Every year, in the first week of January, my Parliamentary team and I hold our annual business planning and objectives meeting. The theme, this year, is for me to focus on being out and about in the 200 square miles of the constituency when I am free from Parliament sitting days. As important as it is to be in my Bexhill office or in other meeting rooms across the constituency, it’s good to get outside and cover more ground. 

With this in mind, I will be holding a series of public meetings in the parishes and towns. Many will be outside in the village squares or town meeting points. I start this on Friday 26th January at Pevensey Bay. Of course, community representation is at every level so I will work with each Parish Council to ensure these meetings feature those who work so hard locally. I will leaflet the village to advertise the ‘Come and Meet your MP’ details, and then hold the meeting same day. I have used this format previously. When Parliament was failing to legislate on Brexit back in 2018 and 2019, I used these meetings for people to understand and have their say. It being a Friday, some could not make it due to being at work. Now, following the pandemic, the working week has changed for many so I hope more people will be able to pop out from their home office for an hour. Those who cannot make it, will have my details on the leaflet for another time. I hasten to add that I will be holding similar meetings in the constituency towns of Bexhill and Battle as well.  

Sticking on the theme of working with our great Parish and Town Councillors, I will be holding another parish conference, again at Great Dixter in Northiam. On the agenda will be matters of common interest, such as highways, housing and the environment. Head Gardener and CEO of Great Dixter, Fergus Garrett, will speak on nature opportunities on community land. Those of you who are Parish or Town Councillors will be in receipt of the invite soon.  

As well as my Pevensey Bay meeting during the day on Friday 26th January, I shall be holding an evening meeting on the same day in Bexhill for those who want to discuss the proposed immigration centre at Northeye. I promised constituents that I would hold a public meeting when I had more detailed information to convey on the proposal. Disappointingly, I still don't have a final decision on Northeye, or the information I would like, despite being given January as the decision-making month by Home Office officials some months ago. Last week, I met with the Home Secretary and I have received a limited update with Home Office officials.  Since I have managed to move the proposal to a detained-only site, the volume of concern has greatly diminished because no one living on the site would be free to come and go. However, I said I would hold a public engagement event so, despite limited information, I thought it right to convey what I can. The meeting is scheduled for a 6pm start at St Augustine’s Church, Bexhill. All constituents are welcome, but cameras will not be. It’s important for residents to have their say without having themselves put on social media without their consent. 

I am pleased that we have more investment coming in from the Government for Rother. I've worked hard to make this happen. Rother will be in receipt of 3 separate lots of £20m in funds to go across the District. One of these funds is the £20 million Levelling Up Partnership (LUP). This is a package of funding and direct support from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.  Since being elected in 2015, I have repeatedly made the case to senior colleagues in government that Rother is an area which needs more direct government investment and intervention. For too long our area has been overlooked in favour of larger neighbouring towns or had to share funding in which doesn’t give us a great enough proportion. I have agreed a number of local levelling up projects with Government colleagues. The District and County Councils are also involved with all of us having to sign off. Having finally got Bexhill and Rother being discussed and recognised at senior government level, we need to ensure that we deliver projects which benefit of local residents. These projects, mainly in Bexhill, will be a great opportunity for us all. I’m looking forward to bringing more detail soon. 

I hope to see many residents at my meetings or during other opportunities when I am out and about in the wonderful place we all call home.