District news Winter Edition 2014
in this issue: WINNING ZERO HEROES
WAVE LEISURE
REFUSE & FOOD WASTE COLLECTIONS HOUSING NEWS PREPARING FOR WINTER SOUTHOVER PARTNERSHIP Your Lewes District Council Newsletter
www.lewes.gov.uk
FEATURES: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Zero Heroes New Year Resolutions
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REGULARS: Council meetings Housing news Wave Leisure
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DIARY DATES: Winter bank holiday refuse, food waste and clinical waste collections 16
COVER PHOTO Lewes Castle by Edward Reeves Photography, Lewes www.edwardreeves.com
A Year of Partnership
2014 has been a great year for the council and the district. We have had a lot of exciting news including the Greater Brighton Economic partnership bringing funding for flood defences to Newhaven, to the Biosphere project, Coastal Communities Funding and the beginning of construction for the University Technical College. What is striking about so many of the achievements this year is that they could not have been done alone. Working in partnership with other councils, the voluntary and the private sector has enriched and broadened what we can accomplish. This month we have opened the Southover House Partnership in the reception area of our Lewes offices. This will bring together the expertise of advice and support groups from across the district to a central and accessible location, and joint working between these groups and the council will result in real benefits for residents. For more information on the advice centre and opening hours, please see Page 13.
District News is available in large print, audio tape, disc or in another language upon request. If you would like to receive an email alert for District News, sign足up at www.lewes.gov.uk/newsletter/index. asp CONTACT 01273 471600 EMAIL press@lewes.gov.uk DESIGN Lewes District Council ABOVE L TO R Scot Reid, Lewes District Council; Michael Bell, CAB; Glynnis Boucher, SCDA; Cllr Rob Blackman, Lewes District Council; Pearl Zia, East Sussex Credit Union; Jackie Wilkes, CAB; Lucy Roberts, SCDA.
New play area A new playground in Convent Field, Lewes is now open to the public. The area, which has a medieval theme, was opened by the Mayor of Lewes and includes a castle, a drawbridge, swings, a trampoline and a large sandpit. The council listened carefully to comments from local people about what they wanted for the new playground. The new equipment makes great use of natural materials to ensure that it is in keeping with the beautiful surroundings of Convent Field and Priory Park.
Remembrance Day at Seaford Cemetery
Cllr Nicholson, Chair of the council, attended the Remembrance Service at Seaford Cemetery War Graves on 11 November. He was joined by a number of veterans of the Second World War, including those from the Caribbean community who make an annual journey to Seaford from London to mark the day. He said:
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What we have commemorated here today is not only the lives of those West Indians laid to rest here but Canadians, Irish and all others who gave their lives for peace, more particularly our peace, and who travelled a long way from their homes to help us in our hour of need.............
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Abandoned vehicles
You can report abandoned or nuisance vehicles to the council. Already this year we have received over 230 reports from residents. Now that cars will not have to display tax discs, we expect to receive more reports in the future of vehicles that will ultimately turn out to have current owners.
If you find a parked car that is causing a nuisance, or that you think might be abandoned, you can check its tax status using the DVLA’s Vehicle Enquiry System at
www.vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk This will tell you whether it has tax and a current MOT certificate. If after this, you still believe that the car is abandoned, or it continues to cause a nuisance, you can report this to our Customer Services department on 01273 471600.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle The Zero Heroes competition might be over, but we continue to collect food waste across the district and you can play a part in protecting our environment by reducing the amount of waste you put in your bin, reusing any leftover food, and recycling food waste. You can reline your foodwaste caddies with biodegradable bags which can be bought from the following locations: Lewes Tourist Information Centre Lewes Community Recycling Centre Seaford Tourism Information Centre Peacehaven Information Centre Newhaven Town Council Bunce’s Home Hardware, Lewes The Candy Box, Seaford Bonnie News, Peacehaven The Annexe, Peacehaven Barcombe Stores and Post Office
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• Wynnes and Seaford Fencing • Mount Harry Stores, Lewes • Around a Pound, Seaford • GoodFayre, Peacehaven • Gibbon News, Newhaven • Walmer Convenience, Seaford • Costcutter, Seaford • Angies News, Seaford • Texaco Petrol Station, Seaford • Total Petrol Station, Peacehaven • Sainsburys / Tesco / Waitrose You can also line your bin with newspaper; just make sure NOT to use plastic bags as these cannot be composted.
Preparing
for Winter
What can you do to prepare your home? The Met Office recommends checking your garden for any loose items that can become “missiles” in high winds. Keep a look out for loose tiles and slates on your roof, consider removing dead branches from old trees, and make sure your gutters and pipes aren’t blocked.
Across the district we are working to make sure that homes and businesses are protected against harsh weather this winter. We are carrying out repairs to our sea defences at Peacehaven and East Saltdean including damaged concrete on walkways, steps and the sea wall. We are also inspecting over hanging structures above the under cliff walk and removing unstable sections where possible. Protecting against floods in Newhaven
The council issues free sandbags in an emergency and locations of sandbag stores can be found on our website. For advance flood warnings from the Environment Agency you can signup on their website at www.environment agency.gov.uk or phone 0845 988 1188 for local risk information.
The town of Newhaven is vulnerable to tidal flooding during extreme weather conditions. The Environment Agency and the council are developing the Newhaven Flood Alleviation scheme to improve the flood defences and protect 437 homes and 392 businesses in the area. The scheme is estimated to cost £9m. We are currently gathering information to help better understand the condition of the existing defences and ground along the riverbanks. The Environment Agency is keen to work with the local community, developers and local businesses to provide regular opportunities to speak with us and feedback your views. We hope to start building the defences in 2016. For more information about the scheme please contact the Newhaven Flood Alleviation Scheme project team at the Environment Agency on 03708 506506 or email: newhavenfas@environmentagency.gov.uk
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Zero Heroes
Thanks to everyone who reduced their waste, and to those who submitted and voted for ideas as part of the Zero Heroes Community Competition. The winning projects have been chosen and we can now announce the first round of successful community projects. Twelve areas of the district competed for a share of the £40,000 prize distributed according to how much everyone in an area could reduce their waste. Reducing waste earned an area points as did organising community events. We received over 140 ideas and over 650 votes. We asked the people who suggested ideas to send us project proposals and from these the council has chosen to give funding to the following projects:
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Hamsey – a playground safety fence; Rodmell – a new community noticeboard;
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Iford – a wildflower meadow; Piddinghoe – a new website for the Parish; Lewes – funding for the Saturday Circles Club; Peacehaven – a community orchard; East Chiltington – a shed for the allotments; Saltdean and Telscombe – supporting the renovation and improvement of bus shelters in the town.
Projects for the remaining parts of the district will be announced in December. During the competition, levels of household waste reduced across the district.
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Congratulations to Kingston, Newhaven, Barcombe, Hamsey, Saltdean and Telscome which achieved the highest reductions in their waste.............
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Elections
Thursday 7 May 2015 is Election Day: you’ll be able to cast your vote in the Parliamentary, Town & Parish and our District Council elections. These elections take place every four years and they are important – it’s your chance to say how we should be run. Many of the issues local people care most about are affected by our work. We can make a difference, and if you become a Councillor, so could you. We are always encouraging new people to stand as Councillors. If you care about your local area, have strong opinions and want to represent your neighbours you could be an ideal candidate. For more information on the ‘Role of a Councillor’ please visit www.lewes.gov.uk. Don’t forget that the way to register for your vote has changed – you can now register online at www.gov.uk/registertovote
ABOVE
Lewes District Council’s current Cabinet members
Council meetings are open to the public: Employment Committee 2 8 December Cabinet 3 8 December Devolution Committee 2 9 December Planning Applications Committee 1 10 December 5 January Cabinet 3 Planning Applications Committee 1 7 January Landport Bottom Management Committee 5 13 January 15 January Scrutiny Committee 3 Audit & Standards Committee 2 26 January Planning Applications Committee 1 28 January 12 February Cabinet 3 Planning Applications Committee 1 18 February Employment Committee 4 23 February 25 February Council 1 Scrutiny Committee 3 5 March Planning Applications Committee 1 11 March Audit & Standards Committee 4 16 March 19 March Cabinet 3
10.00am 1.30pm 10.00am 5.00pm 2.30pm 5.00pm 11.00am 10.00am 3.30pm 5.00pm 2.30pm 5.00pm 10.00am 2.30pm 10.00am 5.00pm 3.30pm 2.30pm
Venues: 1 Council Chamber, County Hall, St. Annes Crescent, Lewes 2 Telscombe Room, Southover House, Lewes 3 Telscombe & Ditchling Rooms, Southover House, Lewes 4 Ditchling Room, Southover House, Lewes 5 Council Chamber, Lewes Town Hall, Lewes For further information and to confirm meeting times, dates and locations, contact the Committee Section at committees@lewes.gov.uk or call 01273 471600. Information is correct at time of going to press.
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Cllr Blackman, Leader, Lewes District Council In 2014 we continued to engage with business in the district by announcing a discretionary rate relief scheme and by launching the first Lewes District Business Awards. We have worked with both of our Local Enterprise Partnerships to attract inward investment and championed Newhaven as a great place for businesses. I look forward to seeing how our championing of entrepreneurship and innovation will change the district in the coming years.
Andrew Lloyd, Dean, the University of Brighton “The University is delighted that the University Technical College in Newhaven (UTC@harbourside) secured building permission in 2014 and work is ongoing to convert the Marine Workshops into a stateoftheart education facility. “As a partner in the development of the curriculum, we have worked with local companies to deliver a very practical education and extracurricular programme which will support the development of each student to achieve their full potential. When it opens in 2015, we are committed to the UTC providing an inspirational learning environment to prepare young people, interested in science and engineering for employment and/or progression to university.”
We have made the district a more attractive place to live by supporting the Centenary Parks project, the regeneration of the North Street Quarter and in 2015 we will be starting construction of the exciting Newhaven Growth Quarter.
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We have improved our services whilst ensuring that we make the most of the money we receive, and we will continue to do the same in 2015.
Grant Winter Spokesman for Zero Degrees, the user group for the skatepark in the new Big Parks Project, Peacehaven, working with the designers CANVAS.
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“The skatepark has gone from plans on paper to concrete in the park! Everyone has put in many hours of hard work. With 2015 being the first year we plan on making it an action packed one. “We will have a formal opening in the New Year where the local skaters, BMXers and Scooter riders will be showing their skills with prizes and fun for all. The skatepark will be a destination for many of the best riders from around the south. With the skatepark being designed for a wide usergroup, we look forward to seeing how it helps push everyone to a new level – bring on 2015!”
Photo of LDC Leader by Nick Robinson
new year resolutions!
Housing advice surgeries If you are having difficulties paying your rent/mortgage, need advice on your rights as a tenant or owner, need to find somewhere to live, or are having problems maintaining your home then come to a “Housing Advice” drop in surgery: Peacehaven Community House, Meridian Centre, Meridian Way Monday 9am12.30pm Lewes Council Offices, Southover House, Southover Road Tuesday 9am12.30pm Newhaven Council Offices, 20 Fort Road Wednesday 9am12.30pm Seaford 37 Church Street Thursday 9.15am12.30pm Or visit our website www.lewes.gov.uk and complete an online housing advice request or email housingneeds@lewes.gov.uk For people living in villages with no means of transport, or people with disabilities our advice officers would be happy to arrange a home visit.
Is a council home
for life? Up until recently social landlords have only been able to offer lifetime tenancies. The law has changed and social landlords can now offer tenants fixed term tenancies. Any change would affect new tenants of the council, or some existing tenants who move to a new home through a swap. The law has also given powers to the council to decide who can inherit a tenancy after a tenant dies. We want to know what you think. Should the council offer new tenants fixed term tenancies? Should the council allow any relatives other than a partner of a deceased tenant inherit a tenancy? For more information and to complete our survey please visit www.lewes.gov.uk/council/15994.asp or contact the Tenant Participation Team at tenant.participation@lewes.gov.uk or on tel 01273 487249 to be sent the paper survey. The closing date for comments is Friday 2 January 2015. Once the results of this consultation have been considered, a draft Tenancy Policy will be produced and be available for comment as the final part of our consultation.
Tenants’ Open Morning
Our Tenants’ Open Morning, held on 22 November, was attended by 65 tenants and our focus was on home improvements. Our maintenance team led workshops that were not only informative but also gave tenants a chance to learn some new skills. There were workshops on: how to paint a room and to carry out small DIY jobs what causes condensation and how to prevent and treat it how we can improve our repairs service.
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Talks on our new Tenants Complaints Panel, Credit Union and new social housing were also given and tenants were able to access a variety of information stands, including our housing contractors, White Ribbon and the police and fire services.
To keep in line with our “Home Improvements“ theme there was a prize draw for all attendees to have a room in their house repainted by us in time for Christmas. Andy Chequers, Head of Customer Service said
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We wanted to appeal to a wider range of tenants by offering practical workshops to help people to maintain and improve their homes. Our tenants with young children were offered a crèche facility and we were really pleased with the great turn-out.
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Concerned about condensation? Follow our advice and you could reduce the risk of damp problems in your home. Each year the average household puts about 12 litres of moisture into the air in their home through normal activities such as cooking, washing clothes and bathing. This can cause problems with surface condensation. Increasing ventilation whilst also warming your home is the best way to reduce condensation. You can do this in a number of ways:
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Keep lids on saucepans whilst cooking; Dry clothes outdoors; Keep the door shut when showering or bathing and use extractor fans if you have them; Provide low background heat during the day rather than heating a house that has been cold for a long time;
For more persistent damp issues, or to request an inspection contact the Housing Repairs Team on 01273 484448 or email repairs@lewes.gov.uk
Scooter Store for Seaford A new store for mobility scooters at Seaford House has opened and will make it easier for residents to apply for and maintain their scooters. A lot of our sheltered scheme residents benefit hugely from the increased independence a scooter can provide, and in Seaford having one can mean that the town centre is within easy reach. Having the new store will make sure the scooters are protected and secure and easier to access for residents. Any residents who are interested in obtaining a scooter should speak to their scheme managers. The store was opened by Mr. Fred Burr, aged 93, who was helped by the Scheme Manager Gail Robinson to obtain his scooter via funding from the British Legion.
New era of hope
Lewes District Council and Terrence Higgins Trust have been working together to raise awareness about HIV and the information and support services that are available to Lewes district residents.
HIV stands for 'Human Immunodeficiency Virus’. It is a virus which causes your immune system to become weaker. If you are diagnosed early and start treatment on time, your immune system is less likely to be damaged. We supported National HIV Testing Week (22 to 30 November) and World AIDS Day (1 December) which was an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV and show their support for people living with HIV. For information about services that Terrence Higgins Trust offers in East Sussex, please call 01323 649927, email info.eastbourne@tht.org.uk or visit www.tht.org.uk
Accessing advice just got easier Advice services from across the district covering a range of topics will now be running dropin and appointment services from the council offices in Lewes at Southover House. You will also be able to access the telephones and computers in the reception to find information. Qualified and experienced staff from a variety of organisations will work on different days on the ground floor:
Photo courtesy of Sussex Express
HIV prevalence in the district is above 2.0 per 1,000 residents and is therefore seen as a higher prevalence area along with Hastings and Eastbourne. This is why the Terrence Higgins Trust are concentrating their work locally and why the council are working with them to raise awareness of their campaigns.
Tuesdays 9.30am12.30pm SCDA Advice Services Tuesdays 9.30am12.30pm East Sussex Credit Union Thursdays 9am3pm Citizens Advice Bureau All these services make a huge difference to the lives of residents around the district, and we hope partnership working with the council will help to make them easier to access for our tenants and residents.
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Wave leisure Staying Healthy Do you have a medical condition that would benefit from exercise? Do you need a bit of help to achieve it? Why not talk to your GP about the Wave Leisure Exercise Referral Scheme? The scheme can benefit a range of conditions including high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, weight loss (and management), mobility, depression and stress. Aged 1625? Get Active for less with Sportivate If you are between 1625, Wave Leisure offers access to the gym for just £12 for eight sessions making it just £1.50 per session! The government recommends that everyone does three 3060 minute sessions of physical activity per week. We are making it cheaper for you to exercise whether you want to lose weight, gain muscle, keep healthy or just have fun!
facebook: www.fb.com/waveleisure twitter: @TheWaveLeisure web: www.waveleisure.co.uk email: info@waveleisure.co.uk
Photo of Bluebell Railway courtesy of Derek Hayward
Holiday Events in Lewes District
Spring Barn Farm Meet Santa every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from 29 November onwards. www.springbarnfarm.com Bluebell Railway Saturday 6 December – Carol Service from Horsted Keynes Station at 7:30pm Every weekend in December – Santa and Reindeer Special Trains – meet Santa or travel to visit the Reindeer family. Monday 22 December – a Victorian Christmas journey! www.bluebellrailway.co.uk St. John Sub Castro Saturday 6 December – East Sussex Bach Choir sing Haydn and Bach.
Middle Farm Saturday 6 December – Vintage Christmas shopping, family activities and live music. www.middlefarm.com Plumpton Race Course Monday 15 December – Christmas Raceday. www.plumptonracecourse.co.uk Paradise Park Every Saturday and Sunday in December – meet Father Christmas! www.tatesgardencentres.co.uk Iford Village Hall Saturday 13 December – Christmas popup market, 10am5pm. Lewes Vox Choir Sunday 14 December – Christmas concert at the Royal Oak, Barcombe, 7pm. Follow @enjoysussex for more events and information.
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Festive bank holiday collection days
REFUSE and FOOD WASTE COLLECTIONS Normal Collection Day
Altered Collection Day
Thursday 25 December
Friday 2 January
Friday 26 December
Saturday 3 January
Monday 29 December
Normal collections
Tuesday 30 December
Normal collections
Wednesday 31 December
Normal collections
Thursday 1 January
Friday 2 January
Friday 2 January
Saturday 3 January
Please ensure that your rubbish is put out by 6am on the altered day.
CLINICAL WASTE COLLECTIONS Normal collection
Altered collection
Booking deadline
Tuesday 23 Dec
Normal collections
Monday 22 Dec 12 noon
Wednesday 24 Dec
Normal collections
Tuesday 23 Dec 12 noon
Thursday 25 Dec
Wednesday 24 Dec
Tuesday 23 Dec 12 noon
Tuesday 30 Dec
Normal collections
Monday 29 Dec 12 noon
Wednesday 31 Dec
Normal collections
Tuesday 30 Dec 12 noon
Thursday 1 Jan
Wednesday 31 Dec
Tuesday 30 Dec 12 noon
� For commercial recycling of paper and cardboard collections please follow your normal fortnightly cycle and allow the same bank holiday alterations as shown on the refuse and food waste collections table. Christmas Tree Recycling Points We are offering our usual Christmas Tree recycling service for local residents. You can bring your trees to one of the following dropoff points by Saturday 17 January 2015: Lewes Brooks Street car park Newhaven Bay View car park Peacehaven Piddinghoe Avenue car park Seaford Richmond Road car park and Buckle car park
KERBSIDE RECYCLING COLLECTIONS Please refer to your kerbside recycling calendar. If you do not have one you can download one from our website: www.lewes.gov.uk/waste/ boxit.asp or you can request one by calling our customer services department on
01273 471600