November 24, 2023
Last weekend we popped to some nearby crafter Christmas fairs; Donna is even more excited this year because our grandson has just turned one, so has her eye out for suitable presents and repeatedly asks me what I think he will like. This weekend sees several Christmas events across our District as civic lights are turned on: for instance, in Selsey it is the Friends of East Beach event on the 25th from 3pm to 6pm with Santa, at least one elf 'helper' and a pair of well known Disney princesses taking part.
We will return to Festive items later. Last week I had the second meeting of CDC’s Budget Review Group on Monday and there was a further STC Finance and Administration group on Tuesday. Donna and Steve were at CDC’s Planning Committee on Wednesday morning, which included an application from Bracklesham and two from Selsey. Donna went on from CDC to WSCC and a meeting of their Health and Social Care Committee. That evening we both went to STC’s Planning Committee, meaning Donna had attended six Meetings in two days. This week there is Full CDC on Tuesday (watch it live) and Full STC on Wednesday. Unfortunately, I also have a late one at school on Thursday for a Sixth Form parents evening, so hope to have a quiet weekend when I finally get to it.
CDC has announced that it is expecting to submit its Local Plan in early 2024. The announcement follows its most recent consultation, which resulted in almost 2,500 comments from groups and individuals. As I know from briefings, and Donna from the Development Planning and Infrastructure Panel, their planning policy team has been carefully considering and addressing comments from the Regulation 19 consultation; meeting with key stakeholders and ministers; and finalising critical evidence. This has included continuing to examine the impacts on the A27 and local highway network. The team is now preparing a document with proposed modifications to the plan, based on the feedback from the consultation. This will be submitted alongside the Regulation 19 plan for the Planning Inspector to consider. The Local Plan identifies development areas for economic growth and locations for new homes in the Chichester plan area over the next 15 years. There is a separate plan for those areas located in the National Park and this is produced by the South Downs National Park.
This is Road Safety Week. You may be unaware but speed camera technology is evolving fast. We recently told you about cameras that may be here in the next 12 months, which can detect sudden braking so catch you speeding before you reach their zone of vision; this week I learnt there are two-way cameras currently being rolled out - this article tells you more about them - but apparently are already being cut down. Please remember that CDC is consulting on a series of amendments to parking charges which, if approved, will come into force from 1 April 2024. We are pleased they are not proposing to lose the first hour free in rural car parks like Selsey’s East Street. As a trader, Steve is particularly aware of the benefits to local trade this brings.
Criminals use Facebook Marketplace to advertise things that aren't theirs to sell - for example, a vehicle, but it could be anything. They use stolen photos or videos of real vehicles or items to try and convince buyers to part with their money. People click on the advert and they start a conversation with them to build trust, e.g. sharing official looking contracts or giving details of money-back guarantees. However, once you have sent them money the contact stops and the seller disappears.
It is an indictment of our times that, although as Localists we try to steer clear of national issues, nearly every week now something that causes concern locally comes our way. This week it has been brought home to us that the lack of services for people with mental health problems means that not enough help is available to prevent people from reaching crisis point. Get a cup of tea, and then read it for yourself.
With ever rising energy bills, this seems a good time to remind you of these tips: -
Turn down your thermostat. Just one degree lower could save you up to £145 a year. Set a timer on your thermostat for your heating to come on only when you need it.
Turn the heating flow temperature down. By turning the flow temperature down on your combi boiler from 80℃ to 60℃ you can save up to 12% of gas used to heat your house. Turning the flow temperature down on your combi boiler reduces the boiler's energy consumption, without lowering the temperature of your home. This isn't suitable for all systems so find out more with our flow temperature guide.
Don't heat empty rooms. Individual radiator valves mean you can adjust the temperature in each room accordingly.
Keep the heat in. Using thermal lined curtains and making sure they're closed in the evening can reduce heat loss by 27% and save an average home up to £291 a year on energy bills. Just be sure your curtains don’t cover the radiators.
Heat people, not the room: Rather than putting the thermostat up further, you could try a heated electric blanket to keep you snug. They typically cost between £25-50 to purchase but use as little as 3p an hour of electricity even on the highest setting.
It's a good idea to invest a couple of pounds in a digital room thermometer, especially if you're prone to respiratory issues.
Amongst the various consultations at the moment, there is this one asking our views about proposals to restrict the sale of tobacco products and make vaping less accessible to children and young people. Staying with minors, the Holidays and Food Programme is funded by the Department for Education and offers children who are entitled to benefits related free school meals the opportunity to attend participating holiday activity clubs and have a free meal. Benefits-related free school meals (FSM) are available to pupils if their parents are in receipt of one of the qualifying benefits and have a claim verified by West Sussex County Council. Lastly, NSPCC Learning has published a new study on child sexual exploitation in Virtual Reality (VR) technology: offenders are using immersive technology to groom, coerce, and exploit children. Abuse can remain within the VR space or it can lead to offline abuse too because technology companies are failing to prioritise child safeguarding on their platforms.
As part of the countdown to Christmas, WSCC suggests simple things to reduce festive waste: make a list to avoid over buying, shop second-hand, or even make your own presents. You can use scarves or cloth which can be reused for wrapping or make gift boxes out of old cards and give gifts in reusable bags. Old Christmas cards can be used as gift tags, ditch the disposables if you entertain, get creative with leftovers and recycle all you can.
CDC’s Starlight Trail is returning to the City on 7 December. You’ll be able to collect your Starlight Trail passport from The Novium Museum, Pallant House Gallery, or Chichester Library, before making a star lantern at your first venue. You can then take part in a variety of festive crafts and activities, collecting stamps along the way. If you collect all three stamps, you’ll be entered into a prize draw to win a £30 Chichester Gift Card, which has been kindly donated by Chichester BID. The event runs from 4pm until 7pm and costs £6.50 per child.
CDC is also offering a free third hour if you buy two in all their car parks (except Avenue De Chartres and Westgate) during weekends in December when using the MiPermit app: Avenue de Chartres is free on Sundays during December. There is also the Chichester Christmas Cheer market on 9, 10, 16 and 17 December, the regular Chichester Farmers’ Markets on 1 and 15 December, the city centre Wednesday markets, and the Saturday traders markets in the Cattle Market car park. CDC has also again created personalised gift tags and wrapping paper designs for the city and our towns.
CDC and WSCC are asking you to ‘Think Before You Throw’ which will make even more sense when waste and recycling collections change slightly over the festive period. CDC has teamed up with St Wilfrid’s Hospice again to offer a Christmas Tree Recycling scheme: If you sign up, volunteers will collect your real Christmas tree and recycle it for you in January 2024, in return for a donation to the hospice.
Finally: -
As always, from the whole Team, stay safe.
Tim
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