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Hassocks Station plaque

Hassocks Station Gina Field 1938 2010
Fulking residents will remember Gina Field as one our MSDC Councillors, when she came to Fulking PC meetings. By 2003, Gina had taken a back seat at the PR business she founded (Field McNally Leathes PR) — still based in Hurstpierpoint.

One of her key local campaigns was to persuade the train companies to retain frequent services through Hassocks Station, and also to improve the indifferent 1970s station building. She always saw Hassocks as a vital stop on the London to Brighton line, and a gateway station for the forthcoming South Downs National Park.

Hassocks Station was rebuilt and opened in July 2013. The improved underpass opened a few weeks ago, and it allows disabled people to use lifts to traverse the station, whether they are rail travellers or not.

This plaque is now at the main entrance to the station.

Richard Corner

Horsdean traveller site gets ministerial approval

Horsdean traveller site
The Argus reports:

The Department for Communities and Local Government have confirmed that they will not be calling in a planning application for 12 permanent residential traveller pitches at Horsdean .. the Secretary of State confirmed the site will be given the go-ahead following his scrutiny. Brighton & Hove City Council will now be able to go ahead with their plans to create the site, which extends and improves an existing traveller transit site just to the east of Patcham on the north side of the A27.

Earlier coverage here.

In A Gadda Da Vida

Shoreham Cement Works interior by Darren Nisbett
Shoreham Cement Works may yet become the Garden of Eden. Upper Beeding Parish Council is planning an open day with a bus trip and guided tour for August to give local people the chance to find out more. Parish Council Chairman Simon Birnstingl asks “The Eden Project was made on a similar site, could we do something similar?”. Read more at the Shoreham Herald.

Happy on being environed with a great ditch (part II)

This is the second of two posts documenting the Operation Watershed drainage work that has now been (almost) completed by Edburton Contractors in Clappers Lane. The discovery of a sewage leak meant that one aspect of the work could not be continued. These photographs were taken on 21st June. Click any thumbnail image to scroll through the full set of larger versions.

A27 Action Campaign

A27 Action Campaign logo
A campaign to:

  • improve the A27 trunk road junctions at Brighton;
  • create a new junction at Lancing;
  • improve the A27 Worthing and Lancing corridor;
  • create an A27 Arundel bypass;
  • improve A27/A26 access to Newhaven.
  • improve the A27 Fontwell junction; and
  • improve the six junctions on the A27 at Chichester.

More here and here.

Update 26th June: reports in the Eastbourne Herald and the Littlehampton Gazette.

In the blue zone

In the blue zone
Fire risk map for our corner of West Sussex. Fulking is in the blue zone.
West Sussex County Council is about to reduce the budget of the fire and rescue service by £1.6m (just under 6% of the existing budget). There’s a consultation process and our own Parish Council will be holding a public meeting at 7:00pm on 10th July immediately before the scheduled PC meeting. If you plan to attend, you should probably read the glossy consultation document [PDF] in advance. Fire nerds will also want to look at the (much less glossy) equality impact report [PDF] in order to learn that the service estimates that the proposed changes will lead to three additional dwelling fire fatalities and £8m in additional property damage costs over the next century.