October 27, 2023
To change or not to change, that is the question as we once more move back to GMT. Views differviews (ne at all), but I recognise our local economy is quite tourist dependent and sticking to BST could be a boost. The darker evenings don't really encourage anyone to go out!
As winter heads in fast, you may be considering taking up both the Covid and flu vaccines. Those eligible can book a Covid-19 vaccination online via the NHS website, via the NHS app or by calling 119 free of charge. Find out here if you are eligible and to book a flu vaccination, if you'd like to.
Winter, of course, is the time of the open fireplace. Who doesn't enjoy a slow drink in a quiet pub? I like a rural setting but some people prefer a more urban one. If you have a real fire at home, make sure that your chimney is swept before you start using it and that any wood you use is dry. Why not spend 15 minutes completing your own home fire safety check.
During colder periods it’s important to know the temperature of the room you’re in, so it’s worth having a thermometer available to use if you ever feel cold at home. You should always aim to keep the room you’re in at 18°C or more. If you’re in one room, you don’t have to heat the whole house. Use your heating controls or thermostatic radiator valves to warm the spaces you’re using and turn those down to a minimum in unused rooms. If you have health condition such as asthma or COPD, it’s important to think about hallways and spaces you may walk through during the day, as sudden changes in temperature may exacerbate your condition..
Damp and mould are also big issues to watch out for. It’s important to keep fresh air flowing to prevent these from causing a problem in your home. Breathing problems can be made worse by living in a damp or mouldy home. There are many ways you can help reduce the risk of damp and mould caused by condensation, such as not drying wet clothes on heaters; avoiding portable gas or paraffin heaters; and ensuring all ventilation is unblocked.
If you have extra communication, access or safety needs, it is worth signing up to the free Priority Services Register which helps utility companies, including energy suppliers, electricity, gas and water networks to tailor their services to support households who need extra help with everyday energy matters, like bills, and also in the unlikely event of a power cut, gas or water supply interruption.
A few posts ago, we shared some tips on how to turn an empty wine bottle into a winter bird feeder. If you have a bird feeder you may find it is attracting rodents and pests as well, thanks to the seeds. Here's a useful tip about how you can discourage them.
I was saddened to learn that the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has found that approximately 3.8 million people experienced destitution in 2022, including around one million children. This is almost two-and-a-half times the number of people in 2017, and nearly triple the number of children. They quite rightly point out that there is an urgent need for action to tackle destitution in the UK.
Unsurprisingly then, the casework continues, but as it was Half Term, we squeezed some precious family time in between ‘stuff’ this week, e.g. helping our youngest daughter who is studying nursing find suitable shoes for when she is on placement, and on her feet for twelve hours a day. Mike, Ian, Andrew, Donna and I had an STC Finance & Administration meeting on Wednesday, and I also had the first meeting of CDC’s new Budget Review Group today, Friday. On Monday I am leaving school early (but as late as I can because of cover difficulties) and hurtling back for CDC’s next Corporate Governance & Audit Committee meeting, which you can watch live here. I also have the next Briefing for myself and the leader of the Conservative group at CDC on Friday. Donna, meanwhile, has CDC’s Development Planning & Infrastructure Panel on Tuesday, and their Housing, Communities, Culture & Sport Panel on Thursday.
Returning to Council budgets, WSCC are facing significant challenges. They are going to consult on where to implement cuts, as you can read here. When the consultation goes live, it would be worth ensuring you have your say as they account for around 70% of our Council Tax.
Something that will be coming our way sooner or later, at CDC, will be budgeting for the extension of food waste collections; this is because of changes announced by the government last week. WSCC has been sharing it's approach to reducing food waste using community food hubs to turn surplus into support.
Young people aged 16 to 20 now qualify for a discounted bus fare with the launch of a new ‘16 to 20 Bus Saver’ scheme developed by West Sussex County Council alongside bus operators and funded by the Department for Transport (DfT). The new scheme is expected to run until March 2025 and could be extended by bus operators if successful. To get the discount, young people just need to show a valid ID or a Citizencard.
CDC has put out a Scam Alert after being made aware that a district resident received a telephone call about home insulation from an individual or company that is falsely claiming to be working for Chichester District Council.
Mick and Val have been finishing off the Christmas lights this week, as you may have seen Mick post. Meanwhile, after reading last week's blog, Ali kindly messaged me some related information to share with you: -
"Afternoon Tim. Just read your latest blog and the part about pensions, etc. There's another useful and interesting link that I myself took advantage of as an ex-military wife. While we lived abroad when my husband was posted there, if I could provide the dates and his military number, I got NI credits for those periods."
Something else we included in last week’s blog was Chichester Driving Test Centre’s comparatively high first time pass rate from a national perspective. It seems right to add this article, which reveals the hardest places in Sussex to pass your test.
CDC has been celebrated for its support of the Armed Forces community with a prestigious Employer Recognition Scheme Bronze Award from the Ministry of Defence. This honour nationally recognises their commitment to supporting serving and retired armed forces personnel. The award comes after CDC pledged to the Armed Forces Covenant, which is a promise from the nation to ensure that those who serve or who have served in the Armed Forces, and their families, are treated fairly. The scheme has three levels – Bronze, Silver and Gold – and to achieve an accreditation, organisations must proactively demonstrate that the Armed Forces community are not unfairly disadvantaged as part of their recruitment policies and must actively ensure their workforce is aware of the positive policies towards members of the Armed Forces community.
CDC is encouraging community groups and businesses to apply for the second round of two pots of government grant funding for projects to be delivered from April 2024 and completed by March 2025. We told you last year that they applied for a portion of the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) to spend on a variety of projects. CDC’s official spending plan was approved last winter by the Government’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and they were allocated £1 million for UKSPF and £700,000 for REPF. The purpose of the UKSPF is to help encourage economic growth and improve the quality of life for people across the district. The REPF is intended to support projects to which assist with supporting businesses and community infrastructure to address particular challenges faced by rural areas. Projects have already started to be delivered to improve public areas, as well as delivering events. During the first round of funding, 23 projects across our District were approved. These projects will all be completed by April 2024. Examples of projects achieved so far include funding to assist with the installation of an air source heat pump to reduce carbon emissions; contribution to improve a commercial kitchen in order to assist with business expansion; improvement to an outdoor community seating facility to enable year-round use and installation of bike racks. Funding has also supported the CultureSpark programme to stage the hugely successful Earth Day and Fold Our Town events this year.
Finally: -
As always, from the whole Team, stay safe.
Tim
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