services. Small chance of longer travel delays in places with some stranded vehicles and passengers, along with delayed or cancelled rail and air travel.
Some injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces
Probably some icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths
There is a slight chance that some rural communities could become cut off
There is a small chance that power cuts will occur and other services, such as mobile phone coverage, may be affected