Fuel shortage - Maidenhead News

Petrol available in some stations this morning (Save Grenfell Road, Esso Braywick roundabout), but ran out during the day. None left this evening. Petrol stations added to the business directory including telephone numbers and maps.

Sainsbury's in town reports heavy trading, and plans for a ration on bread tomorrow morning to prevent running out quickly - as they did this morning.

The blockade of UK fuel processing plants has hit the Maidenhead area and caused a shortage of motor fuel. It is believed that every filling station in the area is now out of all types of fuel.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead issued a press release on Tuesday afternoon:

FUEL CRISIS - ESSENTIAL SERVICES GIVEN DIESEL PRIORITY

The Royal Borough has activated contingency plans to ensure that its priority services can continue during the current national fuel crisis - and a number of non essential services will be suspended from this evening (Tuesday).

Crucial services such as social services home care, particularly the rapid response team (which goes into action to provide short term essential support in people's own homes) and waste collection will be given top priority use of central diesel supplies.

The council has also succeeded in hiring 15 diesel-powered vans and cars, which will be allocated to home carers and other essential service staff to ensure that vulnerable people in the community will still receive the help they need.

Non essential courier services between council buildings, schools and libraries have been axed to free up an additional three diesel vans for social services and other priority uses.

To conserve precious supplies of diesel, several non urgent services have been suspended from tonight, including:
· Container library
· Grass cutting and other horticultural services
· Recycling collection - however residents should continue to keep their recycling materials separate ready for when collections resume
· Low level road maintenance
· Non essential site visits by highways and planning staff

Contact has been made with all the bus operators who provide home to school transport and they have given the assurance that services will continue to run for the remainder of this week.

The council is also in close contact with taxi companies who transport children to and from school on a daily basis and they have been instructed not to collect children from their homes unless they are absolutely certain they have enough fuel to collect them again at the end of the day.

Urgent information on transport is being sent to schools this afternoon and there will be daily contact to monitor the overall situation, particularly with regard to staffing levels and the overall safety and welfare of pupils.

Contingency plans have been put in place to ensure council offices continue to be staffed at all normal times. Staff are being encouraged to use public transport wherever possible or find ways of joining with colleagues to travel to work together in groups rather than singly in private cars. If the crisis deepens managers will support their staff to work from home, using telephone and e-mail to maintain contact.

Contingency planning meetings are now being held on a daily basis in the Town Hall to keep the situation under review and to respond quickly to any changes in the local situation.

Royal Borough residents who have queries about their council services should telephone their normal point of contact or the council's main switchboard on 01628 798888.

Contacts:
Roger Tuffley, director of planning and environment - tel: 01628 696140
David Perkins, operations manager - tel: 01628 796860