Latest News

14th May 2012

At the SHRA AGM on 3rd May, members gave their overwhelming support to a motion by SHRA Chairman, Rick Runalls, that the association should donate £500 from its funds to support the Eastbourne Lifeboat Appeal.

On Sunday 13th May, current SHRA Chairman, Jan Weeks presented a cheque for £500 to Lifeboat Operations Manager, Paul Metcalfe, and Lifeboat Doctor, Dr Colin McKee, outside the Lifeboat Station at Sovereign Harbour.

8th May 2012

Residents of Sovereign Harbour are being urged to comment on new plans for further development in the area. The council-led consultation will run until July 24, allowing residents to have their say on the draft Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).

The document provides guidance on the uses considered to be appropriate for each of the remaining development sites at the Harbour, including details of the size, scale and form of development and the specific community benefits to be delivered.

Consultation on the draft plan will take place between 1st May and 24th July and a public exhibition will be held at Sovereign Harbour Yacht Club on 30th June. 

The Supplementary Planning Document follows a series of workshops led by Stephen Lloyd MP, the Leader of Eastbourne Borough Council, Cllr David Tutt and the Leader of the opposition Cllr David Elkin, together with the ward Councillors and the Sovereign Harbour Residents Association, to ensure Sovereign Harbour moves closer to seeing the delivery of better community facilities.

Sovereign Harbour currently lacks a dedicated community centre and the SPD acknowledges that this needs to be delivered before there is any further housing development.

The document, given the green light by the Council’s Cabinet on April 18, is free to download from the Council’s website and can be viewed at the Council Offices and the Central Library.

Other issues that the SPD will address at Sovereign Harbour include the lack of open space and children’s play areas, the provision of additional retail, leisure and employment uses, accessibility across the neighbourhood via a range of transport methods and the operational needs of the fishermen and boats.

In order to deliver the community benefits that the neighbourhood needs, it is acknowledged that some additional housing will be provided. However this would be a maximum of 150 dwellings and the majority of these would be houses rather than flats.

Stephen Lloyd said “Trying to move Sovereign Harbour forward has been one of my most challenging tasks since I was elected as the town’s MP two years ago. We are all too aware of the lack of recreational space, the absence of a community centre and the justifiably strong feelings against the building of new homes. The SHRA, Council, respective political parties and the Sovereign Ward Councilors have worked incredibly hard to find a constructive way forward; I think we’ve managed it and I hope you, the harbour residents, agree.”

Cllr David Tutt said “Making sure we achieve the best possible outcome for Sovereign Harbour by achieving the much needed community facilities is essential. Hearing the views of local people is an integral part of this process and I would encourage as many people as possible to make the most of the consultation process.”

David Elkin, Opposition Leader, said “By working together we have been able to develop a positive plan which seeks to secure the facilities the Sovereign Harbour community urgently needs. It is crucial therefore that we now hear the views of local people.”

Rick Runalls, Chairman of the SHRA said, “This is the first time there has been a plan which integrates the needs of the community, the Council and the local environment in the final phase of harbour completion. We hope that Carillion, the principal land owner, will take the opportunity to partner this vision and I urge residents to come forward and use the consultation process to make their views known.”

Comments can be submitted by post to Planning Policy, 1 Grove Road, Eastbourne, BN21 4TW, by email or via the on-line portal.

There is a response form that can be completed and posted back, and this can be downloaded from the web page or is available from 1 Grove Road reception.  

2nd May 2012

Consultation is now open on the Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) for the Sovereign Harbour Neighbourhood. You can read the SPD, and make your comments, on the Online Consultation Portal.

The SPD reinforces the vision for the neighbourhood set out in the Local Development Framework Core Strategy, and this will be your final opportunity to make your views known. It is very important that as many of you as possible participate so that the Borough Council can be sure it reflects what you want for the final stages of the harbour development.

30th April 2012

Another harbour resident, who abandoned, a trolley after shopping at Asda received a nasty shock last week.

She was observed by an Eastbourne Borough Council Enforcement Officer, who issued a £75 fixed penalty, on the spot, under section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act.

FIxed penalties can also be issued for graffiti, repairing vehicles on the road, dog fouling and street trading. In cases where fixed penalties are not paid, and no arrangement for payment by installments has not been made, EBC policy is to prosecute.

29th April 2012

Congratulations to Angelo Errigo.

At the Eastbourne Herald Achievers ceremony held at the Winter Gardens last week, harbour resident, Angelo Errigo was presented with a "Highly Commended" award in the Good Neighbour/Unsung Hero category.

Angelo has freely given his time and expertise to a number of harbour groups over the years, so this award is very well deserved.

22nd April 2012

The Rotary Club of Sovereign Harbour's second annual Harbour Walk will take place today. This year, the proceeds will go to Guide Dogs for the Blind, and other Rotary charities.

The gentle 5Km walk around the marina promenades starts at midday behind CineWorld at the Waterfront, and finishes at the same place, just in time for lunch or a drink.

If you haven't already pre-registered, don't worry, you can just turn up and register at the start.

If you can't make it, but would still like to support this very worthwhile charity, you can do so online.

Click here for more information, or to make a donation.

20th April 2012

Prudential has issued the following statement concerning the Sovereign Harbour Retail Park planning application:

"Following the submission of its planning application on 11th October 2011 for a mixed use leisure and retail development at Sovereign Harbour Retail Park, The Prudential confirms approval of it by Eastbourne Borough Council's Planning Committee on 17th April. The application received significant support from the local community and Sovereign Harbour Ward Councillors, and the company would like to express its gratitude to those individuals and organisations who took the trouble to write to the Council expressing such support, and in particular to those who attended the Planning Committee meeting.

During the last six months, The Prudential has amended the application, and agreed to various restrictions on the proposed retail units on the development. The Officers report on the application however went further than those agreed positions, and the company does now need to assess the implications of this decision.

The application will now be referred to the Secretary of State who will decide whether to allow the Council to proceed to grant planning permission, or to call it in for an Inquiry followed by his own determination. In the spirit of localism, The Prudential hopes that the Secretary of State will not call in the application."

20th April 2012

Police have informed us that, in response to enquiries from members of the public, concerning charity collectors working at Sovereign Harbour.

They are pleased to confirm that enquiries to the Battersea Dogs and Cats home have confirmed that the collectors are genuine, and the public should not be concerned.

Click here to visit the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home website.

19th April 2012

Summer Receptionist Vacancy

26th May until 2nd September 2012
Weekend working between12:00-20:00hrs

Reception experience preferable, good customer service and basic IT skills are required. Ideal candidates must be able to work with a small team and work well under pressure.

Applications in writing only, including full CV, and details of employee references to
Dave Needham, Assistant Manager,
Premier Marinas (Eastbourne) Ltd,
Sovereign Harbour Marina,
North Lockside, Pacific Drive
Eastbourne, East Sussex,
BN23 5BJ

Closing date for all positions 4th May 2012

19th April 2012

At the meeting of the Eastbourne Borough Council Cabinet at the Town Hall yesterday evening, members of the SHRA committee urged members not to endorse the major modifications to the Eastbourne Plan that would remove the District Centre designation of the Sovereign Harbour Retail Park and Waterfront.

Council Leader, Cllr David Tutt said the results of the ongoing consultation would be considered by the LDF all-party steering committee, which would then make recommendations to the Cabinet. Whatever these may be, the plan will be examined in public by a Planning Inspector before going forward.

The consultation ends on 20th April and more information is available in SHRA ebulletin Issue 41, which has already been sent out to registered recipients.

Click here to download the e-bulletin as a pdf

Click here to go to the online consultation website.

Click here to register for future e-bulletins.

18th April 2012

After a long debate, the EBC Planning Committee approved the application for the regeneration of the Sovereign Harbour Retail Park.

The planning officers had proposed acceptance of the application, but with severe trading restrictions. The applicant's agent indicated that these would make the application unviable, and that failure to remove them would result in the abandonment of the project.

A spokesman for Legal and General, which will be financing the Town Centre regeneration, stated that without the restrictive conditions, the application would endanger the progress of its proposed project, and urged the committee to refuse the application outright. At the very least, he said, all of the restrictive trading conditions must remain in place. SHRA Deputy Chairman, Jan Weeks, and Cllrs David Elkin and Patrick Warner spoke in support of the application and, in the ensuing debate, Planning Committee member, Cllr Gordon Jenkins, argued strenuously for the removal of the restrictive conditions.

Cllr Jenkins managed to persuade his committee colleagues that the majority of the conditions should be removed, and the application was finally approved at about 10pm.

We must now wait to see if Prudential is willing to proceed with the remaining conditions in place, and the consent must still be ratified by the Secretary of State.

17th April 2012

The organisers of the ‘Night to Remember’ midnight walk event are appealing for volunteers, male or female, to help on 19th and 20th May 2012.  The walk, in aid of Chestnut Tree House and St. Barnabas, starts at midnight.

There are various roles from 8pm till 5am (on the 20th May), including marshalling the route, keeping the ladies safe, serving them medals and a breakfast after they have completed the 10 mile course. 

Click here to download an application form.
E-mail the organisers
Click here to visit the Chestnut Tree House website
Click here to visit the St Barnabas website

17th April 2012

The Planning Committee will, this evening, make an important decision on the application for the regeneration of the Sovereign Harbour Retail Park. Approval is vital; rejection will have a far reaching impact on the future sustainability of the Sovereign Harbour Neighbourhood.

Unfortunately, the application has come under sustained attacks from those with vested interests in the Town Centre redevelopment and it is being portrayed, wrongly, we believe, as detrimental to that development.

In line with the views of the 500 plus residents who gave this project their approval at the public consultation, members of the SHRA committee will be speaking in support of the application.

The Planning Committee meeting will be held in the Town Hall, starting at 6pm; if you have a couple of hours to spare, please come along to add your support.

14th April 2012

The organisers of the harbour carnival entry (SHECAT) are trying to sort out the music for the float. They are desperately looking for a car CD player or car amplifier that we could use/borrow for the event.

One of those radio/CD players that you can take out of the car when parking in dodgy areas is just the sort of thing they need.

If you have one or know someone who might be able to help, please e-mail Alison

Click here to visit the SHECAT website.

13th April 2012

A Press Release jointly issued today by Eastbourne Borough Council (EBC) and the SHRA begins:

"Sovereign Harbour has moved a significant step closer to seeing the delivery of the community facilities it currently lacks.

In a series of workshops led by Stephen Lloyd MP, the Leader of Eastbourne Borough Council, David Tutt, Opposition Leader, David Elkin, together with the ward councillors and Sovereign Harbour Residents Association (SHRA), a plan for the future of each of the remaining development sites has been prepared. Once the Draft Plan has been considered by the council’s cabinet committee, local residents will be asked for their views."

Click here to read the full text on the EBC website

12th April 2012

About fifty members attended the April 11 meeting of the Sovereign Harbour Social Club, where the guests were Nigel Lockwood from “Guide Dogs” and Steve Pratt and his dog. 

The club presented Nigel with a cheque for £25, and members also contributed £42.90 in a bucket collection, which will be added to the money being raised by the Rotary Club of Sovereign Harbour through the Harbour Walk. 

The Harbour Social Club meets every Wednesday from 10 – 11.30am in the annex of Simply Italian on the Sovereign Harbour Waterfront.

Click here to visit the Harbour Social Club website.

12th April 2012

Meetings of the Sovereign Harbour Debating Society will resume in the Simply Italian Annex on April 18, from 2.30 - 4pm.

The group will meet under its new name “Eastbourne Sovereign Harbour Discussion Group”. 

Membership is free and all are welcome.

11th April 2012

The draft Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) for the Sovereign Harbour neighbourhood has been published. This document reinforces the neighbourhood vision in the "Eastbourne Plan 2006-2027 -Core Strategy" and outlines proposals for the completion of the harbour development.

These plans will be considered by the Planning and Cabinet Committees before being put to the public for further consultation. The final document will be submitted for inclusion in the Eastbourne Plan later this year.

Click here to download the draft SPD (5Mb)

9th April 2012

It's very pleasing to see that the Eastbourne map in the centre of the 2012 issue of the "Visit Eastbourne" brochure now includes Sovereign Harbour.

We are also pleased to say that, thanks to the generosity of Eastbourne Borough Council, you can now view the map on this website.

THe copyright of the map remains with the council, so it is only available for your personal use, and may not be copied, reprinted, reproduced in any form or in part without the council's prior written consent.

Click here to view the map.

9th April 2012

As a result of proposals to make major modifications to the Eastbourne Plan 2006-2027 Core Strategy, Eastbourne Borough Council has been obliged by the Planning Inspectorate to conduct further public consultation. The consultation is now open for comment online and will close on 20th April.

The proposed changes, if agreed, will remove the retail park's "District Shopping Centre" designation, and downgrade it to an "Out of Town Shopping Centre". This will put significant limitations on the mix of retail outlets that can be offered, and has already resulted in changes to the planning application.

More information is available in SHRA ebulletin Issue 41, which has already been sent out to registered recipients.

Click here to download the e-bulletin as a pdf

Click here to go to the online consultation website.

Click here to register for future e-bulletins.

6th April 2012

The following statement was sent to the SHRA by Neighbourhood Police Sergeant, Ed Ripley:

"The issue of speeding vehicles is often raised and discussed at community meetings. It is a problem that affects local communities and we're keen to do as much as possible to identify offenders.

Officers from the Neighbourhood Policing Teams and Neighbourhood Response Teams have been active in the area and, hopefully, you will have recently seen them operating in Pacific Drive in particular.

Officers have stopped a number of drivers, and I hope that word has started to get around that we will support the community in addressing this issue. We have achieved some great results and fixed penalty notices have been issued to some drivers who were travelling in considerably above the enforced speed limit.

If you have any information regarding anti-social driving or speeding in your area then please contact your local Neighbourhood Policing Team on 101 or report the vehicle via the Operation Crackdown website."

6th April 2012

The Association of British Insurers (ABI), British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA) and the Government have signed an agreement to make it easier for older people to get motor and travel insurance, and to clarify how insurance premiums are priced to take account of risk including age.

From 6th April 2012, if an older person is refused a quotation by an insurer because of their age, they will be referred to another insurance provider better placed to help them, or to the industry signposting service. 

The insurance industry will also provide information to show the link between age and increased risk - so that people have a better understanding of the impact that age has on prices. The first set of data will be published in June this year.

The Government welcomes this agreement because the insurance industry has recognised that older people can find it difficult to get motor and travel insurance and are taking action to improve access and transparency. 

These are areas where it is know that people are concerned and, with growing numbers of older people, it is even more important for Government and business to respond. The agreement is a good example of Government and business working together to get a better deal for older people.

Click here to download the ABI/BIBA Press Release. 

5th April 2012

Sovereign Polyphony would like to thank everyone from the Harbour area who supported “Simply Songs” on 21st March at Simply Italian. The donation from management and customers of £310 was shared between the Eastbourne Blind Society and Pompe Disease UK.

See events pages for future Sovereign Polyphony and Sovereign Singers concerts.

5th April 2012

South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SECAmb) has submitted a planning application to Eastbourne Borough Council for a new ambulance community response post (ACRP).

The ACRP in Pevensey Bay Road, if given the green light, would improve the Trust’s emergency cover in Eastbourne. The post will provide ambulance clinicians with a base to operate from between emergencies rather than waiting on the roadside as they have done up to now in this area.

ACRPs have a rest area, free-view television, internet access, toilet facilities and provision to make hot meals and drinks. Facilities would be available to the staff around the clock, giving more flexibility for emergency cover for Eastbourne overnight.

In 2011 the Trust had a planning application approved to create an ambulance community response post on the grounds of Eastbourne College on Summerdown Road.

SECAmb Senior Operations Manager for Eastbourne, James Pavey said: “This is a location which is operationally important as it will allow us to spread our resources to match patient demand more effectively. The new facility will also give our crews access to appropriate facilities, rather than roadside standby in their vehicles.”

The project forms part of a wider plan to improve the emergency cover in the area as the Trust is also looking to develop a third community response post at Polegate.

Click here to visit the South East Coast Ambulance Service website.

4th April 2012

Many residents contacted our Neighbourhood Policing Team with information on the vicious attack by dogs on a cat.

Police have issued the following statement:

"On 23rd February 2012 an incident where a dog attacked and killed a cat took place in Madeira Way, Eastbourne.  This incident was particularly nasty, and resulted in the death of a much loved pet.  Police were informed and they appealed for information from local people about the ownership of the dogs involved.  Many residents came forward with information anonymously, and this provided Police with enquiries to complete. 

PC Ed Faulkner, Neighbourhood Constable for Sovereign Harbour, said "I said at the time that this was a horrific incident, and the response from the local community has been excellent.  This goes to re-confirm the strong community spirit that exists, and I thank everyone for that.  This information led me to an owner of two dogs who lives on South Harbour, and I visited this person with Sue Criddle, the dog welfare officer.  This person has denied being involved in this incident, and denied all knowledge of it.  We were allowed to examine the dogs and, it was the opinion of Sue that these dogs were not dangerous; there was, therefore, no action that could be taken. 

I understand the depth of feeling that exists over this incident, and the fact that we will not be able to bring about a successful prosecution will disappoint many.  However please be assured that we, in cooperation with our colleagues from the Borough Council, will be vigilant in identifying any dangerous animals that may be around.  We welcome any reports from residents if they are concerned about any pets living nearby, and all of them will be treated seriously and investigated."

If you have any information or concerns, please contact PC Ed Faulkner on 07787-685813, or PCSO Martin Hylands on 07909-873787.

The Crumbles Story - available from SHRA - Where did the rock of the harbour arms come from? What was the Crumbles Railway? What is the wreck visible at low tide?

We have a limited number of copies of the very informative paperback book, The Crumbles Story by local author Ann Botha that answers these questions.

If you are interested in the history of the land on which Sovereign Harbour is built, the industry and events that took place on it, and its unique flora and fauna, this little book is for you, and at just £7.99, it won’t break the bank. The book contains many illustrations in colour and B&W.

To order a copy and pay on-line with your credit or debit card, send an email to crumbles@shra.co.uk simply saying you would like a copy of the book and we'll email you a PayPal payment request link which will take you through the online paying process (you don't need to have a PayPal account).

Or send a cheque for £7.99, payable to SHRA, with your name and address to:

The Crumbles Story
SHRA
PO Box 124
Eastbourne
East Sussex BN24 9AW

The price includes delivery - we will pop your book through your letter box, or post it to you if outside the area.