Thanet council and Stagecoach suspend number of services due to Storm Eunice red alert

February 18, 2022 Kathy Bailes News 8

Weather warning Photo Carl Hudson

Thanet council’s Household Waste and Recycling service, Garden Waste service and Clinical Waste services have been suspended due to the red alert warning issued over Storm Eunice.

Thanet council is asking residents who have not received a collection to take their bins back into a sheltered place and then present them again tomorrow (February 19) for collection by 6am.

A number of other services are affected as a result of the warning:

Street Cleansing teams have also returned from their rounds this morning due to the weather conditions. The Street Cleansing service will resume tomorrow and the team will be on hand to pick up wind blown waste and recycling.

All public toilets have closed as of 10am and will not reopen until tomorrow morning.

All Open Spaces staff will cease their duties today.

The areas that normally receive a household waste collection on a Friday include Ramsgate, Pegwell, Minster and Monkton. Garden Waste collections normally take place in Margate today and this service will also be suspended.

Collections got underway at 6am and approximately 60% of properties will have received a collection. Properties that were missed have been rescheduled to take place tomorrow morning.

Clinical Waste customers will be contacted individually by the operations admin team or Customer Services team with more information and guidance.

Services provided at Thanet’s Gateway Plus have also been suspended.

The Visitor Information Centre in Margate will remain closed and will not reopen until tomorrow morning.

Thanet council says: “This decision has not been taken lightly but is necessary for the safety of our crews.”

The Severe Weather Emergency Protocol has also been activated by Thanet council. People can contact 01843 577277 for access to support for rough sleepers.

A red weather warning has been issued for the south east, including Kent, as Storm Eunice is expected to cause significant disruption due to extremely strong winds today (February18).

Extremely strong west to southwesterly winds will develop mid morning, transferring eastwards across southern and southeast England through the middle of the day then slowly easing from the west during the afternoon.

Gusts of 60-70 mph are likely widely, but the Met Office says wind gusts in the most exposed coastal areas could be in excess of 90mph, which would bring significant impacts for many and represent a danger to life. The red warning is in place between 10am and 3pm with an amber warning remaining in place up until 9pm.

Stagecoach services suspended

Bus operator Stagecoach has also suspended all its services in Kent and East Sussex between 10am and 2pm today.

A spokesman for Stagecoach said “Our first priority is for the safety and welfare of our customers and colleagues. In light of the most severe level of warning for significant disruption and dangerous conditions, we’ve decided to suspend bus services in Kent and East Sussex from 10am with the exception of some vital services from the major hospitals in the region.

“We’ve asked our drivers on the road to complete their journey and then head back to the depot, ensuring that anyone on board is taken to where they need to be.

“We expect to resume services again from 2pm today. We will be posting updates on our website and Twitter feed with the latest information and advice.”

 

UPDATE: All Southeastern services have been cancelled.

Due a large number of trees falling on the railway, Do Not Travel.

 

The company says: “Southeastern are in the process of closing our network. Southeastern can not guarantee that you’ll be able to complete your journey and replacement transport will not be available.”