Category: News

Easter will be a difficult time this year as we move through the Covid-19 pandemic. Separated from friends and families at a time we are used to togetherness and celebration. For regular church-goers this will also present challenges as services are now no longer available to a physical congregation. As more and more of us stay connected through a digital world, East Grinstead Churches have moved online to bring their services directly to their parishioners.

Here are the ones we have heard of so far:

Catholic

• www.churchservices.tv
• Worth Abbey Mass services (Audio only for Good Friday and Easter Sunday service) and Arundel Cathedral. Live streaming on YouTube

Church of England

• St Swithun’s East Grinstead
• St John’s Felbridge
• Trinity Methodist Church East Grinstead

In line with the government’s official guidance to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 we have temporarily closed some of the park’s services.

The following closures have been put in place to safeguard you:

• East Court play equipment
• East Court Toilets

East Court’s open space is crucial for exercise and mental wellbeing but you must stay at least 2 metres away from other people at all times.

• You can go to a park for exercise, but you must stay at least 2 metres away from other people at all times.
• The open space should be used for daily exercise only.
• You should only go outside alone or with members of your own household. Team sports, social activities should not be taking place as gatherings of more than two have been banned.

Measures announced over recent weeks to tackle the coronavirus have seen people’s day-to-day life drastically alter. These changes are essential to beat coronavirus and protect the NHS, but are requiring families to spend unusually high amounts of time together at home.

The economic effects of the pandemic are also causing hardship, anxiety and placing additional stress on individuals and families.

The government acknowledges that the order to stay at home can cause anxiety for those who are experiencing or feel at risk of domestic abuse. Domestic abuse is unacceptable in any situation, no matter what stresses people are under.

Domestic abuse is more than physical violence. It can also include, but is not limited to: coercive control, economic abuse, online abuse, verbal abuse, emotional abuse, and/or sexual abuse.

If you or anyone you know is worried about or experiencing domestic abuse, services remain open and we have extended the availability of specialist help, support and advice on the following telephone number.

Call Worth Domestic Abuse Service: 0330 222 8181 (Monday to Friday, 9am- 5pm) or 07834 968539 (weekends, including Bank Holidays, 9am – 5pm)

Please see the following link which provides information about what you need to do if you need urgent police help through the silent 999 service.

Dear residents,

Over the last few weeks all of us have experienced change which could never have been predicted. We have all had to adapt to protect ourselves and others, and some people – including NHS and many local government workers – have had to step up to help others in extremely difficult circumstances.

I want to thank everyone for playing their part in the fight against coronavirus, and this includes everyone who is staying at home to help prevent the spread of the disease.

With the warmer spring weather looking like it’s set to stay, I know how tempting it can be to get outside. Many of us are lucky enough to have private outdoor space we can enjoy. But for many others a daily walk, run, or bike ride in their local area will be the only chance they get to enjoy the outside environment.

If you are planning to venture out for your one form of exercise a day, please remember to adhere to the current government advice and stay at least two metres away from people who are not from your household.

Where possible please start and finish your exercise from home, using nearby greenspaces and don’t travel unnecessarily. Be careful when walking out and about and stick to designated footpaths, obeying the rules of the countryside. Don’t forget to thoroughly wash your hands when you get home.

For more advice on the current situation please visit our website.

I wish you all a safe and peaceful Easter and ask that you spare a thought for the many colleagues and partners who will be working hard over the weekend to care for our residents.

Mid Sussex District Council will pause garden waste collections from Monday 13 April to protect staffing levels for the collection of rubbish and recycling.

As part of our national response to the COVID-19 emergency, the collection of rubbish and recycling is an essential service and must be maintained in the interests of public health. The Council has therefore paused the collection of garden waste to focus on the collecting of rubbish and recycling.

The garden waste service will be paused initially for a period of 12 weeks, at which point the situation will be reviewed, with a view to resuming the service as soon as is practically possible. The Council will contact all customers to inform them when collections will resume.

To ensure that nobody is financially disadvantaged by the suspension of the garden waste collection service, the Council will add time onto the end of each subscription period to cover the number of collections missed.

Councillor John Belsey, Cabinet Member for Environment and Service Delivery said:

“The Council is responding to a national emergency and we are doing everything we can to support our residents through this very difficult time.

“Our priority is to maintain our services for as long as possible but neither ourselves as a Council nor our service provider Serco are immune to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Serco staff are having to work differently, for example through social distancing, and collections are necessarily taking longer and causing additional pressures on staffing. Accordingly, we believe it is now appropriate to suspend garden waste collections. This has not been an easy decision, but it is an essential one if we are to safeguard our rubbish and recycling collections.

“I appreciate that this suspension will be an inconvenience for many, particularly at a time when you are being asked to stay at home and are no doubt making the most of your gardens. However, it is absolutely the right decision to ensure our crews can meet the basic needs of all residents during these unprecedented times.

“With the Government’s advice to stay at home it is going to be tempting to do some gardening but please try to avoid creating any unnecessary waste until the current restrictions are lifted. If home composting isn’t an option for you, please consider delaying plant trimming and pruning until the collection resumes.

“We strongly advise against burning your garden waste to avoid causing a smoke nuisance in your neighbourhood.

“Thank you for your understanding and support.”

For more information, visit the garden waste collection page at www.midsussex.gov.uk/gardenwaste where there are answers to several Frequently Asked Questions. Anyone who is unable to find the answer to their query online should email gardenwaste@midsussex.gov.uk.

It is essential for our local economy that this money reaches Mid Sussex businesses as quickly as possible. We have today launched the process for local businesses to register for these grants if they are eligible, having received the funding and final guidance from Government in the last couple of days.

There are two separate grants available for qualifying businesses:

• Small Business Grant – businesses will receive a £10,000 grant if they were in receipt of small business rate relief or rural rate relief on 11th March.
• Retail, Leisure & Hospitality Grant – businesses in these sectors will receive a £10,000 grant (if they have a rateable value of under £15,000) or a £25,000 grant (if they have a rateable value between (£15,000 and £51,000).

Letters are being sent to businesses we believe qualify asking them to register online and we are working with our local business associations to ensure the information reaches businesses. I would also be very grateful for your support in publicising these grants to businesses in your towns and parishes.

We intend to make the first batch of grant payments next week.

Full information and a link to the website where businesses can register can be found at: www.midsussex.gov.uk/revsandbens/business-rates/new-grants-for-business-rates/

Cllr Jonathan Ash-Edwards
Leader of Mid Sussex District Council

I know these are challenging, worrying and unprecedented times for everyone in West Sussex, the whole country and indeed the whole world. Our priority is to make sure we protect the vulnerable members of our community, working with colleagues across the NHS and all of our partners, to get them the support they need.

I want to thank you for doing all you can to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by staying at home and for your understanding as we stop providing some of our services, services we take so much pride in delivering under normal circumstances.

I am sure you will want to join me in thanking all of the dedicated council staff who continue to deliver services; social care staff supporting children, young people and their families; supporting our older residents and carers; and teachers who are keeping our schools open so that parents and carers can help in the fight against the virus.

We will continue to do all we can to tackle this outbreak and keep West Sussex residents safe. We can get through this together by staying apart for now.

Roads may be quieter, but the speed limit is the same – that’s the message from the county council’s road safety team.

With reduced traffic during the coronavirus outbreak, Sussex Police contacted the West Sussex Road Safety team to say some drivers had been tempted to drive too fast.

Roger Elkins, county council Cabinet Member for Highways and Infrastructure, said: “As well as being against the law, speeding at any time involves unnecessary risks.

“During the coronavirus outbreak, emergency services and the NHS are facing immense pressure – being tempted to speed now risks additional strain on services if there’s an accident.

“We urge all road users to follow Government guidance during the outbreak and stay at home: only travel if absolutely necessary. But if you do have to travel, always drive, or ride, within the speed limit and at a speed appropriate to road conditions at the time.”

Anyone witnessing anti-social driving is asked to report it via: www.operationcrackdown.org

Mid Sussex District Council is suspending parking charges in its car parks from Monday 30 March until further notice due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

The move follows an announcement by West Sussex County Council on Thursday that social care and NHS workers can now park free-of-charge in West Sussex County Council on street spaces.

Regular parking patrols will continue to ensure public safety and the free movement of traffic, especially for the emergency services, carers and deliveries. People are strongly advised to be mindful of this and not to park on yellow lines, loading bays and clearways.

Councillor Stephen Hillier, Cabinet Member for Economic Growth said: “We are suspending parking charges in Mid Sussex District Council car parks to help our residents park safely, support key workers and avoid road congestion during the Covid-19 situation.

“These are difficult times for everyone but particularly for those who live in areas with limited space to park. Key workers who return home at night after work are struggling to find free spaces and we want to do all we can to support them.

“Civil Enforcement Officers will continue to patrol the streets but their focus will very much be on enforcing yellow lines and loading bays so that essential vehicles can still travel freely on the network and not have to contend with dangerously parked cars.“