Town and Council Parish News December 2020
New Tier 2 ‘High Alert’ rules now in place
West Sussex has been placed in Tier 2. Please help us get the message out about the new tier-2 rules by sharing the following within your community messaging groups (e.g. Whatsapp, Facebook, emails etc.)
The new restrictions include:
- Mixing indoors only with people in the same household or bubble
- Sticking to the rule of six outdoors (including private gardens)
- COVID-secure businesses can re-open
- Spectators will be allowed to watch sport, with a maximum crowd capacity outdoors of 50% of the capacity of the stadium or 2,000 people, whichever is smaller. Indoors, the maximum capacity is 1,000
- Indoor entertainment venues, such as cinemas, casinos and bowling alleys, can open, but must close at 11pm
- Everyone who can work from home should do so.
Please familiarise yourself with the full list of new restrictions by visiting the GOV.UK website.
The very latest COVID-19 information for West Sussex, including data about incidence rates, is always available on our website.
Immunisation job opportunities
The NHS is looking for people who can help deliver the biggest ever immunisation programme that Sussex has ever seen.
They’re looking for trained vaccinators and people who they can safely train to be vaccinators. This includes people who can work as flexibly as possible, including evenings and weekends.
Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust (SCFT) also need people who can support the programme, including administrators, front-of-house staff, drivers and operations managers.
If you can help, please look at the job opportunities being advertised on the SCFT website, where you can also apply.
Reminder: the Brexit transition period ends this month
The UK has left the EU and on Thursday 31 December the transition period will end. There will be a guaranteed set of changes and opportunities from this date, which residents and business owners need to prepare for.
The dedicated UK Brexit Transition Hub is the key place to go for information on how to prepare and it includes an easy-to-use tool so everyone can check what steps they need to take now.
We encourage you to signpost your local residents to the Hub, reminding them that Time is Running Out, and that they should Act Now.
Deadline approaches to take part in our Climate Conversation
Our lives have changed in unprecedented ways this year.
For the first time in a generation, millions of us have started working from home, stopped travelling abroad and socialised far more online.
The West Sussex Climate Conversation is a survey to find out how these changes as a result of the COVID-19 restrictions have affected our response to climate change.
If you haven’t already, please alert your residents that they have until this Sunday (6 December) to take part.
Support local businesses
Help to back local businesses in the run-up to Christmas by letting your residents know about the #ShopSussex campaign.
The initiative has many online gift ideas and the chance to buy vouchers for unusual local experiences. Experience West Sussex is responding to calls from businesses for meaningful, practical support and #ShopSussex is free for businesses to use this year.
Some of our district and borough council partners have also launched Christmas campaigns to help local businesses including Chichester and Mid Sussex.
‘Wilding’ our roadside verges
We are beginning to work with local communities to create less manicured roadside verges in a process known as ‘wilding’. These verges will attract pollinators and encourage wildflowers.
This is part of the ‘Improving Local Places and Places’ initiative, empowering neighbourhoods to focus on local needs and priorities.
Anyone interested in ‘wilding’ the verges in their neighbourhood, through ‘Improving Local Places and Places’, or taking part in other local priority activities should contact active.communities@westsussex.gov.uk
Find out about the role of a county councillor
Ahead of the next election in May 2021 the County Council has been hosting a series of events for people to find out more about the role of a County Councillor.
The final event is aimed at those who have decided to stand for election or have been selected by a political party to stand and will be taking place virtually on 23 February 2020 from 6pm.
Those wishing to attend will need to register in advance via this link. You can find out more about the role from our ‘Be a Councillor’ website.
If you have any questions regarding this virtual event please contact Amanda Drinkwater in Democratic Services: amanda.drinkwater@westsussex.gov.uk
New Year project funding on offer to community groups
Applications to the County Council’s Community Initiative Fund (CIF) are now being accepted to support the delivery of local projects across the county from February and March 2021. The deadline to upload a project idea to West Sussex Crowd and submit a crowdfunding pitch is Monday 8 February 2021.
The process for submitting applications to the Micro Fund and crowdfunding pitches, via West Sussex Crowd, still applies.
Please help us to remind groups that CIF funding will continue to be awarded remotely, should the spring round of County Local Committees (CLCs) not be held in person.
For information regarding Micro Fund application deadlines email: talkwithus@westsussex.gov.uk
Views wanted on creating ‘healthy and sustainable places’
We’d like to hear your views on new plans to make West Sussex a more healthy and sustainable place.
The ‘Creating Healthy and Sustainable Places: A Framework for West Sussex’ is a new policy for developers, investors, planners, service providers and decision makers which maximises opportunities to create healthy and sustainable places across the county.
Residents and stakeholders are being asked to look at this framework and take part in the consultation which runs until 11 January 2021.
Find out more www.westsussex.gov.uk/healthy-places.