CHAIRMAN‘S MESSAGE:
Dear Resident,
I am now into my 5th month as Chairman of our Parish Council, and to say we have some challenges is a bit of an understatement! In addition to the routine running of the Parish Council, we have a number of concerns before us, plus new projects taking up our time now, and which will continue to do so in the future.
You all should be aware of the current situation regarding the proposed skateboard facility for the young people of our town. This group of youngsters is often overlooked and they are due some attention as they are the adults of the future, we want them to stay in Steyning and we want them to cherish their youth here. Memorial Playing Field is a wonderful resource for our town and is there for the benefit of everyone. It has certainly been a pleasure these past weeks to see Memorial Playing Field so full and vibrant with dozens and dozens of families enjoying it on a Friday evening with many sports and games being played, family picnics being enjoyed and with special thanks to the Cricket Club for their role in the community. Its role, together with the tennis and bowls club is to promote and assist with sport and leisure activities and is key in a small town like Steyning and one we should encourage. The Parish Council’s plan to build a skate board facility at the far end of Memorial Playing Field is well advanced and will add to the ability of Memorial Playing Field to meet its key objectives.
The Friends of Memorial Playing Field feel the Leisure Centre would be a better location for this skateboard facility, and we have given them until the end of September to develop their plans, and get planning permission approved. Whether this site can be developed depends on permission being granted for the land to be used for this purpose, by Steyning Grammar School and West Sussex County Council. Sussex Police have voiced some concerns about this location in the car park. The Parish council looked at the same site last year and because Steyning Grammar School raised similar objections as they have to this new application, we decided not to pursue this and concluded that the Memorial Playing Field site would be the only viable option.
You may also be aware that there have been two Judicial Reviews lodged against your Parish Council, challenging the way we had gone about developing our plans and proposals. Your Parish Council through their solicitors’ filed a robust Grounds of Defense in response. We have now been notified that on considering the papers the Court has refused permission in respect of both claims against us. However, we understand that the Claimant has made a request for the decision to be reconsidered at a hearing. A court date is awaited.
Looking ahead, you may have read in the national press that under the Localism Act, towns like Steyning will now have the ability to have a say in how the town is developed in the future under a process called Neighbourhood Planning. Several Parish Councillors’ have attended presentations by South Downs National Park and Horsham District Council at which we were made aware of the opportunity that is being given to shape our own future. Many of you will be aware of the Community Partnership and Steyning Area Youth Provision work that has been going on and the benefits we are reaping, (more of this later). A major part of the success of these projects has been the close, working relationship between Steyning, Bramber, Upper Beeding and Ashurst. We are now looking at using this same format for Neighbourhood Planning and our first meeting will be held shortly together with the HDC Planning Officer responsible for assisting and guiding us. Please look out for more information about this exciting opportunity as we will be seeking your help and support.
The Steyning Area Youth Provision, is now up and running although still in its infancy. Our youth worker has been recruited and I hope you will all join me in welcoming Emma Edwards to our community. Emma is an enthusiastic and committed young lady who I am confident will be a great help to our youth in the months and years ahead. Emma is looking for volunteers to help her and if you are interested, please contact Emma through the Parish Clerk at the Steyning Centre on spcclerk@btconnect.com or 01903 812042.
We are planning to hold the next Steyning Showcase in February 2014 and are looking forward to this being just as successful and well received as in previous years, with the entire community getting behind it as before.
Every year we recognise those members of our community who give freely of their time and go out of their way to help us all; the Parish Council recognises these individuals through the Millennium Community Award. The award is made in December and we would be like to receive nominations by the end of October. Please contact the Parish Council clerk on:
spcclerk@btconnect.com or 01903 812042 as soon as possible.
Finally, I would like to thank my fellow Councillors’ and the staff at the Steyning Centre for their outstanding support and their commitment to our town. They are a great team who are working very hard for you – please support them. Best wishes to you all,
Phil Bowell MBE
Chairman, Steyning Parish Council
CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU:
The CAB is now operating its outreach service at The Steyning Centre every two weeks from the New Year thanks to a decision by Steyning Parish Council, Upper Beeding Parish Council and Bramber Council to fund one extra day per month. It is held on a Wednesday from 10am to 12.30pm. Please note that an appointment system operates and appointments can be made by phoning the CAB Helpline on 0844 477 1171 or the Steyning Centre on 01903 812042.
HIGHWAYS & LIGHTING:
The Committee has finalised and agreed its Winter Maintenance Plan for the coming winter and has submitted the plan, which lists our requirements for the coming winter, to West Sussex County Council. We hope WSCC will agree to provide the town with six more permanent grit/salt bins and extra bags of grit/salt mix. WSCC has changed its winter management operation with regards to deliveries of grit/salt mix and intend to deliver to all councils in the autumn, well before any severe weather, and will not make any top-up deliveries during the winter.
The Committee has also started looking at access through the town to the High Street for residents with a mobility problem, principally users of wheelchairs, mobility scooters, wheeled walkers and pushchairs and prams. Although dropped kerbs are in place through the town, we would like to know of any problem areas, such as their absence in key locations, or where they are not low enough or not matched up with another on the opposite side of the road. In addition, we would like to know about surfaces that are particularly poor for wheels to cope with or pavements that are too narrow. A number of residents have already provided us with lists but we would be pleased to receive more information. Please contact the Clerk by letter or using the ‘contact us’ tab on the Parish Council Website.
Mariella Alexander
Chairman Highways & Lighting Committee
PLAYING FIELDS:
We continue to work on the idea of fencing the Children’s play area in the Memorial field. With this in mind we conducted a week of monitoring of dog fouling at the beginning of July. Several incidences of dog fouling were reported – unfortunately it was not possible to positively identify anyone from the CCTV. However, our Wardens were able to speak to a lot of dog owners and continue to get the message out there that ‘not picking up after your dog is totally unacceptable’, particularly in the children’s play area. One interesting comment made to me in the course of the week was“, We didn’t realise how many dogs use the field!”
Our Play equipment has had its annual inspection. Several minor repairs are needed. This matter is in hand and we wait for the committee meeting to authorise the cost of this work.
A suggestion has been received from the Allotment Association that traffic through the Rublees allotments should be one way. This is an extremely sensible suggestion and we will be consulting all allotment holders in the near future.
Gill Ness-Collins.
Chairman Playing Fields Committee
FINANCE & COMMUNITY:
The final invoice for the recent by-election has now been received and has come in at more than expected at £3,511.20. One of the highest portions of this cost was £750 on postal voting. Horsham District Council, as agreed, has funded £1,815. This means the total cost of a by-election is now over £5,000. The F&C committee agreed to the cost, but due to the constraints on budgets the F&C committee has asked for all other committees to look at their budgets for a contribution and for Council to utilise the councillors allowance budget (which our councillors, at present, do not claim) which will go part way to mitigate the cost. The remainder of the cost will come from reserves.
The large number of requests for information the council have received over the skateboard facility in the MPF and related matters are still a cause for concern as they take time away from the clerk and deputy clerk’s normal duties, so, the F&C committee has agreed to look at the information that goes on the website in the hope this will reduce the number of future requests. The F&C committee has agreed the grant to the Royal British Legion for the maintenance of the Memorial Garden and has agreed to look at the funding to Steyning in Bloom for the increased costs of additional displays for the 400th anniversary of the Steyning Grammar School next year’ and the Steyning festival in 2014.
Tim Lloyd
Chairman Finance & Community Committee
MESSAGE FROM HORSHAM DISTRICT COUNCIL:
Problems with Litter and Dog Bins during busy summer period. There have been a number of incidents recently where dog waste bins and general litter bins have become full and waste has been left by the side of the bins, this is both unsightly and unhygienic. The unusually hot weather has increased the amount of litter created by people and on a number of occasions this is being put into dog waste bins, this causes them to fill up very quickly and we are often finding that a single bag of rubbish has blocked the opening and the bin itself is empty.
It would be a great help if you could ask constituents who complain to you to report any overflowing bins by emailing the location to: hopoast@horsham.gov.uk and we will empty them as soon as possible, you can also call 01403 733144 and leave a message out of hours.
MEETINGS OF THE PARISH COUNCIL:
Finance &Community 3rd Sept*; 8th Oct*; 5th Nov* & 3rd Dec* 2013
Full Parish Council 9th Sept; 14th Oct; 11th Nov & 9th Dec 2013
Highways & Lighting 17th Sept*; 29th Oct & 17th Dec* 2013
Playing Fields 24th Sept; 19th Nov* 2013
Planning 3rd &17th Sept; 8th & 22nd Oct; 5th & 19th Nov & 3rd & 17th December
*Planning will be held on these evenings at 7.00 pm.
Members of the public are welcome to attend these meetings which are held at The Steyning Centre. Meetings are at 7.30pm except Planning marked* which is at 7.00 p.m.
All agendas are displayed on the Public Notice Board at the High Street car park.
Contact: 01903 812042. Email: spcclerk@btconnect.com or steyningcentre@btconnect.com
All meeting dates and agendas are now published on the Parish Council website: www.steyningpc.gov.uk
BLOOD DONORS:
The next blood donors sessions to be held at The Steyning Centre, Fletcher’s Croft will be on: Monday 30th September, Monday 18th November 2013, and Monday 20th January 2014. Sessions are from 2.00 – 4.30 pm and 5.30 – 8.00 pm.
STREET LIGHTS NOT WORKING:
You can report street light faults direct to West Sussex County Council on 0845 7581622. It is useful if you have to hand the number on the light column of the light in question, alternatively you will need the road name and position of the light in question.
YOUR VOICE - YOUR NATIONAL PARK:
We are in the exciting final stages of creating a Partnership Management Plan for the South Downs, setting out the priorities for everyone who lives in, works in, and visits the National Park. This is an important strategic document containing policies to ensure that iconic landscapes and wildlife are enjoyed, valued and cared for, and that communities and the local economy thrive.
Many of you may already have been involved with helping us shape the Partnership Management Plan, either through surveys, workshops, sending us a ‘Postcard for the Future’, contributing to the on-line forum or talking to us at shows and events.
For others it may be the first time you are reading this material, and this will be a chance to see if you agree with the work that has gone before.
The final draft of the South Downs National Park Partnership Management Plan is now available for consultation and we are seeking your views on this document.
The public consultation, ‘Your Voice, Your National Park’ will run until 16 September 2013.
This is your chance to let us know if you think the Partnership Management Plan will take the National Park in the right direction, and also to tell us how you might be part of this journey.
To take a look at the plan, and give us your views please go to www.southdowns.gov.uk/managementplan
We are encouraging people to respond electronically if at all possible to save paper, but if you prefer to receive a copy of the Management Plan and survey by post, email your name and postal address to managementplan@southdowns.gov.uk or write to us at Management Plan Consultation, SDNPA, Hatton House, Bepton Road, Midhurst, West Sussex, GU29 9LU.
ASHURST PARISH COUNCIL NEWS:
Parish Council Meetings
The next Parish Council meetings will be held on 5th September and 7th November 2013. Meetings start at 8pm and will be held in the Skittle Alley, The Fountain Inn. Members of the public are welcome to attend all Parish Council meetings.
Recreation Ground AGM:
The Annual General Meeting of the Ashurst Recreation Ground will be held on 3rd October 2013. The meeting starts at 8pm and will be held in the Skittle Alley, The Fountain Inn. Members of the public are welcome to attend.
There was a spring tidy up of the Recreation Ground carried out by a couple of Councillors on 18th May. It is hoped to have another day later in the year.
Winter Maintenance Plan:
A plan for keeping roads accessible, if we should have snow again this winter, has been drawn up and sent to West Sussex County Council. The Parish Council are hoping to purchase 2 permanent salt bins, one to be placed on the School Lane junction with the B2135 the other to be placed on the junction of School Lane with Church Lane. Grit will be stored in the Village and the bins will be refilled as and when required. Ashurst Parish Council will work in conjunction with WSCC to keep the roads as clear as possible in the event of heavy snow. If you have any queries please contact the
Clerk on 01903 812042.
Parish Councillors:
Alan Griffiths (Chairman) 01403 711544
Nick Hedley (Vice- Chairman) 01403 711373
Chris Jesse 01903 815089
Roy Powel 01403 710419
Chas Hammond 01903 816299
George Stevens 01403 710232
Linda Thornton 01403 713123
Clerk Hazel Roxby (Office hours 01903 812042) other times 01903 814802
Email: hroxby@hotmail.com
Steyning PARISH COUNCIL News - Issue 39 JUNE 2013
CHAIRMAN‘S MESSAGE:
Dear Resident,
I am delighted to have been elected as the Chairman of Steyning Parish Council for the ensuing year.
Since I joined the Council, I have come to learn how hard and conscientiously my colleagues work for the good of our Town.
In the coming year, I hope that together with my colleagues, I can build on the work that we have been doing in keeping our streets and parks clean, supporting the local business community, fighting anti-social behaviour, and promoting all the positive aspects of Steyning and the many clubs and organisations within it.
We are also embarking on the very first steps of a Neighbourhood Plan – more about this later in the year! You will also be aware that a Youth Service has now been set up in partnership with our neighbouring parishes of Upper Beeding, Bramber and Ashurst, and a Youth Worker has been appointed. We are greatly looking forward to future the development of this new initiative for the youth in the Town.
We have a lot of work to do over the coming year and I am look forward to the challenge.
Finally, I would like to say a word of thank you to our previous chair, David Barling who did such a great job for the Council over the last two years. David is now our County Councillor for Bramber ward and I am sure he will do a sterling job here as well.
Thanks to our retiring Councillor Marlene Carman who served on the Parish Council for over 20 years, she will be missed.
Phil Bowell MBE
Chairman, Steyning Parish Council
MEETINGS OF THE PARISH COUNCIL:
Finance & General Purposes 4th June* 2013, 2nd July*, 6th Aug*, & 3rd Sept* 2013
Full Parish Council 17th June 2013, 15th July, & 9th Sept 2013
Highways & Lighting 25th June*, 30th July, & 17th Sept* 2013
Playing Fields 9th July, 20th Aug*, & 24th Sept 2013
Planning 25th June, 2nd, 23rd July, 6th, 20th Aug, 3rd, 17th Sept *2013
*Planning will be held on these evenings at 7.00 pm.
Members of the public are welcome to attend these meetings which are held at The Steyning Centre.
Meetings are at 7.30pm except Planning marked* which is at 7.00 p.m.
All agendas are displayed on the Public Notice Board at the High Street car park. Contact: 01903 812042.
Email: spcclerk@btconnect.com or steyningcentre@btconnect.com
All meeting dates and agendas are now published on the Parish Council website: www.steyningpc.gov.uk
CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU:
The CAB is now operating its outreach service at The Steyning Centre every two weeks from the New Year thanks to a decision by Steyning Parish Council, Upper Beeding Parish Council and Bramber Council to fund one extra day per month. It is held on a Wednesday from 10am to 12.30pm. Please note that an appointment system operates and appointments can be made by phoning the CAB Helpline on 0844 477 1171 or the Steyning Centre on 01903 812042.
BLOOD DONORS:
The next blood donors sessions to be held at The Steyning Centre, Fletcher’s Croft will be on:
Monday 29th July & Monday 30th September 2013.
Sessions are from 2.00 – 4.30 p.m. and 5.30 – 8.00 p.m.
STREET LIGHTS NOT WORKING:
You can report street light faults direct to West Sussex County Council on 0845 7581622. It is useful if you have to hand the number on the light column of the light in question, alternatively you will need the road name and position of the light in question.
FINANCE & COMMUNITY:
Youth Service:
The new four Parishes youth service now has a Community Youth Worker. The recruitment was organised by the contracted provider, Horsham Matters. A total of four workers were recruited for the Southern Horsham area and each will be allocated their own cluster, but they will act as a team. There are also plans to employ a part-time assistant.
Management of the facility will be by a registered charity, the trustees of which will be the four Parish Chairmen. There will be a subsidiary body, the Steyning Area Youth Service Partnership Committee, which will have a monitoring role. Membership of this will be by invitation and will include Councillors, Parish clerks, wardens, police and volunteers.
Our annual Internal Audit has been completed and will now be forwarded to the External Auditors as part of the Annual Return. Details of our year end expenditure and income (2012/13) will be published after the completion of the External Audit.
Paul Devlin
Chairman Finance & Community Committee
STEYNING PARISH COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEMBERS 2013/14
CHAIRMAN OF COUNCIL: Phil Bowell
VICE-CHAIRMAN: Tim Lloyd
FINANCE & COMMUNITY COMMITTEE (9)
Chairman: Paul Devlin
Vice-Chairman: Mariella Alexander
Members: Phil Bowell, Tim Lloyd, Sue Rogers, Roger Toms, Gill Ness-Collins, Phil Hoare, Martin Toomey
HIGHWAYS & LIGHTING COMMITTEE (7)
Chairman: Tim Lloyd
Vice Chairman: Phil Hoare
Members: Phil Bowell, Mariella Alexander, David Barling, Nick Hopkinson, Vacancy
PLAYING FIELDS COMMITTEE (7)
Chairman: Gill Ness-Collins
Vice Chairman: Vacant
Members: Phil Bowell, Tim Lloyd, Gordon Marshall, Sue Rogers, Ben Staines, Liz Trundle
PLANNING COMMITTEE: (7)
Chairman Mariella Alexander
Vice Chairman Phil Bowell
Members David Barling, Tim Lloyd, Martin Toomey, Paul Devlin, Vacancy.
STEYNING CENTRE MANAGEMENT WORKING GROUP:
Chairman Roger Toms
Vice Chairman Nick Hopkinson
Members Phil Bowell, Gordon Marshall, Tim Lloyd, Ben Staines, Liz Trundle
All of the above Councillors can be contacted through the Clerk, The Steyning Centre, Fletcher’s Croft, Steyning, BN44 3XZ. 01903 812042 or email: spcclerk@btconnect.com
PLANNING COMMITTEE:
The Planning Committee has considered three significant planning applications in recent weeks. The first was for the redevelopment of Britons Croft and erection of 20 local needs affordable housing prioritising older people. They will be flats and a communal lounge arranged in blocks of four, with some ground floor flats fully accessible for the disabled.
The committee had no objection but has commented on non-planning issues such as the need for wider car parking spaces for all and communal bins rather than individual bins.
The Committee also considered an amended application to demolish the building on the Old Tannery, at the junction of Tanyard Lane and Breach Close, and erect two, 2-bed houses and two, 3-bed houses with 7 parking spaces.
Whilst it is recognised that the building is in a poor state of repair and the space is under-utilised, the Committee has objected to the loss of industrial and commercial floor space in the centre of the town.
Finally, an application has been put forward to demolish part of the building behind the newsagents in Elm Grove Lane and erect a two-storey building with office use, to convert an adjacent store for office use and refurbish the existing building. We requested a management plan to minimise disruption and manage access and egress of construction traffic. We are pleased that there will be no residential units here as previously planned, as the Committee feels strongly that this area would be the wrong location for residential use.
Mariella Alexander
Chairman Planning Committee
ASHURST PARISH COUNCIL NEWS:
Parish Council Meetings
The next Parish Council meetings will be held on 4th July 2013. Meetings start at 8pm and will be held in the Skittle Alley, The Fountain Inn. Members of the public are welcome to attend all Parish Council meetings.
Chairman’s Annual Report:
At the last Annual Parish Meeting it was proposed that a spring clean be carried out on Sunday 15th April. We are pleased to inform that a number of people turned up and sacks of rubbish were removed.
The Ashurst Recreation Ground is owned by the Charity Commission and managed by the Parish Council as the sole trustee. It was planned to carry out a group tidy up and equipment maintenance in early spring but as yet the weather has been either too wet or too cold. Work will be carried out as soon as possible. Wicksteed are due to carry out the annual inspection in April and any work /repairs highlighted will hopefully be incorporated into the spring tidy up.
The annual precept for 2013/14 has been set at £6,700.00, which is £1,000.00 increase to last year which is to pay Ashurst’s share of the planned youth provision for Steyning, Bramber, Upper Beeding and Ashurst. The Parish Council also gave a grant to the Village Hall of £1000.00 and Recreation Ground of £1,300.00. Other grants given this year have been £20.00 to Steyning Parish Council for the Swimming pool, £150.00 to Steyning Area Mini Bus and £50.00 to West Downs NHW Search Team.
The other main costs to the Council are the Councils salary and administration costs. The total income for the year 12/13 was £5,911.97 and the expenditure was £4,273.27. A summery of receipts and payments for the year ending 31st March 2013 can be view once the Internal Audit has been carried out in May.
Ashurst has joined with Steyning, Bramber and Upper Beeding to provide a youth provision , now that the West Sussex County Council has withdrawn funding for the youth clubs. A not for profit group , Horsham Matters, have been appointed to run the facility. A Trustee Group has been set up with the Chairman of the 4 Parish Councils being the Trustees. An advert for a youth worker has been placed and it is hoped that the scheme will start in June.
The Parish Council receives copies of all planning applications for Ashurst and are able to give their comments to Horsham District Council. However Horsham District Council does have the final decision. Residents are welcome to attend Parish Council meetings and have their say on any planning applications. It is now possible to view applications and also leave comments on line at www.horsham.gov.uk.
The housing needs survey report and older persons report results have been received from Action in Rural Sussex. Following the housing needs survey carried out in 2011/12 Tom Warder from Action in Rural Sussex has carried out a visit in the area and along with HDC planning have noted some areas that class as suitable ground for housing. The next stage is to write to the landowners. The survey highlighted a need for 6 affordable houses to be built.
The Chairman thanked George Cockman and Sue Rogers our District Councillors and Derek Deedman our County Councillor for their help and support in Ashurst issues over the year.
The Parish Councillors were thanked for their work and support during the year. Many thanks go to Hazel, the Clerk, for her work throughout the year. Details of all Parish Councillors and the Clerk will be attached to the Chairman’s report and will also permanently be posted on the Parish Council Notice Board once it is restored.
Parish Councillors:
Alan Griffiths (Chairman) 01403 711544
Nick Hedley (Vice- Chairman) 01403 711373
Chris Jesse 01903 815089
Roy Powel 01403 710419
Chas Hammond 01903 816299
George Stevens 01403 710232
Linda Thornton 01403 713123
Clerk
Hazel Roxby (Office hours 01903 812042) other times 01903 814802
Email: hroxby@hotmail.com
Steyning PARISH COUNCIL News - Issue 38 MARCH 2013
CHAIRMAN‘S MESSAGE:
Youth Service 2013/14
The most important new piece of work that we have undertaken lately is with our partner Parish Councils and Horsham District Council in saving and enhancing the Youth Service in Steyning and the surrounding parishes.
With substantial public backing, resulting from our survey, we are raising sufficient funds through our precept to save the Youth Services in this area when they are discontinued by the County Council. We are contracting a “not for profit” company called “Horsham Matters” (and who will be providing the same services in several other parts of West Sussex) to employ a youth worker and run youth clubs in Steyning, and Upper Beeding (to be used by Steyning, Upper Beeding, Bramber and Ashurst).
Substantial background work is going on informing an overarching youth committee of all four Parish Councils who will have representatives together with the police, and a faith representative and representatives of other supportive groups. The committee will have the overall responsibility for managing the scheme and taking it forward whilst day to day employment of the youth worker will be the responsibility of Horsham Matters.
We are really excited about this scheme and I pay credit to all my colleagues who have been involved in hours and hours of work on this, and without singling anyone out, in particular from Steyning Cllr. Sue Rogers and Cllr. Paul Devlin. I will have more to report on this in the next newsletter.
Saturday 106 Bus
I am also pleased to report that again with support from our neighbouring Parish Councils, including on this occasion Henfield and Lancing, and West Sussex County Council, we have been able to pay a small subsidy to Compass Travel to keep the number 106 bus on Saturdays between Henfield and Worthing. This does not of course affect Compass’s commercial operation on week days which will continue to run but we did feel that there were a number of people, who for instance might want to visit Worthing hospital or Town Centre on Saturdays, and that this service should continue.
Each of the Parish Councils will review the position later in the Summer before taking a decision as to whether or not to continue it during Winter 2013/14.
Skateboard Facility Planning Application:
Full details of the planning application, the acoustic report and the management plan can be seen on the Horsham District Council website and our website. We understand that the planning application will be decided on 19th March by Horsham planning committee and we remain hopeful that this will be recommended for approval and passed by the planning committee. The Parish Council respects the views of those who oppose it but believe that we have done our best to meet these concerns in terms of sympathetic landscaping, environmental concerns and acoustics.
Police and Crime Commissioner to speak at Annual Parish Meeting:
We are pleased that our speaker for the Annual Parish Meeting will be Katie Bourne who is the Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex. The meeting will be on Monday 8th April starting at 7:30pm at the Steyning Centre, Fletcher’s Croft and as we have obtained a high profile speaker we do hope that as many residents as possible will come along and put their questions on the subject of policing to Katie. If you have any questions you would like to put at this meeting either to Katie or on any other subject please email in advance to: spcclerk@btconnect.com
And the Little Things….
Sometimes, I do feel I should just record that Parish Council Members do so many little things in Steyning that go uncommented on. For instance my colleagues take up individual issues for residents and bring them to the Parish Council where even if we are not the appropriate authority we can act as a catalyst in bringing them to the attention of Horsham District or West Sussex Councils. Members undertake litter picking, repairing small things that are in public ownership, looking after our headquarters at Fletcher’s Croft, and just generally being around, and are so deeply embedded in our community. We so often forget the little things that my colleagues do but which add up so much to community life in Steyning.
DAVID BARLING
Chairman, Steyning Parish Council
THE REAL BENEFITS OF NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH
Two important things are so often taken for granted in life, until something unexpected happens. The first is good health and the second relates to personal and household security, which can be shattered in the event of burglary, theft or criminality. At that point we often appreciate how fortunate we are to be able to rely upon good doctors, nurses, the police and civic organisations such as Neighbourhood Watch.
NHW is a voluntary organisation. Our task is to communicate with our members and the public at large, to warn them of criminality, untoward events in their locality and patterns of crime, so that they become security conscious.
NHW also acts as ears and eyes for the police. Often a criminal has been arrested because of a call from an alert member of NHW.
NHW has an extensive network of Area and Street Coordinators in the Horsham District.
The efficacy of NHW may be evidenced by the discounts most insurance companies provide to members of recognised schemes. Indeed, NHW is probably the best known and most effective voluntary crime prevention initiative in the UK, with studies showing a 79% reduction in crime where NHW is in place. It has over 170,000 Coordinators covering nearly 4m households in the UK, including over 120,000 households in Sussex.
In the Horsham District we are seeking to expand. We are looking for volunteers to become Street Coordinators and, where they do not exist (as in Steyning), Area Coordinators.
The work is quite simple. Coordinators are provided with crime reports and alerts from the police. Their task is merely to communicate those reports and alerts, as necessary, to local residents. Usually, this is by email although some Coordinators arrange letter box drops.
Coordinators also liaise with their local PCSO and will be known to the local police, who will value their presence.
A lesser purpose of NHW is to foster ‘community cohesion’. During the recent cold snap, with heavy snows, it was suggested to Coordinators that they might like to consider drawing up small lists of volunteers to assist the elderly with shopping, with trips to the medical centre or with clearing the snow from driveways. We were aware, of course, that some elderly Coordinators were in need of such assistance themselves!
The role is not onerous but it provides much by way of personal reward. Not only does one meet local residents but one also contributes to local security - a point that is welcomed with considerable gratitude by residents.
If you wish to participate in NHW, please contact your local PCSO Louisa Hull on 07765 340753 or email: louisa.hull@sussex.pnn.police.uk and provide your name and address.
AJ Moffat - Chairman, Horsham District NHW.
PLAYING FIELDS:
At our last meeting we were asked by the Tennis club for permission to resurface the two older Tennis courts and to do some remedial work to prevent future damage by tree roots. This was approved subject to any implications with regard to the Village Green status and plans of the works, health and safety and insurance details from the contractor. The Village Green application is still under consideration by WSCC and we wait to hear the outcome.
Moving away from the MPF, following the government’s announcement that they will fund a million ponds, it has been suggested that the seasonal pond on the Abbey Road open space is deepened to form a permanent pond. However, before we can progress this idea we have to have a geological survey carried out to see if it is feasible. We are now trying to see if we can find someone who would do this for us free of charge. If you know anyone or would be prepared to do this yourself please get in touch on: spcclerk@btconnect.com
We are looking forward to Spring so we can continue the work on our Jubilee garden in the same area.
Gill Ness-Collins.
Chairman Playing Fields Committee
CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU:
The CAB is now operating its outreach service at The Steyning Centre every two weeks from the New Year thanks to a decision by Steyning Parish Council, Upper Beeding Parish Council and Bramber Council to fund one extra day per month. It is held on a Wednesday from 10am to 12.30pm. Please note that an appointment system operates and appointments can be made by phoning the CAB Help line on 0844 477 1171 or the Steyning Centre on 01903 812042.
CIVIC AMENITY SERVICE:
The Mobile Gobbler Waste collection service will operate in Fletchers Croft car park on Saturday 9th March 2013. Electrical goods Sunday 24th March 2013.
GRIT BAGS & GRIT BINS:
The Parish Council has 4 grit bins in the High Street and some grit bags in a couple of locations around the Town. During severe weather residents are welcome to use this grit as needed. PLEASE use sparingly – you do not need a lot to do the job. It is best to clear paths first as much as possible and then SPRINKLE just a little and this will help to stop snow/ice settling.
BLOOD DONORS:
The next blood donors sessions to be held at The Steyning Centre, Fletcher’s Croft will be on: Monday 29th April 2013. Sessions are from 2.00 – 4.30 p.m. and 5.30 – 8.00 p.m.
STREET LIGHTS NOT WORKING:
You can report street light faults direct to West Sussex County Council on 0845 7581622. It is useful if you have to hand the number on the light column of the light in question, alternatively you will need the road name and position of the light in question.
STEYNING CENTRE NEWS:
Firstly I would like to thank all the people and organisations that have kindly given us donations towards our new stage curtains in Coombe Court Hall, we really appreciate their help, THANK YOU.
The curtains were fitted last Thursday 31st January and so far we have had good reaction to the new colour and their impact to the stage. I personally think they are vibrant and add an extra quality to the overall look of the hall. Tell us what you think.
This brings us to the question of what to do with the old curtains. They do still have some life in them and a great deal of useful material. They are a light green/turquoise velvet material and fully lined. There are four very large curtains approx. 6 m x 3 m each and a valance. You will get an idea of the size from the new curtains.
If any group or individual is interested and willing to make a reasonable donation to us for them please contact the Steyning Centre on 01903 812042 or email steyningcentre@btconnect.com . We would consider splitting them up but would prefer they go as a complete set.
The other news from the Steyning Centre is that St. Andrews pre-school, with the agreement of the Parish Council, is landscaping and re-designing a small area outside the Saxon Room as a quiet area for the children. Most of the work is being done voluntarily by parents of children at St. Andrews with some professional help from a landscape gardener.
Roger Toms – Chairman, Steyning Centre Management Group.
FINANCE & COMMUNITY:
Youth Provision
The projected removal of funding for most youth work in the area by West Sussex County Council prompted an investigation by interested parties into the possibility of continuation and improvement of the facility financed by local funding.
A survey distributed before Christmas to the parishes of Ashurst, Bramber, Upper Beeding and Steyning, asked for approval to increase Council Tax by approximately £10 per year for each household for this service produced a high YES vote from those who responded. There were 714 respondents for Steyning of which 676 agreed to an increased expenditure of Council Tax to finance the new Youth facility for the Parish cluster. The survey results from the other 3 Parishes were also positive.
The next stage was the appointment of a “provider” to recruit and manage the Community Youth Worker. This has now been completed and a not for profit company “Horsham Matters” has been appointed. A management committee will be formed to oversee the operation and we are seeking volunteers for this. It is anticipated that the new service will be commencing at the beginning of June this year.
106 Bus Service:
The County Council has also withdrawn funding for the 106 bus, on Saturdays, from Henfield to Worthing. Following this announcement there was an agreement between the parishes of Henfield, Upper Beeding, Bramber, Lancing and Steyning to proportionately fund this for a trial period of six months. This has now been completed and the cluster Parishes have had to decide whether to continue this funding for another six months. Fortunately Steyning Parish Council applied for funding from the transport section of the infrastructure levy charge, managed by WSCC, and this has now been approved for the preceding and next 6 months to end of August 2013, a total saving to the Parishes of £4,000.
Budget 2013:
This is the time of year when the Parish Council calculates and submits its budget request, i.e. the precept, for the year beginning April 1st 2013. This year the Council has had to increase the parish precept to cover increased costs, such as the running of the Steyning Centre, and to pay its contribution to the cluster for the new youth facility. This has resulted in an increase per household for an average band D property of £13.35 per year.
Paul Devlin
Chairman Finance & Community Committee
•• DON’T FORGET ANNUAL PARISH MEETING ••
The Annual Parish Meeting will be held on Monday 8th April 2013 at 7.30 p.m. at the Steyning Centre.
Our guest speaker this year is Katie Bourne, Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex.
Any elector may put a question for this meeting but in order that a full answer can be given please submit any questions in advance to the Clerk, The Steyning Centre, Fletchers Croft, or email spcclerk@btconnect.com
The Annual Parish Meeting will be held on Monday 8th April 2013 at 7.30 p.m. at the Steyning Centre.
Our guest speaker this year is Katie Bourne, Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex.
Any elector may put a question for this meeting but in order that a full answer can be given please submit any questions in advance to the Clerk, The Steyning Centre, Fletchers Croft, or email spcclerk@btconnect.com
MEETINGS OF THE PARISH COUNCIL:
Finance & General Purposes 5th March*,2nd April*, 7th May* & 4th June* 2013
Full Parish Council 11th March, 13th May & 10th June 2013
Highways & Lighting 16th April*, 21st May*, 25th June 2013
Playing Fields 19th March*, 23rd April & 28th May 2013
Planning 18th June*2013
*Planning will be held on these evenings at 7.00 pm.
Members of the public are welcome to attend these meetings which are held at The Steyning Centre. Meetings are at 7.30pm except Planning marked* which is at 7.00 p.m.
All agendas are displayed on the Public Notice Board at the High Street car park. Contact: 01903 812042. Email: spcclerk@btconnect.com or steyningcentre@btconnect.com
All meeting dates and agendas are now published on the Parish Council website:
www.steyningpc.gov.uk
ASHURST PARISH COUNCIL NEWS:
Parish Council Meetings
The next Parish Council meetings will be held on 7th March and 9th May 2013. Meetings start at 8pm and will be held in the committee room, Steyning Centre, Fletchers Croft, Steyning.. Members of the public are welcome to attend all Parish Council meetings.
NB Please note the change of venue.
Precept for 2013/14
The Parish Council agreed at the Parish Council meeting in January that the precept for 2013/14 will be £6,700. This is an increase of £1,000 on last year’s precept due to the commitment to the Steyning and District youth facility (see below).
Steyning and District Youth Facility:
A Youth Provision Survey was set out to all houses in Steyning, Bramber, Upper Beeding and Ashurst before Christmas and following an overwhelming return of “yes” votes Ashurst Parish Council have agreed to join with Steyning, Bramber and Upper Beeding to fund a Youth facility for 3 years. The cost of this for Ashurst residents for 2013 is approximately 20p per household per week.
Annual Parish Meeting:
The Annual Parish Meeting will be held 4th April. (Venue to be confirmed)
The Annual Parish Meeting, although chaired by the Chairman of the Parish Council, is not a Parish Council meeting. It is a meeting for the electorate of Ashurst to give their views and have their say on local issues. Refreshments will be served.
The Annual Parish Meeting will be held 4th April. (Venue to be confirmed)
The Annual Parish Meeting, although chaired by the Chairman of the Parish Council, is not a Parish Council meeting. It is a meeting for the electorate of Ashurst to give their views and have their say on local issues. Refreshments will be served.
Parish Councillors:
Alan Griffiths (Chairman) 01403 711544
Nick Hedley (Vice- Chairman) 01403 711373
Chris Jesse 01903 815089
Roy Powel 01403 710419
Chas Hammond 01903 816299
George Stevens 01403 710232
Linda Thornton 01403 713123
Clerk
Hazel Roxby (Office hours 01903 812042) other times 01903 814802
Email: hroxby@hotmail.com
Steyning PARISH COUNCIL News - Issue 37 DECEMBER 2012
CHAIRMAN‘S MESSAGE:
As usual your Parish Council has continued to be busy over this autumn period.
Several issues have captured our attention recently and you will see later information about Village Greens which I would urge you to read.
We continue to work on the idea of devolved small highway works with the County Council and we are taking up the issue of dropped kerbs around the Town.
The Highways & Lighting committee has also supported a request from a resident for two additional disabled parking bays in Fletchers Croft car park.
We have met with Saxon Weald again recently to view the latest plans for an all older person development to replace Briton’s Croft. Saxon Weald is holding a further consultation day on 5th December at the Steyning Centre from 3.00 – 7.00 p.m. Please come along and make your views known.
Finally, the Parish Council has met with the Strikers football club and we are working with them to provide an additional football pitch on the MPF for the 2013/14 season.
I take this opportunity to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
DAVID BARLING
Chairman, Steyning Parish Council
PLAYING FIELDS:
After a slow start, hampered by rain and yet more rain as the summer ended and autumn draws to a close, the Wild Flower Garden on Abbey Road has finally begun to blossom, with old fashioned cottage garden flowers and wild flowers. Hopefully next year it will be possible to sit on the bench at the edge of the meadow and enjoy the flowers. We sincerely hope we will be able to mow the grass in April, sadly this year the first cut coincided with a wet spell and it proved impossible to get the mower onto the field and the constant rain during the summer never gave the land a chance to dry out. Even the ‘Autumn’ cut was late.
The Playing Field committee has set up a working party to consider your request to enclose the children’s play area on the Memorial Playing Field with a fence. Although we realise that from a health point of view this is very important, however, there are a number of factors to be considered. Firstly finance – Will the Budget stretch and could we get any grant aid? Would a fence keep out the wild life which frequently visits the area in search of food? On this last point can I ask you please to make sure your children put their sweet wrappers, crisp bags and other food wrappers into the bins provided. It is the smell of these that wild creatures find enticing as is evidenced by the way bags are dragged through the open work sides of the “yellow” bin.
Following a suggestion from a member of the public we were delighted to receive four benches from Briton’s Croft which are now on the MPF. Their final location will be decided in the spring.
Lastly and most important, the usual plea, please keep your dogs under control and clear up their mess, there are plenty of bins on the field and it is quite legal to put dog mess in any bin as long as it is in a sealed bag. Please help us to keep our open spaces pleasant for everyone.
Gill Ness-Collins.
CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU:
The CAB is now operating its outreach service at The Steyning Centre every two weeks from the New Year thanks to a decision by Steyning Parish Council, Upper Beeding Parish Council and Bramber Council to fund one extra day per month. It is held on a Wednesday from 10am to 12.30pm. Please note that an appointment system operates and appointments can be made by phoning the CAB Helpline on 0844 477 1171 or the Steyning Centre on 01903 812042.
BLOOD DONORS:
The next blood donors sessions to be held at The Steyning Centre, Fletcher’s Croft will be on: Thurs 20th December 2012 & Monday 28th January 2013. Sessions are from 2.00 – 4.30 p.m. and 5.30 – 8.00 p.m.
VILLAGE GREEN:
In 1974 part of the Memorial Playing Field, which included the Bowls Club, Tennis Club, Cricket Club and Memorial Garden, was registered as a Village Green apparently without the knowledge of the Parish Council (this is still being researched).
Despite this, the Village Green status stands and the Parish Council is looking at any legal implications there may be as a result of this, and any impact this may have on existing clubs and users alike.
Village Green applications are currently under review by Government. Village Green status is designed to protect open space, that is used for sport and recreation purposes by people in the locality, from development. Village Green status does not necessarily prevent the creation of new sporting facilities which could include the proposed Skateboard facility in the Memorial Playing Field.
A group of local residents have now filed an application to extend the current Village Green to take in the remaining part of the Memorial Playing Field.
To view the current application for Village Green status to the remaining part of the MPF visit: www.steyningpc.gov.uk or visit the Parish Council office at the Steyning Centre, Fletchers Croft - Mon-Thurs 9.00 – 1.00 p.m.
To find out more about the pros and cons of Village Greens visit www.defra.gov.uk
CURTAIN CALL:
Most people are aware of the Steyning Community Centre as a hub for entertainment along with use by various clubs and societies and other activities and will use its excellent facilities at some time or another.
You may not know that the centre is a non-profit making organisation and endeavours to pay its own way in terms of maintenance, improvements and renewals.
The centre gets its income purely through letting the hall and rooms to clubs, societies, weddings, parties etc.
The Steyning Centre Management Committee has an obligation to keep the centre in good condition, safe for use and to provide new and improved facilities where possible.
We want Steyning to be proud of its community centre, we have two different size halls and two smaller committee rooms and between them all will cover for most events.
We have a beautiful dance floor in the main hall with it’s stage and tatty curtains, yes, that’s right tatty curtains. It has come to the stage that we have to replace the curtains in the very near future (they are approx. 15 years old). Unfortunately, money is very tight for us and these curtains will cost in excess of £3,000. On the plus side the new curtains will enhance the hall helping to give that ‘X’ factor not only to the main hall but to the centre as a whole.
We are therefore asking whether our regular users, clubs, organisations and individuals would help us raise if not all, at least some, of the funding for the new curtains. Every little will help so please dig deep and help us keep your Steyning Centre a place to be proud of.
All donations please send to: The Clerk, Steyning Centre, Fletchers Croft.
Thank you,
Roger Toms – Chairman, Steyning Centre Management Group.
MEETINGS OF THE PARISH COUNCIL:
Finance & General Purposes 4th Dec*,8th Jan*,5th Feb*, & 5th March* 2013
Full Parish Council 10th Dec, 14th Jan, 11th Feb, & 11th March 2013
Highways & Lighting 22nd Jan* & 26th Feb 2013
Playing Fields 29th Jan & 19th March* 2013
Planning 18th Dec* & 19th* Feb 2013
*Planning will be held on these evenings at 7.00 pm.
Members of the public are welcome to attend these meetings which are held at The Steyning Centre. Meetings are at 7.30pm except Planning marked* which is at 7.00 p.m.
All agendas are displayed on the Public Notice Board at the High Street car park. Contact: 01903 812042. Email: spcclerk@btconnect.com or steyningcentre@btconnect.com
All meeting dates and agendas are now published on the Parish Council website:
www.steyningpc.gov.uk
NEWS FROM SAXON WEALD:
Looking for funding? Apply for a community grant!
Does your Scout hut need a new lick of paint? Would you like to set up a knitting club? Or maybe you just need help towards your club’s general running costs? Look no further. Local voluntary and not-for-profit organisations are invited to apply for a grant from Saxon Weald.
As part of Saxon Weald’s community grant scheme, each year a variety of clubs and organisations receive funding from £100 to £1000. This year is no exception, with a total of £10,000 in the pot.
Jim Dean, Head of Business Improvement at Saxon Weald, says: ‘We are proud to support local good causes who help to improve the quality of life for our residents and the wider community. We look forward to receiving a range of applications this year.’
Organisations that benefited from last year’s scheme include Horsham Debt Advice Service, Sunbeam Swimming Club, Steyning Town Football Club and Horsham Rugby Club for U13s. You need to be a voluntary, not-for-profit organisation working where Saxon Weald has housing stock. Groups receiving central or local government funding cannot be considered. The closing date is Friday 7 December 2012.
For more information or an application pack please contact Claire Fellows on 01403 226013 or email claire.fellows@saxonweald.com
STREET LIGHTS:
West Sussex County Council maintains all streetlights in Steyning. To report a fault dial 0845 7581622. It is useful if you have to hand the number on the light column of the light in question.
CIVIC AMENITY SERVICE:
The Mobile Gobbler Waste collection service will operate in Fletchers Croft car park on 8th December 2012.
ASHURST PARISH COUNCIL NEWS
Parish Council Meetings:
The next Parish Council meetings will be held on Thursday 3rd January 2013 and 14th March 2013. Meetings start at 8pm and will be held in the Skittle Ally of the Fountain Inn. Members of the public are welcome to attend all Parish Council meetings.
Ashurst Recreation Ground Trust AGM:
The AGM of the Ashurst Recreation Ground Trust was held on 4th October at 8pm in the Skittle Alley at the Fountain Inn. Councillors have carried out maintenance to the play equipment, benches, the “ladies” toilet in the John Eaton Hut and cleared the area at the back of the John Eaton Hut. Another day of maintenance is to be organised for the spring.
Housing Survey Update:
Horsham District Council is to meet with Tom Warder of Action in Rural Sussex to discuss possible sites for building affordable housing in Ashurst.
The Parish Councillors would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Parish Councillors
Alan Griffiths (Chairman) 01403 711544
Nick Hedley (Vice- Chairman) 01403 711373
Chris Jesse 01903 815089
Roy Powel 01403 710419
Chas Hammond 01903 816299
George Stevens 01403 710232
Linda Thornton 01403 713123
Clerk
Hazel Roxby (Office hours 01903 812042) other times 01903 814802
Email: hroxby@hotmail.com
STEYNING PARISH COUNCIL NEWS - ISSUE 36 - September 2012.
CHAIRMAN‘S MESSAGE - A BUSY AUGUST
August is traditionally a quiet month in local government, but not in Steyning. We continue with a lot of potential new projects in readiness for r2outine committee meetings in September.
A high priority (and possibly our highest priority) is to try and not only save what is known as the “Youth Provision” in Steyning and the surrounding area, but to enhance it. In 2014 WSCC will be withdrawing the funding for the youth service, based at the Cuthman Centre.
Cllr Sue Rogers, in both her capacity as a cabinet member of Horsham District Council, and a member of the Parish Council, is leading the way generally throughout the Horsham area, and also very much locally, together with myself and our Chairman of the Finance and Community Committee, Paul Devlin.
Our objective is to try and continue to fund the Cuthman Centre as a youth club with youth workers serving not only us, but also other neighbouring parishes, in both an outreach capacity and a one to one advisory capacity for young people. This is a very big subject with a big issue around finance.
We are working very much with partner organisations including Upper Beeding, and Bramber and other Parish Councils, the churches and charitable groups, and there is a lot of spade work to be done before we can get to a point where we can make a formal presentation to the public. We intend, however, to consult with local residents later this year, probably by way of a leaflet to each household, setting out in more detail what we would like to do and what the effect might be on the Parish precept (i.e. our very modest component of the Council Tax bill you get). It is much too early to tell yet, but we’ll come back on this later in the year.
Dog Fouling on Memorial Playing Field
We continue to get complaints about this and I would very much like people to tell me whether or not they would support the idea of a modest height wooden fence put round the children’s play area in the center of MPF. There are two views, namely that it is vitally necessary for health reasons, because of dog fouling or conversely that it is not needed and would look unsightly. Personally, I now favour putting up a small fence because of the risk of contamination to children, so if you have got a strong view on this one way or the other can you please email our parish clerk and we can discuss this when it comes up at the meeting of the Playing Fields Committee on Tuesday 18th September next.
Devolution of Minor Highway Works from WSCC
Another piece of ongoing work is to explore, again with Upper Beeding and Bramber Parish Councils whether there is scope for WSCC devolving minor highway works to the Parish Councils. This would only cover very minor items, such as vegetation clearing and not big issues like potholes, which would be beyond our scope. Again, the issue will be finance and whether or not sufficient monies would follow. The ideal would be to have a small highways facility based in Steyning with probably an administrator, and an “external works officer”.
Again, this is an ongoing piece of work and it is too early to give you any specific information at this stage.
Skateboard Facility in Memorial Playing Field
We received a very favourable response from members of the Planning Committee at Horsham District Council, but we now have to get (as we have always said we will get) a final landscaping and design scheme prepared, together with a second acoustic report. We are working on this but nothing has been placed with any consultant yet for work to be done. However, this article is written before this magazine goes to print, so this information could conceivably have been superseded.
David Barling - Chairman Steyning Parish Council
FUTURE YOUTH PROVISION FOR STEYNING:
Due to cut backs by WSCC the youth facility in Steyning will cease to function after April 2014 unless funds can found from other sources. Steyning Parish Council, in conjunction with Upper Beeding and Bramber Councils and other parishes and charities, are seeking ways of securing the facility by investigating alternative options. It is hoped that an improved youth service can be funded which will include the 11 to 14 age group. The Steyning Youth Centre, the Cuthman Centre, will be available but funds are needed to provide youth workers. If this is to go ahead there would need to be a contribution from the Council Tax and when details are known residents will be asked their views on this by means of a questionnaire.
THE 106 BUS SERVICE:
Again due to the removal of the subsidy by WSCC the 106 bus service from Henfield via Steyning to Worthing was under threat of closure from September. Fortunately the bus company, Compass Travel, have been able keep the service running without subsidy but only on Monday to Friday.
The bus is well used on Saturday, so the Parish Council decided to approach other councils on the route to provide funding for a six month trial period. This funding has now been agreed and the service will continue to run on Saturdays from September 3rd, for a six month period at the same level as the Monday to Friday service. A close monitoring of Saturday usage will be made and if successful it is hoped that funding will continue to be provided.
Paul Devlin - Chairman Finance and Community Committee.
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE:
Why not become a Parish Councillor? It is one of the most rewarding roles in the community. You can make a difference by representing the views of residents in the community. Councillors contribute to the work of the Council by:
Having a say about the things they care about
Putting forward ideas for better services
Responding to the needs and views of the residents
Seeking the best outcome to local issues
Getting involved in decision making
The Parish Council currently has a vacancy for co-option onto the Council. If you think you could be interested in becoming a Councillor please come in and talk to me, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.
You must have lived in Steyning for at least 12 months and be 18 years of age or older.
Sue Booth, Clerk to the Council 01903 812042 or email HYPERLINK "mailto:spcclerk@btconnect.com" spcclerk@btconnect.com
BLOOD DONERS:
The next blood donors sessions to be held at The Steyning Centre, Fletcher’s Croft will be on: Monday 1st October 2012 & Monday 28th January 2013. Sessions are from 2.00 – 4.30 p.m. and 5.30 – 8.00 p.m.
CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU:
The CAB is now operating its outreach service at The Steyning Centre every two weeks from the New Year thanks to a decision by Steyning Parish Council, Upper Beeding Parish Council and Bramber Council to fund one extra day per month. It is held on a Wednesday from 10am to 12.30pm. Please note that an appointment system operates and appointments can be made by phoning the CAB Helpline on 0844 477 1171 or the Steyning Centre on 01903 812042.
MEETINGS OF THE PARISH COUNCIL:
Finance & General Purposes: 2nd Oct*, 6th Nov*, 4th Dec*.
Full Parish Council: 10th Sept, 8th Oct, 12th Nov.
Highways & Lighting: 16th Oct*, 20th Nov*.
Playing Fields: 18th Sept*, 23rd Oct, 27th Nov.
*Planning will be held on these evenings at 7.00 pm.
Members of the public are welcome to attend these meetings which are held at The Steyning Centre. Meetings are at 7.30pm except Planning marked* which is at 7.00 p.m.
All agendas are displayed on the Public Notice Board at the High Street car park. Contact: 01903 812042. Email: HYPERLINK "mailto:spcclerk@btconnect.com"spcclerk@btconnect.com or HYPERLINK "mailto:steyningcentre@btconnect.com"steyningcentre@btconnect.com
All meeting dates and agendas are now published on the Parish Council website:
HYPERLINK http://www.steyningpc.gov.uk www.steyningpc.gov.uk
STREET LIGHTS:
West Sussex County Council maintains all streetlights in Steyning. To report a fault dial 0845 7581622. It is useful if you have to hand the number on the light column of the light in question.
CIVIC AMENITY SERVICE:
The Mobile Gobbler Waste collection service will operate in Fletchers Croft car park on 15th September, 8th December 2012.
Crimestoppers urges the public to “nail” metal thieves
Sussex Crimestoppers are joining forces with colleagues in Thames Valley, Kent, Hampshire and Isle of Wight, and Surrey to tackle metal theft crime head on in the South East.
Theft of metal is now one of the fastest rising crimes, with costs to the UK economy estimated at ￡770m each year. Heavily influenced by commodity prices and the growing economies of both developing and developed countries, it affects communities, industry and commerce and poses a real and significant threat to public safety and critical national infrastructure. It is an international problem and whilst metal prices remain high and global demand continues to rise, this crime is big business and an issue that will not disappear on its own.
“The summer holiday season will see many buildings, particularly schools and offices, left vulnerable to both the organized and opportunistic thief. Thieves are not invisible unless we choose to ignore them,” commented Kathy Burke, volunteer chair of Sussex Crimestoppers.
“Metal theft is the hot topic today,” she continued. “We read about incidents in the papers and many of us may well have felt the impact of metal theft on our day to day lives: train cancellations from cable and track theft, loss of phone and internet connection, school closures. However, awareness of metal theft is only part of the battle. In order to stop criminals continuing to disrupt our lives we all need to be proactive, vigilant and to report our suspicions quickly. To this end Crimestoppers offers the public a safe and anonymous way to stop the thieves by contacting us on 0800 555 111 or using our secure, online form direct from a mobile phone at HYPERLINK "http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org/" www.crimestoppers-uk.org. But we can only be effective if you make that call.”
Last week Police Forces in the South East introduced a new scheme named Operation Tornado. This will make it easier to trace any person who sells metal to Scrap Metal Merchants and will help to remove and prosecute dealers of stolen metal. Crimestoppers will be working throughout the year to further enhance and support this initiative.
Inspector Martin Pattenden, the Sussex Police lead for Operation Tornado remarked: “As a Force we are committed to reducing metal theft in Sussex. Operation Tornado aims to target unscrupulous dealers rather than inhibit legitimate businesses. However we still need intelligence from the public to tackle this crime from all angles and the Crimestoppers anonymous service provides a valuable tool to enable communities to provide information safely and free from fear.”
To pass on information about metal theft or any crime anonymously, Crimestoppers can be contacted online at HYPERLINK "http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org/" www.crimestoppers-uk.org through the new mobile site or computer, or by calling the 24/7 anonymous 0800 555 111 number. Whichever form of communication chosen, anonymity is guaranteed.
Crimestoppers is an independent charity, which helps the police to solve crimes, making communities safer. It does this by operating the 24/7 telephone number 0800 555 111 which people can ring to pass on information about crimes anonymously. They can also use our ‘giving information’ form via our website www.crimestoppers-uk.org which can also be accessed via mobile devices.
ASHURST PARISH COUNCIL NEWS:
Parish Council Meetings:
The next Parish Council meetings will be held on Thursday 6th September and 1st November 2012.
Meetings start at 8pm and will be held in the Skittle Ally of the Fountain Inn. Members of the public are welcome to attend all Parish Council meetings.
Ashurst Recreation Ground Trust AGM
The AGM of the Ashurst Recreation Ground Trust will be held on 4th October at 8pm in the Skittle Allay at the Fountain Inn. Members of the public are welcome to attend all Parish Council meetings.
External Audit:
The External Audit for 2011-12 has been signed off as a correct record of Ashurst Parish Councils finances for the year. Anyone wishing to view the accounts can do so by appointment through the Clerk on 01903 812042 office hours and 01903 814802 at other times.
Parish Councillors:
Alan Griffiths (Chairman): 01403 711544
Nick Hedley (Vice- Chairman): 01403 711373
Chris Jesse: 01903 815089
Roy Powel: 01403 710419
Chas Hammond: 01903 816299
George Stevens: 01403 710232
Linda Thornton: 01403 713123
Clerk:
Hazel Roxby: (Office hours 01903 812042) other times 01903 814802
Email: HYPERLINK mailto:hroxby@hotmail.com hroxby@hotmail.com
END - END - END
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A PDF OF THE JUNE 2012 PARISH NEWS
STEYNING PARISH COUNCIL NEWS - ISSUE 35 - June 2012.
CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE
Steyning Parish Council has been really busy in the last quarter. We have been focusing on issues such as Briton’s Croft redevelopment, highway matters, and our playing fields.
Redevelopment of Briton’s Croft:
The Briton’s Croft buildings will, we believe, finally be empty around June this year. We have been in very close consultation with Saxon Weald Housing Association over its retention and redevelopment for local housing. Saxon Weald is now going to have a consultation day at the Steyning Centre between 3-7pm on 20th June and all residents are invited. They will be showing two alternative schemes, under which it will be either all older persons’ housing or a mixed scheme for older persons and a small number of two storey homes for younger families.
We have been to see the Saxon Weald new housing at Storrington known as Nightingale and Skylark which is two large buildings side by side comprising 21, one and two bedroom flats for the over 60’s. This was very impressive and very high specification.
We were particularly interested to learn that a number of Saxon Weald tenants who qualified for the new scheme, moved from other accommodation in Storrington, at their own request because of the quality that the new building provided. This freed up larger accommodation for local families and at the moment, our preference is for an all older persons’ scheme with the intent that this would also assist younger families to stay in Steyning by virtue of freeing up other accommodation in the town.
Once Saxon Weald has judged local preferences, they will hopefully make a planning application in the near future and then commence work on site in early 2013 with the object of opening in 2014.
The Parish Council is fully behind this and is appreciative of the efforts that the staff of Saxon Weald is making in involving us in this process.
CCTV in Memorial Playing Field:
By the time you read this the CCTV cameras will be installed and working in Memorial Playing Field which we believe will assist in keeping an eye on the children’s play equipment, and the club houses on the edge of the field. We have been pleased to make grants to Steyning Bowls Club and Steyning Tennis Club to assist them with the cost of their cameras and they will be contributing from their club funds as well.
Highway Matters:
We have carried out a lot of work on highway matters. We are in early talks with West Sussex County Council to look at the possibility of taking on some devolved powers for minor highway functions such as grass verge cutting, vegetation clearance and cleaning of road signs. This is at a very early stage and nothing will happen for the moment but this is all part of the “Big Society” under which powers are devolved downwards to Parish Councils to carry out because of their more detailed knowledge of their own areas. We would only wish to carry out extra functions if funds followed to employ contractors and staff.
This is being undertaken in conjunction with Bramber Parish Council, Ashurst Parish Council and Upper Beeding Parish Council with whom we regularly meet over matters of common interest. Together the Parishes could cluster and carry out some functions which they wouldn’t necessarily be able to do individually.
Economic Development:
One of our priorities is to see our town thrive and to support existing and new businesses and jobs. We have been in close contact with Horsham District Council Economic Development Officers who have visited Steyning and who are coming up with a programme of “good ideas” to try and improve things such as signage etc. in the High Street and at the entrance to the town. We are in regular contact with the Steyning Chamber of Trade who now have a new committee and officers and we wish them well.
Library:
We’ve continued to monitor the situation concerning Steyning Library and have had contact with the chief librarian. As you know Steyning Library will not close but there are a number of initiatives which are not yet fully clear and this is something we will keep an eye on.
Buses:
Again we are continuing to monitor the situation with regard to the 2A route with Brighton and Hove buses and the 106 bus with Compass Travel. The Parish Council enjoys good relationships with both bus companies and we will continue to encourage them to maintain these routes commercially even if there is withdrawal of subsidy.
David Barling - Chairman, Steyning Parish Council
WHAT KIND OF HOMES FOR STEYNING?
Saxon Weald is redeveloping the site of Briton’s Croft, its former Extra Care scheme for older people in Steyning.
We want to know what sort of housing the residents of Steyning would like to see on the site - which is why we’re inviting you to come along to a consultation day later this month.
You’ll have the chance to look at the options as well as fill in a questionnaire giving your views. The questionnaires will be used by us to inform our planning application to Horsham District Council.
Please take part - this is an opportunity to influence the provision of affordable homes in your area. We want your views so we can deliver a scheme that meets the needs and aspirations of your community.
The planning consultation will take place on Wednesday, 20 June at the Steyning Centre from 3pm to 7.30pm. All Steyning residents are welcome.
CIVIC AMENITY SERVICE:
The Mobile Gobbler Waste collection service will operate in Fletchers Croft car park on 9th June, 15th September, 8th December and 9th May 2013.
BLOOD DONORS:
The next blood donors sessions to be held at The Steyning Centre, Fletcher’s Croft will be on: Monday 18th June & Monday 6th August 2012. Sessions are from 2.00 – 4.30 p.m. and 5.30 – 8.00 p.m.
CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU:
The CAB is now operating its outreach service at The Steyning Centre every two weeks from the New Year thanks to a decision by Steyning Parish Council, Upper Beeding Parish Council and Bramber Council to fund one extra day per month. It is held on a Wednesday from 10am to 12.30pm. Please note that an appointment system operates and appointments can be made by phoning the CAB Helpline on 0844 477 1171 or the Steyning Centre on 01903 812042.
STREET LIGHTS:
West Sussex County Council maintains all streetlights in Steyning. To report a fault dial 0845 7581622. It is useful if you have to hand the number on the light column of the light in question.
PLAYING FIELDS REPORT:
I am delighted to share with you some excellent news. Several weeks ago we were approached by Karon Foxwell, a member of the public, who having seen Sarah Raven’s programme on creating Wild Flower Gardens in Public places, asked if she might plant one for us in Steyning. She met with me and we discussed the best place for a garden and decided on our Abbey Road open space. We selected an area of slightly higher land.
Karon worked extremely hard, attending a course to increase her knowledge, finding sponsors and persuading a gardener friend to come and clear the site and prepare the ground. Next they managed to borrow a digger. Great fun and anxiety trying to find a safe place to park the digger overnight! Fortunately one of the neighbours came to our rescue, not only allowing us to park overnight, but also providing cups of tea for the workers as they prepared the ground on a very wet Sunday morning. Myles working the digger and Karon’s husband driving the spoil to its dumping ground.
Next was the excitement of planting the seeds. For this activity we were assisted by a group of girls from the Towers Convent Junior School. Fortunately we managed to choose a small window of fine weather and were able to plant the seeds in the dry! The garden will be surrounded by wire fencing to keep animals off until the seeds have germinated. So What next? On a date which has still to be decided Sally Gunnell has promised to officially open the garden. We will announce this date as soon as it is known, so watch the Council website for pictures and further information.
The Work of the committee continues as usual. The Memorial Playing Field has had the first Grass cut of the Season and looks very smart. The Scouts have adopted it for their Community Service week and are going to give it a good tidy up, reaching the places machines cannot.
Gill Ness-Collins – Chair of Playing Fields Committee
SIGN UP NOW FOR BETTER BROADBAND:
More than 4,000 of you have already backed the drive by the ‘Better Connected’ partnership to win faster broadband services for West Sussex. But we need more support especially from smaller communities in rural areas.
What have people done to show support?
Completed a registration form.
Where do I find the form?
Log on to www.westsussex.gov.uk/broadband or pick one up from your local Help Point or Library.
Why is it important to sign up?
To prove to technology suppliers that there is a demand that will make it worth them investing in the infrastructure.
Why is it important?
Faster broadband will create jobs and boost the local economy. It will also reduce social isolation and help people to cut their bills by accessing on-line deals and services.
Does signing up guarantee better services?
Communities that demonstrate the strongest support are more likely to be included in the earlier stages of the Broadband improvement programme. Registering your demand doesn’t commit you to anything but it will help to persuade suppliers it’s worth investing in the county. We need the evidence for when we start talking to potential suppliers later this year so please sign up NOW!
MEETINGS OF THE PARISH COUNCIL:
Finance & General Purposes: 3rd July, 7th August*, 4th Sept
Full Parish Council: 11th June, 9th July, 10th Sept
Highways & Lighting: 9th June*, 24th July, 28th August
Playing Fields: 26th June, 31st July,18th Sept
Planning: 3rd July*, 17th July*, 7th August*, 21st August*, 4th Sept*, 18th Sept*
Members of the public are welcome to attend these meetings which are held at The Steyning Centre. Meetings are at 7.30pm except Planning marked* which is at 7.00 p.m.
All agendas are displayed on the Public Notice Board at the High Street car park. Contact: 01903 812042. Email: spcclerk@btconnect.com or steyningcentre@btconnect.com
All meeting dates and agendas are now published on the Parish Council website:
www.steyningpc.gov.uk
COMMITTEE MEMBERS 2012/13
CHAIRMAN OF COUNCIL: DAVID BARLING.
VICE-CHAIRMAN: TIM LLOYD.
FINANCE & COMMUNITY COMMITTEE (9)
Chairman: Sue Rogers.
Vice-Chairman: Mariella Alexander.
Members: David Barling, Tim Lloyd, Paul Devlin, Roger Toms, Gill Ness-Collins, Phil Hoare, Martin Toomey.
HIGHWAYS & LIGHTING COMMITTEE (7)
Chairman: Tim Lloyd.
Vice Chairman: Phil Hoare.
Members: David Barling, Mariella Alexander, Marlene Carman, Phil Bowell, Nick Hopkinson.
PLAYING FIELDS COMMITTEE (7)
Chairman: Gill Ness-Collins.
Vice Chairman: Vacant.
Members: David Barling, Tim Lloyd, Gordon Marshall, Sue Rogers, Wendy Moss, Liz Trundle.
PLANNING COMMITTEE (7)
Chairman: Paul Devlin.
Vice Chairman: Mariella Alexander.
Members: David Barling, Tim Lloyd, Marlene Carman, Martin Toomey, Phil Bowell.
STEYNING CENTRE MANAGEMENT WORKING GROUP:
Chairman: Roger Toms.
Vice Chairman: Vacant.
Members: David Barling, Gordon Marshall, Tim Lloyd, Wendy Moss, Nick Hopkinson, Liz Trundle.
All of the above Councillors can be contacted through the Clerk, The Steyning Centre, Fletcher’s Croft, Steyning, BN44 3XZ. 01903 812042 or email: spcclerk@btconnect.com
ASHURST PARISH COUNCIL NEWS:
Parish Council Meetings
The next Parish Council meetings will be held on Thursday 5th July and 6th September 2012.
Meetings start at 8pm at the Village Hall. Members of the public are welcome to attend all Parish Council meetings.
Parish Council AGM:
At the Parish Council AGM held on 3rd May Councillor Alan Griffiths was re-elected as Chairman and Councillor Nick Hedley was re-elected as Vice- Chairman.
Housing Needs Survey in Ashurst:
A meeting will be arranged in the near future with Tom Warder, Councillors Griffiths, Stevens and Powel to discuss and plan for the way forward for the Housing needs in Ashurst.
Internal Audit
The internal Audit for 2011-12 was carried out on 3rd May and signed off as a correct record of Ashurst Parish Council’s finances for the year. Anyone wishing to view the accounts can do so by appointment through the Clerk on 01903 812042 office hours and 01903 814802 at other times.
Parish Councillors:
Alan Griffiths (Chairman): 01403 711544
Nick Hedley (Vice- Chairman): 01403 711373
Chris Jesse: 01903 815089
Roy Powel: 01403 710419
Chas Hammond: 01903 816299
George Stevens: 01403 710232
Linda Thornton: 01403 713123
Clerk:
Hazel Roxby (Office hours 01903 812042) other times 01903 814802
Email: hroxby@hotmail.com
END - END - END
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A PDF OF THE MARCH 2012 PARISH NEWS
STEYNING PARISH COUNCIL NEWS - ISSUE 34 - March 2012.
CHAIRMAN'S MESSAGE:
The Parish Council has been extraordinarily busy over the last couple of months. We have been working on several new projects, let alone all our routine activities.
My colleague, Cllr Sue Rogers, initiated a very useful seminar with housing providers which was attended by representatives from Saxon Weald Housing Association and Horsham District Council and Action in Rural Sussex. We invited along other Parish Councillors from Bramber and Upper Beeding to get to grips with the Briton’s Croft situation in particular and housing facilities for older people in Steyning and the surrounding area generally. The scene was set for us by the Chair of Age Concern, Vivien Lythe who painted a picture of an aging population generally in the Horsham District where in future years demand for housing for older people might outstrip supply and this was generally echoed by the other speakers.
With regard to Briton’s Croft we have secured a promise from Saxon Weald that they will not dispose of the site, but will develop it for a mix of housing, probably both older persons housing and some affordable housing, but this mix and the nature of the new building is yet to be decided and they will be consulting with Steyning PC at a later date, once they have formulated their own initial ideas. This is very much an ongoing matter.
We have also spent a lot of time on the consultation concerning a skateboard facility at the far side of Memorial Playing Field. We held an extraordinarily successful public meeting with over 400 attending and with nearly 70% of people who voted in favour of building the facility. The Parish Council Working Party is now exploring the feasibility by way of getting a design prepared, and further audio/noise reports. My thanks to our Vice Chairman, Tim Lloyd for all his hard work on an excellent presentation to the public meeting.
In partnership with Steyning Cricket Club we are hoping to get CCTV in place in Memorial Playing Field soon.
We are also pursuing various highway matters with West Sussex County Council including improvements to the A283 Bypass, cutting back trees adjacent to overhead lights on the Bypass, Tanyard Lane traffic regulation order removing six parking spaces, and various other minor matters. These projects have been delayed due to staff sickness at WSCC Highways Department but we haven’t lost sight of them and continue to press them accordingly.
Finally, we have started work on preparing a new “Town Plan” for Steyning. This is only in its embryo form at the moment but will provide a template for what we would like to see in the Town in the next 10 years. Once we have a draft which is of sufficient quality, and depth we will put this out for general consultation.
My regards to you all.
DAVID BARLING - Chairman, Steyning Parish Council
CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU:
The CAB is now operating its outreach service at The Steyning Centre every two weeks from the New Year thanks to a decision by Steyning Parish Council, Upper Beeding Parish Council and Bramber Council to fund one extra day per month. It is held on a Wednesday from 10am to 12.30pm. Please note that an appointment system operates and appointments can be made by phoning the CAB Helpline on 0844 477 1171 or the Steyning Centre on 01903 812042.
CIVIC AMENITY SERVICE:
The Mobile Waste collection service will be started again in Fletchers Croft car park in April 2012, dates to be confirmed.
The Landfill waste collection will be in the car park on 10th March 2012.
BLOOD DONERS:
The next blood donors sessions to be held at The Steyning Centre, Fletcher’s Croft will be on: Monday 23rd April & Monday 18th June 2012. Sessions are from 2.00 – 4.30 p.m. and 5.30 – 8.00 p.m.
GENEROUS DONATION RECEIVED:
The Parish Council wishes to thank the very generous Steyning pensioner who kindly donated £50 in cash anonymously towards the skateboard facility project following the public consultation meeting. We were extremely touched by this donation, thank you very much.
We are, of course, open to any more donations towards this project!
Please contact Sue Booth at the Steyning Centre, 01903 812042.
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE:
Why not become a Parish Councillor? It is one of the most rewarding roles in the community. You can make a difference by representing the views of residents in the community. Councillors contribute to the work of the Council by:
Having a say about the things they care about
Putting forward ideas for better services
Responding to the needs and views of the residents
Seeking the best outcome to local issues
Getting involved in decision making
The Parish Council currently has a vacancy for co-option onto the Council. If you think you could be interested in becoming a Councillor please come in and talk to me, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.
You must have lived in Steyning for at least 12 months and be 18 years of age or older
Sue Booth, Clerk to the Council 01903 812042 or email spcclerk@btconnect.com
PLAYING FIELDS REPORT:
Pooh now! – pay later!
Council launches campaign to catch ‘irresponsible dog owners’
In my last report from the Playing Fields Committee I stressed how seriously the PC takes the issue of dog fouling. But there is no evidence that the situation is getting any better.
In fact, judging from letters received by the Council, and our own and Neighbourhood Warden patrols, things are getting worse.
I realise it is sometimes harder to see where your dog has been in winter when the grass is longer, but this should be a rare exception. We have 19 bins around the field, you may place dog pooh in any one of these as long as it is properly wrapped. We have also noticed an increase in deposits on the roads and twittens.
It is an offence not to clear up after your dog and you can receive up to £1000 fine. The council will not hesitate to fine anyone who is caught. In order to ensure that culprits are brought to justice, we will be running extra patrols in collaboration with the Neighbourhood Wardens and the Junior Wardens will also be assisting with our campaign. CCTV is set to be installed in the Memorial Playing Field and this may help us to identify the culprits.
On another matter relating to dogs there was a report in the news recently about a dog, not under proper control, attacking a child. Please keep your dogs under control and in sight at all times - we don’t wish to have to insist on all dogs on leads. If we all take care to be responsible dog walkers we will all be able to continue enjoying our open spaces for years to come.
Gill Ness-Collins – Chair of Playing Fields Committee
NEW COMMUNITY YOUNG PERSONS AWARD
In our last newsletter we asked for nominations for a Young Carers Award and we now wish to broaden the scope of this award to recognise the contribution from young people generally in the Town. This might be an individual who has raised money for charity or a team such as a group of scouts who have taken on a project in the Town. At the recent skateboard facility meeting we heard much of the need to recognise the contribution of young members of the community and this would go some way to do this. If you know of any young persons who could be candidates to receive this award please contact:
Sue Booth, The Clerk on 01903 812042 or email: spcclerk@btconnect.com
MEETING OF THE PARISH COUNCIL:
Finance & General Purposes: 6th March *, 3rd April *, 8th May *, 5th June *
Full Parish Council: 12th March , 14th May, 11th June, 9th Jul
The Annual Parish Meeting will be held on: 25th March 2012 at 7.30 p.m.
Highways & Lighting: 24th April, 19th June*, 24th July
Playing Fields: 20th March *, 22nd May*, 26th June, 31st July
Steyning Centre: 17th April *, 29th May, 17th July*
*Planning will be held on these evenings at 7.00 pm.
Members of the public are welcome to attend these meetings which are held at The Steyning Centre. Meetings are at 7.30pm except Planning marked* which is at 7.00 p.m.
All agendas are displayed on the Public Notice Board at the High Street car park.
Contact: 01903 812042. Email: spcclerk@btconnect.com or steyningcentre@btconnect.com
All meeting dates and agendas are now published on the Parish Council website:
www.steyningpc.gov.uk
ASHURST PARISH COUNCIL NEWS:
Parish Council Meetings
The next Parish Council meetings will be held on Thursday 1st March and 3rd May 2012.
Meetings start at 8pm at the Village Hall. Members of the public are welcome to attend all Parish Council meetings.
Annual Parish Meeting:
The Annual Parish Meeting will be held 5th April.
The Annual Parish Meeting, although chaired by the Chairman of the Parish Council, is not a Parish Council meeting. It is a meeting for the electorate of Ashurst to give their views and have their say on local issues. Refreshments will be served
Housing Needs Survey in Ashurst:
The results of the Housing Needs Survey have been received and more details of this will be available at the Parish Council Meeting and Annual Parish Meeting.
Precept 2012/13:
The precept for 2012/13 has been agreed at £5,700.00, which is the same as last year.
Parish Councillors:
Alan Griffiths (Chairman) - 01403 711544
Nick Hedley (Vice- Chairman) - 01403 711373
Chris Jesse - 01903 815089
Roy Powel - 01403 710419
Chas Hammond - 01903 816299
George Stevens - 01403 710232
Linda Thornton - 01403 713123
Clerk:
Hazel Roxby (Office hours 01903 812042) other times 01903 814802
Email: hroxby@hotmail.com
STREET LIGHTS:
West Sussex County Council maintains all streetlights in Steyning. To report a fault dial 0845 7581622. It is useful if you have to hand the number on the light column of the light in question.
END - END - END
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A PDF OF THE DECEMBER 2011 PARISH NEWS
STEYNING PARISH COUNCIL NEWS - ISSUE 33 - December 2011.
CHAIRMAN‘S MESSAGE:
It has been a really busy period for the Parish Council. We have been involved with many, many projects apart from all the routine administration and services we provide in the Town.
Christmas Lights:
One of the things we have been supporting this year is a financial contribution to the Christmas Lights which are provided by the Steyning Chamber of Trade and which do somuch to enhance the festive spirit during December. The Chamber of Trade has found it increasingly difficult over the years to raise the amount of money necessary to fund a display. It costs approximately £3,500 every year to put this on.
The Parish Council has been approached to pay an increased contribution towards this in 2012 that may amount to as much as £1,000. How do you feel about that? We would very much like some feedback because the cost of this will go on the Parish Precept. Please let us know. spcclerk@btconnect.com
Council Tax:
And whilst mentioning next year’s Council Tax, we hope to be able to budget for only a modest increase in the Parish Precept although the Council Tax is frozen for 2012.
CCTV:
One of the other projects we are currently working on is to put CCTV cameras in Memorial Playing Field to view the children’s play area and other areas of the field particularly at night, and secondly to cover the interior of the bus shelter in the High Street.
Unfortunately both have experienced anti-social behaviour and putting in CCTV is one way of minimising and deterring this. We are of course combing this with continuing patrols by our two Wardens and our PCSO and happily we have been able to keep antisocial behaviour to a minimum but it does occur from time to time.
The Garden of Remembrance in Memorial Playing Field:
Congratulations to the British Legion, chaired by Lewis Whittaker for their fantastic efforts in completely remodelling the Garden of Remembrance. This has been done at a cost of £28,000 through Grant Aid, and was opened in September. It is a real credit to everybody who put in such hard work.
Parish Council Website:
We are really proud of our new Parish Council website. This has been the particular “baby” of our Vice Chairman, Tim Lloyd who has put a huge amount of time and effort into getting this up and running. We would like to think that this is a valuable tool in communication. We put our news on it, agendas, minutes, and lots and lots of useful information and contact points.
It is our intention that this will be a very much “live” facility that will be updated all the time. You can also see Steyning weather on it daily so if you want to know what the forecast is for Steyning, do switch on to the website. Put this as a “favourite” on your computer now, its www.steyningpc.gov.uk
Housing Survey:
A big thank you to those many residents who filled in their forms and sent them back to Action in Rural Sussex. The response was fantastic. AIRS are pleased if they get 10-20% responses from previous surveys of other locations. For Steyning they have achieved at least 25% of responses from local households. All the results are now being analysed and we intend to bring forward the report as soon as we can and to then present this to Saxon Weald Housing Association as a basis for future discussions on the future of Briton’s Croft and its site. This is very much an ongoing piece of work for us.
Sunday Bus Service:
Councillor Sue Rogers and myself have had a fruitful meeting with officers of Brighton and Hove Bus Company about the loss of subsidy for the Sunday service 2A. We are pleased to say that they have agreed to run this for a further period from April 2012 (when the subsidy expires) to see what their demand is likely to be and if it can run on a commercial basis. The buses on Sundays will only be in the day time rather than the evenings because the evenings were little used in practice and there is no chance of them becoming commercially self supporting.
The message is really simple. Use the Sunday service or unfortunately we shall lose it. This is something the Parish Council doesn’t want to see.
With best wishes to you all for a very Happy Christmas.
DAVID BARLING - Chairman, Steyning Parish Council
STEYNING SHOW CASE 2012:
A really important date for you to put in your diary is Saturday 25th February 2012 when the Parish Council will again be holding “Steyning Showcase” at the Steyning Centre. This was hugely popular in 2010 when approximately 1000 local residents came through the doors over the course of the day to visit the fifty plus stands showcasing the work of the many organisations and clubs in Steyning.
This was so successful that we have decided to run it again as a two yearly event and we have already booked up virtually all of the stands. As before, there will be a café running throughout the day serving light refreshments and exhibitions and demonstrations. Put this date in your diary now! We look forward to seeing you there.
CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU:
The CAB is now operating its outreach service at The Steyning Centre every two weeks from the New Year thanks to a decision by Steyning Parish Council, Upper Beeding Parish Council and Bramber Council to fund one extra day per month. It is held on a Wednesday from 10am to 12.30pm. Please note that an appointment system operates and appointments can be made by phoning the CAB Helpline on 0844 477 1171 or the Steyning Centre on 01903 812042.
STREET LIGHTS:
West Sussex County Council maintains all streetlights in Steyning. To report a fault dial 0845 7581622. It is useful if you have to hand the number of the light in question.
CIVIC AMENITY SERVICE:
The Mobile Waste collection service will be started again in Fletchers Croft car park in April 2012, dates to be confirmed. The Landfill waste collection will be in the car park on December 10th 2011
BLOOD DONORS:
The next blood donors sessions to be held at:
The Steyning Centre, Fletcher’s Croft will be on:
• Wednesday 28th December 2011
• Monday 20th February 2012.
Sessions are from 2.00 – 4.30 p.m. and 5.30 – 8.00 p.m.
MEETINGS OF THE PARISH COUNCIL:
• Finance & General Purposes: 6th Dec 11*, 3rd Jan 12, 7th Feb 12*, 6th March 12*
• Full Parish Council: 12th Dec 11, 9th Jan 12, 13th Feb 12, 12th March 12
• Highways & Lighting: 24th Jan 12*, 28th Feb 12
• Playing Fields: 20th Dec 11*, 31st Jan 12, 20th March 12*
• Steyning Centre: 21st Feb 12*
*Planning will be held on these evenings at 7.00 pm.
Members of the public are welcome to attend these meetings which are held at The Steyning Centre.
Meetings are at 7.30pm except Planning marked* which is at 7.00 p.m. All agendas are displayed on the Public Notice Board at the High Street car park.
Contact: 01903 812042. Email: spcclerk@btconnect.com or steyningcentre@btconnect.com
All meeting dates and agendas are now published on the Parish Council website: www.steyningpc.gov.uk
HIGHWAYS AND LIGHTING:
KEEP STEYNING TIDY
As part of the Parish Council’s on-going campaign to keep Steyning a safe place to live and work, the Highways & Lighting Committee is hoping, subject to funding approval, to install a new CCTV camera system in the High Street bus shelter to deter anti-social behaviour, graffiti and litter.
Volunteers met on Sunday 9th October to ‘weed’ the High Street which is now looking fantastic. We will be doing another weeding session in November to complete the task and we could do with more volunteers, so if you would like to help out please contact Sue Booth atspcclerk@btconnect.com
The Committee is linking with Steyning in Bloom to have a ‘Best Kept Shopfront’ competition.
Following a very successful speed survey about the A283 by-pass, at the farmers’ market, we have had good feedback on your thoughts about how the by-pass can be made safer and, easier to access from Horsham Road and Canons Way. 75% of those surveyed, wanted a lower speed restriction and 59% wanted this to be 50mph. 67% wanted acceleration and deceleration lanes at Horsham Road and Canons Way, with 69% believing that better signage would improve speeding and accidents. Other comments were made with 35% wanting spot checks on speeding motorcyclists on Saturdays and Sundays.
Following on from the survey the Parish Council met with Tracey Webb - Principal Highways and Community Manager, WSCC to discuss speeding traffic on the A283 Steyning by-pass and access to Canons Way and the Horsham Road. The priority list from the survey was put to Tracey Webb to see what could be done. She was very helpful and explained in detail why some suggestions to calm speeding, such as mini and large roundabouts and acceleration/deceleration lanes, would not work. Traffic lights were an option but these cause delays and are expensive to install.
The suggestions that she took away to look at in more detail were:
• Highlighting the crossing points thus giving a reason to slow down;
• Possible solar powered flashing lights at the crossings;
• Changing the physical layout at the major junctions by putting in white line ‘pinch points’;
• Better signage to warn drivers of the approaching junctions and,
• Rumble strips on the junction approaches (if approved these could not be installed until after April 2012).
Lastly, the Committee is working with our District Councillors to have the waste pods in Fletchers Croft car
park moved to reduce the offensive smell that affects local residents.
Tim Lloyd: Chairman Highways & Lighting Committee
PLAYING FIELDS REPORT:
In my last report I appealed to everyone to be particularly vigilant in clearing up dog mess. It may seem we are obsessed with this problem, however there is good reason for this apart from it being unpleasant there is a very definite health hazard, especially to young children. It has now been drawn to our attention that this problem is becoming more prevalent on the Children’s play area on the Memorial playing field. Please, Please pick up after your dog.
It has been suggested that we put a fence around this area – as in the children’s area in Fletchers Croft. This may not cure the problem totally if parents take their dogs into the area and they will have to watch them carefully. The committee has agreed in principle to investigate this matter. If you have any suggestions or ideas we would be pleased to hear them.
Gill Ness-Collins – Chair of Playing Fields Committee.
NEW COMMUNITY YOUNG CARERS AWARD:
Do you know of any young carer’s in our community?
There are many young people today who provide ongoing and vital support to a family member on either a permanent or temporary basis. This could be to a parent or sibling. Often the hard work and support they offer goes largely unnoticed by the community.
The parish council is hoping to recognise this contribution by way of a Young Carer’s award, to be formally presented at the Annual Parish Meeting.
If you know of someone who you think should be nominated then please let us know. Contact the parish clerk on spcclerk@btconnect.com. Entries by 31st January 2012.
STEYNING LIBRARY:
The public meeting held in early October in support of Steyning Library clearly demonstrated just how much the residents of Steyning and its surrounding district value Steyning Library and its staff. There were many questions directed at Lesley Sim and her colleagues from West Sussex Library Service, and many suggestions were made, both at the meeting and afterwards, on possible ways to raise revenue or cut costs. These will be looked at in more detail over the coming months.
WSCC Library Service has completed the first stage of its review process and we will continue to work together to produce a satisfactory outcome for Steyning Library.
ASHURST PARISH COUNCIL NEWS:
Parish Council Meetings:
The next Parish Council meetings will be held on Thursday 5th January 2012.
Meetings start at 8pm at the Village Hall. Members of the public are welcome to attend all Parish Council meetings.
Housing Needs Survey in Ashurst - September 2011:
The Housing needs survey was sent out to all residents in Ashurst in September. The results are awaited and I hope to be able to give more information on this in the next newsletter.
Ashurst Recreation Ground Trust:
The AGM of the recreation ground Trust was held on 6th October. Several members of the public complained about the dog fouling on the recreation ground. This is becoming an increasing problem and is very dangerous for the Primary School children playing on the field on a daily basis. Dog walkers, please make sure you pick up after your dog.
Precept 2012/13:
The budget for 2012/13 was discussed at the November Parish Council meeting and it is proposed that there will be no increase to the precept for the coming year.
Ashurst Parish Councillors and the Clerk wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New year.
Parish Councillors:
• Alan Griffiths (Chairman) 01403 711544
• Nick Hedley (Vice- Chairman) 01403 711373
• Chris Jesse 01903 815089
• Roy Powel 01403 710419
• Chas Hammond 01903 816299
• George Stevens 01403 710232
• Linda Thornton 01403 713123
• Clerk: Hazel Roxby (Office hours 01903 812042) other times 01903 814802. Email: hroxby@hotmail.com
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STEYNING PARISH COUNCIL NEWS - ISSUE 32 - September 2011
CHAIRMAN'S MESSAGE:
The last couple of months have been really active for the Parish Council because apart from our usual work, there have been so many new issues arising in the Town.
Library Review: We are concerned that there may be the possibility that Steyning Library might either close or the hours be curtailed substantially due to the need for the County Council to make budget savings. Steyning Library is well used and a much loved local facility. The Parish Council will do all it can to keep this open and we are very actively working on some proposals to put to County Libraries. It is too early to make a full report on this but we will very much wish to involve the whole of Steyning and all the groups in Steyning. It is one of our top priorities as my colleague Mariella explains later in this newsletter.
Bus Services: We were delighted that any decision to remove subsidy from the Sunday service of the 2A and the weekly service for the 106 buses has been deferred until the Autumn and that funding is safe in any event until April 2012. Again the Parish Council has been campaigning on this and are doing further work in liaison with Brighton and Hove Bus Company to see what can be done to retain the Sunday service. May I stress that the weekday service is not affected.
Briton’s Croft: Again the Parish Council is really concerned at the intention of Saxon Weald Housing Association to close Briton’s Croft, both because of its effect on the 35 elderly residents, and the dispersal to other homes owned by Saxon Weald, and because of the future provision of what are known as “extra care” services in Steyning. Extra Care services are a halfway house between warden assisted accommodation and simply residential accommodation. Our position is that we must have this kind of facility in the area for the future and we are in talks with Saxon Weald to see what can be done. More to come as this story unfolds.
Anti-social behaviour: Unfortunately there has been a spate of anti-social behaviour in the last couple of months. We are extremely concerned about this. We have been working with our two neighbourhood wardens, PCSO and the Police on this subject to try and develop strategies for stopping this in its tracks. That isn’t always easy but we are targeting our wardens for patrols of the Memorial Playing Field (MPF) and the bus shelter, especially late at night when this behaviour seems to occur. We are exploring putting a CCTV camera in MPF, and enhancing the one in the High Street. It is in no one’s interest to let this behaviour continue and as far as we are concerned, it is a zero tolerance policy. We are also exploring whether it is possible to employ a third full or part time neighbourhood warden in partnership with our neighbouring councils at Bramber and Upper Beeding and whether or not this would be affordable.
Litter in the High Street: As Tim Lloyd explains in his report, the amount of litter in the High Street lately has become completely unacceptable. For instance, there have been a couple of occasions when HDC has not emptied the waste bins on a Friday leaving them overflowing on Saturdays and Sundays and this is just not acceptable. We are exploring actively a number of ways of improving the litter situation in the High Street including enhancing our own litter collection and putting in more bins. Again watch this space as our programme unfolds. You can play your part in this please by picking up any bits of stray litter you see and putting them in the nearest bin.
Skateboard Facility: Going hand in hand with reduction of anti-social behaviour is the Parish Council’s wish to provide a skateboard facility for young people. As you will have read in the local newspapers, this has been especially difficult because of concerns by local residents and our wish not to impact on anyone’s amenity. We have explored every site that we can possibly think of and have come back again to the possibility of putting a fairly modest facility at the top of Memorial Playing Field.
Having had advice from Horsham District Council Planning Officer, that they have no formal policies with regard to such proposals, and that in their opinion MPF would be the site with the least problems attached to it. We have therefore commissioned an acoustic report from a reputable firm of sound engineers to give us more information on how, if any, a “below ground level” facility could cause an unacceptable noise impact on houses surrounding MPF. We take this issue very seriously in our deliberations and will only move ahead if there is broad public support for a firm proposal. I must stress that the Parish Council has not taken any decision on this subject yet. We need to get all the facts first before deciding whether to call a public meeting on the subject as a prelude to a planning application. At our July meeting, we had a fairly large attendance both for and against such a proposal. I do hope that nobody will take a premature view of this subject until we have been able to establish much more about it. This also goes hand in hand with our consideration of a CCTV camera in MPF as well. We have dismissed all other possible sites, including the field opposite the Leisure Centre (which is in private ownership) for various reasons including, in the case of the Leisure Centre field, safety reasons (Highway safety and parents not wishing to send younger children out of the town centre).
Well that’s enough from me. As you can see we are really active at the moment.
DAVID BARLING - Chairman, Steyning Parish Council.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS 2011/12 - STEYNING PARISH COUNCIL:
CHAIRMAN OF COUNCIL: DAVID BARLING
VICE-CHAIRMAN: TIM LLOYD
FINANCE & GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE:
Chairman: Sue Rogers
Vice-Chairman: Stuart Troop
Members: David Barling, Tim Lloyd, Paul Devlin, Gordon Marshall, Gill Ness-Collins, Phil Hoare, Martin Toomey
HIGHWAYS & LIGHTING COMMITTEE:
Chairman: Tim Lloyd
Vice Chairman: Phil Hoare
Members: David Barling, Sue Rogers, Mariella Alexander, Marlene Carman, Jill Godwin
PLAYING FIELDS COMMITTEE:
Chairman: Gill Ness-Collins
Vice Chairman: Marlene Carman
Members: David Barling, Tim Lloyd, Gill Ness-Collins, Marlene Carman, Roger Toms, Liz Trundle, Wendy Moss
PLANNING COMMITTEE:
Chairman Paul Devlin
Vice Chairman Mariella Alexander
Members: David Barling, Tim Lloyd, Marlene Carman, Martin Toomey, Stuart Troop.
STEYNING CENTRE COMMITTEE:
Chairman Vacant
Vice Chairman Roger Toms (Acting Chairman)
Members: David Barling, Tim Lloyd, Gordon Marshall, Wendy Moss, Jill Godwin, Liz Trundle
All of the above Councillors can be contacted through the Clerk, The Steyning Centre, Fletcher’s Croft, Steyning, BN44 3XZ. 01903 812042 or email: spcclerk@btconnect.com
CIVIC AMENITY SERVICE:
The Mobile Waste collection service will be in Fletchers Croft car park on: September 10th & 24th, October 8th & 22nd, November 5th & 19th 2011. The Landfill waste collection will be in the car park on December 10th 2011.
CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU:
The CAB is now operating its outreach service at The Steyning Centre every two weeks from the New Year thanks to a decision
by Steyning Parish Council, Upper Beeding Parish Council and Bramber Council to fund one extra day per month. It is held on a Wednesday from 10am to 12.30pm. Please note that an appointment system operates and appointments can be made by phoning the CAB Helpline on 0844 477 1171 or the Steyning Centre on 01903 812042.
SUPPORT YOUR LIBRARY:
West Sussex County Council Library Service is again undertaking a review of its 36 Libraries, with a view to making a 15% saving on its budget in the next financial year. Steyning library is one of 24 smaller community libraries in West Sussex and the Parish
Councils of Steyning, Bramber, Upper Beeding and Ashurst are concerned that it may be under serious threat of closure. We are
in discussion with WSCC Library Services to find a solution. In the meantime, we ask all residents in the Library’s catchment area, whether current or lapsed users, to visit the Library. Use it to stop us losing it. Also write or email your support of the Library to the Parish Council Clerk at the Steyning Centre. Email: spcclerk@btconnect.com
BLOOD DONERS:
The next blood donors sessions to be held at The Steyning Centre, Fletcher’s Croft will be on: Monday 19th September 2011 and Wednesday 28th December. Sessions are from 2.00 – 4.30p.m. and 5.30 – 8.00 p.m.
STREET LIGHTS:
West Sussex County Council maintains all streetlights in Steyning. To report a fault dial 0845 7581622. It is useful if you have to hand the number of the light in question.
MEETINGS OF THE PARISH COUNCIL:
• Finance & General Purposes: 6th Sept* - 4th Oct* - 8th Nov* - 6th Dec* 2011
• Full Parish Council: 12th Sept - 10th Oct - 14th Nov - 12th Dec 2011
• Highways & Lighting: 18th Oct* - 29th Nov 2011
• Playing Fields: 20th Sept* - 25th Oct - 20th Dec*, 2011
• Steyning Centre: 27th Sept - 22nd Nov* 2011
*Planning will be held on these evenings at 7.00 pm.
Members of the public are welcome to attend these meetings which are held at The Steyning Centre.
Meetings are at 7.30pm except Planning marked* which is at 7.00 p.m.
All agendas are displayed on the Public Notice Board at the High Street car park. Contact: 01903 812042. Email: spcclerk@btconnect.com or steyningcentre@btconnect.com
HIGHWAYS AND LIGHTING:
KEEP STEYNING TIDY
The Parish Council is re-evaluating our litter bin emptying, litter picking, weeding and street cleaning programme. Litter seems to be an escalating problem and weeds in certain parts of the Town are proliferating, which leaves the High Street looking dirty and uncared for.
Our plan is to:
• Have the High Street litter bins emptied on a more regular basis, as they are not always emptied when they should be.
• Improve our litter picking and weeding by increasing the number of litter picking/weeding volunteers.
• Work with the local traders and High Street residents to keep the fronts of their properties litter and weed free.
It is important for the prosperity of the town that we keep our High Street and environs as pristine as we can to make Steyning
an outstanding town to visit. Keeping Steyning tidy needs constant work by a loyal army of volunteers and we need a lot more. If you can spare a few hours a week or month please get in touch with the Clerk at the Steyning Centre on 01903 812042 or email spcclerk@btconnect.com
Litter is something that we can all help with by using the bins provided and picking up any stray bits of litter you find.
DOG FOULING:
Dog fouling is a continuing problem. Some residents still do not clear up after their dogs, particularly in the Memorial Playing Field, the twittens and footpaths. We are going to put more notices around the town warning people of the penalties for dog fouling and work with the wardens and PCSO’s to increase patrols in the MPF.
SEVERE WINTER WEATHER MANAGEMENT:
We are already working on this year’s severe weather management plan to follow on with the great success we had with clearing the snow, putting down salt and keeping the town moving during the heavy snowfall last winter.
tim Lloyd – Chair of Highways and Lighting Committee.
SOON! - HOUSING NEEDS SURVEY FOR STEYNING:
Steyning Parish Council will soon be commissioning a Housing Needs Survey for the Parish carried out by Action in Rural Sussex. The Parish Council would be grateful if you will take the time to complete it when it arrives.
A date has not yet been finalised for the Steyning survey but please read the section contained in the Ashurst News for more information about the survey and what it will contain.
PLAYING FIELDS REPORT:
It is very satisfying to see the progress that is being made on the re-furbishing of the Memorial Garden. Lewis Whittaker, Chairman of the Steyning & District Branch of the Royal British Legion has done a great job organising this and keeping everything going and fund raising and we hope to see many of you at the re-opening on the 28th September.
I was delighted to see the younger members of our community enjoying the new play equipment on the Memorial Field and some of the Mums having a relaxing time together whilst the children were safely occupied.
Unfortunately there is always a downside on the field, and elsewhere, and that is that there are still some people not clearing
up after their dogs. Not only is it extremely unpleasant to walk in “dog mess” but it is a serious health hazard for our children. There are plenty of bins on the field and around the town (it can go in the ordinary bins as long as it is properly wrapped up) so please behave responsibly.
Other litter should also be put in the bins as this is not only unsightly but again it is a hazard, both to us humans and to the wildlife around the field, so please clear up as you go and encourage your children to do the same.
The Playing Fields committee is considering placing an information board on the field that could include general information about the playing field, historical facts, do & don’t etc. As with all these items they are expensive so if anyone were willing to make a contribution it would be gratefully received. Contact the Clerk on 01903 812042 or email spcclerk@btconnect.com
Gill Ness-Collins – Chair of Playing Fields committee.
NEW REDUCED LOCAL FARES - ROUTE 100
JUST £1 SINGLE WITHIN THE FOLLOWING VILLAGES (built up area of the village): BILLINGSHURST ~ PULBOROUGH
STORRINGTON ~ STEYNING ~ UPPER BEEDING/BRAMBER ~ HENFIELD ~ BURGESS HILL.
SPECIAL FARES IN HORSHAM AREA:
£1 single flat fare within Horsham
Take advantage of the reductions and have a day out!
Try our Sunday 100 Service (Pulborough to Horsham)
Visit the RSPB at Pulborough Brooks and get a free coffee* on presentation of your bus ticket www.compass-travel.co.uk - Faraday Close, Durrington, Worthing, BN13 3RB - T: 01903 690025 - office@compass-travel.co.uk *Valid Sundays only on day of issue.
HORSHAM DISTRICT COUNCIL RESIDENTS SURVEY:
As part of our District Plan Priorities 2011-15 we have pledged to consult regularly with residents and businesses to find out how well the Council is delivering services and to identify where changes could be made.
We are planning to issue a Residents Survey as part of the next issue of Horsham District News due to be distributed across the
District in the week commencing 22nd August. Putting the questionnaire inside the Horsham District News magazine helps keeps costs to a minimum. The survey will be in the centre pages of the magazine, to enable it to be removed, completed and returned. The survey will also be available to complete online at www.horsham.gov.uk and we want to encourage as many people to complete the survey on line as possible as it reduces costs further by saving the cost of return postage. The closing date for responses is 31st October 2011 and all surveys returned will be entered into a prize draw to win one of three £50 High Street Shopping Vouchers. The survey should take no longer than 15 minutes.
ASHURST PARISH COUNCIL NEWS:
Parish Council Meetings:
The next Parish Council meetings will be held on Thursday’s 1st September and 3rd November.
Meetings start at 8pm at the Village Hall. Members of the public are welcome to attend all Parish Council meetings.
Housing Needs Survey in Ashurst - September 2011:
Ashurst Parish Council is commissioning a Housing Needs Survey for the parish, and the Parish Council would be grateful if you could take the time to complete it when it arrives this September.
The survey comprises of 3 sections; the first is for everyone to complete which asks general questions about housing in the parish including what is needed across a range of housing types and tenures (e.g. for rent or sale) to promote a well balanced and sustainable community. The second part is to assess the need for affordable housing locally and the third section is an older person’s housing needs survey.
If you know of someone who used to live locally, has moved away but would like to return this survey is for them also as
they have a local connection and could therefore be eligible for any housing that may be provided in the future.
The survey is being undertaken by Action in Rural Sussex, which is an independent organisation that works in liaison
with Parish Councils, District Councils and Housing Associations. The aim of the surveys is to find out what, if any, type of
housing is needed within the parish and how best it may be provided.
For more information on the survey or about affordable housing generally please contact Tom Warder, Rural Housing
Enabler at Action in rural Sussex, Tel : 01273 479 008, E-mail: tom.warder@ruralsussex.org.uk or contact the Clerk on
01903 812042 or on hroxby@hotmail.com
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CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A PDF OF THE JUNE 2011 PARISH NEWS
STEYNING PARISH COUNCIL NEWS - ISSUE 31 - June 2011
CHAIRMAN‘S MESSAGE:
Dear Resident,
I am so pleased to have been elected as the Chairman of Steyning Parish Council for the ensuing year. Since I originally joined the Council, I have come to learn how hard and conscientiously my colleagues work for the good of the area. Previously, I have been a member of a District Council and a County Council and I can truthfully say that the one I have enjoyed the most is Steyning, because it is so embedded within our community and close to the aspirations of residents.
In the coming year, we hope to build on the work that we have been doing in keeping our streets and parks clean, supporting the local business community, fighting anti-social behaviour, and promoting all the positive aspects of Steyning and the many clubs and organisations within it.
Finally, I would like to say a word of thank you to our previous chair, Sue Rogers, who did such a sterling job of guiding the Council for the last two years. Sue is now one of our two District Councillors, along with George Cockman, with whom I will work closely. I would also like to thank retiring Councillors Jackie Campbell, David Herson and Shelley Marks-Thompson, all of whom have contributed greatly and given generously of their time. They will all be missed.
DAVID BARLING - Chairman, Steyning Parish Council.
Planning Committee – Report by Cllr Devlin:
The Panning Committee consists of seven Councillors who meet at 7pm on the first Tuesday and the third Tuesday of the month. The role is to consider all planning applications as a Consultee to the District Council, in some cases the County Council and in the future, the National Park Authority. As a result of the recently introduced Localism Bill it is likely that the Parish Council will be empowered with the authority to make certain planning decisions. It would also have the power under the bill, to prepare and ensure enforcement of a Parish Plan and to organize a referendum on certain substantial planning matters.
I have attended several meetings over the year concerning the South Downs National Park including the selection and election of the Parish Council representatives. The Authority becomes operational on 1st April 2011. The town of Steyning is outside of the park but much of the Parish is within it. The shadow authority ceases to exist but the Chairman is remaining as Chair of the new Authority for the foreseeable future. The headquarters are to be in Midhurst but there are likely to be several regional offices. The SDNP is responsible for planning within the designated area but it is anticipated that 90% of the decisions will be delegated to the pre-existing authorities. The park authority will not delegate decisions on large developments such as more than ten houses and County Council responsibilities such as waste management, water control and mineral extractions.
It is intended that there will be a planning link officer, responsible for our District. Hitherto footpaths and rights of way on the South Downs were the responsibility of the overseeing authority, the Joint Committee. This responsibility, in West Sussex, was delegated from WSCC but now WSCC have insisted on clawing this back. There is some concern about the future of rights of way and footpaths within the park.
The most significant development in the town is the new Grammar School boarding house, which is nearing completion. There was considerable concern about the completion date as the main building contractor went into liquidation. However, a new contractor has taken over and it is to be officially opened we believe in June.
The Planning committee have been concerned about certain developments within the conservation area. The main problem appears to be that the defined parameters of the area did not include fenestration. New parameters are to be defined in association with the HDC Conservation Officer and it is hoped that the area can be extended.
Steyning Centre Committee - Report by Cllr Marshall:
Another year has passed by since our last report to the Council and spring appears to have arrived. We can report that the fabric of the Centre has been well maintained, the heating system is working well since the boiler was upgraded last year, and there has been a reduction in the gas consumed within the Centre.
The décor and the floors are in very good condition and have been well maintained over the past year, even after being used by approximately 800 visitors per week. Our new additions to the Centre are our pride and joy and they sit on the roof where they unfortunately cannot be seen. These are our Solar Cells which have generated electricity for the Centre for almost a year and have contributed so far about £500 saving to our electricity overheads for the Centre.
Additional savings have also been made by negotiating with the Water Board a reduction to the Centre’s water costs.
The gardens are looking nice and tidy and this is due to our gardener Claire who obviously likes gardening. We are assured that Claire has plenty of ground round the Centre that has to be filled with plants so if you have any spare plants please pass them to Claire to add even more colour to the grounds.
During May 2007 the users and the Centre Committee decided to replace 250 chairs used within the Centre that were well past their sale date. The Fire Regulations now call for chairs including the new chairs to be firmly fixed together when in use, which is causing some upset with the users; the Committee is currently working on a solution to this problem.
The annual inventory of the Centre has taken place, and we are pleased to note that nothing is missing. Bookings of the Centre are building and we can look forward to a good financial income for the year.
Welcome to our two new caretakers Keith and Steve who have joined us after the departure of Shaun who has gone to pastures new.
MEETINGS OF THE PARISH COUNCIL:
• Finance & General Purposes: 5th July*, 2nd August*, 6th Sept* 2011 Full Parish Council 13th June, 11th July 12th Sept 2011
• Highways & Lighting: 21st June*, 26th July 30th August 2011 Playing Fields 28th June, 16th August*, 20th Sept* 2011
• Steyning Centre: 19th July*, 23rd August, 27th Sept 2011
*Planning will be held on these evenings at 7.00 pm.
Members of the public are welcome to attend these meetings which are held at The Steyning Centre. Meetings are at 7.30pm except Planning marked* which is at 7.00 p.m.
All agendas are displayed on the Public Notice Board at the High Street car park. Contact: 01903 812042.
Email: spcclerk@btconnect.com or steyningcentre@btconnect.com
Highways & Lighting Committee – Report by Cllr Lloyd:
We have had a very busy year and I would like to take this opportunity of thanking all my colleagues on the committee for all their hard work and support in my year as Chairman. This year saw the completion of the 21 new parking spaces in Newmans Gardens Car Park which has brought valuable additional parking to the town. This was only made possible because of the close co-operation between us, HDC and the Steyning Partnership. As part of the plan we have changed the configuration of the car park so that the long term parking is on the West side, which has greatly improved the flow of the car park. The landscaping of the new area is still work in progress. As part of the overall re-vamp of the car park we are installing 4 Sheffield style cycle racks opposite the re-cycling bins at the top of the twitten leading to the High Street.
One of our major projects this year was the instigation of a Severe Weather plan to avoid the problems we had in the winter of 2009/2010 and, it was put into action, very successfully, late last year. We now have 4 permanent salt/grit bins in the High Street – 2 funded by the Parish Council, 1 from a local resident and 1 from local traders. In addition we had Hippo bags of salt delivered to strategic positions around the town.
Our street cleaner was out clearing snow from the pavements in the High Street and we also hired the services of a digger to clear roads in key parts of the town. It was good to see so many volunteers from all parts of the town, using the salt and keeping roads passable so that the town could continue to function. The continued success of our plan relies heavily on volunteers and we still need more.
Having listened to the increasing number of cyclists visiting the town, we are installing a new covered cycle rack, for 8 cycles, in the High Street car park. This will offer a higher degree of security.
Other projects completed this year were:
• The repair of the Southdown Terrace steps and cutting back of the greenery to make them safer. This work was carried out by the Young Offenders Team.
• We worked with WSCC to tidy up the Mobile Waste Service in Fletchers Croft car park
• We installed a more robust baby change unit in the WCs in the High Street
Other projects under consideration are:
• A new sign at the White Horse roundabout – to replace the mixture of confusing signs in place currently - to direct visitors to the TouristInformation Centre at the post office and other places of interest.
• To put advertising boards in the bus shelter in the High Street for the benefit of local traders, clubs and societies.
• To launch our ‘Steyning in Broom’ campaign which is aimed at signing up traders and home owners in the key streets of the town, to litter pick and weed the fronts of their properties so that Steyning stands out as shining example of a well kept country town.
• New signage to direct visitors to the War Memorial in the Memorial Playing Field.
• Replace trees that have been removed or fallen down, but never replaced.
• Working with WSCC to improve the flooding problems in the Horsham Road and Mouse Lane.
• To look at ways to improve the current street sweeping contract.
Lastly I would like to thank the small army of volunteers who selflessly litter pick around the town and those that help with the annual ‘blitz’ on the weeds in the High Street. Without their continued support, our town would not be the delightful place it is today.
Playing Fields Committee – Report by Cllr Ness-Collins:
The committee has met regularly during the past year and dealt with the ongoing business. The committee has seven members. The members each continue to have oversight of an area and report regularly on their own “area”.
We were very fortunate to get our grant from Play England, Playbuilder for upgrading the Children’s play area on the Memorial playing field just before the cut backs. The project was successfully completed and the play area moved to the centre of the field. The new area was opened in August and has been well used by the children ever since.
We continue to have a good working relationship with the Allotment Association and are represented on their committee. They are still working on their Lottery grant for fencing.
The Tennis Club’s Project has been completed and the third court was built during the winter and is now in regular use. Tennis courts are available for public use and a notice is displayed stating how to use them.
The British Legion is with our support doing a complete renewal of the Memorial Garden in the Memorial Playing Field. When this is complete it will provide an area which is peaceful and calm where people can sit and relax. Improvement in the surface will mean that it will provide a fitting setting for the Memorial Service each November.
CIVIC AMENITY SERVICE:
The Mobile Waste collection service will be in Fletchers Croft car park on:
June 4th & 18th, July 2nd, 16th, & 30th and August 13th & 27th 2011. The Landfill waste collection will be in the car park on 11th June 2011.
CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU:
The CAB is now operating its outreach service at The Steyning Centre every two weeks from the New Year thanks to a decision by Steyning Parish Council, Upper Beeding Parish Council and Bramber Council to fund one extra day per month. It is held on a Wednesday from 10am to 12.30pm. Please note that an appointment system operates and appointments can be made by phoning the CAB Helpline on 0844 477 1171 or the Steyning Centre on 01903 812042.
PARKING ON PAVEMENTS:
This seems to be an increasing problem in the Town. Parking on the pavement is an offence particularly if the vehicle is causing an obstruction. This is a Police matter so please report it. Make sure you have the vehicle registration numbers and note the time and day it happens. Report on 0845 6070999 or via the Operation Crackdown website www.operationcrackdown.org
BLOOD DONORS:
The next blood donors sessions to be held at The Steyning Centre, Fletcher’s Croft will be on:
• Monday 1st August &
• 19th September 2011.
Sessions are from 2.00 – 4.30 p.m. and 5.30 – 8.00 p.m.
STREET LIGHTS:
West Sussex County Council maintains all streetlights in Steyning. To report a fault dial 0845 7581622. It is useful if you have to hand the number of the light in question.
Finance & General Purposes Committee – Report by Cllr Herson:
As the name indicates, F&GP is the Committee that controls the Council Finances but it also deals with any items of Council business that do not naturally fall into the remit of any of the other Committees. The Committee meets on the first Tuesday of every month, usually 6 days prior to the corresponding Full Council meeting. I have been Chair of this Committee for the past 2 years.
F&GP manages by far the largest share of the Council’s budget which includes all our administration costs such as salaries and wages, ICT and printing, grants to community organisations, professional fees and training. It also includes our substantial commitments to the Neighbourhood Wardens scheme and the Swimming Pool.
Now for a few details:
• In 2010/2011 the budget allocated to administering the Council’s affairs was £79,600 – approximately £500 more than 2009/10.
• The budget allocated for the Wardens and Swimming Pool contributions was increased to £45,000 giving a total F&GP budget of £124,600.
• Our Precept for 2010/2011 was just under £154,000 – thus, in the current financial year, F&GP accounts for approximately 81% of the Council’s expenditure.
• For 2011/12, we aim to keep the cost of administration to the minimum possible but, regrettably, there will still need to be a 2% increase in the Precept to £157,600; in part to cover the cost of the 2011 Council elections and a contribution towards doubling the frequency of the CAB service.
• This increase amounts to just 10p/month for the “average” band D taxpayer or less than 15p/month for someone in band F!
• We continually strive to make savings wherever we can especially in the use of IT and utilities and will do whatever we can to support the Greening campaign during the coming financial year.
• We have also been successful in getting financial support from some of our adjoining Councils towards our long-term commitment to supporting the Swimming Pool and CAB service.
• During this year we have continued to distribute Parish Council News via the distinctive quarterly insert in “Your Steyning.” This comes at an increased cost but we hope that the information will now reach all residents in a timely fashion.
• Also during the year we have awarded over £1,336 in grants including, for example, the Royal British Legion, the Steyning Music Society, St Barnabas, Steyning Country Fair, Steyning in Bloom and many much smaller contributions.
• Lastly, the Parish Council is actively represented on a number of outside bodies including the Local Action Team, Leisure Centre Management Committee, Joint Burial Board, Horsham Association of Local Councils, West Sussex Waste Management and more. Our representatives report progress in these areas at our monthly meetings.
• Thus, in a small way, we are able to influence developments throughout both the District and the County for the benefit of the residents of Steyning.
• This report can only provide an overview of the work of F&GP. Please see our monthly meeting Minutes or attend one of our monthly meetings to find out more.
ASHURST PARISH COUNCIL NEWS:
Parish Council Meeting:
The next Parish Council meetings will be held on Thursday 7th July and 1st September. Meetings start at 8pm at the Village Hall. Members of the public are welcome to attend all Parish Council meetings.
Annual Parish Meeting:
The Annual Parish Meeting was held on 7th April. The Chairman gave his report as follows:
At the last Annual Parish Meeting it was proposed that a spring clean be carried out on Sunday 10th April. We are pleased to inform that a small number of people turned up and 15 sacks of rubbish were removed. Another litter pick has been organised for Sunday 17th April and anyone who can help will be very welcome.
The Ashurst Recreation Ground is owned by the Charity Commission and managed by the Parish Council as the sole trustee.
Quite a lot of work has been done on the recreation ground this year, Councillor Stevens has carried out a lot of repairs to the John Eaton Hut. Councillors Griffiths and Hedly have done work on many trees around the John Eaton Hut and the Cricket Pavilion. Howards Garden Care have been appointed the contractors for the grass cutting for a further 3 years.
New Agreements for the Ashurst Primary School and The Cricket Club for a further 3 years have been drawn up by Councillor Rucklidge. Jon Hutcheon has been dealing with the rabbits and moles again recently. Jon Hutcheon is unfortunately not going to be able to continue helping us with our influx of rabbits due to other work commitments, however he is going to put us in touch with a colleague of his who will hopefully be able to help us.
During the bad snow and ice of last winter West Sussex County Council delivered 2 bags of grit, one to the bottom of School Lane and one to the Village Hall car park, for use by residents.
WSCC are now asking for feedback on this service and if we would require the same amount of bags or if we would need more. They are also asking if there is anything else that we think would benefit Ashurst should the situation arise again.
The annual precept for 2011/12 has been set at £5,700.00. This includes £1,000.00 grant for the Village Hall Trust for the New Village Hall. This brings the total of funds being held by the Parish Council for the Village Hall to £2,330.00.
The other main costs to the Council are the recreation ground grant and the Council’s administration. The Steyning Area Mini Bus Association was given a grant for £150.00, Steyning Parish Council were granted £20.00 towards the costs of the swimming pool at Steyning Leisure Centre. The total income for the year 10/11 was £5,734.43 and the expenditure was £4,854.04.
A summary of receipts and payments for the year ending 31st March 2011 can be viewed once the Internal Audit has been carried out in May.
Work has been ordered to restore the finger post on the School Lane/B2135 junction. The work will be carried out during the summer months. Half the cost is being met by a grant from West Sussex County Council.
The Parish Council receives copies of all planning applications or Ashurst and are able to give their comments to Horsham District Council. However Horsham District Council does have the final decision. Residents are welcome to attend Parish Council meetings and have their say on any planning applications. It is now possible to view applications and also leave comments on line at www.horsham.gov.uk. Horsham District Council is at present trying to reduce the amount of paper plans that they receive and in-turn send out to parishes. The talk of E Consultation has been going on all year by Horsham District Council and we appear to be no further forward with receiving plans via the internet.
The Chairman thanked George Cockman and Len Warner, our District Councillors, and Derek Deedman our County Councillor for their help and support in Ashurst issues over the year. They all manage to attend the Parish Council meetings to listen to our views and give their advice wherever possible.
The Parish Councillors were thanked for their work and support during the year. Thanks were given especially to Councillor Jim Rucklidge, who unfortunately is not re-standing for Parish Council, for all his hard work on the council for the last 20 years including 5 years as Chairman. Many thanks go to Hazel, the Clerk. Details of all Parish Councillors and the Clerk will be attached to the Chairman’s report and are also permanently posted on the Parish Council Notice Board.
Parish Councillors:
• Alan Griffiths (Chairman)01403 711544
• Jim Rucklidge 01903 815869
• Nick Hedley (Vice- Chairman)01403 711373
• George Stevens 01403 710232
• Chris Jesse 01903 815089
• Linda Thornton 01403 713123
• Roy Powel 01403 710419
Clerk: Hazel Roxby (Office hours 01903 812042) other times 01903 814802. Email: hroxby@hotmail.com
BRAMBER PARISH COUNCIL NEWS:
Two long-serving Councillors decided not to stand for re-election at the recent elections and the Parish Clerk also decided to move on to pastures new. On behalf of the Council and the wider community I would like to express thanks to Betty Pierce and Ted Jones for the commitment and dedication shown during their years in office and for the support they have given to many worthy causes. I would also like to thank Anne Hyde for the tremendous support she has provided to the Council during her time as Clerk. She has been a very willing and efficient servant to the Council and community and we all wish her well in her future activities.
At the same time I would like extend a warm welcome to Rachel Rainbow, Sandra Bignell and Matthew Bennough-Drake as new Councillors and hope they will enjoy their time on the Council. They all have different experience and backgrounds which I am sure will bring benefit to the community, and Rachel and Matthew were heavily involved in the production of the Bramber Plan.
Finally I welcome Paddy Robson who will be replacing Anne as Clerk to the Council. Paddy has lived in the area for 2 years and brings with her a wealth of relevant experience that I am sure we will all feel the benefit of in her new role. Paddy can be contacted on 01903 879140. Email paddy.robson@hotmail.com
END - END - END
STEYNING PARISH COUNCIL NEWS - ISSUE 30 - March 2011
CHAIRMAN'S MESSAGE:
You may have read in the local press that the Parish Council is actively looking for a suitable site to plan a skate board facility. Efforts to achieve this goal have been worked on before, without success, and the hope is that this time we will identify a safe and easily accessible area for the young people of our Town to enjoy their sport and for it not to be nuisance to any of our residents.
The Council has laid down some criteria for this project:-
• This is not a skateboard park, but a modest facility, mainly below ground level. The design stage will follow and will be fully displayed.
• Security and safety of skaters and residents is important, so any facility will be sited, as far as is possible, to avoid disturbance to neighbours.
• Costs are likely to be substantial, but we are intending to meet these in the main through grants from various bodies and fund raising by users.
Because the facility is intended to be small, it will not require planning consent.
We have identified two possible sites:-
The North West quarter of the Memorial playing field, approximately in the position of the concrete strip. This land is owned by the Council. A piece of agricultural land, in private ownership on the other side of the Horsham Road, opposite the Leisure Centre. Planning consent will be required because of change of use. Before making a decision, we would like to hear from all residents with their views. You will find enclosed with this edition of Your Steyning a paid reply card asking you to tell us what you think about the location of such a facility in the Town. Please take the time to let us know - your views will help shape our decisions.
We intend to consult with you at all stages and very much hope that our young skate boarders will help us both with design and fundraising making this a whole community project. If you would like to help in any way and particularly with fund raising please contact the Parish Clerk mail to:spcclerk@btconnect.com. While mentioning the clerk, I know that so many of you know both Sue and Hazel as they are your first point of contact with the Parish Council. Both work so hard and do so much for our community. I have asked Sue to write, for your interest, a snapshot of a typical day ‘in the office’ I hope you will enjoy reading about her work.
Finally although it may have been some weeks ago this is the first opportunity that I have had in this publication to publicly congratulate both Frank Fenn and Martin Leigh-Pollitt, the worthy recipients of our Millennium Community Awards for 2010.
Sue Rogers - Chairman.
CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU:
The CAB is now operating its outreach service at The Steyning Centre every two weeks from the New Year thanks to a decision by Steyning Parish Council, Upper Beeding Parish Council and Bramber Council to fund one extra day per month. It is held on a Wednesday from 10am to 12.30pm. Please note that an appointment system operates and appointments can be made by phoning the CAB Helpline on 0844 477 1171 or the Steyning Centre on 01903 812042.
CIVIC AMENITY SERVICE:
This service will resume in April 2011. Dates will be advised in the next newsletter. The Landfill Waste service will be in the car park on the 5th March 2011.
PARKING ON PAVEMENTS:
This seems to be an increasing problem in the Town. Parking on the pavement is an offence particularly if the vehicle is causing an obstruction. This is a Police matter so please report it. Make sure you have the vehicle registration numbers and note the time and day it happens. Report on 0845 6070999 or via the Operation Crackdown website www.operationcrackdown.org
REPLACEMENT TREES:
For various different reasons, many street trees have been removed in Steyning over the last few years and the Parish Council wish to try to get them replaced. We know the locations of some of these trees but we need you the residents of Steyning to let the Parish Council know the locations of any you are aware of. So, if you know the location/s where a tree has disappeared and would like to it replaced and your road embellished with trees as it used to be, please call us on 01903 812042 or email spcclerk@btconnect.com
The Neighbourhood Wardens can be contacted on 07734 387889 (Paul Conroy) 01903 813236 (Office). Please note they are not an emergency service and in an emergency always dial 999. PCSO Charlie Whittaker and the Police can also be contacted on the non-emergency number below. It is important to ring the Police on this number and report all incidents, even if they appear trivial, it is only in this way that a proper record of incidents, crime and anti-social behaviour can be maintained for the District.
PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THE WARDENS ARE NOT THE POLICE, IF YOU ARE AWARE OR INVOLVED IN ANY INCIDENT FOR WHICH YOU WOULD NORMALLY CONTACT THE POLICE THEN PLEASE DO SO BY EITHER USING THE NON URGENT 0845 60 70 999 OR IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY 999
STEYNING PARISH COUNCIL PRECEPT 2011 / 2012:
Steyning Parish Council has set its budget for 2011/2012 at £157,890 - an increase of 2.54%, which equates to a contribution of £58.20 for an “average” or “band D” property. This is just 10p per month more than at present and actually represents a reduction of 20% on last year’s increase.
The major element in this year’s rise is the need to budget for elections to the Parish Council in May 2011 on the same date as those for Horsham District Council. And, although no increases are planned in the salaries of our own staff, our share of the cost of the Neighbourhood Warden Service continues to rise while the District Council’s share remains fixed. We are also doubling the number of visits by the Citizens’ Advice Bureau following the severe cutbacks last year.
Rest assured that economies are made wherever possible. In particular, real economies have been made in our budgets for Playing Fields and The Steyning Centre at the same time as significant improvements being made in both of these highly valued community facilities.
David Herson, Chairman Finance & General Purposes Committee.
THE PARISH CLERK:
I have been asked to tell you a little of what a Parish Clerk does! Where do I begin - the short answer is EVERYTHING & ANYTHING!
I can be setting up rooms at the Steyning Centre and the next minute applying for grants for thousands of pounds for a project, or attending a meeting with the Chief Executive at Horsham DC. Most importantly the Clerk needs to be qualified (CiLCA – Certificate in Local Council Administration) in order for the Parish to be a Quality Council, which we are.
I advise committees (in particular the chairmen) on making decisions that are lawful and ensure that everything the Council wishes to do is within our powers to do. I am the Responsible Finance Officer (or Proper Officer) and must ensure Financial Regulations are sound, comply with the law and that the Council receives value for money.
I must, by law, complete an Annual Return for the External Auditors each year (a very exacting and lengthy task). I prepare the budgets and precept for the Council for approval. Each week the Council has an evening committee for Planning, Steyning Centre, Playing Fields, Highways & Lighting, Finance & General Purposes or Full Council.
I set the agenda, take the minutes and then decisions, actions etc., from that committee are for me to organise and put into practice (often greatly helped by your hard working Chairman and Councillors). Sometimes this will be the start of a long running project that can take months to bring to conclusion.
I manage the Council’s staff and the Steyning Centre and my Deputy Hazel ably and invaluably assists me with this. I attend many meetings on a whole host of subjects and deal with hundreds of emails each week.
I deal with tenders, contracts, accounts, liaison with District and County Councils and I have to try and keep all your Parish Councillors in order………!! and much, much more, Oh! and did I mention the agendas, minutes and emails!!!
Every day can be different, sometimes it is the day to day grind, but sometimes it is new, interesting and exciting challenges. Sometime of course, it is dealing with the general public………!!! and I never know what will be brought through the door. Phew! It’s just as well women are good at multitasking.
Sue Booth, Your Parish Clerk.
DISTRICT & PARISH ELECTIONS:
Elections for Parish & District Council will take place on 5th May 2011. At present, the Parish Council has a full complement of 15 members (8 elected, 7 co-opted) all of whom give freely of their time and energy.
In the event that there are more than 15 valid nominations for the Parish Council, received at Horsham District Council offices by the closing date (noon 4th April 2011), there will be a ballot. This will be a significant charge on the Parish and we are budgeting for it accordingly.
Nominations papers will be available from the Parish Office at the Steyning Centre from 25th March 2011.
If you are interested in finding out about becoming a Parish Councillor, please contact the Clerk to the Council for more information.
Tel: 01903 812042 or email: spcclerk@btconnect.com
STREETLIGHTS:
West Sussex County Council maintains all streetlights in Steyning.
To report a fault dial 0845 7581622. It is useful if you have to hand the number of the light in question.
STEYNING IN BLOOM:
Steyning in Bloom will be Blooming again next year - Fund Raising Events are being organised - We hope that everyone will be ‘Blooming’ for Steyning in 2011. Further details of dates etc. will be available early 2011 Contact: Marlene Carman on 01903 813938
BLOOD DONERS:
The next blood donors sessions to be held at The Steyning Centre, Fletcher’s Croft will be on: Monday 7th March 2011 & 23rd May. Sessions are from 2.00 – 4.30 p.m. and 5.30 – 8.00 p.m.
HIGH STREET TOILETS:
DO YOU LIVE LOCALLY?
DO YOU HAVE A LITTLE SPARE TIME EVERY DAY?
Steyning Parish Council needs someone to open and close the toilets in the High Street. This would involve every day, 7 days per week.
The toilets need to be opened by 0800 and closed at 1800 – That’s it! If you think you could do this task every day please let us have your quote. Ring or call in and see: Sue Booth – The Clerk, 01903 812042 at the Steyning Centre.
STEYNING CENTRE:
The Centre continues to be well used even over the winter months and during the bad weather and we must thank our caretakers for the work they did clearing the paths at the centre. I hope all our users will have noticed we now have a hot drinks machine in the foyer. We hope all our customers will give this a try so that we can continue to offer this service.
Both the Clerk and Deputy Clerk have now had a refurbishment of their offices with some new (secondhand) furniture. They now look very smart. The old furniture was donated to the Air Training Corp who are making very good use of it. We are still looking at the issue of connecting the chairs in the halls in a better, more comfortable way. Chairs must be linked together for meetings of over 50 people to comply with Health & Safety and Fire Regulations. We hope to reach a solution to this problem soon.
The Solar Panels are working well and we have generated 1800 watts of electricity to date and reduced our CO2 emissions by 1026 kg of carbon. We have received our first FiTs payment (or reduction on our energy bill). We have now managed to get Southern Water to rebate our surface water charge so that is another small saving on our bill.
Like in all business staff move on and this month Shaun, one of our caretakers has gone to pastures new, but we have recruited 2 new caretakers who you will all get to know soon. Bookings for the Centre are busy for 2011 and we look forward to seeing you all again this year.
Gordon Marshall, Chairman Steyning Centre Committee.
TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT THIS YEAR!
There are many local community activities and organisations that work across the Horsham District offering interesting and rewarding opportunities to people who would like to be involved in helping in some way. There are currently organisations in the Horsham District requiring volunteers to:
• help with group activities, or on a one-to-one basis as a mentor or befriender
• assist at one of the many Children and Family centres or at a Youth Club
• provide administration, reception or computer support
• help with fundraising, become a committee member, secretary or treasurer
• provide transport, drive a minibus, or be an escort
• assist with conservation and gardening projects in the West Sussex area
• help an organisation which deals with animal welfare
We are also here to help charities and organisations seeking volunteers who would like us promote their opportunities and help identify new voluntary roles.
Horsham Volunteer Centre, based in Chart Way in the centre of Horsham, will match your interests, skills and availability to the most suitable volunteering opportunity for you. Please contact us on 01403 232100, email: horshamvb@hacvs.org or visit www.hacvs.org/volunteering for our web page with a link to the Do-It database of volunteer opportunities.
ASHURST PARISH COUNCIL NEWS:
Parish Council Meeting:
The next Parish Council meetings will be held on Thursday 3rd March and 12th May 2011. Meetings start at 8pm at the Village Hall. Members of the public are welcome to attend all Parish Council meetings.
Annual Parish Meeting:
The Annual Parish Meeting will be held on 7th April 2011 at 8.00pm at Ashurst Village Hall. There will be a presentation by Andrew Smith from Horsham District Council on Affordable Housing in Rural Areas.
The Annual Parish Meeting, although chaired by the Chairman of the Parish Council, is not a Parish Council meeting. It is a meeting for the electorate of Ashurst to give their views and have their say on local issues.
Refreshments will be served during a short interval.
Parish Councillors:
• Alan Griffiths (Chairman) 01403 711544 Jim Rucklidge 01903 815869
• Nick Hedley (Vice- Chairman)01403 711373
• George Stevens 01403 710232
• Chris Jesse 01903 815089
• Linda Thornton 01403 713123
• Roy Powel 01403 710419
• Clerk Hazel Roxby (Office hours 01903 812042) other times 01903 814802. Email: hroxby@hotmail.com
MEETINGS OF THE PARISH COUNCIL:
• Finance & General Purposes: 5th April*, 3rd May* & 7th June* 2011
• Full Parish Council: 14th March, 9th May, 13th June 2011
• Highways & Lighting: 12th April, 17th May*, 21st June* 2011
• Playing Fields: 19th April*, 24th May, 28th June 2011
• Steyning Centre: 22nd March*, 26th April, 31st May 2011
The Annual Parish Meeting will be held on Monday 28th March 2011 in Coombe Court at the Steyning Centre at 7.30 p.m.
Members of the public are welcome to attend these meetings which are held at The Steyning Centre. Meetings are at 7.30pm except Planning marked*. All agendas are displayed on the Public Notice Board at the High Street car park. Contact: 01903 812042. Email: spcclerk@btconnect.com or www.thesteyningcentre.co.uk
END - END - END
STEYNING PARISH COUNCIL NEWS - ISSUE 29 - December 2010:
CHAIRMAN'S MESSAGE:
It seems to me that we have moved so quickly into winter and now Christmas is upon us. Events such as the Big Picnic on the Steyning Down land and the launch of the very popular Greening Campaign have come and gone so quickly.
Your Council have worked so hard throughout the year to prepare for severe weather this winter. It remained a target for the first grit and salt bags to be in place by the end of October and supported by WSCC we took delivery of our first four bags on time.
Further bags, we are promised, will be delivered to pre-agreed sites upon a severe weather warning and by the time that you read this letter our High Street will be sporting new Grit bins, which will not only grace the street scene but help us to go about our daily business in the event of inclement weather. Some have been paid for by the Parish Council, others very generously donated, to which we are all most grateful.
In October we were pleased to host an Open meeting to discuss the proposal of a new War Memorial in the Town. My thanks to those of you who attended and hope that you all felt able to contribute fully to the debate. The consensus vote was against such a project going ahead and this decision was subsequently supported by the F&GP Committee and agreed at Full Council.
At our November Parish Council meeting all Parish Councillors voted to actively look for a location in or near the Town where we could build a skateboard park. We all agreed that this is something the young people want and we need to provide facilities for them.
We really need to hear from you with any ideas of possible land we can explore further for this purpose. Please contact the Clerk 01903 812042 email spcclerk@btconnect.com. Finally, I would like to acknowledge the hard work of the Chamber of Trade in fund raising to cover the cost of providing Christmas lights in the Town this year. Such are the times, that grants to help with these costs are almost impossible to come by and so this makes their efforts even more important and deserving of our appreciation.
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Sue Rogers - Chairman of the Council
CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU:
The CAB is now operating its outreach service at The Steyning Centre every two weeks from the New Year thanks to a decision by Steyning Parish Council, Upper Beeding Parish Council and Bramber Council to fund one extra day per month. It is held on a Wednesday from 10am to 12.30pm. Please note that an appointment system operates and appointments can be made by phoning the CAB Helpline on 0844 477 1171 or the Steyning Centre on 01903 812042.
CIVIC AMENITY SERVICE:
This service will resume in April 2011. Dates will be advised in the next newsletter. The Landfill Waste service will be in the car park on 4th December 2010 & 5th March 2011.
STEYNING IN BLOOM:
Steyning in Bloom will be Blooming again next year - Fund Raising Events are being organised - We hope that everyone will be ‘Blooming’ for Steyning in 2011.
Further details of dates etc. will be available early 2011
Contact: Marlene Carman on 01903 813938
BLOOD DONORS:
The next blood donors sessions to be held at The Steyning Centre, Fletcher’s Croft will be on: Wednesday 1st December 2010, Wednesday 5th Jan 2011 and Monday 7th March 2011. Sessions are from 2.00 – 4.30 p.m. and 5.30 – 8.00 p.m.
STEYNING CENTRE WEBSITE:
The Steyning Centre now has its own website at:
www.thesteyningcentre.co.uk
It gives details of the rooms available for hire, the hire rates and much more including parish council meeting dates. This website was developed with the help of the Steyning Grammar School IT students. Our thanks to them all for the time and effort spent getting the site up and running.
The Neighbourhood Wardens can be contacted on 07734 387889 (Paul Conroy) 01903 813236 (Office). Please note they are not an emergency service and in an emergency always dial 999. PCSO Charlie Whittaker and the Police can also be contacted on the non-emergency number below. It is important to ring the Police on this number and report all incidents, even if they appear trivial, it is only in this way that a proper record of incidents, crime and anti-social behaviour can be maintained for the District.
PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THE WARDENS ARE NOT THE POLICE, IF YOU ARE AWARE OR INVOLVED IN ANY INCIDENT FOR WHICH YOU WOULD NORMALLY CONTACT THE POLICE THEN PLEASE DO SO BY EITHER USING THE NON URGENT 0845 60 70 999 OR IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY 999
NEW COUNCILLORS:
Elections for the next Parish Council will take place alongside elections for our 2 District Councillors on 5th May 2011.
At present, the Council has a full complement of 15 members (8 elected, 7 co-opted) all of whom give freely of their time and energy.
However, in the event that there are more than 15 valid nominations received by Horsham District Council by the closing date, there will be a ballot. This will be a significant charge on the Parish and we are budgeting for it accordingly.
If you are interested in finding out about becoming a Councillor, please feel free to contact the Clerk to the Council for more information. Attendance at some current Council and Committee meetings would also give potential candidates a better idea of what might be expected of them. The Annual Parish Meeting on 28th March 2011 provides a further opportunity to understand what the Council has been doing during the previous year.
Nonetheless, if there is sufficient demand, we would be pleased to arrange an informal briefing in March next year to help potential candidates decide whether or not they wish to put their names forward. Tel: 01903 812042 or email: spcclerk@btconnect.com
2011 CENSUS:
On 27 March 2011 all residential households in the UK will be taking part in a census. Since 1801 a day has been chosen every ten years for this purpose. The census provides a source of information about the population. This enables central and local government, health authorities and many other organisations to identify need for housing, education, health and transport services for years to come.
The census statistics also feed into the allocation of funding for local authorities and play a major part in identifying need for local services in communities, so it is crucial the population estimate is as accurate as possible. When the questionnaire envelope comes through the door you’ll easily recognise it by the purple 2011 Census logo. Take care of it.
The 2011 Census doesn’t want anyone to be left out – so there is a wide range of help options available (such as language guidance booklets, large print format, Text Relay and census field staff on hand, as well as online help and telephone call centres). More information can be found at: www.census.gov.uk
TIPS ON HOW TO CLEAR SNOW AND ICE FROM PAVEMENTS OR PUBLIC SPACES:
Prevent slips:
• Pay extra attention to clear snow and ice from steps and steep pathways - you might need to use more salt on these areas.
• If you clear snow and ice yourself, be careful.
• Don’t make the pathways more dangerous by causing them to refreeze, but don’t be put off clearing paths because you’re afraid someone will get injured.
• Remember, people walking on snow and ice have a responsibility to be careful themselves.
Follow the advice below to make sure you clear the pathway safely and effectively.
• It is very unlikely you would be sued for clearing snow from pathways, as long as you do not make the situation worse.
• Clear the snow or ice early in the day.
• It’s easier to move fresh, loose snow rather than hard snow that has packed together. So if possible, start removing the snow and ice in the morning. If you remove the top layer of snow in the morning, any sunshine during the day will help melt any ice beneath. You can then cover the path with salt before nightfall to stop it refreezing overnight.
• Use salt or sand - not water
• DO NOT use water to melt the snow, it may refreeze and turn to black ice. Black ice increases the risk of injuries as it is invisible and very slippery.
• You can prevent black ice by spreading some salt on the area you have cleared.
• You can use ordinary table or dishwasher salt - a tablespoon for each square metre you clear should work.
• Be careful not to spread salt on plants or grass as it may cause them damage.
• If you don’t have enough salt, you can also use sand or ash. These won’t stop the path icing over, but will provide good grip under foot.
Take care where you move the snow:
When you’re shoveling snow, take care where you put it so it doesn’t block people’s paths or drains. Make sure you make a path down the middle of the area to be cleared first, so you have a clear surface to walk on. Then shovel the snow from the centre of the path to the sides.
Offer to clear your neighbours’ paths:
If your neighbour has difficulty getting in and out of their home, offer to clear snow and ice around their property as well. Check that any elderly or disabled neighbours are alright in the cold weather. If you’re worried about them, contact HDC on 01403 215100.
Grit Bins and Bags:
Steyning Parish Council in conjunction with West Sussex County Council has already placed 4 grit/salt bags around the Town and 4 grit/salt bins in the High Street. In the event of severe weather we will also have delivered a further 6 grit/salt bags at various locations. Please feel free to use this grit/salt to clear pavements and paths, but please use it responsibly and sparingly – you only need a very small quantity to do the job.
CALLING ALL DOG OWNERS - ANY OLD BIN WILL DO!
Dog fouling continues to be a problem, yes we know, but did you know that providing you bag it properly you may put dog faeces in any waste bin.
We have bins all around the Town and at least 12 on the Memorial Playing Field, so there really is no excuse. Dog Poo is very unpleasant and can cause Toxicara Canis leading to blindness in young children. Also you can be fined a fixed penalty for not picking up.
Putting your bags in or under hedges is also unpleasant and unsightly and no-one is going to remove these for you. This is also very dangerous for wildlife if they eat the plastic bags.
SADLY THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS THE DOG POO FAIRY – do your bit – BAG IT and BIN IT.
Please report any overflowing dog bins to HDC on 01403 733144.
STREET LIGHTS:
West Sussex County Council maintains all streetlights in Steyning. To report a fault dial 0845 7581622. It is useful if you have to hand the number of the light in question.
BROADBAND IN YOUR PARISH:
West Sussex County Council is asking residents and businesses to complete a questionnaire to enable them to understand more deeply the use of the internet within West Sussex that will in turn help persuade Openreach and Internet Service Providers to invest in so badly needed improvements to the infrastructure.
Given the potential benefits for many businesses, communities and individuals in the county we are keen to gain as many responses as possible. West Sussex County Council is particularly interested in the views from two key audiences: those without connection at all; and any feedback from small to medium size businesses.
Broadband improvement can bring many benefits, please take this opportunity to complete the questionnaire – it may bring improved broadband to your area.
For those who have access to the internet an on-line questionnaire is available at: www.westsussex.gov.uk/broadband. Printed copies of the questionnaire are available from your nearest library (including mobile libraries) or call 01243 382147 and a copy will be sent to you.
STEYNING CENTRE COMMITTEE:
Autumn is here and those of you who use the Centre will appreciate the work carried out by members of the Centre Committee, who have arranging for the heating to be serviced and placed in good working order, the halls, where necessary, repainted, and the windows cleaned.
Annually the Committee agreed objectives for the year ahead, and these are reviewed at meetings to ensure that our aims and ambitions are being maintained. Our three main objects for the year were:
• To increase the hours booked for the Centre.
• To reduce the overall running costs of the Centre.
• To reduce energy costs.
By more advertising the monthly booked hours have been increased.
The eighteen Solar Cell Array installed to the roof of the Centre is generating electricity for use within the Centre resulting in an approximate saving of £1000 per year to the Centre's electricity costs.
It must be noted that the total costs of the Cells and the installation was achieved totally with grants, at no cost to the Council.
We are currently checking the insulation to the fabric of the Centre to ensure that it conforms to the latest building regulations, it maybe possible to reduce more of the heating costs.……
The Steyning Centre Committee including our faithful SQUEAK and BISCUIT (the cats) wish all of our customers and friends a Happy and peaceful Christmas and look forward to seeing them all again in the New Year.
Gordon Marshall, Chairman Steyning Centre Committee.
MEETINGS OF THE PARISH COUNCIL:
• Finance & General Purposes 7th Dec*, 4th Jan 2011*, 8th Feb*, 8th March*
• Full Parish Council 13th Dec, 10th Jan 2011, 14th Feb, 14th March
• Highways & Lighting 21st Dec*, 22nd Feb 2011*
• Playing Fields 18th Jan 2011*, 1st March
• Steyning Centre 25th Jan 2011, 22nd March*
*Planning will be held on these evenings at 7.00 pm.
Members of the public are welcome to attend these meetings which are held at The Steyning Centre. Meetings are at 7.30pm except Planning marked*.
All agendas are displayed on the Public Notice Board at the High Street car park.
Contact: 01903 812042. Email: spcclerk@btconnect.com or www.thesteyningcentre.co.uk
REPLACEMENT TREES:
For various different reasons, many street trees have been removed in Steyning over the last few years and the Parish Council wish to try to get them replaced. We know the locations of some of these trees but we need you the residents of Steyning to let the Parish Council know the locations of any you are aware of. So, if you know the location/s where a tree has disappeared and would like it replaced and your road embellished with trees as it used to be, please call us on 01903 812042 or email spcclerk@btconnect.com
PARKING ON PAVEMENTS:
This seems to be an increasing problem in the Town. Parking on the pavement is an offence particularly if the vehicle is causing an obstruction. This is a Police matter so please report it. Make sure you have the vehicle registration numbers and note the time and day it happens.
Report on 0845 6070999 or via the Operation Crackdown website www.operationcrackdown.org
ASHURST PARISH COUNCIL NEWS:
Parish Council Meeting:
The next Parish Council meetings will be held on Thursday 6th January and Thursday 3rd March 2011. Meetings start at 8pm at the Village Hall. Members of the public are welcome to attend all Parish Council meetings.
Winter Maintenance Plan:
In preparation for the winter months and in case of a repeat of the snow that we had last winter the Parish Council is working with WSCC to create a winter maintenance plan. It has been agreed that, supplies permitting, Ashurst will receive 2 hippo bags of salt, one at the junction of School Lane on the B2135 and the other in Village Hall car park. These will be delivered when there is a threat of severe weather conditions.
Emergency Plan:
The Parish Council is working with Horsham District Council to create an emergency plan for Ashurst in the event of a crisis or local disaster. If you would like to be involved in either the winter maintenance or emergency plans, e.g. could give assistance either medical, first aid or have vehicles or machinery that you would be willing to use in an emergency, please contact the Clerk, Hazel Roxby, or Chairman, Alan Griffiths.
Parish Councillors:
• Alan Griffiths (Chairman) 01403 711544 Jim Rucklidge 01903 815869
• Nick Hedley (Vice-Chairman) 01403 711373 George Stevens 01403 710232
• Chris Jesse 01903 815089 Linda Thornton 01403 713123
• Roy Powel 01403 710419
• Clerk: Hazel Roxby office hours 01903 812042) other times 01903 814802. Email: hroxby@hotmail.com
BRAMBER PARISH COUNCIL NEWS:
In conjunction with Horsham District Council, Bramber Parish Council has established an Emergency Contingency Plan. The purpose of the plan is to provide a self-help guide to the residents and councillors who would be involved in providing support to the community in a crisis. It gives the particular procedures to be followed for a specific crisis, if the emergency services or relevant local authority support is delayed due to the scope and nature of the emergency. Roles and responsibilities have been agreed and the Plan is now operational.
One area covered by the Plan is response to severe cold weather and to that end a number of sites have been identified where, in the event such conditions, Hippo bags of salt will be dropped for use by residents for treating pavements . The volume of salt required to be spread is surprisingly low and a notice will be posted to the Parish Boards in The Street and Maudlin to explain the process.
The drop sites for the bags are as follows:-
• Car Park – The Street
• Sopers Lane/Maudlin Lane junction
• L/H Grass Border, Clays Hill
• The Ridings – outside No. 19
• Maudlin Lane/Coombe Drove junction
• Maudlin Lane/Maudlyn Park Junction
Any queries on the above please call either Roger Potter (812336) or John McCarthy (816054)
END - END - END
STEYNING PARISH COUNCIL NEWS - ISSUE 28 - September 2010
CHAIRMAN‘S MESSAGE
We may have had some lovely lazy summer days this year but your Parish Council has been far from lazy since our last newsletter.
At the time of writing work is underway for the installation of the new play equipment in the Memorial Playing Field and we are busy planning our ‘opening ceremony’. Councillor Ness-Collins in her report will tell you more about this.
At our meeting in July we strengthened our numbers and welcomed Stuart Troop, who was co-opted onto the Council, and we all look forward to working with him over the coming months.
I hope you will have noticed that the expansion of Newman’s Gardens Car Park is almost complete. All that remains is planting some shrubs at the perimeter and this marks the end of a very successful joint project with Horsham District Council, Steyning Parish Council and the Steyning Community Partnership.
You may have read in the local press that it has been proposed that a new war memorial be erected in the Town. In consideration of such a project a sub committee has been formed and consultation with local groups and all interested parties is planned, together with as many of you that are interested to come along and let us have your views. Details later in this publication.
This really is only a snapshot of the many items on which your councillors are working. I mention in particular our plans for ‘snow and ice’ come the long dark winter days, but let us not dwell on them just yet. Why not come along to our parish meetings or those of our committees, you may be quite surprised!
Lastly, a thank you from SPC to the Conservation Volunteers who undertook a blitz on the High Street as part of their take pride in the Town initiative which took place on Wednesday 14th July. Many thanks.
Sue Rogers - Chairman of the Council
UNIQUE ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITY
“Calling all businesses in Steyning”
The Parish Council is looking for sponsorship of the Gardens at the front of the Town’s busy Steyning Community Centre.
Our centre is in use daily, in the evenings and at weekends with lots of people coming through our doors on a regular basis.
We like to keep these gardens looking good and we wish to undertake some additional planting over the next year. Hence, we need some sponsorship. In return sponsors will be able to place an advertising board in the garden.
Interested? Please contact the Clerk on 01903 812042 or email spcclerk@btconnect.com
MILLENNIUM COMMUNITY AWARDS
Each year the Parish Council presents awards to individuals or groups who have made a significant contribution on a voluntary basis to the Town of Steyning.
Nominations are now invited for this award and those nominated will either:
• Live in the town or the surrounding area
• Be an organisation or a member of an organisation that represents the town (i.e. Steyning and District Societies)
• Work in the town and surrounding areas
The significant deciding factor is the voluntary contribution to the Town of Steyning.
If you know of anyone you think qualifies for this award and you would like to nominate them we would like to hear from you.
Contact 01903 812042 and speak to the Clerk, Sue Booth or email spcclerk@btconnect.com
STEYNING CENTRE WEBSITE
The Steyning Centre now has its own website at:
www.thesteyningcentre.co.uk
It gives details of the rooms available for hire, the hire rates and much more including parish council meeting dates. This website was developed with the help of the Steyning Grammar School IT students and some of our IT literate Councillors!
Our thanks to them all for the time and effort spent getting the site up and running.
GO ON – LOG ON AND SEE WHATS ON OFFER
The Neighbourhood Wardens can be contacted on 07734 387888 (Paul) and 07734 387889 (Carol), 01903 813236 (Office). Please note they are not an emergency service and in an emergency always dial 999. PCSO Charlie Whittaker and the Police can also be contacted on the non-emergency number below. It is important to ring the Police on this number and report all incidents, even if they appear trivial, it is only in this way that a proper record of incidents, crime and anti-social behaviour can be maintained for the District.
PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THE WARDENS ARE NOT THE POLICE, IF YOU ARE AWARE OR INVOLVED IN ANY INCIDENT FOR WHICH YOU WOULD NORMALLY CONTACT THE POLICE THEN PLEASE DO SO BY EITHER USING THE NON URGENT 0845 60 70 999 OR IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY 999
STEYNING NEEDS YOU!
You probably don’t want to think about the winter just yet but the severe weather last winter brought out the best in ‘community spirit’ in Steyning with many people volunteering to help the vulnerable with shopping for food and medicines. Steyning Parish Council has now put in place a Severe Weather Plan to ensure that Steyning is in a better position to cope with a snow and ice crisis.
Steyning High Street (and other roads in the area) are a low priority for snow clearing by West Sussex County Council and, with only one part-time street cleaner contracted in Steyning, the pavements, footpaths and twittens present a challenge.
To meet this challenge, the Parish Council hope to be providing 4 permanent grit bins, of a sympathetic design, in the High Street. We are also liaising with WSCC to deliver large ‘Hippo’ bags of salt, hopefully in October, to strategic points around the town – the exact locations will be available to be seen in the Steyning Centre.
To support our plan, the Council is looking for ‘volunteers’ to help clear vital pavements, footpaths and twittens of snow and spread salt on roads with steep gradients which were made impassable last year.
Also, if you have a 4 wheel drive motor vehicle and would be willing to volunteer to help or, you are a farmer who would be willing to help with a snow-plough to clear the main arterial roads (WSCC may provide the snow plough attachment), Steyning Needs You! Contact the council on 01903 812042 or email spcclerk@btconnect.com
STEYNING CENTRE COMMITTEE
Like all buildings the Steyning Centre requires good and constant maintenance. Therefore, during July and August you will find our caretakers busy repainting the walls, window frames, and doors etc. preparing the Centre for the busy autumn and winter lettings. Additional emergency lights have also been installed within the Centre to ensure that we conform to regulations.
During this year the main heating and fresh air circulating systems have been overhauled and a new control panel fitted and serviced to ensure that the minimum amount of energy is being used within the Centre.
Earlier this year the Committee approved a 3% increase to the hire charges of the Centre. This increase has not affected the bookings and we have in fact increased them over the same period last year.
Cllr Lloyd in partnership with the Steyning Grammar School has produced a website for the Centre which can be viewed on www.thesteyningcentre.co.uk
Our new Solar panels are working well especially with the long sunny days that we are currently enjoying. Every indication is that we have generated and used approximately £200/300 of free electricity over the period June to August inclusive and at the same time reduced the Centres C02 emissions by 733 kg of carbon.
We try to ensure that the gardens around the Centre look attractive and are well maintained, if you would like to sponsor all or part of the gardens you will see how you can do this elsewhere in our newsletter.
Gordon Marshall - Chairman Steyning Centre Committee.
PLAYING FIELDS COMMITTEE
By the time you read this our new, exciting Play Area in the Memorial Playing Field will be open and we hope everyone will be pleased with the result. We were very lucky to have been able to complete this project as Government funding for the Playbuilder projects has been put on hold across the County. As construction on the Steyning site had already started we were allowed to continue but other parishes were not so fortunate and 12 of the 14 projects have been put on hold or cancelled. We sympathise with other parishes across the county but are very pleased to have ours!
Another area that has appeared on our agenda is Norman Way, off Shooting Field.
• Are you aware of the area?
• If so, do you use it?
• What do you use it for?
The Parish Council is considering its future use, and what improvements we could make to its current state. Please let us know your views which could be:
• Leave as it is
• Convert to individual allotments (approx. 8)
• Convert to a Community allotment
• Make a Community garden with small play equipment area
• Play area for under 8s
• Play area for 9-13s with a youth shelter
• Other use – please specify
• Would you be interested in attending a meeting on this matter at the Steyning Centre.
• Would you be interested in being part of a group helping to decide what course of action to take?
Residents living in the immediate vicinity of Norman Way will be consulted individually about this area but PLEASE LET US KNOW YOUR VIEWS.
Write, or telephone 01903 812042 or email spcclerk@btconnect.com
Gill Ness-Collins, Chairman Playing Fields Committee.
HIGHWAYS & LIGHTING COMMITTEE
As I write you will see the completion of an additional 17 new parking spaces in Newmans Garden car park. At the end of the summer there will be a planting programme put in place to enhance this new area.
We are hoping to proceed with placing 4 grit bins in the High Street in preparation of a repeat of last winter’s extreme weather.
We are nearing completion of our Snow and Ice Strategy, which it is hoped will keep Steyning moving in case of these extreme weather conditions.
We are in negotiation with WSCC regarding the provision of grit bags for other areas in the Town.
If you were kind enough to volunteer for the distribution of grit we thank you and will be in touch with you.
Other live items on the agenda are the installation of cycle racks, the installation of improved community safety lighting and the lighting of the junction of Horsham Road and the by-pass.
As you will see we continue to be a busy committee with lots going on. Why not come along to one of our committee meetings? Details of which can be found at www.thesteyningcentre.co.uk
Tim Lloyd – Chairman Highways & Lighting Committee.
WAR MEMORIAL - HAVE YOUR SAY!
As mentioned in the Chairman’s message the Parish Council is currently looking at a proposal to erect a new War Memorial in Steyning.
The proposed site is opposite St. Andrews Church at the entrance to the Fletchers Croft Car Park.
An OPEN PUBLIC MEETING is being held on THURSDAY 14th OCTOBER at 7.30 p.m. at the STEYNING CENTRE to discuss this issue and decide whether to proceed. Please come along and give us your views or telephone 01903 812042 or email spcclerk@btconnect.com
BLOOD DONORS
The next blood donors sessions to be held at The Steyning Centre, Fletcher’s Croft will be on:
Wednesday 15th September
Wednesday 1st December 2010,
sessions are from 2.00 – 4.30 p.m. and 5.30 – 8.00 p.m.
STREET LIGHTS
West Sussex County Council maintains all streetlights in Steyning. To report a fault dial 0845 7581622. It is useful if you have to hand the number of the light in question.
CIVIC AMENITY SERVICE
This service will be in the Fletchers Croft car park on:
Saturdays: 8th September,
2nd, 16th & 30th October
3th & 27th November 2010.
The Landfill Waste service will be in the car park on;
11th September
4th December 2010.
CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU
The CAB is now operating its outreach service at The Steyning Centre once every 4 weeks. It is held on a Wednesday from 10am to 12.30pm.
Please note that an appointment system operates and appointments can be made by phoning the CAB Helpline on 0844 477 1171 or the Steyning Centre on 01903 812042.
DOG BINS
Dog faeces can now be placed in either your household rubbish bin or any normal litter bin. We do ask that you DOUBLE BAG/WRAP the package before disposing of it in this way!! You can, of course, continue to use the usual dog bins. Please report any overflowing dog bins to HDC on 01403 733144.
MEETINGS OF THE PARISH COUNCIL
Finance & General Purposes 7th Sept* 5th Oct* 2nd Nov* 7th Dec*.
Full Parish Council 13th Sept 11th Oct 8th Nov 13th Dec.
Highways & Lighting 28th Sept 16th Nov*, 21st Dec*.
Playing Fields 19th Oct*, 23rd Nov.
Steyning Centre 21st Sept* 26th Oct 30th Nov.
* Planning will be held on these evenings at 7.00 pm.
Members of the public are welcome to attend these meetings which are held at The Steyning Centre. Meetings are at 7.30pm except Planning marked*.
All agendas are displayed on the Public Notice Board at the High Street car park. Contact: 01903 812042. Email: spcclerk@btconnect.com or www.thesteyningcentre.co.uk
ASHURST PARISH COUNCIL
Parish Council Meeting:
At the Parish Council AGM in May Councillor Griffiths was re-elected at Chairman of the Council and Councillor Hedley was re-elected as Vice Chairman.
The Internal Audit for 2009/10 has been carried out and signed off. The accounts are now with the External Auditors. Anyone wishing to see the accounts can do so by appointment.
Contact the Clerk during office hours on 01903 812042.
The next Parish Council meetings will be held on: Thursday 2nd September and Thursday 4th November 2010.
Meetings start at 8pm at the Village Hall. Members of the public are welcome to attend all Parish Council meetings.
Recreation Ground:
The AGM for the Recreation Ground Trust will be held on Thursday 7th October at 8pm at the Village Hall.
Members of the public are welcome to attend all Parish Council meetings.
Parish Councillors:
Alan Griffiths (Chairman) 01403 711544 Jim Rucklidge 01903 815869
Nick Hedley (Vice-Chairman) 01403 711373 George Stevens 01403 710232
Chris Jesse 01903 815089 Linda Thornton 01403 713123
Roy Powel 01403 710419
Clerk: Hazel Roxby office hours 01903 812042) other times 01903 814802
Email: hroxby@hotmail.com
BRAMBER PARISH COUNCIL NEWS
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT: 13th May 2010
The Chairman thanked the members of the Parish Council for their support during the past year and also thanked the Clerk for the smooth running of the Council. Councillors Derek Deedman (WSCC) and Councillors Alan Fisher and Frank Grantham (HDC) have supported the Parish Council well during the last twelve months and thanks were also given to them.
Planning - During the year 19 planning applications were received including a completely new set of plans for Castle View, The Street which has now been approved. There were twelve applications for tree surgery.
Neighbourhood Wardens - This scheme continues to be a success and the wardens are working well with the PCSO’s, the Police and the general public. Regular meetings of the three parishes have been held throughout the year, the last one of which was between interested residents and the PCSO’s where short term priorities were set. A monthly report from the Wardens is to be produced and displayed on the Notice Board and Website.
South Downs National Park - This finally came into being on 1 April 2010 and a new Board has been set up including two parish council representatives selected by ballot earlier this year.
Public Toilets - The toilets and bus shelter are now being looked after by a new cleaner and this seems to be working extremely well. Horsham District Council has produced a draft lease agreement and this document will be finalised following clarification of some points.
Parish Plan - This Plan was completed and sent out in the summer of 2009 and there have been regular meetings since to complete updates on all the points allocated for action.
1. Communications -Your Steyning continues to be used for parish updates. Newsletter sent to all residents with address of website. Chairman’s report to be shown on Notice Boards and website
2. Traffic & Highway Maintenance - Pavements/pothole issues reported and repairs undertaken after the bad weather. 20 mph for The Street targeted for mid-June Speed bump smoothing on list of ‘to do’s’ but other repairs have higher priority. Derek Deedman progressing proposal for 30 mph for Clays Hill. Supplies of salt now available for icy pavements and general use.
3. Rubbish Collection and Recycling - Efficient standard of collection maintained throughout adverse weather conditions. 60% recycling rate achieved. Wardens now checking Botolphs for fly tipping. Catching dog owners who allow fouling on pavements has been given a high priority by the PCSO’s. Problem more acute in some areas of Upper Beeding.
4. Housing and Development - Comments returned to Horsham on Strategic Housing Plans emphasising need to seriously consider effects on Flood Plain.
5. Flood Planning and Water Maintenance - Environment Agency Flood Planning Leaflets distributed to all households in the Street. Resident nominated to represent Bramber on district-wide Risk Planning initiative.
6. Business & Tourism - A member of the original Bramber Plan group is progressing the issues identified.
New notice board for The Street - The Council now have a brand new notice board which includes the Parish Council logo on the header board and this was erected in March. There has also been a refurbishment carried out on the notice board in Maudlyn with glass panels replacing the plastic.
There is a new seat in Sopers Lane/Annington Lane given and erected by a resident in memory of his son and it is hoped that this will be well used by walkers.
END - END - END
STEYNING PARISH COUNCIL NEWS - ISSUE 27 - June 2010
CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE:
Would you like to be involved in your community? Have you ever thought of becoming a parish councillor? If so then now is a great opportunity. We are looking to co-opt a new Councillor so if you are interested please contact the parish clerk, Sue Booth on 01903 812042 who will give you some more details of how.
In this edition of our council news you will read the annual reports of the Committee Chairman. These reports were prepared for the Annual Parish Meeting and will provide you with brief details of the hard work undertaken in the past year. In February, we strengthened our number and were pleased to welcome Philip Hoare as a member of the Council and look forward to working with him in the future.
Those of you who attended the Annual Parish Meeting will I am sure have been delighted by the opportunity that we took to recognise officially the hard work of our junior wardens by presenting them all with certificates, which later featured in the local press. They were so well deserved.
One final piece of good news, last year we achieved status of Quality Council. As a consequence of this accreditation we have been awarded the sum of £925 from the Sussex Association of Local Councils as part of the Safer and Stronger Communities of the LAA (Local Authorities Association) reward grant.
This money is to be used for the benefit of the community and we will be discussing ideas at our F&GP committee. As a councillor you could be part of that discussion, go on, give it some thought!
Lastly, a big thank you to all the Councillors, staff and exhibitors who worked so hard to make our Showcase Day on 27th February such a success. In the end we had to turn away some organisations as we simply could not fit them all in. It seems a long time ago now but we have had many calls for it to be repeated!
Sue Rogers, Chairman
N.B At the Full Council meeting of 10th May it was decided to defer a decision on whether to change the name of Steyning Parish Council to Steyning Town Council until after June next year.
VOLUNTEERS WANTED:
SNOW & ICE:
Would you be interested in becoming a keyholder for a grit/salt bin in your neighbourhood? Would you be interested in being trained in the optimum use and spreading of grit/salt in order to be able to pass this on to other residents in the event of adverse weather conditions such as those seen last winter? If you think you would like to help please contact Sue Booth/Hazel Roxby at spcclerk@btconnect.com or on 01903 812042.
GRIT BIN SPONSORS:
Calling all businesses in Steyning. Would you be interested in sponsoring a grit/salt bin in the Town and surrounding area? This is an excellent opportunity to advertise your business. The cost of a bin plus installation would be in the region of £250-£350 – maybe you could share the cost with another business? The Parish Council would like to hear from you please contact Sue Booth/Hazel Roxby on spcclerk@btconnect.com or 01903 812042.
BLOOD DONORS:
The next blood donors sessions to be held at The Steyning Centre, Fletcher’s Croft will be on: Wednesday 4th August, sessions are from 2.00 – 4.30 p.m. and 5.30 – 8.00 p.m.
STREET LIGHTS:
West Sussex County Council maintains all streetlights in Steyning. To report a fault dial 0845 7581622. It is useful if you have to hand the number of the light in question. Alternatively, the Parish Office will pass on your request, their number is 01903 812042
BECOME A COUNCILLOR– MAKE A DIFFERENCE:
Becoming a Councillor is one of the most rewarding roles in the community. The role of Councillor is one of representative, listener, decision-taker and team member. Councillors contribute to the work of the Council by:
• Having a say about the things they care about
• Putting forward ideas for better services
• Responding to the needs and views of the residents
• Seeking the best outcome to local issues
• Getting involved in decision making
If you think you could be interested in becoming a Councillor please come in and talk to me.
Sue Booth, Clerk to the Council 01903 812042: spcclerk@btconnect.com
The Neighbourhood Wardens can be contacted on 07734 387888 (Paul) and 07734 387889 (Carol), 01903 813236 (Office). Please note they are not an emergency service and in an emergency always dial 999. PCSO Charlie Whittaker and the Police can also be contacted on the non-emergency number below. It is important to ring the Police on this number and report all incidents, even if they appear trivial, it is only in this way that a proper record of incidents, crime and anti-social behaviour can be maintained for the District.
PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THE WARDENS ARE NOT THE POLICE, IF YOU ARE AWARE OR INVOLVED IN ANY INCIDENT FOR WHICH YOU WOULD NORMALLY CONTACT THE POLICE THEN PLEASE DO SO BY EITHER USING THE NON URGENT 0845 60 70 999 OR IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY 999
PARISH COUNCIL COMMITTEES & MEMBERS 2010/11:
CHAIRMAN OF COUNCIL: SUE ROGERS
VICE-CHAIRMAN: SHELLEY MARKS-THOMSON
FINANCE & GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE:
Chairman: David Herson Vice-Chairman: Vacant Members: Sue Rogers, Shelley Marks-Thomson, Paul Devlin, Gordon Marshall, Gill Ness-Collins, Martin Toomey, Jackie Campbell, David Barling
HIGHWAYS & LIGHTING COMMITTEE:
Chairman: Sue Rogers Vice Chairman: Jackie Campbell Members: Shelley Marks-Thomson, Mariella Alexander, David Herson, Marlene Carman, Tim Lloyd, David Barling, Philip Hoare
PLAYING FIELDS COMMITTEE:
Chairman: Gill Ness-Collins Vice Chairman: Vacant Members: Sue Rogers, Shelley Marks-Thomson, Marlene Carman, Roger Toms, Philip Hoare
PLANNING COMMITTEE:
Chairman: Paul Devlin Vice Chairman Martin Toomey Members: Sue Rogers, Shelley Marks-Thomson, Mariella Alexander, Marlene Carman, David Barling.
STEYNING CENTRE COMMITTEE - Report by Cllr. Marshall:
Another year has passed by since our last report and I am very pleased to say that 2009 has been a good year for your Centre. Our objectives for the year were many and varied, the main ones being:- Advertising is always important especially for a Centre such as ours, and therefore the Committee under the guidance of Cllr Lloyd will introduce very shortly a
website for the Centre. It is necessary annually to review the conditions of hire and booking for the Centre, this has resulted in a 3% increase to the charges to the Centre booking. The review has also upgraded the conditions of hire for the Centre and a much more positive deposit system and clarification of booking payments over £100 has been agreed,
and also settlement eight weeks prior to the use of the Centre, has also been approved. Energy used within the Centre has risen like all heating systems and this has become a concern to the Committee. The heating system in the Centre has therefore been serviced, upgraded parts changes and thermostats lowered, resulting in a reduction of the gas consumption. Perhaps next year we will investigate installing a new more modern boiler? Again a considerable reduction to the Centre’s carbon footprint.
An eighteen Solar Cell Array has finally, after much heartache, been installed onto the roof of the Centre, and they have now started to feed the Centre with free electricity and at the same time reducing the centre’s carbon footprint by approximately 15%, Fantastic!! The system should provide approximately £700 per year as a payback to the Centre at no cost to the Council as the total cost was paid for by grants. We hope to enlarge the system at a later date, if it proves to be very successful. After discussions the Committee agreed that the vision statement for the Steyning Centre management committee for 2010 should reflect:-
• Wish to retain
• Wish list for the future.
• Free car parking
• Website
• More room facilities
• Carbon neutral
• More maintenance for the Centre
• Increase maximum bookings
• Extension of facility
PLANNING COMMITTEE - Report by Cllr Devlin:
The planning committee consists of seven Councillors who meet twice per month. Our role is to consider all planning applications, which are sent to us by HDC and in some cases West Sussex County Council. In addition we consider strategic planning matters such as the creation and administration of the South Downs National Park.
During the past year I have attended and spoken at a planning appeal relating to Penns Court, a planning meeting of West Sussex County Council concerning the extension to the boarding house of the Grammar school and attended several meetings and forums relating to the South Downs National Park. Planning applications for Steyning & Bramber can be viewed by the public at the Steyning Centre during normal office hours, excluding Friday afternoon. We understand that the creation of hard copies of applications by HDC is to cease and HDC are planning to provide a lap top computer, which will be available at the office for the viewing of plans. During the planning meeting the plans will be projected onto a screen. These meetings are now on the first and third Tuesday of the month at 7pm. The significant development in the town is the creation of the £4.5 m Grammar School boarding house and dining room which is due for completion in January next year.
Regarding the National Park, we are now aware that the decision has been made that some outlying parts of the Parish will be within this but the major parts of the town will be outside of the park. The precise boundary of the park was confirmed, by the Secretary of State last November and in December the announcement was made as to the size and composition of the Park Authority. In January this year the Park was established as a legal entity by Parliament. A National Park establishment team is in place with an office in Midhurst. Their role is to consult with local people and organisations, raise grant funding where appropriate and help shape the Park Authority’s priorities. The names of the Park Authority members was announced last month, consisting of 14 nominated Councillors from local authorities covering the park, 6 Parish Councillors and 7 Government appointed members. Parish Councils in each of the 3 counties were given the opportunity to vote for 2 Parish Representatives.
On April 1st The South Downs National Park Authority is created as a “shadow” authority, not yet operational and in March next year the existing authority The South Downs Joint Committee winds up and the new Authority becomes fully operational and takes on statutory planning responsibilities.
Highways & Lighting Committee – Report by Cllr Rogers:
Our roads and car parks continue to create a high workload for the committee and 2009/10 continues to be a busy year. Working with the Steyning Partnership, good progress is being made towards expansion of Newmans Gardens Car Park and we expect work to start in the second quarter of this year. Further plans are being made to improve the general appearance of the car park and re-site the ugly recycling bins from the entrance to the High Street.
In the early part of last year we carefully explored the feasibility of introducing a 20mph zone through the Town and whilst this was well supported by many residents it did not meet WSCC criteria. Whilst this will not proceed per se we have created a traffic calming sub committee who are engaged in examining various speeding hot spots through the Town.
Snow and Ice this year have brought their own challenges and emergency plans that were drawn up by the Parish Council on the first day of the severe weather were thwarted by the Government who took control of all stocks of salt and grit. A further sub committee are now investigating longer term more robust plans for future weather events.
On a positive note the Committee was pleased to see the pedestrian crossing finally completed across the Bramber Road. This project was supported by the Parish Council and we would like to acknowledge the hard work of Councilor DerekDeedman for his efforts in seeing this through.
This report really only provides a snapshot of that many items and projects this committee have addressed, not to mention the creation of a vision statement, part of which you may of read in the latest edition of Your Steyning. My thanks to all members of the Committee for their hard work throughout the past 12 months.
CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU:
The CAB is now operating its outreach service at The Steyning Centre once every 4 weeks. It is held on a Wednesday from 10am to 1pm. Please note that an appointment system operates and appointments can now only be made by phoning the CAB Helpline on 0844 477 1171.
CIVIC AMENITY SERVICE:
This service will be in the Fletchers Croft car park on: Saturdays 12th & 26th June, 10th & 24th July and 7th & 21st August. The Landfill Waste service will be in the car park on 17th July.
DOG BINS:
Dog faeces can now be placed in either your household rubbish bin or any normal litter bin. We do ask that you DOUBLE BAG/WRAP the package before disposing of it in this way!! You can, of course, continue to use the usual dog bins. Please report any overflowing dog bins to HDC on 01403 733144.
Finance & General Purposes Committee – Report by Cllr Herson:
As the name indicates, F&GP is the Committee that controls the Council Finances but it also deals with any items of Council business that do not naturally fall into the remit of any of the other Committees. The Committee meets on the first Tuesday of every month, 6 days prior to the corresponding full Council meeting. Following the resignation of Phil Hampson, I was appointed as Chair of this Committee in May 2009. F&GP manages by far the largest share of the Council’s budget which includes all our administration costs such as salaries and wages, ICT and printing, grants to community organisations, professional fees and training. It also includes our substantial commitments to the Neighbourhood Wardens scheme and the Swimming Pool.
Now for a few details:
In 2009/2010 the budget allocated to administering the Council’s affairs was just over £79,000 – a small reduction on the figure for 2008/09. The actual cost of the Wardens and Swimming Pool contributions were almost £44,000 giving a total F&GP budget of £123,000. Our Precept for 2009/2010 was just under £149,500 – thus F&GP accounted for approximately 82% of the Council’s expenditure.
For 2010/11, we aim to keep the cost of administration to the minimum possible but, regrettably, there will still need to be a 3% increase in the Precept to £154,000; mainly to cover anticipated increases in our fixed costs.
Because of a slight reduction in the number of properties paying Council Tax, this will unfortunately show as a 3.9% increase in the Parish Council’s element of your total Council Tax bill. Nonetheless, this increase amounts to just 4p/week for a band D or 6p/week for a band F taxpayer!
We continually strive to make savings wherever we can especially in the use of IT and utilities and will do whatever we can to support the 10:10 campaign during the coming financial year. We have also been successful in getting financial support from some of our adjoining Councils towards our long-term commitment to supporting the Swimming Pool.
During this year we decided to change the method of distributing Parish Council News and hopefully you will have all seen and read the distinctive quarterly insert in “Your Steyning.” This comes at a small cost but we hope that the information will now reach all residents in a timely fashion. Also during the year we have awarded over £2000 in grants including the Chamber of Trade’s reusable bag campaign as well as Steyning in Bloom. Lastly, the Parish Council is actively represented on a number of outside bodies including the Local Action Team, Leisure Centre Management Committee, Joint Burial Board, Horsham Association of Local Councils, West Sussex Waste Management and more. Thus, in a small way, we are able to influence developments throughout both the District and the County for the benefit of the residents of Steyning.
This report can only provide an overview of the work of F&GP. Please see our monthly meeting Minutes or attend one of our monthly meetings to find out more.
Playing Fields Committee – Report by Cllr Ness-Collins:
The committee has met regularly during the past year. There have been several changes of personnel during the past year. We now number seven members. During our meetings we have dealt with the regular business of the committee. We have a good working relationship with the Allotments Association. At this point I should comment that their bid for a Lottery grant is progressing.
Regular monitoring of all the open spaces is carried out by committee members. We have had close contact with the Tennis Club and after discussion we agreed to support their application for planning permission for a third Tennis court. I am glad to say their application has been approved and they can now go ahead with their plans.
We have been very fortunate to get a grant of £45,000 from Play England under their Playbuilder scheme. This will enable us to replace some of our existing old equipment, buy new equipment, improve the safety surfaces, and amalgamate the play areas on the Memorial Field. We met with the School Council at St Andrews Primary School and we showed them the provisional sketches and the kind of equipment available. We listened to their views, and took note of what they wanted. This was a most interesting and useful meeting. We will shortly meet with two contractors who have been asked to submit a bid for this work. At present we are looking at the old Basketball court at the end of Normans Way. We are in process of consulting the residents to see how best we could develop/ improve the court and the nearby grass area, possibly to include a community garden.
MEETINGS OF THE PARISH COUNCIL:
• Finance & General Purposes: 8th June*, 6th July*, 3rd August*, 7th September*
• Parish Council: 14th June, 12th July, 13th September (no meeting August)
• Highways & Lighting: 20th July*, 24th August, 28th September
• Playing Fields: 22nd June*, 27th July, 31st August
• Steyning Centre: 29th June, 17th August*, 21st September*
*Planning meeting will be at 7.00 p.m. on these dates.
Members of the public are welcome to attend all the above meetings which are held at The Steyning Centre. Meetings are at 7.30pm with the exception of Planning marked *. All meeting agendas are displayed on the Public Notice Board at the High Street car park. The Parish Council can be contacted at: The Steyning Centre, Fletcher’s Croft, Steyning, West Sussex, BN44 3XZ. Tel: 01903 812042. Email: spcclerk@btconnect.com or steyningcentre@btconnect.com
ASHURST NEWS:
The next Parish Council meetings will be held on Thursday 13th May and 1st July. Meetings start at 8pm at the Village Hall. Members of the public are welcome to attend all Parish Council meetings.
Annual Parish Meeting:
Please find below the Chairman’s Report which was given at the Annual Parish meeting on 1st April 2010.
At the last Annual Parish Meeting it was proposed that a spring clean be carried out on Sunday 19th April. We are pleased to inform that a small number of people turned up and 10 sacks of rubbish were removed.
The Ashurst Recreation Ground, which is owned by the Charity Commission and managed by the Parish Council as the sole trustee, has had a very quiet year. Jon Hutcheon has been dealing with the rabbits and moles again recently. We have also received help with the rabbits via a residents contact, for which we are very grateful. The Football Club have informed that there is only more game to play this season, which they hope to play at Partridge Green. A cheque has been received for the games that have been played this season. Horsham District Council has informed that a TPO has been placed on the Oak tree at the entrance to the recreation ground. It was noted at the recreation ground AGM a number of items that need repairing or sorting out with contractors, these items are all in hand and will reported on at the Parish Council meetings throughout the year.
The annual precept for 2010/11 been set at £4,600.00. This includes £1000.00 grant for the Village Hall Trust for the New Village Hall. The other main costs to the Council are the recreation ground grant and Administration. The Steyning Area Mini Bus Association were given a grant for £150.00 and Sussex Air Ambulance were given £50.00. The total income for the year 09/10 was £3,571.31and the expenditure was £4,162.37. A summary of receipts and payments for the year ending 31st March 2010 can be view once the Internal Audit has been carried out in May .
The Parish Council receive copies of all planning applications for Ashurst and are able to give their comments to Horsham District Council. However Horsham District Council does have the final decision. Residents are welcome to attend Parish Council meetings and have their say on any planning applications. It is now possible to view applications and also leave comments on line at HYPERLINK “http://www.horsham.gov.uk” www.horsham.gov.uk. Horsham District Council is at present trying to reduce the amount of paper plans that they receive and in-turn send out to parishes. A trial for E Consultation (plans sent by email and downloaded from the computer) has just been carried out with 3 parishes and the results should be available by the end of April.
West Sussex Council Have carried out some work on the ditches on the B2135 coming into Ashurst (from Steyning). It has been reported to have made some improvement to the flooding of the road.
The Chairman thanked George Cockman and Len Warner our District Councillors and Derek Deedman our County Councillor for their help and support in Ashurst issues over the year.
The Parish Councillors were thanked for their work and support during the year and most importantly thanks to Hazel, without whom the Parish Council wouldn’t run at all. Details of all Parish Councillors and the Clerk are permanently posted on the Parish Council Notice Board.
NEWS FROM BRAMBER
PARISH COUNCIL
The Bramber Plan can now be viewed on a central database of community plans provided by Action in Rural Sussex. As progress is made against each action the entry will be updated to keep communities informed. The website is www.clp-se.org.uk, and just search for ‘Bramber’.
END - END - END
STEYNING PARISH NEWS - ISSUE 26 - March 2010
CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE:
It has been a difficult time since Christmas on so many fronts. None more, than watching the appalling images of the natural disaster in Haiti unfold on our screen. Closer to home, it was the snow and ice in January that made our lives at times so difficult. It was great to see the children sledging and playing in the snow but for so many of our residents the snow and ice brought fear and isolation. I do know that many people called in on neighbours and shopped for them demonstrating the strong sense of community that exists in our town.
It was also great to see how busy our local shops were during this time and how important such amenities are so we must continue to support them.
Your Councillors met on the first day of the snow and, with their limited powers, created a plan to alleviate some of the difficulties in walking and driving by ordering rock salt for key locations. Circumstances with supply ultimately prevented this from taking place which was frustrating on so many fronts. We are now working with both the County and District Councils to develop a longer term more robust plan for emergency weather situations and may well be seeking volunteers amongst you to help should we need to implement such measures. We will publish these plans as soon as possible.
In the various reports from the Committee Chairmen, you will learn something of the Council’s aspirations for the Town by way of their ‘vision statements’. During the past few months we have spent time looking to the future and trying to determine what we would like to see by way of improvements and we shall revisit these plans as part of any new projects. What I believe is important is the process of taking time to look ahead and reflect on the good and what should be kept, as well as any changes for the better. Too often we focus only on day to day business (of which there is plenty).
One area for concern currently that we have is petty vandalism and misuse that seems to occur daily in the newly refurbished High Street toilets. The cost of replacing supplies either stolen or misused is well over budget. We have improved the monitoring of the area but are reluctant to introduce any sort of usage payment so we are asking for your help to report either to the wardens or the police any behaviour that you think may be suspicious.
On a more positive note whilst writing this I am conscious we are but days away from the Parish Council’s ‘Showcase Event’ an event for which we are all very excited and feel sure will be a great success.
Finally a date for your diaries, the Annual Parish meeting will be held on Monday 29th March at 7.30pm at the Steyning Centre. As part of this meeting we will be presenting certificates of appreciation to the Junior Wardens.
We hope to see you all there!
Sue Rogers - Chairman Steyning Parish Council
The Neighbourhood Wardens can be contacted on 07734 387888 (Paul) and 07734 387889 (Carol), 01903 813236 (Office). Please note they are not an emergency service and in an emergency always dial 999. PCSO Charlie Whittaker and the Police can also be contacted on the non-emergency number below. It is important to ring the Police on this number and report all incidents, even if they appear trivial, it is only in this way that a proper record of incidents, crime and anti-social behaviour can be maintained for the District.
PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THE WARDENS ARE NOT THE POLICE, IF YOU ARE AWARE OR INVOLVED IN ANY INCIDENT FOR WHICH YOU WOULD NORMALLY CONTACT THE POLICE THEN PLEASE DO SO BY EITHER USING THE NON URGENT 0845 60 70 999 OR IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY 999
FINANCE & GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE REPORT:
Is Steyning a Town, a Village or a Parish? The Parish Council is discussing whether it is now time to rename itself as a Town Council and would be interested to hear your views. This change of name is entirely at the discretion of the Council and has no other immediate consequences; in particular, it would not affect your Council Tax contribution. Our Clerk would become the Town Clerk but no other changes of name are currently envisaged. Some members feel that it would raise the both the visibility and status of a Council that already provides a wide variety of services to the residents of Steyning. As always, the Council would like to hear from you, it’s your Town, please let us have your views. If you have any questions about this suggestion, please contact the Clerk in the first instance. Tel: 01903 812042 or email: spcclerk@btconnect.com
Since 2000, the Parish Council has sought to honour local residents that have made a significant voluntary contribution to the life of Steyning with its annual Millennium Awards. After a pause of a year, this scheme is to be re-launched as the Millennium Community Awards and an Honours Board will shortly be installed in the Steyning Centre listing both past and future recipients of these awards. Do please take a look when you visit. Again, further details about the scheme can be obtained from the Clerk.
The work of the Junior Wardens from St Andrew’s School is to be recognised at the forthcoming Annual Parish Meeting. Our own Neighbourhood Wardens (currently Paul and Carol) oversee this initiative which is greatly valued by the Council. Do come along to the meeting on Monday 29 March and hear about their work for yourselves.
Steyning residents may be interested in commenting on the County Council proposals for the Minerals and Waste Development Framework. This concerns future sites for mineral extraction and for waste landfill throughout West Sussex. Full details are available on: www.westsussex.gov.uk/ccm/content/your-council/plans-policies-reports-and-initiatives
As, always, please forward any comments to the Clerk.
The top three priorities of the Finance & General Purposes for their Vision Statement were:
• To set an Annual Precept that commands the full support of the residents of the Town.
• To give grants to organisations that provide tangible benefits to the residents of the Town.
• To achieve best value in all items of the Council’s expenditure.
David Herson - Chairman Finance & General Purposes Committee
STEYNING CENTRE COMMITTEE:
In 2006 the Steyning Centre Management Committee started to look at energy usage within the Centre and what steps they could take to reduce the carbon footprint by 10 – 15%.
The Committee is now very pleased to report that during the past four years the majority of the Centre’s electric light bulbs have been changed for low energy bulbs, time switches have been adjusted and other actions taken which has resulted in a reduction to the electricity usage. Energy surveys have also been carried out and Solar Energy appeared to the Committee to be very suitable for generating electricity for part of the requirements of the Centre.
After many letters and phone calls, filling in copious forms and holding meetings with many people it was finally agreed to try and obtain funding to install Photovoltaic Cells onto the roof of the Centre. Grants were applied for and we are very pleased to announce have now been agreed to cover the total project cost from two providers, Viridor Credits and the Governments Low Building Programme.
The system is due to be installed during February 2010 and when complete will generate 1436 kWh per year of electricity for use within the Centre, an annual approximate saving of up to £500 and a saving of 761kg of CO2 footprint which reflects a 10 – 15 % reduction in the Centres current production.
The new hire rates for 2011/12 have now been agreed by committee representing a 3% increase.
The committee have also discussed and agreed their Vision Statement for the Steyning Centre which should reflect:-
Wish to retain Wish list for the future
Free car parking Website
More room facilities Carbon neutral
More maintenance for the Centre Increase/maximise bookings
Extension of facility/centre
Gordon Marshall - Chairman Steyning Centre Management Committee
REPORT FROM PLAYING FIELDS COMMITTEE:
The Committee is responsible for the care and monitoring of all the open spaces in Steyning. At this time there are two particular areas worthy of note.
We have been very fortunate in obtaining a grant from the Playbuilder Scheme which will enable us to update the play facilities for children on the Memorial Playing Field. With this in mind we recently held a meeting with the School Council at St Andrew’s Primary School. The young people examined some proposed layouts and looked at pictures of equipment available. They were very positive and made some good suggestions which we will take into account with our final plan. The idea is to combine the two areas into one and move it towards the centre of the field, buy some new equipment and renovate the existing equipment. We have requested tenders from several firms and at our next meeting in March we have asked two firms to show us designs for proposed layouts. From this the final design will be chosen. We hope the work will then be started in time for the summer.
Have you heard of Norman Way Open Space? This is a well kept secret and lies at the far end of shooting Field beside the bypass. It consists of a grass path leading to an area of hard standing with one basketball ring. We understand it is well used by young people in the area. We would like to be able to improve this area . If you have any suggestions you would like us to consider please contact the Parish Council office on 01903 812042 email: spcclerk@btconnect.com
The Playing Fields Committee has also been working on its Vision Statement
Wish to Retain:
• To retain and promote the level of use of facilities on MPF
• To maintain the safety aspects of all outdoor facilities
• To maintain the accessibility of the MPF
Wish List For the Future:
• Better maintenance of MPF and to try and keep dog faeces free
• To improve ‘garden’ type space on the MPF
• Improve Play facilities and keep them safe
Gill Ness-Collins - Chair of the Playing Fields Committee
REPORT FROM HIGHWAYS AND LIGHTING:
Weather, including rain, snow and ice are keeping the committee members very busy! Whilst the roads and pavements are the responsibility of WSCC we are working with them as much as we can to solve numerous issues around the town. These include the flooding problems on the Horsham Road, and Tanyard Lane and the footpath outside the Shooting Field site of the school. The snow and ice have created numerous pot holes which we are trying to arrange to get filled as quickly as possible.
As you may have read, whilst we decided not to pursue a 20mph zone through the Town, we have set up a sub committee to examine some of the locations which may benefit from some traffic calming measures and we will consider the numerous suggestions that you have made for our roads and where you would like to see a reduction in speeding vehicles.
In common with the other committees we too have been working on a vision statement. The roads and pavements of our town, and this includes our car parks, are not owned by the Parish Council and our influence over them is how we can work and lobby both Horsham District Council and WSCC to achieve our vision. The following represents just part of our full vision statement but serves to gives you a brief insight of our aims.
HIGHWAYS & LIGHTING VISION STATEMENT:
Influence the provision of free and adequate parking which is appropriate for the area that each car park serves, without spoiling the appearance of the surrounding area.
In conjunction with the Highways Authority and other parties, to ensure that the surface of all roads, path and pavements and steps throughout the Town are maintained to a high standard with both safety and comfort in mind.
Create the appropriate means to maintain, check and monitor a clean environment and keep the Town tidy, free from litter and graffiti.
Sue Rogers - Chairman of Highways and Lighting
REPORT FROM PLANNING COMMITTEE:
Horsham District Council have recently made the decision to cease sending hard copies of planning applications to the Parish Council. One result of this is that the public will not be able to visit the parish office to view plans in paper version, only on computer screen. Plans will be received by e-mail and projected onto a screen at the planning meeting. Members of the public will be free to take notes and make comments (at the appropriate time) on the plans. The plans can of course be viewed on the District Council’s web site.
The number of planning applications has recently significantly reduced and some planning meetings have been cancelled. Meetings are now at 7pm on the first and third Tuesday of the month. They do not normally last longer than thirty minutes.
The significant building development in the town is the £4.5 m extension to the Grammar School boarding house and dining room. This development is proceeding well and is due to be completed in early 2011.
The South Downs National Park is now in existence. The Steyning Town is now outside of the park but some of the Parish is within it. The Park will be administered by a National Park Authority, consisting of 29 members, who are both local government and national government appointees. There will be six parish or town council representatives, two from each of West Sussex, East Sussex and Hampshire. Each Parish or Town Council had two votes and Councillors in West Sussex were given the opportunity to hear the candidates speak at the “hustings” in Arundel. I am please to say that one of our selected candidates was elected. Steyning will be a gateway town to the park and it is hoped that this will result in significant benefits, particularly for our town traders.
VISION STATEMENT FOR PLANNING:
To advise local authorities on the fabric of the Town and surrounding countryside with the objective of improving economic viability and resident/visitor convenience whilst maintaining the historic character of the Town.
• To influence the relevant authorities to identify suitable low cost housing in Steyning and to find suitable sites.
• Not to expand outside the existing settlement of the Town.
• Maximise development opportunities within the existing settlement of the Town.
• To consider open space/playing field development on the periphery of the Town.
• To restrict the height of current/new buildings.
• To encourage/retain commercial developments in the Town and a cross section of same.
• To try to retain indigenous trees within the Town.
• To retain/restore the historic facades and colour of the buildings in the Town.
• To encourage appropriate design conducive to a conservation area.
Paul Devlin – Chairman Planning Committee
CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU:
The CAB is now operating its outreach service at The Steyning Centre once every 4 weeks. It is held on a Wednesday from 10am to 1pm. Please note that an appointment system operates and appointments can now only be made by phoning the CAB Helpline on 0844 477 1171.
MEETINGS OF THE PARISH COUNCIL:
• Finance & General Purposes: March 2nd*, April 6th* May 4th*, June 8th*
• Parish Council: March 8th, May10th, June 14th
• Highways & Lighting: April 20th, May 25th
• Playing Fields: March16th, April 27th, June 22nd*
• Steyning Centre: March 23rd*, May18th*, June 29th
*Planning meetings will be held on these evenings at 7.00 p.m.
Members of the public are welcome to attend all the above meetings which are held at The Steyning Centre. Meetings are at 7.30pm with the exception of Planning marked *. All meeting agendas are displayed on the Public Notice Board at the High Street car park. The Parish Council can be contacted at: The Steyning Centre, Fletcher’s Croft, Steyning, West Sussex, BN44 3XZ. Tel: 01903 812042. Email:spcclerk@btconnect.com
THE ANNUAL PARISH MEETING will be held on Monday March 29th at 7.30 p.m. at the Steyning Centre. This year there will be a presentation by the Steyning Downland Scheme. Refreshments will be served and then there will be the opportunity for residents to hear the reports from the Parish Council Committees and ask questions of the Council. Everyone is welcome, please come along. If you have a question for the Council and can come along please either write or email your question in advance to the Clerk at the Steyning Centre, 01903 812042, or email: HYPERLINK mailto:spcclerk@btconnect.com spcclerk@btconnect.com
BLOOD DONORS:
The next blood donors sessions to be held at The Steyning Centre, Fletcher’s Croft will be on:
• Wednesday 21st April 2010 and 19th May,
sessions are from 2.00 – 4.30 p.m. and 5.30 – 8.00 p.m.
CIVIC AMENITY SERVICE:
This service will be in the Fletchers Croft car park on: Saturday 20th March.
DOG BINS:
Dog feces can now be placed in either your household rubbish bin or any normal litter bin. We do ask that you DOUBLE BAG/WRAP the package before disposing of it in this way!! You can, of course, continue to use the usual dog bins. Please report any overflowing dog bins to HDC on 01403 733144.
BECOME A COUNCILLOR – MAKE A DIFFERENCE:
Becoming a Councillor is one of the most rewarding roles in the community. The role of Councillor is one of representative, listener, decision-taker and team member. Councillors contribute to the work of the Council by:
• Having a say about the things they care about
• Putting forward ideas for better services
• Responding to the needs and views of the residents
• Seeking the best outcome to local issues
• Getting involved in decision making
If you think you could be interested in becoming a Councillor please come in and talk to me.
Sue Booth, Clerk to the Council 01903 812042: spcclerk@btconnect.com
STREET LIGHTS:
West Sussex County Council maintains all streetlights in Steyning. To report a fault dial 0845 7581622. It is useful if you have to hand the number of the light in question. Alternatively, the Parish Office will pass on your request, their number is 01903 812042
THE STEYNING & ASHURST CONSERVATION GROUP:
Invite you to join them working in the local Countryside
Sundays 17th January 2010, 21st February 2010, 21st March 2010, 18th April 2010
Meet at Fletchers Croft Car Park 9.30am next to The Steyning Centre
All ages and abilities are welcome. Ideal opportunity for students; including Duke of Edinburgh Award students. Please bring your own gloves. Further details from Marlene Carman on 01903 813938 email : marlenecarman@googlemail.com Affiliated to the BTCV
STEYNING CHAMBER OF TRADE:
The Chamber's annual Christmas events, despite appalling December weather, proceeded with the usual calm(!) and goodwill - and seemingly increased public support and perception at what S.C.T. provides for all of Steyning its residents, visitors and the surrounding communities.
At one stage, the spectacular street lighting and Christmas trees were under threat, but with members' efforts, the necessary extra funding for these lights was created. Special thanks go to Wendy at the Tea Rooms, Whites at White Horse Inn (including the auction evening), Sarah at Chez Joel Deli, and Lin at the Dolls House – each of these members made their own creative money raising ventures "for the lights". Thanks too, for the donations we received, not just in cash or cheques from the public at large, but also for your loose change popped into our little white bucket containers that many of our members had on their shop counters, etc.
The Christmas Late Night Shopping event went well enough, and the wind blowing down the High Street was less severe this year – or was it that we are just getting better at holding down stalls! Grateful thanks are given to all concerned, especially Sara Bowers at Steyning Bookshop, with strong particular support from Nick Hempleman, Sussex Produce. Once again, a sizeable voluntary work commitment was given all round by many, members and helpers – a grand evening was had by all.
Finally, do remember you can still purchase the hugely successful Steyning's "own" alternative cotton shopping bag, costing just £1 each – look for the signs in S.C.T. members' shops (e.g. Bunce's Hardware, Dolls House shop, Ian Ivatt, Tax Accountant, Post Office, Roberts the Butcher).
Ian Ivatt - Vice Chair.
ASHURST NEWS:
Parish Council Meeting:
The next Parish Council meeting will be held on Thursday 13th May 2010 Meetings start at 8pm at the Village Hall. Members of the public are welcome to attend all Parish Council meetings.
Annual Parish Meeting:
The Annual Parish Meeting is to be held on 1st April 2010 at the Village Hall at 8.00pm. A representative from the Sussex Air Ambulance will be giving a short talk about their work.
The Annual Parish Meeting is a chance to find out what is happening in your Village and to receive the annual report from the Parish Council.
Please come along and meet your Parish Councillors and fellow residents.
Refreshments will be served during the meeting.
Annual Precept:
At the January meeting the precept for 2010/11 was set at £4,600.00 which includes £1,000.00 donation to the Village Hall Trust to go towards the building of the new Village Hall.
Parish Councillors:
• Alan Griffiths (Chairman) 01403 711544
• Nick Hedley (Vice- Chairman) 01403 711036
• Chris Jesse 01903 815089
• Roy Powel 01403 710419
• Jim Rucklidge 01903 815869
• George Stevens 01403 710232
• Linda Thornton 01403 713123
• Clerk - Hazel Roxby (Office hours 01903 812042) other times 01903 814802. Email:hroxby@hotmail.com hroxby@hotmail.com
NEWS FROM BRAMBER PARISH COUNCIL:
The Council is pleased to report that the notice board at Maudlin Lane/Maudlyn Close has now been refurbished and it is hoped that the items placed there will be easier to read now that new toughened glass has been fitted.
The new notice board for The Street has been ordered and should be erected in the near future. It will replace the existing board which has been leaking badly making articles difficult to read, and the new board has been designed to complement the area.
The Council are hopeful that a 20mph speed limit will soon apply to The Street since this is now on the priority list for West Sussex County Council. A few further checks are being made but this should be operational by the spring with remoulded humps and suitable warning signs at either end of the road.
During the recent cold weather and snow the Council have been able to acquire supplies of salt and these are available on request for any Bramber resident should adverse road conditions apply in the future. For further information please contact the Clerk, Mrs Anne Hyde on 01273-491902.
END - END - END
STEYNING PARISH NEWS - ISSUE 25 - December 2009
CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE:
Much of the energy of your Councillors is focused on the plans that are now well underway for our‘Showcase Day’ planned for the 27th February2010. For those of you who have bought your diaries for next year please make a note of the date and come down to the Steyning Centre.There you will have the opportunity to learn of all the activities that the voluntary groups and organisations within the Town are engaged in and find out what is going on. Come and tell us your aspirations for the town and be part of the community.
In the meantime there building of the wall in the High Street car park is complete and looking absolutely splendid. Thankfully in good time for the late night shopping event in the Town, planned for the 9thDecember. I am sure you are all very glad to have the High Street car park back in full working order again!
Christmas fast approaches and once again as you plan your seasonal shopping lists and menus,please support our local traders and shop locally. Just a reminder, for that odd item, not available locally, remember the 106bus that runs direct to Worthing every two hours, better than the car park queues?!
Finally I take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and peaceful 2010.
Sue Rogers, Chairman
20 M.P.H.
Thank you so much to the many of you who took the time to complete our survey on the proposed 20m.p.h.speed limit through various areas in the Town. At the time of writing we are evaluating the replies and liaising with WSCC on the results of the average speed survey that they conducted at various locations throughout the Town. It may be at the time of going to press that the Committee will have discussed the findings and the future of this project.
For more information please contact the clerk on 01903 812042 or email at: spcclerk@btconnect.com
ST. ANDREW’S PRE – SCHOOL:
St Andrew’s pre-school has been presented with the Quality Assurance Investors in Children Award. The pre-school is located in the Steyning Centre and is celebrating it’s40th Anniversary this year. To achieve this award we had to review our practice in depth, implement new ideas and keep the pre-school up-to-date. This has been a wonderful achievement and a real team effort by the excellent staff. We will not rest on our laurels and action plans and reviews are in place to keep us on track to continue to be an“outstanding” pre-school. We care for children from the age of 2 to 5 years. Do come and have a look round to see our wonderful inside and outside facilities.
For further information please contact Marion Pickup on 01903 815207.
DOG BINS:
Dog faeces can now be placed in either your household rubbish bin or any normal litter bin. We do ask that you DOUBLE BAG/WRAP the package before disposing of it in this way!! You can, of course, continue to use the usual dog bins. Please report any overflowing dog bins to HDCon 01403 733144.
STREET LIGHTS:
West Sussex County Council maintains all streetlights in Steyning. To report a fault dial 0845 7581622. It is useful if you have to hand the number of the light in question. Alternatively, the Parish Office will pass on your request, their number is 01903 812042.
The Neighbourhood Wardens can be contacted on 07734 387888 (Paul) and 07734 387889 (Carol), 01903813236 (Office).
Please note they are not an emergency service and in an emergency always dial999. PCSO Charlie Whittaker and the Police can also be contacted on the non-emergency number below. It is important to ring the Police on this number and report all incidents, even if they appear trivial, it is only in this way that a proper record of incidents, crime and anti-social behaviour can be maintained for the District.
Please be aware that the wardens are not the police, if you are aware or involved in any incident for which you would normally contact the police then please do so by either using the non urgent 08456 070999 or in the case of an emergency 999.
STEYNING CENTRE COMMITTEE:
News from the Steyning Centre this month is that Councillor Lloyd, one of our committee members, with the aid of pupils from the Steyning Grammar School is working on developing a Steyning Centre website which will be used primarily for advertising the Centre. This is an exciting challenge for both the school and the Parish Council and we hope this will aid us in promoting and increasing the bookings for the Centre.
The committee’s aims are also to reduce the maintenance cost incurred running the Centre wherever possible by reducing the energy used within the Centre, and therefore reducing the Centre’s carbon footprint. The committee aims for a reduction of 15% over the coming year. During this summer the heating system has been fully serviced and has been updated and renewed, again this will result in a reduction in the use of energy and improve the heating control.
The committee were very pleased to note that one of the Centre’s main users, St. Andrew’s pre-school, has been awarded the West Sussex Quality Assurance Award (Investors in Children). The plaque can be seen on the wall of the foyer of the Steyning Centre.
The Steyning Centre Committee including Squeak and Biscuit (the cats) wish all of our customers a Happy and Peaceful Christmas and look forward to seeing them in the New Year.
Gordon Marshall - Chairman
BECOME A COUNCILLOR – MAKE A DIFFERENCE:
Becoming a Councillor is one of the most rewarding roles in the community. The role of Councillor is one of representative, listener, decision-taker and team member. Councillors contribute to the work of the Council by:
• Having a say about the things they care about
• Putting for ward ideas for better services
• Responding to the needs and views of the residents
• Seeking the best outcome to local issues
• Getting involved in decision making
If you think you could be interested in becoming a Councillor please come in and talk to me. Sue Booth, Clerk to the Council 01903 812042:spcclerk@btconnect.com
CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU:
The CAB is at The Steyning Centre each Wednesday from 10am to 1pm. Please note that an appointment system operates and appointments can be made by phoning Hazel or Sue at The Steyning Centre on 01903 812042.
106 Bus Service to Worthing – Use it or lose it!
The latest figures from Compass Travel, the bus company that operates the106 bus service, show that unless there are more passengers the service will have to stop at the end of March 2010.
The original once per day Monday to Friday shopping service was expanded earlier this year to a two-hourly service between Worthing and Henfield via Upper Beeding, Steyning and North Lancing, operating every day from Monday to Saturday. This improved service was in response to requestsf rom local people for a regular direct bus service throughout the day to Worthing, and was supported by the Parish Councils along the route. In addition to passenger fares the service is funded by a one-year subsidy from planning development money and a contract for transporting school children to/from Steyning Grammar School.
Although it may be possible to extend the school contract after March next year,no further subsidy is available, and so to continue to operate after that date many more passengers are needed to use the service on a regular basis. So use it or lose it!
County Councillor, Derek Deedman
MEETINGS OF THE PARISH COUNCIL:
• Finance &General Purposes: 8th December*, 5th January* 2010, 2nd February* 2010
• Parish Council: 14th December, 11th January 2010, 8th February 2010
• Playing Fields: 26th January 2010
• Highways & Lighting: 19th January* 2010, 23rd February 2010
• Steyning Centre: 22nd December*, 16th February* 2010*
*Planning meeting will be at 7.00 p.m. on these dates.
Members of the public are welcome to attend all the above meetings which are held at The Steyning Centre. Meetings are at 7.30pm with the exception of Planning marked*. All meeting agendas are displayed on the Public Notice Board at the High Street car park. The Parish Council can be contacted at: The Steyning Centre, Fletcher’s Croft, Steyning, West Sussex, BN44 3XZ. Tel: 01903 812042. Email: spcclerk@btconnect.com orsteyningcentre@btconnect.com
THE STEYNING & ASHURST CONSERVATION GROUP:
Invite you to join them working in the local Countryside Sundays
13th December 2009
17th January 2010
21st February 2010
Meet at Fletchers Croft Car Park 9.30am next to The Steyning Centre. All ages and abilities are welcome. Ideal opportunity for students; including Duke of Edinburgh Award students. Please bring your own gloves Further details from Marlene Carman on 01903 813938 - email :marlenecarman@googlemail.com
STEYNING SHOWCASE:
The Steyning Showcase event looks like being a roaring success. This takes place from 10.00 am – 4.00 pm on Saturday 27th February 2010 at the Steyning Centre. 44 clubs, groups or organisations in Steyning have signed up to having space and showcasing their activities.
There will be something for everyone, across a broad spectrum of Steyning Society, such as youth groups, older people’s groups, sports clubs,music clubs, History Society, Chamber of Trade and many many more.
We want to promote a strong community feeling in Steyning, so this is very much a two way opportunity for all the local groups to demonstrate their activities and for members of the public to get a lot out of the occasion, for a long time to come, by joining up with any club or group that is of interest.
Everyone is welcome and the Parish Councilis hoping that all local residents will drop in, even for a few minutes, during the day. Refreshments will be available.
It promises to bean exciting and rewarding event.
David Barling,Chairman Steyning Showcase Sub-Committee
BLOOD DONORS:
The next blood donors sessions to be held at The Steyning Centre, Fletcher’s Croft will be on:Wednesday 20th January 2010 and Wednesday 21st April 2010, sessions are from 2.00 – 4.30 p.m. and 5.30 – 8.00 p.m.
CIVIC AMENITY SERVICE:
This service will be in the Fletchers Croft car park on: 5th & 19th Dec, 23rd Jan 2010, 6th & 20th Feb, 6th & 20th March.
NEWS FROM BRAMBER:
The suggestions and ideas received during the preparation of the Parish Plan are now being checked and actioned and the Parish Council welcomes any feedback from residents. The hanging baskets in The Street have looked lovely all summer and were still flowering when they were taken down for the winter. The floral decorations bring visitors to the village which is good for everybody.
During the past few months the Council have made arrangements for all the seats within the parish,five in all, to be repainted and this also included the outside of the toilet building in the car park.
Quotations have also been obtained to replace the main notice board in The Street which has been in operation for many years and is now leaking badly soa brand new board should be erected in the near future. The noticeboard at Maudlyn will also be refurbished before the winter. This work will smarten up the village and should last for many years.
Anne Hyde, Clerk
ASHURST NEWS:
Parish Council Meetings:
The next Parish Council meetings will be held on Thursday 5th January 2010 and Thursday 4th March 2010. Meetings start at 8pm at the Village Hall. Members of the public are welcome to attend all Parish Council meetings.
Recreation Ground AGM:
The AGM was held on1st October at the Village Hall.The Cricket Club reported that they had had an excellent season this year.
The Football Club commented that they are looking forward to playing on the ground during their season. Some items needing repair were reported and are in hand.
Result of the Village Hall Questionnaire:
Of the 207consultation papers sent out 123 papers were returned. 74 (60.2%of there turned papers) were in favour of the proposed new hall being built on the present site.
47 (38.2% of there turned papers) were in favour a new hall being built at the recreation ground. 2 papers were unmarked.
The Village Hall committee has decided, bearing in mind the majority result of the consultation, to start funding for a new hall to be built on the present site.
PARISH COUNCILLORS:
• Alan Griffiths(Chairman): 01403 711544
• Nick Hedley (Vice-Chairman): 01403 711036
• Chris Jesse: 01903815089
• Roy Powel: 01403710419
• Jim Rucklidge:01903 815869
• George Stevens:01403 710232
• Linda Thornton:01403 713123
• Hazel Roxby: 01903812042 (O/H)01903 814802. email: hroxby@hotmail.com
CHURCHES TOGETHER IN STEYNING DISTRICT:
Christmas Services 2009:
St Andrew and Cuthman, Steyning, Church of England
Sunday 29th November 6.30pm Candlelit Advent Carol Service
Sunday 13th December 6.30pm Readings and Music forAdvent
Sunday 20th December 6.30 pm Candlelit Carol Service
Christmas Eve (24th Dec) 11.30am Eucharist
4.30pm Crib Service
11.30pm Midnight Eucharist
Christmas Day (25th Dec) 8.00am Eucharist
9.30am Family Eucharist
St James‘ AshurstSunday
13th December 11.am Christingle Service Sunday
20th December 4.pm Village Caro lService by candlelight
Christmas Day (25th Dec) 11.00.am Family Service followed by Holy Communion
Furtherinformation SS Andrew & Cuthman & St James phone 01903 812356 or 01903 813276
Church of Christthe King Steyning (RC)
Sunday 20th December 11.am Family Mass
Christmas Eve (24th Dec) 11.30pm Carols and Readings - Leading to Midnight Mass
Christmas Day (25th Dec) 11.00am Family Mass Sunday
27th December 11.00am Family Mass
Furtherinformation phone 01273 452654
Steyning Methodist ChurchSaturday
5th December 4pm Christmas informal Cafe Service Sunday
20th December 10.30am All Age Nativity Service
4pm Candlelit Carol Service
Christmas Day (25th Dec) 11.30am Christmas Day Celebration
Sunday 27th December 10.30am Christmas Communion Service
Furtherinformation phone 01903 744984
Beeding Baptist ChurchSunday
13th December 10.30am All age Family Nativity Service Sunday
20th December 6.30pm Candlight Carol Service
Christmas Eve 24th December At St Peters Upper Beeding for Children’s Service
Christmas Day (25th Dec) 10.00am Family Celebration
FurtherInformation phone 01903 815944
Convent of theBlessed Sacrament Upper Beeding (RC)
Christmas Day (25th Dec) 10.00am Mass
Saturday 26th Dec 6.30pm Vigil Mass
Furtherinformation phone 01903 812185
St Peter’s Upper Beeding (Anglican)
Sunday 20th Dec 4.30pm Making Christingles
5pm Christingle Service
Christmas Eve 24th Dec 5.30pm Crib Service/ Nativity Service in Candlelight
Christmas Eve/Day Midnight – Mass
Christmas Day 10.00am Family Service (non Eucharistic)
Sunday 27th 10.00am Eucharist
Sunday 6th Jan Epiphany 7.30pm A service – From Darkness tolight
St Nicholas’ Church Bramber Castle (Anglican)
Tuesday 22nd Dec 7.30pm Nine Lessons and Carols (With Shoreham Chamber Choir) Sunday 27th8.30am Eucharist
St Botolph’sChurch, Botolphs (Anglican)
No Services during this period.
For furtherinformation for the “Three B’s” Phone : 01903 810265
The Ministers and People of Churches Together in Steyning District wish everyone a Happy And Holy Christmas