WSCC gives critical support to Afghan nationals arriving in the UK
West Sussex County Council is providing critical support to Afghan nationals arriving in the UK from Afghanistan.
The council is committed to supporting the government’s Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy and ‘Operation Warm Welcome’.
The council is working closely with our District and Borough partners to identify suitable properties which can be used to provide long-term accommodation for Afghan families who have arrived in the UK.
We also encourage anyone who wishes to help those arriving from Afghanistan to visit our website where there are details of local and national organisations accepting financial and practical donations.
Duncan Crow, Cabinet Member for Community Support, Fire & Rescue, said: “The situation in Afghanistan is one that requires a global response to help protect those involved from a very real threat of harm. Many people arriving into the UK on rescue flights from Afghanistan were unable to bring any luggage or personal items with them having been forced to flee their homes with little time to spare as the situation escalated.
“We are doing everything we can to support these families, many of whom bring with them skills, knowledge and experience of great value and I hope everyone across West Sussex will join us in welcoming and supporting those looking to settle here and rebuild their lives safely.”
Housing
As a council, we are working closely with our District and Borough partners to coordinate offers of housing support across the county.
If you have or know of anyone who has self-contained long-term accommodation available for rent for at least 12 months, please get in touch by emailing AfghanistanSupport@westsussex.gov.uk.
Donations
We know that people are keen to offer donations of clothes and toys. If you have such items in good condition, then please contact one of the volunteer organisations across West Sussex whose details are listed on our website.
West Sussex County Council is not able to accept or take these donations, so please do not send these items to us.
Anyone who wishes to donate money may want to consider giving to one of the national charities currently running Afghan appeals, such as the British Red Cross.
For the most up-to-date information on how you can help, visit www.westsussex.gov.uk/AfghanistanSupport.
Essential gas replacement work – Birdham Road, Chichester (British Gas)
Essential gas replacement work – Birdham Road, Chichester
We are writing to advise you that following the recent gas escapes on Birdham Road, our engineers
need to carry out emergency gas main replacement work. This work will involve the replacement of
the existing old metal gas pipe with a new plastic pipe that will ensure we can continue to maintain a
safe and efficient gas supply to the local area.
Work will start immediately and is expected to take approximately five weeks to be completed. To
ensure everyone’s safety around our work area, we’ve installed temporary traffic lights between the
Stockbridge Road roundabout and The Meadows housing estate. We’ll manually control our lights
between 7am and 7pm to keep local traffic flowing.
Gas customers will need to be reconnected to the new gas pipe once installed. To do this, our
engineers will need access to your gas meter and will need to briefly interrupt your gas supply. Our
team will liaise directly with properties affected to make arrangements.
We would like to reassure you that our engineers will be working as quickly and as safely as possible
to complete this work without delay. We appreciate that unplanned work can be disruptive for local
residents and we would like to apologise for any inconvenience.
We would also like to take this opportunity to reassure you that we have working closely with UK
Government and public health bodies to make sure we’re working in line with expert advice during
the coronavirus outbreak. We have extra safety precautions in place to protect our colleagues and
our customers from catching or spreading the virus as we carry out projects. There’s more
information about our coronavirus plans, as well as other ways to contact us, on our website:
sgn.co.uk/coronavirus.
If you’d like to get in touch about our project, you can speak to our Customer Service team on
0800 912 1700*. You can receive this information in other formats or languages by calling our
Careline on 0800 975 1818 or emailing customer@sgn.co.uk.
Thank you for your patience and understanding
Funding gap for infrastructure improvements means that the Chichester Local Plan is unlikely to meet Government’s housing targets
Date of Release: 29 July 2021 Ref: 4026
Councillors at Chichester District Council heard that the Chichester Local Plan is unlikely to meet the full housing targets set by the Government due to a lack of external funding for infrastructure improvements, at a special meeting on Thursday 29 July.
This follows extensive work and research carried out by the council which shows that improvements to the A27 Chichester Bypass, including the Stockbridge Link Road, are required in order to attempt to meet the Government’s housing targets.
Following discussions with those who fund local infrastructure, including West Sussex County Council – as the Highway Authority, Highways England and Homes England, the council has concluded that the additional costs of the scheme after developer contributions were removed could not be met. Other funding options were also explored, including discussions with Coast 2 Capital Local Enterprise Partnership, but the funds required were not available.
“It’s important to explain that the work we have carried out so far is vital in demonstrating the complex situation we are in. We’ve always said that the roads and waste water were the biggest challenges facing the plan. However, we have to show that we have investigated all options and solutions before the Government will consider reducing our housing target. No stone can be left unturned,” says Cllr Susan Taylor, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Planning at Chichester District Council.
“The most recent estimated cost for delivering improvements to the A27 Bypass, which would be required to deliver the level of housing we are expected to take, would be around £65 million. As things stand, we may be able to secure £33-£45 million of this from developer contributions, and so the remainder would have to come from external infrastructure providers. Following discussions with all partners involved, there just isn’t the money available to cover this funding gap. It’s also worth explaining that this isn’t the long-awaited national road scheme on the A27, these changes would just deal with additional traffic from the new development.
“What is difficult for people to understand is that while we may be delivering the Local Plan – many elements of it, mainly roads and waste water, are totally out of our control. This is what makes this process so challenging. The Local Plan is a bit like a jigsaw, you have to make sure that all of the pieces fit.”
Susan adds: “It’s also easy for people to say, we told you that the housing numbers couldn’t and shouldn’t be delivered, but this isn’t how the planning system works. The Planning Inspector needs to see that you have investigated every single option and that you have the evidence to back this up. Just to give you an idea – our officers have already produced 41 different policy documents. They have been working flat out to try and move this forward – and it has continued to be a top priority for us, even though we have also been responding to the pandemic. We need to go through this process and gather the evidence in order to get the best outcome for our residents and businesses and keep planning decisions locally.
“We’ve spoken to the Planning Inspector who has said that before concluding that housing needs cannot be met, we need to determine what level of housing could be achieved based on improvements to the A27; considering whether full housing needs could be met another way, which would include looking back at other parts of the local plan area; and investigating if the housing needs could be met by neighbouring authorities. While the inspector did not rule out us proceeding with a lower level of development in the emerging local plan, he did emphasise the ‘high bar’ in terms of justifying such an approach.
“Moving forward we will follow the steps that the Planning Inspector has outlined, so that we are in a strong position to make our case when the plan is submitted. Within this, we will outline that we intend to review the plan again if a national road scheme for the A27 Chichester Bypass is brought forward. We intend to keep residents and businesses fully informed throughout this process, and will let them know as soon as we are ready to consult with them.”
Over the past couple of years, the leader of the council and council officials have sent letters and been involved in meetings with Government officials to explain the complex issues affecting the Chichester plan area. Recently, the Council Leader and Chief Executive, along with Gillian Keegan MP and Andrew Griffith MP, met with the Minister for Housing to discuss these issues and to request that the area is treated as an exceptional case. Unfortunately, the request was not agreed. It was also made clear by the Minister that if the council believes that the evidence collected shows the area cannot meet its full housing needs then the Local Plan may be submitted for examination on that basis. Over this period the council has also involved the Government’s Planning Advisory Service and has been highlighting concerns to the Planning Inspectorate.
“We understand that local people are concerned and we want to reassure people that we have robust measures in place to protect the plan area from inappropriate speculative development until the Local Plan Review is adopted,” says Susan.
“Every planning application is considered carefully by the council. As part of this process, we consult with relevant organisations such as Southern Water, West Sussex County Council, the Environment Agency, Natural England and Highways England. If any of these organisations highlight significant problems which cannot be overcome, then an application would be refused.
“In addition to this, we have introduced an Interim Housing Policy Statement. This is part of our rule book for planning applications and this considers other factors, such as the protection of strategic wildlife corridors and Environment Agency advice on flooding.
“In response to people calling for a moratorium - even if we wished to delay investment in homes and jobs, under law, developers have the right to submit planning applications which must be determined within agreed timescales. If not, they have a right of appeal to Planning Inspectors and we may even be found to have acted unreasonably, with applicants appeal costs awarded against us,” says Susan.
“The council must also be able to substantiate any grounds for refusal of permission, with consultee support where relevant at any subsequent appeal. At this stage, relevant consultees have not requested a moratorium in respect of either transport or wastewater issues and so this is not an approach that would be held reasonable or defensible.
“We want to reassure people that we have measures in place to protect the plan area until the Local Review can be adopted.”
Discussions are also ongoing with Southern Water, which is responsible for wastewater, and the Environment Agency, which is responsible for enforcing the discharges into the harbour from premises that require permits, such as the wastewater treatment plants. While an engineering solution can be found to accommodate future growth, environmental limitations are a constraint, particularly in the western part of the plan area. Both organisations have not reached an agreed position, although work on a Statement of Common Ground is being progressed. Other options are possibly available, but there is still considerable concern around this important issue. Infrastructure options are being examined by Southern Water over the next year, but these will not be confirmed until 2023. All of these discussions and work will form part of the evidence to highlight the challenges faced by the plan area.
Residents are encouraged to sign up to the council’s regular email newsletter which focuses on the Local Plan. This can be done at www.chichester.gov.uk/localplannewsletter
Review of Parliamentary constituencies - Manhood to be split
2023 Review of Parliamentary constituencies
Last month, the Boundary Commission for England (BCE) published its initial proposals for new Parliamentary constituency boundaries.
BCE has produced a partner pack and members of the public can respond to the consultation which closes on 2 August.
Proposals:
https://boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk/2023-review/Guide and consultation:
https://boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk/2023-review/guide-to-the-2023-review-of-parliamentary-constituencies/
https://www.bcereviews.org.uk/
New West Sussex Transport Plan - 2022 - 2036. Tell us what you think!
WS32980 West Sussex Transport Plan A5 flyer
MESSAGE FROM LEADER OF CDC EILEEN LINTELL
District Dispatch
We know that many of our residents are very interested in the Local Plan and our progress with this important piece of work. All councillors will be attending a special meeting on Thursday 29 July at 9.30am over Zoom for an update on the Local Plan Review. If you are interested in watching, it will be available at: https://chichester.nucast.live/ You can find the agenda at: https://chichester.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=308&MId=1547.
We recognise that residents feel very strongly about many of the issues that the plan has to consider. What is difficult for people to understand is that while we may be delivering the Local Plan – many elements of it, mainly roads and waste water, are out of our control. This is what makes this process so challenging. The Local Plan is a bit like a jigsaw and you have to make sure that all of the pieces fit. What is vital is the evidence. The Government has set the housing target and we have to show that we have considered every single option to try and reach this and that we have the evidence to back this up. Just to give you an idea – our officers have already produced 41 different policy documents. They have been working flat out to try and move this forward – and it has continued to be a top priority for us, even though we have also been responding to the pandemic.
Over the past couple of years, we have sent letters and been involved in meetings with Government officials to explain the complex issues affecting the Chichester plan area. Recently, the Chief Executive and I, along with Gillian Keegan MP and Andrew Griffith MP, met with the Minister for Housing to discuss these issues and to request that the area is treated as an exceptional case. Unfortunately, the request was not agreed. It was also made clear by the Minister that if the council believes that the evidence collected shows the area cannot meet its full housing needs then the Local Plan may be submitted for examination on that basis. Over this period the council has also involved the Government’s Planning Advisory Service and has been highlighting concerns to the planning inspectorate. I want to assure you that we are doing everything we can to move this forward as quickly as we can – but we are dealing with some very challenging issues.
It’s worth pointing out that we have robust measures in place to protect the plan area from inappropriate speculative development until the Local Plan Review is adopted. I know this is something that people are concerned about. Every planning application is considered carefully by the council. As part of this process, we consult with relevant organisations such as Southern Water, West Sussex County Council, the Environment Agency, Natural England and Highways England. If any of these organisations highlight significant problems which cannot be overcome, then an application would be refused. In addition to this, we have introduced an Interim Housing Policy Statement. This is part of our rule book for planning applications and this considers other factors, such as the protection of strategic wildlife corridors and Environment Agency advice on flooding.
We need to make sure that we follow the process and gather the evidence in order to get the best outcome for our residents and businesses and keep planning decisions locally. Residents are encouraged to sign up to the council’s regular email newsletter which focuses on the Local Plan. This can be done at www.chichester.gov.uk/localplannewsletter
I hope you had a lovely summer and look forward to providing you with my next district dispatch at the beginning of September.
Best Wishes
Cllr Eileen Lintill
Leader of Chichester District Council
Pop-up shop applications now open for the build up to Christmas in Chichester city centre
Entrepreneurs looking to test the market and get experience of being on the high street are being invited to apply for pop-up shop space in Chichester
Chichester District Council will be reopening applications for its two pop-up shops in Crane Street, Chichester, from Wednesday July 21 until Tuesday 10 August. Local businesses can find more information, eligibility criteria, and can apply at: www.chichester.gov.uk/popupshop
The scheme was introduced to help support small and start-up businesses in the Chichester District. Using shops owned by the council, the initiative offers affordable temporary premises for smaller enterprises. This gives local entrepreneurs the opportunity to trial business concepts and trade in a high street location without the commitment or cost of a longer-term lease.
Successful applicants will get the chance to appear on Chichester’s High Street in the run up to Christmas. Each unit is available for a maximum of 12 weeks and costs £50 per week, plus VAT, which also covers rates and utility bills.
Businesses that have already tested the water as part of the council’s Pop Up Shop initiative include a baby equipment and clothing retailer, art galleries, and an ice cream parlor.
Cllr Tony Dignum, Cabinet Member for Growth, Place and Regeneration, said: “The Pop Up Shop Initiative is a great way to help get a small or start-up business off the ground. As a council, we want to do everything we can to support our local businesses. As our high streets recover following the coronavirus lockdowns, this scheme gives new businesses the opportunity and confidence to get their ideas off the ground. It’s also a really useful way for local entrepreneurs who have been inspired to start up their own businesses to try out a physical presence in one of the district’s fantastic high streets.
“Now more than ever, it’s really important that we support local, and I would encourage everyone to make the most of the incredible array of shops and businesses we have in our district. By visiting our high streets in Chichester, East Wittering, Midhurst, Petworth and Selsey, you can help support our local businesses as they begin to recover from the pandemic.”
Pop up shops offer a range of benefits and the council’s scheme aims to:
· provide affordable retail space for independent and start-up businesses;
· draw in new customers and trade;
· enhance the appearance of retail areas;
· encourage the public to shop local, spend local, support local, during the pandemic; and
· help meet the aims of the Chichester Vision by improving choice and offering more opportunities for independent shops.
People can find out more about the Pop Up Shop initiative by visiting: www.chichester.gov.uk/popupshop.
et ready to recycle more with Chichester District Council’s new trial collection services
Chichester District Council is launching two free kerbside collection schemes this month to help residents in the trial area to recycle even more.
One scheme will collect unwanted textiles and broken or unneeded small electrical items, and another will collect used coffee pods. The twelve month trials will cover approximately 75% of households in the Chichester District.
“We are always keen to make recycling easier for our residents and to help improve recycling rates in our area, so we are delighted to begin these trial schemes,” says Councillor Penny Plant, Cabinet Member for Environment at Chichester District Council. “With climate change at the forefront of residents’ minds, these new services are just a couple of ways in which we are working hard to enable residents to make a positive difference to their local environment.
“Our dedicated collection crews are due to start monthly collections for both services at the end of the month. If you’re in the trial area for our textile and small electrical recycling service, you will receive a pack from us through your door. This will include two dedicated recycling bags that need to be used to keep the textiles and small electricals separate and to help our crews identify the collection — a blue bag for textiles and a pink bag for small electrical items — as well as a leaflet with everything you need to know about the service and how it works.
“You can find out whether you are included in the trial by using our quick postcode checker: www.chichester.gov.uk/textileandelectricalrecycling. If we collect from your area, you can also use this link to check your collection day, which may be different to your normal bin collection day.
“While we are only able to trial this service in 75% of the district, once the trial is complete we will be looking to see if these schemes can be rolled out and made permanent across the whole of the district. This would increase the area’s recycling levels by up to 2.5%.”
It is expected that the Government will look to introduce new legislation requiring all waste collection authorities to introduce separate collections for textiles and small waste electrical items by 2025. By running this trial, which is being funded by West Sussex County Council, Chichester District Council aims to get ahead in time for these changes.
Cllr Plant adds: “We’re also excited to introduce a free coffee pod recycling service in partnership with Podback. Households in the trial area will receive a leaflet explaining how they can participate in the scheme, which will enable them to recycle both plastic and aluminium pods once a month using separate collection bags provided by Podback.
“Residents can find out more and check whether they are eligible for the scheme at www.podback.org. If they are, they can register with the service and Podback will send them everything they need to start recycling their used coffee pods. Residents within the trial area should check their collection day online — www.chichester.gov.uk/podback — as this may be different to their normal bin collection.”
Chichester District Council already collects a wide range of materials for recycling, such as: foil; pots, tubs and trays; glass; cartons; aerosol cans; plastic bottles; cans; and, paper and card. These two new trials will further expand on this and enable residents to prevent even more going to waste.
More information and a range of Frequently Ask Questions about the textiles and small electrical collection trial can be found at: www.chichester.gov.uk/textileandelectricalrecycling. Further details about the coffee pod collection trial can be found by visiting: www.chichester.gov.uk/podback.
People can also email the council’s Waste and Recycling team at wasteandrecycling@chichester.gov.uk or call 01243 534619, and find further recycling tips at: www.chichester.gov.uk/recyclingadvice
Chichester District Council demonstrates its commitment to tackling climate change
Chichester District Council demonstrates its commitment to tackling climate change through first fully electric private hire vehicle
Chichester District Council has licensed the first fully electric private hire vehicle in the district. The vehicle was licensed as part of the council’s wider commitment to tackling climate change.
The district council’s licensing team has been working on a series of new regulations which set out which vehicles can and cannot be used as taxis or private hire vehicles. This new policy combines a number of previous policies into one easy-to-read document while also updating many of the rules to accommodate and recognise new technology, such as fully electric vehicles. These new regulations fully support and embrace the licensing of electric vehicles.
In addition, the new regulations are expected to improve current emissions from both taxis and private hire vehicles being used across the Chichester District.
Any new taxi or private hire vehicle will only be licensed up to ten years post manufacturing to ensure the district’s fleet of vehicles remain up to date with UK emissions standards. Any fully electric vehicle will be exempt from the 10 year age restriction.
The new policy is currently going through the process of being agreed, after taxi and private hire licence holders were consulted on it earlier this year.
Penny Plant, Cabinet Member for Environment and Chichester Contract Services, said: “We are absolutely committed to doing what we can as a council to tackle climate change and we hope that our new regulations will help see an increase in the number of electric taxis and private hire vehicles in the district
“We are taking the threat of climate change very seriously at Chichester District Council and have implemented a number of policies to tackle this threat. For example, we are replacing all petrol-powered vehicles that are no longer road-worthy and used by the council, with electric equivalents.
This new taxi policy is only one of the myriads of initiatives and schemes being put into action by Chichester District Council. This includes the Detailed Climate Emergency Action Plan which was published earlier this year.
The plan includes a target for the council to reduce its own greenhouse gas emissions by 10% year on year. To reach this organisational target the council is improving the energy efficiency of its operations and looking to generate more renewable energy on its buildings.
Chichester District Council has received almost a million pounds in funding from the Government to introduce other initiatives including: free trees for schools and businesses; a wildlife corridor between the South Downs and Chichester and Pagham harbours: and trialling an electric Refuse Collection Vehicle.
Packed programme of summer parks' events in Chichester
Packed programme of summer parks' events in Chichester will kick off with a night at the musicals and hits by Queen
Two high-quality evening music events featuring the music of Queen and hits from the musicals will take place in Priory Park at the end of July, kicking off a packed summer of events being held in Chichester District Council-run parks.
The family-friendly events, organised by BEL entertainments – behind events such as Last Night of the Proms at Stansted House – will take place on Friday and Saturday 30 and 31 July, and have been welcomed in direct response to the public’s call for more events in public spaces across the district.
Councillor Briscoe added: “We are really excited to see events back in the district as this will help improve people’s mental wellbeing as well as bring our communities back together in as safe an environment as possible,” says Councillor Roy Briscoe, the council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Culture. “The BEL events are a really high-quality offering and I’ve been working closely with the organisers, our officers and local residents to ensure that they go as well as possible. I hope that these concerts will mark the start of the district properly opening up again.
“We have been keen to encourage a wide variety of events and we really do feel that there is something for everyone this summer from music, theatre and outdoor ballet, to family fun days, a circus, plastic free picnics, open air cinema and a children’s party in the park, to name but a few. We are really excited about what’s on offer and we hope that people in the district will enjoy what’s planned.”
Councillor Alan Sutton, the council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, Events, Licensing and Communications, says: “As we recover from the pandemic, we see events as a really key way of helping people feel good again, while also helping our local economy recover and giving people opportunities to enjoy themselves again.
“Last year we published the first ever district-wide events strategy where we made clear our wish to attract and encourage more events across the area, and this was in response to a public consultation which found that people wanted to see more going on. In particular, our parks are full of activity this summer with lots happening until the middle of September.”
A Night at the Musicals will take place on Friday 30 July in Priory Park, Chichester and will feature a live orchestra and West End singers. The following night, Saturday 31 July, the UK QUEEN tribute band will play. During the day there will also be a free Battle of the Bands event sponsored by V2 Radio where a group of local bands will be able to compete to open Saturday night’s event.
People can find out more and purchase tickets for the evening events at https://belevents.co.uk/priory-park-chichester/
On both nights the audience will be welcome to bring picnics, rugs and camping chairs to help soak up the atmosphere. People will also be asked to bring their own rubbish bags to dispose of their litter.
Organisers are due to start setting up for the events on Tuesday 27 July. From 3pm on the Friday and Saturday the park will be closed to the public, so that it can be made safe and ready for the concerts.
The main entrance will then be open again from 4pm on both days for people to buy refreshments from Fenwicks Café and also access the public toilets.
While the event is set up there will be 24-hour security and post-event clear-up will be completed by the end of Monday 1 August. People will be able to access all areas of the park again on the Monday. Signage will be displayed at the park well ahead of the event to let people know about access. People looking for alternative children’s play facilities on the evening of Friday and Saturday will still be able to use Florence Park, Oaklands Park and Whyke Oval.
Alternative arrangements have been made for the cricket club while Chichester Bowls Club will not be playing their fixture that weekend.
Details of events taking place in the council’s parks can be found on the council’s What’s On pages at www.chichester.gov.uk/whatson