Missing the heat?
This week is an extended post because it includes emergency council contact information for over the Festive period and information on refuse collections, etc. Please remember the Level 3 Cold Weather Alert issued by the Met Office. Do take care of yourself, family and neighbours, especially if any of you are elderly or vulnerable. Keep checking news outlets in case there are further very cold spells.
Last Saturday was Small Business Saturday - and we certainly have some great ones on the Peninsula. When we spend a few pounds in a local shop or use a local business for something, we are helping support our residents and our local economy. If we don't use our local traders, we may lose them, so if you need something, maybe our local Independents can help.
On the day, Donna and I did our bit to help (with the marshalling for Selsey's second Christmas event.) Having seen our 4-week old grandson earlier that day, it was great to see so many children, parents and grandparents filling the shops that stayed open late especially, truly putting their community first.
I stayed at the barriers, but Donna moved around and posted afterwards, "Well, Selsey's second Christmas event has finished and thank you to our incredible community who supported Selsey's High Street Christmas 'do'. The Grinch was out doing 'grinch' like things and Elf on the Shelf was about. The queue for Father Christmas was right across the road which means lots of parents and young children will have been into our High Street shops looking for clues. Many thanks to Selsey Community Events and the volunteers who helped put a smile on so many little faces. It was hard to get pics because of the number of children but I managed a couple."
Donna and Val had another festive experience this week, as Donna also posted: “Lovely evening at the West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service and County Council Carol Service. The cathedral is such a beautiful building, and such a privilege to attend the service on behalf of our community. Thank you to Councillor Val Weller for attending with me when Selsey Town Council's Chair couldn't make it."
A reminder that the Little Launderette in Selsey are appealing for old dressing gowns so they can donate them to care homes to give to residents who have no family to help make them feel loved this Christmas. Please drop into them in the launderette High Street.
Another reminder that volunteers are needed to help WSCC run groups for Young Carers aged 11 to 16 in Crawley, Haywards Heath, Worthing, Bognor and Chichester one evening a week during term time. If you are interested to find out more, call Sussex Clubs for Young People on 01273 443563.
Keeping with welcome news, Selsey Town Council is supporting Donna's proposal to look at getting a Youth Council set up, as are Selsey's Academy, and West Sussex County Council. It is very important that our young people feel that they are being listened to; they can bring a much-needed additional dimension and perspective to Council planning.
This week, the government announced its intention to end the mandatory housing targets many of us have been so worried about. It remains to be seen exactly how this will play out, but hopefully, this will begin the end of unsustainable, inappropriate developments, and enable us to protect our environment more. 'Targets' will be advisory, and if councils can demonstrate unacceptable harm to an area's character, fewer homes can be built. Obviously, the devil will be in the detail.
Christmas is fast approaching so an increasing number of us are wondering if they might see any white stuff, however little, this year. As I commute over Goodwood and teach inside the M25, I am pretty certain I will see at least the smallest of dusting somewhere before winter is over, even if I don't do so by December 25th. I have already seen at least one gritter on the A3 as I travel home. This link will take you directly to the latest Met Office warnings.
The AA advise drivers to: -
Map out journeys in advance, and allow extra time.
Put a few handy essentials in your boot like a blanket, shovel and torch. Plus some extra snacks.
Take it slow – with stopping distances 10 times longer, gentle manoeuvres are the key to safe driving in ice and snow.
Check the grip on your tyres and see if you need to change to winter or all-season tyres for better grip in cold conditions.
To help your car battery last longer, turn off electrical loads like lights and wipers before starting the engine. And if it doesn’t start quickly, wait 30 seconds between attempts.
CDC has launched a pop-up shop scheme to help entrepreneurs and small businesses to trade in a high street location without the commitment or cost of a longer-term lease. People can apply to rent a council-owned shop in Crane Street, Chichester, for a minimum of four weeks and a maximum of eight weeks, giving them the chance to engage with customers and launch products and services. The retail unit costs £75 per week, plus VAT, which also covers rates and utility bills.
CDC is also spending £47,500 from a Government grant on a project with the social enterprise, Beam. This forms part of the council’s wider approach to reducing homelessness. As part of the year-long project, CDC will refer up to 20 clients to the organisation, which specialises in helping people who have experienced long-term issues with gaining employment.
CDC is also running its ‘Supporting You’ campaign which aims to highlight the support that is available for those who may be struggling with cost-of-living pressures at www.chichester.gov.uk/supportingyou. Its dedicated ‘Supporting You’ team is now in place, helping people access a wide range of assistance.
CDC has adjusted their Parking strategy. Research they commissioned compared data for 2019, 2020 and 2021, using a variety of information including transactions from pay display machines and through the MiPermit phone app; season ticket sales; and, entry and exit date from the barrier at the Avenue de Chartres multi-storey car park in Chichester. CDC owns and manages 31 car parks across our district, offering a maximum of 5,942 car parking spaces. Based on current forecasts, they anticipate that no additional spaces will be required, but will review this annually.
The strategy includes an action plan that details a variety of projects, including: -
Consideration of the release of around 120 car parking spaces in Chichester’s Cattle Market car park to create a permanent market / events space.
Introducing additional electric vehicle charging bays in car parks.
Carrying out a feasibility study for redesigning Northgate car park in Chichester to help improve its connection to the city centre and surrounding visitor attractions.
Carrying out a feasibility study of options for Bosham car park to help improve layout, traffic flow and make it a more welcoming area.
Reviewing parking payment options across all the district’s car parks to ensure they reflect customer needs and the latest technology.
CDC’s contact centre will be closed from 2pm on Friday 23 December, reopening on Tuesday 3 January 2023 at 9am. While it is closed, people will still be able to access a variety of services online.
If residents have a district council related emergency during this time, they should call the council’s ‘emergency out of hours’ number on 01243 785339.
Civil Enforcement Officers continue to work through the Christmas closure, however, the council’s parking administration office will be closed. Residents are advised to get in touch with Parking Services using online services, ahead of the closure to arrange permits for parking over the holidays. Digital services for season tickets, parking payments in car parks and some permits will remain available online.
Parking issues can be reported online.
As Christmas is about family, it seems right to conclude with advice on keeping your children safer online. The children’s media use and attitudes 2022 report revealed that YouTube was the most widely used platform of any type among children. Their research found that, overall, YouTube was the app or site used the most by children aged 3-17 (89%), ranging from 84% of 3-4s to nine in ten 5-17s. The majority used it to watch videos, although 13% used it to post their own videos – more likely among boys than girls; however YouTube also offers a dedicated app, aimed at children up to the age of 12, which is designed to allow them to consume content more safely - YouTube Kids. A minority of YouTube users aged 3-4 only used this dedicated app (40%), falling to 33% of YouTube users aged 5-7 and 18% of 8-11s.
You may have heard of a recent report that over a 5-day period, the Internet Watch Foundation found 896 cases of children as young as 7 coerced into making the most severe sexual abuse videos and images. Parents and carers can: -
Request the topic is highlighted as part of their schools safeguarding curriculum and any awareness session for parents/carers.
Teach the message that you never get changed or undressed on camera.
Use parental control settings on devices.
Consider the use of family agreements to start discussions about how to behave online and set clear expectations for your family about digital use.
The IWF is the only non-law enforcement body allowed to pro-actively search for this material, to block and remove it from the internet and pass details onto the police to protect victims. These latest findings all involved young children being coerced into generating abuse material from their homes...often while their parents were unaware in the house. The Online Safety Bill is currently passing through Parliament. When it finally comes into force, platforms will have a new 'duty of care' towards users, a raft of new protections including hopefully a 'know your user' principle and rigorous age verification for any platform likely to be accessed by children.
Finally: -
As always, from the whole Team, stay safe.
Tim
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