April 5, 2024

 

Welcome once again to this week's blog. As always, thank you for sparing the time to have a read. 

Five years ago today, Localism reached the Peninsula when we revealed our existence as we began our first Local Alliance election campaign. Appropriately, nominations closed a short while ago in the election on May 2 for the vacancy in Selsey North for Selsey Town Council, caused by Patrick’s unexpected passing. Our candidate, Gareth Gofton-Dann, is a lifelong Selsey resident and, amongst other things, could be continuing a family tradition as his father Tony was once a Town Councillor too. This week we have been finalising campaign materials, including this video, because it won't be that long before the team is on the delivery trail once more. Ali has kindly taken over Patrick's patch so please say hello if you see her in Selsey North. 

The meeting of most interest this week was my regular catch-up with Senior Officers at CDC because It included the new policy for the use of CDC car parks which comes before their Cabinet on April 16th, as well as an update on temporary accommodation, implications of the Spring Budget for CDC and High Street regeneration. (You can watch all public CDC meetings here and WSCC here.) The Manhood Classics situation arose from CDC not knowing they were using East Beach car park in Selsey for publicly advertised meetings, until they received a complaint. We have been working to resolve this since December, and succeeded in getting the affected parishes, which include Selsey Town Council, consulted by Officers, and early sight of the draft.

However, based on social media response, Mick and Val have been doing something of even greater interest to residents, Selsey’s Christmas lights. Mike was a little under the weather so could not join them, but work is well underway mending and preparing the lights for next Christmas. Each illuminated fixture has several bulbs in it with attendant wiring and connectors, all of which are continuously exposed to winter weather conditions for a good month and understandably suffer accordingly. 

We mentioned last week that many more residents can now benefit from warmer homes that are cheaper to run, following a change to the eligibility criteria of the Home Upgrade grant scheme. The maximum income threshold has been increased to £36,000 a year, expanding the eligible pool of households who can access free energy saving upgrades by nearly 20%. If the household income is under this amount and the home does not use a gas boiler as the main heating system, residents can apply to receive free insulation, air source heat pumps, solar panels, and more. The scheme is open until November with applications processed on a first come-first served basis. This grant scheme is available thanks to funding from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero following a successful bid by a group of 23 local authorities, which included CDC. The funding is accessible through the Warmer Homes Programme, which is currently open to applications, and is linked at the end of our blog each week.

We also mentioned that WSCC is calling for people to share their experiences and observations of nature and wildlife in Sussex as part of a new, nation-wide initiative to address declining habitats and species. Residents will be asked what aspects of nature and wildlife are important to them and what changes they have noticed locally which will help inform the Local Nature Recovery Strategies being developed for Sussex. Sussex is fortunate to be home to many iconic and wondrous wildlife species, and some of the rarest natural habitats in the world. But nature is in trouble with one in six UK species at risk of extinction. Urgent, locally coordinated efforts are needed to reverse this decline. Local Nature Recovery Strategies are a new initiative being rolled out across England to address the problem. Two strategies are being developed by the county councils, one covering West Sussex and another for East Sussex and Brighton & Hove. The easiest way to get involved is to complete the residents' survey which closes on 30 June and asks questions about how and where people connect with nature, the habitats or species they value, any changes they've noticed, and any wider benefits they'd like to see in their local area.

Sewage is a concern for many of us. Did you know that a local river, which we have mentioned before, was pumped with 273 days of non-stop waste last year? This is against a backdrop of a seventh of the devices meant to record outflows not working. If sewage is of concern to you, you might find this postcode tool helpful. 

A couple of other interesting reads come from The Independent which places Petworth House first in its choice of five of the UK's best spring walks and The Guardian who reveal that the cost of living crises and sustainability concerns mean that secondhand clothing is on track to take a tenth of global fashion sales. If longevity and health are important to you, this additional read about diet and cancer is included just for you. 

An incentive to not drive into Chichester might lie in the likelihood of your car being stolen - by Council ward, Chichester Central is joint third in terms of unsolved vehicle crimes. CCTV is of course one of the weapons used in the fight against vehicle and wider crime. CDC is upgrading the street cameras in Selsey to 4G and 5G wireless for enhanced surveillance and security measures. The upgraded cameras will enable better monitoring of public spaces, helping to deter crime and ensure the wellbeing of our residents. STC part funds this initiative because of their commitment to investing in the safety and security of the community. CDC will be upgrading cameras by the Fire Station, The Neptune, the junction of West Street and the junction of Church Road but removing the camera in East Street Car Park.

Nature enthusiasts are being invited to help capture the stunning landscapes and diverse wildlife at the RSPB Medmerry Nature Reserve, as part of an exclusive series of creative workshops. This programme of free events is open to all ages and abilities and is part of a Culture Spark community art exhibition at the reserve. As part of the events programme, there will be a unique opportunity for experienced and budding photographers to explore the reserve during two free ‘naturewalk’ workshops. These photography sessions will be run by award-winning photographer Jakub Bors and will take place on Saturday 13 April between 10am and 1pm, and Sunday 12 May between 2pm-5pm. All types of equipment are welcome, including digital cameras and mobile phones.

People are also invited to attend a special sculpture workshop on Saturday 27 April, offering the opportunity for their sculptures to be part of a temporary installation at RSPB Medmerry. The workshop will take place from 10am to 1pm at the RSPB Pagham visitor centre. Participants can opt to: create small individual swallow sculptures with willow; cover a pre-made willow sculpture with tissue paper and decorate it; or simply decorate a pre-made and prepared swallow sculpture. These creations can then either be part of the community installation or participants can take them home with them. At the Earnley Viewpoint, Two Circles Design will be creating a sculpture that reflects the surrounding environment. Easton Viewpoint will showcase a soundscape created by Splodge Design, which will capture the sounds and stories about the reserve. Finally, at the Breach Viewpoint, Jakub Bors has designed a structure that will also act as a place for residents and visitors to rest their mobile phones while they capture photos of The Breach.

WSCC is reinforcing its ongoing support for people who care for family members, friends, and neighbours with a new five-year contract to offer them information, guidance, and emotional help. The contract, which began on 1 April, has been awarded to Carers Support West Sussex, a local charity with expertise and specialist knowledge in supporting unpaid carers. 

The county-wide service will provide a dedicated Carers’ Helpline, carer support groups and a dedicated specialist service to young adult carers aged 18 to 25. It will offer access to Carer Wellbeing Workers who can provide information, help and guidance and enable carers to be identified as early as possible in their caring journey. Carers will also be able to receive support from Carer Assessors and Welfare Benefits’ Advisors over the telephone or at seven local hubs, at five acute hospital and eight community hospital sites in West Sussex and at East Surrey Hospital, which is managed by Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust. The contract is for five years, with an option to extend it further up to a maximum of seven years.

Visit the Carers Support West Sussex Carers Hub to find out about the help you can access if you are a carer who provides unpaid support to someone who couldn’t manage without your help because of old age, a disability, an illness, mental health problems or an addiction.

Finally: - 

• Report potholes to WSCC

• Housing Health & Safety

• Warmer Homes UK

• Suicide in Sussex

• Domestic Abuse

• Supporting You

• WSCC Meetings

• CDC Meetings

As always, from the whole Team, stay safe.

Tim