Welcome to the third newsletter this year from your Parish Council.
Previous issues of our newsletters have been dominated by The Core Strategy (proposed housing sites). Since the deadline for objections to the proposed sites has passed, there will be nothing tangible to report until Mid Sussex District Council report and further consultations are in place.
There has been a change of emphasis with regard to the Better Environment Policy Advisory Group (BEPAG) report to Mid Sussex District Council which means that the report on the deployment of housing sites will now be on the 6th October 2009 with the full Council meeting on 18th November to approve the Core Strategy Proposed Submission Document; after that date further public consultation will then follow. Since the deadline in May, however, the Parish Council has received assurances of support from our MP (see below) and we continue to canvas support from District and County Councillors. As a matter of interest, over 800 objections were recorded by Mid Sussex District Council with regard to the inclusion of the proposed development of up to 760 homes in the Gravelye Lane / Scamps Hill area. However, the Parish continues to encourage residents to write to their Councillors (County and District) expressing their concerns particularly with regard to the infrastructure.
NEW COUNCILLORS
The Parish Council has welcomed two new Councillors over the past three months, one of which replaces Jerry Jeremiah who resigned through pressure of work. It was felt that residents would wish to receive a short résumé from the new recruits.
Steve Minter
Steve lives in Scaynes Hill with wife Sue and their four children. Together with Sue, he operates as a Chiropractor in Scaynes Hill having previously trained and qualified as a Chartered Accountant. He is the Group Scout Leader in Scaynes Hill and was a parent governor of St Augustine’s CE Primary school for eight years. Steve loves sport, playing tennis at Lindfield Tennis Club, umpiring hockey and judging trampoline. Steve says he enjoys taking a proactive role and believes that the local community is very important.
Steve Windsor
Steve has lived in the area for over 20 years, and lives with wife Theresa and two daughters on the eastern side of Lindfield. He worked for many years in Barclays Bank in London, and has now moved into consulting, focusing on Leadership and team performance improvement. Steve is an occasional golf player, and both he and Theresa love to walk the footpaths in this area to enjoy the beautiful countryside. Steve also works closely with the Headway Brain Injury Charity for West Sussex.
MAKEOVER FOR RURAL LINDFIELD
Over the years the Parish Council has endeavoured to ensure that the common areas within the Parish have been targeted for an upgrading. Two areas were targeted in the past, one being the grass area at the bottom of Gravelye Lane / Lewes Road and, more recently the bridge overlooking the River Ouse at the bottom of Town Hill Lindfield. Additionally, the Burial Ground at Walstead, The Common at Scaynes Hill and Anchor Pond have all received attention to enhance their appearance.
Even attempting to maintain the attractive appearance of the roads and byways is of great interest to the Council and every effort is made to ensure that contractors or residents do not harm or desecrate the grass verges. The mass replacement of gas pipes in the Lindfield area left our pavements and grass verges in an unpleasant state, and many residents were very upset as they had assisted in their maintenance and now their work was ruined. Residents also spent time in assisting with the appearance of larger locations, and one such location is at the top corner of Westlands Road; we even see a resident planting sweet peas on the banks of the River Scrase. On that subject, it has been reported that our byways lack the attractive appearance of wild flowers (e.g. Snowdrop Lane), therefore we are in discussion with West Sussex County Council as to the provision of wild flower seeds to be distributed in and around the grass verges in the lanes around our Parish.
Parish Councils should always be interested in the appearance of their parish but we have two major "blots on the landscape" which we are attempting to eradicate. However, that does not preclude residents and Council from ensuring that all such denigrations are reported and, where possible, eradicated (e.g. removal of litter). The Council needs your assistance in this regard.
ANCHOR POND
Following the gallant efforts of the volunteers last autumn the Anchor Pond has become rather overgrown. After much deliberating and consulting, thanks to our resident newt population, we have plans to clear the stray trees and non-native plants in the autumn., after the newts have gone on their winter holidays! In the mean time we are tidying up some of the trees and saplings outside the boundary of the pond itself, clearing a few lower branches so as to open up the view of the Farmers Inn from the road. It is our intention to protect the plants and wildlife whilst making the area as attractive as possible.
VERDUN OAK
This is a call to local historians to tell us more about the “Verdun Oak”. There was a plaque on the Oak Tree in Ham Lane that it had been agreed we should replace. This is however a potentially expensive exercise so before we sally forth we would like to find out more about the history of the tree and its relevance to Scaynes Hill. It is reported that the acorn was brought back from Verdun after the battle in 1916. If you know anything about the history of the tree please contact our Parish Clerk, Karin Milne in the office.
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CORE STRATEGY PROPOSED SUBMISSION DOCUMENT
LETTER FROM THE HON NICHOLAS SOAMES MP
Dear Mr Dumbleton,
Thank you for your letter of the 30th April on behalf of Lindfield Rural Parish Council.
I commend the Council on its proactive approach and for the steps it is taking.
As you are aware the implementation of the Government’s planning policy is devolved to local authorities so it is important to convey the Council’s views to the local representatives.
Earlier in the month the Government published the South East Plan and the local authority has a statutory duty to meet the Government’s onerous targets.
There is a need for housing for local people but the level proposed is unsustainable and I wholeheartedly share your anxiety about the pressure on villages in Mid Sussex and the wider county. To this end I have persistently raised with the Government my concerns about the housing targets and regional planning strategies, particularly in relation to supporting infrastructure.
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