The Role of the Newhaven Town Council

There are three tiers of local government with areas of responsibility in Newhaven - East Sussex County Council, Lewes District Council and Newhaven Town Council.

Newhaven Town Council is the equivalent of a village parish council. It receives annually a small percentage of the money raised by Council Tax, known as "the Precept".

Eighteen local people serve as Councillors on the Town Council. They are all volunteers and receive no pay for the work they do on behalf of the town. Elections are held every four years.

There are full meetings of the Town Council about every six weeks throughout the year, which take place at Meeching Hall, in Fort Road. All meetings of the Council are open to the public and there is a short period at the beginning of each meeting put aside for questions from the public and for the receipt of petitions. Please see the list of meetings for further information.

An important part of the role of the Town Council is to represent the views of the town in response to various public consultations.

On a regular basis our Planning Applications Committee meet to look at planning applications received by the Planning Authority and to pass on to them our comments. The Town Council always try to represent the views put forward by local people in this regard, although sometimes this can prove difficult when an application is controversial and has both vocal support and opposition amongst local residents. Nevertheless, members of the Planning Applications Committee take a vigilant approach in representing the local viewpoint, and encourage objectors/supporters of planning applications to attend meetings and put forward their views. Please see the list of meetings for further information.

At the present time, Newhaven Town Council provides the following for the local community:

• The Town Council offices in Fort Road act as an information point for local residents. The offices were the subject of a major refurbishment in 2003-4 and are now much more people friendly, with easy public access from street level. Internally there is now a lift for the less agile or parents with buggies and the interior is light, modern and convenient. The building also has a private interview room and a small meeting room. Current planning applications may be viewed there during normal office opening hours. Leaflets and posters are displayed concerning local events, places of interest and other items of general interest. A Planning Officer from the District Council visits the offices to hold a Planning Surgery on the second and fourth Fridays of the month from 11.15am to 12 noon. The Registrar visits the offices on Wednesday mornings from 9.30am to allow local residents to register births and deaths by prior appointment only (Please telephone 01273 475589 to make an appointment). The meeting room is in regular use in hosting meetings connected with the Newhaven Strategic Network, Anti-Social Behaviour, Tourism Group, West Beach Improvement Group and the Local Area Transport Strategy. The offices are owned by the Town Council.
• Four social centres are owned, maintained and run by the Town Council. They are available for hire by local organisations and individuals. They are Denton Social Centre, East Side Social Centre, Lewes Road Social Centre and Meeching Hall.
• Some of the town's recreation grounds are maintained by the Town Council. These are the Denton Recreation Ground and Children’s Play Area, the Valley Road Play Area, and the Lewes Road Recreation Ground and Children’s Play Area.
• Three amenity areas in the town are maintained by the Town Council. The Bay Vue Amenity Area in Bay Vue Road is owned by the Town Council and maintained as a grassed area with public seating. The Valley Ponds area is looked after by the Town Council as a wildlife conservation area and amenity area for local residents. The strip of land known as the Rose Walk Amenity area (behind Southdown School, linking Church Hill and Rose Walk) is maintained as a grassed area by the Town Council.The Town Council are represented
• The town's war memorials are looked after by the Town Council. All three memorials – the Canadian Memorial, the Transport Memorial and the town’s 1st World War Memorial – now stand together in the Memorial Gardens in South Way. Each year in August, the Town Council host a commemoration service at the Canadian Memorial to mark the anniversary of the Dieppe Raid in 1942. The Town Council also work in partnership with the Royal British Legion to organize the annual service of remembrance during November.
• The Town Council has produced a Book of Remembrance containing the names of the people of Newhaven who died as a result of the Second World War. This book was published to mark the 60th Anniversary of the end of the Second World War in the summer of 2005. Copies of it can be seen at the Town Council offices and at the Newhaven Local and Maritime Museum.
• Newhaven Cemetery is owned by the Town Council, which acts as the local burial authority. The Cemetery includes burial plots, a garden of remembrance for ashes interments, and a chapel which can be used for funeral services.
• There are a small number of allotments adjacent to Newhaven Cemetery, which are let to local residents for a nominal annual fee.
• The Town Council own and fund the CCTV cameras in the town centre, which are operated and maintained by Sussex Police.
• The Christmas Lights in the town centre are owned and put up each year by the Town Council. A number of local businesses allow the Town Council use of their electricity supply for this purpose.
• The floral boat at the junction of Bridge Street and South Way is owned and maintained by the Town Council. The Town Council have also planted bulbs in grass verges in various locations in recent years. Additionally, support is given by the Town Council to Newhaven in Bloom, who provide many of the floral displays in the Town in the summer.
• A twice weekly free mini bus service to the Town Centre shops is provided by the Town Council for senior citizens living in outlying areas of the town, in partnership with the local Lions Club.
• The Town Council funds the provision of vouchers for local senior citizens giving a reduction in the purchase price of senior citizen railcards.
• Some of the public seats in the town are owned and maintained by the Town Council.
• There are 7 Town Council noticeboards around the town which are used for the display of Town Council minutes and agendas and a list of Town Councillors.
• The Town Council are also consulted on wider matters, such as the Shoreline Management Plan for the coastline from Beachy Head to Selsey Bill, the Local Area Transport Strategy and the Local Development Framework plan. Issues raised by the Town Council include highlighting the importance of the breakwater in terms of sea defence for the harbour and Seaford Bay, and requesting that the Environment Agency should contribute towards its maintenance and repairs. The Council is also supporting the initiative for the town to have a much improved railway station and provision of a taxi rank, car parking and an interchange with buses.

The Town Council are represented on the following outside bodies:

• Access in Seaford and Newhaven Committee
• Acquisitive Crime Action Group (CDRP)
• Age Concern Day Club
• Citizens Advice Bureau
• Community Transport for the Lewes Area (CTLA)
• Eastbourne & Lewes Victim Support Management Committee
• INPACT
• Lewes District Foyer
• Meridian Coast & Downs Mature Citizens Community Forum
• Newhaven Children & Young People's Initiative
• Newhaven in Bloom
• Newhaven, Peacehaven & Lewes Volunteer Bureau
• Newhaven Strategic Network
• Newhaven Local Area Transport Strategy
• Open Spaces Group
• Parishes of the Lower Ouse (POLO)
• Prevent and Deter Group
• Seahaven Community Crime Prevention Panel
• Shakespeare Hall
• Tourism and Culture Action Group

East Sussex County Council’s responsibilities include:

• Highways, including roads, footpaths, pavements, alleyways, street lighting, the cutting of grass verges, etc
• Education - schools, adult education, etc.
• Social services, including the provision of care homes, etc
• Waste sites, such as the tip in Lewes Road

Lewes District Council's responsibilities include:

• Housing
• Deciding planning applications
• Rubbish collection from premises in the town; provision of recycling facilities
• Street cleansing
• Environmental health
• Provision of leisure and sports facilities, such as the Seahaven Pool, recreation grounds
• Collection of Council Tax on behalf of all three tiers of local government
• Licensing of taxis