District Dispatch - 15 February 2023

Members of the public are welcome at the canal basin from 5pm, with laser displays scheduled to take place at 6pm and 7.30pm on both nights. There will be extra entertainment featuring an LED hula hoop artist on the Friday evening and The Glow Jugglers on the Saturday. Food and drink stalls will be available, and the canal café will also be open to visitors. Our aim is to bring a bigger and more varied programme of events to the district and encourage more people to visit our beautiful area. This is one of the many events we are delivering as part of this. We've been able to run this particular event largely thanks to money from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Thanks also go to the Canal Basin team who have helped us organise the event. Please do come along and join us!

I also want to let you know that households across Great Britain who don't use mains gas for heating will start to receive £200 towards their energy bills through the Alternative Fuel Payment scheme. The government has confirmed that the vast majority, including many homes in rural areas, will get the £200 Alternative Fuel Payment automatically through their electricity supplier (opens new window) as a credit on their bill throughout February. A small minority of customers, such as those living in park homes or on static houseboats, with no direct energy supplier, will need to apply to receive the payment through an online portal that will launch later this month. From 8 February, energy suppliers were also able to start making payments to businesses and both public and voluntary sector organisations that use alternative fuels to heat their buildings. A credit of £150 will be provided to eligible customers across the UK through the Non-Domestic Alternative Payment scheme. Energy suppliers will deliver this support up to 10 March, with most customers expected to receive payment in February. Homeowners and landlords of houses which do not use gas for the main heating may also be eligible for funding to make their properties more energy efficient, please visit: Warmer Homes (opens new window) for further details.

I also want to remind you that for the first time ever, you will need to show photographic ID to vote at this year's local elections on 4 May. A lot of people have been asking about this and so I thought it was worth providing a bit more detail. Accepted forms of ID include a UK, European Economic Area (EEA) or Commonwealth passport; a UK or EEA drivers' licence; and, some concessionary travel passes, such as an older person's bus pass or an Oyster 60+ card. The full list can be found on the Electoral Commission website (opens new window). Voters will be able to use expired ID if they are still recognisable from the photo. If you don't have any of the accepted forms of ID, you can apply for free ID online (opens new window) or by requesting a paper application form from our Elections Team by emailing elections@chichester.gov.uk or calling 01243 521010. Before sending this in, please remember to supply a hard copy photo or electronic photo to accompany your application. Our Elections Team will also assist you if you are unable to supply your own photo or need further help applying.

Finally, please remember to sign up to our monthly email newsletter to keep up with the very latest news and updates.  If you haven't already, it's also worth downloading our Chichester District Council app. As well as accessing news, you can also view your next general waste and recycling collections and sign up to receive notifications.

Best wishes

Cllr Eileen Lintill

Leader of Chichester District Council