Brighton and Hove Albion defender Gaetan Bong is fined after admitting driving at 90mph in a 70mph zone.

Huw Oxburgh
Local Democracy Reporter

Council leaders have agreed to offer a "rent-free winter" to bidders in an effort to secure a long-term lease for Bexhill's Colonnade.

At a meeting on 1 October Rother District Council's cabinet authorised officers to offer several months of rent-free tenancy as part of negotiations with restaurant businesses looking to take over the seafront property.

According to the council, this rent-free period - to last until April 1 2019 - would be offered as an incentive as part of a long-term lease agreement of no fewer than ten years.

The Colonnade is currently home to a council-run cafe, which opened in July following a controversial refurbishment of the building.

The council says three companies wanting to take on the business have approached the council with unsolicited bids.

Councillors also spoke about the issue of gas supply to the building, which has yet to be connected.

According to council reports, the lack of gas supply - which is out of council control - had been "the single greatest constraint" to finding a tenant.

Sam Curran, Rory Burns and Natalie Sciver are honoured in a clean sweep for Surrey at the Cricket Writers' Awards.

Karen Dunn
Local Democracy Reporter

Image source, Google

Traffic lights in West Sussex are to get a £1m refurbishment over the next four years.

The Traffic Signals Refurbishment Programme will see £250,000 spent each year until 2022/23 on the lights most in need of work.

West Sussex County Council considered spending £2m on all the county's traffic lights but chose to spend less and concentrate on the more "pressing issues".

An asset management plan highlighted equipment and sites requiring the most attention, a report published on Monday revealed.

It added: "The quantity of such locations has been steadily increasing due to the age of the equipment."

The programme will see LEDs used, which will use less energy and save an estimated £1,000 per year.

Councillors have until 10 October to "call in" the scheme for further debate.

Rebecca Curley
Local Democracy Reporter

Image source, Surrey County Council

The resignation of Surrey County Council's chairman, Peter Martin, has led to the need for a change in its constitution.

Mr Martin resigned last week for what he said was "a lapse of good judgement" in a candidate interview in which he "lacked empathy and cultural awareness" .

The Local Government Act requires a chairman and vice chairman to be chosen at an annual council meeting, therefore an amendment is needed to to allow for an in-year election.

The amendment - to be approved on 9 October - reads: "In the event of an in-year vacancy in either role, an election will be held for a replacement to serve until the next Annual General Meeting of the Council."

It is believed the current vice-chairman, Mr Tony Samuels, will step up to the role and a new vice-chairman will be appointed.

Image source, Getty Images

The Argus, external: Disabled Brighton film-goer fuming at Odeon Brighton's broken lift

Kent Online, external: Larkfield: Teenager dies after falling from M20 motorway bridge

Get Surrey, external: Surrey countryside car parking charges set to remain as money needed for funding gaps

Chichester Observer, external: Chichester MP says royal visit is ‘very special’

Kent Live, external: Police closed a road in Tunbridge Wells after a pedestrian was hit by a camper van

Mid Sussex Times, external: Man stabbed outside 18th birthday party at Crawley pub

Brighton and Hove News, external: Aldi to open this Thursday with promise of free fruit and veg for first 30 customers

Brighton and Hove Independent, external: Five men jailed for dealing cocaine in Brighton and Hove

Eastbourne Herald:, external Art exhibition to raise awareness for artist psychosis

Crawley and Horley Observer, external: Concern for missing Horsham schoolgirl

West Sussex County Times, external: Council responds after bus shelters smashed in Horsham

Sussex Express, external: Family’s heartbreaking tribute to Hailsham pedestrian who died after A22 collision

Worthing Herald, external: Vandals ‘set fire to’ public toilets in Lancing

Hastings Observer, external: Death of Rainbow presenter evokes childhood memories for people in Hastings and Rother

Image source, Sussex Police

The family of a retired solicitor who died after a hit-and-run in East Sussex have paid tribute to a "proud Sheffield man who will be sorely missed".

David Gunson, 73, from Hailsham, was found on a verge of the A22, north of the Eagles roundabout in Hailsham, with serious injuries, at about 04:38 BST on 21 September.

He died in hospital five days later.

Image source, Google

In a statement, his family described the new grandfather's death as a "great tragedy" and urged anyone who could "piece together his final journey on the tragic night" to get in touch with police.

A white Renault - believed to have been involved in the collision - has been found by police and seized for forensics.

A 28-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman from Hellingly, arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, failing to stop and failing to report a collision have been released under investigation.

Patients are waiting more than double the maximum time allowed for appointments.

Victoria Hills died from rare Lemierre's Syndrome - her mum now plans to raise awareness of it.

Yvette Austin
Environment Correspondent, BBC South East

The barn owl population crashed by two-thirds over 50 years, but numbers are starting to recover thanks to new nest boxes put up by volunteers.

There's more on this story on Inside Out South East on BBC1 here.

Huw Oxburgh
Local Democracy Reporter

Council bosses have backed plans to "accelerate" a long-awaited housing development near Battle.

At a meeting today, Rother District Council's cabinet signed off on proposals to create a "master plan" intended to pave the way for development of the Blackfriars site.

According to council reports, the master plan would be made up of a number of new studies, legal agreements and investigations, all intended to "accelerate" the submission of a major planning application.

Cabinet members recommended that up to £1m be set aside to develop the plan, although the final decision on funding will be made at a full council meeting in the near future.

Image source, Google

The move to develop the master plan comes after Rother District Council was awarded £3.25m on a provisional basis by Homes England in an effort to 'kickstart' the housing plan.

The majority of this funding is expected to go towards the development of a new road system on the site.

However a report on the plans warns that the funding could be withdrawn if Homes England is dissatisfied with the speed of the application process.

BBC Politics

Endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh has said that the environment is "right on the edge", warning that the UK's coastline is awash with plastic.

Mr Pugh completed the English Channel challenge in August, swimming from Land's End in Cornwall to Dover in Kent in 49 days.

Speaking at the Conservative party conference in Birmingham, he said: "The first thing that struck me is just how incredibly beautiful the coastline is here in the United Kingdom. It's incredibly beautiful. But a second thing that struck me was how little wildlife I saw."

"Every single beach I just saw this plastic everywhere. It's like we've hoover-ed up the fish and thrown in the plastic".

He concluded: "It is very, very clear to me that we have now entered the era of big consequences. Our environment is changing very, very quickly. Our environment now is right on the edge."

Image source, PA

Bob Dale
BBC Live reporter

British Transport Police are hunting a man who has exposed himself three times on trains travelling through Kent, Surrey and Sussex.

The first incident happened on a service between Blackfriars and Horley, and the second between East Croydon and Bedford.

Image source, British Transport Police

The third was between Bromley South and Otford, with all the incidents happening over the summer.

Detectives have issued CCTV images of a man they'd like to speak to.

Image source, British Transport Police

Karen Dunn
Local Democracy Reporter

Bullying, harassment and abuse from colleagues are among the "fundamental staffing challenges" faced by an alliance of five NHS bodies.

The Central Sussex and East Surrey Commissioning Alliance (CSESCA), which comprises the Brighton & Hove, Crawley, East Surrey, High Weald Lewes Havens, and Horsham & Mid Sussex clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), has examined staff surveys and spoken to staff about their working lives.

At a meeting of the five governing bodies in Ardingly last week, members were presented with a report outlining some of the problems. As well as bullying, they included equalities and training issues.

Adam Doyle, chief accountable officer, stressed that issues had been raised in some staff surveys before the alliance was formed in January. Looking at each CCG in turn, Mr Doyle said the latest survey of Brighton & Hove staff had 'significantly improved' compared to the last one, except in the areas of bullying and harassment.

Laying out plans for the next six months, Mr Doyle told the meeting that a "back to basics" approach was needed.

He said: "We're pushing over the next six months for compliance in appraisals, one-to-one and mandatory training, because if we cannot achieve that, having discussions about something different is not really appropriate."

Bob Dale
BBC Live reporter

A man's been stabbed in St Leonards.

It happened in Warrior Square Gardens on Saturday afternoon.

Image source, Google

The 37-year-old victim was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton with stab wounds to his legs, but has since been allowed home.

Police are appealing for witnesses.

Jack Ralph is charged with murdering a mother and daughter in the village of Hadlow.

The model railway has been set up at the museum in Bexhill, where the comedian grew up.