DAVID TUTT, LEADER OF EBC: Feelgood Bank Holiday weekend versus a third wave

Happily the Bank Holiday brought the good weather that we had been hoping for meaning that it was pleasant to be outside in the fresh air and enjoy the beach, parks and South Downs.
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For the first time in over a year it felt as if life was getting back to normal.

Alongside this feelgood mood however is the news of increasing rates of Covid infections and concerns that we might be at the beginning of a third wave of the virus in the UK.

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This is really worrying, especially for a town like Eastbourne which imports holidaymakers from many other places.

It leaves the Government with a difficult decision over whether to continue to follow their roadmap and remove the remaining restrictions on June 21, with many urging them to delay making these changes.

One factor which impacts on the number of inflections is of course the vaccination programme and this continues to go well.

I had my second jab a week ago and am pleased to say that it went very smoothly without any side effects.

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A few people have said to me that they do not want to be vaccinated.

This is of course their choice, being vaccinated is not compulsory but I believe that it is sensible.

Whilst it is true that there is a risk, evidence shows that this is very small and much less than the risk attached to catching the Coronavirus.

Being vaccinated will not only help to protect you but will also help to keep the infection rate down, so please think carefully if you are considering rejecting the jab.

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In line with our aim to achieve carbon neutrality in Eastbourne by 2030, Eastbourne Borough Council’s Cabinet adopted a Biodiversity strategy this week. This plan aims to:

• Maintain and increase biodiversity on council-owned and managed land

• Engage and enable community-led nature-based projects and to be involved in partnerships that promote natural capital and biodiversity across the borough

• Ensure that all developments maximise the opportunities for well-considered gains in biodiversity

This plan is part of our attempt to address climate change which is undoubtedly the major challenge facing the planet.

Stay safe!