Seaford Town Council met on 23rd June to discuss updates on a variety of current activities and pave the way for the next steps to be taken, including identifying exciting uses for some of the town’s lesser used land and assets.

Seaford Town Council met on 23rd June with a full agenda covering a variety of updates and seeking Full Council’s approval of how to drive these activities forwards for the town.

The meeting was livestreamed to the Town Council’s YouTube channel, so can be watched at any time. The supporting paperwork is also available in full on the Town Council’s website.

Following the group’s creation in 2020, the Town Council received an update from its Assets Working Group, which included a list of recommendations for certain plots of land. These recommendations were all focussed around increasing community use and involvement with green spaces, any potential for sponsorship or income from plots and one plot for sale on open market, if viable. The latter being the small, land-locked parcel of land owned by the Town Council behind Boots Chemist on Broad Street.

Following the Town Council’s approval of all recommendations, one of the next steps will be to offer the relevant green spaces for community use. The Town Council will maintain ownership but this will enable the community to use the sites, such as to deliver work to tackle climate change on site; rewilding, community meadows, community food growing etc. This is a very welcome step in the right direction to help tackle climate change on a local level and gives members of the community the opportunity to not just be involved but coordinate and really take ownership of these initiatives.

The meeting also included discussions on: possible survey works on the Bronze Age hill fort/burial mount at Seaford Head; the Town Council’s plans following it declaring a climate change emergency; updates on Seaford-relevant activities by East Sussex County Council (including Exceat Bridge works and Talland Parade scaffolding) and Lewes District Council (including plastic recycling methods); key financial updates following the closure of the 2020 – 2021 financial year; the ongoing consultation in to changes of parliamentary boundaries (not directly impacting on Seaford but there is an impact on the Lewes constituency that Seaford is within), and ; the Town Council’s meeting arrangements in the coming months whilst COVID restrictions are still in place.

In addition to the above, the Town Council is in the process of extending to a 50 year lease with Seaford Town Football Club for the clubhouse in The Crouch, enabling them to access more funding for their sport, facilities and invaluable community work.

Finally, the Town Council also gave its support for the joint initiative coming out of recent meetings between the Town Council, Lewes District Council and local anglers and swimmers, to trial ‘preferred swimming zones’ on the Seaford seafront. This will not be enforceable but is in place to guide swimmers and anglers on how best to safely use the beach together. The revised Seaford Beach Guide will be issued by the District Council in coming weeks.

Town Council meetings are open for members of the public to attend or participate at. To sign up for updates on upcoming meetings, please email [email protected] or visit https://www.seafordtowncouncil.gov.uk/enquire/