March/April 2011 Q1 Q2 Q3 from Storrington & Sullington Parish Council Q4
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Issue 5: March/April 2011 Q1 Q2 Q3 from Storrington & Sullington Parish Council Q4 Keeping you informed of the work of the Parish Council and the community of Storrington & Sullington Emergency systems are go Don’t forget: Unwanted household recycling baskets can be dropped off During the recent bad weather, the and individuals who we can call upon at Horsham Matters Community Charity Centre, Tanfield Garage, Guildford Road, Parish Council issued a leaflet headed for specialist assistance and general Horsham, Tuesday-Saturday 10am-1pm ‘More snow on the way’. This leaflet help, should their be a requirement. asked firstly if we could help you and If you have not yet registered your need secondly if you could help us. The for help in an emergency please contact response has been excellent with nearly the Parish Office on 01903 746547 and 50 people requesting assistance and again, nearly 50 offering help. Thank remember to keep this number handy. you all very much. You can also ring this number to register if you can offer help in any way. We have already been able to put some of the people who requested help in Once again we would reiterate that touch with local, district and county for the purposes of data protection we organisations in order to obtain help would expect the Parish Council to be in the future and we have also started able to use such information for the a “vulnerable persons” list which specific purpose for which it has been could be activated should an emergency provided to councillors, staff and need arise. volunteers. Copies would be held by On the other side of the coin we now the Parish Council and the appropriate have a list of organisations, companies person at Horsham District Council. Dressed for Success Retail Award Winner Congratulations go to The Storrington decorations, design and customer Card Centre for scooping the special service in the community. County Times readers award for the Ray Dawe, Parish Councillor and Best Christmas Window in the whole Deputy Leader of Horsham District of the Horsham District. Council, This was the inaugural event of its kind presented organised by Horsham District Council Natalie with the aim of rewarding the retail Sawyer with premises that made the most effort the award to encourage visitors into the area outside over the Christmas period using festive her shop. Large drop in local crime! Figures just released by Sussex Police show a big fall in crime figures for the Chantry area (Storrington, Amberley and Washington) over last year. Comparisons show that in the period from October to Dec 2010 compared with the same period in 2009 there was a 35% drop in all crime. In the whole Horsham Police area there was a 21% drop. Horsham District overall has the lowest crime figures of all 13 neighbouring Police areas. 1 Storrington & Sullington Parish Council Magazine is produced four times a year by Eyelevel Publishing Stane Street Nurseries, Stane Street, Codmore Hill, Pulborough, West Sussex RH20 1BQ Telephone: 01798 875525 Email: [email protected] Web: www.eyelevelpublishing.co.uk Your chance to be part Date for your of Localism and The diary: Storrington Big Society! Village Day Saturday 25th June Every four years all those registered on the electoral role have The annual Village Day will the opportunity to vote in a local election. In May 2011 this year be held on Saturday elections will take place to select the Parish Council for the 25th June at the Storrington next four year term. It is not just your constitutional and Recreation ground from democratic right to vote but also it is your chance to “do 2.00pm to 9.00pm. your bit” and stand as a candidate for the Parish Council. A full programme of On page 3 of this magazine is an article describing the entertainment and events background to becoming a Parish Councillor but if you want to is being planned, including know more, why not come along to one of our meetings. They a large classic car show, funfair, craft and society stalls, arena are held on the fourth Wednesday of the month (see back events and entertainment, refreshments including a beer tent, page for dates) and you are welcome to attend. You can also all followed by a musical evening. contact the Parish Office on 01903 746547 and ask for details of how to apply as a candidate. Local societies, clubs, crafts, and anyone interested in participating in this Village Day, are invited to attend. Neither experience in local government nor political affiliations are necessary, just a willingness to do something For further information or to request a stall/attraction at the for Storrington & Sullington at a local level. Join the movement event please contact David Tolerton on 01903 745357 (e-mail to shift power from centralisation to the community as the [email protected]) or Tony Vaughan on 01903 740633 (e-mail new Localism Bill will enable you to do. [email protected] ) 2 Becoming a Parish Councillor Despite the name, Parish Councils serve) to propose and another to have nothing to do with the church. second your nomination. Parish Council Magazines Parish Councils represent the first Parish councillors may also be tier of local government and there appointed if there is a ‘casual vacancy’, are approximately 70,000 Parish due, for example, to a current Producing quarterly magazines for the Councillors in England. councillor’s resignation. This vacancy following Parish Councils: It is the most local level of government – may be filled by holding a bye-election Ashington / Broadbridge Heath local people elected by local residents or by ‘co-option’ (co-opting is where Billingshurst / Cowfold to tackle purely local issues. While they a Parish Council finds someone who Pulborough / Shipley may be responsible for smaller areas might be suitable and then votes to Storrington / Thakeham and fewer people than District and select them, without a ballot of local West Chiltington / Wisborough Green County Councils, they are recognised as electors). Co-option usually occurs if the grassroots layer of democracy and there are not enough candidates to fill Delivered to every home and business in the Parish are, for around 14 million people, the the vacant council seats. For a media pack most ‘local’ level of government. Call us: 01798 875525 If you interested in being co-opted the Email us: [email protected] If you live in a Parish, your views and next time there is a vacancy, make Download from www.eyelevelpublishing.co.uk opinions on the future of the Parish are yourself known at the Parish Council important. All sorts of people become office or to the Chairman. Parish councillors – a broad spread of Parish Council votes for Being a Parish Councillor is not paid and ages from eighteen upwards with a wide brings no special privileges other than no increase in tax variety of backgrounds and occupations. the satisfaction of working for the At its January Council meeting the If you would like to stand for election, Parish in which you live. Becoming a Parish Council voted not to increase you will need to obtain a nomination local councillor is career enhancing – its precept per property (the share paper from the parish council office and it shows you can make decisions, work of monies Storrington & Sullington arrange for someone (who is an elector in a team, are community minded and Parish Council receives from the for the locality in which you wish to pro-active. Council Tax). In presenting the budget to the Council, Ray Dawe, the Chairman Storrington Community Market said, “This will be the fifth year when we have held the precept at inflation (Every Friday 9am-10.45am in Storrington Village Hall) or below inflation. We have constantly The Community market reports that the first month of trading in their new guise tried to set an example of good has been a great success. They have had many compliments on their smart new housekeeping and though the year look and are looking forward to welcoming new customers and producers as the ahead is going to be difficult for year progresses. They now have fresh bread from a bakery in Steyning and local councils, we believe that our village tax pork from Scotts free range pig farm to add to their range of local produce. payers will appreciate our again not If you are interested in joining them as a producer do go along and see them. increasing the tax they have to pay”. 3 must have felt sorry for us as we raised the sum of nearly Wot! No late night shopping? £1,800 towards our village Christmas Lights. Ryan Adsett was presented his prize for the winning Christmas It was with great regret that the Parish Council had to take Decoration Design by Geoff West from Caremark. the decision to cancel the Annual Christmas and Late Night Some of the teams of helpers and sponsors are listed below but Shopping Event on 2nd December last year. there were many more behind the scenes and we thank them all Just to remind you of the reason why, have look at the super very much:- snowy picture of Storrington High Street taken by one of our Caremark (Pulborough) / Waitrose / Storrington First School District Councillors, Chris Mason, on the 1st December. How Fowler’s Estate Agents / Storrington Round Table / STAG quickly we all forget! The Parish Church / The Storrington Museum / Design at 32 The cancellation was such a pity as so many people had put The Meadowside Group / The Parish Council Office such a lot of effort into planning the evening.