July 19, 2024
Welcome to this week's blog. As always, thank you for sparing the time to have a read.
The six weeks of Summer have begun, so please remember that children can visit West Sussex libraries and join Amelia, Riley, Bob the dog and friends, to complete the 2024 Summer Reading Challenge, Marvellous Makers. WSCC is recruiting volunteers aged 14 and over to support staff in promoting the Summer Reading Challenge.
This was a busy week. On Tuesday, Val, Donna and I had Full CDC. (It was Donna’s third meeting of the day, which was a little unfortunate because it was also her birthday - so we are going to celebrate this week instead!) Claire Apel, the Chair of CDC, publicly congratulated Donna on her birthday and praised the Selsey D-Day 80 event. We agreed to release funds from reserves: -
For specialist professional services to help defend planning appeals: I pointed out the distress losing appeals can cause residents who live near to the sites of the proposed developments.
To refurbish play areas: I recalled that a few months ago a national newspaper had revealed how Councils have been quite lacking in this respect - if you have been reading this blog for a while, you may remember it too - and asked if consideration could be given to partnering with parishes to secure more favourable purchasing options.
To refurbish the Tower Street, Chichester public conveniences: as Leader of the Opposition, I have been canvassed for the continuation of toilet facilities. Donna and I visited them some time ago to inspect their condition, and were shown inside by a cleaner, as they were partly shut for safety.
I also asked the Leader, Cllr Adrian Moss, what he hoped to achieve in his second year and made a suggestion, because analysis by Ratcliffe Cleaning and their digital marketing company of Districts & Boroughs identified Adur, by greenhouse emissions, as the 3rd cleanest local authority in the UK while our District was not in their top 20. I suggested our next climate action plan address this, to which Cllr Moss said that his three main priorities were the Environment, regeneration and housing. His deputy, Cllr Jonathan Brown, stressed he was more interested in reducing our overall emissions rather than trying to compete for positioning against other local authorities, but did concede there may be things we could learn from those that are judged more favourably than us.
Donna asked a question about CDC’s policy on Article 4, which is a direction under the Town & Country Planning Acts that removes some permitted development rights on a given site. In reply the Director of Planning, Andrew Frost, undertook to meet with her to discuss things.
On Wednesday, Donna and Val had CDC’s Development, Planning & Infrastructure Panel and later the Housing, Communities, Culture & Sport Panel. In the evening, the whole team had Full Selsey Town Council, which included a community grant application and considering quotes for the Warners Yard toilets. (It was agreed to seek further information to ensure best value for money.) Donna also had Full WSCC earlier today.
Watch CDC’s public meetings here, and Full WSCC here.
This week’s interesting reads include the SDNP nearing completion of it's rewilding project, the Sussex village named as one of the best places to work from home, a Hastings resident who hired a crane to try and prove his garden structure did not require planning permission, a space suit that turns urine into drinking water (not sure I would volunteer to try that one) and is enlisting Google’s help the way to combat unwelcome visitors?
We mentioned last week that, as part of their commitment to supporting local, independent businesses, CDC has put money towards a new campaign called ‘Sussex Six’ which aims to increase the amount of local produce featured on menus and shop shelves in our District and help build a robust circular economy. Of every £1 spent in a local business, around 63 pence stays within the local area. It also benefits the environment, reduces food miles and keeps us connected to our local farms and producers. The campaign includes a dedicated food and drink directory where people will be able to find all the different food and drink producers in our District and the places that serve and sell it.
The story of Selsey Tramway is featured in a new exhibition at The Novium Museum. It recounts how a railway line was proposed to link the then remote and isolated village of Selsey with Chichester. By August 1897, the Selsey Tramway was born, operated by The Hundred of Manhood and Selsey Tramway Company. It consisted of approximately seven-and-a-half miles of track, with 11 stops in total, including Chichester, Hunston, Sidlesham, and Selsey, as well as privately owned farms and the Selsey Golf Club.
On the opening day, the first train arrived an hour late, setting the standard for the rest of its run. The tramway was possibly the most problematic railway of the area. Delays were expected, with drivers seldom sticking to schedules and frequent breakdowns occurring. However, in 1916, annual passenger numbers peaked at 105,169. By the 1930s, bus services were more reliable and after thirty-eight years of operation, the tramway’s last service ran on 19 January 1935. The exhibition has been curated with the help of the Manhood Wildlife and Heritage Group who also organise the anniversary six-mile Tramway Walk, which this year takes place at 10am on Saturday 24 August.
Finally: -
As always, from the whole Team, stay safe.
Tim
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