Newsletter 03/03/23

3 March 2023

Please note: this news article is in our archive. Articles were correct at time of publication, but should not be relied on for accuracy after the passage of time.

East Grinstead Town Council’s Local Election!

Local elections are coming in May, why should you think about standing?

Please follow the below link to watch WSALC production of what it means to be a Councillor!

https://www.eastgrinstead.gov.uk/the-council/elections/

Council awards £160,000 for local community projects

(PR 2492 produced by Mid Sussex District Council)

Mid Sussex District Council has awarded almost £160,000 in Section 106 developer contributions and Council grant funding to support valuable community projects in the area.

The Cabinet Grants Panel met on 20 February 2023 to discuss the Council’s latest round of grant funding allocations and agreed to issue a total of £159,000 to 9 community organisations. The funding awards will be formally confirmed on 2 March following a 10 day ‘call-in’ period.

Clarion Futures, a charitable foundation established by the Clarion Housing Group has been awarded £52,500 to help the Quarry Café and Community Fridge in East Grinstead to create an attractive outdoor seating area for people visiting the café or using the recently upgraded playground alongside.

The Quarry Café supports the local community by collecting surplus food and creating meals for those who need a helping hand. The new outdoor seating area will create additional space, providing an attractive area for residents to meet and enjoy quality food and drink at affordable prices. The pathways will be improved, with two drop down kerbs and a ramp, increasing accessibility to and around the community café.

Haywards Heath Town Football Club received £12,239 towards the development of an indoor café and education room at Hanbury Stadium. The club’s Pilgrim Hut is currently only suitable for storage, but the Board has ambitious plans for renovation that would include the installation of a new kitchen and outdoor patio area. The refurbished hut will provide improved catering facilities playing staff and supporters, a place for players to rest and recover away from the clubhouse and a secure classroom for educational activities.

Worth Parish Council was awarded £65,509 towards the installation of CCTV cameras in the villages of Copthorne and Crawley Down. The cameras will be monitored by Sussex Police as part of a CCTV Partnership, helping to deter anti-social behaviour and petty crime.

The funding awards to Clarion Futures, Haywards Heath Town Football Club and Worth Parish Council are all funded by Section 106 contributions, financial payments made by developers towards the improvement of local infrastructure.

Mid Sussex District Council demonstrated support for refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine by granting £17,752 to three local organisations that are working to help them settle in the area. All Saints Lindfield received £8,660 to set up a new drop-in service at The Yews, Haywards Heath. Being Neighbourly in East Grinstead received £3,543 towards the establishment of a support group and updating their website to include a page for Ukrainian refugees. In Burgess Hill and the surrounding areas, HUGS 4 Ukraine received £4,900 towards creating a website, supporting drop-in sessions and delivering celebratory events.

The Council also allocated £5,000 towards the installation of 28 solar panels on the roof of 1^st Hurstpierpoint Scout Group headquarters, £5,000 towards upgrading the kitchen and outdoor seating at Balcombe Cricket Club and £1,000 to help local charity Befriended set up a new community choir.

Councillor Norman Webster, Mid Sussex Cabinet Member for Community said:

“We’re really lucky to have so many people in Mid Sussex who are willing to give up their time to support their local community and who work so hard to make our District such a wonderful place to live.

“Charities and voluntary groups are working on some fantastic projects and I’m delighted that we’re able to support so many with grant funding. Each project is going to make a real difference to the lives of local people by encouraging participation in sport, preventing crime, improving sustainability, and helping those in need.”

For more information contact the Mid Sussex District Council Community Services Team on 01444 477495 or email Regina.Choudhury@midsussex.gov.uk.

NABMA Markets Survey Summary 02/03/23

NABMA has recently published its latest National Survey of the Markets Industry revealing that there are major challenges for the UK industry in the future. The Survey may be of interest to your members recognising the huge interest in markets from local councils, as evident in our membership. Please feel free to circulate the Survey.

The Survey and headlines can be read

The number of Markets across the country remains about the same over the last fifteen years at around 1150, with some Markets still performing very successfully but the overall picture is less attractive. Stall occupancy is down from any average of 77% in 2018 to 72% in 2022 and that figure needs to be considered with caution as there is evidence of a substantial reduction in stalls since 2018 meaning there are substantially fewer traders operating on Markets.

Trader numbers have reduced and The Survey has reveals that only 8% of traders are under 40 suggesting that within a short time we could see a disappearance of many older and very experienced traders. Local authorities dominate markets management with around 84% of Markets being operated under the auspices of local authorities that includes a significant number of parish, town and community councils.

It is of great concern that only 40% of Markets are currently showing a surplus on their trading account which again represents a significant decline from the picture revealed in the last Survey in 2018.

Markets are recognised as a major force for High Street regeneration and one of the more welcoming results from the Survey is that 25 Markets are announcing major redevelopment/ refurbishment plans with the assistance of £127m of government and local authority funding. This indicates confidence in Markets but in order to secure the successful implementation of the various funded projects , and the future of the markets industry, NABMA recognises the need to address the challenges issues highlighted in the 2022 Survey.

Planning Applications & Decisions

Higher number of children offered first preference secondary school places in West Sussex

(Press release produced by West Sussex County Council)

More children in West Sussex are today being offered their first preference secondary school than last year, with the total number of applicants slightly higher.

This year 8,161 of the 9,444 total number of applicants will be given their first preference school for September, an increase from last year’s 8,110 first preference offer.
The percentage of young people in West Sussex being offered their first preference school is again high this year at 86.4%, though slightly down on last year as a percentage (87.4%).

West Sussex County Council has worked together with schools to once again this year ensure that every child who applied has been offered a secondary school place.

In West Sussex:
• There were a total of 9,444 secondary school applications, a slight increase from 9,280 last year, with every child offered a secondary place
• 8,161 applicants (86.4%) will be offered their first preference school, a slightly higher number than last year’s 8,110, although as a percentage slightly lower (87.4%)
• 96.1 per cent (9,072) of all applicants this year will be offered one of their three preferences, very slightly down on last year’s percentage (97.4%) and number (9,038)

If you are still waiting for your offer, you shouldn’t be concerned as emails should be received no later than 5pm today.

Nigel Jupp, Cabinet Member for Learning & Skills, said: “Helping children to fulfil their potential is a key priority for the County Council, so I am very happy that once again the vast majority of children have been offered one of their three preference schools. I would like to thank our schools for working with our admissions team to ensure every child has once again been offered a place at secondary school this September. I wish these children an enjoyable final term at their primary school before they make the important move to secondary school later this year.”

As is the case every year, a very small number of pupils have not been offered a place at one of their preference schools. This may be for specific reasons; in the Horsham district, for example, the allocation of secondary school places has been impacted by a significant increase in the number of children seeking a place at a co-educational school this year.

West Sussex County Council admissions officers are on hand to speak to parents, carers and pupils should they want to discuss their offer and the options available to them, by calling 03330 142903.

Some children may be feeling nervous or worried about starting secondary school. Our Your Mind Matters website has lots of resources to support the wellbeing of children and young people along with advice to help parents and carers.

GATCOM News Bulletin

The CAP consultation (Airspace) has been extended to 19^th March. If anyone has any comments the Town Clerk will need them by next week at the latest.

EGBA’s Networking Event

NETWORKING AT HARD FITNESS!

BOOK TICKET HERE

Join us at Hard Fitness on Thursday, 23rd March 6-8pm for this month’s EGBA networking event.

Join us at our East Grinstead Personal Training facility for some nibbles, refreshments and networking.

Hard fitness has 2 Well equipped Training facilities, one in South Croydon (Hamsey Green) and one in East Grinstead.

We offer:

Goal specific personal training for people that need a little help
We have a state of the art 3D Body Scanner
Cold Water Therapy
Boxing specific training at the South Croydon location
Training facility in France offering weekend retreats
Qualified Nutritional Adviser
Private Parking
Shower Facilities
A Team of experienced trainers bringing a multitude of skills

Website: www.hardfitness.co.uk

This is an ideal opportunity for you to introduce yourself, your business and make new connections in a relaxed and sociable environment. Meet new members that you may not have seen before as well as see some familiar faces.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Address: 58 Holtye Avenue, RH19 3EG

Time: 6-8pm

Admission: Free for members or £10 for non-members (If you join on the day then we will deduct the £10 from your annual membership fee.)

*This is a ticket only event, please book as a member or non-member.

MSVA E-Bulletin, 24 February 2023

Follow this link to access the newsletter – MSVA E-Bulletin, 24 February 2023

Chief executive’s bulletin

24 February 2023

1,000 local councils sign the Civility and Respect Pledge

I am delighted to announce that 1,000 local (parish and town) councils have now signed up for the Civility and Respect Pledge. Launched just six months ago as part of our Civility and Respect Project, the Pledge demonstrates that councils are committed to standing up to poor behaviour and driving through positive changes that support civil and respectful conduct. And the more councils that sign the Pledge, the more impact it will have in lobbying the government to re-visit its response to the Committee on Standards in Public Life report on local government ethical standards. Can I urge all councils yet to sign the Pledge to do so.

New suite of e-learning on civility and respect

The Civility and Respect Project has also launched a new suite of e-learning courses for local councils. We recognise that webinars and training courses only sometimes suit the busy schedules of local councils. Yet e-learning allows councils to respond quickly to learners’ needs, with flexibility and without having to organise physical training with fixed dates and times. The new courses are on standards in public life, respectful and positive social media for councils and councillors, leadership in challenging situations, and personal resilience.

NALC Smaller Councils Committee

NALC’s Smaller Councils Committee met remotely on 21 October. Ahead of the draft minutes being made available, here are some headlines from the meeting:

Following a lengthy discussion, the committee narrowly voted against making councillor training mandatory, instead agreeing it should be strongly recommended and included in the Annual Governance and Accountability Return and Local Council Award Scheme.
There were updates on celebrating national events and the joint NALC/Local Government Association workforce survey, which the committee suggested needed a long lead in time, and that county associations would bring the survey to the attention of councils.
The committee put out another call for county associations to discover and report back on the number of local councils that have adopted a climate emergency declaration.
Councillors restated their keenness for NALC’s work programme to include the production of simplified template documents such as on the subjects identified in the responses to their 2022 survey and to publish financial resilience guidance in the Autumn on what smaller councils should budget for.
It was agreed the next meeting should consider co-opting Cllr Graham Ford onto the Smaller Councils Committee, elect a new committee chair, and include an item to explain how the Joint Panel on Accountability and Governance works and provide an opportunity to inform the next update of the practitioner’s guide.

Levelling Up in Lincolnshire

I was pleased to join NALC’s chair, Cllr Keith Stevens, and the chief executive of the Lincolnshire Association of Local Councils, Katrina Evans, at an event in Parliament this week hosted by Lord Porter of Spalding about levelling up in South and East Lincolnshire. Attended by many stakeholders including Parliamentarians from across three district council areas, I was pleased to hear all the speakers emphasise the importance of place and partnership and stress the role all partners – including councils at all levels – had to play in working together to improve prosperity in the sub-region.

NALC online event on social isolation and loneliness

The latest NALC online event – Social isolation and loneliness from the local council perspective – took place on 22 February, hosted by our policy officer, Jessica Lancod-Frost. Our brilliant panel of speakers, including Robin Hewings, programme director at Campaign to End Loneliness, Monica Boulton, community connections lead at the National Academy for Social Prescribing, and Vanessa Lowe, town clerk for Alcester Town Council, set out the impact social isolation and loneliness can have and how local councils can help improve the wellbeing of those who are socially isolated or lonely, including identifying local need, providing social activities and playing an active part in the social prescribing system. You can still book your places at our upcoming online events on tackling the housing crisis the local way with custom and self-build homes, and what local councils can do about emergency planning.

NALC National Network: Super councils

The NALC National Network: Super Councils met on 23 February for its quarterly online get together. Over twenty councils discussed mandatory training for councillors, data protection, a survey by the National Association of British Market Authorities on markets and the NALC Study Visit to Newport Pagnell Town Council on 27/28 June on the theme of devolved leisure services.

On the blog: Celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month in Flitwick & Ampthill

In celebration of LGBTQ+ history month, this week’s blog is written by Cllr Andy Snape, Mayor of Flitwick Town Council, and member of NALC’s National Network: LGBT+ councillors. He writes about how Ampthill and Flitwick local councils have worked together to form ‘Proud Ampthill and Flitwick,’ a new joint initiative to improve community cohesion and provide events and support for the local LGBTQ+ community. Do check it and let us know what you are doing for LGBTQ+ history month to policycomms@nalc.gov.uk.

Fortnightly meeting with county officers

This week’s meeting between NALC and county officers included a webinar delivered by our HR partners Worknest. This ran through the considerations on post-Covid working arrangements, as well as general advice on how to approach requests from staff to variations in existing working hours and location. There will be further webinars throughout the year on a variety of HR topics to help support county associations in their work.

And finally…

NALC is working with Cloudy IT and the Cloudy Foundation charity to develop a new tool to help us manage the Local Council Award Scheme more effectively. This week Anders Hanson, member services manager, and Lisa Etchell, projects officer, presented to a group of 25 students from around the country on the specification for the new tool, and answer questions on how it would use. The students will be developing the tool whilst also being trained by Cloudy IT on new digital skills.

NALC’s Newsletter

New cost-of-living support webpage

NALC has created a new section on its website to help local (parish and town) councils support their community through the cost-of-living crisis.

House of Lords levelling up event

NALC attended an event about levelling up in South and East Lincolnshire at the House of Lords on 21 February 2023.

Smaller Councils Committee

NALC’s Smaller Councils Committee recommends that councillor training be a part of the Local Council Award Scheme’s criteria.

Blog: Flitwick Town Council

Our latest blog celebrates LGBTQ+ History Month, and how the council teamed up with another council to form Proud Ampthill & Flitwick.

Blog: Eden Project Communities

In this blog, Eden Project Communities explain how your council and communities can get involved in their Big Lunch initiative.