LSP Funded Projects

Funding has been made available from the income generated by second homes revenue in a protocol established by the County Council, in agreement with all the Districts and Borough Councils in East Sussex.

This funding will be available for local organisations to encourage people to get involved in local community projects or activities that will meet the priorities identified in the Rother Community Plan (2004-2009) ‘Making things better by working together’.

In 2004/05 the LSP agreed that 19 projects would be funded from the £90,000 available. Some of these projects included:

• Children’s Fund Activities Programme – To provide 5-13 year olds with out of school activities during winter and Spring half terms in the Sure Start area.
• Community Safety Initiatives – To make a contribution towards packs for new drivers advising on car security and other relevant matters. A contribution will also be made towards the cost of installing a CCTV camera project in Fairlight. Whilst the remaining amount is being requested for the Graffiti Project, which will set aside money to be offered as rewards for information leading to the arrest and conviction of taggers.
• All East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service Projects – This includes a Safer Roads Campaign; the promotion of the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership and safety messages, the provision of a weeks course designed to combat anti-social behaviour, youth crime and arson; and to support local parishes to buy a SID camera, which will encourage safer driving and speed reduction in the District’s villages.
• Detached Youth work – This is a proven model of intervention, which works with young people on the streets offering support, advice, information and the opportunity to engage in new activities.
• Promoting a Healthy Lifestyle – Key health messages will be targeted at the community in innovative ways so that they are eye catching and easily accessible.
• Start Up Bexhill – This project will provide pre start business advice surgeries in Bexhill (pre booked) a start up surgery (drop in) and 2 three day business start up workshops will be offered in Bexhill and increased marketing of pre start services’ Mentoring’ to business start ups in Bexhill.
• Anti-Social Behaviour Co-ordinator – The employment of a full time Anti-Social Behaviour Co-ordinator to work in partnership with local agencies to tackle anti-social behaviour throughout the Rother District.
• Refurbishment of ground floor office at Rye railway station for use by Sussex Community Rail Partnership. The office to be used by the soon-to-be appointed Development Officer for the Marshlink line is on the ground floor of Rye Station

Local Action Plans Support Programme

After sponsoring 20 local projects in 2004/’05 using the money made available from Second Homes Council Tax, the Rother Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) decided it wanted to see further contributions of these funds from East Sussex County Council, Rother District Council, Sussex Police and the East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service put towards a long-term programme of activity. The Rother Local Action Plans Support Programme commenced in August 2005 and runs until March 2009 and is delivering a programme of support to local communities in the Rother area wishing to consider, develop or implement Local Action Plans (previously called “Parish Plans”.

In the past, local action planning, in its broadest sense, has often been an exclusive process. However, the Rother LSP is committed to supporting communities to work together to produce plans which embrace issues of importance to local people, whether it be the number of litter bins in the parish or a major development for affordable housing or a youth club. The important element of this new way of working is that all people within a parish, rural town or ward within a town are encouraged to take part and contribute to the final Action Plan and be party to taking forward actions identified through extensive consultation with local people.

The published Action Plan provides a tool for monitoring and evaluating achievements over time and ensures that local voices are heard within the statutory planning processes.

To date 10 Local Action Plans have been published across the Rother district and another 22 Local Action Plan Groups are engaged in the Programme.

A Resource Pack has been produced for those wishing to prepare a Local Action Plan and is available to download from this page.