Home / About the Town Council / The Role of Newhaven Town Council

The Role of 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 a small percentage of the money raised annually through Council Tax, known as the Precept.

Eighteen local people serve as Councillors on Newhaven Town Council. All Councillors are volunteers and receive no payment for the work they undertake on behalf of the town. Elections are held every four years.

Committees

Newhaven Town Council operates through six committees:

Audit
Environmental & Amenities
Personnel
Planning & Development
Promotion, Partnership & Finance
Regeneration & Strategic Development

For a full list of Committee Members, please use this link.

The Chair of the Council and the Chairs of the standing Committees are not permitted to serve on the Audit Committee.

Meetings

Full Council meetings are held quarterly. Committee meetings take place more frequently and are usually held at Meeching Hall, Fort Road.

All Council and Committee meetings are open to the public. At the beginning of each meeting there is a short period set aside for public questions and the receipt of petitions. Please see the meetings list for dates and further information.

Representing the Town

A key role of the Town Council is to represent the views of Newhaven in response to public consultations.

The Planning & Development Committee meets regularly to consider planning applications received by the Planning Authority and to submit comments on behalf of the Town Council. The Council seeks to reflect the views of local residents, although this can be challenging when applications attract both strong support and opposition. Committee members take a vigilant approach in representing local opinion and encourage residents to attend meetings to express their views. Please see the meetings list for further details.

Principles and Values

Newhaven Town Council is committed to fair, transparent, and inclusive ways of working — from community consultation and partnership working, to decision-making processes. The Council is committed to the following principles:

Representing and promoting the interests of Newhaven and all its people
Paying particular attention to the needs of children and young people
Actively involving local people in decisions that affect the area
Promoting equality of opportunity and opposing discrimination
Being open and accountable in all that it does
Supporting development that is environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable

The Town Council’s Business Plan, which outlines its aspirations for the future of Newhaven, can be found here.

Civility & Respect

Newhaven Town Council has signed up to the Civility & Respect Pledge. The Council believes the time is right to place civility and respect at the top of the agenda and to help drive a positive culture change across the local council sector.

Services Provided by Newhaven Town Council

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

Town Council Offices

The Town Council offices in Fort Road act as an information point for local residents. The offices underwent a major refurbishment in 2003–2004 and are now fully accessible and user-friendly, with level access from street level and a lift for those with mobility needs or parents with buggies.

The interior is light, modern, and convenient, and includes a private interview room and a small meeting room. The meeting room is used regularly to host a variety of meetings.

Current planning applications may be viewed online at the offices during normal opening hours. Leaflets and posters relating to local events, places of interest, and other community information are also displayed. The building is owned by Newhaven Town Council.

Community and Social Centres

The Town Council owns, maintains, and manages four social centres, all of which are available for hire by local organisations and individuals:

Denton Social Centre
East Side Social Centre
Lewes Road Social Centre
Meeching Hall

Recreation Grounds and Play Areas

The Town Council maintains a number of recreation grounds and children’s play areas within the town, including:

Denton Recreation Ground and Children’s Play Area
Eastside Recreation Ground and Children’s Play Area
Valley Road Play Area
Lewes Road Recreation Ground and Children’s Play Area

Amenity Areas

Three amenity areas are maintained by the Town Council:

Bay Vue Amenity Area (Bay Vue Road) – owned by the Town Council and maintained as a grassed area with public seating and play equipment for young children
Valley Ponds – managed as a wildlife conservation area and amenity space for residents
Rose Walk Amenity Area – a grassed strip of land behind Southdown School linking Church Hill and Rose Walk

War Memorials and Remembrance

The Town Council is responsible for the care and maintenance of the town’s war memorials. The Canadian Memorial, the Transport Memorial, and the town’s First World War Memorial are all located together in the Memorial Gardens, South Way.

Each August, the Town Council hosts a commemoration service at the Canadian Memorial to mark the anniversary of the Dieppe Raid of 1942. The Council also works in partnership with the Royal British Legion to organise the annual Service of Remembrance in November.

Book of Remembrance

The Town Council produced a Book of Remembrance listing the names of Newhaven residents who died as a result of the Second World War. The book was published in 2005 to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of the war. Copies can be viewed at the Town Council offices and at the Newhaven Local and Maritime Museum.

Cemetery and Burial Services

Newhaven Cemetery is owned by the Town Council, which also acts as the Burial Authority. The cemetery includes:

Burial plots
A garden of remembrance for ashes interments
A chapel available for funeral services

Allotments

A small number of allotments, located adjacent to Newhaven Cemetery and at Eastside, are let to local residents for a nominal annual fee.

CCTV

The Town Council owns and funds the CCTV cameras in the town centre. These are operated and maintained by Sussex Police.

Christmas Decorations

The Town Council funds and manages the Christmas lights and Christmas trees in the town centre. A number of local businesses kindly allow the use of their electricity supply for this purpose.

Floral Displays

The floral boat at the junction of Bridge Street and South Way is owned and maintained by the Town Council, along with floral displays in the High Street. In recent years, the Town Council has also planted bulbs in grass verges at various locations around the town.

Community Transport

CTLA provides a Dial-a-Ride bus service, which is partially funded by the Town Council.

Street Furniture and Noticeboards

Some public seating within the town is owned and maintained by the Town Council.

There are also nine Town Council noticeboards located around Newhaven, displaying Council minutes, agendas, details of Town Councillors, and information on local events.

Representation on Outside Bodies

Newhaven Town Council is represented on the following organisations:

Access in Seaford & Newhaven Committee – Cllr Chapman
CTLA – Cllrs Saunders and Mclean-Knight
East Sussex Association of Local Councils – Cllr Carr
Egrets Way Committee – Cllr L Boniface
Friends of Riverside Park – Cllr Pettitt
Hillcrest Centre – Cllr Woodling
Joint Action Group – Cllr Bishop
Lewes District Citizens Advice – Cllr Woodling
Newhaven Chamber of Commerce – Representation by rota
Newhaven Historical Society – Cllr Harrison
Parishes of the Lower Ouse – Cllr Harrison
West Quay Day Centre (formerly Age Concern) – Cllr Bishop

Other Local Authority Responsibilities

East Sussex County Council

East Sussex County Council is responsible for:

Children’s Services
Education
Footpaths
Grass cutting and verges
Highways, including road conditions and street lighting
Parking enforcement
Newhaven Library
Social Services
Trading Standards
Trees and hedges

Highways enquiries: 0345 60 80 193
General enquiries: 0345 60 80 190

Lewes District Council

Lewes District Council is responsible for:

Abandoned vehicles
Anti-social behaviour, noise, and nuisance
Business rates and grants
Car parks
Council Tax
Deceased animals
Dog fouling
Elections and the Electoral Register
Environmental Health
Fly-tipping
Food business registration and safety
Flooding
Housing and Housing Benefit
Licensing (including taxis, alcohol, tattoos, and street parties)
Litter
Pest control
Pollution
Recreation Grounds (Fort Road and Avis Road)
Planning and Building Control
Refuse collection
Stray animals
Public toilets
Waste and recycling services, including food, garden, and bulky waste

Further information and online forms are available via Lewes District Council.
Telephone: 01273 471600
Email: customerfirst@lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk