Category Archives: MSDC

Mid Sussex District Council

Lots of LAMBS

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Adastra Hall meeting to protest Mayfield Market Town
The meeting last week was very well attended. The West Sussex County Times reports:

More than 400 people packed out a public meeting to protest against plans for a 10,000 home new market town in West Sussex. On Friday night (October 18) many had to be turned away from Hassocks’ Adastra Hall, with long queues of traffic attempting to enter the village. .. So many villagers turned up for the meeting that there were queues outside, and some people had to go home.

And, from the report in yesterday’s paper edition of the WSCT:

Nick Herbert [said] “This is a serious threat. Mayfield is behaving appallingly in trying to undermine Mid Sussex’s District Plan, which they effectively hope to get over-turned. They’re not getting their way through the democratic process, so they’re trying to subvert it. I think that is absolutely contemptible.” [page 4]

MSDC District Plan – Submission

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District Plan

Mid Sussex District Council has formally submitted its District Plan and accompanying documents to the Secretary of State. The District Plan is being produced jointly with South Downs National Park Authority.

The District Plan will now be subject to an independent public examination by a planning inspector. As part of this examination the Inspector will hold a public hearing, these hearing sessions are anticipated to take place during Autumn 2013. Once confirmed, all details relating to the examination process will be advertised, made available online and sent to those people who asked to be notified of the examination.

The Submission documents will be available for inspection from Wednesday 24th July 2013 online at www.midsussex.gov.uk/districtplan and during normal opening hours at Mid Sussex Libraries and Help Points. Full details can be found on the formal Notice of Submission.

Should you have any queries relating to the District Plan, you can contact the Planning Policy and Economic Development Team on (01444 477053) or email planningpolicy@midsussex.gov.uk

District Plan: Fulking

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Fulking Draft Policies Map May 2013

Fulking Draft Policies Map May 2013 (click image to see full-size version)

Key:

  • DP9 — protection and enhancement of countryside (everything visible on the map except the core ‘built-up’ part of Fulking shown inside the thick black line).
  • DP15 — South Downs National Park (everything shown on the map).
  • DP33 — the Fulking conservation area (central pale yellow-green area plus green-blue area adjacent to the Shepherd & Dog).
  • DP36 — biodiversity/site of special scientific interest (pink, the north escarpment).

You will need to look at the District Plan (PDF) itself for the fine detail of what DP9, DP15, DP33 and DP36 imply for development, for example.

Mid Sussex District Plan – Formal Publication

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District Plan

What is the District Plan?

The District Plan will cover the period to 2031 and will be the main planning document used by Mid Sussex Councils when considering planning applications.

Mid Sussex District Council is publishing its proposed submission District Plan, along with a Sustainability Appraisal and Habitats Regulations Assessment on 7th May 2013.

The role of the proposed submission District Plan is to say broadly what, where, when and how development will take place in Mid Sussex over the next 20 years.

Have Your Say

Mid Sussex District Council and South Downs National Park Authority are seeking comments on the District Plan prior to its submission to the Government. The role of the District Plan is to say broadly what, where, when and how development will take place in Mid Sussex over the next two decades.

The Plan will be published on 7th May 2013 and will be available at midsussex.gov.uk/districtplan from that date. The consultation period lasts six weeks and the deadline for all responses is 4 p.m. on Monday 17th June 2013.

Paper copies of the Plan and response forms are also available at libraries, Help Points, District Council offices (Main and Planning Receptions), South Downs National Park Authority office and Town and Parish Council offices.

Comments can be submitted online at midsussex.gov.uk/districtplan or can be sent to Planning Policy and Economic Development, Mid Sussex District Council at Oaklands, Oaklands Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 1SS. All comments will be considered by an independent planning inspector alongside a final version of the District Plan at a future public examination.

Mid Sussex supports English Tourism Week

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Local residents are encouraged to look out for some fantastic offers this month as Mid Sussex tourist attractions celebrate English Tourism Week.

English Tourism Week 2013 starts on Saturday 16 March and is a week-long celebration of events that showcase the quality and vibrancy of English tourist attractions.

Mid Sussex has many spectacular places to visit including, world class gardens, a heritage steam railway, international award winning vineyards, charming villages and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Mid Sussex District Council is a strong supporter of local attractions and is encouraging everyone to look out for some fantastic discounts this month. Throughout English Tourism Week, the Council will be placing promotional displays in local libraries, information points and leisure centres, so people can find out more about local tourist attractions. Just look for the English Tourism sign to pick up some great offers at venues all over the District.

High Beeches Garden, which is set in 27 acres of magnificent woodland and boasts water gardens full of rare and exotic plants, is offering 2 for 1 on adult admission on Thursday 21 and Friday 22 March.

Borde Hill Garden near Haywards Heath, described as ‘One of the country’s truly great gardens’ by Country Life Magazine, will be offering a £2 reduction on the regular adult price for Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 March. For families there is also an adventure playground with one of the longest zip wires in Sussex.

The Priest House in West Hoathly, a beautiful 15th Century Wealden Hall on the edge of the Ashdown Forest, is also offering 2 for 1 on adult admission for the duration of English Tourism Week.

To obtain these and other great offers, simply quote the code ‘ETW13’ on arrival at a participating attraction to receive the discount.

“Mid Sussex is one of the most beautiful parts of the country and English Tourism Week is the perfect opportunity for us to remind people just why it’s so special,” said Councillor John de Mierre, Cabinet Member for Economic Development. “We are so fortunate to be surrounded by areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, like the High Weald in the north and the South Downs National Park in the south.

“We have so much beauty right on our doorstep that it’s easy to take for granted but I urge people to get out there and make the most of it. Our local attractions are offering some terrific deals for English Tourism Week so this month is the ideal time to pay them a visit. Look out for more information on local offers and discounts at selected locations across the District.”

For more information about English Tourism Week or tourist attractions in Mid Sussex contact, Lucie Venables, MSDC Participate Mid Sussex Officer, on 01444 477012 or email Lucie.Venables@midsussex.gov.uk.

A Call for Mid Sussex District Councillors

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front_MSDC_LogoMake a difference – be a Councillor

Mid Sussex District Council is encouraging local people who want make a difference in the community to consider standing for election as a County Councillor.

West Sussex County Council elections are being held on Thursday 2 May. Mid Sussex District Council runs all elections in the Mid Sussex area and is holding a briefing on Thursday 7 March at 6pm to provide information to anyone who is considering standing for election as a County Councillor.

The evening briefing will be held in the Mid Sussex District Council Chamber in Haywards Heath and is open to all prospective candidates and electoral agents. The Mid Sussex Returning Officer and elections staff will be on hand during the evening to talk through the election arrangements, distribute nomination packs and answer any questions.

“Local councillors represent the views of local people and make sure that the interests of the community are taken into account,” said Tom Clark, Returning Officer for Mid Sussex. “If you are concerned about your local area and want to ensure that the community get the right services then being a Councillor could be the perfect role for you.

“You don’t have to be affiliated to a political party; politically neutral candidates can simply stand as an independent. All that is needed is a desire to make a difference and help to shape the future of the local community. If you are interested in becoming a Councillor, come along to our evening briefing to find out more.”

Those looking for more information should read ‘Be a Councillor’, an online brochure produced by the Local Government Association. The electronic guide explains what councillors do, how councils work and what is expected of a councillor. There are answers to a range of frequently asked questions and other local Councillors explain why they chose to represent their local community. Prospective candidates can download the brochure at www.midsussex.gov.uk/elections.

Anybody living in West Sussex is eligible to stand for election in the 12 County Council divisions within the Mid Sussex area and candidates are not required to pay a deposit. However, anyone who intends to stand on behalf of a political party would need to be authorised by that party.

For more information about the County Council election briefing call the Mid Sussex District Council elections team on 01444 477003 or email elections@midsussex.gov.uk.

For more information please contact Martin Faulconbridge on 01444 477478 or Martin.Faulconbridge@midsussex.gov.uk

2012 10 11 PC Minutes

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Minutes of Ordinary Parish Council Meeting at 7.30pm on 11 October 2012 held at the Village Hall

Present: Chairman Ms K. Watson, Vice Chairman Mr M Trist Councillors Ms L. Dyos, Mrs P. Rowland and Clerk to the Council Mrs Andrea Dickson. Chairman of Mid Sussex Council Mandy Thomas-Atkins, MSDC Councillor Colin Trumble, West Sussex District Councillor Peter Griffiths and 12 members of the public

1. Chairman welcomed the members of the public and introduced Chairman of Mid Sussex Council — Councillor Mandy Thomas-Atkins

2. Apologies: None

3. Declaration of Interest: None

4. The minutes of the previous meeting held 12 July 2012 having been previously circulated, were taken as read and approved and signed by the Chairman.

5. Matters Arising.
Planning: Old Pump House — In July 2012 enforcement order that was lodged in October 2011 was upheld by the planning inspector. A period of 9 months has been given to cease residential use and one extra month to remove the caravan and tidy up the land.

Market Garden — The PC met with Nick Rogers (Development Manager) and Steven King (Team Leader) planning investigation and enforcement, both Mid Sussex planning, at the end of August. Market Garden and other general planning queries were discussed. Progress with Mid Sussex planning will be monitored. The PC will be writing to MP Nick Herbert to ask for his help in addressing various issues relating to travellers. The PC was disappointed to hear that some residents did not feel that it had pulled its weight over the Market Garden issue. The councillors felt it needed to go on record that a large amount of work goes on behind the scenes and that they felt very frustrated over the issue. The public could comment on this matter at the end of the evening when comments are invited from the floor.

Preston Nomads — Only 4 (possibly 2) of the initial 6 people are still interested in the parking spaces. Residents who wish to take up the parking spaces need to collect padlock keys, those who do not intend taking up the spaces need to return the post keys. If anybody knows of anybody else that may be interested in a space please contact the Clerk. The car park area will be planted this month with indigenous plants. The possibility of filling in the potholes in the bridleway immediately outside the entrance is being looked into by Preston Nomads. The PC wish to thank Paul Hird for his work on this matter. (Clerk) A reminder that planning applications which fall within the SDNP are now posted on the South Downs website rather than Mid Sussex.

Highways: A meeting was held with highways on the 25 September to discuss ongoing problems.

Shepherd & Dog — A temporary cure is in place; however with autumn approaching it is felt that more work needs to be carried out. WSCC have investigated and will submit a request for further works, after which the PC will look at turfing the banks to complete the works. Stones have been washed down from the bridleway onto the highway by The Shepherd & Dog. Highways are going to discuss this with the bridleway owner and public rights of way.

Lady Brook Spring — A works order has been raised by WSCC to fence the spring. As a temporary solution the bollards will be replaced with a fibreglass plate over the entrance. A notice will be placed in Pigeon Post to gauge interest in making a feature of the spring. (Clerk)

Four Acres Corner — The drain & pipe have been flushed through. The size of the sump should have been increased at the same time — this was not done. Tim Boxall WSCC will chase this up. Once this work has completed the PC will monitor the situation.

Clappers Lane banking — The condition of the banking is the responsibility of the adjoining landowners. Highways have written to them but received no response. Highways suggested that the PC write to the Landowner & the person responsible for the damage Grange Farm and Badgerswood respectively. (Clerk).

Clappers Lane road surface — Highways will write to the landowner opposite The Sands to request that the ditches be cleared/kept clear. Highways were on site earlier today with Drainage Strategy team to look at the north end of the road. Contrary to what the PC had previously been told, it appears that no works order had been placed for the road surface to be repaired prior to that meeting. Highways suggested that all landowners be reminded to cut back hedges as winter approaches- this should be a request in Pigeon Post. A suggestion was made at the Village Plan meeting that signs could be placed at the north end of Clappers Lane saying something like “do not follow SatNav – unsuitable for large vehicles” Highways and PC will look for suitable signage for each end of the village.

Footpath 4f — This is still with the legal department; the order is expected to be made in the near future. The PC will be advised and then there will be a 28 day statutory objection period.

Stiles & Gates — The repair and maintenance of stiles and gate on public rights of way are the responsibility of the landowner over which the route crosses. This is also the case for trees, hedges, side vegetation and fences. The only exception are bridges which are the responsibility of Highways.

Ram Pump House — The National Trust have completed the work on the door and lock. Kate Watson and the National Trust are the key holders.

North Town Field — This will be addressed as a separate agenda item.

Councillor Vacancy — There is still a vacancy so please ask around.

PC Official documentation — The Standing orders, Financial Regulations, Code of Conduct and Declaration of Interest are all available via the Website, or as a hard copy from the Clerk.

Training Courses — The Clerk is half way through the first module of the Working with your Council Course. The clerk is also attending a networking day in November.

Joint Parish Meeting — This was held at Albourne in September. Councillors were present from Albourne, Poynings, Twineham and Woodmancote. Disappointingly nobody from MSDC planning attended the meeting, even though they were invited as a large part of the meeting revolved around planning. Councillor Sue Seward has asked to be copied in on any planning issues, and she will try and arrange a meeting with the planning dept to discuss concerns. All councils will review in six months and decide the way forward. Faster Broadband was discussed at the meeting; Fulking had a good response with 66 households expressing an interest in faster broadband. Please encourage anybody who has not already signed up to the scheme to do so. Suppliers are being invited to tender by the summer of 2013 with the faster broadband being in place by 2015.

Website — The new website is up and running and very easy to use. The new website address is fulking.net.

WSCC Councillor Peter Griffiths gave a brief report. He apologised for his absence from recent meeting; this is due to a clash of duties. In the future the two main costs to West Sussex will be care of the elderly and the cost of waste disposal. Providing these services will mean that other services will need to be reduced. It was suggested that an article be placed in the Pigeon Post with regards to the mobile library service. (Clerk)

6. Councillor Colin Trumble MSDC gave a brief report: Council Tax changes to benefits consultation will be completed by December. Auditing of single occupancy claims will be carried out to ensure it is fair. E-bills will be available to those who wish to pay that way, it is envisaged that this will save a lot of money. Grants to community groups that do not need matched funding. Money may still be available, but would have to be spent within the current financial year. Colin to provide more information on this. Budget Work has started on this for 2013/2014. Travellers were mentioned briefly and Councillor Linda Dyos said that he would be hearing from the PC shortly on the matter. Councillor Colin Trumble left the meeting 7.45pm for other commitments.

7. Financial Matters. The following payments were agreed and cheques signed: 100582 SALC Clerk’s networking day 60.00; 100583 Clerk’s salary & expenses 934.77; 100584 Councillor expenses 11.20. Cheque stubs were cross checked with the cheque list and both signed. The quarterly bank reconciliation was checked and signed. It was agreed that the Financial Regulations would be changed to state Internal audits would be carried out Annually rather than regularly as previously stated. (Clerk) It was agreed that the PC would look into setting up E banking (Chair)

8. Winter Management: The winter management plan is well underway. A meeting will be held in the next few weeks with WSCC to discuss the plan. Once it has been finalised a copy will be posted on the website and on the parish notice board. (Clerk) Farmer David Ellin still has an agreement with WSCC for the loan and use of the snow plough .(Michael Trist will contact the farmer when it is necessary to use the snow plough ). The clerk attended the Mid Sussex Emergency Planning liaison Group meeting in September and had nothing to report back from the meeting. It was felt that as Fulking is a small parish, the meeting would not have much relevance and therefore apologies would be sent for future meetings.

9. Risk Assessments: The Financial risk assessment and risk assessment having previously circulated were agreed and adopted. They will be placed on the website or hard copies available via the clerk. (Clerk)

10. Playground inspection review: The annual Rospa inspection was carried out in June; this highlighted a low risk of entrapment in the gate. The PC asked if anybody had any ideas how this risk could be eliminated? Mark Stepney will carry out the remedial work on the trip hazard and the moss which were also highlighted in the annual inspection. The weekly inspection rota needs to be updated. (Clerk). New inners for the bins in the playground need to be purchased (Clerk)

11. Community Bus: Has provided a service to Fulking for 20 years two days per week. It is free to bus pass holders, otherwise journeys will cost between 1-2 depending on the length of the journey. The PC agreed to give a contribution of 100 for this financial year. This will be reviewed annually. An article will be put in Pigeon Post to give details of the service provided. (Clerk) A thank you letter is to be sent to the providers (Clerk).

12. Fountain: The PC will arrange for the bollard in front of the fountain opposite Laurel House, to be fixed. Paula Hazard has the bollard. (Pam Rowland to contact Mark Stepney).

13. Crime Update: Crime in Fulking was low over the summer. Please stay vigilant. A notice about cheap shed alarms from MSDC will be placed in the noticeboard, website & Pigeon Post. (Clerk)

14. Comments from the floor: Card making day on 13 October. The Police Authority Elections were mentioned. Where is the Polling Station? This is to be looked into & published on website and noticeboard.The Polling Station is Playing Field Pavilion, Poynings BN45 7BH (Clerk)

15. Dates of the next meeting: The next Parish Council meeting will be held on 10 January 2013

Meeting closed at 9.05pm

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Village Plan – Original Ideas from 2010

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Here are the original discussion notes from the Village Plan Working Party first published back in 2010. Things have moved on since then.

The Future Requirements of Fulking village?:-

Fulking is a unique and lovely rustic country village situated in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), of which there are not many left in Sussex, and now set in part of the South Down’s National Park.

Mid Sussex District Council (MSDC) is urging all towns and villages to prepare a development plan for their own area looking ahead up to 2026. If we do not present a plan then MSDC will prepare one for us based on what they think we require, and all future Parish Councils will be required to work towards it. The Parish Council therefore feel it is important that the village produces its own plan for the future, rather than have one imposed by MSDC.

1) Enhance the conservation area of the Village
This can be achieved by removing all telephone poles and putting the cables underground (see also item 6) and perhaps in 2012 with the much stronger signal of Digital T.V. the aerials could be placed in the loft where practical.

2) Limiting the continual enlargement of Dwellings
Within the conservation area, enlargement to properties is often carried out by developers who then sell the property on within some two to five years. With enlarged homes comes the problem of increased numbers of family and then more cars parked in The Street and Clappers Lane . If an extension is allowed within the Conservation Area then it should be to the rear of the property and should not alter the appearance as seen from the road.

3) Embrace the new MSDC and National Park policy
NO new housing development in the National Park, except in very exceptional circumstances.
Clappers Lane should be made a quite lane by WSCC as it is now within the National Park and will be used by a lot more walkers, horse riders and cyclist.

4) The Sewerage Plant:
Must be brought up to the latest EU standards. This would prevent all the lush weed growth which then chokes up the stream, and also bring the discharged water quality up to the standard required to stop pollution of the River Adur and to some small degree, the sea in which we bathe.

5) Village Car Park
We need a Village car park to cater for visitors to the village, customers of the pub and walkers access to the Downs. The Car park must be a green parking area suitably screened to blend with the surrounding area.

6) Telephone and Broad Band System
Due to the increased potential to work at home and to allow any business to function efficiently, the telephone and broadband system must be greatly improved. We all know of the system’s slowness even though it is supposed to operate at 8Mb. Even with a direct line from the exchange to Manor Farm businesses, they are still experiencing many problems. This improvement should be possible if the villages of Poynings, Fulking, and Pyecombe all group together and push for early installation of the new 100Mb fibre optic system for which the government has given permission and which is to be installed all over England within two years (if you can believe this is possible!).

7) Village/Church Hall
A new hall will soon be required as the present one is falling apart due to woodworm and rot. Insulation against heat loss is non-existent as it was built 1902. The new government standards require disabled access and car parking so perhaps a new village hall could be built in the village car park. It should be built to modern standards and fitted with solar panels to reduce the hot water bills.

8) Affordable Housing
A very difficult subject. The main considerations are young people who have lived in the village all their life cannot afford to buy houses here, so they move away leaving their parents who often become unable to manage on their own. The parents are then forced to move away to nearby towns, their house is then sold and the chance to help their parents in old age, and another chance to live in the village is also lost.

9) The Chapel
When the old village hall is demolished, the Chapel, a feature of the village which is still in reasonable condition, should remain and there are several possibilities for its future if let out by the church; it could become a village tea room and small village shop; suitable small business such a firm of accountants, computer sales and repairs, a secretarial service; it could even be converted to living accommodation with an extension at the back. Such options would not alter or spoil the look of the conservation area, whereas to demolish the two buildings and build a new cottage/ house would spoil the rustic charm of the village and would look out of place.

10) Children’s Play Area
This part of the village has been a constant expense for all previous Parish Councils and it is costing the P.C. a lot of extra money. One major expense is the repeated topping up of the bark in the enclosure around the climbing frame. This needs to be replaced by a modern permanent safety material that does not require any maintenance.

11) Allotments
This is a recent issue started by the organic movement and the credit squeeze. There are only a few people who think they want an allotment as most are too busy today with family activities. TV, computers and other modern technology.
The solution that the P.C. therefore suggested is that if anyone has more garden than they need, the P.C would introduce them to a person wanting an allotment and let things takes their course.

These are The Parish Council’s thoughts for the future of the village and the start of the Village Plan.

The Parish Council would like to hear from anyone who has ideas they think should be included in this suggested plan, or indeed comments on items they do not agree with. Please reply to Paula Hazard The Parish Clerk, or to one of the Parish Councillors. Please have your say!! Your views can be expressed at the Parish Council meeting on Thursday 9 September 2010, 7.30pm at the Preston Nomads Cricket Club House. If indifference is shown, then it will be adopted as the official plan for Fulking and lodged with the MSDC.

2012 07 12 PC Minutes

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Minutes of Ordinary Parish Council Meeting at 7.30pm on 12 July held at the Village Hall

Present: Chairman Ms K. Watson, Vice Chairman Mr M Trist Councillors Ms L. Dyos, Mrs P. Rowland and Clerk to the Council Mrs Andrea Dickson. MSDC Councillor Colin Trumble and 6 members of the public

1. Apologies: None

2. Declaration of Interest: None

3. The minutes of the previous meeting held 12 April 2012 having been previously circulated, were taken as read and approved and signed by the Chairman. The minutes of the Extraordinary meeting of the Parish Council to Accept Internal Audit and Annual accounts were read out, approved and signed by the Chairman.

Report from Councillor MSDC:

District Plan Will need to be agreed by Autumn. This is planned from the bottom up,with all local areas having a say in the amount of housing that can be sustained in their area. Local areas need to agree to the District plan if no ideas are put forward then new housing will be forced on the District.
National Park is separate planning should meet stringent conditions that compliment the South Downs National Park. (SDNP)
This led on to questions about Market Garden — Councillor Trumble stated that he should be kept informed about the situation. It was agreed that Councillor Trumble would put some points in writing and attend the proposed meeting with MSDC to discuss the policies and procedures with regard to Market Garden planning application.
Council Tax — April 2013 will see a change in the way Council Tax will be distributed. Councils will only be reimbursed 90p for every 1 collected. This is to encourage people to return to work. PC should comment on information that will be provided in August (who will benefit and by how much).
Polling Stations — Fulking Village Hall was assessed and it was felt it did not reach the criteria to be a Polling Station. Poynings will be the area Polling Station. Councillor Colin Trumble left the meeting 8.00pm

4. Matters Arising
Planning: Just to reiterate, approval of Market Garden was not unanimous. It was approved with conditions. The Parish Council (PC) is currently trying to arrange a meeting with Mid Sussex planning department regarding policy/procedures mid August onwards. (Clerk)
Old Pump House: An enforcement order was placed Oct 2011 for unauthorised development on the land. The applicant appealed against the enforcement order. A site visit has been carried out and a decision will be made in around 6 weeks.
Preston Nomads Work has started to improve the entrance and provide 6 parking spaces for villagers. The PC has approached the villagers and 6 people have expressed an interest. (subject to terms & conditions)
Planning applications now need to be lodged with SDNP not MSDC.
Highways: Speeding — It was agreed to take no further action would be taken as all the 20mph signs may be put at risk. Vegetation around the sign on Clappers Lane would be cut back (this is the responsibility of the residents) Lee Holden
Flooding on the corner by the Shepherd and Dog has been cured by West Sussex highways. West Sussex will monitor the situation over the next few months, any problems in this area, please let the Highways Department at Chichester and the PC know. PC agreed to get a quote to lay turf to prevent further erosion (Clerk to contact Mark Stepney) A work order has been submitted to fence the inlet on the opposite side of the road.
The Parish Council met with Tim Boxall and residents immediately affected by the flooding on Four Acres corner. Highways submitted a work order to increase the size of the sump at the top corner of the bridleway and also to clear the water and clean the existing pipe which runs under the road. After this has been carried out residents will further increase the size of this sump, which hopefully will allow a free run from the pipe outlet and will disperse the water more easily.
Banking on Clappers Lane is the responsibility of the adjoining property owners. Highways have written to the landowner asking to respond within 28 days (Clerk to chase response at end of July).
Footpath 4f — The proposed is currently with legal services to make the order. Prior to that there will be a consultation period with notices displayed on site and the PC will be notified.
Chalk run off from the Bostal — David Ellin, farm manager, has done loads of work digging drain off points, diverting chalk run so problem virtually fixed many thanks to David for this.

APM: The Annual Parish Meeting took place on 3 May. SDNP attended and gave a presentation on neighbourhood planning. Following on from this, the Parish Council called a meeting to discuss whether or not the village wished to submit a neighbourhood plan. After discussion, it was unanimously agreed that a neighbourhood plan was not needed, due to the likely (unbudgeted) large expense, the time it would take and Fulking’s situation within a national park (hopefully protected)

Ram Pump House: National Trust have visited the property and have agreed to carry out the work on the door and lock, hopefully within the next month. When the work is completed the PC will be given a key to the lock.

North Town Field: The annual inspection with ROSPA has been carried out and we are awaiting the report.

5. Councillor Vacancy: Nobody has come forward to fill the vacancy . Please ask anybody you think may be interested to come forward and speak to a member of the PC. (Everybody)

6. Financial Matters: Financial Regulations having been previously circulated, were agreed and adopted. They will be placed on the website. (Clerk) The cheque list and cheque counterfoils were checked and signed. Clerk’s timesheet having previously been circulated was agreed, cheque raised and signed.

7. Insurance Policy/Fixed Asset List: A weekly inspection of the playground will be carried out by Councillors to conform with the insurance policy. A notice will be placed in Pigeon Post and on the Parish notice board asking Villagers to report any damage to the Clerk. (Councillors & Clerk) The fixed assets list was passed around to see if anybody had anything to add. As this differs from the information the insurance company has, they will be asked to re evaluate the assets. (Clerk)

8. Acceptance of Standing Orders: Standing orders having been previously circulated, were agreed andadopted. They will be placed on the website .(Clerk) The following procedures having been previously circulated, were agreed and adopted as part of the Standing Orders: A. Complaints Procedure B. Sickness Procedure C. Disciplinary Procedure D. Grievance Procedure

9. Acceptance of New Code of Conduct: 1. New Code of Conduct having been previously circulated , was agreed and adopted. It will be placed on the Website. (Clerk) 2. New Register of Interest Forms were distributed to Councillors. They need to be returned to the Clerk by 2 August 2012 to enable them to be placed on the website within 28 days of acceptance of the New Code. (Councillors & Clerk) 3. The Chairman & Clerk were thanked for the work that they had put into the documents prior to the meeting.

10. Training Courses: A brief report was given on the training courses attended by The Chairman Councillor Dyos and Clerk. The Clerk reported on Society Of Local Council Clerks (SLCC) with regards to joining and studying by distance learning for the course Working With Your Council Course. The PC agreed to cover this cost. (Clerk) The PC agreed to the Clerk attending and covering the cost of Sussex Association Of Local Councils (SALC) Networking Day in November 2012 and covering the cost. (Clerk)

11. Joint Parish Meeting: These meetings have proved very useful in the past, Councillors and Clerks to attend. Details of the meeting to be chased up (Clerk)

12. Website: Thanks to James Lightfoot for running the website in the past. Thanks to John Hazard for taking over the running of the website. All Parish Council information is to be published on the website . (Clerk) PC would like a permanent section in Pigeon Post to help create interest and give access to all. (Clerk)

13. Comments from the Floor: The fair is cancelled due to bad weather.
A Planning meeting will be held on 18 July short notice due to the change over to SDNP.
A discussion took place with regards to the Bridleway, who is responsible for keeping the path way clear of brambles Tim Boxall or Public Rights of Way. (Clerk)
Kissing gate at end of Lee Holden s property is in need of repair/replacement . Peter Griffiths was looking into this, it needs to be followed up. (Clerk)
Road surface in Clappers Lane is bald email Tim Boxall (Clerk)
A member of the public would like to have a vote of no confidence in MSDC planning, but will wait to see what happens at the meeting August.

14. Dates of the next meetings: The next Parish Council meetings will be held on 11 October 2012 and 10 January 2013

Meeting closed at 8.50pm

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Fulking Conservation Area

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Fulking Conservation Area Appraisal 2008
In November 2007, Mid Sussex District Council (MSDC) held a public meeting and an exhibition to illustrate the work that had been carried out on Fulking Conservation Area Appraisal over the proceeding months. The public meeting was held in the Village Hall, the Street, Fulking on Thursday 12th November 2007. The exhibition was held in Hurstpierpoint Library, Trinity Road, Hurstpierpoint from Monday 26th November until Friday 7th December. At the time, exhibition panels were also made available on the MSDC website.

Fulking Conservation Area Appraisal DocumentThe exhibition included a detailed assessment of the character of the conservation area, suggested a number of changes to the boundary and provided some potential ideas for enhancement. Questionnaires relating to the draft management proposals were made available at all of the locations listed above. The deadline for the receipt of comments was Friday 14th December 2007.

In May 2008, as a result of local consultations, the MSDC Planning Policy Division issued the Fulking Conservation Area Appraisal Document (PDF).

Another document (PDF) summarised the comments the Council received to the questionnaire and set out responses prepared by officers on behalf of the Council to the main issues raised. Wherever possible suggestions made by the public were included in the appraisal document.

The existing Fulking Conservation Area
It should be noted that, although MSDC agreed in principle to the extended conservation area, it has not been been legally adopted. Thus the original conservation area still stands.

Updated and corrected, 5th & 9th December 2013.