Latest News of Local Interest

Bobservation No. 131: Fulking Village Hall

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The fund raising appears to be on target for the acquisition of the Village Hall from the Church.
It would be good to know that plans are in place for the really necessary repair and maintenance work that is going to need to be funded.
Because I am aged and disabled I am particularly concerned about the highly dangerous steps and entrance door opening out onto those steps. Wheelchair access is impossible which excludes anyone with that need from attending the hall. In order to update this entrance from the entrance gate to the front door must cost several thousand pounds and I hope this has been budgeted for in future costings.

In setting out the foregoing I am only expressing concern that the enthusiasm for acquiring the hall has not obscured the serious costs that are going to be needed to improve and indeed maintain the hall, if it is going to continue to be the asset it has been in the past.

Bobservation No. 130: NHS Care

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Having just spent nearly a fortnight in the Cardiac ward
of the Royal Sussex County Hospital followed by a further two weeks
in the Furzefield Manor care home at Sayers Common I have
to comment on the quite extraordinary level of kindness given
by the nursing staff at both NHS and private establishments.
At both of these I received a level of care I did not expect and
find it making me very proud of the wonderful way patients such
as myself are treated in Britain.

Planning Meeting via TEAMS

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Councillors are summoned to an Extraordinary Meeting on Monday 21st July 2025 at 6.30pm. This will be a virtual meeting via Microsoft TEAMS. Any member of the public wishing to take part should email parishclerk@fulking.net for an invite to the meeting.

Mark Hind – Chairman

Following the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014, and regarding regulations on Access to Local Government Meetings, members of the public are advised that they have a right to film/record the meetings of Fulking Parish Council. Members of the public are also advised that by attending a meeting of Fulking Parish Council, they give their consent to being filmed/recorded by other members of the public, if such activity is taking place.

AGENDA

Public Participation: There will be a period of 15 minutes set aside at the beginning of the meeting for the public to ask questions or make comments on items on the Agenda. Comments on items not appearing on the agenda can be made at the chairman’s discretion.

25/047/PM.          Apologies for Absence.

25/048/PM.          Declaration of Members’ Interests.

25/049/PM            Playground Inspections

25/050/PM.          Planning matters – SDNP/25/02836

Proposal: Creation of new access from Clappers Lane to maintain the field and support livestock

Location: Land to The rear of, Pippins, Poynings Road, Fulking, West Sussex,

Grid Ref: Eastings: 524966, Northings: 111631

Next Scheduled Meeting: Ordinary Council Meeting on Thursday 9th October 2025

Parish Council Meeting Thursday 3rd July 2025

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You are cordially invited to the Ordinary Meeting of Fulking Parish Council on Thursday 3rd July 2025 at 7.30pm to be held at Fulking Village Hall. The meeting will consider the items set out below.

Trevor Parsons – Parish Clerk

AGENDA

Public Participation: There will be a period of 15 minutes set aside at the beginning of the meeting for the public to ask questions or make comments on items on the Agenda. Comments on items not appearing on the agenda can be made at the chairman’s discretion.

25/035/OM. Apologies for Absence

25/036/OM. Declaration of Members’ Interests.

25/037/OM. Approve the Minutes of Ordinary Council Meeting of 10th April 2025 and Annual Meeting dated 15th May 2025.

The minutes, subject to any amendments, to be approved and signed as a true record of the meeting.

25/038/OM. Reports from District and County Councillors.

25/039/OM. Matters Arising & Outstanding Actions To clarify and report on actions brought forward from the last meeting

25/040/OM. RoSPA Report & Playground Inspections

25/041/OM. North Town Field Lease

25/042/OM. Fulking Village Hall CIO Presentation and Funding Request.

25/043/OM Financial Matters To adopt revised Standing Orders

25/044/OM. Financial Matters. To review payments made since the last meeting.

25/045/OM. Correspondence & Information Items

25/046/OM. Date for next meeting: Thursday 9th October 2025.

Bobservation No. 129: Nearby Festival

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Henfield Festival of Gardens & Arts

Well worth a visit to this Event which has been taking place for 26 years and is well worth a stroll around Henfield on either Saturday or Sunday June 7 & 8. Individual gardens are open to the public on one day or the other and in some cases both days. Open from 11am till 5pm full details of gardens, artists, and musicians  can be obtained from the website: www.henfieldgardensandarts.net. Or you might be lucky to get a hard copy of the programme from one of the shops in Henfield High Street. Entry is free but please bring cash to donate to one of each venue’s own charities.

Annual Parish Meeting

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The ANNUAL MEETING OF COUNCIL & ANNUAL PARISH MEETING will be held on WEDNESDAY 14TH May 2025 at 7.30pm at Fulking Village Hall. 

Public Participation: There will be a period of 15 minutes set aside at the beginning of the meeting for the public to ask questions or make comments on items on the Agenda. Comments on items not appearing on the agenda can be made at the chairman’s discretion.  

Agenda: Annual Meeting of Council 

25/026/AMC Chairman’s Welcome followed by Election of Chair & Vice Chair  

Agenda: Annual Parish Meeting 

25/027/APM Apologies for Absence 

25/028/APM Approval of previous years’ minutes Annual Parish Meeting 14th May 2024 

25/029/APM   Chairman’s report 

25/030/APM    Reports from District & County Councillors 

25/031/APM.   To consider and agree the Internal Audit Report Letter dated 20/04/2025. 

25/032/APM.   To consider and agree the Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR) for the year ending 31 March 2025 ensuring it accurately presents the financial management of the Council as required by the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015. 

25/033/PM      Village Hall 

25/034/PM     Planning Application – SDNP/25/01663/CND 

Proposal: Change of Condition 2 (Approved plans) for SDNP/24/01324/HOUS.  

Location: Furzefield , Clappers Lane, Fulking, West Sussex, BN5 9NJ 

25/035/PM Planning Application – SDNPA/24/05059/LDP 

Proposal: Use of the land as a recreational campsite for not more than 60 days in total in the calendar year 2025. There are not more than 50 pitches. The moveable structures shown on the site plan are solely for the purposes of the permitted use.  

Location: The Springs , Edburton Road, Edburton, West Sussex, BN5 9LN 

Date of next Ordinary Meeting Thursday 3rd July 2025. 

Bobservation No. 128: Getting About

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Village Hall Fund
Seeking to achieve the purchase of the Fulking village hall, chapel and adjacent land for £85,000 by 31 December it is reported that £20,000 has already been collected. This is a magnificent start to the campaign.
I wish the committee success in what they are seeking to achieve and will follow with great interest the magnificent £barometer that Jen Green has created and displayed at the foot of the hall steps. It would be good to be able to see the current collection amount on a day to day basis on the village web site.
Travel
Having just had my 94 birthday and reflecting on the many shortcomings in my slightly indulged life I find that age, most of all, makes it is very difficult to travel any distance. Therefore I urge you, if you have the inclination and means, to travel as much as you can afford while you are able.
Travel is a great stimulus for reflection and pleasure as well as an opportunity to learn about other people and places. Quite recently an article in Tripadvisor voted Elafonisi in Crete as the best beach in the world and I remember managing to see it in about 1985 when it was completely empty of people. It was quite beautiful. Now it is a popular sideshow and according to the current pictures of it is a crowded tourist attraction.
So, the warning is to take great care in researching where you are going to and plan very carefully how and when you are going to achieve the most satisfying trip.

Bobservation No. 127: Fulking Village History

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Fulking_Village_Hall_posterizedIt is not popularly known that in the sixteenth century the local baron, Sir John Poyynings, who held the title of Lord of the Manor, offered the (then) village hall to the villagers to use for protecting their pigs from predation. This at a price of 6 hens, 23 eggs, 4 rabbits, 4 hours of tree felling, services of 7 virgins, use of 4 drummer boys, 1 gallon of mead, 6 bundles of firewood and an artist’s impression of the lady of the manor in crayon. After three months the village elders decided to discuss the offer and agreed to hold a public meeting before the next leap year. Regrettably before the meeting was held Sir John had absconded to Molliscombe with several of the village wives and as an atonement for his sins donated the hall to the Church of England. What right the Baron had to dispose of the hall in this manner we shall never know. 1/4/25

Bobservation No: 126. Domestic and International Matters

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Weather map and image from Trump-Gaza AI, golden Trump statue on RHSVillage Hall
I read in BN5 that the fund-raising for the purchase of the village hall is underway. I sincerely wish the committee every success in this impressive and much needed venture.

Domestic Weather
This seems like the longest and most demanding autumn and winter in living memory and it is not even finished yet!. It has been quite chilly at times but not as cold as it used to be. The downside has been the rain and generally damp climate. There have been excessive water flooding problems in Clappers Lane and footpaths and gardens have been saturated. There is just a feeling of Spring with primroses and daffodils appearing everywhere.

International matters
I cannot remember such a concerning world- wide situation. There have been, and still are, many conflicts in the world, mostly totally unnecessary. Surely with a modicum of goodwill and common sense the major powers could support and strengthen the United Nations Organisation to a degree that eliminates and continues to eliminate war globally. This would enable most countries to redirect vast amounts of spending from armaments to climate change and providing the basic needs of all peoples worldwide. If this is not attainable then I cannot see any liveable future for our descendants. I am glad to be moving towards the end of life rather than the beginning.

Bobservation No.125: Courage and Idiocy

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Courage
I was very moved by the speech made by Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde at the Washington prayer service for the inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the USA last week. Not many of us would be willing to publicly , and justifiably, criticise the head of state to his face and in public. She rates very highly in my book.

Fulking Village Hall
The recent highly successful open meeting in and on the subject of the village hall seems to have hopefully, at last, opened up the subject of the acquisition of the property from the Church. Of course there are some villagers who feel that the acquisition should be made as a free gift to Fulking Village and in spite of what evidence there is to show that the property is an asset of the Church, I would have thought that as gesture of goodwill and in view of the considerable sums that have been spent by villagers over the years on maintaining the property this might be the case.

Idiocy
I have only just discovered one of the most idiotic ‘improvements’ in abbreviations I have ever seen. AD which used to mean Anno Dominae being a year since the birth of Christ and BC which meant a year before the birth of Christ have each been revised as CE and BCE, now meaning Common Era and Before the Common Era. This has been done presumably to appease other religions than those following Christ. As an atheist I cannot think of a more stupid idea. Two perfectly good abbreviations now dispensed with to pander to a bunch of religious nutters. Globally the cost of this alteration must be astronomic. I intend to keep using the old method!