February 7, 2025

 

Welcome to this week’s blog - thanks for having a read.

Selsey Town Council has an administrative vacancy - https://www.selseytowncouncil.gov.uk/article/39568/Job-Opportunity-to-work-at-Selsey-Town-Council

We learnt this week that the Sussex devolution bid has been successful. This year’s County elections are being postponed to give Councils time to develop proposals for their reorganisation. We will be electing a Sussex mayor next year and possibly three new Unitary Authorities at the same time or in 2027. (A consultation about them will be held later this year.) The Government has written to the affected Councils urging them to work together on a joint proposal. You may remember that a new Unitary Authority would replace WSCC and CDC. East Sussex is the government's preferred size of over 500,000 residents for a new Unitary. West Sussex is significantly larger, so part of it may join Brighton & Hove, which only has 280,000 residents, but we will continue to keep you posted as the proposals take shape. 

Council services will be unaffected by this: it is hoped that as well as unlocking new powers and investment for the region, it will give the people of Sussex a stronger voice in how national decisions affect them and enable more decisions to be taken locally.

Monday was CDC’s All Parishes meeting which took place online. I was driving home from school, but Donna joined. This coming week Donna has WSCC’s Budget Meeting on Friday. Earlier in the week, on Wednesday, she and Val have CDC’s Planning Committee. That evening, Val will be joined by Mick, Ali, Gareth, Ian and Andrew for STC’s Planning Committee. 

You can watch meetings live: CDC and WSCC.

It's not long now to the two laser light shows at Petworth House on the 15th at 5.30pm and 6.45pm, and the Canal Basin on the 21st and 22nd, at 6pm and 7.30pm (on both days.)

Advance warning that in April there will be some drop-in exhibitions at the Selsey Centre about the options for possible new sea defences.

You might have missed the news that a mammal thought to be extinct has been discovered in Sussex -

https://search.app/zWBbk4fEuxh4vCbf9 

WSCC is growing its Solar Photovoltaic (PV) & Battery Storage programme and is planning to install new renewable energy systems at 60 further sites across the county, including libraries, fire stations, and schools. Excess energy will be stored in batteries for later use or exported to the national grid depending on the set up and needs of each site. Solar PV systems are already generating energy at 74 schools, and solar panels are installed on nine council buildings. That’s in addition to the county council‘s two solar farms at Tangmere and Westhampnett. In total, WSCC is currently generating around 17,000 Megawatt-hours of clean electricity each year (enough to power approximately 6,300 homes.) Key benefits of the new programme will include reduced carbon emissions, lower energy costs, energy resilience & independence and educational opportunities for students in schools.

Finally: - 

• Report potholes

• Warmer Homes

• Supporting You

• WSCC Meetings

• CDC Meetings

• STC Meetings

As always, from the whole Team, stay safe.

Tim