Angmering Village Life
News Archive
July 2008
Arun District Council are to receive a complaint from a group of Bramley Green residents about the recent decision to approve the planning application for the village'e proposed Community Centre on Bramley Green. They believe that the outline planning position back in 2000 should not have been granted as there were no residents living there to oppose it. This is contained in a much fuller article today in the Littlehampton Gazette. The group are also concerned about parking and anti-social behaviour in the area.
If the group are unsatisfied with the response from Arun District Council, they can refer the matter to the Local Government Ombudsman. He cannot overturn the decision but can make recommendations if he feels there was some maladministration.
The Gazette today also contains two letters from a lady and gentleman living on Bramley Green who fully support the building of the Centre in its current position.
Honey Lane - Councillor Norman Hadley said he had received quotes back from Landbuild and PHB. The promised quote from Edburton had not been received. He had done some analysis work of the first two quotes which he circulated to the committee. He will all give copies to the Allotment Society and the residents of Honey Lane. The Committee agreed that the main priority was to get area ‘A’ repaired during the course of this year providing funding was available.
North Drive - The Committee discussed the email from Richard Millyard of West Sussex County Council stating that the verge at the northern end of North Drive was not wide enough to take a footpath. Councillor Paul Bicknell said he would make contact with WSCC and discuss further.
Dog Bins/Litter Bins - The new litterbin had been installed at the Skate Park. Councillor Bicknell provided diagrams where the new bins were to be fitted at Downs Way and North Drive, these will now be ordered. Councillor Bicknell also suggested that 4 older litter bins be replaced as Arun District Council were offering a 50% reduction.
Post Box - Councillor Hadley said the Parish Council was now in a position to move forward with the new post box in the High Street and proposed we use Angmering Developments to install it. The Senior Assistant Clerk will check with the brick manufacturer to see if the cost of the bricks have increased and advise Mrs Holland who is funding them. Mr Terrance Kay will also be contacted to see how many of each of the handmade bricks are needed for the post box. A 10 -15% wastage figure will be added to this number and a new quote obtained from the brick manufacturer.
Street Furniture - The Senior Assistant Clerk reported that she had written to the Catholic Church asking them to part fund the sign to St Wilfrid's Cemetery but had not had a response yet. Councillor Norman Hadley asked if a site visit could be organised with Andy Brookwell of West Sussex County Council to discuss the proposed sign for the Palmer Road Recreation Ground. Councillor Bicknell reported that there were some fixed penalty signs in Chantryfield Road and asked if the office could check if they were still valid.
A/77/08 - Re-roof and minor alterations at Appletree Cottage, Roundstone Lane. For: Mr M Ridpath .
Observations on this/these Application(s) must be received by The Head of Planning Services, Arun District Council, The Arun Civic Centre, Maltravers Road, Littlehampton, West Sussex BN17 5LF by 14 August 2008
Environment & Leisure - The Heras fencing along Mayflower Way will be moved to the other side of the bowls site and a large gate will be installed so that mowing machinery can access the site. This work is being undertaken free of charge to the Council. The E & L Committee will give support to Carole Mason for the Big Picnic which will probably be held on Fletcher’ Field. The Youth Bus is undergoing Health and Safety checks. A donation of £200.00 towards the bus has been made by the Angmering Society.
WSCC Report - County Councillor Deborah Urquhart advised that the projected daily vehicle movement for the Poling composting centre was actually 37.
Community Centre - Councillor Steven Mountain advised that the sub-committee had not met recently but would be meeting within the week to consider the initial results of the tenders received. At Public Question Time, Mr. T. Langridge gave a presentation against the building of the Community Centre on the designated site. Copies of the presentation were given to all Councillors. The Chairman replied that nothing had been finally agreed and that the points put forward would be considered. Mr. J. Langley asked if the Council was satisfied that it had a valid planning permission. He was of the opinion that the building should have been started within 3 years of the outline permission granted in 2000.
Youth Activities - Councillor Pat Turner is looking for volunteers to keep the Coffee Bar running until the bus is completed.
Safe Routes to School - Councillor Steven Mountain advised that the new junction at Sainsburys (A259) is scheduled to start later in July and there will be single file traffic and a 30 mph speed limit during construction. A new footway and cycle path to Angmering School is being constructed.
Village Design Statement - Councillor Steven Mountain reported that Village Design Statements are no longer considered as an integral of the planning process. It would take around 18 months to complete a Design Statement and cost in the region of £10,000.00. Would it be worth the time and expense? Councillor Sue Smith suggested that this is referred back to Policy and Resources for consideration. Councillor Mountain will submit a report.
After a scare with the weather earlier in the morning, the Skatepark duly opened yesterday in the sunshine, albeit in slightly windy conditions. Our MP, Nick Herbert, duly declared the park open and the fun began for the hundreds of people who turned up - a great family event enjoyed by all those who attended. Angmering Parish Council chairman, Councillor Nigel Nunn, took the opportunity of thanking his vice-chairman, Councillor Mark Edwards, for managing the project so successfully and bringing it to fruition. Below is a selection of photos from yesterday's event.
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The construction of the Angmering's skate bowl at Bramley Green will be completed today and the whole skatepark will be available for use after the Grand Opening this Saturday (19 July) at 12 noon. The opening ceremony will be performed by our own MP, Nick Herbert, Shadow Secretary of State for Justice, and other guests from the district will be present. This event is for everyone in the village and there is free entry and free parking at the park which is situated at the southern end of Bramley Green. Access for cars and pedestrians is via Rowan Way, or Mayflower Way (off Roundstone Lane).
To celebrate the opening the Parish Council has organised many attractions, intending the opening to be a fun day for all the family which will take place between midday and 4.00pm. Splash FM will be providing music at the event and will be doing some live broadcasts from the site via their studio. Attractions will include:
The skatepark (including bowl) is not just intended for skateboarders but also those with skates and BMX bikes. The park now includes a BMX track (created from the spoil from the bowl), youth shelter, a goal with net, a basketball net, and a mini skate/BMX ramp. Close to the field is a small children's playground with swings and slides etc, and, of course, the "Noddy Pond".
So come on down on Saturday, have a look at the facilities, and join in the fun.
Readers may recall that the Skatepark was funded from an £80,000 Big Lottery win last November. People right across Angmering and the district voted for the project which was in competition from another worthy youth project in Christchurch, Dorset. You can read about the Angmering project and see photos of the skate bowl during stages of its construction by clicking here.
Noticeboard - West Sussex County Council had put up a notice at the Downs Way Pocket Park for the re-siting of the notice board. It will be up for another two weeks, if no complaints are received the board can be sited. The Committee agreed to a maximum sum of £250 to make two new legs and provide concrete for the fixing.
Village Events - Councillor Turner said that she had received an email from Carole Mason of the Angmering Community Association saying that they proposed to hold a ‘Big Picnic’ in conjunction with West Sussex County Council. The proposed venues were either Fletchers Field or Bramley Green. The Committee felt that in this instance the best Venue would be Fletchers Field as it is more central to the village and the public toilets are nearby.
Skateboard Park - The Senior Assistant Clerk reported that the Skate Park would be opened on the 19th July and all invitations had been sent out. It is intended to make it a fun day for the entire Parish and there would be many stalls and activities.
BMX Track - Councillor Nunn reported that with the spare topsoil from the Skate Park a small BMX track had been created. The intention now is to see how it develops and see if it needs enhancing in the future.
Bramley Green Maintenance Contract - The Committee discussed the possibility of hiring a part time handy man to maintain the open spaces. The Committee agreed to outline a proposal and present it at the next meeting.
Community Centre - The Senior Assistant Clerk said she was still exploring possible grant Sources but could not move it forward until the full cost of the Community Centre was known.
Play Area Inspections - Councillor Turner confirmed she had authorised a payment of £740 to Foster Playscapes for the repairs to the children’s play areas. West Sussex County Council will monitor on an ongoing basis and Foster Playscapes will do repairs on an ad hoc basis at a rate of £25.70 per hour.
Pocket Park - Councillor Paul Bicknell said the fence at Downs Way needed repairing and a litter pick was necessary. Councillor Pat Turner suggested contacting the Youth Offenders Team to see if they could do it as part of the community service programme.
The 5th Charity Hog Roast will be held at The Spotted Cow on Sunday 27th July at 4.00pm. The menu is Hog roast with Jacket Potato and Side Salad followed by strawberries and cream. The ticket price is £11.00 and available at The Spotted Cow. Unfortunately the organisers are unable to provide a child discount. Music will be provided by Dead Grateful. A raffle will be drawn when the music finishes. Monies raised will be donated to Canine Partners and Chanctonbury Community playscheme.
The Village Hall celebrated the 80th Anniversary of its opening today. An exhibition of photos and documents took place in the King Suite by the Village Hall Committee and other organisations who regularly use the hall including The Angmering Society, the British Legion, Angmering WI, the Whist Club and the Bridge Club. Other users of the hall such as infants' and adults' groups put on displays during the morning and the afternoon in the main hall. Refreshments were provided during the day by the Angmering WI and the Angmering Green WI. In the evening, the celebrations were concluded with a Barn Dance and ploughman's supper.
The highlight of the day was the unveiling of a new noticeboard on the front of the building which was provided by The Angmering Society and the Village Hall Committee and made by Seth Evans of Clapham. This was unveiled by Mr Leslie Baker, a former headmaster of Older's Charity School and St Margaret's Primary School, who is also president of The Angmering Society, a former parish councillor, and a Freeman of the Parish of Angmering. A photo of Mr Baker and his wife Grace is shown below after the unveiling.
Regular visitors to the Angmering Village Life Forums will be aware of new history material as and when it is published. However, less regular readers of our pages may be unaware of the on-going history research for Angmering. For example, below are new articles and resources relating to Angmering that have been published since January this year:
A/74/08/T - Application to fell 1 no. Sycamore tree at 30/31 St Margaret's Court, Arundel Road. For: Peverel Management Services.
Observations on this/these Application(s) must be received by The Head of Planning Services, Arun District Council, The Arun Civic Centre, Maltravers Road, Littlehampton, West Sussex BN17 5LF by 31 July 2008
At Arun District Council's Development Control Committee meeting this afternoon, Application No. A/52/08 for detailed planning permission for the Community Centre at Bramley Green, was approved by 6 votes to 3, with 2 abstentions. Two people spoke in favour of the application and two against, with District Councillor Hazlehurst, while in favour of the Centre in its proposed location, felt that the application should be refused on the grounds of inadequate parking.
98 letters had been written to the Council objecting to the Application, one petition containing 135 signatures objecting to the possibility of disturbance from gathering youths, and 6 letters of support had been received.
The planning officers' comments on representations received were as follows:
All residents should have been notified by their solicitors that a S 106 Agreement was in place which secured the provision of a Community Centre on this site. Car parking allocation is in accordance with the maximum standards where the maximum standard is 26 spaces and 25 spaces as proposed, therefore County Highways have not raised an objection. Property values are not a material consideration. The Community Centre Management Committee set up (that) will be responsible for codes of behaviour in and around the centre.
Planning officers advised that the parking arrangements proposed met County and Government guidelines. Some District Councillors on the Committee believed that while it might have been preferable for the Centre to have been built elsewhere, they accepted that there were no grounds to object to the proposed site and the parking arrangements. A proposal to defer the decision and make a site visit by District Councillors was defeated. Prior to the vote on the application itself, a vote was taken on applying a further condition limiting the use of the Centre from 8am - 11pm on Mondays to Saturdays, and 8am - 10pm on Sundays. This proposal was agreed.
Following an outburst from a member of the public on what was a clearly emotional issue, the Chair of the Committee threatened to clear the public gallery if it happened again. Following the approval of the Planning Application, abuse was hurled by one or two objectors at Arun District Council. The Chair declared that the meeting would only continue after those who were leaving the Council Chamber had left.
A/79/08 - Rooms in roof space & single storey rear extension at 12 Lansdowne Way. For: Mr & Mrs Paul Reddick.
Observations on this/these Application(s) must be received by The Head of Planning Services, Arun District Council, The Arun Civic Centre, Maltravers Road, Littlehampton, West Sussex BN17 5LF by 24 July 2008