Two private landlords were convicted under the housing legislation at Redhill Magistrates Court earlier this month after failing to carry out essential improvements to their property.

Mr and Mrs Kemp, who pleaded guilty to the offences, will have to pay £4,387 in fines and costs as a result of failing to comply with improvement notices issued to them under the Housing Act 2004.

Instead of making the changes needed to bring their property up to an acceptable living standard, they evicted their then tennant and re-let the ground floor flat in Wilton Road Redhill, leaving the works outstanding.

Crawley Borough Council has spent thousands of pounds of taxpayers money on translating documents for non-english speaking residents.

Since 2012, the council has spent £4,110 on 15 document translations at the resident’s request.

The biggest costs have come from translating tenancy agreements for those who have been given a council home, landing the taxpayer with a £1,000 bill for one agreement to be translated into Urdu ,while another was rewritten in French at a cost of £658.50

Major improvements to Crawley beauty spot the Mill Pond will begin next month.

The 18-month project, due to begin on the 21st of April, will see new and improved footpaths, an extra car park off Gossops Drive, the de-silting of both the northern and southern ponds and a new dam near Ifield Mill,

Work will be completed in three stages, with construction starting at the dam and the northern pond in Ifield. Work then moves on to the southern pond in Bewbush and Gossops Green, before the final stage at Bewbush Water Gardens.

The fire which broke out at Millais School in Horsham on Thursday 20 March is now being treated as a crime.

Both Police and Fire services carried out an extensive examination of the scene and indications are that the fire may have been started deliberately.

The school is working closely with police on the investigation and it’s likely that they will be at the school for several days.

No one was hurt in the fire, but local traffic was disrupted for a while in the evening rush hour.

If you know anything at all please call 101 quoting Operation Broadband or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

http://www.sussex.police.uk/whats-happening/latest/news-stories/2014/03/21/fire-at-millais-school-in-horsham-being-treated-as-a-crime