THERE are some significant developments currently taking place around Bexhill which will improve the lives of our residents, and it’s great to see them taking shape.
I recently had the pleasure of taking a tour around the site for a new 54-bed hospital for adults and older people with mental health conditions in Mount View Street, Bexhill.
Combe Valley Hospital is an amazing development which is going to make a significant difference to people in the district in need of support.
There is still a way to go before NHS Sussex Partnership’s expected completion date of January 2026, but the progress is impressive, and I can’t wait to see the finished hospital in operation.
Another important and exciting development for the town is plans to create of a community hub in the centre of Bexhill.
In 2024, the district council used funding awarded by the then Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to buy the old Edinburgh Woollen Mill on Devonshire Road and will make a series of grants to Rother Voluntary Action (RVA) to renovate the building. The project was driven by Cllr Christine Bayliss Cabinet Lead for Regeneration and the LUP Partnership in securing the premises working with RVA Officers identifying collaborative working for superb outcome.
There is a lot of work to do but once complete, the new hub will make it even easier for residents to access essential services and will provide a space for partners including Citizens Advice 1066 and RVA.
As well as providing an excellent opportunity to create a central space for support, the hub will play a vital role in the regeneration of Devonshire Road and I look forward to seeing the community hub develop.
Over the past few years, a great deal of effort has gone into our ambitious goal of becoming a net zero district by 2030. It’s no mean feat, but I have been delighted by the way residents, businesses, groups and organisations have got behind us.
As part of those efforts, it’s great to see our Village Halls Energy Project nearing completion with Bexhill Youth and Community Centre, Pebsham Community Centre and the Pelham Community Hub in Bexhill benefitting from energy efficiency improvements.
We launched the project back in 2023 to identify village and community halls where carbon emissions were high and there was energy inefficiency.
As a result, 39 halls have shared £500,000 of council funding which has paid for energy assessments, energy efficiency improvements and decarbonisation projects.
I’m extremely grateful to those involved in community and village halls across Rother for their enthusiasm for the Village Halls Energy Project and for their time and effort in submitting bids.
Full Council will meet next week to set the 2025/26 budget and, with others having already agreed their share of Council Tax, we will soon be issuing thousands of bills to households across Rother.
There is a huge cost associated with printing and mailing out Council Tax bills and I would encourage residents to sign up for an online account and go paperless.
As well as finding it easier to view council tax payments along with other important information, by opting to go paperless residents can help the environment, help us reduce our carbon footprint and save the council money.
It’s quick and easy to sign up — you just need to sign up to a My Rother digital account via https://my.rother.gov.uk/, which enables you to access a range of services and report issues and request an online account.
Sign up soon to get this year’s Council Tax bill online.
You’ll no doubt have seen the news that Sussex has been accepted onto the Government’s priority programme for devolution with agreement that there should be a mayoral strategic authority with an elected mayor for East Sussex, Brighton & Hove and West Sussex.
Local Government reorganisation will follow in which unitary authorities will be established for the three areas to replace county and district and borough councils — a model already exists elsewhere in the country.
Devolution could unlock new powers and investment for the region, give the people of Sussex a stronger voice in how national decisions affect them and enable more decisions to be taken locally. As I have said previously, our focus will always be on what is best for the district and its residents. We will make sure we are at the forefront of discussions.
A public consultation has now been launched by central Government and can be found at Sussex and Brighton devolution consultation — GOV.UK. I would encourage residents to take part in that consultation to ensure that the views of Rother residents are fully considered.
