|
January 2011
The year started well with the news that RBS West Registry had bought land at Newhaven formerly owned by Oakdene Homes when they went in liquidation and intended to revive the Oakdene development plans - in particular the third phase along the West Bank adjacent to the Marina. New notices were issued to nearby residents inviting observations. It is not clear whether RBS West Registry intend to pursue the further Oakdene projects on the East Bank.
Further good news was the announcement of a project to convert one of the vacant High Street premises into a Library and Community Hub. Work is planned to commence in March 2011.
Radio station Seahaven FM announced the launch of seven-day a week local broadcasting after running on a part-time basis for three years. Although based at Seaford it covers the coastline along to Newhaven and Peacehaven.
December 2010
The 18th Century swing bridge at Southease, between Newhaven and Lewes, had its extensive restoration completed and the event was given celebratory recognition by a variety of local organisations.
The month proved to be very cold with extensive snow throughout the UK. Newhaven had some share of the snow and fortuitously a number of new grit bins had been installed around the town just prior to its arrival.
Following the announcement in October, Lewes District Council duly approved the application to register the West Beach as a Village Green. Newhaven Port & Properties then announced it would be seeking a judicial review and that the area would meanwhile remain closed. Vehicle access by the public to the foreshore parking area has now been closed off.
November 2010
Among its many prestigious annual business awards, Sussex Express Newspaper has LD Lines in place to sponsor its Innovation in Business Award. Currently LD Lines runs only two return sailings per day with its ferry Seven Sisters. Sister ship Cote d’Albatre, now believed to be operating Portsmouth-Le Havre, had been running in tandem with Seven Sisters on the Dieppe crossing after their construction was completed in 2006. The stated ambition then was to reduce the crossing time from four hours to three.
A smuggler convicted of illegally bringing millions of cigarettes through Newhaven Port was sentenced to four years imprisonment.
Subject to completion of formalities, the household waste and re-cycling centre in Lewes Road will be replaced by a facility to be built in New Road.
Newhaven’s Polly Pomfrey has successfully published a cookery book. The content is dedicated to the making of Whoopie Pies which, despite their name, turn out to be a type of cake. Well done Polly - this writer is envious!
Retailer Pets at Home opened a new store in Drove Road, Newhaven. Also in Drove Road The Original Factory Shop announced that it would soon be opening a new store. After some serious fund-raising from a variety of supporters, Denton Island Nursery opened a Sensory Room.
The Argus reported that the Co-operative Group who bought Somerfields in 2010 have spent M£550 refurbishing the Newhaven Square store
Network Rail were reported to be having second thoughts regarding the upgrade of a level crossing at Tide Mills
October 2010
After it had been threatened with closure, Wave Leisure, with the financial support of Newhaven Town and Lewes District Councils, has announced that it will continue to provide sports and other activities at Shakespeare Hall.
In her Report dated 6 October 2010 Inspector Ruth Stockley came down in favour of the application to grant Newhaven West Beach Village Green status following a Public Inquiry in July. After a period in which objections may be made the matter passes to Lewes District Council for either acceptance or rejection of this recommendation.
Within a few days of the above announcement a huge six-legged platform was moored on the West Beach - and then a second one. According to the Sussex Express they are not expected to depart before March 2011.(see Gallery for Photos)
East Sussex Fire Authority decided at a meeting on 21 October that it would move Newhaven Fire Station from it’s location in Fort Road to the A259 in order to give a faster service to Peacehaven.
September 2010
After nearly six years since the tragic accident, Shipping Company Forship S.p.a and Newhaven Port were fined a total of over £180000 at Croydon Crown Court in connection with the death of a crew member of ferry Sardinia Vera in January 2005.
Samantha Clark (Sussex Express Sep17) turned the spotlight on a survey by Lewes Consevatives relating to the West Beach Village Green project. It appeared to be worded to try to give ammunition for the Council to oppose the application even should it find favour with the Inspector.
Barclays Bank made a shock announcement that they would be closing their branch at Newhaven on 3rd December
August 2010
Concerned about the struggling nature of the Town Centre Newhaven Community Development Association and the local Chamber of Commerce joined forces to organise Fete de Newhaven to take place in September and a Christmas shopping event in December.
Sussex Express announced that the former Woolworth store in Newhaven High Street would be reopening in September as General Retailer Alworths a company which, as the name might imply, emerged from the administration of Woolworths with many of its former employees.
July 2010
The Public Inquiry At Meeching Hall into whether the West Beach may be granted Village Green status took place over three days from July 6-8 and was covered not only by local media but BBC Online. The lady Inspector appointed, not named in the media, is intended to report and make a recommendation to Lewes County Council. Some weeks is the projected time scale for this and then the County Council will make a formal decision whether to accept her recommendation. According to the Argus hardly any of the public attended which is hardly surprising as few knew it was happening.
Friends of Tide Mills put in another sterling effort to clear rubbish from that area and announced further meetings to take place in August, to include the summer picnic, and in September when the beach litter survey for the Marine Conservation Society is due to take place.
Samantha Clark composed a most interesting article for the Sussex Express setting out the financial predicament of Shakespeare Hall in Fort Road and a possible rescue of this important community facility by Wave Leisure.
June 2010
Noah’s Ark Nursery School was awarded by watchdog Ofsted a top grading in all the areas of endeavour they monitored.
The Mayor of Newhaven Graham Amy backed a campaign by Newhaven and Seaford trawler owners to encourage residents to buy locally caught fish.
A plan to use the Tide Mills area to assemble sewage pipes may be changed to move the work to Shoreham. The pipes are needed as part of the system linking up a new sewage works at Hoddern Farm Peacehaven to an outfall at Friars Bay.
April 2010
Progress on construction of the controversial incinerator is very noticeable but grumbling within the town continues. One of the campaigning websites drew attention to the huge problem of ash disposal saying “Where is this ash going to go? In Germany and Switzerland the fly ash is put into nylon bags and deposited in salt mines. In Japan a number of the incinerators vitrify the ash, making it into a glass-like material, but that takes a huge amount of energy away from the system. For every four tons of trash burned you get at least one ton of ash: 90% is called bottom ash (that is the ash collected under the furnace) and 10% is the very toxic fly ash.” The validity of these technicalities is well beyond the knowledge of this website but those at Lewes in favour of the scheme should remember that the wind does not always blow towards Seaford.
February 2010
An £80000 Parkour facility was announced for Valley Park Road in Newhaven to be funded by Play Pathfinder, Viridor and Newhaven Town Council. According to Wilkepedia - Parkour (sometimes abbreviated to PK), or l'art du déplacement (the art of movement) is the physical discipline of training to overcome any obstacle within one's path by adapting one's movements to the environment. It is a non-competitive, physical discipline of French origin in which participants run along a route, attempting to negotiate obstacles in the most efficient way possible. Skills such as jumping and climbing, or more specific parkour moves are employed. The goal of a practitioner of parkour, (called a traceur if male, or traceuse if female,) is to get from one place to another using only the human body and the objects in the environment. The obstacles can be anything that is in one's environment, but parkour is often seen practiced in urban areas because of the many suitable public structures available such as buildings and rails. There is more – do see Wikipedia.
Cllr. Judith Ost was quoted as saying very aptly - “I think we should run with this.
January 2010
Fire appliances, ambulances and police vehicles attended a quite serious incident at Newhaven Beach when a man and his two children suffered burns following an accident with a camping gas cooker.
Eon were awarded the licence to build a 100 turbine wind farm at Hastings Bank, an identified offshore site near to Newhaven.
The smuggler of 3 million cigarettes reportedly worth around £500000, arrested at Newhaven in September 2007, was finally brought to court after disappearing whilst on bail awaiting trial. He was sent to jail for more than three years.
Snow returned in the early part of the month causing transport chaos again
|
