This tells you what standards of service you can expect from us and how to give us feedback on our performance.
Our staff will
- Be helpful, polite and professional when dealing with customers.
- Wear name badges when dealing with customers.
- Provide a private interview room if requested.
- Arrange a convenient time and place for meetings or appointments.
- Show an official ID badge without being asked if they need to make a home visit.
- Try to deal with your enquiry or complaint straight away. If the person you need to speak to is unavailable, they will contact you as soon as possible.
- Answer the phone within 20 seconds and return phone messages within 1 working day.
- When we need to use Ansaphones, messages will be checked regularly.
- Give you a response to your letter, fax or email within 7 working days using plain English and avoiding jargon. If the response is likely to take longer an acknowledgement will be sent confirming when you can expect a reply.
- Respond to Freedom of Information requests within 20 working days.
- Apologise if we are at fault and do their best to put things right. Complaints referred to the head of service will be dealt with in 20 working days.
Our information will
- Be clear, up to date and accurate.
- Be available in a range of formats and languages on request.
We monitor our performance regularly and set targets to improve the services we provide.
For more information, visit our website at www.lewes.gov.uk.
Our services
- Cultural Tourism Development and Promotion
- Liaison, advice and training for local tourism businesses
- Tourist Information Centres at Lewes and Seaford providing a range of local information and an accommodation and events booking service
- Newhaven Fort Historic Ancient Monument, educational facility and visitor attraction
- Bookable public art Galleries at Lewes (Thebes) and Seaford (The Crypt)
- Artwave & Soundwave Festivals to promote local artists and support community and cultural diversity
Our service aims
- To enable a range of cultural activities throughout the District, encouraging economic prosperity and improving the quality of life of those who live, work in or visit the area.
- To celebrate and promote the diverse opportunities and activities in the District and encourage sustainable cultural tourism
- To provide good quality facilities and a high standard of customer service to all visitors, residents and community stakeholders.
Tourism Development & Promotion
We will:
- Produce an annual visitor guide as part of the ‘Enjoy Sussex’ brand in partnership with Horsham, Mid Sussex and Wealden District Councils.
- Enable activties and initiatives which attract visitors to the area and encourage economic spend.
- Maintain and encourage quality standards by only promoting accommodation providers that have participated in the National Quality Assessment Scheme (NQAS).
- Support at least 3 training opportunities a year for local businesses (provided by external partners).
Tourist Information Centres
We will:
- Ensure that each Centre maintains its status against national TIC service quality standards.
- Survey our customers every year and strive to achieve 98% customer satisfaction by delivering a high quality information, travel and booking service.
- Provide a focal point in the community to support and promote local activities, events and items of interest. We aim to sell tickets for at least 40 events a year.
Newhaven Fort
We will:
- Maintain the Fort to Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Service (VAQAS) standards which ensure a high quality, family orientated attraction.
- Act as an educational resource for schools and lifelong learning, welcoming at least 250 school visits each year.
- Organise and facilitate at least 10 community events a year.
- Provide a curatorial service to preserve the collection of artefacts within national standards for museum accreditation.
- Preserve the fabric of the Fort and its environs in accordance with the statutory requirements of Scheduled Ancient Monument status.
Art Galleries
We will:
- Facilitate a varied, seasonal programme of at least 24 exhibitions, workshops and literary events in partnership with local artists and groups.
- Maintain, preserve the fabric of the Scheduled Ancient Monument of the medieval crypt at Seaford.
Artwave and Soundwave Festivals
We will:
- Organise an annual Artwave Festival to promote and support local artists and their work.
- Organise an annual Soundwave Festival to promote local audio artists and support outreach activities for young people.
Lewes District Council
wants to be recognised as a centre of excellence in environmental management and to make sustainable improvements in the quality of life of local communities by:
- Protecting and enhancing the quality of the environment.
- Supporting and promoting a diverse and prosperous local economy.
- Supporting the housing, health and social needs of everyone in our communities.
Our commitment to customers
- To provide good value, efficient and effective services to all our customers.
- To provide services that everyone can use and will make our premises and information as accessible as possible.
- To ensure our premises are clean, comfortable, smoke-free and well signposted.
- To treat everyone fairly and respect their privacy.
- To be open, honest and accountable for our actions.
- To consult and listen to our customers
- To strive for continuous improvement in our services and processes.
Help us to help you
- Be polite in dealing with our staff. We will not tolerate abusive language or violent behaviour towards them.
- Give us all the information we need to deal with your request.
- Let us know in advance if you need to cancel an appointment.
- Let us know in advance if you need a signer or interpreter.
- Tell us immediately if you are unhappy with a service, giving us as much detail as possible.
- Give us ideas, comments and suggestions.
- Help us to care for our environment.
- Comply with our Health and Safety regulations which are there to protect you.
What do you think?
If you want to comment on our service, please contact or visit us at:
Cultural Services
3a Fisher Street
Lewes
East Sussex
BN7 2DQ
Tel: 01273 484193
Fax: 01273 484197
Email: tourism@lewes.gov.uk
Further information about our service is available from our Cultural Services web pages:
www.lewes.gov.uk/council/9894.asp
Office opening hours:
Monday to Thursday: 9am to 5pm.
Friday: 9am to 4.30pm
Other formats
This leaflet can be made available in large print, on audio tape or disk or in another language, upon request.
Please contact us on 01273 484141 or e-mail lewesdc@lewes.gov.uk
