The Town Council has continued to operate through the Coronavirus outbreak -with office based staff working from home. Our Grounds Maintenance and Buildings Maintenance Teams have continued to look after the parks, open spaces, Oakwood Centre, Woodford Park Leisure Centre and community halls.
We are using this period while the buildings are closed to carry out maintenance works such as boiler repairs and servicing, decorating and general maintenance. We have also had the sports hall floor sanded, re-sealed and marked out ready for use when circumstances allow.
We have worked to ensure that the Council remains compliant in all areas including our finance and reporting responsibilities.
A number of staff have been furloughed where they are unable to work, and the Council is using the Government Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme in order to retain staff and limit the financial impact on the Council. Where staff are still at work we have implemented safety procedures to ensure their and the public’s safety.
We are following Government guidance closely and will continue to act accordingly.
Meetings of the Town Council Committees have been disrupted. However, systems were put in place immediately to ensure that important decisions could still be made in the appropriate way. The law has now been changed to allow us to use video conferencing software to hold virtual meetings, which we will be doing while social distancing and other measures are in place. The officers of the Council and your elected Councillors are continuing to work on your behalf throughout this difficult time.
We are making preparations for the reopening of our buildings when that time comes, to ensure public safety and try to maintain income where possible. The closure of the buildings and the social distancing measures that will be in place for some time will have a significant financial impact on the Council and we are doing everything we can to minimise this while continuing to provide our services to residents.
You can contact the Council in the normal way via email and our social media channels. We will continue to provide up to date information on our website, Facebook and Twitter pages and look forward to welcoming you back to our buildings when we can.
