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EAST GRINSTEAD TOWN COUNCIL

To: Chairman and Members of the Public Services Committee: Council Offices Cllrs Baldwin, Mrs Collins DL, Dixon, Johnson, Lord, East Court Marmara (Chairman), Matthews, Mrs Waddingham (Vice College Lane Chairman), Mrs Wilson, Mayor and Deputy Mayor. (Other distribution for information only) RH19 3LT Tel: (01342) 323636 Fax: (01342) 327823 2 November 2005

Dear Sir/Madam,

Your attendance is requested at a meeting of the PUBLIC SERVICES COMMITTEE to be held in the Council Chamber, East Court on THURSDAY, 10th November 2005, at 7.45 p.m.

Yours faithfully,

C J ROLLEY Town Clerk A G E N D A

1 Public Question Time.

2 To commence not later than 8 p.m. - Apologies for absence.

3 To receive Minutes of the meeting held on 8 September 2005 (previously circulated).

4 To receive Members’ Declarations of Prejudicial and Personal Interest.

5 Fire and Rescue Service – Proposed Duty Changes at East Grinstead Fire Station

6 Policing Issues in East Grinstead (Min 137 8.9.05)

7 Highways Issues (Min 147 8.09.05)

8 Public Rights of Way Routine Maintenance (Min 344 10.03.05)

9 Street Lighting – Gardenwood Estate (Min 140 8.09.05)

10 Jobcentre Plus Services and Processing of Benefit Payments (Min 141 8.09.05)

11 Performance Indicators - Concessionary Rail Passes (Min 142 8.09.05).

12 Change Up (F&GP Min 191 22.09.05)

13 Oral Health Awareness Week 2005 (Min 145 8.09.05)

14 Written Reports from Members of Mid Sussex District Council and County Council. (Min 149 8.09.05)

15 Any Other Urgent Business.

NB The next meeting of the Committee will be held on THURSDAY, 12th January 2006 id47683156 pdfMachine by Broadgun Software - a great PDF writer! - a great PDF creator! - http://www.pdfmachine.com http://www.broadgun.com

EAST GRINSTEAD TOWN COUNCIL

To: Chairman and Members of the Public Services Committee (10.11.05) (Other distribution for information only)

Agenda Item 5: FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE - PROPOSED DUTY CHANGES AT EAST GRINSTEAD FIRE STATION

Members will be aware of proposals to change the current duty system at East Grinstead Fire Station. A report on this has now been received from the County Fire Officer and this is reproduced in its entirety below:-

1. Proposal

It is intended to change the current duty system at Haywards Heath and East Grinstead Fire Stations from continuous day crewed cover providing one ‘wholetime’ appliance with ‘retained’ back-up, to a ‘flexible day crewed’ system providing a wholetime pump and crew Monday to Friday at the busiest times. At night and weekends, the Station will become ‘retained’ where firefighters are called in from home or work. This will reduce the number of wholetime personnel at Haywards Heath and East Grinstead from 14 to 10 at each station, but allows for increased resources for Community Protection initiatives.

2. Background

The way the Fire Service is delivering its ‘intervention capability’; i.e. firefighters attending incidents, is changing. The Service is moving away from reliance on a quick response to emergency calls and concentrating on preventing fires breaking out in the first instance. Fire deaths nationally remain reasonably static but high and there is a need to attack the causes of fire at its roots in order to reduce this total.

Last year there were 10 fatalities as a result of fire in the County and it is important that the Service reduces that figure. National statistics indicate that if a fire breaks out in a room where a person is located, they probably have about 4 minutes before they suffocate. Therefore, to save that life, the Service must receive the call, mobilise, attend the incident and carry out the rescue within that 4 minute timeframe.

It is highly unlikely that this is a viable option to contemplate. We should therefore develop wider strategies for prevention whilst, at the same time, moving the finance to support increased prevention from our existing intervention capability. This will also provide evidence of ‘efficiency savings’ both locally and nationally.

The Service has carried out a review of its current ‘intervention capability’ and concluded that a number of changes can be undertaken; the main initiatives being the change of duty systems at Haywards Heath and East Grinstead Fire Stations.

Haywards Heath and East Grinstead are principally areas of domestic housing with light industry, and reasonably low call rates. The reason for its historic designation as a ‘day crewed’ station was linked to the national rates of fire assessment developed just after the Second World War and which protected buildings rather than people. The Government recently repealed these rules allowing fire authorities discretion to develop local fire attendance standards.

You could argue that Haywards Heath and East Grinstead are very similar in fire and rescue ‘loading’ terms, to that of Littlehampton (Retained). It is also interesting to

1 note that Littlehampton, a retained Fire Station, attends more calls than Haywards Heath and East Grinstead.

The conclusion to this would appear to indicate the need to revise the duty system at Haywards Heath and East Grinstead. However, it would be further recommended that any system revision should not just be based on a normal ‘day’ i.e. 9-5, but, more importantly, should be based on historic and predicted call profiling which indicates a 7am-7pm shift, thereby providing wholetime resources when they are required, rather than all the time.

If this system is introduced, it should be remembered that whilst wholetime personnel will be available during core operational times, there is still an operational service at ‘nights’ and weekends provided through the retained service, but with an inherent 4 minute delay above a ‘wholetime’ resource.

3. Potential difficulties

 Fire Brigades Union (FBU) – They may see this as a Service reduction with job losses (current establishment of 14; proposed establishment of 10 at each station).

 Public perception – In pure operational terms, outside of the times of greatest operational need, the station will become retained, with an inherent 4 minute delay in response allowing retained firefighters to attend the station.

 Media attitude – Will reflect both FBU and public perception of a reduction in level of service. However, the media will need to acknowledge the benefits listed in paragraph 5 below.

4. Presentation

A number of presentations will be arranged over the coming months where both District Council members and members of the public will be able to raise concerns they may have regarding the proposed changes.

5. Benefits

Far better and effective use of resources:

 Wholetime cover meets operational need  Staff savings transferred to fire prevention and community safety  Preventing fires occurring in the first place will save lives  Greater fire prevention resources deployed in the Haywards Heath and East Grinstead area specifically and elsewhere in the County  Meets ‘efficiency savings’ required by Government  Increased capability at no overall cost to the authority

6. Strategy

 West Sussex County Council Cabinet approval  Trade Unions discussions  Discussions with local WSCC Members  Discussions with Mid Sussex District Council Members  Media Strategy  Discussions with local MP  MIS approval 2

Proposed implementation date, January 2006

Mr Richard Bond, District Commander, West Sussex, has kindly agreed to attend this meeting, or send a senior representative, to explain the proposals in further detail and to answer questions.

Agenda Item 6: POLICING ISSUES IN EAST GRINSTEAD (Min 137 8.9.05)

Policing was last discussed in some detail at the Council meeting on 3rd October 2005 and there is little new to report as no further minutes of any LAT meetings have been received.

We have received the Community Speed Watch data for September 2005 and details are as follows:-

West Street Herontye Drive Imberhorne Lane

Hours Site 0.25 4 4.5 Monitored "Top" Speed 47 46 51 Recorded

Number of Letters 1 32 74 Sent of whom were:

Local Registered 0 25 28 Keepers

Out of Area 1 7 46

Two new sites have been approved for Community Speed Watch monitoring in Park Road, East Grinstead, outside No 11, and in Holtye Road, 90 yards south west of Turner Court.

The Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Committee are intending to meet with Inspector Scott before the next Public Services Committee to discuss local priorities on policing and related issues.

Any observations for further information Members may have with regard to policing issues in East Grinstead will be welcomed at the meeting.

Agenda Item 7: HIGHWAYS ISSUES (Min 147 8.9.05)

At the last meeting of the Committee, during consideration of the North Mid Sussex Area Transport Plan, Members expressed concerns regarding the cycle lane on the roundabout outside East Grinstead Railway Station and also expressed concerns that parking on zig- zag lines outside schools is unenforceable and that it might be sensible for West Sussex County Council to replace these with single or double yellow enforceable lines. Correspondence was subsequently generated with West Sussex County Council on these two matters.

West Sussex County Council's Highways Manager wrote on 26th September 2005, details as follows:-

3 "Negotiating roundabouts can be hazardous for cyclists, so much so that the manoeuvre has been the subject of a national study. From that, recommendations came forward suggesting ways in which safety can be improved. This is what led to the design of the roundabout at the railway station. I am not aware of any incidents involving cyclists but it is experimental and I will forward your letter to colleagues monitoring the scheme to see whether there would be any justification for removing the cycle markings.

Interestingly I have stood next to a policeman as he wrote out a parking ticket for "unnecessary obstruction of a prescribed road marking" for a vehicle parked on a school zigzag marking. If the road marking were to be replaced by single or double yellow lines then vehicles would be permitted to stop to pick up and set down passengers, so I do not believe it would be in the interests of schools to do so.

It is possible to introduce a traffic regulation order to re-inforce the roadmarking, but it would still require enforcement as drivers would be unlikely to recognise the subtle difference introduced by the provision of a parking plate. Unfortunately this would not provide a short- term solution. The statutory procedures in making a traffic regulation order are lengthy and time consuming and with current resources there is a lengthy list of outstanding requests. Undoubtedly it was for this reason that the Government included within the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions enabling powers to introduce the roadmarking without recourse to making a traffic regulation order."

Subsequently the Principal Transport Planner in the Transport Planning Group with West Sussex County Council wrote as they had investigated whether there is any justification for the removal of the cycle lane on the roundabout by the Railway Station. His reply is as follows:-

"The roundabout cycle lane was designed to raise awareness of cyclists that might be using the route. People approaching the roundabout by car stop and look because they realise that a cyclist could be there. The scheme was based on an award winning design in York.

Our Accident Investigation and Prevention team have looked at the accident figures (reported to the Police) for the three years previous to the scheme and the two and a half years since the implementation of the scheme.

The figures appear to show two accidents involving cyclists since the new layout. One of these appears to involve other factors not relevant to this scheme (which cannot be discussed for legal reasons). This leaves one accident involving a cyclist since the scheme, which is not enough for us to make any deductions from and wouldn't at this stage give us cause for concern.

It is worth noting that the cycle lane on the roundabout forms part of National Cycle Network 21 (NCN 21) and links Worth Way with as a continuously signed cycle route."

Members are invited to give consideration to these responses and to give instructions as to any further action required.

Agenda Item 8: PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY ROUTINE MAINTENANCE (Min 344 10.3.05)

West Sussex County Council has recently completed its latest maintenance programme on East Grinstead Parishes Public Rights of Way. The cycle for these visits has now been reduced to nine months, which is clearly welcomed. The following works were undertaken:-

2 new wooden waymarkers 12 repaired wooden waymarkers 5,015 metres of vegetation clearance 4 9 stiles repaired 3 steps replaced

Members are asked to note.

Agenda Item 9: STREET LIGHTING - GARDENWOOD ESTATE (Min 140 8.9.05)

Representations to West Sussex County Council have been made by a local resident of the Gardenwood Estate, Diane Heron of Sheridan Close, urging that the lighting on the Estate should be on all night on community safety grounds and particularly as it is felt that it is unsafe during winter months for those who walk to East Grinstead railway station along the high level twitten running from the Estate to catch trains that leave before the lighting comes on.

West Sussex County Council has advised that in the next financial year they are to replace all the lighting on the Gardenwood (poets) Estate. The new lighting will be white florescent, 55 watts. This will replace the current sodium lighting of various watts - 35, 55 and 80. The new lighting is much kinder to the eye and has environmental benefits. It also aids clarity and as such is a community safety aid.

West Sussex County Council has indicated that if the Town Council wishes, the new lighting could go on all night, in other words from dusk until dawn. This would apply throughout the Estate. The alternative is to continue with the current part night lighting arrangement whereby the lighting comes on at dusk and goes off at midnight then comes on again at 6.30 a.m. until dawn. The current lighting is group switched but under new arrangements each column would be individually switched.

If Members want to see what the new white florescent lighting looks like then they may wish to visit the new Monarch Estate where such lighting has recently been installed.

Members' instructions are requested. Ward Members in particular are requested to elicit their constituents' views on this and report back.

Agenda Item 10: JOBCENTRE PLUS SERVICES AND PROCESSING OF BENEFIT PAYMENTS (Min 141 8.9.05)

Further to the concerns raised at the last meeting in relation to the effectiveness of the changes to the benefits payments processing following the recent trials in other parts of the country, due allegedly to computer glitches, correspondence was generated with Job Centre Plus to raise Members' concerns and to elicit a response.

The District Secretariat Manager of Jobcentre Plus has now replied, details as follows:-

"The purpose of Mrs Gamester's letter in June was to advise you of the next stage in our modernisation process. A Benefit Processing Centre for Surrey and Sussex is based at Hastings; this will result in a phased reduction of the number of small processing units throughout the county.

Since the letter was written in June some of the movement of work has been successfully undertaken, as advised in Mrs Gamester's letter we will write again when the benefit work for customers in East Grinstead is to move.

Your letter raises concerns about the Contact Centre in Hastings.

Jobcentre Plus is introducing a new approach to claiming benefits, where customers call a contact centre, which is designed to enable Jobcentre Plus to focus its face-to-face resource 5 on helping people back into employment. This approach is being rolled out gradually across the country. It is a significant expansion programme, which requires our people to learn new procedures and adjust to different ways of working. As with all changes, there is an inevitable "bedding in" period. We are aware that some customers are experiencing difficulties getting through to our contact centres and we apologise for any inconvenience this has caused. We have a number of action plans in place to address this. The situation is reviewed on a daily basis and plans are adjusted accordingly.

I hope this has reassured you that we are working to provide an effective and efficient service to all our customers."

Agenda Item 11: PERFORMANCE INDICATORS - CONCESSIONARY RAIL PASSES (Min 142 8.9.05)

The relevant information, focusing upon the period August and September 2005 is set out below with the same months for the previous two years also shown for comparative purposes.

Rail Passes Aug 2003 30 Aug 2004 38 Aug 2005 16 Sept 2003 24 Sept 2004 32 Sept 2005 38

Agenda Item 12: CHANGEUP (F&GP Min 191 22.9.05)

Committee is advised that at the last meeting of the Mid Sussex Association of Town Councils held in Haywards Heath on 5th October, a detailed report, reproduced below, on Change Up was considered.

"ChangeUp is a new plan being developed by Government and the voluntary sector to improve the infrastructure support services, such as training, funding advice and IT support, to frontline voluntary and community organisations. These are the organizations, such as Councils for Voluntary Service, which provide direct support and deliver services to their communities.

A regional consortium is overseeing the delivery of the programme. It includes members from the statutory and voluntary and community sector as well as the Government Office of the South East. An Action Plan has been developed and in April 2005 a smaller Steering Group, co-ordinated by Action in Rural Sussex (AiRS), was set up to implement the plan and manage the budget. An official background document, including the agreed Action Plan, is attached as Appendix A.

Steering Group meetings are held each month and are attended by representatives of GOSE, the statutory sector (including the County Council, District Councils, Town & Parish Councils and PCTs) and voluntary sector infrastructure organisations (such as CVS’s and volunteer bureaux that provide support and services to the frontline voluntary organisations) as well as frontline voluntary organisations. The lead organisation is Action in Rural Sussex (AiRS).

Judy Pointing, Community Development Officer with Burgess Hill Town Council is the Town and Parish Council ‘representative’ on the consortium Steering Group for West Sussex and has been diligent in keeping local councils apprised of progress in the implementation of this 6 new programme. She has kindly agreed to attend the meeting for this item. In her last report dated 24 August 2005 Judy advised of the following developments:

 Judith Buckland, chair of Action in Rural Sussex, has been appointed Chair of the Steering Group.  Ethnic Minority Partnership (CEMP) has been appointed to lead work on engaging BME and other minority groups (including refugees, faith, migrant workers & Gypsies & Travellers) in the ChangeUp process.  2 applications have been submitted to the ChangeUp Capital Projects Fund by AiRS (for larger premises & a community halls fund).  SCIP is developing 2 ICT projects looking at providing strategic ICT support for local infrastructure organisations and a joint information platform (for further details see http://scip.office.scip.org.uk/changeup/eastandwestsussex).  A research brief has been prepared on Sector Promotion - to identify the scope and scale of VCS delivery of public services and the constraints and opportunities identified by frontline service providing organisations.  A research brief has been prepared on Workforce Skills - to research the current situation regarding workforce skills in the VCS.  A research brief has been prepared on Rural and Sub-District Infrastructure - to look at the practical delivery of infrastructure support to frontline organisations and community groups in each District.  The CVSs and volunteer bureaux organised an event for their trustees about the ChangeUp process.  A Sustainability Review is being carried out to identify business model(s) that will enable infrastructure services to be available to frontline organisations in the long term and at the right quality.  A Governance Group is in the process of being set up.  A wider stakeholder event will be held at the end of the consultation period."

The official minute from the meeting in respect of this item is as follows:

"The Chairman was pleased to welcome Judy Pointing, Community Development Officer with Burgess Hill Town Council, who would introduce the report on Change Up and who has been serving as the town and parish council representative on the Consortium Steering Group for West Sussex.

Ms Pointing drew attention to the report, which formed part of the agenda for the meeting and provided additional information. She stressed that ChangeUp is an investment programme run by the Home Office Active Communities Unit with the aim of strengthening the voluntary and community infrastructure. The programme has a target of improving the support available to frontline VCS organisations and has three elements - modernising infrastructure, imbedding quality/improving outreach, and adding rural value. The focus for ChangeUp is to ensure support for frontline organisations which is available nationwide, structured for maximum efficiency, offering excellent provision acceptable to all while reflecting and promoting diversity and sustainably funded. The outcomes being sought for ChangeUp are:- a highly skilled workforce; performance improvement; more effective use of ICT; strengthened governance; improved volunteer support, and more diverse and effective income generation.

Ms Pointing stressed that nationally there are six hubs:- workforce development; financing voluntary and community sector; information and communication technologies; governance; performance improvement, and volunteering. They are funded centrally and will provide information and best practice guidance.

It was explained that the West Sussex ChangeUp Steering Group comprises five representatives each from the statutory sector, infrastructure VCOs and frontline VCOs.

7 Judith Buckland MBE and the programme is managed by Action in Rural Sussex and supported by the Government Office of the South East.

Ms Pointing explained that the role of the Steering Group is to assess the current position of frontline and infrastructure VCOs in West Sussex; to identify the needs of frontline VCOs; to prepare a West Sussex Infrastructure Development Plan by (it was thought) June 2006, and to invite statutory and VCS organisations to "sign up" to the published Plan.

The question was asked why ChangeUp? It was suggested that Government is increasingly looking to the VCO sector to deliver public services, that VCO presence and capacity to deliver public services is patchy across the country, and that VCOs lack support, resources and sustainability. However, there are a number of possible implications arising from ChangeUp and some of these were lodged as possible concerns. They included possible restructuring/consolidation/amalgamation, the central provision of infrastructure support, the implications of competitive tendering, possible redirection of statutory funding to fewer and larger organisations, a change which encourages and facilitates survival of the fittest (and the largest) and inevitably therefore the demise of the smallest and most vulnerable. The meeting considered that in Mid Sussex there are some inevitable concerns and there needs to be vigilance to guard against diminution of current service standards and the loss of essential and informed local services. In this regard the importance of the Councils for Voluntary Service, the Volunteer Bureaux (both infrastructure organisations) and the many essential frontline volunteer organisations was emphasised. However, it was appreciated that Mid Sussex local infrastructure organisations are small and poorly resourced, that it is increasingly difficult for them to access funding from any source, that in the case of Mid Sussex Volunteering it is likely to close in 2006 unless significantly enhanced and regular funding can be found, and that the loss of West Sussex County Council funding would almost certainly lead to the demise of the two Councils for Voluntary Service in Mid Sussex and the possible related loss of locally based services.

Whilst some Members had initially felt there could be some benefits to ChangeUp in West Sussex, with the benefit of discussion and consideration they were significantly more concerned about the future well being of infrastructure organisations. They noted that in Manchester a well established and respected CVS (Volunteer Action Manchester) had demised when its services were put out to competitive tender and the contract was awarded to a non CVS organisation, The Scarman Trust, which has no established member base.

There was some significant discussion regarding volunteering generally and a regret that this is becoming increasingly professionalised which in itself can be a discouragement to real community participation and volunteering at its most local level. All felt it would be extremely unfortunate if ChangeUp resulted in increased reluctance for volunteering due to the uncomfortable match up between unpaid volunteers and well-paid professional volunteer co-ordinators within non-community based organisations.

The meeting also felt that everything should be done to preserve the "localness" of the Councils for Voluntary Service and the local volunteer bureaux and the role they play in co- ordinating local volunteer activity. The benefits to be achieved by enhanced partnership working were felt to be far more worthwhile than an organisational change that merely replaces the local with the distant.

RESOLVED: That a copy of this minute confirming the Association's concerns regarding ChangeUp be sent to Action in Rural Sussex, West Sussex County Council and Mid Sussex District Council requesting that there be active engagement and dialogue with all parish and town councils in Mid Sussex prior to any changes being recommended that might impact upon the future status and well being of local infrastructure organisations."

8 Members are advised that the content of the minute was subsequently circularised to the agencies referred to above. Jeremy Leggett, Chief Executive of Action in Rural Sussex has subsequently written to say: " I will talk to Judith Buckland who chairs the Consortium about the letter but I cannot imagine anything other than a very re-assuring reply in relation to where the consortium is headed with its plans." Members are invited to note the current situation and to give any further instructions.

Agenda Item 13: ORAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK 2005 (Min 145 8.9.05)

Further to consideration of issues pertaining to Oral Health Awareness Week and concerns expressed by Members at the last meeting, a letter was sent to the Dental Services Manager of the West Sussex Oral Health Team stressing that East Grinstead would wish to be a venue for a future event. It is pleasing to note that subsequently the team have arranged to hold a "drop-in" clinic at the Queen Victoria Hospital on Tuesday, 15th November for those who wish to come in to talk to specialists about any concerns they may have regarding mouth cancer. A good relationship has now been established with the Team and we will be promoting future events on the Town Council's web site. Members are asked to note.

Agenda Item 14: REPORTS FROM MEMBERS OF MID SUSSEX DISTRICT COUNCIL AND WEST SUSSEX COUNTY COUNCIL (Min. 149 8.9.05)

A report has been received from County Councillor Mrs Collins, details as follows:-

" The first round of the County Local Committees has begun. The North Mid Sussex CLC, covering East Grinstead, Imberdown, High Weald, Sharpthorne, West Hoathly & Worth Forest, will meet 17th November, 7pm at Sackville School. The County Council aims to provide a vehicle through which issues which are particularly pertinent to local communities can be progressed.

At the full County Council meeting on 14th October the Draft County Strategy 2005 - 2009 was considered. It has 4 themes:- improving the quality of our neighbourhoods enhancing and conserving the character of West Sussex children, young people and their families supporting those in need.

The actions needed to deliver these outcomes will be in the Corporate Plan, which will also set targets in order to measure progress towards these outcomes.

The Local Area Agreement for West Sussex, which is the new joint approach to working between local councils, other statutory bodies such as District Councils, Health & the Police, and the Voluntary sector has been agreed. The initial proposal has been submitted to the Government. Under the arrangement of the LAA some 20 ambitious objectives are set & outcomes for improved & co-ordinated public services to local communities will be developed & delivered. (The LAA encompasses the Public Service Agreement for West Sussex). A Public Service Board comprising local councillors & key stakeholders will oversee the delivery of the LAA objectives.

The pilot Worth Project, which is a multi- agency funded initiative of the County Council in partnership with the Health Service, was launched in January 2004. It is based in Worthing Hospital and aims to address domestic violence through early intervention in a hospital setting. Over 450 referrals have been made so far. A Task group has been established to look into the viability of establishing similar provision elsewhere in West Sussex.

9 An application was made to the Department of Transport on 30th September for Special Parking Area status for Horsham & Mid Sussex Districts. This will enable the on street parking enforcement to be undertaken by the District Council as agent to the County Council. Public off street places controlled by the District Councils will also be covered by the same order. Arrangements are being made for the handover of enforcement from the Sussex Police, Traffic Warden staff, to the new District based Parking Attendants so that the new arrangements may apply from the 23rd January 2006.

The Public Local Inquiry into the West Sussex Waste Local Plan which was due to start on 7th December has been deferred. This decision has been taken as a result of new legislation that has complicated the arrangements under which the Plan has to be prepared.

The Registration Service year, is responsible for a number of statutory registrations & ceremonies such as Births, Marriages, Deaths & Citizenship. From December, when the Civil partnership Act comes into force, the County Council will also have responsibility for the delivery of Civil Partnerships.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has announced that the Regional Fire Control Room for the South East will be located in Fareham, Hampshire. The new centre will serve Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey & West Sussex, an area serving over 8 million people. The centre, due to open 2009, will replace the present 9 control centres. Margaret Collins (County Councillor, East Grinstead Division)"

TOWN CLERK’s Report Ends

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