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TIM LOUGHTON MP
EAST WORTHING AND SHOREHAM
HOUSE OF COMMONS
SW1A 0AA
Dear <<First Name>>

Welcome to my first constituency e-newsletter of the Autumn term and it has been non-stop since Parliament returned on September 1st. In fact August was the busiest I have known it and although it was more difficult to hold constituency events the amount of correspondence and calls to do with COVID more than made up for it. As a result there were no Loughton family holidays in the summer which was probably just as well as so many foreign destinations then got put into quarantine.

I have been deluged with a  lot of concerned emails about the UK Internal Market Bill, renewal of the Coronavirus emergency  Bill and other legislation and I share those concerns and have spoken out on them. I am glad to say that in most cases the Government has listened and made changes, although still not enough to please everyone. In most cases I have published blogs on my Facebook page or incorporated my views in my weekly videos.

To cap it all this week we were also hit with a rather badly misinformed piece in the Times claiming that all the bars in the House of Commons were not bound by the new regulations to close at 10pm. In fact all the bars in the House of Commons have been closed completely since March so staying open until 10pm like the rest of the country would be something of a bonus! The Speaker of the House of Commons had already announced that none of the restaurants or reopened bars would serve after 10pm anyway but that did not stop a lot of angry comments on social media about ‘one law for MPs another for the rest of us.’ Alas you can’t legislate for shoddy journalism and stories about MPs and alcohol always make good copy however inaccurate and unfair.

In the constituency I have been very busy in Southwick in particular. I am pleased to say that we got the Southwick Square post office opened again after an extended closure, although not quite full time yet. I am also working with local residents to see if we can save the Stepping Stones Nursery in Fishersgate which is threatened with closure because of dwindling numbers of children and we have a temporary reprieve. I am very pleased to say that we have persuaded St John Ambulance to reconsider its proposal to close Southwick St John Ambulance HQ which is used by many in the community. It is also one of the most active in the country. As long as we can help raise money to repair the roof it can stay open and I will be announcing details of an appeal soon. We have also had details of new proposals for improvements on the A27 which again I am keen will be published soon.

So lots going on and as long as we all remember to follow the COVID regulations and we will all get through this together, sooner rather than later.

Best wishes


Tim Loughton MP
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Surgeries
Upcoming Advice Surgery Dates: (Ring constituency office on 01273 757182 to book an appointment)

Southwick, 16 October
Worthing, 30 October

Upcoming Socially Distanced Street Surgery Dates(no appointment necessary, just turn up):


Opposite Tarmount Lane Car Park, Shoreham, Saturday 10th October- 10-12
Lancing Children and Family Centre, Saturday 17th October- 10-12
Adrian Foote - Coronavirus Community Champion
It was a pleasure to visit Adrian Foote and his family in Sompting and hand over a ‘Coronavirus Community Champion’ Certificate. Adrian has learning difficulties and normally attends Ferring Country Centre but needed a COVID-safe activity to get to grips with.

Social Services and WSCC agreed to let him cut the grass in the area that he lives, his p/t carer brother Kevin (a groundsman with Adur & Worthing normally used to preparing cricket tables and bowls greens!) transferred his skills to his carer role enabling their Dad (Tony) and Adrian to edge verges and greens removing the excess of growth across the paths, cut the grass and clear the street gutters of silt and weeds.

The residents - including those in Coniston and Langdale Close - have shown amazing appreciation with heartfelt thanks and cold drinks especially through the recent heatwave. Adur & Worthing DC have put the facility in place through Cllr Brian Boggis to remove the spoil daily, resident Peter Godfrey repainted the Kendal Road sign whilst an anonymous person removed, repainted and replaced 2 others.

Meanwhile Adrian has been seen every day, safely mowing with a cordless mower and strimmer - a real hero.
Flu Vaccinations
As we approach the winter, it is imperative that everyone who needs a flu vaccination takes up the offer to have one.

I urge everyone in East Worthing and Shoreham who is eligible to get vaccinated, which could make an important difference if they should also catch coronavirus in the months ahead.

Controlling the spread of coronavirus and protecting the NHS is on all of us – we must all wash out hands, cover our faces and make space – as well as taking sensible steps like getting a flu jab.

This year, the flu vaccination programme is being expanded to help protect people from flu and ease pressure on the NHS and urgent care services. The health system is working to provide the free flu vaccine to 30 million people, the highest number on record, including:
  • All primary school children, and, for the first time, Year 7 children.
  • Two- and three-olds.
  • The most vulnerable people, including adults aged 65 and over, those with long-term health conditions and pregnancy women.
  • Household contact of people on the NHS Shielded Patient List and all health and social care workers who have direct contact with the people they care for.
Read more about the flu vaccinations HERE
Shoreham Air Show Disaster Anniversary
On the 22nd of August we marked the 5-year anniversary since that fateful summer’s day, when 11 men in the wrong place at the wrong time through no fault of their own tragically lost their lives in the Shoreham Air Show disaster. The tragedy was felt far and wide and will always be part of Shoreham’s history. But it is also important to remember the extraordinary way the local community rallied round and came out in force to show their empathy and solidarity with the families of the victims, including raising £200,000 to help support them through that difficult period.

We remember also the incredible contribution and sensitivity of the emergency services who dealt so professionally on the day and in dealing with the aftermath. More difficult has been the prolonged delay in providing some form of closure for the families who have endured the pain of numerous reports and a criminal trial but not yet the formal coroner’s inquest postponed again until next year because of the Coronavirus pandemic.

We commemorated with sadness those who tragically lost their lives; we extend our support and sympathies to the families of the victims and we remember with pride the contribution of the local community and emergency services.
Adur Health Partnership and Pond Road Update
Three Shoreham and Southwick practices, Harbour View Healthcare, Northbourne Medical Centre and Manor Practice, have decided to merge to form Adur Health Partnership which will have a list size of over 36,000 patients. The partnerships will become one at the beginning of October but the actual contract merger and merging of EMIS clinical systems will occur in December/January.

This merger will provide long-term sustainability for all three practices and it is something that I welcome.

Moves to regenerate the Pond Road site with a new state of the art health centre continue and next month I will be organising a further meeting with the Clinical Commissioning Group, NHS England , Councillor Kevin Boram and others to move this along. Wheels grind slowly in NHS Properties I am afraid!
Latest Government Guidance on COVID-19
There has been significant update to the guidance on COVID-19 since the last newsletter, including the introduction of the Rule of 6, the release of the Test and Trace App (more on that further down), working from home, and businesses. You can read all the updates HERE

On this subject, I am aware of the concerns that many constituents have written to me about increasing parliamentary scrutiny over coronavirus restrictions in England - I was one of the first to sign the ‘Brady Amendment’ and it is something that I strongly support. This will be debated tomorrow and I'll report back further in next week's weekly video.
Northbrook College Planning lobbying
I was approached by a number of residents in and around Carnegie Road in Worthing near to the old Northbrook College which now goes by the more ‘trendy’ name of Greater Brighton Met concerned at the planning application to convert some of the college buildings into residential flats. I went along to see for myself with local County Councillor Bryan Turner and hear from the residents at first hand. The proposed flats would certainly tower over Carnegie Road and seem out of proportion.

In addition it would mean loss of education space at a time when we need to be increasing the number of college  spaces in Worthing to expand the skills base. Subsequently I made representations to the Planning Committee and Bryan actually spoke at the meeting. I am pleased to say that the application was deferred to encourage the College to look again at the proposal and hopefully make some alterations that will be more in keeping with the area and acceptable to residents without losing too much of the  College capacity.
The Planning Revolution
The start of August saw the beginning of a 12 week consultation to try to create a system where local people and local councils feel they can have more of a say and that there is greater certainty for developers, so they do not have to use all sorts of ruses to get a development through.

Ultimately the goal is to achieve more affordable housing at all levels as there are so many people on local authority waiting lists.

However, I do have serious reservations about the potential impact on constituencies such as ours, especially in Adur where the Local Plan was adopted after a lot of hard work recognising the extreme shortage of spare space we have for yet further development squeezed between the South Downs National Park and the sea.

This will be a lengthy process and the White Paper consultation would then lead to a Bill which Parliament will have to scrutinise, amend and vote on so we have a long way to go yet. As usual it will be useful to have the detailed views of as many constituents as possible so that I can use them to respond to the legislation with as much well-informed input as possible. You can do so HERE . This ends on the 1st October, and a further consultation ‘Planning for the future’  is open until the 29 October, available HERE.

You can also watch a debate on the ‘Effect of housing developments on local communities in West Sussex’, led my by Arundel and South Downs colleague Andrew Griffith MP, HERE.
Rampion Update
Last week I was given a briefing from RWE Renewables who run the Rampion wind farm about their plans to extend it and potentially quadruple the power generated. Because of the way the technology has developed they can probably achieve this with a similar number of turbines as they have now albeit with wider rotor blade diameters. Despite initial concerns the current Rampion is very popular with the public and an important part of the national drive to increase renewable energy substantially. Clearly there will be new concerns about the impact on fishing and shipping access to Shoreham Harbour for example.  A comprehensive consultation exercise will be launched in the Spring which I will help to promote, and it is important that as many people engage as possible.
Yemen Debate
I was pleased to lead the debate on the situation in Yemen last week - I am deeply concerned by the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis there and I fully support the efforts of the UN Secretary-General and the UN Special Envoy's call for all parties to engage in urgent political talks and de-escalate the conflict. This is a subject that I have a particular interest in as Vice Chair of the APPG on Yemen - you can watch the debate in full HERE.
Southwick FC
I was at Southwick Rec to see Southwick 1882 Football Club take on Ashurst Wood earlier this month - it was billed as an historic day as the newly formed community interest company aims to revive the fortunes of the ‘Wickers’ after a sorry last few year which has seen the traditional Southwick Ground at Old Barn Way fall into decay.

After a lot of wrangling about who is responsible for the state of the Club ground and who actually constitutes the official Southwick football team it was good to see some action at last and even better to see Southwick get off to a great start to claim a 2-1 victory. I have been working with councillors to try to move things on and the Football Supporters Association has now stepped in to offer its services too which is helpful. With a fair wind, a few more wins and some funding under their belt it will be great to get the Old Barn Way ground back to its former state and once again the home of the Wickers. I know the club will welcome any support that locals can give under the #BringHomeTheWickers banner. They backed up their impressive opening day win with a 1-0 victory over Roffey II on Saturday - 2 wins from 2!
NHS Test and Trace
The Test and Trace App has had over 10million downloads in 3 days - the app will help you to understand and manage your personal risk and reduce the spread of Coronavirus. The more people who use it, the more effective it will be. Find it on your ‘App Store’ or equivalent. More details HERE.
Tackling Youth Homelessness
YMCA DownsLink Group is a charity working to prevent youth homelessness and improve young people's mental health and wellbeing across Sussex and Surrey. Each year they support over 10,000 children, young people and families by providing supported accommodation, youth advice centres, counselling and family mediation.

This pandemic has had a huge impact on young people – at YMCA DLG, they’ve seen a 61% increase in young people presenting as homeless compared to this time last year.

Sleep Easy is a challenge event asking participants to spend one night sleeping anywhere but their bed (such as a garden, lounge or hallway), to raise vital funds to help us tackle the root causes of youth homelessness. Taking place on Friday 9 October, families, teams, and individuals are all welcome and can connect with us through their online agenda on-the-night. You can find out more HERE
New Salts Farm
For centuries, the 70-hectare site at New Salts Farm has been used for agriculture, acting as a natural barrier between the urban settlements of Lancing and Shoreham.

But recently the owner Hyde New Homes explored the viability of creating more than 450 properties on the land to the north of the A259, despite the fact that the site was specifically excluded by the Council from development in the Adur Local Plan.

Recognising the importance New Salts Farm plays in the look, feel and wider biodiversity of the area, the Council is now set to make the rare move of stepping in to purchase the site - with a commitment to preserve and enhance the land as a haven for natural habitat and act as a ‘Green Lung’ for Adur.

Funding for the acquisition will come from the sale of the former Adur Civic Centre, where Hyde is working with the local authority to bring forward designs for 173 new homes and 1,000 sqm of office space. This is really welcome news and I’ll be working with the Council and residents to make sure this works for the whole community.
Invicta Academy
The Invicta Summer Academy which offers free holiday catch up classes for children in English and Maths opened to pupils in Sussex and was a great success -  I was delighted to link up with MP colleagues to extend this great initiative across the border to Sussex from where it started in Kent and thousands of young people have benefitted. Nationwide, 640 Maths and English lessons were delivered - over 1.7m minutes of learning!
Replacing Stolen Items from Sea Scouts
3rd/5th Lancing Sea Scouts had their kayak shed broken into and between 20-30k worth of kit stolen. The police and forensics have been involved.  The group does so much for the youth including running a socially distanced summer daily camp with hiking, bike rides etc. 

The Scout leader known as Mole (Shaun Oliver) was one of my Coronavirus Community Champions in June and they’ve started a GoFundMe campaign to replace the stolen items. You can find out more HERE 
Eat Out to Help Out
The ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme was a huge success, with over 50,000 meals claimed across East Worthing and Shoreham - Eat Out to Help Out was always about far more than just giving people money off their meals – it was about protecting jobs which are reliant on businesses which have really struggled through coronavirus.
 
I know a lot of the restaurants are carrying on with the ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme - including the Fish Factory and the Fat Greek Taverna who are offering 50% off (up to £10pp) every Wednesday until 2nd December.
UK Internal Market Bill
The recent weeks have been dominated by the controversial ‘UK Internal Market Bill’. I share many of the concerns that have been raised with me regarding parts of Bill and have given a full explanation of why I was unable to support the Bill last week and abstained.

The legislation to give power to the Withdrawal Agreement formed the centrepiece of last year’s Election campaign and the Conservative manifesto on which I stood and on which this Government won re-election. Appearing to go back on that, in part at least, is something that troubles me and that is why I think this Bill certainly looks, and indeed probably is, ‘heavy-handed’ and ill-timed to say the least.

You can read my full explanation HERE. Furthermore, I made my concerns clear in Parliament earlier last week – you can see a video of that HERE or read a transcript on Hansard HERE
Gas network upgrade in West Street, Sompting
In consultation with West Sussex County Council, the project to ensure the local community continues to receive a safe and reliable gas supply started on Monday 14 September and is expected to last approximately 8 weeks. Engineers will be working along West Street from White Styles Road and progressing towards Western Road North/Busticle Lane. For everyone’s safety, they have installed temporary multi-way lights around the work area.

From Monday 26 October for approximately two weeks, they’ll be working in Western Road North/Busticle Lane at the junction with West Street. Temporary multi-way lights will remain in place around the work area at this junction. They’ll manually control the temporary traffic lights Monday to Friday between 7am and 7pm, to assist with the traffic flow. The bus stops by White Styles Road and Busticle Lane will be suspended while their engineers are working nearby.
Southwick Post Office
Following an extended period of closure, a number of constituents contacted me about the situation at Southwick Post Office - I took up with the Post Office centrally. As a result, Post Office has been in contact with the postmaster at Southwick but unfortunately, he isn’t able to commit to full time hours at the moment but hopes to extend these soon. The current opening times are Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9.00-16.30. I am keeping in regular contact with the relevant parties and will continue to provide updates as I receive them.
Piglet’s Pantry
The name Piglet’s Pantry is well known not just in Sussex, and especially amongst Seagulls’ supporters, but also in the Cabinet Office. At the beginning of lockdown when many companies were faced with an abrupt disappearance of business one of those who sought my help was Jo Hunter at Piglet’s Pantry of Worthing. The problem was Piglets relied on the hospitality industry but as it was not a shop or a restaurant or a pub didn’t qualify for any of the financial assistance regularly available for other hospitality businesses. I raised this with Cabinet Minister Penny Mordaunt who held daily Coronavirus phone briefings for MPs and kept raising it until she and all the other MPs were well aware of exactly who and what Piglets is.

I am glad to say Jo and her excellent businesses did get some help in the end and I popped in to see (and taste) how well they are doing adapting to new opportunities with their celebration afternoon tea boxes and lots of other new products including a Jaffa Cake. Who doesn’t like a pie factory especially when it is as good as Piglets?
Worthing 4 Refugees Language Cafe
Support for the Tourism and Hospitality Sector
Having previously written to the Chancellor lobbying for an extension of the VAT reduction (to 5% from 20%), I welcomed the news that the reduction in VAT rates would remain in place until 31 March 2021, rather than 13 January. This formed part of the wider ‘Winter Economic Plan’ announced by the Chancellor Rishi Sunak last week, outlining how the Government will support jobs and the economy over the coming months. You can read more about that HERE.
Highlighting the Importance of Remembrance

The Royal British Legion has produced a suite of educational resources (initially for Key Stages 1-4, but with resources for Key Stage 5 to follow) for children to enjoy in the classroom and at home.  These resources come in a variety of formats, from book clubs and lessons to assemblies and arts projects. Created in partnership with the National Literacy Trust and others, the resources will enable teachers, parents and families to bring Remembrance to life.

The resources will support primary and secondary schools, at what has been a very challenging time, to deliver National Curriculum linked learning and support the wellbeing of children.  They are available to download for free from the Teaching Remembrance hub HERE

Virtual Engagement with Parliament
Specialist talks and virtual tours of the Palace of Westminster are available! A live presenter guides attendees through several rooms including the House of Commons chamber, sharing the history of UK democracy and the work of Parliament today. These virtual tours also include a 15-minute question and answer session.

For further information and bookings please visit HERE.
Worthing Mental Health Awareness Week
This will be held virtually this year, from Monday 5th to Saturday 10th October. Events will be available to join via Zoom, with some presentations and events live-streamed on their Facebook page. For more details, visit HERE.
Train Updates
GTR have confirmed a £55 million train modernisation programme for Govia Thameslink Railway’s entire ‘Bombardier Electrostar’ train fleet - the Southern Class 377 as well as the Class 387 used by Gatwick Express and Great Northern. This is an upgrade that will improve the customer experience of the railway, and behind the scenes, will help them to improve punctuality and reliability, which they know is the most important factor for our customers.

Another piece of positive news on the subject of ‘trains’ is the new platform extension at Lancing Station - to help avoid the level crossing overhang. Apparently it's made of polystyrene!
Kickstart Scheme
The Kickstart scheme is a £2 billion fund designed to create hundreds of thousands of high quality, 6-month work placements for young people aged 16-24, who are claiming Universal Credit. The Government will fund 100% of the relevant National Minimum Wage for 25 hours per week, plus associated employer National Insurance contributions and employer minimum automatic enrolment contributions. £1,500 is also available per placement to support and train the young person.

This means that for any business, of any size and operating in any sector who is looking to create quality jobs for young people can apply to create new 6-month job placements and support the next generation through the early stages of their career to develop skills and experience.

Sussex Chamber is acting as an intermediary and will collate business placements. They can help guide you through the process and advise on the next steps - visit HERE for more details. 
Searching for charities in East Worthing and Shoreham
Thanks to improvements to the Charity Commission register of charities, you can now check for registered charities based in East Worthing and Shoreham at the click of a button. Go to the charity register now to ensure you’re giving safely to recognised charities in East Worthing and Shoreham, available HERE.
Fantastic to see the entries to the 2020 Scarecrow Festival, organised by the North Lancing Residents Association.
Copyright © Tim Loughton MP. All rights reserved.

This newsletter is published by Tim Loughton MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA.

Contact details:
Email: loughtont@parliament.uk
Tel: 01273 757182
Write: 88A High Street, Shoreham-by-sea, BN43 5DB

Surgery details:
If you have a problem you think Tim could help you with and you would like to meet him to discuss it please ring 01273 757182 to book an appointment at one of his fortnightly surgeries.

Please visit www.timloughton.com for more information about Tim.

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Parliament · House of Commons · London, London Sw1A 0AA · United Kingdom