Some like it hot

 

WSCC has advised that an AMBER Heat-Health Alert - (Hot weather response) has been issued for the South East and is in effect between 09/06/2023 at 09:00 and 12/06/2023 at 09:00. View the full warning at the Met Office Heat-Health Watch site. Please note that Heat-Health Alerts have transitioned to an impact based alerting, which will provide users with information over and above the fact that hot weather is likely to occur. Alerts are now classified by colours: (YELLOW, AMBER or RED). More information on this can be found on the Met Office website and via the User guide (New impact-based Weather-Health Alerting System)

The Air Pollution Forecast for West Sussex is currently - Moderate. Adults and children with lung problems, and adults with heart problems, who experience symptoms, should consider reducing strenuous physical activity, particularly outdoors, If you use a relieving inhaler ensure you have it to hand, otherwise enjoy your usual outdoor activities. The outlook is that Air pollution levels are likely to remain at Moderate levels due to the very warm, locally hot and humid conditions persisting into early next week. Scattered showers and thunderstorms reducing levels in places: -

• For more information on the Air Quality Index.

• For updates to the Air Pollution Forecast.

We have recently sought your views on social housing and our independent traders. You agreed we need to find more creative ways to deliver social housing, but not by further extending the outermost limits of places that have borne so much development, like Selsey. Housing comes under CDC, which is now administered by the Liberal Democrats, so we will be asking them what they intend to do and suggesting investigating the suitability of empty properties and Brownfield land. 

Most of you also agreed our independent traders need more recognition and support. This is welcome because since 2019 we have helped local businesses with things like grants, getting advice from CDC’s Economic Development Team, planning applications and expediting licences. The cost of living crisis is making trading harder for the four retail areas on the Peninsula, Selsey's High Street and East Beach, The Parade / Shore Road area of East Wittering and the lower part of Bracklesham Lane. We are lucky our team includes Val & Mick with their strong connections to East Beach, particularly the Fruit Basket, Steve who helps runs one of our District’s highly rated takeaways (according to TripAdvisor), Den’s Fish Bar in Selsey's High Street and Ian, whose wife runs a business in the High Street.

It may help our business readers to learn that at CDC, amongst other things, Donna is on Planning and Economic Development, Steve on Parking, and Val and myself on Licensing. If we can help, please get in touch. 

Donna is also on the Development Planning and Infrastructure Panel, which has proved very useful since we were first elected in 2019 because she was well placed to repeatedly press home the reasons why the Peninsula is no longer suitable for strategic consideration. She had her first meeting with its new membership on Wednesday afternoon, whilst in the evening Ian, Mick, Val, Mindy, Darren and Andrew had Planning at Selsey Town Council. This coming Wednesday is the first Sidlesham Parish Council since May, with Full STC the week after so if you live in a different parish you might want to check it's website as they probably are meeting soon too. 

Small and start-up businesses are being encouraged to apply for an Enabling Grant from CDC by June 29th. They are aimed at helping them improve their efficiency, maximise their potential for growth and help new businesses with start-up costs. As before, businesses can apply for one of the following two grants:

• Growth Projects: up to a maximum contribution of £2,000 from the council (50% match funded), or

• Start-up Awards: up to a maximum contribution of £500 from the council (non-match funded).

On Wednesday Donna has Planning at CDC which includes a couple of items from the Peninsula in Birdham and Sidlesham. You can watch it live here. 

Eighty years have passed since D Day. Less and less people are alive who remember that time, and memories will soon be consigned to books and media. Donna's father lived through two world wars and, afterwards, could never bring himself to even watch a film related to the war. He was in a 'protected profession,' and was a Home Guard but lost close friends during the D Day landings. My father was born in 1933 and remembers vividly the Canadian gliders being towed overhead as they flew across the South Coast above him towards Normandy. As Mick pointed out, on June 6th alone, 20,000 men lost their lives. We really must 'never forget'.

Last week was Carers Week. It's a week when we specifically acknowledge the enormous contribution made by our army of informal, unpaid Carers. Issues affecting carers are particularly important to Donna and myself, as she was an informal Carer and I helped as much as I could. The contribution they make to communities and society as a whole is immeasurable, and is the main reason why Donna was so pleased to take a seat on Health and Social Care at WSCC, this year. A massive thank you to our Carers who perform a largely invisible role. Remember to take care of yourself and don't hesitate to seek support.

Selsey is getting noticed by the media again: Surrey Live describe it as "The peaceful seaside town 1 hour from Surrey overshadowed by West Wittering beach." They go on to say it is "perfect for a bucket and spade holiday. Known for its crabs and lobsters and for its varied bird life, the long stretch of shingle stretches up the east side of the headland towards Pagham Harbour Reserve, and visitors will see Selsey-Bill promenade too." 

In brief: -

• Better transport week starts on June 12

• CDC are going paperless with on street parking. 

• A ‘cell-destroying’ sweetener used in drinks like Diet Coke and Red Bull may cause cancer.

• Our area has been named as a potential site for new underground energy plants.

• The Express believes West Wittering is “little known" even though many people I have met working inside the M25 love it and holidaying in Selsey

• Ofwat is worried about the “level of detail and accuracy” in the data water companies have submitted for their emerging plans for safeguarding water supplies should we have a drought.

A rather unsavoury issue, it is not always realised that boys and young men can be victims of sextortion, a form of blackmail where a perpetrator threatens to reveal  images of them online unless they give in to demands for money or further images. In the first three months of this year there were 66 reports made to Operation Signature relating to sextortion in West Sussex: 85% were people aged 29 and under, 89% of all victims were male and 86% of victims did not live alone.

If you care about our area and want to make a difference, you could help others think more widely about reducing, reusing and recycling waste. As a waste prevention volunteer, you’ll engage with a diverse range of people, demonstrating genuine commitment to protecting the environment with regards to waste prevention.

Finally: - 

• Suicide in Sussex

• Domestic Abuse

• Supporting You

• CDC Meetings

• WSCC

As always, from the whole Team, stay safe.

Tim