Category: News

Conservative Councillor Jonathan Ash-Edwards was elected as the new Leader of Mid Sussex District Council at a meeting of full Council on Wednesday 22 May 2019, becoming one of the country’s youngest Council Leaders.

The leadership position was vacant after former leader Garry Wall decided not stand for re-election to Mid Sussex District Council.

At the meeting, Councillor Judy Llewellyn-Burke was appointed as Deputy Leader of the Council.

The following Cabinet Members were confirmed at the meeting:

• Cabinet Member for Community – Councillor Norman Webster
• Cabinet Member for Customer Service – Councillor Ruth de Mierre
• Cabinet Member for Economic Growth – Councillor Stephen Hillier
• Cabinet Member for Environment and Service Delivery – Councillor John Belsey
• Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning – Councillor Andrew MacNaughton

Councillor Colin Trumble was elected as Chairman for the next civic year and Councillor Margaret Belsey was appointed as Vice Chairman.

Councillor Jonathan Ash-Edwards, Leader of Mid Sussex District Council said:

“Having lived in Mid Sussex all my life, I am delighted to have been elected to lead the District Council and grateful for the confidence that Councillors have shown in me. I am committed to public service and will work hard to make a positive difference for local residents, our towns and villages.

“The number one priority of my team and I is to deliver on the manifesto commitments we made in the local elections. This includes providing well run local services, protecting and enhancing the environment, supporting the local economy, working with the Government to get the sixth form college open and securing the biggest upgrade in our district’s infrastructure for a generation. We will ensure the Council’s finances are well managed, remembering that every penny spent belongs to the taxpayer.

“Mid Sussex is a fantastic place to live and work and the new Council will do everything it can to continue improving our district”.

Polling stations for the EU elections will open at 7am on 23rd May and close at 10pm; voters are urged to check their polling station on their poll cards. Postal voters cannot vote at the polling stations as their ballot paper has already been issued, but can hand in completed postal vote packs to a polling station.

Across the District 75 polling stations will be open for residents to vote in the EU elections. The polling stations are the same as those at recent local elections with the following exceptions:

Burgess Hill, Victoria – moving back to the Cherry Tree Centre (from the Kings Centre).

Lindfield voters – those who normally vote at King Edward Hall will instead find their polling station at Lindfield Evangelical Free Church.

East Grinstead – voters who normally vote at Halsford Park School will instead vote as St Peter’s Primary School. Halsford Park School is not available for this election.

Voters are not required to bring ID to vote in this election but please bring your poll card along if possible as it helps speed up the process at the polling station.

EAST Grinstead Town Council elected a new Town Mayor for 2019/2020 last night at the Annual Council Meeting.

Cllr Favor has been town councillor of Ashplats Ward since 2011 and works at the Queen Victoria Hospital.

His deputy Town Mayor is Cllr John Dabell.

Cllr Danny Favor received the Chain and signed the declaration of office from the Outgoing Town Mayor Cllr Rex Whittaker, at the meeting at East Court on Monday 14th May.

Cllr Favor expressed his pride and appreciation on the election saying that having moved to the town 19 years ago to work at the QVH he never in his dreams thought he would be a Town Councillor let alone Town Mayor.  Cllr Favor, now a British subject, is the first Filipino born Town Mayor in the UK and representatives from the Embassy of the Philippines in London attended Mayor Making on Monday which was followed by a light buffet.

Cllr Favor has chosen three local charities for his Mayoral year which are all very personal to him, and excellent local service providers.

Queen Victoria Hospital Charitable Funds

To support the work, patient support and research carried out at the hospital

EG First Responders

Those who are first at an emergency medical situation, usually arriving within 8 minutes.

EG Street Pastors 

Who patrol the streets late at night at weekends or after school times to give support to anyone who may need a sympathetic ear.

 

Cllr Favor will be supported on his Mayoral year by his Mayoress; Mrs Maribel Favor.

At the local elections on Thursday 2nd of May 2019, the Conservative group retained control of Mid Sussex District Council, winning 34 of the Council’s 54 seats. The Liberal Democrat Party took 13 seats, the Green Party gained 3 and Independent candidates were elected to 4 seats.

The newly elected Councillors start their induction process this week following which their positions will be made official at the Annual Council Meeting on Wednesday 22nd of May.

There were 143 candidates who put themselves forward for election to the 26 wards of the District Council. Of the 109,434 people who are eligible to vote in the Mid Sussex District, 38.5% voted. This includes postal votes which were issued to 17,946 residents with a 65% postal vote return rate.

Election Day itself saw 75 polling stations in the Mid Sussex District open all day from 7am -10pm. The count for the elections took place at The Triangle Leisure Centre, Burgess Hill on Friday 3rd of May. In some cases the results were very close, including three occasions where the difference in being elected or not was under 25 votes.

Town and Parish Councils were also contested on the same day. A full listing of those elected for all of the Councils is online at www.midsussex.gov.uk/elections

Mid Sussex District Council is taking part in the Government’s Voter ID pilot scheme. This means that everyone voting at a polling station on the 2^nd May 2019 is asked to bring their polling card with them as voter ID.

Poll cards have been arriving on doorsteps around District for those registered to vote. Residents are being urged to keep their polling cards safe, and remember to bring them along to the polling station. If you still need to register to vote you need to do so by Friday 12 April to vote in these elections, you can register at gov.uk/register-to-vote

A range of Pilot Voter ID projects are taking place in various authorities across the country. Insight from the schemes will be used to help ensure the security of the voting process and reduce the risk of voter fraud. Projects are testing four models of Voter ID checks, and in Mid Sussex this will require voters to bring their poll cards to the polling station.

Mid Sussex Returning Officer Tom Clark said: “Although voter fraud is currently at a very low level it is rising in some areas of the country. These projects are important to ensure the integrity of the voting system for the future, and we are happy to be supporting this aim.”

If you lose your poll card, it must be cancelled and a new one can be issued. The latest time to re-issue is 9pm on polling day, but at this stage you would need to collect it from the MSDC offices in Haywards Heath. For any enquiries please contact Electoral Services on 01444 477222.

Full details of the Voter ID project, including other acceptable forms of ID, can be found at www.midsussex.gov.uk/VoterID

The Mug Tree Tea Room in East Grinstead has received national recognition for being a breastfeeding friendly venue, having been named runner up in the Lansinoh 2018 Feed With Confidence Awards.

The Feed With Confidence Awards, run by breastfeeding brand, Lansinoh, are designed to celebrate places and people across the country that support breastfeeding mums. The UK has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world*, so by encouraging people and places to be more accepting of it, the Feed With Confidence Awards aim to give more women the confidence to try breastfeeding and to do it for longer.

People were invited to nominate venues that support breastfeeding mums by providing an encouraging, safe and friendly environment in which women feel confident enough to breastfeed in.

Lisa Craven, UK marketing manager at Lansinoh, said: “The 2018 Feed With Confidence Awards received a record number of nominations, so to be named a runner up in the venue category is a huge achievement.

“We’re very passionate about encouraging cafes and venues to help make breastfeeding mums feel comfortable, and the number of nominations The Mug Tree Tea Room received demonstrates that it’s a breastfeeding friendly establishment that mums love.”

Kathryn Hibberd-Little, owner of The Mug Tree Tea Room, added: “We are absolutely delighted to be recognised for supporting breastfeeding mums in East Grinstead. As a mum myself, I feel it’s crucial that all public venues support new mums and breastfeeding, that they’re made to feel comfortable, confident and stress-free when they’re out and about feeding their babies. We are proud to be leading the way – whether you breast, bottle or combi feed, you’re always welcome at The Mug Tree Tea Room.”

The Mug Tree Tea Room is on Ship Street and serves a range of award-winning loose-leaf teas, coffees and delicious homemade cakes, treats and lunches.

Lansinoh’s Feed With Confidence Awards were launched in 2017 and are designed to recognise people and places who support breastfeeding mums. This year, the awards received over 500 nominations across three categories:

• Feed With Confidence Venue – places where mums can breastfeed in comfort, feeling supported and respected.
• Feed With Confidence Supporter – friends or family members who have helped women overcome breastfeeding hurdles.
• Feed With Confidence Champion – healthcare professionals who champion the cause and make women feel breastfeeding is worthwhile.

Trusted for more than 30 years and founded by a breastfeeding mum, Lansinoh has been the ‘go to’ brand for breastfeeding products, including Lansinoh HPA Lanolin, for decades. Its trusted by both mums and healthcare professionals to provide safe, effective breastfeeding support and products.

For further information, visit lansinoh.co.uk.

The Mid Sussex District Council Wellbeing team are inviting residents along to an exciting new group for men focusing on Motivation, Exercise and Nutrition (MEN) starting on 24^th of April.

Finding time and space to think about health and wellbeing can be difficult. That is why Mid Sussex Wellbeing has set up a new 12-week plan to help support male residents in making adjustments which will help them to have healthier futures.

The meetups will take place at Haywards Heath Football Club, Hanbury Stadium in Allen Road RH16 3PT. Each get-together will consist of 45 minutes on a nutrition and healthy lifetstyle subject followed by a 45 minute exercise session. The sessions kick-off on Wednesday 24^th April, 6-8pm and will continue for 12-weeks, costing £20 in total.

“Making a decision to think about exercise and nutrition is the most important step”, said Wellbeing Team Leader Nick Hurley. “Once we get started our aim is to help create new healthy habits, giving an understanding of nutrition and finding exercise which will suit their needs. The group gives time and space to allow us to support everyone with the changes they want to make, bringing benefits which we hope will continue well past the end of the course.”

If you would like to find out more, or to book a place on the M-E-N (Motivation, Exercise and Nutrition) meetups please contact wellbeing@midsussex.gov.uk or call 01444 477191.