Sidlesham Parish Council.

Sidlesham Parish Council

Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting

Held in the Church Hall, Sidlesham on Wednesday 28 May 2003 at 7:00 p.m.

Councillors present: Mr Christopher Bond (Chairman),
Mrs Elizabeth Duke, Mrs Moira Grice, Mr Adrian Harland, Mrs Debbie Kennedy,
Mrs Diana Pound, Mrs Tricia Tull.
Also present: Twenty-four Sidlesham Electors and Mr John Paul (Parish Clerk)

Chris Bond opened the meeting by welcoming all present to the meeting. He introduced himself, the newly elected and re-elected Parish Councillors and the newly appointed Parish Clerk. He also gave sincere thanks to Debbie Kennedy for her work as the previous chairman, similarly he thanked Jill Richards, Colin Field and Chris Spiby for their years of service to Sidlesham and the Parish Council.

1. Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting held on Wednesday 22 May 2002. These were proposed by Mrs T Tull seconded by Mr A Harland and agreed by those present as being a true record to be signed by the Chairman.

2. Report of the past year by Mr C Bond (Chairman).
Planning A main function of the Parish Council during the past year was planning. The PC is the first stage in the process within the Local Development Plan. During the last twelve months 65 applications were received from the Chichester District Council Planning Department for examination. The role of the PC was to reply to the Chichester District Council either to offer no objection, or to support, or to object with reasons. Based on for example, “out of character”, “impinges on neighbour”, “extension too large for footprint”, “access difficulties” etc.
Of the 65 applications 36 were not objected to, 26 were objected to and three are current. The District planners similarly permitted 36, but not always the same ones! The PC will examine where the differences of opinion were.

The majority of planning cases were complied with but there are two currently in dispute with need for the attention of the District Planning enforcement officer.

Sports Hall the Chairman spoke with enthusiasm about this project. (Reported in detail later by Mr Brian Kennedy). The hall was within days of completion and was the culmination of five years work by the school governing body, mainly searching for funding. The Chairman proposed a vote of thanks to the Governors’ sub committee for all their time and effort. The subcommittee was composed of Mr Steve Rackshaw (Headmaster), Mr Adrian Harland (Chairman of Governors),
Mrs Chris Morris (Former Chairman), Mr Paul Bedford and Mr Brian Kennedy (PC nominated Governor). Those present supported the proposal by acclaim.

Financial The Parish Council contributed £5,000 towards the Sports Hall. This accounted for the majority of the increase in the Precept for 2003 from £8000 to £11000, together with the changeover of Clerk and election costs. It was unfortunate that the village precept increase coincided with a Council Tax increase of 18.6% although the precept represents only 2.7% of that.

Queens Golden Jubilee Celebrations The PC contributed some funds and organisational help.
* Mill site. Three ladies of Sidlesham, Mrs Cynthia Richards, Mrs Hannah Wright and Dame Jennifer Wilson-Barnet officially declared the very attractive seat overlooking the harbour in use.
* Mason’s Field. Fun and games village style added a different type of celebration.
Both of these events were recorded as photographs by Mrs Moira Grice and will be kept with other similar records.

Village Design Statement. This was initiated at last years Parish Meeting with a talk and video from the Sussex Rural Communities Council, the PC then organised a follow up meeting, which was poorly attended, but an interim committee was formed with Diana Pound as chairman. The committee considered the project and held an inaugural meeting, this meeting was well attended and the project was launched. (See Mrs Diana Pound’s report below)

Vibrant Villages. During the year there was a national and parliamentary furore after the Department of Food and Rural Affairs published a Rural White Paper based on an Environmental Agency classification of rural parishes as vibrant, active, barely active, sleeping.
These results were based on a questionnaire, received from Parish Clerks and other responders, using the criteria of: – is there a village hall? Pub? any local traditions?, contested PC elections? Etc. Sleeping villages were where no reply was received.
Sidlesham was, of course, ‘vibrant’.

Other matters the PC engaged in;-

Footpaths (these are identified by numbers)
FP102 along the northern edge of the harbour. This was breached by the sea in October 2001 and closed in January 2002 for urgent work. It is still closed and likely to remain so until the disagreement is resolved between West Sussex County Council (who wish to repair the FP) and the Environmental Agency who wish to implement managed retreat. Possibly there will have to be at a Public Inquiry.
FP61 (Watery Lane) application to change the character of this path by surfacing with crushed concrete was objected to by the PC and refused by the CDC.
FP101 unsuitable gates, the new owner replaced them with rural barred gates.

Playground /Football Club
There have been reports by of hooliganism and antisocial joy riding of cars at the ground by non-Sidlesham youths. Discussion with the Police in the mobile station produced the suggestion of a gate. This continuing challenge may need some form of barrier and CCTV etc.

School House at Sidlesham School.
This has become an empty, boarded up, eyesore. The PC is pressing the WSCC for resolution to make the house suitable for reoccupation or to demolish it and use the area for school improvement.

Lockgate Road junction.
With the central island this is now too tight for the very large lorries coming into Sidlesham. A neighbouring garden wall and the central lighting has been repeatedly damaged. The PC has an ongoing dialogue with the Highway Authority but has made little progress so far.

Speed Limits have been established throughout the village. (Topic for the open forum later in the meeting).

Consultation process
In the past year the PC was consulted on or invited to participate in the following.

West Sussex Structure Plan (2001-2016) WSCC
South Downs National Park Designation Order EA
Manhood Parishes Community Forum CDC
County Electoral Boundaries Review Boundary Commission
Electronic Government Project CDC
Area 461, Median Deep Application DTLR
Strategy for Gypsies & Travellers in West Sussex WSCC
Chichester Police Community Forum (disbanded October 2002 without consultation)
Freedom of Information Act 2000 Publication Schemes
Draft Social Inclusion Strategy CDC
Manhood Cycle Network
West Sussex Cultural Strategy Consultation Draft WSCC
Chichester Parishes South Community Forum CDC
Proposed Alterations to Regional Planning Guidance SEERA (non elected body)
South East – Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy
- Tourism & Related Sport & Recreation

3. Sidlesham School Sports Hall report By Mr Brian Kennedy
Five years ago six people attended an inaugural meeting to consider what to do. Funding was the main concern with Lottery money the main target. At the school there was the land already and the school was in great need of facilities. On the proposed land was the old disused outside toilets, some store sheds and a dining hut long past its best.
Arguments for the sports hall were that it could be used during the school days by the children and then let for evenings, weekends and holidays to generate income.
The Government set up a New Opportunity Fund with particular emphasis for rural areas, therefore there should be a link between schools and parishes.
Over the next months / years paper was generated on the hall scheme. The NOF looked at proposals using its criteria and become interested in 30 top projects, Sidlesham was one of these. A local Emsworth Company produced plans. Other criteria were added as the WSCC had to be satisfied as the project also included an office for the school. This great need was satisfied and further money obtained from the County. The lottery fund also stipulated badminton capability, hence the height of the hall. The exciting stage of tender requests resulted in the first five being much too expensive, therefore out to more companies and finally one agreed to at £364,000 (a Hull company). They stated groundwork just before Christmas 2002, footings were in January 2003 and by mid June 2003 all is expected to be completed. The hall structure has very good insulation, has minimum maintenance requirements. There are changing rooms, full disability facilities and in addition has a community room.
The hall will be administered through the school office for bookings probably on a key holder basis.
Mr Kennedy’s presentation generated excitement for the new hall and after he concluded he was thanked warmly by the all present.

4 Village Design Statement
Mrs Pound gave an update of the project. The proposed document has been described as three divisions; the village as it was, as it is and as we want it to be. The second meeting previously referred to in the Chairman’s address established the topics of the project and formed teams each with a leader for the topics.
The Village Design Statement will cover roads, schools, footpaths, cycle ways, children’s’ needs etc. Also housing, not just planning, with a purpose to alert the District Council and be lodged with them as a supplemental planning guide. A draft document from the teams is planned by the end of May 2003.
A questionnaire proposed for the village was abandoned, as a trial of a small area produced a very poor response.
The project has consulted an architect at no cost who has agreed to look at the first draft.
Further inputs are wanted for example from the school as an area of future importance.
The design statement has established a web site www.sidlesham.org .uk.
The overall plan is to have the Design statement finished by the end of 2003.

5. Open forum
Items for discussion were invited from all present.

5.1 Main drainage. “Is there any proposal from the authorities to put in main drainage to residences currently without this amenity ?”
There was no information on this topic and the Clerk agreed to write to Southern Water to ask.

5.2 Grass cutting. “Who is responsible as many areas of the village have not been cut for some time?”
It was explained that most was the responsibility of West Sussex County Council, Chichester District Council did some and a few small areas were organised by the Parish Council. All the cutting was carried out by contractors and most were currently running late.
A major area of concern was the verge along the B2145 from the end of Mill Lane to Bird Pond. This grass verge was used by pedestrians as a footway but was so overgrown many walked in the roadway, a very dangerous place. This verge has the appearance of being outside the village and is only cut by WSCC infrequently. The Clerk agreed to take this up with WSCC.

5.3 Village precept (£11,000). “Should this be increased further to enable the Parish Council to carry out more works for the benefit of the village?”
A general discussion ensued with several points made. At 2.9% of Council Tax the Precept represented a very small tax, of the 67 parishes in the CDC area seven had no precept, 25 were lower than Sidlesham and 35 were greater. The precept is the only tax guaranteed to be spent on the village. Footpaths could be cleared more than once per year.
A vote produced 50% in favour 50% against.

5.4 Village gates. As Sidlesham is a very spread out village it was suggested that roadside structures to represent gates on entry to the village (similar to Chiddingfold) would impart a look and feeling of a cared for, tidy finite community. The meeting consensus was that it was a good idea to be left with the Parish Council to examine.

5.5 Football field / recreation area. “There is a problem of young drivers entering this parish owned area causing problems of noise and hooligans. What is the Parish Council doing about it?”
It was explained that contact had already been made with the Police who advised gating the entrance. This was not thought to be an ideal solution therefore the PC would make further contact with the Police to seek a solution.
The PC was criticised for not informing the village what it was doing. It was suggested that more information could be put in the Church magazine, or a PC newsletter could be produced.

5.6 New speed limits over the Manhood peninsular. These have now been in place for several months. The question was put to the meeting asking for opinions. Several people thought there was some beneficial effects and that the trial was worthwhile. The varying limits for different areas was thought to be detrimental to the scheme, that uniform speed would be easier to observe. It was suggested that one way of enforcing the limits would be that all villagers observe them, ensuring that all behind had to.

5.7 Broadband. A plea was made that all parishioners wanting this internet service should sign on with the providers. A difficulty was voiced that only where 350 users were signed on within a 5km radius of a telephone exchange would British Telecommunications consider installing the service. With only 400+ households in the whole of Sidlesham it indicated a poor chance at present.

The meeting closed at 9:15p.m.

Sidlesham Parish Council Parish Meeting 28 May 2003

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