Three of Crawley’s attractive parks have again been awarded the prestigious Green Flag.
Beautiful Tilgate Park has received the award for the tenth consecutive year while Goffs Park, in Southgate, and the Memorial Gardens in the town centre have picked up their fourth Green Flags – the national standard for quality parks and green spaces.
Tilgate Park, set in 400 acres, scooped its first Green Flag in 2002. Winners are judged to be welcoming, safe and well maintained and involve the local community.
Tilgae Park
Tilgate Park boasts a nature centre, golf course, lakes, lawns and gardens, woodland walks and bridleways.
Goffs Park has a lake, 18-hole pitch and putt course, miniature steam railway, state-of-the-art play facilities and is home to Crawley Museum.
The Memorial Gardens are an oasis of calm in the middle of the bustling town centre, with lunching office workers and sunbathers enjoying the lush lawns and vibrant plants.
Councillor Lenny Walker, Cabinet member for Leisure and Cultural Services, said: “This is a fantastic achievement and we are delighted to have won these awards.
“For Tilgate to have been awarded the Green Flag for 10 consecutive years is nothing short of amazing.
“All of these flags demonstrate the continued commitment of the council and its dedicated staff to keeping these great parks and open spaces so special, while providing a wide range of leisure activities. It is also just reward for a huge contribution from the Friends of Goffs Park.”
The Green Flag Award is sponsored by the Department for Communities and Local Government, English Heritage and Natural England.
Henry Smith MP has today highlighted an important initiative for local community charity and voluntary groups to nominate themselves for a total of £18,000 worth of awards.
Crawley’s Natwest Branch, as part of their Community Force project, are encouraging local voluntary groups to put themselves forward for three £6,000 awards.
“I am pleased that Natwest has recognised its stake in the Big Society and is offering £18,000 worth in award money for three successful projects chosen by local residents.
“I am always in awe of the fantastic work carried out by so many community groups in Crawley that really make a remarkable difference to so many peoples’ lives. It is, therefore, fantastic when companies like Natwest develop programmes that local charities can apply for funding from. I hope this will provide even more support for the good work they do.”
Charity and voluntary groups wishing to put themselves forward for the awards should register at www.natwest.com/communityforce from today.
A month-long Olympic inspired festival of dance, which culminates with Open Weekend, is underway.
Dance in Motion is part of Crawley in Motion, the name for sporting, cultural and community projects taking place in the town in the next 18 months, all inspired by the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The events, co-ordinated by Crawley Borough Council, K2 Crawley and Crawley Schools Sports Partnership, will include demonstrations and lessons of all types of dance, from ballet to street and Bollywood to Zumba.
Dance in Motion began on July 2 with Bollywood, Portuguese, Irish, contemporary and street dancing demonstrations in Memorial Gardens as part of Crawley Festival Mainstage.
Open Weekend, from Friday 22ndJuly to Sunday 24th July, celebrates one year to go to the beginning of the London 2012 Olympic Games with free activities for all the family.
On Friday July 22, Run, Turtle! Run!, a fun theatre show based on Aesop’s fable, encourages physical activity and participation. It’s suitable for all ages and takes place at the Langley Green Centre at 2pm and the Bewbush Centre at 4pm.
Also on the Friday K2 Crawley hosts karate taster sessions from 8-8.45pm and 8.45-9.30pm. The sessions are run by British Karate Kyokushinkai, who host an international tournament the day after. Spectators are welcome at the tournament, also held at the leisure centre.
On Saturday 23rd July from 10am-4pm the LazyTown Sports Club comes to town.
This exciting physical activity programme motivates children to live better and combines all the movement, excitement, music and action of the LazyTown shows.
Free 45-minute sessions for children aged three to eight accompanied by parents start at 10am, 11am, 12 noon and 1.30pm.
At 3pm the Fitkid Grand Finale will feature a special appearance from Sportacus himself!
The event, at Healthy Balanced Generation at Oriel High School in Maidenbower, is part of Crawley’s Open Weekend to celebrate exactly one year to the start of the Olympics.
On Sunday 24th July from 12 noon-4.30pm the Finale Day at K2 Crawley includes free one-hour workshops in beginners’ ballroom and Latin dancing (12 noon), Michael Jackson workshop (12 noon), street dance class (1pm), children’s dance party (1pm) and a grand ball (1.30-4.30pm).
The grand ball finale ends the Dance in Motion festival and the 2011 Open Weekend in style with a wonderful afternoon of ballroom and Latin dance planned.
Dancers of all abilities are invited to join in the fun, which includes an exciting cabaret from top ballroom amateur couple Ian Sharpe and Victoria Lawrence, with music from top London dance DJ, Mr Wonderful.
Tickets cost £6.50 (concessions £4.50) including refreshments). To book online visit www.hawth.co.uk or call 01293 553636.
A free crèche and free climbing wall sessions will also be available from 12 noon-2pm. Places are limited so please book in advance with K2 Crawley.
At 1pm inChoir, a modern West Sussex choir, will sign songs not normally associated with choirs in a free concert at K2 Crawley. The group concentrates on having a good time and promoting the health benefits of singing.
The full line-up of events plus more information is available at www.crawley.gov.uk/inmotion or www.healthybalancedgeneration.co.uk
To reserve a place at any of dance classes please call 01293 438328.
FIRE CADETS – NOW RECRUITING FOR A NEW GENERATION!
West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service is looking for enthusiastic young people who feel they have got what it takes to be a Fire Cadet.
A new 25-week Fire Cadet programme begins on the 6th October at Haywards Heath Fire Station and applications are being encouraged from young people between the ages of 15 and 18.
For the right candidates the Fire Cadets course is a unique opportunity to experience life on a Fire Station, learn Fire Service drills, life saving skills, search and rescue techniques and much much more. There will also be the chance to represent West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service at public events across the county.
West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service want to hear from young people who:
. Enjoy working in a team
. Are fit, energetic, and enjoy practical outdoor tasks
. Want to help and support others
. Would like to achieve a nationally recognised accreditation
. Want to achieve the silver or bronze Duke of Edinburgh award – optional
. Can commit to the full 25-week course (every Thursday 6.30pm-8.30pm term time only)
Think you’re up for the challenge? Find out more now by calling the Youth Team on 01243 752535 or email youthinitiative@westsussex.gov.uk
Henry Smith MP is highlighting Cancer Research UK’s work in the South East and backing the charity’s bid to make Crawley a thriving environment for medical research.
Henry met Cancer Research UK’s doctors, scientists and supporters from London and the South East at a special reception at Westminster recently.
Around five people are diagnosed with cancer every hour in the South East* but the good news is that thousands of mums, dads, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters across the region are alive today thanks to research into cancer.
Henry said:
“I was keen to find out more about work funded by Cancer Research UK in the South East. I feel proud that research in the South East makes such a significant contribution to the fight against cancer. It’s heartening to know that by supporting Cancer Research UK’s work local people could be making a big difference to cancer patients here on their doorstep.
“I am pleased that this Government has committed to investing an addition £200 million into to cancer drug research and to provide the funding needed to deliver 1,200 additional specialists involved in cancer services by 2012. Despite opposition, the national health fund will be boosted by £11.5 billion over the next four years which will go some way in supporting the work of organisations such as Cancer Research UK.”
Harpal Kumar, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, thanked Mr Smith for his support, saying:
“Cancer Research UK is working hard in every region of the UK to beat cancer. Ninety per cent of the population live within 30 miles of a laboratory or hospital where we’re funding life-saving research.
“We welcome the Government’s recent commitments that will help us with the research we fund in the NHS. We now want the Government to involve Cancer Research UK in planning for the future of medical research in the UK.”
People in the South East who take part in Race for Life make a huge contribution to Cancer Research UK’s work by raising vital funds.
As the Race for Life series draws to a close for 2011, Cancer Research UK is asking participants to make all the fun and emotion of the big day count – by returning the money they have raised to the charity, where it will be used to fund research which saves lives.
To find out more about Cancer Research UK’s work and how to support the charity please visit www.cancerresearchuk.org.
• *All cancers (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer) diagnosed from 2006-2008 in the South East Government Office Region
• For further information about Cancer Research UK’s work or to find out how to support the charity, please call 0203 469 6699 or visit www.cancerresearchuk.org
Shelley interviews Saif Ahmed, Jacob Coward and Manager Paul Taylor about the Gatwick Colts Football Club and their requirements for some new recruits.
We would like to thank Jo Coward for inviting us down to meet the team
One day last week three of the four iconic statues that welcome all visitors to Tilgate Nature Centre went missing.
The pigs and donkeys, carved from wood, have sat in their positions for over fifteen years. The many visitors to the centre are encouraged to make a small donation in the donations box which is held within the hollow of the carvings. The children love to sit on them and many a child has had their picture taken, smiling away whilst sat on the statues.
Sadly, one day last week three of the statues were removed from the park. Why, we don’t know for sure. All we do know for sure is we would like them returned. If you have any information contact whoever you feel appropriate so we can get these wonderful pigs and donkey carvings returned to their rightful position.
Here Shelley interviews Simon Woodard, Manager of Tilgate Nature Centre about the missing statues. Shelley then got to have a tour of the Nature Centre with Sandra who showed Shelley the new additions to the park, which make it such a great community attraction.
Just the ticket – course to help more independent travel
Adults with learning difficulties in West Sussex will now be able to travel more independently thanks to a new training initiative.
West Sussex County Council’s Adults’ Services has commissioned a new independent travel training service for two of its day services, Coastal Enterprises, Worthing, and Burnside, Burgess Hill.
The aim is to help people with learning difficulties gain confidence in travelling on public transport.
The charity Grace Eyre, which supports people with learning difficulties across Sussex, is running the project.
It teaches skills needed for people to travel around their community safely using public transport, either with the support of a volunteer travel buddy or travel on their own.
County Council Cabinet Member for Adults’ Services, Peter Catchpole, said: “The travel training scheme is a great way for people with learning difficulties to gain a little bit more independence.
“Grace Eyre have been successful with the scheme over the last four years in the Brighton and Hove area, working closely with local bus companies and Southern Rail.
“Learners are assessed individually throughout the course and can progress onto another course, which teaches the skills to support others to travel.”
In the coming months, the project will be recruiting more volunteer travel buddies. To find out more, contact Sarah Howse on 07841067281.
On Saturday 9th July the fourth annual Relay for Life set yet another great pace.
With thirty two teams ready to walk the course for the next twenty four hours, Laura Senekal and Darren Bow took to the stage to kick off this amazing ceremony. The teams have worked tirelessly to raise money for Cancer Research UK.
A special mention to our good friend Jules Neale who attended in support and as Captain of Team Yummy even though she has recently been very unwell with a back injury. Although the pampering administered was well worth the effort, wasn’t it Jules And of course, a big thank you to all those, who are still under treatment but came to support and walk the course. Amazing!
Laura wrote this for us:
Well, what can I say? What a weekend!
This is the 4th year Crawley has hosted a Relay For Life and this has been the most amazing event yet. This year we had 32 teams sign up for Relay and together they have so far managed to raise a staggering £68,000 for Cancer Research UK.
Relay For Life is a 24 hour event where teams of friends, family or colleagues take it in turns to walk for a full 24 hours as a sign that cancer doesn’t sleep. All around the track the team have stalls and fundraise furiously during the day. This year we had everything from cakes to a hog roast and tombola’s to tattoos. Even the rain could not stop the cash coming in! During this 24 hours the teams managed to bring in over £12K!!!!! Thank you Crawley!
This year we were supported by some really amazing people who came along to entertain our teams and the public. These included Flying High, Crawley Black Belt Academy, The Nickie Poslad School of Dance, Fi Steps & ACE Irish Dance Academy. We were also lucky enough to enjoy some fantastic local music talent from Solice, The Matt McConnon Band, Chinchilla Zilla, the Songbirds Choir and our very own firstaider Phil singing with Six Till Midnight.
Now, although the day sees us all enjoying a bit of a mini carnival /festival the evening really reminds us of why we are there. When the sun sets we all take part in a candle of hope ceremony, our walking track is lined with candle bags, all dedicated to people to have fought cancer. It is a time to remember, reflect and celebrate the lives of our loved ones. This year we had a special memorial for our good friend Morag Clapp who left us just after last year’s event. This year we also heard a beautiful poem written and read by one of our survivors, Cheryl Ross along with the Songbirds singing ‘I’ll Stand By You’, Shannon Stocker singing a beautiful version of ‘Dance with my Father’, and Aimee Bow finishing the ceremony off with a very emotional rendition of ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow.
NB: We sped up some of the walking so you could see more
I am so very lucky to have such fantastic support from the Relay committee who all come and gave their time for free as did our first aiders (SceneSafe) and the local scouts who kept everyone fed and watered for the full 24 hours….you are all absolutely amazing!!!!!!!!! And a massive thank you to Matt Pay and HSS Hire who donated all the electrical equipment we needed for the day.
I am so very grateful to everyone that took part, raised funds or just came down to see what Relay was all about, already we are seeing interest from new teams for 2012! Next year we may even theme Relay in line with the Olympics…..who knows J.
Why not go and have a look at our website (www.relayforlifecrawley.org) or add us on facebook to be updated with local relay news?
Henry Smith was pleased to learn today that the Big Lottery Fund has decided to invest almost £30,000 in local community projects.
Henry said:
“Historically Crawley community projects haven’t done very well in winning lottery grants but I’m delighted that’s changing following a campaign I’ve pursued to highlight the possibilities which exist through the lottery. The latest awards are very encouraging.
“If local voluntary groups or charities need further information on how to bid then I would be happy to help them make the right connection with the Big Lottery Fund.”
The Crawley Youth Centre has been awarded £9,750, the Crawley District Scout Council has been awarded £9,100 and Milton Mount Primary School has secured £10,000 to build a children’s adventure play trail for the local community.
The Crawley Youth Centre will use the funding to set up a new BME community club for older women, offering participatory activities such as games and excursions. It will also develop an existing club to include younger children, the groups will merge together on excursions. This will encourage younger children to engage with society at an earlier stage while offering older people a meeting place to socialise.
The Crawley District Scout Council will use the funding to purchase equipment to provide activities to young people and will also renovate the scout hut. This will enable the group to improve its service and enable more community groups to use the facilities.
Milton Mount Primary School will use the funding to create a children’s adventure play trail for all the community to use. This will promote fitness, provide challenges and opportunities for team building for the children within the school and the wider community.
Consultation begins on Fire and Rescue Services merger
THE Fire and Rescue Service in West Sussex starts a 12-week public consultation tomorrow (July 14) to seek the views of the public, businesses and staff on its potential merger with East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service.
The consultation is being launched with public meetings in Crawley, which is also tomorrow (Thursday 14th July), and Worthing, which is on Tuesday 19th July.
The Crawley meeting is in the The Fire Service Training Centre (the ex-library building), Northgate Avenue. The Worthing one is in Worthing Library, Richmond Road. Both start at 7pm.
Throughout the consultation Fire Officers will be attending County Local Committee meetings, open days and public events. They will also hold specially arranged forums for partners, businesses, the voluntary sector and members of public. Feedback can also be given online, by post or phone.
West Sussex County Council and the East Sussex Fire Authority (ESFA) have been examining options for closer collaboration between the two Fire Services to see if it would improve performance and protect frontline services from the financial pressures on public sector spending.
The latest business case suggests a full merger under a new combined fire authority for the whole of Sussex provides the best opportunity to make savings of £3.8 million while safeguarding services to the community.
There are no plans to close any fire stations in the merger.
The consultation will run from July 14th – October 6th. ESFA is also consulting on the proposed merger and both ESFA and the County Council will consider the feedback and a final business case before making a final decision at separate meetings in December.
County Fire Officer Max Hood hopes as many people as possible will take part in the consultation.
He said: “The pressures on public spending mean all local authorities are working to find ways of providing essential services with reduced budgets.
“A merger would see a significant change in the management and support costs of the Fire & Rescue Service in West Sussex. It could also mean we can protect fire stations and the other frontline services that people need.
“We’re still waiting for details on the future funding from the government before the business case on a possible merger can be completed, but it’s also important to listen to the views of local people before a final decision is taken.
“I hope as many as possible will attend the meetings and public events to speak to Fire Officers, read the consultation document or seek information via the websites before giving us their feedback on the way forward.”
Pete Bradbury, West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Public Protection, said: “Our priority remains to provide excellent fire and rescue services to our residents.
“In the current difficult financial climate, we believe this innovative approach of merging the fire services of East and West Sussex and Brighton and Hove could enable us to continue to deliver excellent services and improve our operational capability, while reducing back office, management and administration costs.
“The views of the public are important to us and I hope residents, businesses, organisations and stakeholders will participate in the consultation. No decision will be made until the results of the consultation have been considered.”
The business case and consultation document is available online at www.westsussex.gov.uk/fire . Copies of the consultation document are available in libraries, help points, and in reception areas of local authorities, and printed copies can be sent on request.
You can contact the consultation team via email at fireredesign@westsussex.gov.uk or write to Fire Redesign Team, WSFRS HQ, Northgate, Chichester PO19 1BD, or phone 01243 753706.
If approved by central government a merger would take effect on 1st April 2013.
The story behind one of Crawley’s hidden masterpieces is revealed at a free digital exhibition being held at the town’s Library throughout July.
The exhibition is about a painting by Victor Burr, marking when Princess Elizabeth visited Crawley on January 25th, 1950. The picture was donated to the Library by the Burr family in the 1990s and features on the BBC ‘Your Paintings’ season website.
On the Library’s digital wall, there is a range of images from Crawley in 1950 that inspired Victor Burr’s painting, including:
• The Princess’s visit to celebrate the start of the ‘New Town’ project.
• The events she attended such as the opening of the Manor Royal and the High Street civic reception recorded in the painting.
• A 7ft by 5ft digital reproduction of the original painting
• Many rarely seen pictures of the visit, and of Crawley in the 1940s and 1950s, digitised and displayed on a slide show in the Library.
Lionel Barnard, West Sussex County Council Deputy Leader with responsibility for the Library Service, said: “It is wonderful the Library has had the opportunity to digitise many images from the past and make them available to a large number of people without damage to the original.
“This exhibition is a must for anyone interested in the history of Crawley.”
The exhibition runs until Saturday 30th July. For more information call Crawley Library on 01293 651751.
Carbon cutting at K2 Crawley has helped Freedom Leisure obtain the Carbon Trust standard.
The not-for-profit organisation who manage Crawley Borough Council’s leisure centre was awarded the standard for the centres they run across the country.
An energy management plan drawn up by CBC and Freedom Leisure in 2009 helped K2 Crawley cut its carbon by eight per cent over the last two years.
Some measures introduced included fitting infrared sensors in stores and offices to make sure lights go out when rooms aren’t in use; removing unnecessary light fittings; installing electrical sub-meters which highlighted high energy use areas and a lot of raising staff awareness.
In 2009/10 energy use at k2 Crawley dropped by 8.1 per cent and saved £16,000 a year.
And 40 per cent of all electricity used and 27 per cent of heat used came from renewable energy.
Councillor Ken Trussell, Cabinet member for Environment, said: “It’s fantastic news for Freedom Leisure and Crawley Council. We’ve worked hard with them over the last few years to build a carbon cutting plan and implement the changes and it’s fantastic to see it working so well.
“Freedom are a great partner for the council and this standard shows not only their commitment to the environment but also how well Freedom and the council work together.”
Freedom Leisure is proud to join a respected group of 621 organisations that have achieved the Carbon Trust Standard since it was launched in June 2008.
Based on a rigorous independent assessment, the Carbon Trust Standard certifies that organisations have measured, managed and reduced their carbon emissions across their operations and are committed to reducing further year-on-year.
Jeff Hart MD of Freedom Leisure said: “Freedom Leisure is working very hard internally and with all its partners to reduce its carbon footprint and ensure we offer fantastic leisure facilities that operate at their optimum when it comes to utility consumption. The award of the Carbon Trust Standard shows all the hard work is coming to fruition.
Take a stroll around Goffs Park with Crawley Borough Council’s tree experts next week.
The arboricultural officers will be at Goffs Park on Saturday 16th July @ 11am and Wednesday 20th July 20 @ 7pm. The walks will be followed by refreshments in Crawley Museum.
On Sunday 14th August the Friends of Goffs Park host entertainment by Inchoir on the top lawn of the park, behind Goffs House, from 3pm.
There is no charge for any of these events but a donation towards the Friends of Goffs Park’s costs would be welcomed.
For more information call Tony Coles on 01293 527402 or Andy Rogers on 01293 537257.
FOUR lucky families are now back in their newly retrofitted eco council homes following an extreme green makeover set to massively reduce the properties’ CO2 emissions.
(l-r and back to front) Mark, Amy, Tommy, Bradley and Amelia
The Crawley Borough Council homes are four of just 86 across the whole country which have been fitted out with innovative materials rarely used in regular house building in a bid to reduce their carbon emissions by 80 per cent.
The work is thanks to Crawley Borough Council’s successful bid to the Retrofit for the Future competition run by the Technology Strategy Board which saw a near half million pounds reward to retrofit the homes in Furnace Green, Langley Green, Pound Hill and Three Bridges.
Wattbox; intuitive technology which learns the family's behaviour and regulates temperature and power in accordance.
Councillor Lee Gilroy, Cabinet member for Housing, said: “This project is really exciting; it shows us and the rest of the UK what materials can be used in social housing to help meet CO2 reduction targets.
“The outcome will be very interesting and could help lead to a cleaner, greener future for Crawley residents.”
The properties chosen for the green makeover represent the mix of homes found in the town; two 1950s pre-fabricated buildings, a 60s shuttered concrete terrace and a more standard brick construction with a cavity wall.
All the homes chosen for the Retrofit project were energy inefficient and were losing heat through walls, windows and leaks in the fabric of the buildings.
Amy Hammond, a full-time mum of three who lives with her husband Mark in Hastings Close, Furnace Green, is absolutely delighted with the results.
She said: “It’s amazing, it’s like being on Extreme Makeover. So much has been done it feels like a brand new home, although it still feels like home to us.
“Before it was terrible; we had mould, damp and it was draughty. Whenever the kids got ill it went to their chest. I think this is going to make a really big difference. It’s been warm lately but the temperature has always been perfect in here.”
Son Tommy was also over the moon, adding: “I thought it was really nice, it feels really cosy.”
The modifications were carried out by Crawley Council’s contractors, Wates, with the support of project partners Keegans and ECD Architects.
Materials used include a range of insulation like Spacetherm and Nanogel, LED lighting, micro-combined heat and power (CHP) boilers, triple glazing and solar panels.
The micro-CHP boilers will be controlled by an intelligent device which learns the tenant’s occupancy patterns and comfort preferences to suit different lifestyles; they were also left with a range of highly energy efficient kitchen appliances.
Monitoring energy use, temperatures and humidity levels is being carried out by the Energy Saving Trust for comparison with the other pilot projects across the country on a publicly accessible database.
The green homes are expected to save the tenants hundreds of pounds (reducing annual combined gas and electricity bills of £800 to around £100, for example) – as well as tonnes of carbon emissions.
The move towards seriously eco-friendly social housing will take Britain a step closer to its target of an 80 per cent reduction in household energy use by 2050.
Go-ahead for Worth Road speed cushions and crossing
PROPOSALS to install eight sets of speed cushions and a signal-controlled Puffin crossing in Worth Road, Pound Hill, have been given the go-ahead by the East Crawley County Local Committee.
The cushions will allow wider wheel-base vehicles, such as fire engines, ambulances and buses, to travel over them without disturbing passengers or increasing response times.
The Puffin crossing will be at the junction of Crawley Lane. It will improve accessibility for pedestrians, especially school children and patients going to the doctors’ surgery located at the western end of Worth Road.
The proposals were drawn up by County Hall highways experts because of Worth Road’s poor personal injury record. In the three years up to March 2009, there were nine personal injury road traffic accidents – one fatal, two serious and six slight.
The scheme is scheduled to be implemented between February and May of next year.
Richard Burrett, Committee Chairman, said: “These measures are intended to improve road safety and especially to benefit vulnerable road users including pedestrians wishing to cross Worth Road.
“With speed cushions located throughout the length of Worth Road, average vehicle speeds are more likely to be contained within the 30mph limit.
“The proposals were drawn up by the County Council’s transport officers following considerable consultation with residents and interested parties.”
The new West Sussex Adult and Community Learning Service programme for 2011/12 is out now – for the first time split into local areas.
There are seven brochures, tailored to local demand and containing the full programme of courses for each area.
More than 2,000 courses will be held by the West Sussex Adult and Community Learning Service over the coming year.
West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Education and Schools Peter Griffiths said: “The format of the brochure has changed in response to extensive consultation with students and follows the successful trial of local brochures earlier this year, which produced extremely positive feedback. We even had people queuing around the corner in Littlehampton to enrol at The Learning Shop.”
The brochures cover the following areas:
• Midhurst, Chichester, Southbourne and Selsey
• Bognor Regis, Felpham and Westergate
• Crawley
• Horsham, Billingshurst and Storrington
• Littlehampton and Rustington
• Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath
• Worthing, Lancing, Shoreham, Southwick and Steyning
Peter added: “Over the past term I’ve had the opportunity to visit Adult and Community Learning Centres across West Sussex, and see first hand the benefits of adult learning in helping people develop in many different areas of their lives.
“The wide range of courses available includes health and wellbeing, job skills and qualifications, computer skills, and personal development.”
The brochures have been delivered to households across West Sussex.
For further information, a copy of any of the brochures or to enrol, visit the website at www.westsussex.gov.uk/adulteducation, or contact 0845 6010161.
A new West Sussex highways maintenance and improvement contract which could save between £10 and £18 million over the next five years has been launched (Friday July 1).
Lionel Barnard, WSCC Deputy Leader, (left) shakes hands with David Pearce, Highways Operations Director for Balfour Beatty. Balfour Beatty staff in the background
Balfour Beatty is now working with the County Council under the name ‘West Sussex Highways’ to look after roads and footways and carry out improvement schemes.
The contract will be masterminded from Horsham with the creation of a new ‘highways hub’ based at County Hall North, where staff from the County Council and Balfour Beatty will work side-by-side to minimise potential duplication of activity and effort. The existing Highway Area Offices at Broadbridge Heath, Clapham and Oving will also continue to operate.
Lionel Barnard and David Pearce
Pieter Montyn, West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “The new five-year contract will not only deliver efficiencies and savings, it will also provide an improved service which we hope will boost levels of customer satisfaction with our residents.”
Terry Woodhouse, Managing Director, Local Authority Business, Balfour Beatty, said: “We are extremely excited to be working in partnership with West Sussex County Council for the Highways Maintenance Contract. Balfour Beatty is dedicated to achieving the aims that the council have defined, in an effective, efficient, sustainable and customer focused highways service for the county.”
West Sussex Highways/Balfour Beatty staff
The contract will cover the majority of the County Council’s work in maintaining and improving the highway, with the exception of street lighting, traffic signal installation and maintenance and variable message signs.
Balfour Beatty staff and vehicles came to County Hall, Chichester, for the launch last week, and were welcomed by Lionel Barnard, West Sussex County Council Deputy
East Sussex Fire Authority and West Sussex County Council have today (Friday July 1st) announced they are to hold a public consultation on the proposed merger of East and West Sussex Fire & Rescue Services.
The decision to consult comes after a business case concluded a merger was the best option to protect community fire and rescue services from the national pressures on public spending, subject to details of future funding arrangements for local authorities which are being reviewed by the coalition government.
A twelve-week public consultation is now planned to take place from 14th July to 6th October. Feedback from the consultation will be considered before a final decision is made.
In December 2010, the Fire Authority and County Council had jointly announced they would explore options for closer collaboration, up to and including a full merger of the two Fire & Rescue Services.
The aim was to explore which options would preserve services to local communities at the same time as seeking efficiency savings to meet financial pressures from grant reductions. Both Services also wanted to see how increased collaboration or a full merger would improve operational resilience and overall capacity to the collective benefit of local residents, businesses and visitors alike across the whole of Sussex and the City of Brighton & Hove.
Today’s announcement on the consultation follows a decision by Councillor Pete Bradbury, West Sussex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Protection, after the proposed merger was discussed at the Council’s Community Services Select Committee. The proposed merger had already been considered in confidential session by East Sussex Fire Authority at its meeting on June 2nd.
Should the authorities decide not to pursue a full merger, work would still continue on closer collaboration between the two Services to progress the more limited opportunities for financial savings and organisational efficiencies. A final business case, including all of the outcomes from the public consultation as well as final information on the financial implications, will be presented to East Sussex Fire Authority and West Sussex County Council at their respective meetings in December.
If agreed, a merger would still be subject to Government approval and would not be able to come into effect before 1st April 2013.
Councillor Pete Bradbury, West Sussex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Protection, said: “Our priority remains to provide excellent fire and rescue services to our residents. In the current difficult financial climate, we believe this innovative approach of merging the fire services of East and West Sussex and Brighton & Hove could enable us to continue to deliver excellent services and improve our operational capability, whilst reducing back office, management and administration costs.
“The views of the public are important to us and I hope residents, businesses, organisations and stakeholders will participate in the consultation. No decision will be made until the results of the consultation have been considered.”
Councillor John Livings, East Sussex Fire Authority Chairman, said: “Over the years, we have striven to deliver high quality services to all our local communities, at a price council tax payers can afford to pay. These are the key priorities identified as being the most important from our annual consultation exercises. As such, we have kept council tax increases low and made efficiency savings to avoid cutting our services to local communities.”
He continued: “However, most public services are facing more difficult budget decisions and we are no different, yet we remain committed to making the right decisions and prioritising our resources effectively.
“We believe a larger Fire Authority covering East and West Sussex and our City would be better in terms of building a more resilient organisation to deliver much needed services, as well as giving more scope to reduce management and overhead costs. A consultation process will provide local council taxpayers with the opportunity to give us their feedback before any decisions are taken on the way forward.”
Three of Crawley’s attractive parks have again been awarded the prestigious Green Flag.
