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Welcome to our October newsletter, containing all the latest environmental news and updates from across West Sussex.
 Nature in Sussex is under pressure. Two new strategies aim to change that - and you can help shape them by giving your views. We’re working with partners to develop a Local Nature Recovery Strategy for West Sussex to support our work on nature and environment within our Climate Action and Adaptation Plan.
The proposed strategy sets out how we can restore and enhance local habitats, support wildlife, and make nature more accessible in towns and cities based on input from residents, farmers, and community groups. Based on 7 driving principles, it lists 24 priorities, and over 100 practical actions that can be taken.
Please help by looking at the draft strategy, exploring the habitat maps, and submitting your views via the consultation to help guide our approach. The consultation will run for six weeks and closes on 25 November 2025.
 It's easy to blame the weather or blocked drains when flooding occurs after heavy rain, but it's often caused by a combination of small and seemingly unconnected factors that can occur miles away from where the impact is seen.
In West Sussex, with rivers, wetlands and floodplains bordered by the downs and the sea, we can be at risk of serious flooding after heavy rain, as we recently experienced in 2024. Understanding our unique environment and working with it is the best way to reduce our flood risk.
Our new Local Flood Risk Management Strategy takes a 'catchment-based' approach to find flood risks by tracking the whole water cycle. This enables us to take action to slow down or contain water overflow before the heavy rain comes, protecting the surrounding communities.
This helps to support our area-wide mitigation and resilience planning as part of the nature and environment pathway in our Climate Action and Adaption Plan.
As part of our commitment to reducing flood risk, the County Council has a special fund to support community schemes. Operation Watershed has awarded more than £4 million pounds to support over 400 community led projects that protect local properties, businesses and roads from flooding since 2013.
From slashing over 200 tonnes of carbon emissions from our buildings to enhancing active travel options and bus services, we’ve been busy turning climate goals into real-world impact - aligned with the priorities in Our Council Plan.
We’ve introduced more LED traffic signals, installed hundreds of electric vehicle chargepoints, and made significant strides in boosting biodiversity and addressing local flooding.
Read our latest Climate Change Progress Report and see how we’re delivering across the six pathways of our Climate Action and Adaptation Plan.
 Climate change is already affecting our communities, services, economy, and natural environment, we need to act now.
That’s why the West Sussex Joint Climate Change Board was created. It brings together representatives from the county council, the district and borough councils, and other key stakeholder organisations, to develop shared plans for tackling climate change across the county.
To understand the scale of the challenge and how best to respond, the county council and district and borough councils have teamed up with climate experts City Science to work on a countywide programme to reduce emissions and prepare for the impacts of climate change. We will work with residents, businesses, community groups and other local stakeholders to shape the plan and identify the most important actions.
By working together across West Sussex we can create a joined-up plan that helps us respond to climate change fairly and effectively, protecting our communities and environment for generations to come.
We’ll be sharing draft plans and asking for your feedback in a public consultation next year. Further updates will be included in this newsletter in the coming months.
 The Climate Ambassadors scheme, funded by the Department for Education, supports educational settings in England tackle climate change with the help of skilled volunteers. Climate Ambassadors from across the private, public and charity sectors provide settings with free, tailored guidance to progress their Climate Action Plans, wherever they are on their sustainability journey.
The scheme is recruiting volunteers to put their sustainability expertise to work. Haven’t worked in an education setting (nursery, school or college) before? Not to worry, all volunteers receive training on Climate Action Plans and advice on applying their knowledge and skills in an education setting.
To find out more and get involved please email climateambassadors_se@reading.ac.uk.
You can also download a leaflet via the button below which provides more details of the scheme and what is involved.
 Over the next 12 months, food waste collections will begin in West Sussex following a change in legislation from government.
Don't worry, you'll be able to recycle all the same items as before in your current recycling bin. Food waste collections are an extra service with different bins.
Your local district or borough council will collect your food waste each week.
The food waste that's collected will go to an anaerobic digestion plant in Horsham. The plant recycles the waste into:
- fertiliser to help farmers grow crops
- energy to power the plant
The start date for your collections will depend on where you live. For more information on food waste collections in West Sussex, click on the button below.
- Remember, our Recycling Centres have now switched to autumn/winter opening hours. Don’t forget to book an appointment before you visit.
- West Sussex is now one of the first councils in the UK to allow residents to recycle flexible toothpaste tubes from home.
- A new Active Travel project has opened providing a safe and accessible cycling route between Bognor Regis and the South Downs National Park. The new route enables people to walk or cycle safely to school, college, and the national park.
- The Centre for Sustainable Energy is a national charity that offers independent, impartial guidance and resources to help managers of community buildings make their buildings more energy efficient, so they cost less to run and are more comfortable for their users.
- Each seed gathering season, the Tree Council runs free online talks, including a seed gathering masterclass with top tips and insight into the wonderful world of seeds and planting with free online talks, resources and guides.
- Tree Action UK organises community projects in public spaces including Sapling maintenance events in Adur. These are open to anyone to join once a month for a couple of hours and involve watering, planting, and tending trees.
If you have any questions, or want to share local climate action stories, email us at climatechange@westsussex.gov.uk.
Join our community of climate champions and add a new map pin to our Community Climate Action Map.
Passionate about your local environment? Do you know someone who would like this newsletter? Please forward it to them so they can sign up using the link below.
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