Covid 19 test centre blocked by piled-up snow at Sutton

Piled-up snow blocking a carpark caused issues for people attending a Covid 19 testing centre at Sutton.
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The Lammas Leisure Centre, on Lammas Road, Sutton in Ashfield is closed for its usual purposes but its carpark is being used as a Covid 19 Mass Testing Centre.

When workers arrived at the site at 8am, snow was piled across the car park entrance and some people were turned away.

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An anonymous eyewitess contacted the Chad to say: “The council snow plough had dumped the snow in ridiculous places, right across the road and places. People couldn’t get in for their tests and the staff couldn’t get to their porta-cabin toilet facilities.

Lammas Leisure CentreLammas Leisure Centre
Lammas Leisure Centre

"The staff, bless them, they had to try and find some shovels and start digging to clear away the deep snow. The test centre didn’t actually manage to get running until after some time after 11am.

"The car park itself was very icy too, it’s well known for it, it was even more slippy than the icerink inside.”

Coun David Martin, Cabinet Member for Streets, Parks and Town Centres said “Due to the adverse weather conditions this week, our Environment Team has been at the Lammas Leisure Centre gritting and clearing the snow from the car park so the Covid-19 Mass Testing Unit could continue to operate.

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“The testing site generally runs as a drive through centre with residents attending in their cars.

“This week the site has been accepting walk-in appointments and we were made aware that some of the snow cleared was blocking walkways.

"We have been working closely with staff from the Mass Testing Unit and Lammas Leisure Centre and members of the Environment team attended the site to ensure that the issue was resolved quickly.

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“Despite a number of staff self-isolating or off ill, our teams are working flat out to provide all the essential front line services that we can. I would like to take this opportunity to once again thank the staff from across the Council who are volunteering for front line or different roles so that this can keep happening.

“We know the importance of having testing sites within the District and continue to work closely with the NHS to provide sites across the District.”

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.