District Dispatch - 23 February 2023

The magnitude 7.8 earthquake has killed more than 20,000 people in the two countries. I know how generous the people of the district are and so if you want to help in some way, there are a number of ways you can do so. Anyone wishing to make a donation can find a list of charities supporting the relief effort on the Disaster Emergency Committee website (opens new window) . We have also provided further useful contacts and information on our latest news web page.

Work to improve the energy performance and carbon footprint of part of our short stay accommodation has now been completed. The project, which involved upgrading the heating system in the council's older short stay accommodation buildings at Westward House has made homes much warmer for tenants as well as significantly reducing energy usage. The work that has been carried out has the potential to cut estimated energy use in these homes by around 54% and cut estimated carbon dioxide emissions by the same, which is a tremendous achievement. The project means that residents living in the properties are now able to reduce their energy use more easily, which is extremely important given the current cost of living and climate crises.

I'm also pleased to tell you that almost 8,000 trees will be planted in the district this winter. Residents, community groups, schools, parish councils, charities, businesses, landowners, and tenant farmers applied for the subsidised trees as part of a scheme to increase tree planting across the district. The trees were supplied in bundles of 10, 20 or 25 that were tailored to suit the location and soil type of the area in which they were to be planted. The funding covered 50% of the cost of the trees applied for, with applicants contributing the remaining 50%. This is all part of our Tree Chichester District scheme, which has already seen over 24,500 trees planted across the district since it was launched in January 2021. The initiative is funded by HM Treasury's Shared Outcomes Fund and aims to test different ways to increase tree cover in rural and urban areas. Thank you to all of those who have supported this initiative.

Our Supporting You team is going from strength to strength. The team is made up of specialist trained advisors who are here to help people with income maximisation; debt advice; employment advice; budgeting support; and health and wellbeing advice. They have been attending events across the district and meeting with people on a one-to-one basis. If you would like to contact them, you can fill in our eform on the Supporting You team webpage; email supportingyou@chichester.gov.uk; or call 01243 534860. And please don't forget the wealth of information that we have pulled together as part of our Supporting You campaign on our Supporting You pages . We launched the campaign in response to the current cost of living pressures and to highlight the range of help that you can access. 

Finally, we're getting to that time of year when everyone starts to have a clear out. If you are thinking about asking someone to remove your rubbish, please remember that if they are not licensed and they fly-tip your waste, you could be prosecuted and face a fine. Fly tipping is an offence that we take very seriously and which costs around £350,000 of taxpayers' money a year to clean up. By making sure that you use a registered licensed waste carrier, you will be making a huge contribution to the fight against fly tipping. You can find further information and watch our video on our&nbsp  or you can call the Environment Agency on: 03708 506506.

Best wishes

Cllr Eileen Lintill

Leader of Chichester District Council