Get Active scheme can help you boost your health in body and mind 

People are being urged to Get Active as part of a new programme aimed at encouraging and supporting the community improve their health in body and mind.

Delivered by Adur & Worthing councils, the aim is to give people a taste of exercise with a series of friendly, accessible and cost-effective courses in a range of activities.

Taking place over eight weeks, the programme is aimed at those who are not currently taking part in more than one hours worth of moderate intensity physical exercise a week.

After building up the intensity over two months, the aim is for people to continue to keep active once the course finishes.

More than 200 people have completed the courses in recent years.

With figures showing that both Adur (27.8 per cent) and Worthing (25.1 per cent) have a higher level of obese adults than the national average (24.1 per cent), those behind the classes believe there’s never been a more important time for people to sign up for the classes. 

Councillor Dave Simmons, Adur District Council’s Executive Member for Health and Wellbeing, said: “No matter how young or old you are, regular physical activity helps you feel fit, relaxed, gives you more energy and helps protect you against a range of diseases. A small change in your weekly routine can make all the difference - and that’s where Get Active can help.”

Councillor Val Turner, Worthing Borough Council’s Executive Member for Health and Wellbeing, said: “Get Active has a real track record of helping people start off on the path to improving their health. With the classes being fun, accessible and cheap, there really is no excuse for people not to give this a try.”

Funded by Public Health England, Get Active sees classes take place across Adur and Worthing. Numbers are restricted to small groups with everyone encouraged to go at their own pace, with the aim of gradually building up fitness

Those people who want to sign up need to fill in an online form or call the wellbeing team.

After setting goals and deciding on which course is right for them, participants are asked to pay a £10 deposit before their first session. If they attend at least six out of the eight weekly classes then this fee is refunded

The courses, a new round of which are starting this month, include:

·  Moving on up course including exercise classes aimed at the over 50

·  Walking football

·  Couch to 5k

·  Three step gym course

·  Multi activity course

·  Zumba in the circuits 

Radical town hall plan to demolish Worthing multi-storey could be key to unlocking major development

A major eyesore earmarked for development for more than decade is set to be demolished as part of a pioneering plan from Worthing Borough Council.

For more than ten years, the Teville Gate multi-storey car park and the surrounding area has been identified as a prime plot for new homes and commercial space.

With demand for parking on the site decreasing and running costs increasing, the local authority will release the funds needed to kickstart the plan to demolish the 1960s multi-storey.

Officials said the move had the added incentive of encouraging the freeholder Mosaic to consider demolishing the other buildings on the site and then submitting more formal redevelopment plans - meaning it was a “positive step forward” in creating a new gateway to Worthing.

Councillor Kevin Jenkins, Worthing Borough Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, said: “For too many years, there has been false hope after false hope around this site.

“To get to this stage has required some really detailed and delicate behind-the-scenes negotiations but I’m confident that it delivers a strong and very visible message that we are committed to regenerating the town.

“I know I will not be the only one pleased to see the back of this eyesore car park. Once demolished I believe it will generate real momentum in bringing forward this complex but very important gateway scheme.”

Agreement was reached on the move at a meeting of Adur & Worthing Councils’ Joint Strategic Committee last night (Tuesday September 12).

Councillors heard that the current multi-storey car park has significant maintenance issues, requiring an investment of £2 million over the next four years to keep it fully open.

With a section of the car park now closed due to a drop in demand, the 114 spaces still available are rarely filled.

Last night councillors agreed to release £60,000 towards consultancy costs and erecting hoardings around the car park site, which links Worthing’s main railway station with the town centre.

The £1.6 million demolition cost is set to be funded from the Local Growth Fund provided by the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

In order to ensure the long-term lease remains active and income is still generated for the council, a replacement 100-capacity surface car park will be built in its place.

The small number of people with existing car parking season tickets for the site will be offered a refund for the time left or transfer their permit to High Street car park.

Town hall officials confirmed last night that agreement had been reached with the freeholder Mosaic to push ahead with the demolition plan, with work potentially starting in the coming months.

Councillors were also informed that a planning application by the owners of the site for a redevelopment of the area could be submitted by the end of the year. 

A27 OFFICIAL RESPONSE SET TO TELL HIGHWAYS ENGLAND: BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD.

The Government is set to be sent the clearest message yet that its proposals for the upgrade of the A27 at Worthing and Lancing are inadequate.

It is proposed that Highways England be told its plan does not provide any significant improvement to congestion, journey times nor air pollution levels.

An official report to be discussed by leaders of both Adur and Worthing Councils, which could form the authorities’ submission to the consultation on the road scheme proposed by Highways England, does not pull its punches.

It points out that the proposal, for upgrades at six junctions, does not even meet the scope of the government’s original plan for the entire A27 in West Sussex which called for an option of full dualling of the road through Worthing. No such option was proposed when Highways England unveiled its plans last month.

Since that time the leader of Worthing Borough Council, Cllr Dan Humphreys, and his counterpart at Adur District Council, Cllr Neil Parkin have led the fight against the proposals.

Both have called the consultation a “sham” and urged it to be halted to allow more options to be included rather than just one “take or leave” it £69m plan.

Now the report, written for consideration at the Joint Strategic Committee(JSC) of Adur & Worthing Councils next Tuesday seeks to officially frame that response also pointing out that the proposal will not help the A27 cope with the government’s target for house building in the sub-region. Nor, says the report, will it support economic growth in the area.

It also insists Highways England needs to look at the A27 across West Sussex as one project rather than a series of consultations.

And it points out the one option presented to Adur and Worthing is in “stark contrast” to the multiple options at far higher cost handed to both Chichester and Arundel.

The proposal for Adur and Worthing, says the report, may make a one per cent improvement in travel times during peak rush hour but this would be offset by the exact same increase in travel time off peak caused by an increase in traffic lights.

Under the one proposal currently on the table modest improvements to six junctions between Durrington Hill and the Lancing Manor roundabout are proposed which would cut up to three minutes from journey times and, according to Highways England’s own scoring system would deliver “no significant benefit.”

The JSC will decide on whether to endorse the report on Tuesday night.

· Leader of Worthing Borough Council, Cllr Dan Humphreys told a packed joint meeting of the  Findon Valley and High Salvington Resident Associations on Tuesday night that Highways England plans for the A27 were simply not good enough. He repeated his claim that the consultation was a sham and called for more options to be put on the table.

Highest ever number of new Trainees recruited at ‘Platinum’ Accountancy Firm 

Worthing and Gatwick-based chartered accountants, MHA Carpenter Box, have appointed their highest ever number of new trainees. 12 new trainees have recently been recruited, nine of whom have joined the firm’s Platinum Accredited programme on the road to the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) qualification. Two will be studying for the Institute of Chartered Accountants (ACA) qualification and one for a tax qualification with the Association of Tax Technicians (ATT).

Alexander Cracknell joined from the University of Glasgow, Angelika Niedzwiedzka from Bank University in Poznan, Poland, Alexander Kent from Canterbury Christ Church University, with Lukas Kourtis, Meghan Osbourne and Natasha Whitehead joining from the University of Chichester. Jessica Jackman, Natalie Smith, Samantha Veness and Will Uwins joined following graduation from Worthing College, Isabella Roozbehan from Chichester College and Huw John from Mill Hill County High School.

Angelika, Lukas and Alexander Kent will work from MHA Carpenter Box’s Gatwick office, while the remainder will be based at the firm’s HQ in Worthing.

MHA Carpenter Box Practice Director, Chris Coopey, welcomed the trainees on board, commenting: “Our task is to train the next generation of business advisers focussing their ability to use their accountancy, tax and audit skills to help our clients prosper.

“We have always aimed to give our students the best possible start to their careers which has been underlined by our accreditation as a Platinum employer, ACCA’s highest global standard of excellence.”

The new trainees will undertake a comprehensive in-house training programme working in the Business Services, Tax Services and Assurance and Advisory Groups at MHA Carpenter Box, as well as benefitting from knowledge sharing across MHA, the firm’s national association and Baker Tilly International, its global network.