Latest News of Local Interest

Wild Woodies Spring Holiday Club

Posted on

Wild Woodies Spring Holiday Club
Tuesday 31st March 2015 from 9:00am to 4:00pm. Use a net to dive into the watery depths of the Woods Mill pond in search of water boatmen and newt tadpoles and learn all about the fascinating world of mysterious moths as we open the moth trap to see what we have found. Spend time at the camp site and practice safe fire lighting to make your own hot drink. Delve into the woodland undergrowth to find spiders and snails. Use natural materials to make a giant sculpture in the woods and make your own model to take home. The event is intended for children aged 6-11 years.

Parents are excluded but they are, of course, expected to pay and to provide transport, snacks, a packed lunch, and something to drink. Book now.

Durand Academy update

Posted on

Durand Academy withdrawn
The SDNPA reports:

We have been informed that the Durand Academy has withdrawn their appeal against the SDNPA’s refusal of planning permission at St Cuthmans School. All arrangements for the hearing have had to be cancelled at very late notice – on the eve of the pre-inquiry meeting. Both the SDNPA and the local community have devoted considerable time and effort to get to this stage. The withdrawal reflects the high quality of our original appraisal of this development and confirms our wider stance on major developments in the National Park. We are now moving to recover the considerable costs incurred to the public purse in preparing for this appeal.

Despite the pending bill, it seems that the Academy intends to revisit Overlook Hotel:

The appeal was based on a planning application we submitted in October 2013 and we are confident that, now we are settled and operational on the site, we can rework the proposition effectively. .. So we want to take the opportunity now to work closely with the local community and planning authority, to adapt and rework the proposition going forward collaboratively.

Perhaps they should hire Lee Newlyn as a consultant or relocate to Mayfield Market Town.

Update 20th December: the Midhurst and Petworth Observer has more information about the impending efforts to recover the costs of the appeal.

Our earlier reports on this potentially precedent-setting application can be found here (May 2013) and here (December 2013).

Apprentice Greenkeeper

Posted on

Pyecombe Golf Course
Pyecombe Golf Club is looking to appoint an apprentice greenkeeper. Duties will include a range of golf course maintenance tasks including some construction, treework and conservation activities. Previous experience in horticulture would be beneficial, but is not essential. Full onsite training will be given in addition to a requirement to attain NVQ qualifications by attending college. More information here.

Trilby required

Posted on

Trilby required
The Argus is looking for ‘community correspondents’:

They must have a detailed knowledge of their neighbourhood, be in tune with local events and be able to write concisely, accurately and fairly. We will be asking them to bring us news items, stories that matter and will interest their neighbourhood. It could be a community event, a hero who deserves recognition or an issue that is the talk of your neighbourhood. We know that parking, speed limits, crime and education are always hot topics. So they could help us to tell those stories from their local area. The stories do not have to be bad news. In fact, we would prefer if they weren’t. We are always looking for positive stories, tales of success and achievement. We are also interested in brightening up the day with funny quirky tales. We don’t mind as long as they are local.

If that sounds like you, contact Lucy Pearce, Head of Content, via news@theargus.co.uk. And, if she turns you down, well, never mind: you can always offer your stories to the Fulking website.

Footpaths needing attention

Posted on

B73BY
WSCC have changed the way that the Public Rights of Way are managed and maintained. They will now be inspected once every fifteen months as opposed to once every nine months. At the same time, WSCC are looking at the summer clearance programme for footpaths. This programme clears surface vegetation on approximately 10% of the network.

If you know of any footpaths/rights of way that need attention please can you inform me before the 8th January 2015 or in person at the PC meeting on that day. The PC will then advise WSCC.

Andrea Dickson
Clerk to the Parish Council
01444 451 060/andreadicksonfpc@gmail.com

Dancing on the A27

Posted on

Dancing on the A27
The Littlehampton Gazette reports (from Hansard, presumably):

[Transport Secretary Patrick] McLoughlin assured East Worthing and Shoreham MP Tim Loughton that dualling through Worthing was a possibility. Mr Loughton said: “There will be dancing in the streets of Lancing, Sompting and Worthing this evening, not least amid the static traffic on the A27 itself. For the avoidance of doubt, will he (Mr McLoughlin) confirm that the option of full dualling through Worthing, the largest town in Sussex, is very much on the table as part of his announcement?”

The Transport Secretary replied: “I do not encourage anybody to dance on the roads. On the point about dualling the area, that is certainly on the table. It is for local people to show their enthusiasm for such a scheme, so that we can move it forward.”

Burn Mayfield down II

Posted on

Burn Mayfield down
LAMBS writes:

We are going to light the Christmas torches again this year to symbolise LAMBS continuing determination to fight Mayfield Market Town. We are meeting to ‘plant’ the torches along Wineham Lane at The Royal Oak between 3:30pm and 4:00pm on Monday, 8th December and then a BBC documentary team are coming at 6:00pm to film. Please do come along if you can, and there will be mulled wine and mince pies — donations for the torches and refreshments would be very welcome as it will all go towards the fighting fund.

Lee Newlyn says:

Our proposals are .. based upon a .. vision that brings together local politicians, landowners and residents to create a new settlement that benefits the local community.

Updated 7th December.