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19 Feb - Luncheon Club and Tea-time Bingo - Harbour resident Sam Sweiry is holding a meeting at 10.30am on Friday 28 Feb in Simply Italian for volunteers interested in helping him establish a committee or charity to run a weekly luncheon club and tea-time bingo sessions at the community centre. Telephone Sam on 0132 479111 for further info.

15 Feb - Community Centre Grand Opening - Sport Eastbourne and Wave Leisure invite you to the Grand Opening of the Sovereign Harbour Community Centre on Saturday 21st March - pop in between 10am and 1pm to meet the team, view the centre and enjoy other activities. Result! after 20 years of campaigning by SHRA! Click here for event poster...

11 Feb - Defibrillator Appeal by Lions Club of Eastbourne - The defibrillator at Sovereign Harbour adjacent to the water feature just off St Kitts Drive has suffered from water damage following what must have been a ducking in the water to make it unusable. To make matters worse the defibrillator was replaced back into the cabinet dripping wet so in an emergency you would assume it could save somebody’s life. We don’t know who was responsible but they have caused a £1000 device to no longer perform the life-saving role it was designed for and has to be replaced. We are asking residents to help replace the defibrillator by making a donation to Virgin Money Giving via the Lions Club of Eastbourne website: - eastbournelions.org.uk
Eastbourne Defibrillator Administrator and
Lion President Alec Stephens

10 Feb FLOOD WARNING! Midnight click here...

10 Feb - Letter about coastal defences - we have published a member's letter about rising sea levels. See letters page...

09 Feb - Additional Seating - Many people would like additional seating around the harbour.  Although there is funding for a few more seats, the Residents Association has a problem.  Residents near the proposed new seats are usually opposed as they fear it will increase rowdy behaviour.  There may be unsocial behaviour in the harbour, but this occurs independently of any seating.  No problems have been reported with the existing seating, for example those seats in front of Midway Quay. 
SHRA has been round the harbour with the local councillors and we have identified areas where additional seats should not cause problems. For example, sites which back onto garages - see map...  As a minimum we would like one more seat in the inner harbour and one in the outer harbour.  But the Council will still need to consult nearby residents.  So, if you are asked perhaps you could think about those who are less able to walk far and support this initiative.  In the unlikely event that a particular seat does become the focus of unsocial behaviour, it can be taken out.

09 Feb - Floating Apartment Arrives - A sharp-eyed SHRA member has sent us the above photo showing the arrival of the proposed houseboat we had heard about.  We’ve tracked down the supplying company: www.waterlodge.co.uk. On their Facebook page www.facebook.com/waterlodge they are already advertising it…
Quote Would you like to experience a new way of living from the comfort of your own stylish and iconic home-from-home on the water? Our Waterlodge Three is coming to Sovereign Harbour, Eastbourne, where you could realise your dream to a backdrop of blue skies, beaches and sweeping South Downs countryside. Please get in touch to find out more and book your viewing" 
SHRA is arranging a meeting with Premier during the week commencing Monday 24th Feb where we will seek clarification and assurances from them on these houseboats e.g. is the initial intention to sell or to rent them? Are others planned? Where are they to be moored? On the website, the Waterlodge Three is shown with an optional roof terrace; would that be allowed? Is this of any more concern than more boats? Please let SHRA have your initial views on this matter as soon as possible. Email:  chair@shra.co.uk

07 Feb - Beach Work Update - Storm Ciara - The media have been highlighting the dangers of the approaching Storm Ciara for several days and no doubt there will be the risk of flooding along this section of coast.  It does however seem to be an unusual weather pattern to understand. For instance there is now an amber warning for wind on the Sussex coast for Sunday, which is when the biggest waves are expected.

Normally storm surges increase water levels on an approaching southwesterly weather system.  Unusually all day Saturday and Sunday surges are negative.  That all changes on Monday, when although waves are expected to be smaller, there will be a positive surge.  The result is that there does not appear to be one particular tide that will result in more erosion than the others. 

Be that as it may, machines working at present will be available to start repairs from first thing Monday morning.  More than likely they will work both periods of low water on Monday and Tuesday or until such time as conditions improve.  Next week is expected to remain windy, although wave heights should gradually fall.   Nevertheless it will take two weeks or more before the beach can be reinstated to its pre-storm condition.
Ian Thomas
Project Manager
Pevensey Coastal Defence Ltd

06 Feb - New Committee Members - We are very grateful to the following members who have joined the SHRA committee; Tracy Hobden, Ray Johnson, Anne Marigold, Madeleine Mayhew, Dave Rodgers and Lindsay Roff. This will really help us spread the workload, make us more effective and ensure SHRA’s continuance.

06 Feb - North Harbour Beach - SHRA and the Sovereign Harbour Neighbourhood Panel have received some complaints about a small number of dog walkers on the North Harbour beach not picking up their dog’s poo; and about people riding a scramble bike along the beach. We would remind everyone that above the high-water mark the North Harbour beach is private property and owners of scramble bikes or other motorised vehicles should not use it for that purpose without the express permission of the landowners. Dog walkers must clean up after their dogs, bag the poo and dispose of it in rubbish bins. It is not acceptable to ignore the deposit and leave what is a health hazard on a beach where children romp.

04 Feb - Waterlines Published - We have published the February edition of our newsletter Waterlines - find it here...

31 Jan - Sovereign Harbour Book and Writing Club - Come along and join book lovers and writers for a monthly get together to read, share, write or sit and listen to words in a friendly meeting place.  Next meeting: Tuesday 3rd March (and every first Tuesday of each month) 10am-12 noon in the Meeting Room, Sovereign Harbour Community Centre. Chosen author has been Salley Vickers.  Also will include some fun creative writing ideas.  New members always welcome.  There is a free car park, disabled access and refreshments. Cost: £4 per session.  For more information contact Philipa Coughlan tel: 07519 143770 or email: pcoughlan@btinternet.com

29 Jan - Community Centre Caretaker wanted - Wave Leisure are advertising a vacancy for a part-time caretaker for the Sovereign Harbour Community Centre. Variable hours, £17k per annum pro rata. Click here for details... 

29 Jan - Communty Centre Timetable - this timetable from Wave Leisure lists the events currently being held at the Community Centre. Click here... 

20 Jan - Sovereign Harbour Trust and Sovereign Harbour (Sea Defences) CIC Board Vacancy - The following notice has been posted on the SHT web site...  The vacancy follows the resignation of Harbour resident Rick Runalls. Ideally, another suitably qualified Harbour resident would take his place. Click here for the vacancy advert.... 

20 Jan - Note of Sovereign Harbour Trust CIC December Board Meeting - the CIC have published this brief summary on their web site... Note that Mr Collins is Finance Director of Premier Marinas.

SOVEREIGN HARBOUR (SEA DEFENCES) CIC
SUMMARY OF BOARD MEETING
ON 9 December 2019

Mr Cervenka and Mr Pursglove were unable to attend the meeting. Mr Collins took the chair.

In addition to routine matters of report, the following business was dealt with:

Accounts for the y/e 30 September 2019 were presented by Mr Beckhurst of Plummer Parsons, the company’s auditors, and approved by the board.

Mr Collins is arranging to provide a more detailed breakdown of Premier Marina’s charges recoverable via the Rent Charge, for publication on the CIC’s website.

A draft advertisement for a new board member was presented by Mrs Weeks, with a view to its publication on the CIC’s website.

2020 meeting dates were agreed as follows: 6 April, 15 June, 21 September, 7 December.

It was noted that the beach appears to be in good condition at present.

Next meeting will be on 6 April 2020.

08 Jan - The Eastbourne Plan Consultation - If you feel strongly about the Plan's proposal to change land use on Sites 6 and 7a alongside Pevensey Bay Road please visit our web page on The Eastbourne Plan where you will find SHRA’s views on the matter, background material and information about how to respond. This is your one chance to let EBC have your views. The closing date is 24 January.

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