Good result?

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It was A Level results day this week, as I mentioned in our last post, and GCSE results this coming week; like us, I am sure you want to also wish GCSE students good luck with their results, and hope they allow them to 'follow their dreams' as well. 


Speaking of results, my return to driving instruction is over because my youngest daughter passed her driving test (first time) this week.


I learnt something new about our county this week - which is quite topical because the Government’s food tsar has said we must reduce meat intake to avoid climate breakdown: we have the first town in Europe to adopt a plant-based treaty. 


As the effects of the drought worsen, a local parish council have asked Portsmouth Water for a hosepipe ban. 


Public parks may never be the same again, reports the Local Government Chronicle. 


The prolonged hot weather has vastly reduced grass growth and prompted the cancellation of the fourth urban grass cut of the year in West Sussex. Staff from WSCC's grass cutting contractor will be redeployed to other highway-related tasks, including clearing overgrown vegetation. 


Walking has featured heavily in our recent blog posts,  so this week I thought I should mention cycling. The WSCC Cycle Journey Planner gives you turn-by-turn directions and maps, with three options to get the fastest, quietest or most balanced route; it also includes journey times, distances and how many calories you'll burn and an elevation profile showing how flat (or hilly) routes are.


A report in Auto Express has given me, a long distance commuter, pause for thought. A study of Welsh roads found that reducing the limit from 70mph to 50mph reduced poillutuion by up to 47 per cent. Highways England have cut limits to 60mph on motorways in four areas, in a trial that aims to measure the impact reduced speeds have on pollution.


With the sharp rise in fuel prices I changed my driving style last term, always taking the shortest route unless it took considerably longer and using the ETA in the morning as a way to slow down to 60mph on the A3 as much as possible. My unscientific finding was that this did not add more than a couple of minutes. 


Citizens Advice research suggests a, quarter of us won't be able to afford our energy bills when the price cap rises in October so if are interested in making savings, this article reveals the cost of the most expensive home appliances. 


There was also an interesting article this week about the roll out of a zero-interest loans scheme aimed at helping people who are struggling to put food on the table.


You might also want to read about a new nature-friendly farming initiative in the SDNP that is sowing the seeds for significant wildlife recovery in the coming years.


Ahead of the petitions,  you might find this Sky News article about utilities an interesting read. 


This week's first petition is a call to make learning about domestic abuse and coercive control mandatory in Sixth Form.


Secondly,  allow  women who have had primary breast cancer to be able to access regular scans without a GP referral.  


Lastly, following the news this week of further large outflows of sewage,  a call to renationalise the water industry. 


There is a less radical alternative to the above that calls on the Government to speed up its Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan 


You may have heard about a multi-agency operation launched to crackdown on shellfish being illegally harvested from Chichester Harbour. Potentially hazardous shellfish were seized this week as part of Operation Pearl following months of covert investigation to understand how the illegally harvested shellfish are reaching food businesses and consumers. CDC, Sussex Police, the Food Standards Agency, National Food Crime Unit, Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority, and the Gangmaster Labour Abuse Authority, work together to tackle suspected harvesters and any businesses taking this product. Shellfish that are not harvested from monitored areas may be unsafe for human consumption. They can carry E coli, norovirus or be contaminated with high levels of toxic chemicals.


Also remember that although our District's beaches are great, one part is closed because it has hidden ordnance. 


CDC is inviting community groups and parish councils to apply for funding to help support Ukrainian refugees in the District as part of a new grant scheme. They can bid for one-off grants of up to £1,000 per organisation to help refugees who have come to live in the District as part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme. The funding has been provided by WSCC, which is administering the Homes for Ukraine scheme in the county. WSCC receives £10,500 per guest from the Government, and up to £150,000 of this funding is now being issued to district and borough councils to fund community support.


Finally: - 


As always, from the whole Team, stay safe.


Tim

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