Category Archives: WSCC

West Sussex County Council

WSCC dating website

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WSCC dating website

West Sussex County Council runs a dating website, love.westsussex.gov.uk which enables members of the public to meet, and perhaps even marry, council employees. Council employees have secure employment, reasonable salaries, comfortable pensions and better than average looks which makes them a sensible choice in the mating market.

Er, no, not exactly. At least one of those claims is as misleading as the name of the website. The purpose of the latter is altogether more prosaic. But useful, nonetheless. Check our new reference page, ‘Potholes, etc.‘, under the ‘The Environment’ menu near the bottom of the left sidebar.

SDNPA wins the lottery

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SDNPA wins the lottery
The Heathlands Reunited project will be led by the South Downs National Park Authority, working in partnership with Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust, Butterfly Conservation, Defence Estates (Home Counties), Forestry Commission, Hampshire County Council, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, Sussex Wildlife Trust, National Trust, Natural England, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, The Lynchmere Society and West Sussex County Council. More information here.

In the blue zone

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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.

The grave of Lady Brook

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The grave of Lady Brook

Due to growing concerns over the design of the proposed scheme and the need to incorporate a grid over the top it, there has been a major rethink about the project. Darren Rolf, Senior Community Solutions Officer, and his Volunteer Development Team will be heading up the project with as many volunteers from Fulking as possible.

The proposed design is to lay a wooden support and concrete foundation at the base of the spring and lay the flints on to this — the sandbags will remain in place behind the flint work and will also provide support. At the top of the spring the lining flints will progress into a wall. The wall will be the same height as the lowest rung of the current barrier, but this barrier will be built into the wall, thus concealing the lower half. The top of the wall will be finished with topping stones. The upper rail of the current barrier will be concealed with a square wooden casing and we can paint the concrete posts brown to blend in.

Volunteers are required to help with all aspects of this project, from digging, brick laying to general labouring if you have any special talents please don’t be shy Lady Brook Spring needs you. If you are interested in helping with this project please can you contact Andrea Dickson on andreadicksonfpc@gmail.com as soon as possible with general availability both for weekdays and weekend that you would be able to help.

Dates for the revised & rescheduled ‘community solution’ await confirmation.

Operation Watershed on Clappers Lane [update]

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operation_watershed
The work to relieve the flooding in Clappers Lane is due to restart on Thursday 12th June.

Under Operation Watershed (WSCC programme to invest in flood and road repairs) Fulking PC applied for a grant for work to be carried out in Clappers Lane.

The grant was awarded and Fulking PC appointed Edburton Contractors to carry out the work on two areas of Clappers Lane, the North End and by The Sands.

When Edburton Contractors met with WSCC in December it was decided that a full road closure was not necessary.

Should you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact Andrea Dickson clerk to Fulking PC on andreadicksonfpc@gmail.com or 01444 451060.

The Queen’s Speech

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Running to keep in the same place

Governance of National Parks Draft Bill

The purpose of the Bill is to enable the composition of National Parks’ authorities to be broadened in the future. The main purpose of the draft Bill would be to provide for the holding of local elections to the authorities.

1 Direct elections

Enable eligible residents of the National Parks to directly elect some of the Authority members responsible for running their Park and taking planning decisions.

2 Amending the political balance requirement on local authority appointees

Allow local authorities to depart from the political balance rule if they appoint three or more members to the Park Authority where doing so would allow them to appoint a representative of a ward within the Park.

3 Allowing a wider range of parish representation

Allow parish councils to select their representatives to a Park Authority more widely. Currently they must select a parish councillor or chairman. They would be enabled to include anyone eligible to stand as a parish councillor.