Category: News

Do you know someone who helps out with sports clubs, is a green champion, puts on or supports community activities, volunteers or is vital in your community? – please take five minutes to tell us more.

Mid Sussex Applauds aims to highlight the fantastic work of individuals and organisations across the district, recognising our connections and celebrating our community. With eight categories covering a huge range of possible activities we hope to highlight great projects, work and support happening across our area.

Residents and local groups are being urged to think about who they could nominate in the follow areas –

Good Sport Award – a club or individual who has made an outstanding contribution to supporting activity or sport in Mid Sussex

Lifetime Achievement Award – an individual who has made a substantial commitment to the community in their lifetime

Young Achiever Award – against all the odds, someone who has overcome significant obstacles and made a positive difference to their own lives or to other young people through education, campaigning or helping another overcome a difficult situation or personal problem

Take Pride in Mid Sussex – This award will recognise residents who dedicate their time and energy into keeping Mid Sussex clean and green, take pride in their local area by creating community gardens, painting local spaces, upcycling or encouraging others to recycle.

Business in the Community Award – recognising a business which supports or makes a positive contribution to benefit and enhance community life

Young Volunteer of the year – recognising those young people who have made a difference in their local community

Stronger Together – an individual who has helped to bring together cultures and communities through a local project or community activity

Stronger Communities – a community group or organisation that has helped to bring together cultures and communities through a local project or community activity.

Mid Sussex District Council Chairman Councillor Colin Trumble said, “We have had a good response so far and as we are getting very close to the deadline I just want to make sure we are reaching right across the community. I would urge everyone to nominate their local stars by filling in the form online – we have made the process very straightforward and five minutes should be enough to add all the information needed. However, the deadline is approaching and we need the nominations by the end of August, so don’t put it off!”

To nominate visit www.midsussex.gov.uk/applauds

Mid Sussex District Council is urging residents that have not already responded to the 2019 electoral canvass to do so as a priority.

By law, every resident in Mid Sussex must register, whether or not they intend to vote at future elections.  So far over 72% of households have responded, a tremendous return, but it’s vital that the other 28% respond now. Final reminders have been sent to the remaining properties and doorstep canvassers are preparing to make personal visits if a response has not been received.

It is a legal requirement that every household either confirms or updates the details for their home and doing so could not be easier, with the option to respond online, over the phone and even by SMS text message. To date 65% of responses have come through digital channels.

Tom Clark, Electoral Registration Officer for Mid Sussex said:

“We want to help the residents of Mid Sussex to have their say, maintain their credit rating and ensure they do not miss out on the opportunity to vote. Registering to vote only takes a few minutes but really is important. Elections can be held at short notice”.

For more information about registering to vote or elections contact the Mid Sussex District Council Electoral Services team by emailing elections@midsussex.gov.uk or calling 01444 477003.

A couple in East Grinstead have been prosecuted after renting out a property that contained a number of serious hazards and defects.

Mr Hamedur Choudhury and his wife Mrs Roshon Choudhury let out two flats and staff accommodation above the Nizam restaurant at 42-44 High Street, East Grinstead. Environmental Health Officers from Mid Sussex District Council inspected the property in February 2018 and discovered a number of serious issues with the accommodation, including unsafe electrics, a lack of adequate heating, substandard kitchen facilities, unsafe stairs, faulty fire alarms and the majority of windows were either cracked or broken.

Mid Sussex District Council Environmental Health Officers offered to work with Mr and Mrs Choudhury to help bring their attention to the deficiencies of the property and to highlight the repair works needed to bring the accommodation up to the required standard. When the Choudhurys did not carry out any of the repair work voluntarily, they were issued with an Improvement Notice that legally required them to carry out certain improvement works. The majority of these essential repair works were not carried out and the Council took the decision to prosecute the landlords for their negligence.

On 15 August 2019 Mr Hamedur Choudhury and Mrs Roshon Ara Choudhury were found guilty at Brighton Magistrates’ Court of failing to comply with the terms of an Improvement Notice (s.30(1) Housing Act 2004). Additionally, Mr Choudhury was found guilty of four offences under the Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2016. The Magistrates’ Court fined Mr and Mrs Choudhury a total of £55,568, including the Council’s costs.

Mr and Mrs Choudhury have previously been found guilty of similar housing standards offences relating to a separate House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) at Grove House in Copthorne. Horsham Magistrates’ fined them £87,996 for failing to address a number of serious defects within the property that led to damp and mould growth, excess cold, electrical hazards and fire safety issues.

“It’s totally unacceptable for landlords to expect their tenants to live in the squalid conditions our Environmental Health Officers found at 42-44 High Street, East Grinstead,” said Councillor Norman Webster, Cabinet Member for Community. “The living conditions were not just unpleasant; they actually put the safety of the occupants at risk and that clearly cannot be tolerated because people should be able to live in a safe and decent home.

“All rented accommodation must provide a safe and healthy environment for tenants and their visitors. If these standards are not being met our advice is always to inform the landlord first, to give them the opportunity to fix any problems. However, if a rogue landlord refuses to take their responsibilities seriously then we won’t hesitate to take action against them to ensure that they comply with the law.”

East Grinstead Town Council is currently looking for tenders to create an historic trail that tells the story of the town down through the ages.  This trail will point out the various attractions and features as the traveller works their way from the our railway stations towards our historic High Street, and finally to the McIndoe Statue.

The closing date for tenders is the 2nd October 2019, and a full specification can be obtained by emailing j.ansley@eastgrinstead.gov.uk

The whole route of the trail is detailed below:

People in West Sussex are invited to take part in a public consultation about proposals to improve the quality and safety of mental health services for adults, older people and those living with dementia.

The consultation was launched today (Wednesday 17 July) by the local NHS for a 12 week period.

These proposals have been developed over many months by the three clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in West Sussex and Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, following input and feedback from doctors, specialists, service users and staff. They aim to:

• provide a higher quality of care by moving services from out-dated, poor quality wards in Chichester and Horsham to safer, more modern wards in Worthing and Crawley
• give patients the privacy and dignity they deserve and to meet national standards by making all wards single-sex, and
• provide an opportunity to create a centre of excellence in Worthing for people living with dementia which will improve the care for both their mental and physical health needs.

Samantha Allen, Chief Executive of Sussex Partnership, said: “We currently have buildings and accommodation which are old and of poor quality and do not meet the standards we expect for our patients, carers and families. This is something we need to address urgently and these proposals will help us achieve this.

“No final decisions have been made and we now want to hear from those people who may be affected by our plans and anyone interested in how we provide our services now and in the future. We would urge everyone to get involved and have their say.”

Adam Doyle, Chief Executive Officer of Sussex and East Surrey CCGs, said: “We have developed these proposals to make sure we lead the way in providing the best mental health care and support possible for local people.

“They not only address the challenges we have with some of the buildings in West Sussex but also allow us to improve the care for patients. We look forward to hearing from people during the next 12 weeks so we can work with them to help deliver the best possible care.”

A formal public consultation document is available online and in a printed version setting out the background to the proposals, what is being proposed and how you can have your say.

During the next 12 weeks, there will be a range of ways that people can get involved.

• There will be public events organised for across West Sussex. Dates and locations will be shared on the consultation website, with local partners, and by contacting the consultation team.
• Smaller events for organisations representing service users, carers and those with an interest in these proposals will be also be held. Anyone who wants to arrange a face-to-face meeting can contact the consultation team on the details below.
• All of the consultation documents, including business planning documents, are now published online for information on the consultation website.
• To make it as easy as possible for people to share their views, there is a survey that is available both in hard copy and online. The survey is also on the website and people can request a copy using the details below.

Full details about how to get involved can be found at:

https://www.sussexpartnership.nhs.uk/west-sussex-consultation

Further information is available by:

Calling: 0300 304 0330 (local rates apply)

emailing westsussex.mh@nhs.net, or by

writing to:

Freepost RTKY-LXHG-BATT
Engagement Team
Coastal West Sussex CCG
The Causeway
Goring-by-Sea
Worthing
BN12 6BT

The consultation will close on Friday 11 October and all of the findings will be independently analysed to enable the three CCGs in West Sussex and Sussex Partnership to make a final decision on these services later this year.

East Grinstead youngsters helped celebrate the 250th Anniversary of East Court on Tuesday 6th August by enjoying an afternoon of fun in the sun.

Activities including a bungee run, total wipe out, mini tennis, soft play and shoot for goal were arranged by the Town Council and were free for the children to take part, there was also artists corner where the children could draw and a rainbow bubble party were children heard stories and had a chance to play some unusual musical instruments.

Families were invited to bring a picnic and have an afternoon on the Council as they celebrated East Courts birthday.

Chairman of the Amenities and Tourism Committee Cllr Christine Mainstone said “this was a lovely way to celebrate the anniversary, children playing in the sun and families just having a wonderful time. We are so lucky to have the estate as the home of the Town Council and the Mid Sussex SANG as it means that everyone is able to enjoy it, from the formal gardens and war memorial to the football pitches and woodland walks”

There is an exhibition telling the history of East Court, on display most weekdays at the Mansion between 9 am – 4 pm. This will remain until the end of the year.