 New council flats ready in time for Christmas
Thirteen families will be moving into their brand-new flats in time for Christmas after the official opening of Pear Tree Court in Eastbourne.
The 13 one and two bedroomed flats in Sumach Close, Hampden Park, were opened by Eastbourne Mayor Councillor Pat Hearn after completion of the £2 million development that will be managed by Eastbourne Homes.
Also at the opening were children from Oakwood Primary Academy, who buried a time capsule in the footings of the site at the start of the year and contributed to the naming of the development.
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 Last weekend of Neon Noel
Don’t miss the final weekend of Neon Noel, the fabulous Christmas animated light and laser show, that will light up the Town Hall tonight, tomorrow and Saturday at 4.30pm, 5.30pm and 6.30pm for the final time this year.
And don’t forget the Christmas market in the town centre that runs from 10am until 6pm until Sunday.
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Hampden Retail Park is set for a transformation that will include the addition of three new units and a major facelift.
Negotiations with retailers for the new units are at an advanced stage and an announcement is expected early next year.
The facelift will include the addition of car parking spaces, new signage and shop fascias, landscaping and resurfacing of the car park.
It is expected that work on the transformation would begin in September 2018 and finish in July 2019. A planning application is due to be submitted in March.
Eastbourne Borough Council bought the retail park earlier this year as part of its commercial property portfolio to offset government funding cuts.
The refurbishment of the retail park will bring in more revenue for the council, boost the local economy and ensure its long-term future.
Councillor David Tutt, leader of Eastbourne Council, welcomed the plans: “By investing in our assets we will ensure the long-term future of the retail park and generate the income that will maintain frontline council services.”
He continued: “The planned improvements to Hampden Retail Park would bring a very good return on our investment while at the same time extend the shopping offer to residents and visitors.”
An all-party oversight committee is calling on the Government to instigate an inquiry into the high level of stillbirths in Eastbourne and on the East Sussex Health and Overview Scrutiny Committee (HOSC) to commission an independent review of the consequences of the closure of obstetrics-led maternity services at Eastbourne DGH.
The Review – a survey of 1,700 mothers who gave birth in East Sussex in 2016 – was published earlier this year (October 27).
The Scrutiny Committee, which met earlier this month, expressed concern over figures from East Sussex Healthcare Trust, with follow-up FOIs from campaign group Save The DGH, which showed that stillbirths in Eastbourne were twice the national average.
The maternity review will now go to East Sussex Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
A timetable for the £200,000 construction of a new skate park on the existing site next to the Sovereign Centre will be confirmed in the coming weeks, along with the anticipated date for opening in 2018.
A charge for the collection of garden waste in Eastbourne will be introduced from April 2018.
Many councils already charge for this service and this brings Eastbourne in line with them.
The annual charge of £52 is expected to bring in around £300,000 every year that will allow the council to maintain essential frontline services in a financial climate of severe cuts in government funding.
For those who would prefer to compost at home, a free compost bin will be offered as an alternative. This offer will be available for the first six months of the scheme.
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