The Shoreham Herald reports:
Steyning Horticultural Society is helping to grow cuttings from rare juniper plants in the town. The project is designed to propagate juniper as part of the England Biodiversity Action Plan. The plants grow in two areas on the Steyning Downland Scheme, on a verge in Bostal Road and on a hill at Steyning Coombe.
7thSense Design are looking for a software and system engineer to work on their Delta Media Server product. Details here.
Drumming & Percussion Group on Sunday 27th April (date changed from March 30th)
– with West Sussex Music tutor Steve Morley – Poynings Village Hall from 2pm – 3.30pm
With a view to meeting on the last Sunday of each month, the emphasis will be on enlivening but relaxed music-making for adults using traditional West African djembe rhythms; no experience is necessary. £7/person.
A diverse range of percussion instruments will be provided but do bring your own drum if you have one. Hope to see you there!
Call Steve on 857590 for more information
Tutor: Mike Russell
Venue: Woods Mill
Date: Wednesday 16th April
Time: 10:00 — 16:00
This course is aimed at those people interested in getting started in finding out about bird song and learning to recognise the song of a few of our common birds. It may also interest those who are a bit rusty on their bird song and would like a refresher.
The West Sussex Gazette has a long report. Extracts below:
A highly significant change in the guidance says that councils will no longer have to identify specific sites for development for the last five years of their 15-year plans. The provision was widely seen as unrealistic and was forcing councils to allocate unpopular ‘strategic sites’ for development, like the proposed new Mayfield ‘market town’.
The new guidance also states that infrastructure constraints must be considered in assessing a site’s suitability for development. This addresses a key local concern in West Sussex, where there is a strong feeling that development is allowed without the necessary infrastructure, such as roads and drainage, to support it.
The new planning guidance also addresses another local concern by making clear that emerging local plans should be given weight in decision-making even before they are passed.
The new guidance also encourages brownfield development and clarifies the ‘duty to co-operate’, under which neighbouring councils are required to consult each other on their plans.
The Shoreham Herald reports:
Just three schools in the whole of Shoreham, Southwick, Steyning and Upper Beeding are currently covered by a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO). Despite the majority of schools using School Keep Clear (SKC) markings near entrance gates, the rest have no TRO, meaning the police cannot take any action if people park on them. West Sussex county councillor Robin Rogers has led a lengthy campaign since he found out in 2009 that all but 10% of SKC were totally unenforceable.
A TRO does currently apply to Upper Beeding Primary.
Your chance to walk from Devil’s Dyke to Beachy Head starting at midnight on 25th July for just £150.00 per five-person team (one in a car). Details here.
Work has started on the new loo and kitchen at Pyecombe Church. The Reverend Caroline Currer comments:
The church is the only public meeting place available in the village, and is used for meetings and events such as parish council meetings. We believe the extension and its facilities will encourage the start-up of smaller local, social groups such as coffee mornings and informal meetings. In addition, the toilet facilities will encourage greater links with the many hundreds of charities and groups who organise sponsored walks, bike rides and the challenges along the South Downs Way.
The South Downs National Park Authority reports:
The Veolia Environmental Trust have awarded a grant of £40,000 through the Landfill Communities Fund which is helping to improving the chalk grassland near Saddlescombe Farm, Brighton, where rare and threatened butterfly species such as the Small Blue, Chalkhill Blue and the Brown Argus can still be found. The funding means that newly improved chalk grassland on the edge of Waterhall Golf Course will join up with chalk grassland already managed by Brighton and Hove City Council — increasing the area that the butterflies can call home by 50 per cent.
