Horsham and Southwater started the Christmas celebrations early this week with both holding events over the weekend. The Fair Trade market in St Johns was a great place to pick up Christmas presents and I was pleased to find some toys with which to support the Salvation Army’s Christmas collection: I heard more about it visiting them last week for the Horsham Age Friendly Jobs Fair they hosted.
The Christmas lights were switched on in Carfax on Friday and Lintott Square was also feeling very Christmassy on Saturday with the fair well attended.
Among those at the fair were fundraisers from St Catherine’s Hospice. On Thursday they officially opened the new hospice in Pease Pottage. Many of us locally have been touched by the extraordinary work of St Catherine’s: they have created an amazing centre which will bring comfort to so many.
I joined the new DEFRA Secretary Steve Barclay visiting Westons Farm (and Farm Shop!) on Thursday to talk about the future of farming, and I was pleased to present Steve with some of Rudgwick’s own “Sussex Charmer” cheese.
On Friday I had a catch-up meeting with one of our local Police Inspectors with a focus on “car meets” at Kilnwood Vale/Hop Oast. The Police confirmed they were directing resources to tackle the issue and I am pleased to hear that they made a number of arrests after disrupting a meet on Saturday night.
While we approach the Christmas season there is still a lot of work to be done nationally and locally. I attended the Autumn Statement and was pleased to see NI rates being reduced. Benefits and pensions were uprated in full to reflect inflation though it is good to see that the inflation rate has halved since the start of the year. I have heard that the District Council may soon be presenting its proposed Local Plan. I am in the same position as everyone else in awaiting the Plan and do not know its contents. I recognise that this is a matter which only the District Council can determine and on which as an MP I have no vote. However I will be taking a close interest, as I know we all will, in the plans put forward.