Leader Welcomes 600 Homes Plan for Lancing

The leader of Adur District Council has today welcomed the announcement of a deal with CALA Homes to build 600 new houses at New Monks Farm.

The 600 form a large part of the council’s new housing provision in its emerging Local Plan and helps the authority meet its government target for house building.

New Marks Farm Development Ltd, a subsidiary of Brighton and Hove Albion football club, has entered into a contract with CALA Homes (South East) Ltd for the development on the Lancing site.

A total of 180 (30 per cent) will be designated affordable.

Adur leader Cllr Neil Parkin said:” I am very pleased this contract has been signed as it will provide much-needed new homes in the area.

“I am also very pleased that CALA Homes has been chosen as the company has a strong reputation for building quality homes.

Our Stories; Your Councils

Ten people who sum up the innovative and varied work of Adur & Worthing Councils will share their stories in a bid to inform the public about what they do.

As part of a pioneering new move, the team of staff will give weekly updates on the Councils' main social media platforms and website, giving an insight into the daily life of a public servant.

From managing a host of cultural venues to dealing with the street community or helping solve residents' problems, every aspect of the local authorities will be covered by the group.

The aim is to give the public a chance to hear first hand the day-to-day challenges faced by those delivering a range of services across Adur and Worthing and to help grow understanding of the roles and functions of Councils.

Each of the ten will regularly write posts which will appear on the Adur & Worthing Councils website and be publicised on the Councils' social media sites.

Mike Gilson, the Councils' Head of Communications, said: "We want to show the human face of the Councils to help explain to citizens what we do.

“The breadth and depth of what we do often goes unrecognised. I think we picked a brilliant group to help tell our stories."

The full list is as follows:

·         Amanda O'Reilly, Head of Culture

·         Paul Willis, Waste Strategy Manager

·         Tammy Waine, Families and Wellbeing Officer

·         Graham Cherrett, Senior Foreshore Inspector

·         Anthony Read, Community Park Ranger

·         Matt Orton, Customer Contact Centre Officer

·         Judy Fox, Visitor Experience and Marketing Officer

·         Gary Prescod, Head Gardener at Highdown Gardens

·         Jo Clarke, Communities and Third Sector Lead

·         Sophie Whitehouse, Lead for Early Help and Wellbeing.

Photo: Eight of the Adur & Worthing Councils team who will be blogging about their roles, from left, Senior Foreshore Inspector Graham Cherrett, Visitor Experience and Marketing Officer Judy Fox, Customer Contact Centre Officer Matt Orton, Communities and Third Sector Lead Jo Clarke, Waste Strategy Manager Paul Willis, Lead for Early Help and Wellbeing Sophie Whitehouse, Head Gardener at Highdown Gardens Gary Prescod, and Families and Wellbeing Officer Tammy Waine

GRANTS can be a low risk form of finance

What are grants? A grant is an investment in your business, but unlike a traditional investment, a grant does not need to be re paid. Grants are often viewed as: cash in kind, a subsidy, or even a gift in kind.

They are ‘opportunistic’ but may not fund certain types of projects, types or stages of business, but if you are eligible to apply, it is free money. 

Most grants are matched funded, meaning the business is also required to contribute to the overall cost of the project.

Publicly funded schemes are designed to encourage new and growing businesses. To stimulate growth and ultimately create jobs. To help achieve this the government makes available a portion of money to encourage enterprise through business grants.  

Reasons to apply for a business grant. Access to finance is important for growth and productivity. Grants will ease cash flow pressures and investment helps achieve a sustainable business.

Often grants will unleash projects your business may not otherwise afford. Unleashing a new project can help achieve growth or generate new revenue streams. Grants contribute to expansion plans - boost innovation, which in turn helps your business grow. Grants make your investment and your working capital go further. 

What sort of grants are available? Small business enabler grants tend to invest in projects like: web design, marketing materials, training & specialist consultancy support and are easy to apply for.

The Adur and Worthing Small Business Grant is still available, (at time of going press) but apply soon, as the demand is high. The grant offers a maximum matched funded contribution of £2,500, available to local micro businesses (of up to 10 employees). For example, if you want to purchase equipment that costs £1,500, you can apply for £750 from the grant fund and source the additional £750 needed from your own funds. You must be able to demonstrate how the project will impact growth, help generate revenue or improve productivity or efficiencies. 

Larger grant contributions of £10k plus, impose stricter criteria. They are often for capital Investment projects, such as: New equipment, premises & transport. The funder will ask for supporting evidence how the investment will impact growth and new employment opportunities.

There is a substantial grant designed for rural businesses wanting to diversify or make a capital investment. Available to rural businesses who trade mostly across the South Downs, from £2,500 to £75,000. This grant is a 40% matched funded contribution.

Where do I go to source a grant for my business? Business Navigator is a government funded business support service that is free and impartial for businesses to use. To find out more, call your Business Support Navigator, Ryan Davies: 0800 977 4146 E: Info@c2cbusiness.org.uk or search our web site. www.c2cbusiness.org.uk

Join us in taking Forward Steps!

We are delighted to announce that the official launch event for the Forward Steps CSR programme will be held on Friday 21^st July at Heene Community Centre.

Corporate Social Responsibility – known as CSR - can be a hugely beneficial part of any business, increasing brand awareness, helping to motivate and retain staff and creating trust.

Business Connector for Business in the Community, Jon Stroud, is helping the Chamber to spread the word about our new Forward Steps programme and says, “I have seen first hand many times, just how beneficial even a small amount of CSR activity can be. When any company gets involved as the programme matches the requests up to the businesses, without them having to weed out lots of irrelevant requests first. Precious business time is saved and on the flip-side, no hopes are dashed in the process too. It really is a win-win.”

So how does Forward Steps work?

• 1.       Businesses sign up to the programme through our website, www.forwardsteps.org.uk They can be very specific in what they have to offer (NB: we are not asking for offers of money here) it can be anything from leftover pallets at your factory, to a meeting room one morning a week, to staff time for volunteering, to mentoring, training – you name it! Your provider offers are anonymously listed in different categories.
• 2.       Only once we have enough businesses signed up we will launch to the local community. Those in need do not have to be charities, they can be any local community group that have a genuine need for help. They then search the offers and click on the relevant ones.
• 3.       The business receives a notification that someone is interested in your offer. Only when the request is accepted does the person in need find out who the supplier is.

It really is that simple!

Do please come to our launch event to find out more. Or you can sign up now and still come to the launch event! If you’d like to get a bit more involved and be part of the Chamber CSR group then please email tracie@worthingandadurchamber.co.uk

Gatwick Airport Results: Record year of investment takes Gatwick past 45 million passengers milestone

• Gatwick Airport planning for continued growth as airport passes 45 million passengers
• Annual results show passenger numbers +7.7%, EBITDA +12.9%, long-haul growth +13.6%  and cargo +15.9% on last year
• Record growth has been matched with record results in quality of service for passengers
• Gatwick CEO Stewart Wingate said: “It has been another record-breaking year and another chapter in the transformation of Gatwick. We have, this week, broken through the 45 million annual passengers mark which is 13 million passengers a year more than we served in 2009 when Gatwick came into independent ownership. It is a simple fact that, of the top 20 airports in the world by passenger growth, Gatwick is the only one with a single runway. We continue to offer the UK a financeable and deliverable second runway scheme which we stand ready to deliver should the Government give us the go-ahead.”

Gatwick Airport today published its results for the year ended 31 March 2017 as the airport smashed through the 45 million annual passengers milestone. Gatwick has also just completed the biggest year of investment in the airport’s history as it continues to deliver on its ambitious plans for growth.

The airport’s annual results published today, are the latest demonstration of Gatwick’s impressive growth record with 44.1 million passengers passing through the airport in 2016/17 - an increase of 3.2 million passengers or 7.7%. This growth has been matched by record levels of service for our passengers with customer satisfaction and advocacy at an all-time high.

Long-haul continues to be a success story with routes growing 13.6% and now represent one in five of Gatwick’s passengers. As capacity issues become a challenge, Gatwick will continue to see considerable growth in passenger numbers as airlines swap short haul for long haul services. Norwegian’s new route to Buenos Aires using a B787 Dreamliner, for instance, will replace a short haul European service in Gatwick’s schedule.

Gatwick is due to welcome the world’s longest low-cost long-haul route - to Singapore - this September. North Atlantic routes were up 38.7%, with the two new routes launched by Norwegian in the year, Las Vegas and Oakland, San Francisco, contributing to this growth. Norwegian are set to further increase their US routes from Gatwick with Denver and Seattle starting September 2017 and a further direct route to Buenos Aires starts in February. Meanwhile, China Airlines will be adding to Gatwick’s Asia routes and starting a new service to Taipei in December 2017, bringing Gatwick’s total long-haul routes to 60.

Stewart Wingate, CEO of Gatwick Airport, said:

“It has been another record-breaking year and another chapter in the transformation of Gatwick. Our continued growth and success is a testament to record investment, increased competition, and our renewed focus on efficiency and service. It is a simple fact that, of the top 20 airports in the world by passenger growth, Gatwick is the only one with a single runway. We continue to offer the UK a financeable and deliverable second runway scheme which we stand ready to deliver should the Government give us the go-ahead.

“Our world record passenger numbers and increased long haul connectivity has been matched by a transformed airport experience which our passengers have recognised by giving us all-time high service quality results. We have, this week, broken through the 45 million annual passengers mark which is 13 million passengers a year more than we served in 2009 when Gatwick came into independent ownership.

“Gatwick has a bright future – we will invest £240 million this year as we continue our £2.5 billion programme to improve our facilities, improve our service and passenger experience, and improve our performance so we can realise our ambitious plans to grow even further.

“This will lay some of the physical groundwork for our continued growth. Improvements planned include an extension to Pier 6 and changes to the taxiway configuration to improve efficiency on the airfield even further.”

Average seats per air traffic movement increased by four seats per movement reflecting the airport’s increased long-haul flights. Meanwhile, air traffic movements increased by 4.9% to 280,000 ATMs annually, with the airport serving more than 177,000 passengers in its busiest day. Gatwick’s vital role within the UK economy was demonstrated by growth on domestic routes of +10.3%, as passengers took advantage of the regional services available from the London airport best connected to the rest of the UK.

Unprecedented growth

New routes and terminal developments

Grafton to get spectacular makeover

The Grafton car park on Worthing seafront is about to get a spectacular makeover with top artists set to transform its appearance.

A dramatic splash of colour will turn the car park into a cutting edge work of art using large scale patterns, graphic and words. The work, which will take a week, will be a slow reveal with the words on the building becoming clear towards the end of the project.

Backed by Worthing Borough Council the ambitious project, the largest art work seen in the town for years, is the brainchild of local firm ECE Architecture which was behind two previous groundbreaking works of art on Worthing beach.

In 2015 Mirrored Beach Hut and Doorways last year earned rave reviews.

Now the team behind those projects ECE and award-winning agency Creativity Forager is going one step further. They promise a dazzling riot of bright colour and bold pattern, code-named Supergraphics, in a space that is now just grey concrete.

Acclaimed street artist Ricky Also has produced the artwork to represent the powerful creative energy that exists in Worthing.

The artists will use an hydraulic platform to create their artwork with spray paint and graphics.

Worthing Borough Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, Councillorr Kevin Jenkins said:” I’m excited to see this work as it progresses. Worthing is becoming a brilliant mix of the traditional and the innovative and I’m sure this will bring a wow factor to the seafront.”

Stuart Eatock, managing director of ECE, said: “This is the third installation we’ve embarked on for Worthing and this year we wanted to challenge ourselves to deliver something bigger and better than ever, showcasing our creativity and taking something ordinary and turning it into something extraordinary."

Mark Sephton, creative director of Creative Forager, said: “For the last two years, we've been blown away by how positively the people of Worthing have received our projects, so we thought we'd give them something even bigger and bolder this time!"

In keeping with the seafront theme bold stripes of colours similar to deckchairs and other beach items that can be bought on the seafront will figure and the colours will reflect the new branding of the council’s Discover Worthing tourism initiative. It is proposed the artwork stays for the summer months until the end of September.

The cost of the £14,000 installation has been met jointly by Worthing Borough Council and ECE, an architecture and town planning practice with offices in Goring Road, Worthing, London and Bristol.

Saywell Supercar Charity Track Day - Love Your Hospital

Come and be a part of the action at Goodwood Motor Circuit* with Love Your Hospital and Saywell International. 

There will be multiple supercars there on the day – all organised by Peter Saywell – and there is an opportunity to donate an amount to be driven around the track by a fully trained, professional driver – for some of us a once in a lifetime experience.

With a line-up of amazing cars, charity raffle, fun, games, sweet treats galore and so much more. There's something for the whole family to enjoy!

Join us for a great day raising vital funds for Western Sussex Hospitals.

*Track marshals in place and professionally organised.

For more information please visit the Facebook event page by clicking here

Still time to have your say on multi-million pound Shoreham office development

There’s still time for residents and businesses in Shoreham to comment on plans for a new multi-million pound office development.

Adur District Council is looking to bring forward the proposal to redevelop the former Adur Civic Centre car park in Ham Road.

Before a planning application is drawn up, the local authority and its partners want to hear what locals think of the early proposals for the site.

A public consultation is currently ongoing, with residents and businesses having until July 10 to have their say on the development.

James Appleton, Adur & Worthing Councils' Head of Planning and Development, said: "We are committed to providing a high-quality development which will provide much-needed office space for the Adur district and regenerate this area of Shoreham. But we want to make sure it is done in the right way, so consultation events like this are vital.

"Early feedback demonstrates there is general support for the redevelopment of the site for offices. There have been many comments, which we will take on board before a planning application is submitted.

"I urge people to let us know what they think of the plans and look forward to seeing in detail the views of local residents and businesses."

So far dozens of people have had their say on the scheme.

More than 30 people attended a public consultation event at the Shoreham Centre on Monday, June 26 to hear more details about the plans. Representatives of the Council, contractor, architect, town planner and highways consultants were on hand to discuss the proposals and answer any questions.

A number of residents who attended a meeting of the Council's Planning Committee in the evening also had the opportunity to view the proposals.

Exhibition boards detailing the plans are on show in the Shoreham Centre until Friday, July 7.

Comments received by the team will be considered as part of the ongoing work leading to the submission of a planning application.

To view the exhibition boards online, please visit: https://www.adur-worthing.gov.uk/ham-road-car-park-site/

To complete the online questionnaire, please visit https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/HamRoadCarPark

If you wish to submit supplemental comments or to register your interest in being kept updated on the progress of the project, please email: consultation@stridetreglown.com

The deadline for comments is Monday, July 10 at 5pm.

Summer of Circus 2017 - Premiere of RISE 

Last Friday, the 2017 Summer of Circus officially launched.
The sold out evening was spectacular, with standing ovations at the end of the KIN performance.

For all of you who joined us thank you, and if you missed it, then we have something extra special coming up next month.

We have the stunning world premiere of RISE at the Pavilion Theatre onTuesday 18 July at 7.30pm. 

The show combines tightwire, live music and rich romantic imagery and is going to be brilliant.

We will have an exclusive post show Q&A in the Pavilion Cafe Bar too, and tickets for the evening are just £10 when you quote CIRCUSCARD online, on the phone or in person.

Come along and join us and if you can make it please let me know and I can reserve you some of the best seats in the house before they go - stephen.sheldrake@adur-worthing.gov.uk

Full details here: https://worthingtheatres.co.uk/rise/