Current lockdown rules will change again on Monday (29 March) when six people or two households will be allowed to socialise outdoors.
This easing coincides with warmer spring days ahead, the clocks going forward this weekend to give an extra hour of daylight in the evenings, and the upcoming Easter weekend.
This week marks the one year anniversary of when the country entered its first national lockdown to stop the spread of coronavirus.
The nature of the pandemic and impact of restrictions has been different for everyone, whether you were furloughed from work, home schooling children, an NHS worker saving lives or a critical worker keeping essential services going.
There are three weeks left to claim the early-bird discount for the new garden waste collection service in North Somerset.
A new annual charge of £50 per bin is coming next month and more than 28,000 households in the area have already signed up.
We understand that signing up to the new garden waste service has not been easy for everyone.
As a result of these initial teething problems, the early-bird discount deadline has been extended until Friday 16 April.
This means you can get a 10 per cent discount off the annual collection cost for one bin.
If you have experienced problems when trying to sign up online, please try again now. You do not need to enter a password or use MyAccount.
If you receive a discount on your council tax you will also get a reduced-price garden waste collection service this year.
The percentage of discount applied will be the same as the percentage reduction on your council tax and will be calculated automatically based on your address.
The council’s telephone lines have been extremely busy due to the exceptionally high volumes of calls we’re receiving, so sign up on the website if you can as that’s the quickest option.
If you are signing up for a relative, neighbour or friend please do this online as a separate transaction using their address, so that any discounts they are entitled to are automatically applied.
Garden waste collections will continue as normal at the beginning of April in case people who’ve registered haven’t received their permits by then.
Remember, home composting is the cheapest and most environmentally-friendly way of dealing with your garden waste.
As part of the new service, more than 2,200 compost bins have already been ordered by residents.
Online courses are available to help people get started.
Three additional dates have been added:
Wednesday 7 April – 1.30-2.30pm
Thursday 8 April – 8-9pm
Monday 12 April – 1-2pm
Book a place by emailing gardenwaste@n-somerset.gov.uk
For more information or to order a discounted 220-litre black compost bin, made from 100 per cent recycled plastic, for just £10, email gardenwaste@n-somerset.gov.uk
Any unwanted garden waste bins will not be collected straight away but the council will let residents know how to do this later in the year.
Young children in North Somerset are learning a love of language through rhyme and song thanks to a new poetry project.
The Poetry Basket project launched last year in North Somerset in partnership with MakeBelieveArts as a way to engage children with their language and development in a fun and highly effective way.
Bus timetables in North Somerset have had a radical redesign to give local people more options to travel sustainably.
People’s travel habits have changed hugely over the past year with more people working from home than ever before.
Some households have also reduced car ownership, so there’s a real opportunity to get more people travelling sustainably by bus as lockdown restrictions are eased.
Do you want to vote and have your voice heard in the upcoming election?
On Thursday 6 May you’ll be able to have your say on who will be the new Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for the Avon and Somerset area.
Has Covid has made you re-assess your career choice or work-life balance?
If you’re looking for a new career which you can do from home while making a difference to society, then fostering could be for you.
Redundancies have risen across in the local area because of the effects of the pandemic – but help is at hand for job seekers.
According to recent statistics, there are nearly 20,000 residents in North Somerset currently seeking work or looking to train in a new area.
Driving an electric vehicle in the future could be right up your street.
Owning an electric vehicle (EV) means you can cut your carbon emissions while still having the freedom to get around, but many residents are put off from buying one if there is nowhere to charge it near home.
Are you looking for a career change and have a passion for protecting and working with children?
Step Up To Social Work is a government-funded programme which enables graduates without a social work degree to qualify as a social worker on a fast-track course.
