West Sussex County Council – latest Town and Parish News
Issue 16 | July 2020
Plans published for protecting West Sussex residents from the spread of COVID-19
Plans for how West Sussex will cope with any local outbreak of COVID-19 have been published by the county council.
Every county and unitary council has been asked to publish its plans to deal with local pockets of the virus which may appear.
The West Sussex plan, which includes details about the public health response, what action businesses and members of the public might be asked to take, and how this will be communicated, can be found on our website.
Find all the latest local and national information – including service updates – about the pandemic here.
Green light for 21km of temporary cycleways in West Sussex
Great news for cyclists! Funding for all seven temporary cycleway schemes in West Sussex has been approved by the Department for Transport.
Select and Collect service coming to a West Sussex Library near you
From Monday (July 6), West Sussex Library service is introducing a ‘Select and Collect’ service. People will be able to reserve specific titles in the usual way online or by phoning their local library. Those customers who may not know what they want to borrow will be able to ask for a more general selection chosen by a member of the library team. These can then be collected from the front of all 36 of our libraries without the need to enter the building.
Funding available for apprenticeship training
Applications are now open for West Sussex based businesses to apply for funding for apprenticeship training from the county council. As an apprenticeship levy payer, the county council can transfer 25% of their annual levy fund to other employers through a digital account. This funding can then be used to fund apprenticeship training for a new, or existing staff member to help tackle skills gaps.
Click here to find out more information or to make an application
Applications will be reviewed on a first come first served basis and the application period could end at any time.
Gigabit voucher scheme
Partnership working by West Sussex councils and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport means extra money will be available for gigabit-capable broadband for residents and businesses in rural areas.
Parish and Town Councils can support by raising awareness of the scheme and connecting individuals seeking to progress applications with others in their community. If you are aware of members of your community who would like to improve their broadband we would like to hear from you.
More about the new West Sussex Gigabit Voucher Scheme here and here
Birth registrations open for West Sussex babies born since lockdown
The Registration Service has restarted birth registration appointments at certain locations across the county. They anticipate they will need to register in excess of 2,000 births in the coming months, as lockdown restrictions stalled all birth registrations from the end of March. Further guidance on the current procedure for registering a birth can be found on our website.
Shut fires out!
Did you know – by closing your doors at night or before leaving the house, you can prevent the spread of a fire and toxic smoke by up to 20 minutes?
During 2018/19, West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service attended 428 house fires, many of which involved vulnerable people. We would really appreciate it if you could please help us share the message within your communities, to reduce this statistic and keep more people safe in their homes. We have created a toolkit with all the resources and messages you need to share the information far and wide.
Our latest communication campaigns
Take a look at three of our latest communication campaigns:
Feel free to share these links, and the information contained within, to help keep your residents updated and informed.
Have your say on local issues that affect you
Have your say on matters that affect you and your local communities – and get your residents to do the same – by visiting our Have Your Say Consultation Hub. From major road schemes and Joint Area Action Plans, to premises licence applications and safeguarding in our schools; we want to hear your residents’ views to help shape future policy and decisions.
Go to the Have Your Say Consultation Hub for details of all of our current consultations.
Your Voice: The People’s Panel
Alternatively, encourage your residents to join Your Voice: The People’s Panel where they’ll be regularly consulted about a number of important local issues. Once registered they’ll receive links to surveys, reports and outcomes and occasionally links to other public surveys.
Find out more information and subscribe here.
Get in touch!
If you have any questions about the stories you’ve read, please email us at:
townandparishcouncilnews@westsussex.gov.uk
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for all the latest news and updates to help keep our communities informed and safe during this time, visit us on Facebook and Twitter.