Latest News of Local Interest
Allow another 30 minutes?
The West Sussex County Times advises that the northbound A23 between Bolney and Pease Pottage will be closed tonight (Friday) between 9:00pm and 6:00am: “Road users will be directed to follow a fully signed diversion route via the A264, A24 and A272”.
Pushing bikes
Habitat Management for Invertebrates
A Sussex Wildlife Trust course at Woods Mill taught by Graeme Lyons. How to plan and manage the best habitats for invertebrates – the building blocks for a properly functioning ecosystem. Saturday 7th December, 10:00 – 16:00, members £27.50, non-members £38. Click here to book.
Tipper closures to follow tip closure
The Argus is reporting:
Small Sussex businesses could be bankrupt by Christmas after the closure of a landfill site. The inert landfill site at Golding Barn, Small Dole, near Henfield, was shut down after its operator breached its waste limit by 50%. .. Fiona Cave, of MRL Grab & Tip Limited, said: “As of yesterday, my business is worthless. There are no other inert landfill sites in the area — the next one being near Chichester and since my lorries only do six miles to the gallon, and it would take me hours to do a return trip from my base in Burgess Hill, my charge to my customer of £170 per load plus VAT would not even cover the cost of running the lorry.”
Mayfield versus MSDC
If you access the PDF of the Mayfield Towns submission and open the ‘document properties’ box in Adobe Reader, you will see that the original file title of the submission is Examination of the Shepway Core Strategy. Shepway is on the Kent coast, not in Mid Sussex. Presumably, for the lawyers and consultants that feed at the bottom of this particular trough, the prose remains the same. It is just the place names that need to be changed. [One of the two entities claiming credit for preparing the document is called ‘Shared Intelligence’. But ‘Copy & Paste’ or ‘Find & Replace’ might have been more appropriate corporate monikers.]
GJMG
Free microchips for local dogs
PRESS RELEASE
Free microchips for local dogs – come along and gobble them up!
Mid Sussex District Council is teaming up with the charity Dogs Trust to offer local pet owners the chance to microchip their dog, absolutely free of charge.
Microchipping ensures that, if a dog ever becomes lost or stolen, the police, animal welfare staff, vet surgeries and local authorities are able to identify the owner and return the dog safe and sound.
During November, Dogs Trust will be running six microchipping sessions at parks and open spaces across Mid Sussex. They will be supported by the Mid Sussex District Council Park Rangers team, who will be on hand to provide advice and information on other aspects of responsible dog ownership.
Currently, every dog owner is legally required to ensure that their dog is wearing a collar and tag, but these can easily get lost or removed if a dog is stolen. A microchip is permanent and, from the 6 April 2016, a change in the law means it will be compulsory for owners to have their dog microchipped.
The microchip is a small electronic device, about the size of a grain of rice, which is coded with a unique number that can be read by a scanner. As the chip is so small, once it has been implanted the dog will not be able to feel it.
Once microchipped, Dogs Trust will register the dog and owner’s details and from then on it is essential that owners update their information when necessary, such as after a change of address.
To ensure local people are ready for the new law, Mid Sussex District Council and Dogs Trust are hosting a series of free microchipping events at parks and open spaces right across Mid Sussex.
The free events run from 10 am – 2 pm and are located as follows:
Wednesday 6 November, Bedelands Local Nature Reserve, Burgess Hill
Thursday 7 November, East Court, East Grinstead
Thursday 14 November, Barn Cottage Recreation Ground, Haywards Heath
Wednesday 20 November, Kings Leisure Centre, East Grinstead
Thursday 21 November, Whitemans Green, Cuckfield
Thursday 28 November, Adastra Park, Hassocks
“It is so important to get your dog fitted with a microchip because, should they ever stray, the chances of being reunited with your missing pet are significantly increased,” said Councillor Pru Moore, Mid Sussex District Council Cabinet Member for Leisure and Sustainability. “Microchipping does not hurt the dog; the process is carried out by a trained professional and causes no more discomfort than a minor injection.
“The law is changing in 2016, and we do not want any of our residents to suffer a fine, so please come along to one of our free microchipping sessions and make sure your dog can be easily returned to you.”
For more information please contact the Mid Sussex District Council Park Rangers on 01444 477561, email rangers@midsussex.gov.uk or visit www.chipmydog.org.uk.
ENDS
For more information please contact Martin Faulconbridge on 01444 477478 or Martin.Faulconbridge@midsussex.gov.uk
Direct line: 01444 477478
Out of hours: 07702 034236
Photography competition
The first South Downs Futurescape Photography Competition with categories (i) landscapes, (ii) wildlife, (iii) ‘urban’ wildlife, and (iv) families enjoying the South Downs. You can enter a maximum of three photos. Closing date is 28 February 2014. Judges include David Plummer and John Dominick. More info here.