The Council

Lewes District Council is committed to providing high quality services to those who live and work in the area.

The District covers 113 square miles, stretching from the coastal strip between Saltdean and Seaford, to Newick and Wivelsfield in the north.  It has a good network of roads and public transport, both bus and rail.  Much of the district lies within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with many Conservation Areas and unspoilt villages.  The coastal strip is more urban in character and includes the important Channel port of Newhaven and its ferry services to Dieppe.

The Council has approximately 470 employees.  The main offices are in Lewes, with a departmental office and depot in Newhaven, also sheltered housing schemes throughout the district.

What we do

Some of our main direct services are:

Parks and Open Spaces Car Parks Elections and Electoral    Registration Council Tax Collection Economic Development Collection of Business Rates Planning Control Environmental Health Housing Benefit Refuse Collection Port Health

Building Control Cultural Services Pest Control Tourist Information Centres Sports Development Recycling Council Housing Street Cleansing Local Plans Housing Improvement Grants Local Land Charges Homelessness

We also have a range of support services, for example: accountants, auditors, architects, administrators, builders, surveyors, health and safety, environmental and computer staff.

We aim for high standards and constant improvement in our services. Housing Services has achieved Charter Mark status in 2004 and was highly commended by the assessor. Our Tourist Information Centres in both Lewes and Seaford have won recognition for the quality of service provided and Newhaven Fort won the South East's "Best Visitor Attraction" award in its class.

We are one of only fourteen councils in the country to have been awarded the national 'Eco Management (EMAS)' accreditation for the way our working practices minimise harm to the natural environment.

The whole Council has gained the Investor in People award for the Training and Development opportunities offered to employees.

Our ambition is

• To be recognised as a centre of excellence in environmental management and to make sustainable improvements in the quality of life of local communities.

The aims of the Council

• To protect and enhance the quality of the environment.
• To promote and support a diverse and prosperous local economy.
• To support the health, housing and social needs of everyone in our communities.

Training and Development

The Council believes that training of its employees is of paramount importance and that the development of Council services must go together with the development of its employees.  It has a comprehensive programme, designed to ensure that employees undertake suitable training and development activities to equip them to perform their work to a high standard.

That programme includes study for qualifications, including National Vocational Qualifications, “one-off” specific courses, general work skills courses such as Supervisory Skills and computer courses.  However, the precise development activities agreed for you will depend on your particular job, qualifications and past experience.  All new entrants undergo a full induction programme.

Council’s Comprehensive Equality Policy

The Council recognises that discrimination occurs in society against, for example, ethnic minority groups, women, people with disabilities and on the basis of age, religious belief, social class and sexual orientation.

It is committed to ensuring that all its activities, whether in employment, service provision or consultation and community partnership, are free from discrimination.

Therefore we will:

• Recognise the needs of those who lack resources or face disadvantage and consider how services can best respond.
• Ensure that individuals are treated fairly and consistently and that no-one receives less favourable treatment than others, on grounds which are irrelevant.
• Ensure that conditions or requirements applied to an activity or service are justified and do not have a disproportionately adverse effect on particular groups.
• Make equality of opportunity an integral part of our services to ensure that all sections of the community have the same access rights.