New Local Authority Discretionary Grants are now available to local companies who are not eligible for the Government’s main Small Business Grant support scheme.

The Government announced in March a scheme to provide grants to businesses in receipt of Small Business Rate Relief and those working in the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure sectors. Those grants are to help businesses meet the ongoing premises related costs and challenges they are facing as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and are still available to qualifying applicants.

So far, Mid Sussex District Council has distributed more than £24m to nearly 1,900 local business but there are many more who don’t qualify for this support and are in desperate need of financial help during this coronavirus pandemic.

The Government has now allocated Mid Sussex District Council £1.4 million to help support businesses that were not eligible for the original grant. The Council has been asked by the Government to prioritise the following types of business for this funding, subject to eligibility:

• Small businesses in shared offices or other flexible workspaces
• Regular market traders with fixed stall locations who do not have their own business rates assessment and have their main domestic residence in Mid Sussex
• Bed & Breakfasts which pay Council Tax instead of business rates
• Charity properties in receipt of charitable business rates relief which would otherwise have been eligible for Small Business Rates Relief or Rural Rate Relief
• Businesses in the supply chain to the Retail, Leisure and Hospitality sectors that did not qualify for the original government business grants but pay business rates or have other property costs
• Businesses that did not qualify for the original government business grants but pay onerous business rates or have relatively high property costs
• Businesses which may have qualified for a business grant but are waiting for a business rate valuation decision from the independent Valuation Office

Applications are open to businesses outside of the categories listed above but will only be considered once these priority applications have been processed.

Local businesses are encouraged to apply for funding online at www.grantapproval.co.uk and applications must be received by Midnight on 14 June 2020. All applications will be assessed as quickly as possible after the closing date.

Councillor Stephen Hillier, Cabinet Member for Economic Growth said:

“We welcome this additional financial support from Central Government for our local businesses who have been hit so hard by this dreadful pandemic. However, we expect demand for this support to be extremely high, possibly over-subscribed, and so it will be important for us to assess each application against the set criteria swiftly and in an equitable manner.

“I urge every business that applies for this grant to provide us with as much information as possible about how the coronavirus pandemic has affected your business. Please provide evidenced details about the costs you are facing, of your lost income and information about your employees and how this funding could help you to protect local jobs.

“We’re aiming to support as many small business in our District as possible to ensure they continue to help the local economy post COVID19 but there is a limited amount of money available for this scheme and once it has been allocated the scheme will close.

“If your small business is struggling due to this coronavirus pandemic and you haven’t been able to obtain support from the Government through previous schemes then please submit your application now at www.grantapproval.co.uk“

West Sussex County Council is putting forward safe space cycling schemes to the Department for Transport to consider. This is the first stage of work in response to the easing of the Coronavirus lockdown.

If accepted, 21km of temporary cycle lanes would be provided to promote cycling as a replacement for journeys in areas which, until the COVID-19 crisis, were heavily reliant on public transport.

Roger Elkins, Cabinet Member for Highways and Infrastructure, said: “We have been working closely with our district and borough partners to look at a whole host of ways we can improve cycling provision as a direct response to the easing of lockdown. If the schemes get the go-ahead, they will form part of a series of measures which will make a real difference for cyclists in each of the county’s seven borough and district areas as the Government eases lockdown.

“There is no guarantee the Department for Transport will accept the schemes for funding, but we believe we have presented a good case which could result in 21km of new, temporary cycleways in West Sussex.

“Alongside these schemes which would require central funding, we will continue to work with our district and borough council partners on other measures which could be introduced at minimal expense but add even more safe space for cyclists.”

The seven schemes would involve a combination of temporary traffic management, such as cones and signing, light segregation using ‘traffic wands’, planters, water-filled barriers, road markings and temporary 20mph speed limits.
 

The schemes being put forward for funding are:

Adur
A270 Adur River/A283 to Hove Boundary along Upper Shoreham Road and Old Shoreham Road, past Holmbush roundabout in Shoreham, linking to Brighton and Hove City Council’s pop-up lane.

Arun
A259 in Bognor Regis: widening the temporary surface where possible, cutting back overhanging vegetation and removing growth on the existing path, which has become narrow in places. Consideration would also be given to converting one lane of western dual carriageway to cycle/bus lane.

Chichester:
Railway Station to Spitalfield Lane, Chichester, including converting one lane of Oaklands Way to a cycle lane and linking with existing facilities, such as the cycle path on Broyle Road.

Crawley
Three Bridges to Manor Royal in Crawley, linking to the NCN21 and Balcombe Road to Town Centre (via Three Bridges), improving continuity of existing cycle provision by adding missing links.  The proposal would look to improve existing cycle facilities through the reallocation of carriageway space.

Horsham
Cone off one lane of Albion Way, Horsham, in each direction from Sainsbury’s and Waitrose to the Bishopric to provide space for people to cycle and walk to the supermarkets and the town.

Mid Sussex
Extend the existing cycle lane in London Road, East Grinstead, (southbound) from Engalee (cul-de-sac) as far as the Lingfield Road roundabout.

Worthing
Reallocate road space, creating a cycleway to connect (north to south) the A24/A259 Grove Lodge area in Worthing to The Steyne on the seafront.

The Department for Transport requires submission of all proposals by Friday (5 June) so it can decide if they are suitable for funding. West Sussex County Council could receive up to £784,000 in funding – but this is not guaranteed and may be clawed back should schemes not be started within four weeks of allocation.

Roger added: “We hope to make further announcements on funding for both walking and cycling provision in the county once we have details of a second tranche of funding.” 

Some have been asking when Household waste recycling sites will start accepting more items.

The link is to Wednesday’s 27^th Press Release https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/news/household-waste-recycling-sites-to-accept-more-items-from-monday-1st-june/

Vans and pickup trucks with a permit can now enter sites. Trailers are still not allowed at this time, to help ensure social distancing and to limit queues.

Further information on what is happening at the Household Waste Recycling Sites at this time can be found on the links below and these will be regularly updated. Please post these on your website and communicate them through your networks of you haven’t done so already.

https://www.wastepreventionwestsussex.co.uk/

http://www.recycleforwestsussex.org/

The Horsham District council Local plan has been issued which has details of the Mayfield objections. You can see it  HERE

There are reports that there are some instances with suspicious looking vehicles and people appearing to be scoping out dwellings and land last weekend. The two suspicious vehicles are a Ford white transit, BG69 LUL and a blue Subaru estate BG07 SYY.  The white Ford transit was spotted in Twineham again this week so they are still in the area.

Both have been reported to Sussex Rural Police team and may be linked to some recent criminal activity. 

The report above follows a further report that a large group of travellers (19 caravans) arrived recently on land in Crawley, owned by Gatwick Airport.  Sussex Police have confirmed that it’s the same group that visited 2 years ago targeting sites in the Mid-Sussex area.  It’s understood that the group were particularly difficult to deal with and stayed for a lengthy period.  

I’ve also been sent the report below, I’m not sure if the vehicles are the ones mentioned above but it has been reported to the police. 

‘I live on Wineham Lane and we had an unfortunate incident with some travellers yesterday.  We live opposite Abbeylands Farm and they were eyeing up the field opposite.  The farmer put bales in front of the gates but they were fairly antagonistic and passive aggressive, sitting outside our house with binoculars saying they were bird watching whilst clearly sizing up our house, looking through the bushes, etc, not nice people and one of the other guys in a white van who said his dog was lost (and was also here the day before saying his van had broken down), is enormous and my neighbour had a come to with him, pretty threatening.’  

The County Council is continuing to work closely with West Sussex schools to support a phased return of pupils in a safe and managed way.

Detailed discussions have been held with school and academy representatives and unions to consider the government’s position that schools should begin to reopen from next month.

The council’s aim is for the phased return to start from 1 June , in line with national guidance. Schools are showing support for this approach.

Schools’ individual risk assessments are identifying how they can best manage this and maintain the safety of their pupils and staff. Priority places will continue to be given to children who are vulnerable, those with Education Health and Care Plans and the children of key workers across all year groups. The council is also asking schools to prioritise disadvantaged pupils and those who have limited access to online resources in both primary and secondary schools.

It means that the way schools will manage the return of different year groups will vary across the county and may mean that not all of the specified year groups will go back to school at the same time.

Nigel Jupp, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, said: “I would like to thank all of the teachers and school staff across West Sussex who continue to work tirelessly for their pupils. I am also extremely grateful to the children, parents and carers who have adapted so well in very difficult circumstances.

“We are supporting schools to plan for a phased reopening in a safe and managed way for all pupils and staff.

“Throughout the lockdown, our education team has worked together with headteachers, governors and unions. The number of children, including those who are vulnerable, attending school during this period has been above the national average. Everyone involved in education in West Sussex wants what’s best for our children – to keep them safe and keep them learning.”

WEST SUSSEX COUNTY COUNCIL

CHURCH LANE, NEWTIMBER

NOTICE IS hereby given that in pursuance of the provisions of Section 14(2) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act, 1984, as amended, the use of (and parking on) Church Lane, Newtimber from junction with West Road is temporarily prohibited from 10/06/20

The restriction will be in place off peak only between 09.30 – 15.00

This closure is necessary to allow Balfour Beatty to undertake urgent carriageway pothole repairs on behalf of WSCC

Emergency vehicle, Residential and Pedestrian access will be maintained at all times

There is no alternative route.

This restriction will be effective for a maximum of 5 days from the start date given above

Any queries about the effect of the closure on traffic using the highway please contact West Sussex County Council on 01243 642105

Any queries about the works please contact Balfour Beatty on 01243 642105

Dated 20 May 2020