July 25, 2025

 

Welcome to this week’s blog - as always, thanks for having a read. In particular thank you to the resident who asked for more detail about what is considered in our various meetings.

This week Donna had a sensitive case meeting on Tuesday so I popped into Selsey Town Hall to welcome June, the Town Council’s new Finance officer. On Wednesday Ian, Mick and Val had Selsey Town Council’s Planning committee, On Thursday Ali, Ian, Donna and I had our fortnightly catch up with Selsey Town Council’s Senior Team. Since joining STC's Personnel Committee, Ali has been keen to fully play her part and her presence is always appreciated. Councillors are a little bit like a board of directors: our authority is collective and our role is to set direction while officers research possibilities, carry out our decisions and keep things running on a day to day basis. n addition to operational pressures we looked at progress with over twenty other matters including the Warner’s Yard toilets refurbishment and Remembrance Sunday. 

You can watch meetings live: CDC and WSCC.

Don’t forget to share your views about the future of our councils by August 13 at: www.shapingwestsussex.org. The final proposals to replace West Sussex County Council and our District & Borough councils with a single-tier authority are explained. North Yorkshire is one of England’s largest such Councils and has 90 Members. Realistically, a. Council with over 100 Members would be quite unyieldy. Our District has 10 of the 70 West Sussex County Councillors and 36 District Councillors. Depending on its size, the new unitary may only have one to two Councillors per current County Councillor. That may influence your view on whether West Sussex would be better becoming a single unitary authority or split into two. If you are inclined towards the latter, the choice is whether Adur District (who have worked closely with Worthing Borough for several years) should stay with them, Arun District and our District or not.

Over time we all acquire ‘stuff’ and, as food is vital to our existence, several items might be in our kitchens. When I read this article I was surprised by how many different gadgets there are - see what you think: -

https://share.google/2YyGjA61XemF2uhYf 

West Sussex County Council has launched Skills Bootcamps to help people gain in-demand skills that local employers are actively seeking. They are funded by a £4.3 million grant from the Department for Education, are open to anyone aged 19 or over who lives or works in West Sussex, whether employed, unemployed or self-employed. The courses last up to 16 weeks and have a guaranteed job interview or career progression opportunity at their conclusion. Participants gain both technical and soft skills relevant to local industries, helping them secure employment, start an apprenticeship or advance their careers. Skills Bootcamps are designed to be inclusive and accessible, with tailored support available to help all learners succeed, regardless of their background or circumstances. The programme includes a wide range of courses, including Construction, Engineering, Creative & Digital, Tourism & Hospitality and Health & Social Care.

Finally: - 

• Selsey Sea Defences

• Report potholes

• Supporting You

• WSCC Meetings

• CDC Meetings

• STC Meetings

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As always, from the whole Team, stay safe.

Tim