Angmering Village Life

News Archive

January 2005




Roundstone / Downs Way / Old Worthing Road Area

For first-time visitors to this site from Downs Way, Ambersham Crescent, Old Worthing Road, Arlington Crescent, etc., we extend a warm welcome and would explain that, while that area has been allocated East Preston postal addresses, it is actually in the parish of Angmering. The parish rates precept determination, building development, and administrative management etc. for that area all come under the jurisdiction of Angmering Parish Council whose office is situated in The Square in the village centre. It will be noted from the Traders Directory on this site that many businesses from this southerly part of the parish are already listed.

(28 January 2005)

Traffic Management

The village traffic management scheme debate persists and residents from all quarters continue to make their feelings known. It is disappointing to note (from WSCC statistics supplied to our Parish Council) that the last traffic monitoring has revealed that, since the scheme was introduced, the quantity of vehicles using Station Road has only been reduced by 20%. Now, most of us are aware that the one success of the by-pass has been to reduce the majority of lorries thundering through the village. This means therefore that there has been little impact of the scheme on car and van traffic.

What is also quite significant is that, despite legal traffic speeds being reduced by 10 mph in Station Road, actual speed reductions of vehicles have only been reduced by 1 to 2 mph. However, this is of no surprise to those of us who walk down Station Road on a daily basis. Put obstacles in the front of these speeding motorists, add in poor sight lines, road junctions and bends, and you have the perfect recipe for an accident. Correspondents have told me that the speed and impatience of traffic taking a short cut through the village at about 6.00 am is even worse. Another resident claims that there is a strong case for the build-outs actually being illegal. And residents continue to write to WSCC making their feelings known.

How can we persuade villagers to make greater use of our shops when such traffic dangers exist and when new parking restrictions in the centre have generally made things more difficult!

(27 January 2005)

Other news in brief (Week 4)

Speed Camera - The Sussex Safety Camera Partnership (SSCP) within the next few weeks will be installing a speed camera on the west-bound carriageway of the A27 on the hill at Hammerpot. SSCP told Angmering Village Life this week that during a traffic speed monitoring exercise at that location in September 2004, a staggering 500+ vehicles exceeded 100 mph (160 kph)!

Angmering WI - Angmering WI will celebrate its 75th anniversary in March. At its last meeting, copies of the first minutes taken in 1930 were shown to members.

Basketball - The Angmering School's Under-14 team has reached the last 16 in the National Schools' Competition.

Twinning Visit - Eighteen students from Collège Jean Monnet in Angmering's twinned town of Ouistreham-Riva-Bella in Normandy stayed with families in the village last week, joined some lessons at The Angmering School, and enjoyed activities with their English counterparts. The Angmering School has planned a visit to Ouistreham in March.

(27 January 2005)

Snippets from recent Parish Council meetings

Water Lane - West Sussex County Council (WSCC) has made a £1000 contribution towards landscaping of the land in Water Lane which leads up to the Dappers Lane junction. (Parish Council Meeting 10.01.05)

Downs Way Parking - Concern has been expressed by residents regarding the number of cars parked in Downs Way and that road also being used as a "rat-run". The Council will be looking into the matter. (Parish Council Meeting 10.01.05)

Tree in the Square - The deformed tree outside Big Fry in The Square is likely to be removed shortly. (Parish Council Meeting 10.01.05)

Traffic Management - Two way traffic flow statistics taken by WSCC in December at a near mid-point in Station Road indicate a 20% reduction from what they were before the traffic calming measures were put into place. These figures covered a 24 hour period over a 5 day average. A small reduction in speed of 1 to 2 mph was also monitored. The next monitoring is planned for April. (Parish Council Meeting 10.01.05)

(27 January 2005)

Angmering Planning Applications (List 3)

A/6/05 - Provision of off-street parking for one vehicle at Phares Courtledge, High Street, for Mrs JG Mitchell.

A/171/04 - Removal of some windows, replacement PVCu windows with external guttering guarding at the Scout Hall, Rectory Lane - for the 1st Angmering Scout Group.

Observations must be received by Arun District Council by 17 February 2005.

(26 January 2005)

Housing Design in West Sussex

A group of Councillors from West Sussex County Council, in conjunction with the independent West Sussex Design Commission, are seeking people's views on modern housing schemes - their quality, meeting people's needs, and their impact on the environment. At a meeting in the Village Hall last night, some residents of Bramley Green and residents from adjoining areas met the Councillors and Director of the Commission to discuss these issues in respect of the Bramley Green Development. Feedback from this and similar meetings with groups affected by recent major housing constructions in other West Sussex locations will assist the County Council in achieving the best housing and minimal friction when considering the introduction of future development schemes in West Sussex.

(26 January 2005)

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Old Angmering Photos

West Sussex County Council has an ambitious project to digitise old photos of West Sussex and publish them on their website West Sussex Past Pictures. If you are interested in old photos of Angmering, you can see over 40 of them on the West Sussex Past Pictures website by clicking here. Clicking on the thumbnail in the "Record View" (not the "Results View") will enlarge the photo. There is also a permanent link to that site towards the bottom of our "Village Photo Gallery" page.

(23 January 2005)

Traffic Management

The traffic management scheme in the village still causes concern but the County Council is still monitoring the situation. In an article in the Littlehampton Gazette this week, Mark Edwards - proprietor of Big Fry in the village - claims that Station Road is the most dangerous mile of road in West Sussex. Based on my observations during my daily perambulations to the village, I would not dispute Mr Edwards' claim although it has led to a distinct reduction in lorries thundering along this road.

As Mr Edwards observes, the speed of traffic seems to have increased in places as motorists accelerate to clear the build-outs to avoid oncoming traffic. What I did find interesting yesterday was the effect of a mobile electronic "smiley" speed indicator board placed outside The Lamb in the 20 mph zone. As traffic approached this, motorists clearly slowed down - could more permanent versions of these be the answer? They would be a far cheaper option and seem more effective.

But, as most of us know, these traffic management schemes in the village are largely aimed at forcing traffic to use the by-pass to justify its building. However, the by-pass will never fully achieve its objective as it was clearly constructed on the wrong side of Angmering!

(21 January 2005)

Angmering Surgery / Health Centre

The majority of Angmering residents will be pleased to learn that at Arun District Council's Development Control Committee yesterday, district councillors approved the planning application (A/166/03) for the proposed surgery/health centre at the corner of Station Road and The Thatchway. ADC's Planning Department had recommended refusal of the application but the Committee voted by the narrowest margin of 7 votes to 6 to approve it. The approval, however, will be subject to Environment Agency's conditions (yet to be decided) and also those of Arun District Council. The perseverance of our Parish Council, the Village Hall Committee, The Angmering Society, the local press, and many residents of the village are to be commended in fighting to ensure that a major facility will be built in the the best possible location. Ways of finding the safest possible entrance to and exit from the site must still continue which may mean a complete re-thinking of traffic management in Station Road.

(20 January 2005)

 

Visit to the Globe Theatre, London

The Angmering Society has arranged a coach trip to London in April for a guided tour of Globe Theatre. There are a some spare places available on the coach at present which the Society is throwing open to non-members if they would like to see and learn more about the Globe. It really is a great opportunity to see a wonderful achievement in re-creating Shakespeare's theatre. The trip has been arranged to take place on Thursday 7th April 2005, leaving The Lamb, Angmering at 9.00a.m. The cost, to include coach fare, entry to the Globe and driver's gratuity will be £17.50 per person. We would aim to return to Angmering by 6.00p.m. There will be a guided tour of the theatre, the possibility of seeing some actors in rehearsal and the opportunity to visit the extensive exhibition. There is a cafe and a restaurant on site and other establishments nearby with Tate Modern just along the river. Please note that there are a number of stairs to climb. If you are interested in this trip, please contact Mrs. Pauline Ridges on (01903) 783330.

(19 January 2005)

Say Cheese!

Some 65 members of The Angmering Society and visitors (two from NZ) had much to smile about last night at a light-hearted and well presented tutored cheese tasting at the Village Hall given by cheesemongers "Say Cheese" of Riverside, Lewes. A wide variety of the more unusual English cheeses were tasted including several made in Sussex. And the winner? Well, it all depends on an individual's taste. However, if you love blue cheeses, the soft and creamy Colston Bassett Stilton is a cheese to die for!

(19 January 2005)

Angmering Planning Applications (List 2)

There are no Angmering planning applications this week for consideration by Arun's Development Control Committee.

(19 January 2005)

Angmering Electronic Postcards

Have you sent an electronic postcard from Angmering to your friends or family yet? Nothing could be much simpler. On entering the page, you can select one of twelve Angmering views - these cover our parish during the four seasons. The card can be customised with your preferred heading and the colour of text and background and, unlike a "snail-mail" card, you are not limited by the amount of text you can include on it. Selected music can also be made to accompany the card. All that is then required is for you to include your email address and that of the recipient, and you are ready to review the card, edit it, or post it. We think you and your friends will be delighted with the results.

(15 January 2005)

Other news in brief (Week 2)

Thefts - On Monday 10 January, thieves broke into a garage in Ham Manor Way and stole golf clubs and computer equipment. There were also thefts from cars on Ham Manor the same evening. Also that night, thefts of meat and alcohol were reported from the unlocked garage of a house in The Thatchway. Do make sure you keep your garages locked - especially at night. Finally, there have been two credit cards thefts from lockers at the Esporta Club in Angmering.

Football - While Angmering FC and the Angmering Sunday Reserves appear to be struggling at the moment, the village's pride on the football field is being maintained by The Angmering School's Girls' Under-13 team who have reached the County final. They play Imberhorne Schoo l, East Grinstead, for the County Cup at Lancing College on Monday 17 January at 2.00pm.

(13 January 2005)

Angmering Planning Applications (List 1)

A/179/04 - Rear extension to lounge. Scandrett, The Thatchway, Angmering for Mr & Mrs GB Smith.

Observations must be received by Arun District Council by 3 February 2005.

(12 January 2005)

Angmering Surgery

The proposed Angmering Surgery (actually it is a Health Centre) comes up again before Arun District Council's Development Control Committee on 19 January. The meeting will be held in the afternoon and members of the public are allowed to attend. There is substantial support for the Surgery to be constructed on the proposed Station Road site next to the entrance to The Thatchway but understandably, some residents of The Thatchway, especially, do have concerns. Angmering Village Life, along with our Parish Council and The Angmering Society, supports the building of the Surgery in that location and believes that flooding risk as a result of the construction is exceptionally small. However, entrance to and exit from the Surgery from Station Road gives some concern. Notwithstanding that, we believe that, with some thought, the entrance/exit could be combined with a traffic calming scheme that could supersede both the generally despised Mill Road and Village Hall build-outs and be more effective in the process.

(12 January 2005)

About this and that

Trains - Are you aware of National Rail's live train services departure board which we pick up on this site? It shows the status of trains due at Angmering Station - whether they are on time, running late, or cancelled. It is updated every 2 minutes. This might be especially useful if you are due to meet somebody from a designated train. It also shows trains due at Angmering Station within the next 2 hours. Click here to go to the Train Services section on our Public Transport page and then click on the link to the departure board.

Weather - Our current weather statistics (click link on sidebar to the left) are presently being picked up from a weather station in Shoreham and (when working properly!) should represent a fairly accurate position of our weather here in Angmering. We are hoping to have our own customised weather station live on this site in a few months' time and statistics should be more accurate and controllable. This station will be situated less than a mile from Angmering's SW boundary. A 5-day weather forecast for Littlehampton is also available by clinking the link at the top of this page.

(Updated 10 January 2005)

Snippets from recent Parish Council meetings

Community Facility - Sketches for the potential development at Bramley Green will be made available to the Parish Councillors (understandably not the general public at this stage - Ed) by the end of January. (Parish Council Meeting 13.12.04)

Parish Precept 2005/6 - Angmering Parish Council has set its precept for 2005-06 at £143,174. The increase in precept amounts to a 2.99% increase in Band D Council Tax . (Parish Council Meeting 13.12.04)

Lime Trees, The Square - Arun District Council has now granted planning permission (with conditions) for the removal of the diseased lime tree in The Square and its replacement with a mature tree. (Parish Council Meeting 13.12.04)

(7 January 2005)

Other news in brief (Week 1)

Tsunami Disaster (1) - On Tuesday 4 January, a music and play session for children in Angmering Village Hall raised a superb £180 for the Tsunami Earthquake Appeal. Congratulations to Sam Silverthorne and Jo Rickard who organised the event and to all those who contributed.

Tsunami Disaster (2) - On Friday 7 January, a "Tsunami Disaster Public Prayer Meeting & Vigil" is being held at St Margaret's Church between 8.00 pm and midnight. Attendees can stay as long as they like.

Award - Worthing RF Club in Roundstone Lane, Angmering has been highly commended in awards issued by the Greene King brewery group. The commendation was in respect of the Club's facilities and what is seen as their commitment to continuous improvement.

(6 January 2005)

Tsunami Disaster

The Union Flag will be flown at half mast outside Angmering Village Hall this Wednesday (5 January) for the victims of the Tsunami Disaster. It has been made known in the press that flags will be flown at half mast on all government buildings.

(3 January 2005)

The Woodman Arms

As many of our readers are aware, The Woodman Arms at Hammerpot, Angmering, alleged to have 16th Century origins, was sadly burnt down on 26 February 2004. Woodman Arms 2.1.05 - (c) Neil Rogers-DavisUnfortunately, little of the structure could safely be salvaged except for an early chimney (see left) and the walls of a later room on the south side. The Public House is a Class II Listed Building, the list entry reading "C17 or earlier timber-framed building, refaced with flints with red brick dressings and quoins. Hipped thatched roof with pentice behind. Casement windows. Ground floor portion built out at south end. Two storeys. Four windows".

Gales Brewery of Horndean, the owners, quickly moved to restore the Public House to its original form and with planned modernisations at the same time. Nearly half a million pounds has been spent on its re-building. Gales and their contractors are to be congratulated for undertaking the rebuilding in such a sympathetic way. The work has progressed with speed and the photo on the right (taken on 2 January) gives an indication of progress - the thatching almost completed. It is hoped to re-open the PH later in February.

Obviously, the building materials will take some years to 'weather', but we doubt whether anything more could have been done to restore the building to its former self.

(3 January 2005 - updated 12.1.05)

Angmering Planning Applications - Some recent decisions by Arun DC

A/154/04 - Mill Road, Angmering. Demolition of 2 no detached houses and erection of 7 no. dwellings in 2 no. terraces. Hargreaves Homes Limited. Decision: Refused.

A/133/04 - Syon House, High Street, Angmering. Change of use from office/private house (B1(a)) to country house hotel (C1). Chapman Group Ltd. Decision: Approved with conditions.

Arun District Council - Development Control Committee Meetings

ADC Development Control Committee Meetings determine whether ADC accept or refuse planning applications submitted to them. Dates of meetings for the next few months are as follows:

(3 January 2005 - Item update)

Angmering Planning Applications (Week 51)

(Observations must be received by Arun District Council by 24.01.05)

A/177/04 - Renewal of unimplemented outline planning permission A/6/02 for one detached house. Plot North of Orchard Cottage, Ham Manor Close, Angmering. For Ham Manor Golf Club.

(1 January 2005)

Police Community Support Officer

Angmering residents will be pleased to learn that a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) was appointed for Angmering in December who can be contacted via the Parish Council Office (Tel: 850756) during their opening hours (Mon-Fri 9.00 am - 1.00 pm). It is intended that PCSOs spend over 80% of their time on foot or cycle patrol. PCSOs in Sussex do not have the power to detain - they have only the common law powers of arrest that members of the public have. Readers may be interested to know the full powers of Sussex PCSOs which are as follows:

(1 January 2005)

St Nicholas Gardens - New Plaque

The Angmering Society has recently replaced the plaque on the representative pile of stones in St Nicholas Gardens which had corroded and was damaged to the extent that it was virtually impossible to read. These stones (flints and part of a column) were rescued from a 1970s archaeological excavation of St Nicholas Church which once stood on the site between the 12th and 16th Centuries and represent a major feature of Angmering's heritage. The new plaque (see right) is made of more durable cast bronze and additional wording has been added as the original lacked detail.

St Nicholas was the parish church of East Angmering and stood barely 100 yards from St Margaret's, the parish church of West Angmering. Following the Reformation, St Nicholas Church was demolished or left to fall into ruin and, together with the earlier abandoned church at Bargham (in Angmering woods), the three parishes were combined into the one large parish which we have today.

(1 January 2005)

St Margaret's Church Reordering

The St Margaret's PCC Buildings Committee has been very open about the Reordering Project and issued an Update Newsletter in December.

During 2004 a new architect was appointed who presented a number of different options. The option chosen by the PCC Buildings Committee was placed before the Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC) in October who made constructive comments on the proposals. The DAC is sympathetic to the principle of change, but have reminded the PCC that consultation with church, heritage, local planning and local interest groups will be required.

In March/April 2005, it is intended that the developed proposals will be disseminated to the 'Church family' at a special Sunday Service to hear their views after which the PCC will vote on the proposals they want to pursue. Following that process, the PCC hope to consult local bodies by Summer 2005. By Autumn 2005, the PCC would like to formally apply to the Diocese and launch an appeal to obtain funds for the works, which they hope would commence after Easter 2006.

(1 January 2005)

Other news in brief (Week 52)

Arson attack - On the Wednesday before Christmas, firefighters were called to the public car park next to the Spotted Cow PH to extinguish a fire in a car deliberately set alight.

Oil spillage - At much the same time as the arson attack, the firefighters were required to mop up an oil spillage at the roundabout by the Roundstone PH.

Windmill roundabout - The controversy still rages over the correct lane to take at the roundabout when coming over the bridge from Rustington. It is understood Angmering Parish Council have asked the WSCC Highways Department to paint directional road markings in the lanes approaching the roundabout which should clarify the situation for motorists.

(1 January 2005)