Earnley Parish Council www.earnleypc.org Skype: earnley.pc email: [email protected] 01243 203040 1 Charlmead East Wittering Chichester West Sussex PO20 8DN Newsletter Summer 2015 IN THIS ISSUE : Parish Objectives, Flood Relief Work, Your New District Councillors plus more … earnleypc.org Earnley Parish Council Newsletter Summer 2015 1 Earnley Parish Boundary earnleypc.org Earnley Parish Council Newsletter Summer 2015 2 Summer greetings to Contents our residents The Parish Boundary 2 …………………………………………….. Welcome to our community newsletter Chairman’s Report 3 Why not consider submitting a contribution yourself …………………………………………….. to a future edition, perhaps a piece of local history, a comment on some feature of the area, a personal Flood Relief Work 4 experience or what you would like to see happen in …………………………………………….. your parish. Let us have your comments on all the changes we constantly experience. Your Parish Council 4 ……………………………………………. We would like our newsletter to reflect all the changes and your reactions to them. Enjoy what Parish Objectives 5 you read here and thank you for your continued …………………………………………….. support and interest Your new District Councillors 5 …………………………………………… CHAIRMAN’S REPORT 2015 Schedule of Meeting 5 …………………………………………… Earnley Parish Council took the lead in forming Chichester District Council Local Plan 5 the Western Manhood Peninsula Consortium …………………………………………… which as a group worked to fight the proposed increase in housing numbers for East Wittering Local Planning Appeals 6 and Bracklesham in the District Council’s Local ……………………………………………. Plan. The Consortium also applied for Rule 6 status at the planning appeal for 160 dwellings Stop Press News 6 in Clappers Lane. Again I would like to thank …………………………………………….. Julia Bowering for her research work and appearing as a witness at the appeal and Cllr Robert Carey for acting as advocate for the Consortium during the 10 day hearing. The appeal was ultimately dismissed on the density Members of the Parish Council continue to liaise of the development. with the Environment Agency and RSPB on the Wates the developer has now submitted a new Medmerry scheme. Local residents and RSPB application for 110 dwellings on the same site. volunteers took part in a two day event to plant 500 The Parish Council remains opposed to this new trees. application, however we have engaged with the developer to try and address the impact of Following the adoption of the Somerely and Earnley resulting potential traffic issues on the Parish. Conservation Area reports the Parish Council negotiated with West Sussex County Council to As you will be aware the main activities at have the road around the Church resurfaced. In a Earnley Concourse ceased in 2011. The Parish similar context two new traditional black and white Council has successfully registered the finger post signs are scheduled to be installed in Concourse under the Community Right to Bid the centre of Earnley to replace the old rusty road scheme which means the Parish Council would be signs. This has been funded by the Environment notified if the owners decide to sell the site. Agency as part of the Medmerry signage project. The Community would then have the opportunity Continued on page 4 to purchase the site or seek partners to work with. earnleypc.org Earnley Parish Council Newsletter Summer 2015 3 Flood Relief Work in the Parish Continued from page 3 The Parish Council once again received a clear financial audit. Thanks again to Louise Chater our The Birdham & Earnley Parish Clerk for her hard work and Flood Prevention Group professionalism. As you will already know the (FPG) has just reached Parish Council took the difficult decision to its second anniversary increase the precept so as to build financial and completed year two of its three year plan to reserves to cover the on-going maintenance and significantly alleviate the replacement of Parish assets. risk of flooding in our parish. Elsewhere in this new letter Cllr Robert Carey details the work of the Flood Prevention Group. In November 2014 we held the celebration to formally A big thanks to Robert for all his drive and hard open the Bookers Lane Flood Relief Channel. This was work in bringing about these major projects. attended by over 50 people, including members of the Their implementation has significantly reduced County Council, District Council, the Environment the risk of flooding for many residents across Agency and, most importantly, local residents. The the Parish. Thanks also to Ken Davenport for channel took two years to construct and cost over providing technical support to Robert. £500,000. Cllr Sandy Simpson and Cllr Chris Charter have During February and March 2015, the work on the spent much time and effort preparing a process Grange Rife (Phase 1) in Almodington completed, with to enable you the Parishioners to participate in extensive clearance and de-silting and the replacement developing the key objectives for Earnley Parish of inadequately sized or damaged culverts. The work Council. Further details are set out in this extended from First Avenue to the Medmerry outflow. newsletter. This is your opportunity to make the In addition, the Environment Agency removed over 40 Parish Council aware of issues that are important metres of culverts and replaced them with open to you. channel, which is not only better for drainage but also creates an improved wildlife corridor. So please give Sandy and Chris your support in completing the questionnaire and perhaps The FPG are now working with the Environment Agency to plan Phase 2 of the Grange Rife project, which volunteering to help them in the process involves looking at options to divert flood water away generally. from the homes and businesses in Almodington. In this we have been fortunate to receive over £50,000 from Keith Martin the County Council’s Operation Watershed fund. Finally, working with the Environment Agency, we are in the early planning stage of a project to replace restrictive culverts in upper Bookers Lane and lower We would like your email address ....... Bell Lane. In this we have again been fortunate in securing funds from Operation Watershed. If We are gradually building up a list of residents successful, the planned works will significantly extend that would like to occasionally receives the benefits of the new Bookers Lane channel to information from the parish council—would residents in upper Bookers Lane and Somerley. you be interested in joining this list? Watch this space! If so please email the [email protected] with residents update in the subject line. Your Robert Carey contact details will not be passed on to any other Chairman, Birdham & Earnley Flood Prevention Group. party and we promise we will not bombard you with emails. Your Parish Council Sandy Simpson Robert Carey Louise Chater 07539443642 07796379756 01243 203040 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Keith Martin Chris Charter Shaun Perry 07940569643 01243 514096 07884490945 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] earnleypc.org Earnley Parish Council Newsletter Summer 2015 4 Accounts for year ended 31 March 2015 Looking for something to do this Summer? Why not try the new The Parish Council accounts have Sidlesham Heritage Trail been open for inspection and are currently with the Auditor. The date for audit by Littlejohn LLP was set for 8th June 2015. The submitted accounts have been advertised on the noticeboards and the parish council website. If you have any questions on the During the industrial depression of the late 1930s over 1,000 unemployed miners and ship accounts you are entitled to builders, from the North-East of England and contact the auditor from the 8th South Wales, were given the opportunity to join June until the completion of the Land Settlement Associations and begin new lives as market-gardeners. 20 LSAs were set up audit across England. The largest was Sidlesham, West Sussex, with 120 smallholdings. The audited accounts will be This website explains the background to the LSA advertised in due course. nationally, its organisation at a local level and the creation of a heritage trail. Income Discover the locations, people and images which Precept 12546.00 bring the heritage trail life. VAT reimbursement 4436.89 Smartphone owners can use an offline tail or you can download and print off a copy of the trail leaflet at www.sidleshamheritagetrail.co.uk Pension Refund 103.84 Cross Charging 19705.38 Total Income 36898.24 Did you attend Earnley School? (now known as Earnley Concourse) Expenditure Some former members of this school are trying to General Administration 69750.083 get in touch with other people who attended the school. Clerk’s Salary 6700.29 Section 137 Grants 150.00 If you would like to get in touch please send the parish clerk an email with Earnley School in the Grants, other powers 485.00 subject line and she will pass your contact details on. Notice boards 133.20 Public Lighting 208.26 Printing 376.85 Transparency Code for Smaller Authorities Training 243.80 Earnley Parish Council embraces the Government’s trans- Loan Repayment 568.48 parency agenda we recognise the importance for local people to be able to find out how we are spending money. VAT 4473.19 Total Expenditure 83089.90 Every quarter we will publish online our spend over £100 (excluding VAT). This will detail the payments we’ve made to support the delivery of the services we provide to the community. http://earnleypc.org/index.php/annual- return/ earnleypc.org Earnley Parish Council Newsletter Summer 2015 5 Abolition of the counterpart to the photocard driving licence From 8 June 2015, the paper counterpart to the photocard driving licence will not be valid and will no longer be issued by DVLA.