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Pollution blackspot in Sussex village

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:27:03 +0000

PEOPLE with acute asthma may want to avoid Stonepound Crossroads in Hassocks which is now, officially, one of the most polluted areas in Mid Sussex.

The crossroads has been declared an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) - the first in the district - because levels of nitrogen dioxide from car exhausts are too high.

Mid Sussex District Council says it believes “queuing vehicles at the traffic lights and the topography of the area, with part of the road set in a cutting” are to blame.

But former Hassocks Parish Council chairman Noel Thomas says the latest wave of house building has compounded the problem.

By law, the district council has to assess air quality for a range of pollutants and compare the results with ‘safe’ levels set by legislation.

The recommended level for nitrogen dioxide in the environment is set at 40µgm3 measured as an annual mean (January to December) but the level at the crossroads is 50 µgm3.

Like many pollutants, nitrogen dioxide can aggravate asthma symptoms and irritate the lining of the lungs.

The district council is producing an action plan over the next 18 months to identify measures that can be taken to improve the air quality. Measures could include asking drivers to switch off their vehicle engines while queuing, for example.

The council is working with West Sussex County Council, residents and other agencies to produce the action plan but says: “Where we identify simple low-cost actions that can be taken to improve matters, we will seek to implement these as soon as possible.” The pollution problem comes as no surprise to former Hassocks Parish Council chairman Noel Thomas who gave evidence to a public planning inquiry on the Mackie Avenue Housing development in the village.

Mr Thomas warned of “long queues” at Stonepound if the development of 250 homes went ahead. The development, known as Clayton Mills, was upheld at the inquiry and most of the homes have since been built.

Mr Thomas said: “We’re just adding more houses and relying on old services that are stretched to the limit.

“Stonepound Crossroads always has been a bottleneck and common sense tells you that you can’t just add more and more houses without improving the roads.”

Other Air Quality Management Areas exist in the county, notably in Chichester and Brighton.

Your MEP looks at: a lost generation?

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:20:51 +0000

OUR young people are our future. I don’t say that as a vague platitude or as the father of young children but in a very practical sense.

They are tomorrow’s doctors, nurses, construction workers, teachers, retail workers and so on.

Or rather they have the potential to be.

Parliamentary arguments over the economy can often seem a bit detached and fuelled by political point scoring but they have very real consequences.

We are facing a crisis of youth unemployment. The latest figures make for grim reading and show there are now over one million young people out of work – that means nearly one in four 18-24 year olds is unemployed; the highest number since records began. That is a disaster for our young people and a disaster for the future of Britain.

Worse, it now appears that unemployment is becoming entrenched. The number of young people claiming JSA for over six months is rocketing:

In East Sussex the figure has jumped 92 per cent in the last year.

In West Sussex there has been a 48 per cent increase in long term claimants.

Spending so long on the dole at a young age can have life-long consequences. Far too many skilled youngsters are being left frustrated and idle because the jobs they want simply don’t exist.

We often hear Conservative Ministers blaming unemployment on laziness or scrounging, but the truth is that in some of these places there are up to 20 JSA claimants per vacancy at the job centre!

This is a jobs crisis not one of apathy.

The Government is creating a jobless generation, with more young people out of work than ever before. It is painfully clear that the Government’s welfare to work programmes are not doing the job and the time for dithering is over – Ministers must act now before a generation is left scarred by their mistakes.

As part of Labour’s five point plan for jobs I want to see a £2billion bankers’ bonus tax with the proceeds invested in up to 100,000 jobs for young people and a tax break for small firms taking on new employees.

We need to get the economy going again and we need to protect our young people from the blight of unemployment.

If you want to get in touch just email me at {mailto:southeast@peterskinnermep.eu|southeast@peterskinnermep.eu|southeast@peterskinnermep.eu}

And don’t forget you can learn more on my website {http://www.peterskinnermep.eu/|www.peterskinnermep.eu|www.peterskinnermep.eu} and you can follow me on Twitter (@PWSkinnerMEP) and Facebook (Peter Skinner MEP).

PETER SKINNER

Member of the European Parliament for the South East Region

Find It and Qype take down thousands of fake reviews

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:58:01 +0000

Find It, powered by Qype, Europe’s leading consumer reviews site, has cut thousands of misleading or malicious reviews from its 13.5 million online listings.

Taking a tough stance on third parties who abuse online reviews, Find It and Qype have taken down over 2,000 fake reviews in the last month. Around three per cent of new reviews have been deleted since the partnership declared war on unethical listings.

With a new review appearing every 30 seconds on everything from hostels and tourist attractions to hairdressers and minicab companies, Find It and Qype have implemented a continuous campaign to keep the directory clean and ensure all business listings and reviews for the Mid Sussex district are accurate and fair.

Find It, powered by Qype, is committed to stopping people who use its listings for financial gain, and aims to stamp out biased or unreliable reviews.

“Find It is the number one source for trusted local reviews and listings, and working with Qype we want to ensure every single listing is independent and impartial,” Andy Prior, Digital Product Manager at Johnston Press.

Find it, powered by Qype, gives you immediate access to over two million independent reviews on everything from quirky cafés and clubs to plumbers and primary schools. Covering 166,000 locations worldwide, including thousands of real reviews on the best places to go in the Mid Sussex district, Find it powered by Qype is an indispensable guide for locals, at home or away.

Find businesses listed in your local area at www.midsussextimes.co.uk/findit

Wildlife fears if drought continues

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:06:39 +0000

IF THE drought situation continues, it could spell disaster for West Sussex’s much-loved wildlife, says the RSPB in response to the crisis meeting held yesterday (Tuesday) by the Environment Secretary, Caroline Spelman.

The meeting of businesses, wildlife groups and other river users was called after the Centre for Hydrology and Ecology (CEH) stated that the average rainfall so far this winter has been the lowest since 1972.

With counties in the south east of England being home to some important wetland sites for wildlife this drought could hit species hard, threatening their survival into the summer if the rain doesn’t fall in the next few weeks.

Paul Spiers, warden at RSPB Pulborough Brooks in West Sussex said: “Our natural spring lines and surface water runoff have really slowed down. This is a worrying situation approaching the end of February.

“At the moment our water levels are down on average winter conditions, and we are taking steps to hang on to all the water we can on the reserve. If low rainfall persists into March, spring conditions for breeding waders on the reserve will be far from ideal.”

The offspring of birds that breed on wet meadows, such as lapwings and redshanks, must find their own food as soon as they hatch. Invertebrates get harder to find as fields dry out and the young are unable to fly to find other sources of food until they fledge.

According to the Met office, there is only a 15 per cent chance of the next three months being abnormally wet. This means that restrictions on water use across the UK will be imminent and will have huge impacts on the management of nature reserves.

Rob Cunningham, Head of Water Policy at the RSPB said: “The RSPB is in the process of assessing how vulnerable our nature reserves are to future drought. We are taking action to ensure our reserves can hold more water when it does fall and making sure we use it efficiently.”

“A winter flood is good because it leaves pools and a high ground water table for the spring. We are very concerned that 2012 could be another disastrous nesting season. We are working with the Environment Agency and Drainage Board to use the water that is available as wisely as possible.”

In the wider countryside rivers and reservoirs are also running low with stocks substantially below the previous minimum for Ardingly and the second lowest in a series from 1998 at Bewl (East Sussex).

Many birds will struggle to find food under drought conditions. The abundance of insects is reduced as many need open water, or damp conditions, to breed.

Songbirds, even ones like sparrows that are mainly seed-eaters as adults, rely on invertebrates to feed their young. If adult birds have to travel greater distances to find food and water, feeding rates diminish and the chicks can suffer from malnutrition, dehydration or exposure.

House martins and swallows, those iconic birds of summer, which use mud to build their nests, will struggle to find building material, reducing their nesting success.

Rob Cunningham added: “We’re pleased to see the Government taking the drought situation so seriously. But fundamentally, the system we have for allocating water, ensuring it’s not wasted and protecting the environment is nearly 50 years old and creaking at the seams.

“The Government’s recent Water White Paper has some excellent proposals for reform but their timescale suggests they won’t be in place until mid 2020’s when the pressure is being felt now.”

Audio: county council initiative as drought hits county

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:52:49 +0000

WITH West Sussex now officially in a state of drought, a decision by the county council will help with the problem.

It’s joined the Aquafund Shared Saving Scheme, which will help to save water and reduce the bill for what is used.

Plus it will help a charity.

Cabinet Member Michael Brown, who is in charge of the West Sussex purse strings, says he’s delighted that over five years it’s a significant saving.

He chats to Chris Rider, the county council’s broadcast media relations manager.

Arson attack in Burgess Hill

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:36:26 +0000

Fire and rescue crews dealt with an arson attack in Burgess Hill.

They were called to an area outside shops in Maple Drive, on the Leylands Park estate.

The crew discovered a fire in a bin and the incident is being treated as arson.

The incident happened at 6.24 pm last night and a crew from Burgess Hill dealt with it.

Campaigners meet MEP at Ardingly Reservoir and call for a ‘Frack Free Zone’ around Balcombe

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:17:37 +0000

CAMPAIGNERS against shale fracturing for oil and gas in the South East lobbied Euro MP Keith Taylor for support at Ardingly Reservoir yesterday.

A group of more than 20 protestors, including one dressed in an anti-contamination suit and breathing mask, met the Green Party MEP at the water source, a few miles from Haywards Heath and Lindfield.

The group repeated their fears of contamination of water supplies by the chemicals used in fracturing, otherwise known as ‘fracking’, if the process was allowed to spread across the UK as it has in the United States.

Ardingly Reservoir is one of the water sources used by South East Water to supply customers in the area. Anti-fracking campaigners fear it, as well as underground water sources and aboveground rivers, could be contaminated if chemicals were to leak from drill sites.

With the South East officially now in a drought situation, fracturing as a method of extracting hydrocarbons is also being condemned because of the quantities of water the proceess uses to fracture the shale rock.

Fracking opponents are supporting an Early Day Motion to parliament calling for a UK moratorium on fracturing until the process has been fully evaluated.

They also want a Frack Free Zone around Balcombe where an exploratory drilling site has already been sanction at Lower Stumble, off the B2036, a mile from the village centre.

Keith Taylor, who has called for more investment in alternative energy sources, held a meeting in Balcombe earlier this year when he first heard the concerns of villagers. He was responding a second time to people’s worries when he agreed to meet them at the reservoir on Tuesday.

For more on this story see this week’s Mid Sussex Times tomorrow (Thursday).

Low tickets sales force cancellation of rock show

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:58:01 +0000

POOR ticket sales have forced the cancellation of Thursday evening’s Rockin on Heavens Door show at the Martlets Hall, Burgess Hill being cancelled.

Tomorrow’s show was called off after only 50 tickets priced at £18-20 were sold for the 360 capacity hall.

Attendances at gigs across the country have been hit as people have reduced incomes and tighten their spending in the current economic crisis.

Last Saturday’s Mod show starring Chris Farlowe and Steve Ellis sold only about 150 tickets but proved a musically successful show with great enthusiasm from the audience.

The Rockin on Heavens Door tour feature special guest star Linda Gail Lewis, sister of legendary rock ‘n’ roller Jerry Lee Lewis.

Drought could spell disaster for wildlife in Sussex

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:10:57 +0000

THE RSPB has warned if the drought situation continues, it could spell disaster for the region’s much-loved wildlife.

The comment comes in response to the crisis meeting held on Monday by the Environment Secretary, Caroline Spelman.

According to the Met office, there is only a 15% chance of the next three months being abnormally wet. This means that restrictions on water use across the UK will be imminent and will have huge impacts on the management of nature reserves.

In the wider countryside rivers and reservoirs are also running low with stocks substantially below the previous minimum for Ardingly (West Sussex) and the 2nd lowest in a series from 1998 at Bewl (East Sussex).

Many birds will struggle to find food under drought conditions. The abundance of insects is reduced as many need open water, or damp conditions, to breed.

House martins and swallows, those iconic birds of summer, which use mud to build their nests, will struggle to find building material, reducing their nesting success.

“The Government’s recent Water White Paper has some excellent proposals for reform but their timescale suggests they won’t be in place until mid 2020’s when the pressure is being felt now.”

Voters give final thumbs-down to tree tribute

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 01:00:23 +0000

VOTERS have given a huge final thumbs-down to the idea of a tree tribute to the Queen.

Fans suggested an E-shaped copse on the South Downs, similar to the way a V was grown

for Queen Victoria near Plumpton.

But final figures on the Mid Sussex Times poll show an overwhelming 81 per cent of voters do not think it is a good idea.

Only 18 per cent supported the tribute, with 1 per cent undecided.

Busy A27 interchange works to be explained at a public exhibition this weekend

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:30:40 +0000

DRIVERS, business owners and local people can find out more about a road improvement scheme that will start on the A27, near Arundel, next month.

The work will take place at the Crossbush interchange, where the A27 meets the A284 Lyminster Road for Littlehampton. Two exhibitions to show the proposals to the public are being held this Friday and Saturday.

Embankments will be strengthened, signs, lighting columns and safety barriers will be replaced, and the whole interchange will be resurfaced with a new, safer road surface. The improvements follow resurfacing work carried out earlier this year on the A27 nearby, between Crossbush and the Causeway Roundabout.

Work will start on Monday 5 March for five weeks, and will be carried out using a contraflow across the junction.

People are being invited to find out what it will mean for them at exhibitions being held on Friday and Saturday this week.

Peter Scott, Highways Agency project leader, said: “Hopefully people will already have noticed the improved road surface that we have already installed on the A27 between the Causeway Roundabout and the Crossbush interchange.

“This important work will extend the new road surface across the Crossbush interchange itself, with extra skid-resistance and upgraded signs, lighting and barriers to help improve safety further.

“We have planned the work carefully to keep disruption to an absolute minimum, but there will be some traffic restrictions across the interchange throughout the project, because we also need to strengthen some embankments at the roadside.

“I’d encourage anyone who will be affected by the scheme to come along to one of our exhibitions to find out more about the work, and what they can do to stay ahead of the traffic.”

The exhibitions are being held at the Crossbush Premier Inn, on Crossbush Lane, on Friday (24 February) between 5pm and 8pm, and on Saturday (25 February) between 9am and 1pm. Information about the scheme will be on display, and members of the project team will be on hand to answer questions.

Work itself will start one week later, on Monday 5 March. The westbound carriageway of the A27 through the junction will be closed during the work, and a contraflow will be set up on the eastbound carriageway to keep the road open to traffic in both directions at all times.

The contraflow will be set up during the first week, using minimal traffic restrictions, such as slightly narrowed lanes, and will then be in place 24 hours a day for the next four weeks.

The work will be carried out 24 hours a day wherever possible, with strict controls on noise overnight. Trees and vegetation will be removed from the embankments being strengthened, which are on both sides of the A27 on the western approach to the roundabout.

A bus stop within the work area will be relocated slightly further along the A27 for the duration of the embankment repair work. A reduced 40mph speed limit will be in place at all times.

All restrictions will be removed before the Easter weekend bank holiday, and crews will return from Tuesday 10 April, completing the last remaining resurfacing work using temporary lane closures, and all work is expected be complete by Sunday 15 April.

Sussex MEP back campaign against cuts to vulnerable elderly services

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:27:36 +0000

SHARON Bowles MEP, who represents South East England in the European Parliament, is supporting Don’t Cut Us Out, a campaign in West Sussex fighting to protect vulnerable adults from county council cuts.

The campaign was started after Conservative-led West Sussex County Council cut its adult services budget for elderly people and those with learning disabilities.

Sharon said: “Some cuts are necessary in this time of economic hardship, but West Sussex Council is wrong to cut support for elderly people and adults with learning disabilities.

“Other County Councils in the region, including Kent, have managed to safeguard their adult services budgets. West Sussex could and should find a way to do the same.

“The people affected by these cuts are at poverty levels, either nearing the end of their lives or with life-long disabilities that prevent them from working. They need our support, not to be left out in the cold.

“I urge West Sussex Council to come to their senses and re-instate these life-line services and am proud to join my fellow Lib Dems in West Sussex in fighting these shamefully mistaken cuts.”

Don’t Cut Us Out is campaigning to highlight the difficulties vulnerable adults now face in West Sussex and is working to reverse cuts to the adult services budget.

Further details are at www.dontcutusout.org.uk

Lewes District Council freezes Council Tax

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:00:44 +0000

RESIDENTS in Wivelsfield and other parts of the Lewes District will see no increase in their council tax bills for the coming year.

This means that an average Band D tax payer will still pay £192.48 for the year.

The council is setting out an ambitious agenda to improve customer services, work smarter and save money by delivering a programme to modernise the way it works.

New Leader of Lewes District Council, Councillor James Page, said “We are determined to do all we can for the residents of Lewes District in these tough times, which is why we are freezing council tax.

“We are confident that we will also continue to improve services to our residents while saving money which we can pass on to residents in the form of a council tax freeze. The electorate voted us in to take control of the Council’s services and finances and we have listened and acted.”

Residents’ council tax bills are made up of the budget needs of East Sussex County Council, the Sussex Police Authority, East Sussex Fire Authority and their local town or parish council.

All of the principal authorities have agreed to freeze their elements of the council tax bill. The average council tax for town and parish councils for the year increases by £2.01.

Patients will benefit from hospital transport service

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:17:33 +0000

A NEW and unified transport service will bring benefits to Sussex patients, say ambulance bosses.

NHS Sussex has awarded the contract to provide transport for patients between their home, hospitals and other treatment centres to SECAmb (South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust), after a rigorous tendering process.

Until now there have been separate contracts with the various health trusts in Sussex to provide this service. Now they have joined forces to agree one contract that will improve both patient experience and efficiency.

NHS Sussex Chief Nurse Julia Dutchman-Bailey said: “Having one contract across Sussex will help us to ensure local people get a consistently high quality service whenever they need non-emergency transport”.

Alongside the award of this contract, which will begin in April this year, is the introduction of a new booking system for patients. All bookings will be taken by a patient transport bureau, helping to improve patient experience, consistency and monitoring across Sussex.

Wendy Mahoney, who has led the process for NHS Sussex, said: “The bureau will help us ensure equitable access to the service and reduce the number of journeys cancelled after being booked, leading to a more efficient service across the county.”

The award of this contract comes after a rigorous consultation period. Patients, clinicians and provider organisations were invited to take part in events to establish what was important in a patient transport service. This feedback was then built in to the specification document before it went out to tender.

Traffic diversions as A23 night closures get underway

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:10:33 +0000

Drivers are being advised that four nights of work to resurface the southbound A23 near Hickstead has started.

The southbound A23 between the Hickstead and Pyecombe interchanges will be closed overnight through to Thursday night/Friday morning between 8pm and 6am each night.

Traffic will be diverted from Hickstead Interchange via the A2300, and the A273, to rejoin the A23 near Pyecombe Golf Club.

The work has been carefully planned to keep disruption to an absolute minimum, and drivers are advised to allow check conditions before they set out and to leave a few extra minutes for their journeys if they are affected by the diversion.

Martyn thanks villagers for kindness to ‘shaky people’

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 01:30:44 +0000

A MAN who lives a full life despite having Parkinson’s Disease for 20 years has created a painting for a village in thanks for its support.

Martyn “Shaky” King, 65, handed over the painting on Friday at Wivelsfield Village Hall.

It was presented to the village on behalf of Parkinsons UK, of which Mr King is vice-president of the Mid Sussex Branch.

Mr King was a highly paid quantity surveyor before the effects of Parkinson’s Disease ended his career.

Determined to lead a busy life he still plays music, writes poetry, does “stand-up” comedy and promotes trying to have a positive attitude to living with chronic conditions.

Part of his humourous attitude to a condition most people would find daunting is his use of the name “Shaky”, a reference to the trembling that people with Parkinson’s Disease often have to put up with and which sometimes leads to them cruelly being ridiculed for being drunk.

Mr King, from Scaynes Hill, said: “Wivelsfield Village Hall committee asked if I would accept a commission to paint a picture of their village hall.

“I in turn thought it might be a nice gesture if I painted a picture and presented it to the village as a thank you to the village for all the support that they have given to us shaky people.

“There has been everything from collections for tours of the village Christmas lights, tickets for ‘am dram’ and supporting music fundraisers, also including Parkinson’s UK.

“In their fair day, they allow us to use the hall and the local pub, the Cock Inn, where we have our meetings, does a terrific job for us.

“The hall itself would have been a bit boring to paint, so I have painted a picture of their fair day from the perspective of being on the back of a carousel horse.”

Mr King believes doing projects like the painting has wider benefits.

He said: “The way I see it is that it’s not all bad news if people have a chronic illness. It is possible for a lot of them to have a fulfilling life and contribute to society. If you can’t do paid work there are other things you can do to help others. This promotes a feeling of self-worth and improved self-image.”