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  Welcome to this week’s blog - thanks for having a read. Last week we discussed the Sussex devolution bid. If you missed it: - The government is expected to decide quite quickly whether the 1.8 million residents of Sussex will be electing a mayor next year t o formulate regional strategy and oversee some public services like the police . In 2027 we would then elect new Unitaries: East Sussex could form one, part of our County could join with Brighton & Hove to form a second and the rest of us make a third (in which our District might have about a fifth of the Councillors.)  As the Leader and Leader of the Opposition of CDC, Adrian Moss and I have written to the Secretary of State  to express concern about whether there will be sufficient local consultation. This week Donna and Val had CDC’s Planning Committee on Wednesday, while in the evening Donna and I went to Sidlesham Parish Council. On Thursday, Donna had CDC’s Joint Employee Consultative Panel while Ian and I ...

  Wel come to our first blog of 2025 - we hope you enjoyed the festive break and have some happy, enduring memories to look back upon. Please take care in the cold weather and look out for the elderly, very young and people with medical conditions. . Just before Christmas the Government published its White Paper on English devolution, which follows a consultation last summer. Gareth found this helpful explanation about how regional strategy will be devolved to areas of 1.5 million people. A condition is they replace County and District councils with Unitary ones normally representing 500,000 people: existing smaller ones, like Brighton & Hove with 280,000 people, might have to enlarge.  You may have read that Donna, who leads the Green and Independent Group at WSCC, spoke at the decisive Cabinet meeting which agreed to jointly express interest with East Sussex and Brighton & Hove to be part of the Government’s priority programme. Together they have a combined popula...

Welcome to our last blog of 2024 - thank you to everyone who's made time for a read. Our first post of 2025 will be after the festivities, so don’t forget CDC has teamed up with St Wilfrid’s Hospice for their Christmas Tree Recycling Scheme and The Novium is running their annual Gonk Trail throughout December. You might also want to check your bin day on CDC’s website .  As usual, we are being urged to recycle more over Christmas and to only buy what we are going to use. Food-saving tips and waste minimisation advice can be found at:   www.westsussex.gov.uk/ThinkBeforeYouThrow . If you take the opportunity over Christmas to have a clear out of old electricals or clothes, it’s worth checking whether you are in the trial area to use the CDC’s free kerbside textile and small electrical collection service. To find out more and to book a collection, please visit www.chichester.gov.uk/textileandelectricalrecycling . This service now also includes used coffee pod recycling collec...

  Welcome to this weeks blog: thank you for sparing the time to have a read. The two most significant meetings this week both involved Donna: on Tuesday she Chaired CDC’s Overview and Scrutiny Meeting and today, Friday, she had Full WSCC. Next Wednesday is the first meeting of CDC’s Regeneration Board. As Leader of the Opposition, I am a Member but, as with other meetings like the Budget Review Group, there are often clashes with school: this week I have a Year 11 parents’ evening. CDC are fully aware of this so, as with the Budget Review Group, Donna will deputise for me. Watch CDC’s public meetings . Next week will be our last blog of 2024 so don’t forget until the 15th, the City has a programme of events in The Guildhall in Priory Park, CDC has teamed up with St Wilfrid’s Hospice for their Christmas Tree Recycling Scheme, Selsey Town Council’s Offices are an official donation point for the V2 Radio Christmas Toy Appeal, and The Novium is running their annual Gonk Trail thro...