The Environment Agency is preparing for more heavy rain and potential flooding problems in West Sussex.
The Met Office issued a yellow warning for heavy rain for today with up to 20mm expected in the area from midday Friday.
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More rain is forecast in West Sussex over the weekend
Crews are using pumps to lower river water levels to provide capacity for even more rain that is expected over the next 48 hours.
A flood warning remains in force in various locations in Bersted. Eight flood alerts were in place earlier in the week and though this has been reduced, the Environment Agency said that more could be issued if there is further significant rain.
West Sussex saw major flooding problems earlier in the week, in particular at Littlehampton and Bognor and the surrounding areas. 250 homes in the village of Elmer were flooded by around six foot of water and residents had to be rescued by boat and taken to temporary accommodation.
Other areas that saw floods were Worthing Hospital, Havens' Church Farm holiday camp, near Chichester and access to Butlins in Bognor Regis was prohibited. Several schools and colleges in the area were also shut.
Peter Quarmby, South East flood and coastal risk manager, said: "We are focusing all efforts in working in areas that have been affected by flooding over the past few days to lower river levels and will continue to work alongside our emergency partners to assist flooded communities with immediate response and recovery.
"Latest forecasts indicate that heavy rainfall is again expected to cross the South East on Friday and into the weekend. We urge everyone to remain vigilant."
Frank Saunders, chief forecaster at the Met Office, said: "We are working closely with colleagues in the Environment Agency and other agencies to ensure that we are all aware of the latest weather forecast."
Arun District Council is holding information days for communities in areas that have experienced the worst of the flooding. They are being held at Felpham, Elmer, Littlehampton, Barnham, Wick and South Bersted, from Friday until Wednesday, visiting one location each day.
Source: www.thisissussex.co.uk
Sir Ken's fears over Morrisons strategy - Daily Telegraph
Sir Ken said: “I’d agree they look more like Waitrose than like Asda. And if that’s what you are looking at and trying to achieve that’s fine.”
He added: “You’ve got to be careful. The public enjoy value. Good value is not simply the price of something.”
Sir Ken was talking a day after he made a public appearance at the supermarket’s annual general meeting. He is no longer a direct shareholder, but is life president and trustee of a trust that holds over 5pc of the company.
He told the AGM: “I believe we are witnessing the creation of a new Safeway with all the inherent problems. I believe the company is preoccupied with many other activities and I fear neglecting the core business is dangerous.”
The disastrous takeover of Safeway in 2004 led to a string of profit warnings before managers turned things around.
Sir Ken joined Morrisons, which was started by his father William, in 1952 when it was a single market stall in Bradford. He floated it in 1968 and maintained an unbroken record of growing sales and profits until the Safeway deal.
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Who's going to be our police chief? Sussex voters just don't care - The Guardian
Peter Jones has little doubt what Sussex needs to reduce crime. "We need to give a boot up the backside of the CPS [Crown Prosecution Service] and get more people before the courts – they can be so risk-averse it's mind-boggling. It infuriates the public and infuriates the coppers who work their backsides off that the CPS sometimes cannot be bothered to push forward cases."
Jones, the leader of East Sussex county council, hopes he is not merely engaged in wishful thinking. The Birmingham-born politician is outlining what he wants to do if he becomes the county's first police and crime commissioner.
Jones is one of the Conservative hopefuls running for a position that some insist is significantly more powerful than that of MPs and most ministers. In as little as 120 days the Sussex electorate will join the rest of the country and vote for an individual who will acquire a mandate to organise the police budget, prioritise resources and hire and fire chief constables. Jones, from Hastings, is particularly excited about the position's co-ordinating role and is presiding over a slick campaign – "Vote PJ" – to ensure he fulfils his crime-fighting ambitions. Sussex is likely to see more offenders in prison should Vote PJ gain traction.
The one sticking point that worries even those going for the job is the apparent loss of interest by the government in what was touted as one of David Cameron's flagship policies and one of the most important police reforms of recent years.
In Haywards Heath, close to the geographic centre of Sussex, public apathy towards the role of commissioner is overwhelming. "I haven't heard of any of them," said Brenda Griffin, 65, when shown a list of the candidates on the Sussex shortlist. Not one of 30 people asked on the town's main artery, South Road, recognised a single candidate. Nine out of 10 people were unfamiliar with the profound changes to policing that will shortly take place.
Anthony Kimber, a 65-year-old retired army officer from Rye, is also in the running, but perturbed by the apparent lack of government input. "The problem is that the government has become involved in other policing issues, this has slipped onto the back burner.
"The government has not allocated any money upfront. It's offered a website and I do tweeting [118 followers at the time of writing] but there is not a lot of publicity. I know party members who have not been officially told of my candidacy, which is disappointing."
Nonetheless Kimber has set out a detailed manifesto for his plans as commissioner. Anyone in Sussex guilty of antisocial behaviour should, he warns, watch out. His priority is creating an intelligence base of all incidents and people involved in low-level crime and disturbances.
"I would take the sort of approach seen in New York and California, really focus effort and intelligence on the problem, work out whether it's troublesome families the government is talking about or if it's mobile groups of youngsters. I believe that with serious effort and a targeted approach we would get to the bottom of it: who the culprits are, where they do it, and why they do it."
Kimber talks enthusiastically about landing the £85,000-a-year job and working with the current chief constable and community partnerships to eradicate antisocial behaviour throughout the county's 4,000 square kilometres.
There are at least 10 candidates vying for the role. Sussex has produced more Tory candidates than almost anywhere else (six) and a Conservative commissioner is favourite to prevail as voting patterns are predicted to reflect party lines. All must outline how they will revolutionise a police service that must lay off 1,050 staff and make savings of £50m over the next three years.
Another Tory candidate is a successful Arundel businessman and local councillor, Paul Dendle, who perhaps controversially seeks a moratorium on the government's steps towards privatising police roles. "You should delay privatisation until you reform and reduce inefficiency, otherwise you are locking in inefficiency for the length of the contract, which is a waste of public money. A lot of private companies are rubbing their hands because they know how inefficient it is," says Dendle, whose website features police minister Nick Herbert on the streets of Sussex.
Dendle's big idea is "lean systems thinking" based on the Toyota car production model in Japan, which involves asking frontline workers for their input to boost morale and improve efficiency.
Other Tory candidates include the director of a funeral firm, a former Metropolitan police chief inspector whose attempt to become Britain's first Chinese MP failed during the last elections, and the only woman candidate – district councillor and entrepreneur Katy Bourne, who chairs the Conservative Women's Organisation.
Labour is fielding two hopefuls, with the preferred candidate unveiled on Monday following a ballot by party members. Hastings councillor Godfrey Daniel is pledging to tackle antisocial behaviour, hate crime and domestic violence.
He, too, is worried that the process could be undermined by apathy. "Low public engagement is a worry. It's important that people know what they are going to vote for, otherwise the elected candidate could be quite scary."
Daniel is competing against Paul Richards, 44, of Eastbourne, a special adviser to two Labour cabinet ministers who has twice unsuccessfully stood for parliament and is the author of How to Win an Election. All have their work cut out if they want to fire the imagination of the Sussex public.
"I'll vote for anyone who lowers my council tax," said one Haywards Heath mother, unaware that tax is one of the powers that will elude the incumbent. Nicola Smith, 74, who has lived in the town for 35 years, wanted to see a detailed CV of all hopefuls before she even considered choosing.
Next month, Sussex Conservative party members will meet to choose their preferred candidate. They must hope the electorate match their enthusiasm.
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Morrisons West Watford development plan unveiled (From Watford Observer) - Watford Observer
Morrisons development plan for old Royal Mail depot, in Ascot Road, unveiled
6:33pm Friday 15th June 2012 in News By Mike Wright, Chief Reporter
Residents caught their first glimpse of what the West Watford Morrisons development, which promises to bring 300 new jobs to the area, could look like today.
The supermarket chain revealed its designs to turn the vacant Ascot Road Royal Mail Depot into a superstore with offices, houses, a hotel and a potential new school.
The proposals showed the supermarket on the southern end of the site, with the 450-space car park on the western side behind it.
North of the supermarket are two blocks of new houses and flats with a new school on the north western side of the site.
The Ascot Road side of the site is earmarked for a new hotel and new offices which are surrounded by trees.
The drawings were unveiled in a presentation inside the old depot this afternoon.
Richard Haynes, development executive for Morrisons, said: “This site has got massive potential for regeneration and is desperately in need of it, especially since the sorting office has closed.
“It will bring jobs back and make it a much more pleasant place for people to be.”
The move comes as Morrisons, which has most of its stores in the north of the country, is undertaking a push to expand its presence in the south.
The corporation secured a long lease on the Watford Borough Council-owned site a few months ago.
The regeneration scheme comes after it was announced a new Metropolitan Line tube station will be built nearby in Ascot Road as part of the Croxley Rail Link.
Since Morrisons acquired the Royal Mail depot it has fallen victim to vandals and break-ins, leaving the inside of the vast building strewn with rubbish and with windows smashed.
In recent weeks the company has hired security to protect the site.
The redevelopment plans are still at an early stage and could be altered, but Morrisons hope to have a formal planning application submitted by the summer.
If the plan is approved the company said the store could be open for Christmas 2013.
Early reaction to the scheme was largely positive, although residents voiced concerns that it could draw more traffic to West Watford’s already congested roads.
Jenny Thomas, from Cassiobury Park Avenue, welcomed the superstore but was concerned more homes could add more pressure to local services such as GP.
She said: “I think it is good, this site needs redevelopment and there is no supermarket on this side of West Watford.”
Another interested resident at today’s presentation was unemployed 50-year-old, David Tyarman, of Whippendell Road, who lost his job at Krispy Kreme doughnuts earlier this year.
He said had been interested to know when the store would be recruiting.
Mr Tyarman added: “It’s only around the corner. I will be able to do my shopping here as well.”
The presentation is open again tomorrow at the Royal Mail depot in Ascot Road between 10am to 4pm.
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Source: www.watfordobserver.co.uk
As M&S becomes latest supermarket to offer 'quality' budget lines one mother shows how you can save £750 a year without tasting the difference - Daily Mail
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Its food is a byword for quality — at a price. But now M&S has launched a range of ‘basic’ products at knock-down prices. In the past year, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons and Tesco have also updated their cut-price value ranges, so how does the new Simply M&S selection compare? Mother-of-three AMANDA CABLE finds out...
BAKED BEANS
SIMPLY M&S Baked beans in rich tomato sauce
Simply M&S, 40p for 410g
Verdict: Sweet and almost identical to market leader Heinz, which cost 69p for 415g, a saving of almost 29p a tin – which in our household is 87p a week, or 48.72 a year. Simply M&S contained far more juice than the rival Essential Waitrose. Score: 7/10
We also tried: Morrisons M Savers (28p per tin), Asda Smart Price (26p per 410g), Essential Waitrose (41p per 400g), Sainsbury’s Basics Beans in Tomato sauce (26p for 420g), The Co-operative Simply Value (30p for 410g), Tesco Everyday Value Baked Beans (26p for 420g).
Overall winner: Morrisons M Savers. Thick, tasty beans for just 28p a tin – a saving for my family of 68.88 a year. In our own ‘blind’ taste test, my bean-loving children preferred these to Heinz and M&S.
Avoid: Asda Smartprice Baked Beans — mushy, with too much sauce and not enough flavour.
SIMPLY M&S Sliced white bread
SLICED WHITE BREAD
Simply M&S, 69p for 800g
Verdict: What a winner. It has a fresh smell, a soft texture and is incredibly tasty. Market leader Hovis costs 1.25 for a loaf the same size, so this switch represents a saving of 56p a time, which is a whopping 53.76 a year for my family. A good switch, especially because all the other budget alternatives tasted of plastic. 10/10
We also tried: Asda Smart Price sliced white bread (47p for 800g), Essential Waitrose (69p for 800g), The Co-operative (59p for 800g), Morrisons M Savers (47p for 800g), Tesco Everyday Value sliced white bread (47p for 800g).
Overall winner: Simply M&S. The only budget bread worth buying.
Avoid: All the other budget breads, but particularly offerings from Asda Smart Price and The Co-operative, which were dry, thin, tasteless and curled when toasted.
SIMPLY M&S 8 Pork Sausages
PORK SAUSAGES
Simply M&S, 1.19 for 454g
Verdict: The pork content is just 60 per cent — hence the budget price — and the taste was average. I normally buy Debbie & Andrew’s Harrogate Pork Sausages at 2.39 for 400g. Switching to Simply M&S would save me 1.20 a go — or 67 a year. But my children preferred other budget sausages which cost even less. 5/10
We also tried: Morissons M Savers Pork Sausages (56p for 8), Essential Waitrose (1.27 for 8), Asda Smart Price (84p for 12), Tesco Everyday Value (56p for 8).
Overall winner: Asda Smart Price. We cooked these alongside our Essential Waitrose sausages and couldn’t tell the difference. Golden, crisp skin and tasty pork inside. Morrisons M Savers were also delicious.
Avoid: Sainsbury’s Basics — lacked any real flavour.
SIMPLY M&S Orange juice
ORANGE JUICE
Simply M&S, 1.20 for 1litre
Verdict: Superb taste, which equalled market leader Tropicana (2.28 for 1litre). So by switching to Simply M&S, I will save a hefty 1.08 a carton, and 12.96 a month. But when we tried other budget juices, we found we could make even bigger savings, without compromising on taste. 8/10
We also tried: Morissons M Savers Orange juice (56p for 1L), Essential Waitrose (1.20 for 1L), Asda Smart Price (56p for 1L), The Co-operative Simply Value (1.69 for 2L), Tesco Everyday Value (56p for 1L).
Overall winner: The Co-operative. Smooth, great value and the children didn’t notice the difference between it and brand leader Tropicana.
Avoid: Asda Smart Price — drink too much and it tastes like wallpaper stripper.
WAFER THIN HAM
SIMPLY M&S British wafer thin ham
Simply M&S Wafer Thin Ham, 1 for 120g
Verdict: Top marks for this fresh, wafer-thin ham, with no fat. Nothing cut-price here, and it would save me more than 200 a year. M&S has knocked 9p off the price since re-launching it within the Simply Range. 10/10
We also tried: Essential Waitrose – runner up (2.39 for 2x90g), Morrisons M Savers cooked ham (1.65 for 400g), The Co-operative (1.73 for 400g) Tesco Everyday Value (61p for 125g) Sainsbury’s Basics (1.65 for 400g). Asda Smart Price cooked ham (61p for 125g).
Overall winner: Simply M&S. Not only delicious, but stayed fresh for longer. Essential Waitrose was equally tasty but dried up faster.
Avoid: Morrisons M Savers ham — grey-coloured, watery and processed. One mouthful was enough, and even our dogs turned up their noses!
BEEF MINCE
SIMPLY M&S lean Minced Beef
Simply M&S, 2.70 for 500g
Verdict: Superb. A dark colour with little fat and an annual saving of 36.40. We found the budget rivals were high in fat and salt and looked, as my son Charlie put it, ‘like pale, fat worms’. 9/10
We also tried: Morrisons M Savers beef and pork mince (2.49 for 800g), Asda Smart Price (1.56 for 500g), Tesco Everyday Value (1.56 for 500g).
Overall winner: Essential Waitrose (2.09 for 250g). Low in fat and salt, and a rich, deep colour. Simply M&S came a close second — showing that when it comes to mince, you get what you pay for.
Avoid: Asda Smart Price — fatty, and tasted metallic when fried.
WEETABIX
Simply M&S Wheat Bisks, 1.49 for 24
Verdict: Market leaders Weetabix cost 2.17 for 24. So this swap is worth 68p a go, or 32.64 a year for my family, and you won’t even notice the difference. Since re-launching their Wheat Bisks in their new Simply range, M&S has shaved 40p off the price per packet — one of its biggest cuts yet. 8/10
We also tried: Sainsbury’s Basics Wholewheat Biscuits (75p for 24) Essential Waitrose (1.49 for 24) Morrisons M Savers (63p for 24) Tesco Everyday Value Wheat Biscuits (63p for 24)
Overall winner: Sainsbury’s Basics. As tasty as the market leaders but at a price which makes sense to every household.
Avoid: Asda Smart Price — small and liable to disintegrate as you take them from the packet.
CHOCOLATE DIGESTIVES
SIMPLY M&S Milk Chocolate Digestive Biscuits
Simply M&S, 86p for 300g
Verdict: Brand leader McVitie’s cost 1.75 for 400g — so the M&S version saves just under 89p a go, or almost 7 a month in our house. Impressively thick layer of chocolate, but it wasn’t the only budget range to triumph. 7/10
We also tried: Sainsbury’s Basics Milk Chocolate Digestives (41p for 300g), Asda Smart Price, (41p for 300g), The Co-Operative Simply Value (48p for 300g) Essential Waitrose (95p for 400g), Tesco Everyday Value (30p for 400g).
Overall winner: Asda Smart Price milk choc digestives. Identical to the delicious M&S biscuits (according to six children — mine and their friends — wearing blindfolds) but far cheaper.
Avoid: Paying extra for any brand name. Every budget biscuit we tried was delicious.
BUTTER
SIMPLY M&S English salted butter
Simply M&S English Salted Butter, 1.39 for 250g
Verdict: Creamy and delicious. A good swap for our usual Lurpak, which costs 1.60 for 250g. Choosing the Simply butter would save 21p a go — or shave 20.16 off my yearly butter bill. 8/10
We also tried: Asda Smart Price Butter (1.19 for 250g), Sainsbury’s Basics Salted Butter (1.19 for 150g), The Co-Operative Simply Value butter (1.25 for 250g), Morrisons M Savers (1.19 for 250g), Essential Waitrose (1.19 for 250g), Tesco Everyday Value (1.19 for 250g).
Overall winner: The Co-operative Simply Value. Smooth, easy to spread but with a delicious salty taste. Just as good as our favourite Lurpak butter, but 35p cheaper.
Avoid: Tesco Everyday Value — a nasty yellow colour and appalling packaging.
SIMPLY M&S Peanut Butter
PEANUT BUTTER
Simply M&S, 1.38 for 340g
Verdict: Smooth, sweet and just as tasty as market leader Sunpat, which costs 1.49 for 340g. At 11p less for the Simply M&S version, this is a saving of 41 a year. 7/10
We also tried: Asda Smart Price (62p for 340g), Sainsbury’s Basics (62p for 340g), Morrisons M Savers (62p for 340g), Essential Waitrose (1.31 for 340g), Tesco Everyday Value Peanut Butter (62p for 340g).
Overall winner: Asda Smart Price. Packed with nuts, and bursting with taste. In our blind taste test, the children rated this higher than M&S.
Avoid: Paying through the nose for brand labels, as all the budget ranges were delicious.
TEA BAGS
SIMPLY M&S Tea Bags 160
Simply M&S 80 Red Label Teabags, 1.31 for 80
Verdict: Strong, bursting with flavour and refreshing. A great alternative to our usual PG Tips, which cost 2.49 for 80, saving me 1.18 a time, or 28.32 a year. But other budgets teas fared well, with M Savers and Waitrose coming a close second. 10/10
We also tried: Asda Smart Price (27p for 80), Morrisons M Savers round tea bags (27p for 80), Essential Waitrose (80p for 80), Tesco Everyday Value Teabags (27p for 80).
Overall winner: Simply M&S for flavour, but M Savers was also a winner for great value with taste.
Avoid: Asda Smart Price — very weak, lacking in flavour and the colour of dishwater.
SIMPLY M&S 4 rolls toilet tissue
TOILET ROLL
Simply M&S Two-Ply toilet tissue, 1.99 for four rolls
Verdict: Disappointing. Felt and looked like a budget product, yet saved only 9p compared with market leader Andrex, though over a year this adds up to 4.32. 3/10
We also tried: Tesco Everyday Value (70p for four rolls), Sainsbury’s Basics (1.96 for six rolls), Essential Waitrose (1.88 for four rolls), Asda Smart Price (70p for four rolls), Morrisons M Savers (1.31 for four rolls).
Overall winner: Essential Waitrose. Soft and such good quality that you won’t be able to tell the difference between this and Andrex.
Avoid: Asda Smart Price — rough texture and hard-to-flush cheap paper. Your bottom deserves better!
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
Bogus traders warning to West Sussex flood victims - BBC News
People affected by severe flooding in West Sussex are being warned against falling victim to rogue traders.
West Sussex County Council said trading standards had received reports of cold callers offering to carry out repairs to damaged properties in Littlehampton.
"Whenever an emergency of this nature occurs, it seems to bring unscrupulous traders out of the woodwork," said Councillor Christine Field.
The council said it had a list of approved and reputable builders.
"If you do need emergency work done to your property, ignore the claims of bogus callers if they turn up at your door," said Ms Field.
On Saturday, only two flood alerts remained across the whole of South East England, with six flood warnings and alerts lifted by the Environment Agency (EA) in the last 24 hours.
However, it said further rain could lead to more flooding in areas already vulnerable.
Butlins blockedThe EA set up an incident command centre at Bracklesham Lane car park in Bracklesham Bay to co-ordinate its response after many hundreds of people were affected by flooding.
About 250 homes in Elmer were flooded, with residents rescued by boat and taken to rest centres and temporary accommodation.
More than 20 people, including several children, were rescued from flooded caravans at two holiday parks in Bracklesham Bay and flood waters also reached the Manorfield care home in Earnley.
Havens' Church Farm holiday camp, near Chichester, was also flooded and access roads to Butlins in Bognor Regis were closed.
Worthing Hospital's basement and lift shaft was flooded, several schools and one college were shut and many roads were impassable.
An emergency channel had to be dug through sea defences to release flood waters and firefighters used pumps to lower river levels.
Arun District Council officers are continuing to staff a flood recovery vehicle to give advice to residents.
It is stationed in Elmer's shopping area on Saturday until 21:00 BST.
It will be in South Terrace, Littlehampton on Sunday, in Barnham near the railway station on Monday, Wick on Tuesday and South Bersted on Wednesday.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
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