Sussex Building Control, the local authority building control service for Horsham District Council and Crawley Borough Council, has produced three new guides for homeowners to help with their building work.

These guides are free to pick up from Horsham District Council’s offices at Park North in North Street, Horsham, from local parish council offices, and libraries across the District.

Alternatively, to get a copy of the guides email info@sussexbuildingcontrol.org, call 01403 215151 and quote ref HDNautumn13 or visit the website (www.sussexbuildingcontrol.org).

Finding an architect

Unless you have a good working knowledge of building construction, the current planning laws and building regulations, you should seek professional advice from an architect before you begin planning your home improvement project.

Do I need planning permission? How so I submit a Building Regulations application? How do I find an architect?

Pick up this new guide to find out more.

Does my work need building regulations?

Building regulations are a set of standards – put in place by the Government – to ensure that building work is carried out safely and correctly. If you build in accordance with the regulations, your home will be safe and comfortable for your family to live in.

Pick up this new guide to find out more about the work that is and isn’t covered by building regulations – including conservatories, porches, detached garages, carports, sheds and summerhouses.

Finding a builder

Your architect will normally be able to recommend a builder and some may have a preferred list of builders who they use for specific types of work. Always ask for your architect’s advice before starting your research.

This free guide has information on what to do before you begin a project, what to ask your builder before you make a decision and well as other things to consider.

Anyone with an interest in Horsham town centre is invited to join Cllr Helena Croft, Horsham District Council’s Cabinet Member for Horsham Town, at the next drop in surgery being run at Horsham Museum on Thursday 23 May 2013.

Local businesses, organisations and residents are invited to attend the surgeries and share their views on the town centre with the Cabinet Member.

Cllr Croft is leading on developing Horsham District Council’s strategy and actions to build on Horsham town’s success as a place in which time is truly well spent.  If anyone has thoughts and ideas on how the ‘Horsham Experience’ can be improved, priorities for its management or would like to volunteer to get involved with the Council’s projects and initiatives in partnership with others then they are invited to come along.

The next surgery will take place on Thursday 23 May 2013 from 11:30am – 1:30pm in the Hurst Room in Horsham Museum and Art Gallery, The Causeway, Horsham.

Surgery dates for 2013 are as follows:

• Thursday 23 May 2013
• Thursday 25 July 2013
• Thursday 26 September 2013
• Thursday 28 November 2013

These surgeries fall on the fourth Thursday every other month. Anyone can drop in to the sessions on the day on a first come, first served basis.

Ten minute appointments can also be requested by contacting Stacey Dickson at Horsham District Council by emailing leisure@horsham.gov.uk or call 01403 215263.

A video of Cllr Helena Croft inviting people to the Horsham town centre surgeries can be viewed on Horsham District Council’s YouTube page (www.youtube.com/horshamdc).

Could you provide a warm and loving home for some of the most vulnerable children in West Sussex? Could you become a foster carer?  Foster Care Fortnight, the annual campaign run by the Fostering Network to highlight the need for more foster carers, takes place this year from Monday 13 to Sunday 26 May.

West Sussex County Council runs monthly fostering drop-in sessions across the county, which are an ideal chance for anyone interested in finding out more about fostering to come along to.  You can speak to officers from the fostering team, and some drop-in sessions have foster carers present so you can speak to them directly and find out more about what being a foster carer is like.

Foster homes offer children a stable family environment while their own parents are unable to look after them. Could you help in providing this vital role?  There are many reasons why a child comes into foster care.  Their stay with foster carers could be short-term until they can return to their parents, or it might need to be longer term.

The County Council tries to place children with foster carers in their local area, so they can continue to stay close to their school, friends, people and places they know. This means the Council is always on the lookout for new foster carers to come forward from across West Sussex.

Foster carers come from all walks of life and from a range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds. People from a variety of backgrounds can apply to foster, regardless of their marital status or sexuality.  What is important is skills such as a good sense of humour, patience, energy and the ability to treat children and young people as individuals.

Foster carers receive a comprehensive support package from the County Council, including on-going training and financial allowances to meet the needs of the children in their care.

Are you interested and would you like to find out more? You can visit the website at www.westsussex.gov.uk/fostering for further information and details of all the drop-in sessions, or call 01403 229333.

Fostering drop-in sessions run from 10am to 4pm. The sessions taking place in West Sussex in 2013 are:

• Saturday 18 May, Worthing Library, Richmond Road, Worthing, BN11 1HD.
• Wednesday 22 May, Horsham Library, Lower Tanbridge Way, Horsham, RH12 1PJ.
• Wednesday 19 June, Burgess Hill Library, The Martlets, Burgess Hill, RH15 9NN.
• Tuesday 9 July, Chichester Library, Tower Street, Chichester, PO19 1QJ.
• Friday 16 August, Shoreham Library, St Mary’s Road, Shoreham-by-Sea, BN43 5ZA.
• Tuesday 17 September, Crawley Library, Southgate Avenue, Crawley, RH10 6HG.
• Tuesday 8 October, Worthing Library, Richmond Road, Worthing, BN11 1HD.
• Tuesday 12 November, Haywards Heath Library, 34 Boltro Road, Haywards Heath, RH16 1BN.
• Tuesday 3 December, Bognor Regis Library, London Road, Bognor Regis, PO21 1DE.