Angmering Village Life
News Archive
November 2015
Further to our article dated 20 November (see below), at last Wednesday's meeting of Arun's Development Control Committee, planning permission was granted for the building of a retail unit for M&S Simply Food and a public house – a tenant for which has yet to be found. Some 50 local residents submitted letters of support for a new store, many believing that it would give them greater retail choice, despite the additional traffic it would bring to the already congested A259. Only one councillor voted against the application.
The new store, which is just inside the Angmering parish boundary, is expected to open in the early part of 2017. The store will create a total of 55 new jobs, with £214,000 of contributions to mitigate the impact on the town centres but whether all of this will go to Rustington and Littlehampton is unclear. Angmering food shops will also be hit to some extent.
M&S has also agreed to pay half the costs of installing a new alarm system at the nearby pedestrian railway crossing, which will undoubtedly be used more when the new store is built.
We were very interested to hear of a new Driving/Companion service which started a few months' ago opperated by Angmering-based Angela Colliss who has lived in the village with her husband, Mike, for the past two years, and who also helps out in the kitchen of Chestnut Tree House on a casual basis. We think that this service would be really useful for a number of village residents who do not have transport who need help in getting to appointments. Angela also offers other services for the less mobile.
The basic service Angela provides is to drive people to local appointments at the doctor, the dentist, the bank, etc., or further afield to, say, Worthing Hospital, St Richard's Hospital, and Goring Hall Hospital. At these appointments she will accompany you to the appropriate Department and wait wait for you, fetch a wheelchair, or assist you with a walking frame if necessary. Additionally, if required, she is happy to come into the consultation so that later she is able to remind you what was discussed and what will happen next. Indeed, she is happy to take anyone anywhere they want to go in the local area. Further, she could take you shopping or bring shopping to you, prepare light meals as required, and generally help with things that you don't feel able to do by public transport or regular taxis, or do not feel able to organisise yourself.
Angela further expanded on the above by giving some examples: "I take a 93-year-old man shopping each week, and offer companionship and do light chores for a 91-year-old lady. Recently, I drove a lady to Havant railway station, and on another occasion took a lady and her microwave back to a local store - obviously not ideal from an upstairs flat and on the bus! On Saturday, I must have someone at St Richard's Hospital by 7.15am".
Angela offers a reliable, friendly service, and has a modern 4-door car which can accommodate a wheelchair if needs be. She also has a wheelchair available for occasional use. The charge for these services is a very reasonable £10 per hour - regardless of the day of the week - which includes petrol for local journeys. She just charges a small amount extra for travel to the hospitals.
If you or anyone you know would be interested in these services, and would like to arrange a booking or get further information, do give Angela a call on 01903-859919. If she is out, leave a message on her answerphone or with husband Mike, and Angela will phone you back as soon as possible. In the meantime, she wishes all her fellow villagers the Compliments of the Season!
Angmering Village Hall will be holding its annual Christmas Market on Saturday 5 December from 10am - 12 noon. There will be a large variety of stalls, raffles and refreshments with the usual the Grand Tombola and Silent Auction. Local traders and Groups using the Hall have been very generous in donating a variety of vouchers for the Silent Auction. Last year the proceeds were used to replace fencing and this coming year it is the intention of the Trustees to replace or refurbish outdoor benches.
A spokesperson for the Trustees said: "We hope that the public will turn up in force to support this event which helps to raise money for the upkeep of this valuable Village Hall building".
The annual Angmering Traders' Christmas Evening, scheduled for Wednesday 9 December, has been cancelled. No specific reasons have been given.
A/158/15/PL - Retention of building for exclusive use as specialist gymnasium at Millfield House, Station Road. Applicant: Cancer United
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 17 December 2015.
To see applications, plans, design statements, etc, type the Application Reference Number (such as those above) into Arun District Council's "Application Search Facility ", click on the Search button, and click on the hyperlink reference when selected application is returned - then select "Documents".
Here is a reminder that a Christmas Market is being held this coming Saturday (28 November) at the Angmering Community Centre at Bramley Green. It will run from 9.30am to 1.30pm.
There will be more than 30 stalls selling Christmas Crafts, decorations and gifts including wooden crafted items, watches, scarves and jewellery, vintage china crafts, cake stands, hand sewn goods, driftwood creations, knitted goods, bags and purses, paintings, magnetic health products, makeup, Christmas wreaths, lampshades, handmade dolls - and even presents for your pets.Visit the Market for a gift inspiration – or to treat yourself. Refreshments on sale. Free entry and parking.
Arun's Development Control Committee are being recommended by their planning department to approve an application by agents of Marks & Spencer (M & S) to open a Simply Food store in Angmering on the A259 on land not identified for development. The recommendation is being made despite opposition from Waitrose, Angmering Parish Council, Network Rail, and Arun's regeneration team, the last preferring such a development to be within a town's centre as they believe it would affect trade in both Rustington and Littlehampton. Angmering Parish Council is particularly concerned about the additional traffic that would be generated on the already congested A259. Waitrose have expressed concerns over the impact yet another food store would have on shops in the centre of Rustington.
Network Rail are concerned that the nearby foot crossing via Penfold Lane (Rustington) and Brook Lane (Angmering) would carry greatly increased traffic. This would provide a shortcut with considerable time saving for people living in north Rustington and, if the scheme were to go ahead, Network Rail would want M & S to build a footbridge for people to safely traverse the railway line with their shopping. This is dismissed by M & S who claim it is currently just a muddy unlit track with little use. Notwithstanding that, we believe that there would be a greatly increased risk to life if a footbridge was not built and if the existing crossing remained open. It should be noted that this pathway is part of the ancient route from Rustington to Poling.
As shown at the public exhibitions held in Angmering and Rustington in December 2014, Commercial Development Projects Limited (CDP) have drawn up the scheme on behalf of M&S who are proposing the following for the site: • A brand new 11,000sq ft M&S Simply Food store which will include an in-store bakery and an M&S Café serving Fairtrade tea and coffee. The store will also offer fresh flowers and cards on top of its food and drink lines, including the ‘Count on US’ and ‘Delicious & Nutritious’ ranges; • A family public house, offering quality hot food in a relaxed family-friendly atmosphere; • Up to 35 full-time and 20 part-time job opportunities in the M&S Simply food store and up to 50 job opportunities in the pub.
The site would not be accessed from the slip roads recently built for Chandlers BMW/Mini and the proposed Aldi store, but from a new access road built further west along the A259 at Brook Lane.
In February this year, Arun District Council granted outline planning permission to West End Property LLP (owners of the VHB Nursery site in Roundstone Lane) to build 195 dwellings there despite much local opposition. On 26 October, CALA Homes held a public exhibition in the Village Hall designed as a "public consultation" which is necessary for all large developments.
Save Angmering Village (SAV) warned long ago that suggesting 195 homes was just a ploy to get outline planning approval, and that the detailed planning application would probably be greater than that. It will be seen from Planning Application A/144/PL below that SAV were indeed correct as the detailed planning application is for 246 homes, a 26% increase! The current planning application is dismissive of the current Angmering Neighbourhood Plan! CALA suggest that the increase in the number of proposed properties is to address the shortfall of new homes in the district - obviously nothing to do with increased profits!
Of the proposed 246 dwellings, 49 affordable homes are proposed as follows:
A/144/15/PL - 246 No. residential dwellings including garages & associated parking, affordable housing, associated landscape & infrastructure & addition of pumping station. Utilisation of 2 No. existing vehicular access points from Roundstone Lane & formation of access road to serve the development. Land at West End Nursery, Roundstone Lane. Applicant: CALA Homes (South Home Counties) Ltd This application is a Departure from the Development Plan
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 10 December 2015.
To see applications, plans, design statements, etc, type the Application Reference Number (such as those above) into Arun District Council's "Application Search Facility ", click on the Search button, and click on the hyperlink reference when selected application is returned - then select "Documents".
Readers may recall that back in June, Worthing Archaeological Society (WAS), in conjunction with Angmering Parish Council, undertook excavations of St Nicholas Church which was demolished during the Reformation in the 16th century. Pupils from the Angmering Primary schools also tried their hand at excavating, and helped with the washing of finds.
WAS have been analysing their findings and writing their report. They now are in a position to make these findings available to the public. To this end they will be holding an Exhibition in the King Suite at Angmering Village Hall in Station Road on Saturday 28 November, between 10am and 12 noon. This will be an exhibition of actual finds, a display of the children's work, and paintings by Angmering artist, Ron Dellar.
On the 4th December the Parish Council will be helping to get Christmas started with carol singing on the village green and the memory tree.
What is the memory tree? It is an opportunity to stand and remember those that you have loved and lost. In the Library, Parish Council office and Co-Op will be memory tags, in the shape of a lit candle, there is no charge for these. Write on the back the names of those that you want to remember. On the 4th December we will be singing carols and during this time the memory tags will be handed to a marshal who will hang it as high as possible onto the tree. The event commences at 6.30pm and will continue until all the tags have been hung.
After the evening you are welcome to hang your own memory tag and they will remain right up until the Christmas tree is taken down.
Are you going to be on your own this year for Christmas and live in the parish of Angmering? The Parish Council is organising a Community Christmas Day Lunch in the Village Hall, so why not come and join them. Just let the Parish Council office know that you would like to come. Leave your name and telephone number, in case we need to contact you before or on the day. Father Christmas is popping in on his way back from delivering presents around the world so the Council need to let him know you will be there.
The Lunch will start around 12.30pm and finish about 5pm. For those that want to join in, there will be games with prizes after lunch
Angmering Football Club Grant
Application
A grant application had been received from Angmering
Football Club in the sum of £300 and invited comments. Councillor
Bicknell noted that there did not appear to be enough benefit to the community
in this application. A request for grant to support a youth team would
naturally be supported. The present application was, however, for an adult
team, which ought really to be able to raise the funds required (which amounted
to just under £6 per head) from members. Councillor Nikki Hamilton-Street
noted that there were other sources of grant funding available to amateur
football clubs and that these ought to be explored and exhausted before
approaching the Parish Council. On a proposal by Councillor Bicknell, seconded
by Councillor Nikki Hamilton-Street, with Councillor Phelon and the Chairman
abstaining, the grant application was REJECTED.
Christmas Day Meal
work to
establish likely demand was ongoing, but as yet there had been little interest
from possible participants. The Chairman noted that there had been a good
response from potential volunteers to help with the meal.
A259/Station Road Cycleway
County
Councillor Urquhart noted that the new cycle path along the A259 between South
Drive and Station Road should now be operational. Councillor Mountain advised
that the cycle path was not yet operational and in fact he had requested that
the Highways Department officer delay its opening, as the pedestrian crossing
lights are not yet operational. This was apparently due to unforeseen
difficulties with utility mains running underneath the site. It was understood
that the path would remain out of use until this was resolved and the lights
brought into operation.
Appointments to South Angmering
Ward
Enquiries had been made of ADC’s Electoral Services
department to establish how to go about this. The answer was that all those
Councillors who had been nominated for, and elected to represent, Angmering
Village ward were not eligible to represent South Angmering Ward. The Parish
Council could therefore proceed to appoint two Councillors to represent that
ward from amongst the four Councillors who had been co-opted since the
election. This would be placed on the Agenda for the 12 December meeting.
St Nicholas Garden excavation
A
draft report has been written and we are waiting for a copy. WAS (Worthing
Archaeological Society) is holding its exhibition on Saturday 28th November
from 10am to 12noon, in the King Suite.
Budget for 2016/2017
The budget
and precept needed to be considered within the context of a further reduction
in grant funding from ADC, and the continuing withdrawal of services by ADC and
WSCC. This withdrawal of services was very difficult to deal with in any way
other than reactively. There appeared to be no overall plan for withdrawals,
and no advance communication of them. It was noted that a further factor to be
considered in the setting of the budget and precept was the need to start
putting in hand the community projects identified as part of the production of
the Neighbourhood Plan. 2016-2017 was the first year in which these matters
could be taken forward, as the budget for 2015-2016 had already been set by the
time the Neighbourhood Plan referendum had taken place in January 2015.
The full minutes of this meeting can be read here
A/147/15/PL - Construction of 6 No. wooden clad, short stay holiday lodges, construction of combined nursery farmshop/cafe & reception area, change of use & conversion of existing agricultural packing shed to owners accommodation, change of use of a mobile home for holiday let, demolition & removal of a portable cabin with landscaping & ancillary infrastructure. Foschinis Nursery, Hangleton Lane, (Ferring). Applicant: Foschinis Nursery This application is a Departure from the Development Plan
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 8 December 2015.
To see applications, plans, design statements, etc, type the Application Reference Number (such as those above) into Arun District Council's "Application Search Facility ", click on the Search button, and click on the hyperlink reference when selected application is returned - then select "Documents".
The next film to be shown at Angmering Community Centre is the comedy/drama "The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" [2015] at 7.45pm on Saturday 14 November- doors open at 7.30pm. .
Starring Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, Richard, Gere, and Dev Patel. As the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel has only a single remaining vacancy - posing a rooming predicament for two fresh arrivals - Sonny pursues his expansionist dream of opening a second hotel.
Tickets priced at £5 are available in advance from the Community Centre Office, Angmering Framing & Stitches, or at the door (subject to availability).
All roads through The Square will be closed to vehicular traffic between 11.45 and 12.45 on Sunday 8 November. This is due to the annual Remembrance Day Parade and Act of Remembrance service, including laying of wreaths, that will be held at the War Memorial commencing at 12.15pm. This will be preceded by a Family Remembrance Day Service at St Margaret's Church at 10.50am. All are welcome