Events for the next 31 days

16 March 2010 - Planning Meeting
19 March 2010 - The Lamberts and Others of Lewes
01 April 2010 - Full Council Meeting
06 April 2010 - Town Hall Market
06 April 2010 - Planning Meeting

Latest News Headlines:

New Youth Sports Award scheme



 

Introducing the Lewes Youth Sports Awards 

"Celebrating achievement by Lewes’ young people”

The Council is about to launch a new Youth Sports Award scheme for schools and sports clubs to recognize achievement by the Town’s young people – able-bodied and less-able alike.  Awards will be made to: a junior boy, a junior girl, a junior team, (under 12yrs of age), and a senior boy, a senior girl and a senior team (under 19). Whether disabled or able-bodied it doesn't matter as long as the nominees have achieved an excellent standard in their particular sport.  Entry to the Award scheme will be limited to individuals and teams who either reside in Lewes (parish), or belong to a team or club based in the town.

So...all you sports teachers and sports club coaches and trainers: look around at your students and teams and see which of your youngsters has contributed in an outstanding way to their sport during the year ending 1st September 2010.

Hope to see you at the Awards Ceremony next year!

Save 10% in 2010




We've signed up to 10:10.  Will you?

Lewes Town Council has joined dozens of other Councils in signing-up to the "10:10 campaign", which seeks to get individuals and organizations to make a firm commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 10% in 2010.

Climate-change is a matter of local as well as international concern. Making a difference is a matter for individuals and every tier of government as well as international organisations.  

Our aim is to achieve an absolute 10% cut in our carbon emissions over the year.  Our buildings are already more eco-friendly than most people imagine; we have low-energy lighting (much of it sensor-controlled for efficiency) and modern heating boilers and control systems (and we are miserly with our heat!).  Our WC’s use waterless technology wherever possible, and low-consumption systems where it is not.  Nonetheless; we have committed to have our buildings audited, to find any more areas for improvement, and to keep track of our emissions, to measure progress in reducing them.  Once we have this data we can use a simple online reporting tool to tell the 10:10 organization how our savings are adding up.

We are encouraging everyone to sign up as 10:10 individuals.  Helping to hit the target – by, for example, implementing a cycle-to-work scheme, having a weekly meat-free day, or investigating lift-sharing or car-pooling – will all help.

This year, let’s take the first step towards a better, happier, healthier future. If we decide not to, we know what a future with climate change will bring and none of us want that.  Carbon is the problem, starting to cut our CO2 emissions is the first step of the solution. That’s why we’re inviting everyone to make a simple 10% cut in their carbon over the next year.  We’re on board; are you?

Further information is available at the 10:10 website  www.1010uk.org

 

Pells Trees


  

Trees at The Pells

 

Unfortunately, it has become necessary to remove the two mature Corsican Pine trees adjacent to the play area, and a Norway Maple standing nearby.

 

The Council regrets that this is necessary, but was advised that these specimens were dying and weakened to a point where they were unsafe.  

As this follows the loss of several mature Elm trees in recent years, due to Dutch Elm Disease, the Council has formed a Working-party, which includes representatives from the local residents’ association and other community groups working alongside Councillors and specialist advisers.

 

This group has already met three times, and begun to devise a plan for the foreseeable and natural cycle of loss and replanting of all trees and shrubs at the Pells over future decades.  They will shortly be recommending to Council a shortlist of species that are attractive and should thrive in the area, whilst offering benefits such as good habitat for insects or particularly interesting colours or “architectural” shapes.  These would be used to replace any trees in future that might die-off or become unsafe, and over time, should provide an attractive transition from the urban side of the Pells (along Pelham Terrace) and the natural environment of the wetlands beyond the lake.

 

When expert Daniel Wynn, the District Tree & Landscape Officer, inspected the cut stump of the Corsican Pine tree he confirmed that the decision to fell it was amply justified. There was a large pocket of decay and surrounding that a large area of “altered wood”. Where the decay had spread the woody tissue was very brittle.  Daniel’s rough count of the exposed annual growth rings suggests the tree to be around 110 to 120 years old.

 

The contractors found an old Golden Wonder crisp packet enclosed within the pocket of decay and Golden Wonder were contacted to try and date it.  It was interesting to discover when it was put into the tree and help to establish how long it has taken for the tree to grow around it and then develop decay.

 

The company told us: “Unfortunately when Golden Wonder went into administration in 2006 a lot of historic information was lost. However, it is worth noting that the packaging is clear and therefore not marked ‘Foil Fresh’.  In 1965 Golden Wonder launched unique packaging to keep crisps fresher for longer - using the ‘Crackle Fresh’ slogan. This would imply that the packet was produced before 1965."

 

Do any of our readers know more...?  clue – they were Beef& Onion flavour!