CAROLINE ANSELL MP: Cleaner air and health centre concerns

Who knows whether both sides can agree a trade deal – I hope so - but I do think the Prime Minister is right to hold firm over issues that affect the UK’s sovereignty.

The idea we would be at the mercy of the EU’s rules and receive penalties for breaking them when it changes them is not acceptable and not what people voted for in the referendum.

In Eastbourne, we also have an inshore fishing fleet, so fisheries are also a local issue too. There is a deal to be done but not at any cost.

A future with cleaner air in Eastbourne took a big step forward this week when the government told me the coast off our town will soon become a nitrogen oxide emissions control area under international law.

Eastbourne suffers from air pollution blowing across from the Continent and the Channel. Concentrations of particulate matter called PM2.5 have increased due to this pollution coming over while in England, on the whole, it has declined.

The zone takes effect on January 1 and I will be pushing for enhanced monitoring to see if it helps.

The proposal by local health managers to close the Station Health Centre is disappointing and I remain opposed to the plan while serious issues are outstanding.

I am pleased a new town centre GP branch of the Victoria Medical Practice must be operational before any closure can commence. This was an absolute necessity.

However, big questions remain around how good the planned homelessness service will be going forward. Closing the walk-in centre is linked to a very heavy reliance on NHS 111 CAS, especially for our town’s visitors and this is an issue too.

I respect the expertise of our local medical leaders and they have made concessions but further work is needed if this proposal can be effectively mitigated so town centre residents, the vulnerable and visitors do not miss out.

I managed to go to all four corners of the town for Small Business Saturday last weekend and it was great to meet so many retailers confident and bouncing back from the pandemic. There were lots of things to buy and I again urge everyone to shop local when you can.

Finally, the vaccine is here and being rolled out!

There was a lighter note from our Chief Medical Officer to confirm that Santa was in a priority group and his work was an essential service with no need to quarantine crossing national borders! I’m batting for carers.

As I write, I don’t know if anyone in Eastbourne and Willingdon has received it yet but they will and this represents a route-map out of the nightmare of pandemic.

With cases tripling in nearby Hastings last week, we are clearly nowhere near out of the woods and I urge everyone everywhere across Eastbourne to do all in their power to stay safe. Take good care.