Category: News

After 36 years as Chairman of East Grinstead Town Twinning, Ken Averill has decided to step down. A reception was held in his honour  at the Town Council offices at East Court with over 80 people in attendance. Town Mayor Danny Favor presented Ken with a Town Shield as a thanks for his enthusiastic commitment to fostering relationships with the people of our five twin towns.

A Celebration 3 course dinner followed in the Meridian Hall. Guests included former Town Clerk – Chris Rolley and his wife Sue. Representatives from Mindelheim , included The Mayor Stephan Winter and  guests from Schwaz, Verbania and Sant Feliu.  Greetings and best wishes were sent from Bourge de Peage  who unfortunately had been unable to attend.

Many tributes were paid to Ken and many memories shared of his 36 years as Chairman of East Grinstead Town Twinning. Some very personal gifts included a beautiful stone bird bath and two stunning photo books. Particular mention was made of Ken’s wife Sheila who has supported him throughout his time as Chairman and worked so hard at his side

In true Town Twinning style local members and guests were able to ‘re kindle’ old friendships and create some very happy memories of what was a wonderful evening.

The new chairman will be Nick Hodges.

For more information on Town Twinning.

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The Met Office have issued a Level 2 Cold Weather Alert from 0600 hrs 3/12/19 to 0900 hrs 5/12/19

 View the full warning at the Met Office Cold Weather Alert site.

Cold weather can affect your health. The people most likely to be affected are the elderly, the very young, and people with pre-existing medical conditions.

If you know or look after someone that may be susceptible to the effects of this cold weather period please help make sure that they stay warm and well, and if possible check in advance that they are prepared for this cold spell.

• Stay tuned in to weather forecasts
• Check room temperatures and maintain it at 18C or warmer
• Keep warm and active and if you have to go out dress warmly and wear non slip shoes.
• If you are concerned about your own health or welfare or that of others please alert the emergency services.

For more information

• Met Office Cold Weather Alert
• NHS Keep Warm Keep Well leaflet
• WSCC Dealing with extreme weather
• WSCC Preparing for emergencies
• WSCC Report a road and footway issue
• WSCC Safer Seasons: Winter
• Follow us on Twitter for regular updates @WSCCNews @WSCCResilience @wspublichealth

Please be advised that West Sussex County Council has received a request for Temporary Traffic Regulation as follows:

Road Name	Garden Wood Road
Village / Town / Parish	East Grinstead
Specific Location	Approx. 25mts west of the railway bridge with Road Closed signs to be in place either side of the closure at the nearest appropriate junctions
Type of TTRO	14.2 Road Closure
Reason for TTRO	To undertake repairs to the carriageway and footway
Proposed start date/Time	Date: 24/02/2020	Time: 09:30
Proposed End date/Time	Date: 24/02/2020	Time: 16:00
The restriction will be effective
	Day-time only     from 09:30     to 16:00
Diversion route	The alternative route for traffic will be signed on site
Access arrangements	Access maintained for emergency services ,residents and pedestrians
Applicant name	Balfour Beatty on behalf of WSCC
Applicant contact tel number	01243 642105
Any other details	For more information and diversion route please visit https://one.network/

 The application is currently being processed, please be aware that the details are subject to change.

East Grinstead Town Twinning are holding their annual Charity Christmas Raffle during their regular Saturday morning coffee sessions in December from 10-12.30   This year the local charity who will benefit is

The East Grinstead and District Association for Mental Health . Tickets on sale at £1 a strip

Coffee mornings take place in the meeting room, upstairs in East Grinstead Library, 32-40 West Street, East Grinstead RH19 4SR 01342 332900 www.egtwinning.org.uk.

During the Library Festive event on Saturday December 6th the Coffee morning will be located downstairs instead of in its usual upstairs home. Come and enjoy some of the cheapest coffee in town and some great homemade sausage rolls, cakes and mince pies.

SGN are carrying out urgent repairs to the gas main in London Road, East Grinstead. Temporary three-way traffic lights will be in place for safety, at London Road’s junction with Imberhorne Lane, from around 2pm 27^th November. It’s too early to say how long it’ll take to complete the repairs however, they will be working around the clock until the work is done and we’ll keep EGTC updated on progress here.

Update 28th November:

SGN have located 1 of the leaks which was further away from the BP garage which will mean they will move the lights 100m nearer to the working site. This will be done shortly (am 28^th November). The engineering manager has confirmed that a team have been on site (expect switch over between 5-6pm). We have other emergencies in the area which could also effect this route including a diversion around Wythiam Road near Hartfield.

Meridian Rotary Club (the tree), The High Street Traders Association (the Big Reveal windows displays) and East Grinstead Town Council (the town Christmas lights) came together on Saturday 23rd November to bring one fantastic event to East Grinstead. Aided  financially with a small grant from Mid Sussex District Council, the annual ‘Big Reveal and Christmas lights Switch On’ had grown bigger than ever with a stage, sound system, outdoor bar and food stalls.

The town crier heralded the approaching festivities throughout the town as the East Grinstead Concert Band and Meridian Rotary Club started the entertainment for the tree lighting ceremony in the High Street with some help from Father Christmas and Chequer Mead Pantomime characters.

Sadly the weather wasn’t very festive as rain fell all day, however it didn’t dampen the spirits of East Grinstead residents.  Just like the ‘Pied Piper of Hamlin’, Matt Cole,(of Cole’s Estate Agents and  Chairman of the High Street Traders Association) led the crowds along the London Road and High Street to ‘Reveal’ each festive window in turn. Lots of “oohs” and “ahhs” followed the tearing off of brown paper and the traders hard work filled the town with festive cheer. The crowds were stopped by a surprise at Martells department store with a beautiful curtain of lights  and roof top concert by the Tar Babies, mimicking the Beatles’ famous 1969 London gig in Saville Row, before continuing to take in the rest of the windows.

At 5pm East Grinstead Town Mayor switched on the tree and town lights and was followed by entertainment from VOX, Urban City dance, Lauren V and Amber T.

The window reveals continued until late in to the evening fully supported by families and friends groups and the shops stayed open for some late night shopping until 8pm.

It was a magical evening despite the weather and the crowds were even treated to some festive snow outside some of the shops!  East Grinstead knows how to put on a show!

Now it’s over to the residents of East Grinstead to decide which of the fabulous windows is the best in a public vote. The winner gets a small trophy and the bragging rights until the same time next year! The voting forms can be picked up from and returned to  any of the participating businesses or the Tourist information desk in the library. The closing date is 30th November and the winner will be announced on social media.

Well done to all those who helped to pull the event together and to East Grinstead for ‘keeping it local’ Here’s wishing you a wonderful Christmas time.

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Mid Sussex District Council is providing all-day town centre parking for £1.20 on the weekends leading up to Christmas.

The Council is supporting shoppers and traders with discounted parking on Saturdays in the towns of Burgess Hill, East Grinstead and Haywards Heath. The £1.20 parking offer will only be available in long stay car parks owned by Mid Sussex District Council.

Parking in Mid Sussex is completely free on Sundays, so that’s a whole weekend of shopping for the same price as a loaf of bread. The parking discounts will be available from Saturday 7 December at the following locations:

• Cyprus Road (long-stay section) car park – Burgess Hill
• Queens Crescent car park – Burgess Hill
• Station Road car park – Burgess Hill
• The Vicarage car park – East Grinstead
• Norton House car park – East Grinstead
• Franklynn Road car park – Haywards Heath
• Muster Green car park – Haywards Heath

The £1.20 all day parking charge will apply on 7 December 2019, 14 December 2019, 21 December 2019 and 28 December 2019.

Short stay car parks in Burgess Hill, East Grinstead and Haywards Heath will also be free after 1pm on the day of the Christmas light switch-on events. To support these events you will not have to pay during the afternoon on Saturday 23 November at:

• Martlets multi storey, Burgess Hill
• Church Road, Burgess Hill
• Cyprus Road (short-stay section), Burgess Hill
• Queensway, East Grinstead
• Kings Street, East Grinstead
• Chequer Mead, East Grinstead
• Christopher Road, East Grinstead
• The Orchards, Haywards Heath
• Hazelgrove, Haywards Heath
• Haywards East, Haywards Heath
• Gower Road, Haywards Heath
• Haywards West, Haywards Heath

The light switch on events are free and will feature fun for all the family with the opportunity to meet Peppa Pig and her brother George in Burgess Hill, sing carols and meet Pantomime characters in East Grinstead or visit Mickey Mouse and Father Christmas on his sleigh, pulled by real reindeer, in Haywards Heath.

For more information about parking across in Mid Sussex visit www.midsussex.gov.uk/parking.

Six prospective parliamentary candidates will stand for election in the Mid Sussex constituency as part of the 2019 General Election.

The nomination period closed at 4pm on Thursday 14 November and the registered candidates are as follows:

• Gemma Nadia Bolton (Labour Party)
• Mims Davies (The Conservative Party Candidate)
• Robert Liam Eggleston (Liberal Democrats)
• Brett David Mortensen (Advance Together Candidate)
• Deanna Wendy Nicholson (Green Party)
• Baron Von Thunderclap (Official Monster Raving Loony Party)

The deadline to register to vote in the General Election is Tuesday 26 November 2019.

For those already registered, Poll cards are currently being distributed by Royal Mail. It is worth remembering that registering for Council Tax does not mean you are automatically on the Electoral roll, these are separate processes. If you have not received a polling card it is worth taking time to check you are on the register, because on polling day it will be too late.

If you have recently had a change of circumstances such as moving home, changing your name, or have recently turned 18, then you will need to update your registration information before you can vote.

To update your details using the simple online registration form visit www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. You will need to supply personal details, including your National Insurance number.

For any questions regarding electoral registration or the electoral process please contact the Mid Sussex District Council Electoral Registration Office on 01444 477003 or email elections@midsussex.gov.uk.

Mount Noddy Cemetery has been in situ since 1916 and continues to be an essential part of our urban infrastructure providing a tranquil final resting place for our residents and their families. Whilst it is not yet mandatory for cemeteries of this age to have a ground water survey, we feel that taking responsibility for the care of our soil and water is as important as looking after the visible, above ground aspects of our cemetery.

The protection of groundwater is an essential requirement at all burial sites and is but one aspect of the environmental issues to be taken into consideration when considering the impact of burial facilities on UK ecosystems. Groundwater is the most obvious receptor to potential contamination from cemeteries and, as groundwater contributes around 30% of public water supply in England, it’s a resource to be protected.

Ground water testing will require us to install a number of groundwater monitoring points on the site, using a small rig (small enough to fit through a household doorway) which will be on site Wednesday 20th November for one day positioning six very narrow bore wells (about the width of a dinner plate) which will be ‘capped off’ in a similar way to domestic water meter. The placement of these has been given detailed consideration and will in no way interfere with any occupied or purchased graves.

Having these temporarily in situ will allow us to ascertain the level, flow and quality of ground water with minimal disruption to visitors and burial services. Any concerns should be directed to cemeterymanager@eastgrinstead.gov.uk

East Grinstead came together to pay respects  to those killed in conflict around the world at services of remembrance on Sunday 10th of November.  A short service was held at the WW2 War Memorial at  East Court at 10am where the Town Mayor,  Danny Favor laid a wreath before processing to the High Street. A huge crowd had gathered at the High Street War memorial where East Grinstead concert band played as they were joined by a procession of groups from the Royal British Legion, the forces cadets, the Council, fire service, St John’s and youth groups from the town. A moving service of Remembrance was held and after the observance of 2 minutes silence, wreaths were laid.

At 11am on Monday 11th November the traffic was stopped for a short time whilst the Town Mayor laid a wreath at the War Memorial to honour the dead. He was joined by staff and Councillors of East Grinstead Town Council, members of the RBL and members of the public to observe 2 minutes silence.

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