What a Walk!!!
Please tell others, if you feel able, that you now need Photo ID to vote.
Have you caught Clarkson’s Farm on Amazon Prime? Clarkson bought a farm with a tenant in 2008, but in 2019 tried running it himself as part of an Amazon series. This proved so popular that he has run into problems with his Local Council because thousands of people try to visit his farm shop, causing long traffic queues. Pictures of them remind me of the A27 and the Peninsula’s roads (during the Summer.) I am thankful we do not have a celebrity ‘setting up shop’ here as we just can not cope with any more traffic. It is also a relief that our repeatedly pointing out the traffic situation on our local roads since our election in 2019 has helped it finally be realised that Selsey and most of the Peninsula should not have a target for new house numbers.
There is also a live consultation about developing an Acute Stroke Centre at St Richard’s
WSCC is running a free 1 hour webinar on Courier and Impersonation Fraud on 15th March 10am-11am. This is currently the highest reported fraud in West Sussex. Fraudsters contact victims by telephone, claiming to be a police officer or bank official, duping individuals into handing over money or valuables to criminals posing as couriers who are sent directly to their home.
Sextortion' sadly is also on the rise. It is a form of blackmail where a threat is made to publish sexual information, photos or videos of an individual (to extort money or make the victim do something against their will.) Young people are often targeted via dating apps, social media or webcams. Criminals will befriend a young person online, manipulating them into sending images and will then threaten to publish it online or share it with friends and family.
To avoid falling victim to this, set all social media accounts to private, never send anything to anyone you do not know, and do not open attachments from unknown sources.You should also turn off your electronic devices and web cameras when not in use, be wary of unknown users online who try to move the conversation to another platform very quickly and of new online connections who send unsolicited images.
If you are a victim, don't panic and don't pay up: screenshot the evidence then report it to social media companies and the police: -
Last week was Half Term so we wish to thank Full Up in Selsey who opened Monday - Friday to make sure there was a meals provision for local children. The team and I also wish to thank all of you who greeted us warmly as we pounded the pavements and delivered our first newsletter of 2023 with an insert, drawing attention to the new photo ID requirement when voting in person. Whatever the rights / wrongs of this, the Government’s insistence to introduce it so quickly has raised eyebrows beyond our District - with some councils wanting longer to allow the teams of election officials to make sure it was introduced smoothly and fairly.
I enjoyed getting out delivering this week because as I bumped into many familiar faces I almost felt I was catching up with old friends - Mick and Val found that too. In fact, earlier today, I had a positive discussion with a resident walking their dog who stopped me to raise a concern and at the end of our discussion thanked me for my honesty.
Whilst I was out earlier, Donna had Full WSCC, which ran from 10:30 this morning until around 5.30pm this afternoon. Whilst munching the sandwich she took with her (unlike most Members she does not want a free lunch at taxpayers expense), she posted this: “Budget meeting today. It's at meetings like this that I'm glad I sit as an independent and have no need to make impassioned, nationally driven, political speeches! Amendments coming forward from opposition Groups, however, further recognise the importance of our voluntary sector in the delivery of help with social issues. I support this, as the statutory sector can no longer deliver all that is required. Added to which, our communities are strengthened and become more resilient when they are empowered in this way.”
This week has seen the resignation of another elected female, Nicola Sturgeon. Whatever your view of her, a perspective from Rosie Campbell, professor of politics and director of the Global Institute of Leadership at King’s College London, struck a chord with me because of the treatment Donna sadly still gets online. Professor Campbell believes elected women are more vulnerable to abuse because social media has allowed a minority of individuals to lower and brutalise the debate. You may find an online search for gender trolling quite illuminating.
I don’t know whether, like me, you either assume the stars of yesterday have passed away (or never thought about them ageing at all!) I came across this article this week, which was more interesting than I imagined it would be because so many of the movie stars I remember from my childhood (early of course) are still with us, and still popping up.
Households who don’t use mains gas for heating will start to receive £200 towards their energy bills through the Alternative Fuel Payment scheme. The government has confirmed that the vast majority, including many homes in rural areas, will get the £200 Alternative Fuel Payment automatically through their electricity supplier as a credit on their bill throughout February. A small minority of customers, such as those living in park homes or on static houseboats, with no direct energy supplier, will need to apply to receive the payment through an online portal that will launch later this month. From 8 February, energy suppliers were also able to start making payments to businesses and both public and voluntary sector organisations that use alternative fuels to heat their buildings. A credit of £150 will be provided to eligible customers across the UK through the Non-Domestic Alternative Payment scheme. Energy suppliers will deliver this support up to 10 March, with most customers expected to receive payment in February.
Continuing with money matters, the Healthy Start scheme is worth a reminder. Latest stats suggest that 2 out of every 5 families are missing out. If you're on a low income, even if you're working, you may be eligible.
A couple of environmental updates from CDC: firstly £340,000 of work to improve the energy performance and carbon footprint of part of their short stay accommodation has now been completed. Secondly, residents, community groups, schools, parish councils, charities, businesses, landowners, and tenant farmers applied for a total of almost 8,000 subsidised trees from CDC as part of a scheme to increase tree planting across the district. Thousands were made available and CDC received over 45 applications. The trees were supplied in bundles of 10, 20 or 25 tailored to suit the location and soil type of the area in which they were to be planted. The funding covered 50% of the cost of the trees applied for, with applicants contributing the remaining 50%. This is all part of the CDC’s Tree Chichester District scheme, which has already seen over 24,500 trees planted across our district since it was launched in January 2021. The initiative is funded by HM Treasury’s Shared Outcomes Fund and aims to test different ways to increase tree cover in rural and urban areas.
Finally: -
As always, from the whole Team, stay safe.
Tim
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