Street party fees waived for Royal Wedding celebrations

Communities are being urged to come together to celebrate 2018’s Royal Wedding in style - and Adur & Worthing Councils are backing the move by waiving all fees for street parties.

People from across the world will be watching as Prince Harry marries Meghan Markle at a ceremony in Windsor Castle on Saturday May 19.

With the wedding coinciding with the FA Cup final, it is hoped people across Adur and Worthing will unite as they did for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding in 2011 and for the Diamond Jubilee and Olympics in 2012.

To make it easier and cheaper for neighbours to hold right royal celebrations, the Councils have scrapped the usual £106 cost of closing a road. Advice and information on waste collections and insurance has also been made available.

All applicants must do is complete and submit two forms by April 6.

Councillor Angus Dunn, Adur District Council’s Executive Member for Resources, said: “With no charge and very little paperwork, it’s never been easier for neighbours to come together and mark this very public national celebration. I encourage communities in our towns and villages to come together to mark this special day in style.”

Councillor Edward Crouch, Worthing Borough Council’s Executive Member for Digital and Resources, said: “Worthing has a great tradition for making Royal celebrations extremely memorable occasions for all. I urge anyone thinking of arranging their own street party to get in touch to ensure a enjoyable and safe day is had by all.”

Street parties are gatherings organised by and for all residents in one or two small streets without external publicity. A wider public event in more streets or on a major road needs extra arrangements.

An informal “street meet” on a driveway, parking area, front garden or end of a cul-de-sac does not require permission from the Councils.

Communities interested in hosting a street party do not need a special licence for their event.

All they must do is complete an application and an additional road closure notice, which will ensure emergency services are notified.

Both are available on the council website: www.adur-worthing.gov.uk/streets-and-travel/road-closures/#royal-wedding-street-party.

For further details email events@adur-worthing.gov.uk or call 01903 221200.

Residents wanting guidance on how to plan a street party can visit: www.streetparty.org.uk/residents.

The first stage of the public consultation on the future of Brooklands Park is complete and the results are in.

Hundreds of people have had their say in a consultation to shape the future of the much-loved Brooklands Park in Worthing.

In a bid to turn the open space into a major asset for the community, Worthing Borough Council is working with consultants to create a masterplan for the attraction.

An online consultation into creating a management plan for the long-term revamp of Brooklands was launched in last month. And the response was amazing - with more than 800 people giving their views on how to improve the community asset.

Councillor Diane Guest, Worthing Borough Council’s Executive Member for Environment, said: “I'm so pleased that so many local residents took the time to take part in the online public consultation .This project has received so much positive community engagement and we are hoping to create a park that residents of Worthing can be proud of.”

Among the ideas suggested to improve the park, included:

·        A better cleaner modern cafe

·        Interesting walk trail

·        Swimming / paddling pool

·        Improved children’s play area

·        More native trees and flowers.

The survey also showed that the public were pleased to see the council were investing in the park, with many calling it “beautiful” or “nice”.

Scores of people said they hoped to see the open space modernised while some called for the boats to be brought back on the lake.

Of those who responded, more than two-thirds said they arrived by car while the annual visit length was between one and two hours.

A high percentage of visitors to the park were families with small children, the survey showed.

The main reason for a trip to Brooklands, according to the responses, was to use the play area or go for a walk. A quarter of visitors said they did not spend any money when using the park.

The results of the survey will now be used to develop a masterplan for the area. A series of options are being drawn up on how to revamp the area which will be presented for public consultation.

It comes as contractors continue to excavate the lake at the heart of the park, creating new areas for nature while restoring to restore it to its former glory.

Work to start soon on the demolition of Worthing’s Teville Gate

Plans to unlock a major town centre site for redevelopment are moving forward at great pace thanks to Worthing Borough Council.

In a bid to speed up the process of transforming the privately-owned Teville Gate, the local authority is stepping in to demolish the 1960s car park which it leases on the land.

Council contractors moved in to start the 20-week project to dismantle the outdated and expensive-to-maintain multi-storey today (Monday March 5).

Once demolished, the council plan to turn the land into a temporary car park to generate a short-term income while the private owner Mosaic brings forward a detailed proposal for the plot it calls Station Square.

Councillor Kevin Jenkins, Worthing Borough Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, said: “This is a major milestone in the transformation of a key town centre site.

“For too long the residents of Worthing have been waiting for movement on Teville Gate. By demolishing the car park, we are showing that we are fully committed to the long-term regeneration of this key site.

“We remain in contact with the owners Mosaic and I’m confident this work will act as an incentive for them to submit a long-awaited planning application to redevelop the site very soon.”

Plans have been afoot for more than a decade to redevelop the Teville Gate site, which links Worthing Station with the town centre.

To speed up the the process, the council agreed to consider demolition plans at a town hall meeting in September 2017.

At the time, councillors heard that the current multi-storey car park has significant maintenance issues, requiring an investment of £2 million over the next four years to keep it fully open.

The £1.6 million demolition cost will be funded from the Local Growth Fund provided by the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

Access to the site was closed in January and blue hoardings have been erected around the perimeter.

Councillors signed off on the appointment of Hughes and Salvidge to carry out the work last month.

At the same time, two separate planning applications have been lodged.

The first, submitted by site owners Mosaic Global Investments, is a planning notice which gives prior notification of the proposed demolition of all buildings on the site. This includes the multi-storey car park, kiosk, Burfree House and Fleet House.

The second, on behalf of the council, is for the construction of a 66 space temporary public car park accessed from Railway Approach.

Contractors have moved into the site today to prepare the buildings for demolition. Work is expected to take place between 8am and 6pm on Monday to Friday and from 8am to 1pm on Saturday.

Local residents and key stakeholders have been informed.

Councillor Edward Crouch, Worthing Borough Council’s Executive Member for Digital and Resources, said: “This shows that as a local authority we are doing everything we can to make the most of our assets.

“In the short-term we will retain an income stream; while in the long-term the town will benefit  as a derelict site is transformed into a vibrant new development.

“Any major project like this will cause some noise, dust and vibration so we apologise in advance for any inconvenience that may be caused. Our contractors have assured us they will endeavour to keep all disruption to a minimum.”

Bank of England Signals Earlier Rate Rise

The Bank of England (BoE) has indicated that interest rates are set to rise sooner and by a greater extent than it previously anticipated.

While the nine-member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) unanimously voted to leave rates unchanged following February's meeting new guidance was issued suggesting that the pace of monetary tightening is likely to accelerate if the economy remains on its current track. 

The UK interest rate cycle has only recently begun to move upwards, with the BoE announcing the first rise for more than 10 years in November 2017. This shifted the bank rate from 0.25% to 0.5%, with BoE forecasts at that time indicating a further two quarter point increases were likely over the next three years.

However, it now appears there could be a third increase and that the rises could come sooner than expected. Specifically, the BoE said that rates may need to rise 'earlier' and by a 'somewhat greater extent' than was perceived at the time of its November review.

This change in stance partly reflects faster expansion across the global economy and the benefit that the UK has experienced from that growth. In addition, wage increased are expected to pick up over the coming months, which will provide further impetus to the economy. 

A note of caution was sounded, though, with the BoE stressing that its forecasts are based on a 'smooth' transition in relation to Brexit. It therefore warned that future monetary policy decisions could be affected by how businesses and consumers react to the terms of the UK's impending EU departure. 

The MPC reconvenes on 22nd March, although the consensus is that rates are likelyto remain unchanged at that meting. However, a growing band of economists are now predicting a quarter point increase at the following meeting schedule for May.

Are Real Earnings Set to Rise at last?

Although pay growth remains modest and is still lagging behind the rate of inflation, there is evidence that workers could be in line for bigger wage rises.

The latest data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that average weekly earnings excluding bonuses, increased by an annual rate of 2.5% in the three months to December. Whilre this was above the 2.3% figure reported in the previous three-month period, it dose mean that the rate of pay growth is still less than infaltion.

Indded, in real teerms, regular pay actually declined by 0.3% in the three months to December compared to the same period a year earlier - the tenth successive month that this meansure of earnings growth has fallen when inflation is taken into account.

There is growing evidence, however, that wage growth could be set to rise. A BoE annual survey published last month, for instace, revealed that firms expect to offer average pay settlements of 3.1% this year. This compares to 2.6% last year and is the highest figures since 2008.

This aniticipated rise in pay settlements partly reflects changes in the minimum wage, which will be increased to £7.83 for those ages 25 and over in April - a 4.4% annual increase. In addition, employers said they were experiencing increased cost pressures fur to last of foreign workers and difficulties recruiting and retaining staff.

Further evidence of wage pressures was delivered by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation. Thier latest survey suggested firms are struggling to find good-wuality satff and are raising salaries at the fastest rate since July 2015 in order to attract quality employees.

While these surveys have developed a reputation for exaggerating future wage pressures, they do suggest that the tight labour market could at last be stimulating a pick-up in pay growth. 

Markets:

As temperatures dipped at the end of the month, so too did the markets. In the UK, the FTSE100 lost over 50 points on the last day of trading to end February down 4.0% on 7,231.91 – a recovery from its mid-month low of 7,092.43 on 9 February. On the last day of the month, the index fell in early trade following comments from the new chair of the US Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, outlining his expectation for further gradual interest rate hikes over the coming year. The wider FTSE250 also closed the month in negative territory at 19,687.27, a monthly decrease of 2.75%. The Junior AIM followed suit with a 2.87% fall to finish the month at 1,038.32. 

In the US, the release of US gross domestic product data showed fourth quarter growth was not as strong as originally anticipated. US GDP grew by an estimated 2.5% in the last quarter of 2017, one tenth of a percentage point lower than the previous estimate. Worries over interest rate rises dragged at month end, the Dow and S&P 500 capped their worst months since January 2016. The Dow Jones closed at 25,029.20, down 4.28% over the month, whilst the technology weighted NASDAQ index also slid (1.87%) to end the month on 7,273.01. 

In Asia, equities were knocked by poorer-than-expected economic data, including weak Japanese factory output, retail sales and manufacturing data in China. The Japanese market, as covered by the Nikkei225 index, closed February on 22,068.24, a loss of 4.46%. Despite improving data from the Eurozone and Germany, European stock markets are under pressure as investors face the prospect of QE ending. The Eurostoxx50 in mainland Europe fell 4.64% to 3,438.96.

 On the foreign exchanges, sterling closed the month at $1.37 against the US dollar. The euro closed at €1.12 against sterling and at $1.22 against the US dollar. 

Gold fell 1.99% over the month to close February on $1,317.99 a Troy Ounce. The gold price fell at the end of the month following Jerome Powell’s first speech to lawmakers, as the dollar rallied. Oil slipped (2.65%) in February, to close out at $66.23 a barrel, as measured by the Brent Crude benchmark. 

Government borrowing set to undershoot set to undershoot OBR forecast 

UK Public borrowing for the year to date stands at its lowest level since the financial crisis, a situation which should ultimately provide Chancellor Philip Hammond with a welcome windfall.

Data released by the ONS shows that the UK’s public sector net borrowing (excluding state owned banks) totalled £37.7 billion during the period from April 2017 to January 2018. This was £7.2 billion lower than the same period in the previous financial year and the lowest year-to-date net borrowing figure since January 2008.

It was also much lower than the comparable level of borrowing predicted by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) in their Autumn Budget forecasts. Commenting on the latest figures the OBR admitted that: “Overall, it now looks clear that borrowing in 2017-18 will undershoot our November forecast by a significant margin”.

The OBR did also point out that there are still two months of the financial year left and that the public finances could yet weaken during that time. In addition, it is still not clear exactly what long-term impact Carillion’s liquidation will have on public sector finances.

However, the level of borrowing reported so far this year undoubtedly provides the Chancellor with a welcome boost. Mr Hammond is set to deliver his Spring Statement on Tuesday 13 March, although the Treasury has played down expectations of the event. A spokesperson suggested that the statement will have: “no red box, no official document, no spending increases, no tax changes” and will only last 15-20 minutes.

While this year’s Spring Statement may therefore turn out to be a relatively low-key affair, it will include the OBR’s updated forecasts for the UK economy. And it now seems clear that these will be much more palatable for the Chancellor than the ones he had to deliver during his Autumn Budget.

Strong rebound in productivity growth

The second half of 2017 saw the UK economy record its strongest consecutive quarters of productivity growth since the 2008 financial crisis.

Official data released by the ONS suggests that UK labour productivity, as measured by output per hour, rose by 0.8% in the three months to December. This follows growth of 0.9% in the previous quarter and means that the latter half of 2017 saw the strongest six-month rate of productivity growth in almost a decade.

This contrasts sharply with the historically weak performance that had been evident since the global financial crisis. Indeed, UK productivity had previously stagnated with the past 10 years overall witnessing the slowest rate of growth since modern records began: analysis of BoE and ONS data suggests it has been the least productive decade since the early 1820s when the country was emerging from the Napoleonic wars.

Low productivity growth has played a key role in squeezing living standards and has presented a severe challenge to policymakers in recent times. Indeed, the OBR’s gloomy economic growth forecasts which grabbed the headlines following the Autumn Budget were largely the consequence of a downward revision to the UK’s long-term productivity rates. This downgrade followed repeated disappointment as previous expectations of a pick-up in productivity failed to materialise.

While the recent growth in productivity certainly provides some encouragement, policymakers are likely to require more evidence before determining whether the recent growth is a blip or the start of a longer-term trend. This certainly seems to be the case with Sir Dave Ramsden, a deputy Governor of the BoE. During a recent speech in Cambridge he commented that: “It is reasonable to argue that we are in a new paradigm of lower productivity growth, and that is reinforced by the global nature of the weakness.”

https://investment-solutions.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Economic-Review-March-2018-1.pdf

Contact kicki.smith@ite.travel for this and many more offers

The Latest Worthing Podcast has just been released

In this episode of the podcast there is an interview with Dan Flanaghan, from "Dont Believe The Hype" and "Tot Rockin' Beats". Dan has a passion to support dads in their vital parenting role. Hear about how it all started and what drives him to support dads. http://www.worthingpodcast.com/

Taking ‘a head in the clouds’ to the extreme!

Cloud accounting is reaching new heights for Sussex-based chartered accountants MHA Carpenter Box.

The firm has embarked on an exchange programme with an Australian firm of accountants, with a cloud accounting expert from each practice flying to the other side of their respective worlds to share best practice.

MHA Carpenter Box has just welcomed Hayden Winters from Smart Business Solutions near Melbourne to its Worthing office on a four month secondment. At the same time, MHA Carpenter Box Accounts Senior, David Taylor, a member of the firm’s Platinum accredited ACCA training programme, has recently settled into life at the Melbourne firm.

Says Hayden: “Although it’s been a bit chilly weather-wise, my first few weeks at MHA Carpenter Box have been outstanding – I’ve been given a really warm welcome by a great team with a great culture.”

During his time in Sussex, Hayden will be exchanging ideas with his new colleagues – particularly around cloud accounting and its add-on ecosystem.  The use of cloud technology is currently more embedded in Australian business culture, so Hayden’s expertise will help the Sussex firm to stay ahead of the curve in terms of the advice they can give to their many clients who use cloud accounting as a business tool.

“Similar to MHA Carpenter Box, our clients increasingly look to us for services beyond conventional ‘number crunching’ and we are now positioned as business advisers as well as experts in business finance and tax.”

Hayden is from the south of Melbourne, and graduated from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in 2016 with an accounting degree. He is now training on the Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand programme.

David Taylor, Hayden’s UK exchange buddy, is now settling into the Melbourne business community. He has worked extensively with Xero cloud accounting software and will be lending his experience to his new colleagues in Australia until the end of May.

MHA Carpenter Box Practice Director, Chris Coopey, commented: “This is a great career opportunity for Hayden and David and came about through the success of our Business, Innovation, Technology & Efficiency (BITE) events held in 2015 and 2017.

Adur and Worthing join up with Alliance urging action to improve Brighton Mainline.

A major campaign to support improvements to the Brighton main railway line to London is to be joined by Adur and Worthing Councils.

Both Councils say it is crucial for the local economy that the rail line is upgraded as evidence emerges that its poor state is having a negative impact on economic growth in the region.

They have now joined the Brighton Mainline Alliance which is urging the government to make upgrading the line a top priority for investment.

According to a report for the Councils the region served by the railway line from south London down to Brighton and across to Chichester contributes almost £50bn a year to the UK economy.

Yet there is evidence that recent economic growth in the region is not keeping pace with the rest of the South East with ‘strong evidence to suggest poor rail infrastructure is suppressing growth in the region and negatively influencing strategic investment decisions from business.’

Passenger journeys on Southern and Thameslink services have risen 10 per cent to 105 million per annum in the last five years and increasing severe crowding is predicted, the report says.

Crucially the Alliance is calling for a commitment to remove the bottleneck at Windmill Bridge Junction just north of East Croydon station.

Here trains to Victoria and London Bridge are joined by suburban services causing long waiting times, reducing capacity and leading to long delays on scheduled services.

Flyovers and extra platforms at East Croydon are needed but the government must move fast, says the report, because demand for land in the area is high and an opportunity might be lost.

The Alliance scored an early victory last week when the government confirmation of government of funding for Network Rail to deliver the design stages of the project.

Now known as the Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme, the funding from the Department for Transport means Network Rail can now work up detailed designs for the track and station work in the Croydon area,  produce an outline business case and carry out a full public consultation.

Leader of Worthing Borough Council, Cllr Dan Humphreys said, “ We all have first-hand knowledge of the problems with this line. Travelling on it is often a complete misery so I’m pleased we now have funding to look at designs at East Croydon.

“But more importantly there are clear signs that it is affecting the economy of the area and given that we contribute so much to the overall UK we say upgrading this line to increase capacity must be a key priority for government.”

Leader of Adur District Council Cllr Neil Parkin added, “ Last week’s announcement was a good start but we must keep up the pressure because this is not just a Brighton issue. It affects us all and our economies. If businesses are starting to have second thoughts about relocating here, and there is some evidence they are, it will have a disproportionate effect on the whole economy.

“I don’t think the government will want to see a negative impact on the seventh largest regional economy in the UK.”

The Alliance has been established by the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) a government investment body which brings together public, private and educations sectors to deliver sustainable investment and growth in an area that stretches from Croydon down through Gatwick to Brighton and across to Chichester.

More than 40 regional business groups and more than a dozen influential MPs have backed Brighton Mainline Alliance so far.

Plans afoot to extend popular Shoreham Beach boardwalk

More people will be able to enjoy Shoreham Beach as Adur District Council pushes on with plans to extend the popular boardwalk.

Since the local authority installed the first section in 2011, the town’s beautiful beach has been accessible to all thanks to the modern walkway along the shingle.

This week, the Council has taken the first steps to extending the walkway to Shoreham Fort with the aim of starting work before summer.

Once complete, the boardwalk will be about one mile in length - meaning more of the unique environment of the protected beach will be opened up to all.

Councillor Emma Evans, Adur District Council’s Executive Member for Environment, said: “The Shoreham Beach boardwalk has been a real hit with residents and visitors which is why I’m delighted to see work on extending it is underway.

“By using modern materials sympathetic to the area's conservation status, the boardwalk allows the beach and its amazing natural vistas to be enjoyed by all.

“I hope it will also encourage more people to discover the delights of Shoreham Fort which is a hidden historic gem at the entrance of the harbour.”

Councillor David Simmons, Adur District Council’s Executive Member for Health and Wellbeing, said: “The beach is one of our area’s greatest assets but previously it was nearly impossible for anyone living with a mobility issue to get across the stones to watch the sunset and waves breaking.

“That’s why I’ve pushed for the boardwalk to be installed. It really does make a massive difference to those with limited mobility or with pushchairs.”

The extension, which runs on land owned by the Council, will link the current walkway which ends at The Burrells roundabout with Shoreham Fort.

It will follow the existing established footpath on the shingle beach between the patches of vegetation before linking up with the West Sussex County Council-owned footpath at Forthaven.

The council has now issued a tender for companies to bid to carry out the work. Contracts are likely to be signed by the end of March with teams starting on site in May.

The work will take place under permitted development rights which means planning permission is not needed.

The move has been backed by a range of partners including West Sussex County Council, Environment Agency, Shoreham Port, Shoreham Beach Residents’ Association and the Friends of Shoreham Beach.

Brighton Main Line upgrade moves a step closer as Croydon railway redevelopment gets funding boost

A major redevelopment of the railway through central Croydon to transform railway performance and potentially allow more trains to run on the Brighton Main Line- Including a new, expanded East Croydon Station, extra tracks and flyover junctions - moved a step closer today with confirmation of government funding for Network Rail to deliver the design stages of the project. 

Known as the Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme, the project is the central element of Network Rail's Brighton Main Line upgrade programme to deliver major improvements in punctuality between London, Gatwick and the Sussex Coast with the potential for more frequent services in the longer term.

It would see construction of a series of new grade-seperated junctions orth of East Croydon station to remove the 'Croydon bottleneck' where several routes to and from central London converge. These new junctions are like motorway flyovers and will replace the existing flat junctions, where trains have to wait at red signals to allow others to pass in front, causing congestion and delays to 300,000 passengers travelling between the south coast and the capital each day.

Major improvements at East Croydon station would also be delivered as part of the proposed scheme, expanding the number of platforms from six to eight and providing new concourse areas with better access to the platforms and surrounding areas. This would improve the train service, transform the station itself and contribute to the ongoing redevelopment or Croydon town centre and the growing local economy. 

Funding from the Department for Transport means Network Rail can now:

• Work up detailed designs for the track and station work in the Croydon area;
• Produce an outline business case so informed decisions can be made about funding the scheme to delivery in future; and
• Carry out a full public consultation so that the local community, travelling public and anyone directly affected by the work can have their say on the designs.