District news Summer Edition 2016
in this issue: ARTWAVE FESTIVAL
NEW PLAYGROUND
CLEAN UP DAYS UNSUNG HEROES HOUSING NEWS BUDDING ENTREPRENEURS BEAUTIFUL BEACHES Your Lewes District Council Newsletter
www.lewes.gov.uk
FEATURES Impact Seaford Flood Fair LEAP entrepreneurs Clean ups Artwave Festival
4 5 6 7 8
REGULARS Housing news Wave Leisure Council meetings
10-13 14 14
DIARY DATES Ranger Events Bank holiday collections
13 16
Ready for summer Our beautiful district is shown to its best advantage in the summer and nowhere is this truer than on our beaches. So we would like to say a big thank you to the volunteers who have helped us to get the beaches ready for all to enjoy! At our Big Spring Beach Clean below the cliffs of the Castle Hill local nature reserve, volunteers armed with litter pickers filled 30 bags with rubbish that had been blown up onto the beach by winter storms. Thyone Outram, our Community Ranger, said: “It was great to see so many local people give up their time at the weekend to help clean up the beach. Many of the volunteers were particularly concerned about the amount of plastic that ends up in the sea and on the beaches.” We are also looking forward to a summer of culture, with our annual Artwave festival taking place from 20 August to 4 September with even more artists and makers than ever before taking part. To find out more turn to pages 8 to 9.
‘Bittern skulking at Court Lodge Farm’, a collage by Charlotte Matthews, exhibiting with the Lewes Printmakers at Fishpond Studio, Cooksbridge during Artwave
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RIGHT Newhaven beach cleaning photos by Steve Creffield www.facebook.com/newhaven photographs District News is available in large print, audio tape, disc or in another language upon request. To receive District News by email visit www.lewes.gov.uk/districtnews
CONTACT 01273 471600 EMAIL press@lewes.gov.uk DESIGN Lewes District Council @LewesDC
Our LEAP programme for budding entrepreneurs in the district has showcased some of the great business ideas that local people have come up with (see page 6). The LEAP Entrepreneur of the Year awards is just one of the categories in our annual Lewes District Business Awards on 14 July, another highlight of our summer season.
Royal Opening for community hub We were delighted to welcome His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester to open our new shared community hub at Saxon House in Newhaven in April. As part of the royal opening, His Royal Highness, who is grandson of George V and a first cousin to the Queen, was given a tour of the building, which houses Lewes District Council, East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service and Sussex Police under one roof.
Thought for the play A giant sandpit with sit-on diggers, a pedal-powered bicycle roundabout and a row of mini trampolines are some of the highlights of the newly refurbished and extended playground at the Nevill Recreation Ground in Lewes. The completion of the works in May coincided with a weekend of glorious sunshine when the revamped playground proved highly popular with local children, keen to try out the imaginative new play equipment. While some of the old favourite play equipment has been retained, the new elements also include a child-sized table with train tracks, new swings and sensory planting, providing opportunities for children of all ages to enjoy being outdoors. RIGHT L TO R: Chief Fire Officer Gary Walsh, HRH the Duke of Gloucester, Cllr Ruth O’Keeffe MBE and Deputy Chief Constable Robin Smith
Cllr Andy Smith, Leader of Lewes District Council, said: “We are delighted to be part of a new multi-agency presence in the centre of Newhaven that is already delivering better access to public services for local people. Saxon House provides a real focal point for the community and is contributing to the regeneration of the town.”
Sunny outlook for Seaford A group dedicated to ensuring a bright future for Seaford is one of 100 organisations in seaside towns around the country to have been named by the Government as a ‘Coastal Community Team’. Impact Seaford, a partnership between local authorities, businesses and the local community, is developing a plan to make Seaford a great destination to live and work in for years to come. Councillor Paul Franklin, who sits on the board of Impact Seaford, said: “Impact Seaford is delighted to be designated as a Coastal Community Team by the Government. We have already had some notable successes, including the I Love Seaford app, and the future for Seaford is bright!”
Look behind the scenes
For more information email impactseaford@lewes.gov.uk
We are pleased once again to be sponsoring this popular annual event from Thursday 8 to Sunday 11 September, run by volunteers from the Friends of Lewes.
Tour Harveys brewery, visit the home of Tom Paine, step inside a usually locked chapel, or see the medieval vaults at the Town Hall, when our historic town of Lewes opens its doors over the Heritage Open Days weekend.
The programme offers unique access to commercial buildings and private homes of historic interest, as well as special walks, exhibitions and concerts. All events are free, but some need to be booked in advance. For more information pick up a leaflet from libraries and tourist information centres from the end of July, or visit www.heritageopendays.org.uk ABOVE
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Detail from the Gundrada Chapel, Southover Church, Lewes
Raising awareness of flooding f Around 100 residents came along to the Seahaven Community Flood Fair in Seaford in April to find out more about flooding issues in their area. Our experts were joined by teams from East Sussex County Council, Seaford and Newhaven Town Councils, the National Flood Forum, Southern Water, the newly formed Seaford Community Flood Action Group and the Environment Agency. The EA provided an update on the Newhaven Flood Alleviation Scheme, while East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, HM Coastguard and the
Sussex 4x4 Group gave an outside exhibition of their capabilities and equipment. Cllr Sam Adeniji said: “It was invaluable having all the key players under one roof to inform residents on how to prepare a personal flood plan and better protect themselves and their property.” For more information please contact the Seaford Community Flood Action Group at cfaseaford@gmail.com or 07984 154763, or the Newhaven Flood Alleviation Scheme project team at newhavenfas@environmentagency.gov.uk or 03708 506506.
Building strength through diversity Sompriti, a project supporting black and minority ethnic (BME) communities and individuals across East Sussex, is one of the organisations that we are supporting with a charitable grant in 2016/17. Part of a Sussex Community Development Association, Sompriti offers bilingual advocacy as well as help with community development, interpreting and translation. In the last year, Sompriti has worked with a number of different communities including Bangladeshi, Bulgarian, Chinese, German, Indian, Kurdish, Pakistani, Palestinian, Romanian, Syrian and Turkish.
Josi Enright of SCDA Sompriti said: “Our joint work with Lewes District Council enables us to provide vital services to diverse BME communities. This partnership helps build confidence and bring isolated communities together.”
The organisation has provided 85 hours of advocacy and support in the past year. It also offers a range of activities such as support groups for local BME women, conversational English classes, training opportunities and events to mark important celebrations such as Chinese New Year.
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An enterprising idea A coffee shop, a cleaning business, life coaching, a health and safety consultancy and upholstery are just some of the business ideas dreamt up by this year’s LEAP (Local Enterprise & Apprenticeship Platform) entrepreneurs. An initial 21 applicants attended a one-day business skills workshop in April, with 15 budding entrepreneurs going on to complete a variety of training courses in how to start and develop a successful business.
Since 2013, 45 local business people have been supported through the LEAP Entrepreneur of the Year programme, which champions new enterprise in Lewes District. Cllr Andy Smith (above left), Leader of Lewes District Council, said: “LEAP has had some great achievements since we started the project in 2013, with more than 75 per cent of previous candidates going on to start their own business.” The winner of the LEAP award will be announced at the Lewes District Business Awards on 14 July.
Night-time clean for busy roads We have been working hard to put in place a safe roadside cleaning plan on the A26 and A27, kicking off with an intensive two-week night litter clearance programme. Last year, together with all councils in the area, we stopped roadside cleaning on stretches where there was not enough room for staff to litter pick without risking severe injury from fast moving cars. The move was in line with national guidance issued by the Department of Transport. As a short-term solution, in April, we engaged Highways England contractor Balfour Beatty to clear away litter that had built up at the roadside, using specialised vehicles and temporary lane closures. Now we are working to prevent rubbish building up on the verges in the first place, and would ask people not to throw litter from their cars. We have already issued a Fixed Penalty Notice to a waste carrier who failed to contain waste properly, allowing some of it to escape along the A26. We will continue to do this and ask residents to report similar incidents.
Spruce up for town centres Newhaven town centre was given a one-day deep clean by our staff this Spring using our new fleet of street cleaning vehicles. We are planning further ‘Clean Up’ days for Seaford, Lewes, Plumpton, Newick and other areas of the district. Particular attention is being targeted on those who are responsible for putting up unauthorised signage around the town, including advertisements on lamp posts and banners attached to railings. Please use the litter bins provided to dispose of litter and cigarette ends, or take your litter home with you. If you see a litter bin that needs to be emptied you can report it online at www.lewes.gov.uk and we will get it emptied. If you think your town or village is in need of a special clean up then please let us know!
LEFT Cllr Franklin (centre) with the LDC team on the ‘Clean Up’ in Newhaven
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Photo by Jim Holden
rtwave, our annual festival for artists and makers across the district takes place over three weekends this summer, between 20 August and 4 September.
A
• We are delighted to announce that we have
• New for this year, Artwave is partnering with Artists United, Lewes Community Football Club’s annual exhibition, giving Artwave artists the opportunity to exhibit and sell in a group show, with a percentage of sales going to the club. We will be running two useful workshops
even more artists and makers than ever before, with 120 venues taking part, including open houses and studios, galleries, shops, cafes and pubs, hosting over 350 different artists. Amongst the new exhibitors for 2016 we welcome the Sussex Downs College show of student art in Lewes. and to make this easier we have expanded our popular trails, with a new rural trail in the east of the district and one on the coast. Clusters of artists and makers open their doors to visitors in Alciston, Barcombe, Ditchling, Firle, Isfield, Laughton, Litlington and Ringmer, not forgetting our coastal trail from Peacehaven, through Newhaven to Seaford.
Photo by Peter Smith
• Artwave is about exploration and discovery
for Artwave artists at this event, sponsored by LEAP, focussing on how they can improve the marketing of venues and the artists themselves. Artists United takes place at the Foundry Gallery, Lewes, from 14-17 July.
• Also new for this year is a Private View trail night in Lewes and Seaford. On Friday 19 August a range of galleries and houses will give a sneak preview of what they have on offer between 5 and 7pm. Private View maps will be available from the Artwave hubs at Seaford Tourist Information Centre and Lewes Tourist Information Centre.
• We are bringing back Artwave Favourite Awards this year, allowing festival visitors to vote for their favourite venue. Winners of the award will feature in the promotional material for next year’s festival. The front cover of this year’s Artwave brochure features a woodcut by Keith Pettit (pictured left), who was voted favourite artist in 2015, while Driftwood Open Garden (pictured below), winner of the favourite town venue and Artists and an Orchard (pictured right), winners of the favourite rural venue will also have their work featured in this year’s promotional material.
Polly Kettley, Folly & Glee, Lights & Shades
Artwave brochures and the website will be available in mid-July. Follow us on Twitter @artwave2016, find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/artwavefestival/ or visit www.artwavefestival.org Pauline Crook, Mixed Media
BELOW Hand thrown porcelain vessels by Tanya Gomez in Lewes Artwave
Alice Mara, Ceramics ABOVE Artists and an Orchard, winners of the favourite rural venue 2015
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Housing advice surgeries If you are having difficulties paying your rent or 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 9am-12.30pm Lewes Council Offices, Southover House, Southover Road Tuesday 9am-12.30pm Newhaven Saxon House, Meeching Rd Wednesday and Friday 10am-12.30pm Seaford The Police Building, Church St Thursday 9am-12.30pm You can also 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. For our duty housing officer rota visit: www.lewes.gov.uk/housing/21619.asp
Free fun events for older tenants Over the next year we will be working with Join Us, the support network for older residents, to provide some free, fun, networking and training events around the district. The events are aimed at tenants living in sheltered accommodation, tenants over 55 and members of TOLD and will be held at various locations. Events to be held over the summer are:
JUNE – IT training sessions in Seaford (dates to be confirmed). These sessions are open to tenants aged over 55 living in the Seaford area.
JULY – Sheltered housing garden competition: open to all sheltered scheme residents, either for communal gardens or individual gardens.
AUGUST – Photographic competition on the theme “Summer days”. Open to all sheltered scheme residents. For more information contact Ruth Tahsin or Sue Wells on 01273 487249.
Brighter spaces Each year we have a budget to allow us to carry out external and environmental improvements on our housing land such as providing additional car parking spaces, landscaping communal gardens, additional planting of flowers or trees, and new seating areas, or more lighting. Applications must be received by the end of February 2017 at the latest, but the earlier the better. Only one project can be submitted on each form.
Survey helps keep council homes in shape
Ideally, before sending in the form you should consult with your neighbours and anyone else who could be affected by the proposal, to make sure you have support. For larger projects we may carry out further consultation.
Over the summer we will be surveying the condition of over 500 of our rented properties, all of our sheltered housing and the external and communal areas of blocks of flats.
Once approved, our engineers and Parks and Gardens team will carry out the work before the end of the next financial year. Please note some projects can take a while to plan. This year, improvements included brightening up the communal courtyard at Mercread Court in Seaford with a bright green anti-slip floor and raised flowerbeds.
Our surveyors will assess the condition of internal and external areas and estimate if refurbishment work is needed, helping us to plan future maintenance. The surveys will be visual only, and will not involve moving furniture.
BEFORE
There is no need to do anything yet. If your home is selected for survey, you will receive a request for access nearer the time. All our surveyors will carry identification and will make appointments in advance.
AFTER
While the condition surveys are taking place, you should continue to report routine repairs by phone on 01273 471600 or by email at repairs@lewes.gov.uk Our surveyors will not be able to take requests for routine repairs. Thank you – the co-operation of residents is vital for the survey project to succeed.
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Everyday heroes We celebrated the tireless contribution made by ‘Unsung Heroes’ across the district at a special gathering at Newhaven Fort in April, hosted by our outgoing Chair, Cllr Ruth O’Keeffe, MBE. Cllr O’Keeffe said: “I felt the ‘Unsung Heroes’ event was a lovely way to round off my year as Chair during which my civic theme was the charities and voluntary groups of Lewes District.
I have visited all 52 of the nominated groups, one for each week of the year, and have learnt a lot about their wonderful work for the community.” The volunteers received a certificate presented by Her Majesty’s Deputy Lieutenant of East Sussex, Mrs Kathy Gore. Guests also had lunch, enjoyed a performance by the talented young singer Tamsin Hodges and were taken on guided tours of the fort.
Working together for community transport Community Transport for the Lewes Area is a charity established in 1995 to help people access services essential for daily living, combat isolation and loneliness and to providing more transport options. With a fleet of 19 accessible minibuses, they offer Dial-a-Ride in and around Lewes, Seaford, Newhaven, Peacehaven and Telscombe; a Travel Club for socialising and trips out and have vehicles local community groups can hire. CTLA is not only for the elderly or people with
mobility issues, it is available to all age groups and they are seeking volunteer drivers, so they can continue their valuable work. In January, over 30 representatives from councils, charities and local action groups met to discuss working together to find community transport solutions. A further event is being held on Friday 1 July at the Hillcrest Centre in Newhaven. For more information about this meeting, CTLA’s services, and how to volunteer or donate call 01273 517332, visit ctla.org.uk or email info@ctla.org.uk
Get back to Nature with our free Ranger Events Jewels of the Downs at Landport
Bottom 18 June 10.30am-12.30pm. Join our Ranger on a guided walk and discover downland butterflies and flowers. Meet at Landport Bottom, Nevill Road, Lewes. Aspects of Castle Hill
19 June 10am-12pm. Come and explore this lovely Nature Reserve. Meet at the Newhaven Fort Car Park, Fort Road, Newhaven. Crazy Crafty Bugs at the Old Brickfield 29 July 11am-2pm. Join us for a fun family day. Bring your own picnic. Meet at the Old Brickfield, Marine Parade, Seaford.
Meet the Meadow Minders
at Lewes Railway Land 4 September 1.30-3.30pm. Learn about volunteering. Wear old clothes and sturdy footwear. Meet at Lewes Railway Land. The Great British Beach Clean
16-19 September. Join thousands of people across the UK for the annual Great British Beach Clean. For more information visit msc.org.uk or lewes.gov.uk
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Lewes District Council meetings scheduled for summer 2016 are open to the public Employment Committee 4 Devolution Committee 2 Audit and Standards Committee 4 Planning Applications Committee 1 Scrutiny Committee 3 Cabinet 3 Planning Applications Committee 1 Council 1 Planning Applications Committee 1 Planning Applications Committee 1 Scrutiny Committee 3 Employment Committee 4 Landport Bottom Management Cttee 5
13 June 15 June 20 June 29 June 1 July 4 July 20 July 21 July 10 August 31 August 8 September 12 September 13 September
10:00am 10:00am 10:00am 5:00pm 10:00am 2:30pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 5:00pm 5:00pm 10:00am 10:00am 11:00am
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 Rooms, Southover House, Lewes 5 Council Chamber, Lewes Town Hall, Lewes
For further information and to confirm meeting times, dates and locations, please 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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Summer bank holiday collection days REFUSE and FOOD WASTE COLLECTIONS Normal Collection Day
Altered Collection Day
Monday 29 August
Tuesday 30 August
Tuesday 30 August
Wednesday 31 August
Wednesday 31 August
Thursday 1 September
Thursday 1 September
Friday 2 September
Friday 2 September
Saturday 3 September
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 or you can request one by calling customer services on
Please ensure that your rubbish is put out by 6am. For commercial recycling of paper and cardboard please follow your normal fortnightly cycle and allow the same bank holiday alterations as shown on the table above.
01273 471600
Help us protect your environment We all know how frustrating it can be when people drop litter, let their dog foul parks and pavements or fly-tip waste on the roadside. We’re working to put a stop to environmental offences such as these and we’re asking for your help by reporting any incidents you see so we can clean up and investigate. To report littering, dog fouling or fly-tipping simply contact us with the location, time and date, and a photo if possible. Please also tell us if you know who was responsible.
HOW TO REPORT CALL 01273 471600 TWEET @LewesDC FACEBOOK Lewes District Council EMAIL customer.services@lewes.gov.uk VISIT www.lewes.gov.uk/waste