February 16, 2024

Welcome to this week's blog. Schools resume, which at first may not seem significant, but we have already had almost 6 months of the academic year.

The last night of colourful laser light shows is in the Chichester Canal Basin tomorrow at around 6.00pm and 7.30pm. This free event was organised by CDC thanks to funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). Each show will last for around 15 minutes and will be choreographed to music. As this year is the 40th anniversary of the Turner Prize named after the artist J. M. W. Turner, (whose famous painting of the canal, with the Cathedral in the background, is part of the Tate Collection and located at Petworth House) the laser show will feature a visual spectrum of colours in tribute.

Although STC had an Extraordinary Assets & Amenities Committee before their scheduled Planning meeting on Wednesday, the most important meeting of the week was Full WSCC today. Donna and the rest of the Council decided their next budget. WSCC will spend £2 billion during 2024/25 on day-to-day services and £131.6m through capital investment into areas such as schools, highways, and the environment. They reported in July last year that they were looking at ways to close a £45m budget gap for the coming year. Proposals to balance the budget included re-prioritising resources to enable reductions of £15.7m, an increase in core council tax of 2.99%, plus an additional adult social care precept of 2%. 

This coming week has slightly fewer meetings ahead of several at CDC the week after, including Full CDC’s budget meeting. There is, however, the scheduled STC Assets & Amenities Committee on Wednesday evening at 7.30pm in Selsey Town Hall. 

We mentioned last week that there was an unexpected need to move dome shingle from Littlehampton, so CDC has accepted this to avoid the risk of losing it, and will be placing it on the beach from Marine Car Park, Selsey from 20th February 2024. They will be there for up to 4 weeks. There will be around 7,500t of shingle deposited on the upper foreshore and spread over adjacent groyne bays so access to the deposition area will be restricted during the works, but a pedestrian route will be maintained - deliveries will be made by road so please keep a safe distance from the site, and be aware that there could be obstructions in the vicinity of the beach.

As it was Half Term, Donna and I finally managed to use a night away voucher I was given for my birthday last March. We stayed in Milford-on-Sea which has erosion issues too: the rock armour safeguarding it is clearly having a diminishing impact. We have recently been sharing with you the bid for funding to investigate options to better future proof Selsey, and examples of how elsewhere this is being done; this week I came across a more recent solution,  building ‘sand motors’. 

A road I have driven very many times, the A285 between Chichetser and Petworth, has been named as one of the most dangerous in the UK (as you can read here) because particular aspects of it make it a hard drive. I recall on one occasion, when on a family trip, a car forgot to look right and pulled out straight in front of us, so I literally had a split second to veer onto the other side to avoid a very nasty accident; luckily no one was coming the other way. 

Since changing my car, I use the A3 more because of the deterioration in the A285’s condition. However, for many years as I drove to school, I looked forward to seeing vintage cars travelling to the Goodwood Revival. Behind the scenes, in recent weeks, Donna (and I) have been helping the Manhood Classics who, without it being realised, were using a local CDC car park for publicly advertised gatherings at which they proudly showed off their cars. This coming to light has raised issues so Officers are working on a policy to address them. 

We are hoping for a public consultation or at least involvement of the affected parishes so the geographical differences across our District are reflected in the final policy; however, with our Green colleague Sarah's continued absence, we only have a seventh of the votes on the final text and do not operate a whip. We are worried some of you might have missed our previous social media posts about this, so we will include updates here. This week we have extended our contacts with the senior Officers directly involved, to leading members of the Ruling Group. 

A unique health and wellbeing initiative launched by CDC and Everyone Active is helping rough sleepers accept and access support. Over 50 people have taken part in the initiative over the last year, which uses physical exercise to help clients boost their wellbeing, confidence and self-esteem. The sessions also provide them with the opportunity to have conversations about other parts of their lives where they may want support. The project has received funding from the Department of Levelling Up until April 2025. Due to the success of the wellbeing scheme, it has been extended to those who may be at risk of homelessness or who are struggling with the current cost of living crisis. 

Meanwhile, WSCC is encouraging people to take part in their survey about health and wellbeing in West Sussex. The results of the survey, carried out in partnership with Qa Research, will help them plan services and take action to support the health and wellbeing of residents. A postal survey was sent out to a number of West Sussex residents at the end of January, asking questions about their lifestyle and health. The survey is now open to all West Sussex residents who can complete it online between 14 February until 8 March. The survey is voluntary and anonymous and should only take about 15 minutes to complete. Everyone who completes the survey will be eligible to enter a free prize draw, with the chance to win one of three cash prizes (£750, £150 and £100). 

We quite often include tips to help you stay safer online and avoid fraud and scams. Some of you, like me, may have heard from Southern Water that they have been the subject of an illegal cyber attack and some of your customer data may have been stolen. This may include basic details but also it may  include financial information including sort code, bank account number and payment reference number. I immediately took up their offer of 12 months free enhanced Experian credit monitoring membership and, if you too have been contacted, would suggest you do the same. I am also checking transactions more frequently and more carefully in my personal banking app.

Finally: - 

• Report potholes to WSCC

• Housing Health & Safety

• Warmer Homes UK

• Suicide in Sussex

• Domestic Abuse

• Supporting You

• WSCC Meetings

• CDC Meetings

As always, from the whole Team, stay safe.

Tim