March 27, 2026
Welcome to this week’s blog - as always, thanks for having a read.
Easter is a week away. Not long after, the campaign for the West Sussex County Council elections on Thursday May 7th, 2026 starts. To vote for Donna, our democratically chosen candidate who is standing for us in the Selsey division, you must be registered by 20th April 2026. The one thing Donna likes about campaigns is seeing other peoples’ gardens because gardening is a passion of hers. A public garden we and our grandsons are particularly fond of has been judged the third best in the UK: -
Today, Friday, Donna had the last Full West Sussex County Council before the local elections. Earlier this week, at Chichester District Council, on Monday our Independent colleague Tim Young had the Environment Panel which considered a report on dog control. On Tuesday, Donna and Steve had the pivotal Overview and Scrutiny Committee which she chairs and which included something we both care greatly about, a verbal update from West Sussex County Council regarding SEND Provisions. Donna was also there for the Grants and Concessions Panel which considered applications for rate relief, and update reports on the 3 Year Recurring Grants for Home-Start Chichester and Chichester and District Foodbank.
Nearer to home, at Selsey Town Council, on Monday Ian and I had the Digital Futures Group which planned the next steps in terms of moving to ‘the Cloud.’ The first phase is focussed heavily on the introduction of Assertion 10 to the legally-required Annual Governance and Audit Return. Longer running residents will be aware that the Council has successfully passed this each year of our tenure (since 2019) and met the expected governance and auditory requirements. On Wednesday evening, Mick, Val, Ian and Andrew had STC’s Planning Committee.
You can watch meetings live: CDC and WSCC.
Ali has kindly crunched Selsey’s Council Tax bill and calculated that after the first month, the Band D total increase is £11 per month for the other nine: 2526’s ten payments were 1 x £242.46 and 9 x £241.00, £2411.46 total; 2627’s are 1 x £256.40 and 9 x £252.00, £2524.40 total.
The Government has announced they will run a further consultation on Unitary proposals for Sussex after the local elections: firstly seeking views on moving our District into a unitary with Crawley Borough Council, Horsham District Council and Mid Sussex District Council. Leaving a second unitary in West Sussex comprising Arun District Council, Adur District Council and Worthing Borough Council. Secondly seeking views on moving wards in Falmer, Peacehaven and Saltdean from Lewes District Council to Brighton & Hove City Council. A decision is expected in the summer so elections to the new shadow unitary authorities will take place in May 2027 preparing for the new authorities to formally launch in April 2028. As regular readers know, at that point we will no longer have either County or District Councillors: we think each current County Division will have just one, maybe two, Unitary Councillors instead.
Finally: -
As always, from the whole Team, stay safe.
Tim
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