News and events

The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners has launched a national road safety survey to help inform the Home Office’s review of roads policing and any future plans for enforcement.

We know this is a top priority for Sussex residents, and Police & Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne wants to make sure you have your say:

www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/apccsaferoads  

It only takes 60 seconds to complete and will close on Wednesday 30th September at midnight.

We are sorry for the short notice but have only just been asked to circulate this information.

ONE casual vacancy exists in the Office of Councillor for Cuckfield Parish Council. 

By-elections to fill the vacancies will be held if, within 14 days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays) TEN electors of the electoral area give notice in writing claiming such an election to the Proper Officer. 

Owing to the current public health emergency, legislation provides that elections claimed now, will be held at a later date that is to be determined. 

The Proper Officer is: Tom Clark, Returning Officer,  
Mid Sussex District Council, Oaklands,  
Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 1SS 

Email: [email protected]  

If no such notice is given the Parish Council shall fill the vacancy by co-option. 

Sam Heynes 
Clerk to Cuckfield Parish Council 
Tel: 01444 451610 
Email: [email protected]    

The key item focuses on last weeks launch of the new NHS COVID19 app. Even though since this newsletter was published there has been reported issues with the app businesses, such as restaurants and pubs, will be legally required to display a QR code poster to scan. This means that when visiting the venue and later test positive for coronavirus, other app users who were there at the same time may be sent an alert, if necessary.

This change in guidance also impacts community buildings such as parish or villages halls from 22^nd Sept

Guidance and templates https://www.gov.uk/guidance/maintaining-records-of-staff-customers-and-visitors-to-support-nhs-test-and-trace?mc_cid=4c800a5024&mc_eid=f9512e251b

A full list of organisations within scope in these sectors can be found https://www.gov.uk/guidance/maintaining-records-of-staff-customers-and-visitors-to-support-nhs-test-and-trace?mc_cid=4c800a5024&mc_eid=f9512e251b#list-of-settings

Earlier last week, the Prime Minister announced new guidelines to help reduce the spread of coronavirus. Please update your webpages and other communications with the latest advice or links to Government website announcements on 22^nd Sept very latest guidance online. 

Support bubbles – Reaffirming guidance around single person house holds and how support bubbles work with the recent changes around groups of 6 people Further guidance is available online.  

Finally, a reminder that WSCC community hub service is still running for elderly and vulnerable residents who may need extra support during this difficult time community hub page.

Please continue to messages to raise awareness of the Keep West Sussex Safe Campaign resources are available on the website https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/fire-emergencies-and-crime/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-and-information/coronavirus-keep-west-sussex-safe-campaign-resources/  and please link to West Sussex County Council Facebook, twitter or youtube for the latest messages

Other News:

• Recycling data
• Update on weddings and ceremonies
• Registration of babies born during the Pandemic
• Flu fightback  This year it’s vitally important to get a flu jab to protect the most vulnerable and reduce the number of people needing flu treatment. Contact your GP or pharmacy. Find out more online.
• Nine out of ten children back in school

This week includes a message from Stephen Horsley WSCC Director of Public Health regarding the latest COVID 19 situation in West Sussex and Keep West Sussex Safe Campaign messages

There is still a role to play:

Even though many of the groups of volunteers have reduced or ceased their earlier activities as lockdown lifts and we go back to work and school. As we know with the recent reports the pandemic has not gone away just the support role has changed to that of 'Warning and Informing' to manage and reduce any future outbreaks 

Raising awareness and prevention is as important as the activities that you have been involved in over the past months. Similar to the your winter preparedness work or messages on extreme heat or localised flooding risks. The importance of the Keep West Sussex Safe Campaign messages are there to try and help protect people and businesses. 

The resources are available for you through the website www.westsussex.gov.uk/coronavirus and https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/fire-emergencies-and-crime/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-and-information/coronavirus-keep-west-sussex-safe-campaign-resources/

Resources that can be shared across networks include email footers, social media posts that can be used through your Twitter, Facebook and WhatApp groups that have emerged over the past months and Posters for newsletters and notice boards.

Involve those community volunteers that you have been working with to help share the information and continue to reach the vulnerable residents. 

This is just, as if not more important than the great activities of support over the past months. Remember the pandemic has not gone away. 

So please continue to promote the campaign 

Key messages 

Washing hands 

Social distancing 

Test & Trace

WSCC are still here to help if you need it https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/fire-emergencies-and-crime/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-and-information/community-hub-covid-19/

Other news:

• Solar together scheme - Householders can register their interest in Solar Together Sussex during September, giving details of their roof size and position
• Updates on our Household Waste Recycling Sites
• Time for a new career? Find a job in care.
• Concessionary travel change - Find out more.

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• Downs Link photo 1.jpg Downs Link photo 1.jpg
• Downs Link photo 2.jpg Downs Link photo 2.jpg

Representatives from West Sussex County Council and Christ’s Hospital School gathered on Friday 11^th September for a photo shoot to mark the opening of a previously disused section of the Downs Link on the old Guildford Railway Line behind Christ’s Hospital station.

Attendees to the low-key, socially-distanced gathering were Head Teacher of Christ’s Hospital Simon Reid and Chief Operating Officer of Christ’s Hospital Nick Tesseyman, West Sussex County Council Cabinet Members Deborah Urquhart and Roger Elkins and local county councillors for the area, Amanda and Nigel Jupp.

Although, due to Covid-19 restrictions, an official opening ceremony has not been possible, it is hoped that a celebration will take place in honour of the new Downs Link section as soon as circumstances allow.

The upgrade – a long-term collaborative project between Christ’s Hospital School and West Sussex County Council – will mean that anyone using the Downs Link between Mill Lane and Christ’s Hospital Station will now be able to do so safely off-road. 

The works to the ‘missing’ 1.4km section of the Downs Link included repairing two bridges, vegetation clearance, surfacing, drainage and platform repairs. They were jointly funded by Christ’s Hospital School and the County Council and supported by the local community and organisations.  

The School, as a local landowner and large employer in the Horsham area, was keen to assist with improving local rights-of-way connectivity to help promote the use of alternative forms of transport for both the local community and Christ’s Hospital.

Nick Tesseyman, Chief Operating Officer at Christ’s Hospital, said: “This is a really good example of how the School can partner with the Council to improve the environment for the local community. We look forward to seeing increased usage of the path, with people adhering to current Government advice and COVID-19 guidelines, of course.” Deborah Urquhart, County Council Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “I’m delighted to see the opening of this new section of the Downs Link and thank Christ’s Hospital for its vital contribution to make it happen.

“The new path will provide a safer route for the users of this important off-road recreational route, as well as encouraging new ones – but please remember the need for social distancing at all times.”

Roger Elkins, Cabinet Member for Highways and Infrastructure, added: “This is a success story made possible through a marvellous, collaborative effort involving the School itself, West Sussex Highways’ team, the contractors, Balfour Beatty Living Places, Landbuild and the local community and organisations.

“I would also like to thank all those who have supported the project and helped make it happen.”

The Downs Link is a nationally-important, long distance, shared route connecting the North and South Downs. The Guildford Branch Line was closed in 1965 as part of the Beeching Cuts. The last train ran on 14^th July 1965 when a group of Christ’s Hospital School pupils decided to mark the occasion by singing “Abide with Me” as the train pulled out of Christ’s Hospital Station.

In 2011, Christ’s Hospital purchased a 1.6km section of the former Guildford Branch Line from Christ’s Hospital Station to the A264 Five Oaks Road near Slinfold. This was the start of securing the new route.

Since the creation of the Downs Link there has not been an available link along the old railway line to Christs Hospital, so anyone using the route has, in the intervening years, had to resort to using the road for this 1.9km stretch. Christ’s Hospital station can now be safely accessed by bicycle or on foot and walkers, runners, cyclists and horse-riders alike will now be able to enjoy an uninterrupted stretch of the Sussex countryside.

For more information about the Downs Link, including a map of the Christ’s Hospital route, please see:

www.westsussex.gov.uk/leisure-recreation-and-community/walking-horse-riding-and-cycling/downs-link/

Friday 18th September 2020 Campaign to stop young people carrying knives launches in Sussex A campaign to tackle knife crime and serious violence in Sussex has launched today (14 September).  The multi-agency campaign aims to reduce and prevent knife-related violence in Sussex by educating young people on the legal and personal consequences of knife carrying. The move to address the root causes of knife crime sees Sussex Police, local authorities and local community groups such as The Hangleton and Knoll Project and Make Good Trouble working together to share vital information with young people.  They will share images and animations that will appear at busy locations around Sussex and close to schools to help raise awareness among young people of the dangers of carrying a knife. A 17-year-old girl from Sussex, who wishes to remain anonymous, wants to warn others by telling how a dispute when she was 15 escalated and changed her life forever. Read the full story here Witnesses sought to robbery in Haywards Heath Police investigating a robbery on South Road in Haywards Heath are appealing for witnesses to come forwards.  Officers were called shortly after 12 midnight on 11 August to a report of a man having his speaker stolen by two males who threatened him with a glass bottle. The suspects are described as a white male wearing blue jogging bottoms and a black male and they are believed to have made off towards Victoria Park following the incident. Anyone who witnessed what happened is asked to report online or call 101, quoting 41 of 11/08.   Edward is Every Day Without A Road Death Surrey Police and Sussex Police are urging road users to pledge their support towards September’s campaign to save lives and reduce death and injury on roads across the counties. The forces will once again be supporting Project EDWARD (Every Day Without A Road Death), which aims to bring casualty reduction and road safety to the forefront of people’s minds. In 2019 in Surrey, a total of 3,895 injury collisions were reported to police. Of these, 30 were fatal and a further 705 resulted in serious injuries. In Sussex, a total of 5,250 injury collisions were reported to police. Of these, 42 were fatal and a further 1107 resulted in serious injuries. Read more here Public urged to play their part in preventing the spread of Covid-19 Police in Sussex continue to encourage people to play their part in preventing the spread of Covid-19 as changes to the government’s regulations come into force on Monday (September 14). The regulation changes will limit gatherings to six people, except in a small number of circumstances including schools, workplaces and organised team sports. Sussex Police officers will continue to be out and about in their communities to engage with members of the public, explaining the new government regulations and encouraging people to follow them. Police will disperse groups of more than six where necessary and issue fines to those who don’t comply. Enforcement will only be used proportionately, as a last resort, when engagement has not been successful. Superintendent Julia Pope said: “Everyone has a part to play in preventing the spread of coronavirus. We will be doing all we can and we encourage others to do the same by following the new rules set out by the government. “Our officers will continue to engage with their communities and in most situations, this engagement can resolve breaches without us having to issue a fine. We will issue fines when people refuse to comply. “The demands on the police service are now back to pre-Covid levels. Our priorities lie with public safety and so it is even more important that people take personal responsibility for their actions and do their bit to prevent the spread of the virus, so the force can operate effectively for those who need us. “If people are aware of a serious and current breach of the government’s coronavirus regulations, we would ask them to report it to us online.  “We will continue to work closely with the government, businesses, local authorities and partner agencies to make Sussex a safe place for people to live, work and visit. We ask the public to work with us and act responsibly to help prevent the spread of the virus Appeal to find woman who helped boy after robbery Police are appealing for witnesses after a boy was robbed in Burgess Hill. The 15-year-old victim was riding his bicycle along London Road around 11.30pm on Friday 11 September when he was approached by a group of boys, one of whom forcibly took his bicycle from him. A member of the public intervened and returned the bike to the victim. Police investigating the robbery are keen to hear from anyone who saw what happened, and in particular the woman who stepped in to help the victim. Anyone with any information is asked to contact police online or by calling 101 quoting serial 1594 of 11/09. Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.   Help us keep Sussex safe If you saw or heard anything, or have any information about any incident in this message please contact us online, email us at [email protected] or call 101, quoting the reference number provided. Alternatively you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111, or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org      Your local teams Visit our Website to contact your local team, view local news and follow our social media accounts. Simply type your post code in the 'Find a Local Area' box located in the top right of the web page.   Links and attachments: Sussex Police will only ever link you to secure Websites we trust. We will only send you attachments where we believe it is absolutely necessary.

For the latest updates on COVID-19 in West Sussex, Keep West Sussex Safe, West Sussex COVID-19 local outbreak control, updates on WSCC services, Community hub (COVID19), frequently asked questions, and local suppliers and organisations please click on the following link.

https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/fire-emergencies-and-crime/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-and-information/

Please remember:

Hands – Wash your hands more regularly for at least 20 seconds

Face – Wear a face covering when in public spaces

Space – observe social distancing

Steady progress in £23million key transport scheme

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• Photo 1 A2300 project.jpg Photo 1 A2300 project.jpg
• Photo 2 A2300 project.jpg Photo 2 A2300 project.jpg
• Photo 3 A2300 project.jpg Photo 3 A2300 project.jpg
• Photo 4 A2300 project.jpg Photo 4 A2300 project.jpg

About four months in, and steady progress is being made in the scheme to build a £23million key transport link in Burgess Hill.

The A2300 improvements scheme will widen around 2.5km of single-lane road to dual carriageway and support the provision of approximately 3,500 new homes, 3,600 new jobs and 200,000m2 of new employment floor space.

The project will reduce congestion and so cut both journey times and pollution. It will also provide new facilities for pedestrians and cyclists to help promote sustainable transport.

The scheme started during lockdown in late April ­– with the Government’s COVID-19 guidance followed throughout – and, so far:

• The earthworks have been started on the new eastbound carriageway
• Work has been carried out on the existing balancing pond (this holds water to prevent the drainage system being overwhelmed by surface run-off water)
• Drainage installation has been started

The next steps will be to:

• Continue the earthworks and drainage installation on the new eastbound carriageway
• Follow behind with surfacing works and central barrier installation

The scheme is jointly funded by central government through the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership Local Growth Deal, developer contributions and the county council.

Weekly updates, plus details of future phases as work progresses, will be available online on the A2300 project page

The target date for the project’s completion is winter 2021.

West Sussex County Council is the scheme promoter and responsible for delivering the scheme. The contractor is Jackson Civil Engineering, which was recently appointed to build the new link road connecting the Northern Arc development, comprising approximately 3,500 new homes, to the upgraded A2300 dual carriageway.

Homes England has committed £6.5million to the delivery of this piece of key infrastructure, which includes a new roundabout on the A2300.

Please note: the footpath at the western end of Jobs Lane towards Ricebridge Services roundabout is currently closed. This is to allow earthworks and other activities to be progressed in the western section of the scheme. Captions: Photos 1 to 3: Ongoing construction of the new junction of Stairbridge Lane, where it will join the A2300 eastbound dual carriageway

Photo 4: Ongoing construction of the new eastbound carriageway 

 

Ends For further information please contact the news desk on 0330 222 8090 or email [email protected]. For urgent out-of-hours enquiries please call 07767 098415.

 

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Good News about the M23

We have received the following message about the M23, from Kier, the main Contractors: Dear Stakeholders, Customers and Communities, It gives me great pleasure to announce that as of Wednesday 16 September, the M23 is open for traffic with the 70mph national speed limit reinstated and gantry technology in place. We have been on your network for the past two and a half years, and during that time, have undertaken heavy civils work to turn 3 lanes on the M23 into an all lane running, 4 lane motorway, to help ease congestion and make journeys better for the 180,000 motorists using this stretch of road daily. We would like to thank you for your patience during this time, as we appreciate that on occasions we would have disturbed you, caused congestion on diversion routes and generally disrupted your activities. Your help and support has been much appreciated and we are most grateful. We still have some work to complete the project such as fencing, re-planting and snagging, but hope to keep any further closures to a minimum. We will continue to send out our weekly bulletins until the end of November 2020. Keep safe and well and thank you again from all the SMP M23 team. Carolyne Ferguson Senior Stakeholder, Communications and Customer Service Manager For further information please contact: [email protected] or [email protected] Other road works and traffic information We are periodically asked why we do not detail other road works and traffic issues across Sussex. The simple answer is that there are too many! To obtain the latest information we recommend that you refer to the Highways England website https://highwaysengland.co.uk/traffic/ , where you can find details of traffic conditions, roadworks and other information across England. If you’re interested in joining Neighbourhood Watch, or want to find out more, visit www.sussexnwfed.org.uk or send an email to [email protected].

From the end of October, West Sussex County Council will no longer include a free Senior Railcard as an alternative to the Older Person’s Bus Pass. People have until 31 October 2020 to apply for the free Senior Railcard option instead of the bus pass.

A county council spokesperson said: “If you currently hold a Senior Railcard provided by West Sussex County Council and decide not to renew it before the end of October, you can use the railcard until it expires. We will contact you about how to take up your free bus pass entitlement.

“There are no changes to the free Disabled Person’s Railcard alternative to the Disabled Person’s Bus Pass, which will remain as an option for anyone with a qualifying disability.”

Find out more at www.westsussex.gov.uk/buses Please note: all railcards are available to purchase independently from rail stations and the National Rail website

From the end of October, West Sussex County Council will no longer include a free Senior Railcard as an alternative to the Older Person’s Bus Pass. People have until 31 October 2020 to apply for the free Senior Railcard option instead of the bus pass.

A county council spokesperson said: “If you currently hold a Senior Railcard provided by West Sussex County Council and decide not to renew it before the end of October, you can use the railcard until it expires. We will contact you about how to take up your free bus pass entitlement.

“There are no changes to the free Disabled Person’s Railcard alternative to the Disabled Person’s Bus Pass, which will remain as an option for anyone with a qualifying disability.”

Find out more at www.westsussex.gov.uk/buses

Please note: all railcards are available to purchase independently from rail stations and the National Rail website.

Ends For further information please contact the news desk on 0330 222 8090 or email [email protected]. For urgent out-of-hours enquiries please call 07767 098415.

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It is with much regret that Cuckfield Parish Council have had to take the decision to cancel the Christmas Street Festival this year. We have reviewed several options but feel that it is not going to be possible to hold the event within all the appropriate guidelines.

We very much hope to be back on track for next year.