HU12 Online at www.hu12.net

SINCE 4th OCTOBER 2011 this website has been replaced by the new HU12 Online website at www.hu12.net.

The new website will be able to better serve our purpose of providing local news, views and opinions of relevance to the communities and area covered by the HU12 postal code.

Visit: HU12 Online at www.hu12.net

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Rural Community Council Annual General Meeting in November 2011

HUMBER AND WOLDS Rural Community Council (HWRCC) is holding its Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 2nd November 2011.

The event, which takes place at the Goxhill Memorial Hall from 1pm - 3pm (registration from 12.30pm) will be an opportunity for visitors to find out more about HWRCC's work across the region.

HWRCC is an independent charity and one of 38 Rural Community Councils across England and Wales. It works to improve the sustainability of rural communities in the East Riding of Yorkshire and offers infrastructure advice and support to rural community organisations.

Registration will be from 12.30pm.

Please contacts karen.weeks@hwrcc.org.uk or joanne.greenfield@hwrcc.org.uk to book your place by 24th October 2011 on e-mail or telephone 01430 430904.

Find out more at www.hwrcc.org.uk

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Try out East Riding Council’s new website

New website - "great improvement"

THE NEW WEBSITE for the East Riding of Yorkshire Council is available to preview at http://preview.eastriding.gov.uk/welcome/

Using a new format of ASK, DO and FIND the new website certainly seems easier to navigate than the existing one (which is still up and running as normal during the preview period).

HU12 looked for information on a specific Council Committee, for Hedon Library, our local councillors and we searched for a map of the South West Holderness Ward. We found the first three pieces of information in four clicks - the Ward Map, however, could not be found within the limits of the preview site.

ASK is your starting point. You should be able to find what you are looking for through clicking on one of the frequently asked questions. If not, then you can do a more detailed search through Browse our site menu which lets you search through 7 popular headings. You can opt to go straight to FIND  - which uses an A - Z search facility first, but unless you are very clear on which heading letter to use then you could be searching for some time. You can also use a Sitemap search which lists useful services under the 7 headings. The DO part of the site is the action orientated part of the website - here you can Pay, Apply, Book or Report.

The MyEastriding feature is particularly useful and accessed through entering your post-code. After clicking on your address from the list which conveniently pops up, you are then presented with a page listing more local options. You can search for your local facilities (including Hedon Library and local councillors contact details), and you can report any local issues directly online without visiting the DO part of the website. There is also a useful search facility in conjunction with NHS Choices which allows you to search for local GPs and dentists.

In short, the Council's new website - in this Previewer's opinion - is a great improvement on the old one! Please note: The Council is keen to let previewers know that test site is not complete. Some pages, information and documents may be missing and some buttons may not work at the moment.

Preview at: http://preview.eastriding.gov.uk/welcome/

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Autumn Family Learning Opportunities

AWESOME AUTUMN ACTIVITIES taking place at South Holderness and Withernsea Adult Education Centres in October 2011 include Families Online, Magic Movie Makers and the return of the popular Family Cupcake Creations:

Autumn Family Learning Activities

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If a toxic gas alarm sounded now...?

Harmless water vapour from Saltend

IF YOU HEARD the Toxic Alarm from Saltend Chemicals Park sounding off now... what would you do? This is the question that residents living in the proximity of Saltend should ask themselves and ask their neighbours:

You are out shopping in Hedon Town Centre; you are at a bus stop waiting for a bus; you are driving into Hull or on the way home after dropping the children off at school... when you hear the siren from Saltend begin to wail!

Sounding like a World War II siren, the sound is familiar enough to send the proverbial shiver down your spine. Your first reaction is likely to be "Is it a Test?", and if you can get within sight-line of Saltend, your eyes would probably turn towards the distinctive landscape of towers and chimneys. Is there any sign that anything is wrong?  Is there a distinctive cloud of poisonous, toxic gases visible? 
It might not necessarily be the case that vapours you see  - if you can see any at all - from the site are poisonous. The atmospheric conditions around the site quite often creates dramatic subjects for local photographers and these vapours are quite harmless.

You ask people around you if they are aware of a test taking place - everybody else is experiencing the same quandary: Is it real or a test? Should we head off back home, pick the kids up, shelter in the nearest shop.....???

In the event of an actual toxic gas release and the sounding of one of the five emergency sirens from Saltend, then the above scenario of confusion will probably be experienced by the majority of people hearing any toxic alarm alert. Rather than decisive action a state of uncertainty would exist. Yet the advice from the five major companies based at the Saltend Chemical Parks is clear and unequivocal. It was published in a booklet Major Emergency Advice booklet that was distributed to residents locally in May 2010 (do you still have yours?):

You should GO IN, STAY IN, TUNE IN and wait for the ALL CLEAR. 

GO IN doors. Do not collect your children from school, they will be properly cared for;

STAY IN and switch off ventilation fans, air conditioning units and all sources of ignition including gas and electrical heating appliances. Block incoming draughts and close windows. Do not light matches or naked flames. Do not smoke. Stay calm and rest;

TUNE IN to a local radio station; BBC Radio Humberside on 95.9 FM or 1485 AM, KCFM on 99.8 FM, Viking FM on 96.9 FM, MAGIC 1161 AM or GALAXY on 105.8 AM and follow the instructions given. Do not use the phone to contact the companies, keep their lines free for emergency use;

ALL CLEAR. Wait inside until the all clear is given or you are given other advice. Messages giving the all clear will be issued by the Emergency Services, Company Representatives or local radio.

At the time of publishing this in 2010, the Hedon Blog asked:

"DO YOU FEEL RE-ASSURED BY THIS BOOKLET? CAN YOU HEAR THE TEST ALARMS? WOULD YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO IF AN ALARM SOUNDED NOW?"

In light of a minor release of non-toxic vapour from Saltend on Monday 26th September 2011, and calls from concerned workers that the toxic alarm should have been sounded, then perhaps we need to re-visit the Major Emergency Advice booklet - and ask some pertinent questions: In the light of a major release of toxic vapours from Saltend - then are we really prepared?

PhotoSaltend: Andy Beecroft

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