A lot of County work involves the whole of the County but I am sure you don’t want or need details of say a roundabout in Crawley or similar. On the other hand there are overall County issues that involve everyone and I do try and keep you informed especially through your Parish/Town Council or by meeting up at events like lunch clubs and coffee mornings that I can manage to attend. These are really good ways of speaking to those who live in their parish.
I also report and see things like of course the potholes which from whatever source I get them or those I come across when driving around I do report as of course others can report on the web if they would like to do so. It doesn’t matter if they have been reported by me or others it is just good to get them reported.
I am afraid the old timescale of 21 days from when they prove to be deep enough and have the white line around them has now gone out of the window with the dreadful weather we have had since last October which has made an enormous increase in our highways work load. Not only potholes but slipped banks and fallen trees and of course blocked drains. We are gradually getting around to do the work but it’s a slow process. When in the rural areas our marvellous patching machines can be used they do a great job and can do large areas at a time. We now have 3 of these machines but not sure we can get more. Unfortunately they do a great job but can’t be used much in the Urban areas but in rural areas they are great.
Fostering is an on going concern. Despite our fostering recruitment and retention being the strongest it has been for 10 years the number of young people we care for has also increased and continues to grow at over 900 at the time of writing.
If you know of anyone who is interested in looking into fostering please check the website. There is ample training opportunities and how wonderful to be able to help some who have had a difficult time so far in their lives. It is of course a commitment and like all commitments has its up and downs but what a great thing to do.
We are already working on our budget for 25/26 but at the time of writing we have not had the first of our members workshops. I can only warn at the moment that things financially do not get any easier and this year we managed to balance the budget without cutting our Services and when we get closer to setting our budget we will have a better idea of how we can manage the 25/26 budget. Of course we have statutory duties which we have to fulfil but as I’ve said before it’s not always a case of cutting services but often as last year doing some of them differently.
The County Council has a new Chief Executive coming. His name is Leigh Whitehouse and he comes from the position of deputy CEO at Surrey County Council. Until such times as he arrives Becky Shaw that was working with us and East Sussex will remain until Leigh arrives and then she goes back full time to East Sussex.
For those parishes within the National Park we are also in the process of recruiting a new Chief Executive and although a small committee of us have been working on this for some time we are now at the stage of another company going out to the market for prospective candidates to apply. We are expecting a very large postbag of interested parties for this post so I will update when I can. I think and hope a new Chief Executive will be in situ August/September. In the meantime of course Tim Slaney who was Director of Planning is holding the fort as interim Chief Executive.
As I write we have had some really good weather and long may it last so I hope all have a good June. There are lots of open gardens in our area and they are always a joy to see. Such a beautiful part of the world.
As ever if you would like to contact me over an issue you need help with it’s
janet.duncton@westsussex.gov.uk or my mobile 07979 152898. Take care
Janet Duncton
County Councillor Petworth division