Chidham and Hambrook Village - everyday

4/08

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CHICHESTER: ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S TOP-PERFORMING DISTRICT COUNCILS

COMPOST AWARENESS IN CHICHESTER DISTRICT

Recycle Now and Chichester District Council are working together for the 10 th consecutive year to promote the benefits of home composting.

The scheme, launched across West Sussex in 1999, offers tips, advice and cheaper compost bins. It has proved a huge success, with more than 6,000 compost bins sold across Chichester District alone in the past three years.

To celebrate Compost Awareness Week (May 4 th to 10 th ), Recycle Now is offering the chance to win £50 of garden centre vouchers to any resident who places an order for a compost bin during the Week. Chichester District residents can buy small compost bins (220 litres) at the subsidised rate of  £10 and larger bins (330 litres) for £13. The bins are available from www.recyclenow.com/compost or ring 0845 077 0757 for more details.

Further information will be available from The Big Magic Recycling Bus at Sainsbury's Chichester on May 8 th from 10am to 4.30pm. Peter Hill from WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme), in conjunction with CAW (Compost Awareness Week),  will also have a stand at the Farmers' Market in Chichester on Friday (May 2nd).

Home Composting is still one of the best ways to help the environment on a daily basis, and is a routine that can be quickly incorporated into your regular kitchen and garden habits. For instance, it's not just grass cuttings that can go into your compost bin: you can also add scrunched up cardboard, teabags, vegetable peeling and coffee granules – even shredded confidential documents.

Bishop's Palace Gardens in Chichester will soon be bursting with colour, when a new Alpine garden is planted on Tuesday 29 April. 

The alpine area has been designed by the West Sussex Group of the Alpine Garden Society, and will be located at the Avenue De Chartres entrance of the gardens.  Helping with the planting will be the Friends of Bishop's Palace Garden, staff from Chichester District Council's Parks team, and Council Chairman John Ridd.

The new planting will feature dwarf species of rhododendrons, conifers, tulips and daffodils, as well as heathers, campanula, pinks, thyme, and other flowering alpine plants, with a number of the plants being donated to the project by the Alpine Garden Society.

In recent weeks the Friends of Bishop's Palace Garden have also designed and planted the border adjacent to the new Alpine Garden.  It now boasts a wide range of flowering and foliage plants including acers, scented roses, hydrangeas, daphnes, forsythia, lavender, viburnums and many more.   

The new features in the garden should also impress the South East in Bloom judges, when they visit Chichester on Monday 7 and Tuesday 8 July, to judge the City's entry in the competition.

Chairman of the Council John Ridd, said,
‘I am delighted that the community has become so involved in improving one of our most beautiful gardens. The Friends of Bishop's Palace have helped the Council improve the gardens for all to enjoy, and they have many more plans for the coming months. They have also started to hold monthly ‘work days' to assist us with the ongoing task of keeping the gardens is such fine condition, and now the expertise of the West Sussex Group of the Alpine Garden Society has helped us to create this wonderful new feature.'    

Managed by Chichester District Council, the garden is located in the heart of Chichester, in Canon Lane off South Street with good views of the nearby cathedral.  It is a formal garden with meandering paths and planted with mature specimen trees. The garden also includes an ornamental fish pond, herbaceous borders, annual bedding, shrub beds, a rockery and rose borders. The Garden has several areas of open grass and plenty of seats for relaxation.

If you are interested in joining the Friends of Bishop's Palace Garden, or would like to join in the monthly work days in the garden, please contact Mick Gore, Parks and Green Space Officer at Chichester District Council, on 01243 534823 or email mgore@chichester.gov.uk . 

Celebrate museums and galleries month in the chichester district

May is the 11 th annual Museums and Galleries Month, and Chichester District Museum is holding some special events on Saturday 3 May to celebrate.  It is a chance for people to get to know their local museum collections, and this year the theme is ‘Ideas and Innovation'.

The first family friendly event invites adults and children of all ages to visit The Collections Discovery Centre at Fishbourne Roman Palace from 11am – 1pm and 2 - 4pm, to find out how what we eat and how we cook has changed over the ages.

Learn what prehistoric settlers used to eat, and why this changed with the appearance of the Romans, Tudors and the Victorians, and how travel and trade introduced new and exotic foods that are still part of our diet today.  You can also have a go with a Victorian gadget for peeling and slicing apples, and try some ‘white leach' – a Tudor favourite of sweetened jellied milk.  Finish your experience with a visit to a Roman kitchen, where you can pick up some recipe ideas and recreate a taste of history yourself.

Admission to the event is included in the normal entry price to Fishbourne Roman Palace.  Adult tickets cost £7; £3.70 for a child and £17.90 for family admission (2 adults and 2 children), and is open from 10am – 5pm.  For more information call 01243 785859. 

Alternatively, search the beach at Bracklesham Bay for fossils with local geologist David Bone in the ‘Family Fossil Hunt', from 2.30pm.  Bracklesham is well known for its extensive fossil shell beds and large numbers of shark's teeth, some of which are up to 45 million years old. 

It is only in the last 200 years that the idea of geological time and fossilisation has become familiar, before that fossils were regarded as curious natural objects.  They provide evidence that a very different environment used to exist on our coastline, with some weird and wonderful creatures being resident in the area.  Scour the beach and compare your fossils to the museum collection by visiting on another day,  to identify your finds.

The event is open to all ages, although all children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.  Tickets cost £3 for adults, £1.50 for children and must be booked in advance as places are limited.  Tickets are available from the Museum, which is open from Tuesday to Saturday, 10 am to 5.30 pm, at 29, Little London, Chichester, just off East Street, and admission is free.  Alternatively, telephone 01243 784683 or email districtmuseum@chichester.gov.uk .

LOCAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK BACKGROUND STUDY GETS UNDERWAY

Chichester District Council is carrying out a detailed study of possible housing sites that have the potential to accommodate five or more homes.

The study, known as the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment, is being done as part of the background work to produce the Local Development Framework, which will set out a framework for planning for housing and other development across the District to 2026.

An essential aspect of this study, which is in an early stage, is ensuring the Council has details of all possible opportunities for housing development across the District, from local landowners , developers, agents, Parish Councils and any other interested parties .

Anyone who knows of or has an interest in a potential housing site within Chichester District, that would like it to be considered in this a ssessment, needs to complete and return a site assessment form, available from the District Council's website www.chichester.gov.uk , by May 9.

Councillor Janet Duncton, Portfolio Holder for Planning at Chichester District Council, said: “ It should be emphasised that this assessment will be a technical study and not a policy document, so we really are at an early stage in the process. Decisions on which sites should be brought forward for development will be made through the Local Development Framework process , and this study is only one input .

“ In addition, t he consideration of sites in the study will not affect the need to apply for planning permission. There is a long way to go before any final decisions are made, so people should not be concerned. We simply want to make sure we consider all possible sites to best plan for the housing need in the South East in the coming years.”

The information provided will be used by the Council to inform the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment and the Chichester District Local Development Framework. By responding, people are accepting that their response and the information within it will be made publicly available. However, any published information will not contain personal details of individuals.

CONCESSIONARY BUS FARES UPDATE

From 1 April the new National Concessionary Fares Scheme will come into force, offering free bus travel across England to residents over 60, and those eligible for a bus pass as a result of disability.

Chichester District Council has been working hard to prepare nearly 18,000 new bus passes, needed by residents in time for the start of the new scheme. Unfortunately, the Council has just been told that there may be a slight delay issuing some of the new passes, due to a problem experienced by an external contractor, and in a small number of cases residents may not receive their new national scheme pass before 1 April.   

The bulk of the passes will be issued and posted by the 31 March, and be received shortly thereafter. To minimise disruption and ensure that residents do not suffer a loss of service, an agreement is in place with local bus operators that all existing bus passes with an expiry date of 31 March or later will still be valid for journeys within East and West Sussex, until the end of April.

For more information about the new bus pass regulations, contact Chichester District Council on 01243 785166.

CHANGES TO CONCESSIONARY BUS FARES FOR CHICHESTER DISTRICT RESIDENTS

From 1 April 2008, there will be major changes to the bus pass regulations nationally, which will change the way Chichester District Council provides bus passes for elderly and disabled residents. 

The government has introduced a new national concessionary fares scheme, which will entitle anyone with a valid bus pass to free off-peak bus travel on any registered bus route in England, from 1 April 2008.  The current CountyCard scheme only offers free travel on journeys that begin or end in East or West Sussex.

In the past, local authorities were allowed to choose their own design for the bus pass, but the new government scheme introduces a standard layout and wording that all local authorities must use. This will enable pass holders to claim free bus travel throughout England and will also help bus drivers anywhere in the country to identify valid passes. 

Bus passes are currently issued when a resident reaches the age of 60 or to disabled residents on request, at any time throughout the year.  To comply with the new rules, all existing pass holders will receive a new bus pass, with effect from 1 April 2008, regardless of when their current pass expires. 

Those people who turn 60 between now and the end of March, or those who have to renew their current bus pass before the end of March, will be issued with a short-term pass that will only be valid until 31 March 2008.  They will then receive a new-style pass, which they must use from 1 April 2008.

The new bus passes can be used from 1 April 2008, and will allow travel on any registered local bus route between 09.30 and 23.00 Monday to Fridays, and all day on weekends and Bank Holidays. 

The current CountyCard bus pass system will remain in place until 31 March 2008, so existing pass holders should continue using their current bus pass, to ensure that they will experience no loss of service

Cllr Melva Bateman, Portfolio Holder for Housing at Chichester District Council, said,

‘On this occasion, we may find we have to issue some bus passes that are valid for less than a month, but this is the only way we can comply with the new legislation and ensure our residents do not suffer a loss of their free bus service.

‘We appreciate that some residents may find it confusing to receive a new style bus pass when their current one is still in date.  The important thing to remember is that you should not try to use your new pass before 1 April, as bus drivers will reject them and you may be charged the full fare.'

For more information about the new concessionary fares scheme, please contact the Concessionary Fares Team at Chichester District Council on 01243 534734.

CHICHESTER: ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S TOP-PERFORMING DISTRICT COUNCILS

Chichester District Council has secured top ratings from the Audit Commission for its care of taxpayers' money and resources.

The Commission assessed the Council on its financial reporting; financial management; financial standing; internal control; and value for money. Out of 388 councils in total, Chichester was one of just five to score the maximum of 4 for each of the past three years.

In the District Council category, comprising 238 authorities, Chichester was in the top 13 for achieving the highest rating for use of resources in 2007.

Councillor John Cherry, Portfolio Holder for Resources at Chichester District Council, said, “The Audit Commission is not only looking at how we take care of the pennies and pounds but also assessing how we use all of our resources, our buildings and our assets. It is a tremendous achievement to sustain the Commission's highest rating for 3 years running, but we are not complacent; we are constantly identifying the efficiencies required to meet the needs of our community.

“The settlement from the Government has been extremely low this year, so it is a continuing challenge to deliver those efficiencies.  The Commission is constantly raising the bar in that its assessments are always getting tougher. We are  proud of what has been achieved so far, and will work hard to maintain our rating as one of the top-performing district councils in the country.”

MAKING YOUR MARK IN CYCLE SAFETY

Help to safeguard your bicycle by freewheeling in to Chichester for cycle marking sessions. Chichester District Council has set up the events, to permanently mark the bikes and register them on a security database, as a fightback against an increase in cycle thefts over the past two years.

Security conscious pedal-pushers should go to the Market Cross on January 30 or February 1 between 12noon and 2pm to have a unique registration number stencilled onto their cycle frame, and join a national online register of cycle owners. The first 100 cycles on each day are to be marked and registered for free, subsequently a charge of £3 per bike will be made.

In the past 12 months, there have been 260 cycle thefts in the Chichester district, up from 206 in 2006. An average of 20 bikes a month are taken. As a result, Chichester District Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership bought 1,000 cycle marking kits to highlight security issues, act as a deterrent to thieves, and promote cycle safety.

Councillor Derek James, Portfolio Holder for Community Safety at Chichester District Council, said, "Those people who are choosing to use their cycles remain concerned about the growing possibility of theft. This marking, and registration, system offers them the chance to increase security for what can be very expensive pieces of equipment. I see this as an innovative response to a very serious issue, and an opportunity to take positive action.”

All types of bicycle will be welcome at the sessions, including any highly-prized Christmas gifts, trikes, unicycles, tandems, and vintage two-wheelers. Follow-up events are planned at Chichester University and Chichester College, with future sessions across the district.