Chidham Parish Council Newsletter archive

SPRING EDITION 2007

  LOCAL ELECTIONS - 3rd May 2007

  You may be aware that elections for the District and Parish Councils are due to take place on Thursday 3 rd May 2007 . It is important to note that your Parish Council helps decide and implement matters affecting our local community, using monies drawn from the Parish.

The existing members of the Parish Council would welcome some new faces onto the Parish Council. Over the last two years the Parish Council has operated without its full complement of Councillors. It is vital for the community that the vibrancy of the Parish Council is assured for the future; by filling all the Councillor positions. Indeed the external pressures on local Parish Councils to maintain their full numbers is being felt, with indications that if Parishes do not retain their full membership of Parish Councillors that they may be forced to combine with a neighbouring Parish, potentially weakening the influence we have. So the message is clear, if you want to become a Parish Councillor and help direct and support your community make yourself known to either of the existing Parish Councillors or to the Parish Clerk, Barry Mann. Formal nomination papers will be available from Mike Penny at Mapleleaf, Broad Road , telephone 573603 in March prior to the election on 3 rd May 2007 .

  Notwithstanding the immediacy of the Parish Council elections, the existing Parish Councillors would like to announce and welcome our new Parish Councillor, Mrs Linda Wilkinson who has been co-opted to the Council. Linda lives in Chidham Lane and is Membership Secretary for the Chichester Canal Trust. Her most recent work has been involved with the production and implementation of the Chidham Parish Plan.

CHIDHAM PARISH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The AGM will be held on Thursday 26 th April, at the Village Hall, Main Road , Chidham, commencing at 7.30pm . All are welcome to attend; refreshments will be served prior to the meeting, and notices of speakers will be published nearer the time.

CHIDHAM AND HAMBROOK WEB SITE ASSOCIATION AGM

The AGM for this Chidham Parish Plan initiative now formerly embodied in the Association is on Wednesday March 7 th , at 8pm , venue: the Barleycorn PH function room.

The Secretary invites nominations for the committee elections. Please E-Mail via the web site, or just go along on the night for an informal review of the past years happenings and a look ahead at this year's plans.

The Parish Council pages are amongst the most popular on the site and we would love to hear your views on how it may be improved. www.chidhamandhambrook.info .

CHIDHAM PARISH PRECEPT FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 2007/2008

Each year the Parish Council votes on what funds it requires to finance initiatives within our community. This year your Parish Council voted for the Precept to be increased substantially from previous years, the reason for this was the need to finance a feasibility study for a New Village Centre for the Community. A proposal such as this does not come without the need for finance, not least with the need to cover early Legal fees surrounding such a venture. This Village Centre initiative is driven from the comments that were received during the Parish Plan process. Please see the article on the New Village Centre produced by the Chairman of the Village Centre Working Group,Cliff Archer outlining the progress to date on the New Village Centre and the reasoning for the £10,000 allocated to support this initiative by the Parish Council for the forthcoming financial year. Your comments can also be aired at the forthcoming Parish Council AGM .

CHIDHAM AND HAMBROOK DITCH INITIATIVE 2007 - AN UPDATE FROM ROBIN YELD

In 1995 a local farmer commented to me that now that the Parish had made such an effort with the enlargement of the catchpond, the repairs to pipes and culverts and the combined funding of the digging of miles of ditches, that we wouldn't get any rain! Well apart from one spike in 2000 I think, he has been right. That was over 10 years ago and little has been done to some of the main ditches in the Southern half of the Parish, except grass trimming. We are being told regularly that now our climate is changing, we must expect more frequent instances of extreme weather. With this in mind the Environment Group of the Parish Council has been looking at the main ditches over the last few months and if we are to stay in a state of readiness then some of these will need digging out again this year. As before we will talk to landowners as early as we can and discuss what needs doing. If necessary we may be able to offer some help to landowners to complete the works with the Parish Council identifying this need within the newly set Financial Precept.

The need for self help within the community to keep our ditches running well is essential. Often the main problem is vegetation growing over the entrance/exit to a culvert or litter left in ditches. If you own a ditch or are walking by one, please take time to help clear the ditch if possible or at the very least report the problem to a member of the Parish Council. By all working together we can continue to keep the Parish clean and drained.

THE LITTER PICK IN OCTOBER 2006

  The litter pick in October went very well with a decrease in litter collected compared with the Spring 06 pick. This may indicate that people are dropping less litter, but it is more likely that our regular pickers are having a significant effect due to their admirable efforts throughout this year. If you would like to assist we still have the following stretches not regularly covered.

•  Cot Lane from the Old House at Home to the Cobnor Lane .

•  Drift Lane

•  The Avenue

We can supply litter picking equipment and advice.

Please contact Michael Gladwin on 573915 or michaelwheatfields@hotmail.com

BIRD BOXES – A Report from Mike Galdw in

The Environment Group of the Parish Council has identified as a worthwhile project the siting of bird boxes around the Parish. Barn Owls have been seen in the parish again. Some of you may recall that up to about 12 years ago they were fairly common.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds was contacted to advise where best to site boxes to suit the birds in the parish. Two members of the local Chichester group visited us on Monday 15 th January, and suggested the following to enhance our community:

•  To attract barn owls we need to site a couple of boxes to help young owls, ejected from their nest to re-establish. This would act as a stepping zone between the two existing groups extending their range from Thorney to Chichester .

•  Site Kestrel and Little Owl boxes at various sites

•  Site House Martin and Swallow boxes where suitable

•  Site Robin, Dunnock and Tit boxes at various sites

•  Site House Sparrow boxes

We have a wide variety of birds in Chidham and Hambrook. The adoption of a proactive policy should maintain a healthy population of birds for future generations. The Environment Group will be asking the Parish Council for funds to purchase/produce these boxes but other fundraising or sponsorship ideas would be most welcome.

Chidham Parish Council Newsletter – Autumn 2006

Chidham Parish Council meets regularly each first Thursday of the month at Chidham Village Hall, all parishioners are most welcome to attend.

To facilitate the communication of Parish Council matters, there are the notice boards throughout the parish, the parish website, the monthly meetings and of course this regular newsletter.

What is key is that we as your local council representatives, have your feedback on issues that affect you, please feel free to contact any Parish Councillor if you want to discuss anything or make us aware of a matter that affects you.

Keep Chidham and Hambrook Tidy

It is that time of year again when we are going to give the parish its Autumn clean. If you can spare a couple of hours on November 4 th , please be at the Village Hall car park at 13.00 hrs . You can then combine a healthy walk with some litter picking and help tidy up our parish.

Alternatively if this date is not convenient, please ensure you keep our parish tidy by for example looking after the area immediately around where you live. If there is some rubbish, perhaps you can just pick it up and dispose of it properly. If everyone does this on a regular basis the problem of unsightly rubbish will be vastly reduced.

For further information about the Chidham and Hambrook Tidy day , or anything associated with this subject please contact Michael Gladwin on 573915 or at Michaelwheatfields@hotmail.com.

Sustainability Of Our Environment

The issue of sustainability is a major topic at the moment and requires a brief understanding of what it all means to us in Chidham.
Sustainability is a way in which we as a community (both collectively and individually) carry out our ‘day to day lives' so that we do not have a detrimental or exhaustive effect on the environment. What does this mean practically for us all? For example saying ‘no' to overly packaged items from supermarkets; reducing our consumption of oil so that the trend for the ever increasing usage of this ‘rare' fuel is reduced ; shopping locally to help lower ‘food air miles', are just some examples.

The issues here are immense but the message is simple; namely how best can we address our lives so that collectively we make a difference.

Chidham has a small and newly formed Sustainabiity group. At present we are trying to see what range of skills, experiences and expertise we have within the community. We intend to move on to helping individuals and organisations within the community to bring the whole subject more to the fore in everything that they undertake. By way of example this could be sharing knowledge of saving on heating bills through more efficient equipment; or using ground source technology to extract heat from the ground. It could be on sewage recycling; on harvesting one's own water; growing more of your own food; shopping locally; cycling advice and ideas; or just using less packaging and disposable items.

The issue here is the exchange of ideas and information. If you would like to get involved with this please access the website www.chidhamandhambrook.info for more information about the group or contact Diana Beale (01243 572321) or Robin Yeld (01243 573836).

Hambrook Sewer Plan Works

A new sewer pipe is being planned for Hambrook , the route of which will run along Hambrook Hill South, Priors Leaze Lane (between Hambrook Hill South and Broad Road), Scant Road West, Broad Road (from its junction with Priors Leaze Lane southwards to opposite Cox's Farm) then into fields to the west of Broad Road, behind Midway Cottages and Marshalls , under the railway line and across the fields to the A259. A copy of the route will be placed on the Parish noticeboards for people wishing to know more.

Vacancies for Parish Councillors

Please contact any parish councillor should you wish to be considered for the vacant position on the Parish Council .

Parish Directory

Enclosed with this Newsletter is an updated Parish Directory.

NEW VILLAGE CENTRE FOR CHIDHAM AND HAMBROOK

T he Village Centre Working Group set up by the Parish Council has now had seven meetings, including a visit to Oving Village Hall. The task set by the Parish Plan now includes not only a hall, but a recreation ground either separate or alongside the hall. If it proves to be not possible to provide a recreation ground, then the Group will strive to incorporate a small, fenced 'kick-about' area as part of a Village Centre.

The work of the Group continues along the lines described in the last edition of this Newsletter. Progress towards our new Village Centre will be discussed at the Parish Plan Review Meeting on Monday 16 October (see box for details). All are welcome to attend and take part.

PARISH PLAN - PROGRESS REVIEW

COULD YOU BECOME A FINCH ?

FINCH is short for Friends in Nutboume, Chidham and Hambrook. It is the working name for a group of volunteers who will offer support and/or transport for people with mobility problems. There are a significant number of people in the parish who have a health problem or disability that restricts their lifestyle. A good number of volunteers have offered to help people who are experiencing such limitations, but more are needed.

Chidham and Hambrook Housing Needs Survey

The Parish Council would like to thank those who took part in the June 2006 survey of housing needs in the parish. The main objective of the survey was to determine the extent for the need for affordable homes for local people; the aim being that such homes would be affordable in perpetuity. However, much useful information about other aspects of housing needs was gained.

Here is a summary of the results of the analysis of the returned questionnaires, undertaken by District Council experts.

When the number of households on the District Council Housing Register with a local connection to Chidham and Hambrook is added to the additional need identified in the survey, the total number of affordable housing units required within the parish is 25. Now that a significant need has been demonstrated, the difficult task of finding an appropriate site for a small development of affordable housing will be pursued. We will do our best in this, but there is no guarantee that we will be successful.

The full report (PDF file) and survey details by the District Council on the results of the survey can be seen on the website :

More information will also be available at the Parish Plan Review Meeting, when we shall discuss what to do next. Please come and join us.

Editor Sandra James, Contributions from Cllrs Cliff Archer, Robin Yeld , Michael Gladwin and Steve Clark

Chidham Parish Council Newsletter - Summer 2006

 Parish Plan Update

 In this edition of the Parish Council Newsletter, you will find a Summary of Action Points generated from the findings of the Parish Plan that was formulated in 2005. You may recall that the Parish Plan summarised 30 Action Points covering areas ranging from Affordable Housing to a Parish Website. At the end of this newsletter each of these Action Points is identified; by category, and a brief synopsis of progress is described for each of the Action Points. In addition to this summary, more detailed information is given for the following Action Points:

 There is also a reference to Action Point 12 – Recreation Ground

 It is vital that the success in developing and delivering the objectives of these Action Points is matched with the resources we can draw from parishioners. Please have another look at your copy of the Parish Plan, or the enclosed Summary Sheet to see whether there are any Action Points you would be interested in helping with. If you are interested please contact a Parish Councillor, details can be found on the three Parish Notice boards or on the Parish website, www.chidhamandhambrook.info.

  Action Point 2 – Affordable Housing

 The Parish Plan has two Action Points on Affordable Homes. Action Point 2 asked for an investigation into the extent for the need for affordable homes for local people; the aim being that such homes would be affordable in perpetuity, The District Council experts now need details of what is needed in Chidham and Hambrook. They also need to know the extent of the support in the parish for a small development of affordable housing.

 You should receive in the next few days a Parish Housing Needs Questionnaire.

PLEASE COMPLETE AND RETURN THE QUESTIONNAIRE.

If a questionnaire does not reach your household, please contact any Parish Councillor or the Parish Clerk – contact details on the three Parish Notice boards or on the Parish Website. www.chidhamandhambrook.info

  Action Point 14 – New Village Centre for Chidham and Hambrook

A feasibility study into the provision of a new Village Centre is underway. The eight strong Village Centre Working Group set up by the Parish Council has had four meetings and the magnitude of the task is now fully appreciated! Moreover the task of providing a Village Centre has now been extended to include a recreation ground either separate or alongside the Centre (Parish Plan Action Point 12).

Having a clear objective for the purpose for a new Village Centre and Recreation Ground coupled with land availability/suitability, finance and local authority planning requirements are the current four major factors. The Group has consulted several landowners within the Parish and are heartened by some progress in this area.

It has been suggested that the sale of the existing Village Hall for residential purposes would give a useful cash injection into the Village Centre project.

The Working Group is consulting with the Local Authority for an appropriate site that satisfies the Local Plan requirements, including the requirements for adequate access and car parking.

There are varying ideas as to what facilities there should be in the ‘ideal’ Village Centre. The Group will in time be consulting with everybody in Chidham and Hambrook to verify the Community needs and indeed whether there is sufficient support for the scheme to go ahead.

  Action Point 24 – Voluntary Group Mobility

 This somewhat awkward title is the working name for a group of volunteers in Chidham and Hambrook who will offer support and/or transport for people with mobility problems. The Parish Plan consultation indicated that there are a significant number of people in the parish who have a health problem or disability that restricts their lifestyle. A good number of volunteers have offered to help people who are experiencing such difficulties.
The Voluntary Group will operate as a community group, being set up with the help of Chichester and District Council for Voluntary Service (CVS). The Group co-ordinator is Caroline Davis, who can be contacted on 573902. If you are interested in the Group and would like to know more, Caroline would be only too pleased to talk to you, about what is involved in being a helper. Once the Group has been set up, the next task will to identify the people in the parish who would welcome help. We will advise on progress.
 
Action Point 22 – Litter clearance within the Parish

 Have you noticed that the level of rubbish on the roads and lanes within the Parish has started to decrease?

 Back on April 23^rd, a group of people concerned for the environment, met to undertake a litter pick within the village. An hour or so later 20 bags of rubbish had been collected! Since then some residents have volunteered to be responsible for a patch, ie an area in which they will periodically pick litter, However there is a need for more volunteers to assist. Areas such as Chidham Lane, Drift Lane, Scant Road, Flatt Road, Priors Leaze Lane and The Avenue are at present without volunteers.

 If you wish to play a part in tackling this problem of litter, or you are willing to take on a less populated area such as a footpath or lane, please contact Michael Gladwin on 573915 or by E-Mail to michaelwheatfields@hotmail.com.

 Collectively we can make a difference and ensure Chidham and Hambrook remains  litter free.

 Action Point 29 – Parish Directory

  Parish Councillor Vacancies

 Chidham Parish Council currently has vacancies for two Parish Councillors, please contact the Parish Clerk if you are interested in these positions.

Planning Applications within Chidham Parish 

Your Parish Council looks at all parish planning applications made to the District Council and if appropriate makes a representation to the Council. This process involves liaising with affected neighbours of any proposed planning application., to gain their views. It is essential that parishioners also write into the Council to make their views known especially if they consider the application to be detrimental to them. The need to clarify the role of your Parish Council is raised here, given that recently a planning application which your Parish Council objected to, was subsequently granted permission by the District Council.

 Parish Council Newsletter

This Parish Newsletter is written with the principle aim to convey information, it is produced with the objective of keeping the format simple and cost effective, and is distributed by your Parish Councillors.

Editor of Newletter: Cllr Sandra James. Articles provided by Cllrs Cliff Archer, Michael Gladwin and Sandra James

Chidham Parish Council Newsletter - Spring 2006

Forthcoming Parish Council Meeting Dates

Parish Council meetings are normally held on the first Thursday of each month, ie 2nd March 2006, 6th April 2006 and so on. Dates are published on the village notice boards and on the web site.

On Thursday 4th May 2006 the Parish Council Chairman and Vice Chairman will be elected, together with the formation of the Parish Council Working Groups which undertake specific Parish Council work.

On the 27th April 2006, the Chairman will give a Annual Review of the Parish Council activities over the past year, supplemented by reports from each of the Working Groups. Parishioners will have an opportunity to question the invited Speakers and Councillors and raise any items of concern at this Annual Parish Council meeting.

There remains a vacancy for a Parish Councillor on Chidham Parish Council, anyone who may feel they can offer their time should make contact with the Clerk to the Council, Mr Barry Mann (01243 375865) or alternatively contact one of the Parish Councillors.

Parish Council Precept for The Financial Year 2006/07

The precept for Chidham Parish Council is the budgeted amount that the Council believes it will need in order to provide services/provisions to our Parish for the forthcoming financial year.

The Parish Plan findings have demonstrated the expectations that parishioners want to see both now and into the future. This precept or budget for the forthcoming year has been set for £13,000.

An increased amount to the current year reflecting these community expectations.

A key consideration when deciding this budget increase was the intention of the Parish Council to embark earnestly on a New Village Hall strategy. To this end the Council has set aside £1,000 for a feasibility study into the provision of a new Village Centre.

Further funding has been designated for land drainage, with work outlooked to improve the ditch from the Dell out to the Harbour.

Continuing financial support will also be given to the Village Web Site and the Parish Directory.

Parish Plan - 1st Review Meeting held in January 2006

In January 2006, the Parish Council met with the Parish Steering Group and Supporter's Group to discuss progress made with implementing the Parish Plan. On a cold winter's evening, 28 people met in the warm Village Hall to learn about the work done so far on the Plan's 30 Action Points and decide priorities for the future.

Mike Penny, Parish Council Chairman, explained that the Council wholeheartedly endorsed the Parish Plan and needed the support of residents to implement it effectively. He explained that the Council had set up an Implementation Working Group to assist with the process and introduced its three members Councillors Cliff Archer, Steve Clark and Debbie Hoskins.

The Working Group distributed an Action Point Progress Summary Sheet and gave a brief description of what had been achieved for each Action Point. The importance of improving communication within the Parish is highlighted in the Parish Plan, as such two particular Parish Council ventures were given special attention at the meeting, these are the Parish Website and the Parish Directory.

Parish Website - Stephen Johnson gave an informative presentation on the Parish Website, www.chidhamandhambrook.info and emphasised its goal of becoming a 'one-stop' site where almost all the local information needed by residents would be available at the click of a mouse.

Parish Directory - This is delivered to all households in the Parish.

Andy Collins, Residents Association Chairman described the work being done on the new Children's Play area in Broad Road (Action Item 11 on the Parish Plan).

For each of the other 30 Action Points which came out of the Parish Plan, progress of each can be followed on the Parish Website, with updates appearing in each edition of the Parish Council newsletter.

Should you be in the Parish Directory?

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The Directory is your guide to local clubs, societies, facilities, organisations, producers, suppliers, businesses, tradesmen, current projects, current initiatives etc.

It is delivered free to residents and is also on the Parish Website at www.chidhamandhambrook.info.

Contact any Parish Councillor or the Parish Clerk to get a free insert in the next edition of the Parish Directory. (Details from the website or on the village noticeboards).

New Village Centre for Chidham and Hambrook

In response to Action Point 14 in the Parish Plan, the Parish Council has set aside £1000 for a feasibility study into the provision of a new Village Centre. At its February meeting, the Parish Council agreed to establish a Village Centre Working Group to undertake the study. This Group will have eight members, three Parish Councillors and five members drawn from appropriate organisations within the Parish. The Parish Plan Action Point states that "the possibility of providing a new multi-purpose village/social centre should be pursued. It should be located on a central site, possibly associated with a village green, and sufficient for the consolidation of existing facilities".

It recommends that the Parish Council "coordinate discussion by appropriate bodies and individuals".

At the first Parish Plan Review Meeting, it was reported that an anonymous donor has given £500 to the Parish Council to "kickstart" a "New Centre Fund", another anonymous donor has verbally promised a further £500 to fund the construction of a new Village Centre. This generosity is indicative of the extent of the local support for a new all-embracing Village Centre for Chidham and Hambrook.

Progress At The Dell

Much has happened in The Dell since our last Parish Council Newsletter. The key to this was the 125-year lease on a pepper corn rent that the Harbour Trust obtained on the Northern part of the Dell. Volunteers were then able to get to work clearing the land of much accumulated rubbish and cutting back the nettles and bracken that had overrun the land. The Harbour Conservancy 'tilled' the cleared areas to encourage re-growth of the seedbed and dredged the spring to improve drainage.

Children from Chidham School planted field maple, alder and other trees that suit a woodland setting. They worked under the guidance of Conservancy staff and were ably assisted by residents, teachers and school governors. The School and the Conservancy are keen to use the Dell as a learning resource and have been working towards this from the start.The work continued with the planting by volunteers of hawthorn and blackthorn hedging and additional trees.

A 5 year management plan has very recently been finalised by the Conservancy in conjunction with the Parish Council and residents. This will include the planting of coarse grass pathways that will eventually give an attractive access to the glades that will develop.

Many thanks to all the volunteers who are working so hard to provide this wonderful amenity to the Parish.

Village Web Site

The Parish Council would like your feedback on the current content of its section on the Website. Presently there is a Progress Report on the Dell in the Environment Section, together with news of what’s happening in Hampstead Meadow.

Details of recent visits to the Parish Council meetings by the Police and The Housing Enabling Officer are featured. The Council's statement on Bonfires can also be read.

All Planning Applications are listed and there is a section of useful contact numbers, including the reporting of faults.

Councillors can be contacted via the site and your views on missions/improvements to our pages are welcomed along with any other issues you would like to see addressed.

Traffic Control

The Parish Council has been requested to investigate the possibility of a Speed Reactive Sign at the Northern end of Broad Road. In the Parish Plan this area was second only to the A259 in terms of people's concerns over speeding incidents.

The Parish Council has taken soundings from Alex Sharky, Team Leader, Traffic Management and Calming at County Hall; and there would appear to be three options:

1. Full County Funding - this is a virtual impossiblity due to the area showing no incidents attributable to speed.

2 Partnership Funding - improbable as only one scheme a year is considered and priority is given to areas of high risk.

3. Locally Funded - here the funds are raised via the Parish Council or the community.

The advice given by Mr Sharky is that we should pursue option 3, however having the funds is only one element for the Project to go ahead. An assessment has to be made by the Department to ensure any scheme is consistent with current policy.

The Parish Council has asked for an assessment and an indication of the cost, in addition it has asked for advice on other less expensive measures such as Highway Marking.

Litter and Dog Mess

Litter is an increasing problem nationally. However we can help the situation, if there is no litter lying around then people are less likely to discard their own rubblish. Please take responsibility for your own home frontage by collecting any discarded rubblish.

There have been requests for additional bins to be sited and the possibilities of these will be investigated, however bins can only help if people can be encouraged to use them. An obvious difficulty is that some of the people dropping litter come from outside the parish.

The provision of bins for dog mess is a more difficult issue. The Parish Council is mindful of the smell and consequent hygiene issues as well as the responsibility for emptying the bins. Education of dog owners must be the first response to this problem. Reminding dog owners with penalty notices that if they neglect their duty to clean up after their dog, that a fine can be levied, is a potential approach. The Parish Council will continue to monitor this option.

Be vigilant of fly tipping - this is now a criminal offence so if you see this happening then please inform the Council, photographic evidence helps the Council to prosecute. Please do not assume that someone else will report it - better to be reported twice then not at all. The hotline telephone numbers are 01243 534601 (Chichester District Council) and 0870 8506506 (Environment Agency).

Hamstead Meadow

The Parish Council has now completed the small fence to the Western perimeter of Hamstead Meadow, it is hoped that this will help provide safeguards to this meadow and ensure that it retains its character. Special acknowledgement to Cllr Steve Clark for arranging for this work to be completed.

Environmentally Friendly Resolutions - Some thoughts for us all

A reminder to us all that to be Environmentally Friendly we need to take action and ensure we stick by that action. This can be done by example from:

- Recycling as much materials as possible.

- Make a resolution to reduce the amount of waste you create in the first place. Use your consumer power by steering away from excess packaging or buy in bulk.

- Request a home energy check by contacting the Advice Centre on 0800 512 012.

- Replace existing light bulbs with energy saving bulbs

- Remind yourself that 'food miles' account for one of the largest consumers of energy. So consider using locally produced produce where possible, rather than transported 'around the globe' produce.

Editor: Cllr Sandra James

Contributors : Cllrs Cliff Archer, Steve Clark, Debbie Hoskins and Mike Penny,

Clerk to the Council Barry Mann.

February 2006 - Keeping Chidham Parish Informed
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Chidham Parish Council Newsletter - Autumn 2005

Launch of New Community Web Site
www.chidhamandhambrook.info
This copy of the Parish Council newsletter conincides with the official launch of a new community web site for our villages of Chidham and Hambrook. The end of September has been chosen for the official launch of the web site, although the site has been visible
for some time as its content has been added.

The web site is designed to be 'not for profit' and broad based in its information provision. The concept of a community web site was substantiated in the response to the Parish Plan Questionnaire. Over 600 residents within the Parish use the internet at home and this is clearly expected to rise further. The innovation of a community web site will provide much more than the current newsletter, with visual imagery, speed of updated information and the involvement of the wider community, it also provides a link to Regional and National organisations. Rest assured for those of you who currently do not have access to the internet, the printed Parish Council newsletter will continue to be produced and delivered voluntarily by your Parish Council.
The volunteers working on the web site project initially sprang out of the Parish Plan initiative, since then other members have joined with specific local knowledge; and the ease of access of the web site offers an opportunity for many others to get involved should they wish to do so.
The aim of the web site is to provide a medium where information from the local groups can be held, each of the local groups remain autonomous from each other and from the Parish Council. To give you a flavour of the groups the following is a brief remit:

The Chidham Parish Council pages have sections dealing with environmental issues, current planning applications/decisions. Reports on current projects will appear on the news page, relevant contact details for reporting issues are included as well as your Local Coouncillors details and photos. Links are provided to County and District. A copy of the Parish Newsletter is also made available.

The Parish Church section gives information on services,topical events and people, featuring the work of the Sunday Club children, activities of the Church Council and the Friends of Chidham Church.The weeks pew slips can also be viewed.

Hambrook and District Residents Association has news of social events, membership and current projects as well as publishing the Hambrook newsletter on line.

The Parish Plan has its own section to provide updates on the progress of action points and to report on lobbying of the organisations charged with their implementation of issues.It wil also continue the volunteer registration scheme and publicise the 'free to advertise' Parish Directory - an initial printed copy is enclosed. Are you in it? If not please e-mail the site, or contact one of your local Parish Councillors.

Chidham W.I. will publish their annual programme and details of activities at regional and national level.

The Village Hall, booking details and programme of events can be found as well as a look at the venues history.

Chidham School have their own web site in production linked to the Local Education Authority by necessity. We look forward to advertising its launch soon. Meantime, school involvement in the village web site will be there and will add to the children's sense of community, via such things as competitions, display of work and submissions to the joke page!
It is hoped that children will generally find the environmental and village history sections interesting and something they will contribute too. The site will be looking for younger reporters to contribute articles on events and happenings within the villages.
The hard work of the P.T.F.A will be spotlighted and any fundraising events duly advertised.

Other organisations not yet identified are encouraged to contact the site and publish their own events on the 'village diary' page. Watch out for forthcoming events from all groups which can be seen as 'pop- ups' on the front page for additional publicity.

Community involvement is key to the success of the web site, it is the aim of the site to involve everyone within the community. To keep the site evolving and interesting it will depend on contributions from you.Reports will be welcomed on all aspects of the community such as events at pubs,restaurants, articles on history etc. The site will be advertised and accessible to the Chichester Observer.

Contacting the 'web master' could not be easier, please e-mail to:
postmaster@chidhamandhambrook.info
or visit the web site and click on the contact option.
If you do not have access to the web but would still like to get involved please contact one of your local Parish Councillors for information.

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Parish Directory

The first edition of the Parish Directory is being distributed free with this newsletter. It is your guide to local clubs, societies, facilities, organisations, producers, suppliers, businesses, tradesman, current projects , current initiatives. The directory is also held within the community web site accessible via:
www.chidhamandhambrook.info
Please see the directory itself for details of how your parish, business, organisation etc could be included without charge, for future editions.

Roadside Gully Drains

Two years ago the Parish Council bacame concerned about the state of these vital gully links to the main drainage system within the Parish. The Parish Council drew up a map to show the contractors where these drains were, and offered onsite help. There ensued a time of inaction from the contractors, up until recently when the Highways Department were encouraged to act with the submission of photos showing the condition of these gullies.The Highways department have now taken up the mandate to improve the condition of the gullies and the Parish Council will continue to lobby and monitor to ensure real improvements happen very soon.

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Main Ditches In The Parish

Continuing on our earlier report on this subject, the Parish Council have now identified the ditches that they will consider for possible financial help in maintaining. These we have called arterial ditches'. So named because the Parish Council feel that if they are not properly
maintained the consequences could result in serious disruption/damage to houses and or access roads.These are also ditches that carry water from a large area and or many individual properties to the main collecting points, either the Catchpond or the area behind
Hamstead Meadow known as the Dell. The Parish Council is currently working on creating a map for all the major ditches in the
Community to help us understand how they all work together to keep us protected.It is noteworthy that since the very damaging floods of 1994 when many houses were affected, plus the response from your Parish Council, most householders realise their responsibility in keeping the ditches running freely, please continue to help with this.

The Dell

The land behind Hamstead Meadow in Chidham Lane is an amazing area of mixed habitat, including deciduous woodland, open glades, wetland and a freshwater stream. In the past, generations of local people valued the Dell, as it is known, as a quiet place to visit and enjoy.
However over the years The Dell became overgrown and virtually unusable. The Parish Council, local residents , The Chichester Harbour Trust and the Chichester Harbour Conservancy have worked together to rectify this unhappy situation. After much negotiation, the Harbour Trust has obtained a 125 year lease on that part of the Dell owned by the District Council. The traditional peppercorn was the 'payment' for the lease. The Trust was set up to acquire parcels of land of environmental value and conserve and manage them in perpetuity. The Dell has been the subject of detailed investigations to determine its habitat/conservation value and examine other matters. A management scheme, addressing environmental, health, safety, access and other issues is in the final stages of development. Once the management scheme has been finalised, the Harbour Conservancy will take the lead role in the necessary remedial and ongoing maintenance work. However, the Conservancy will need the help and co-operation of local people to ensure that the Dell remains an attractive and quiet area.

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Bonfires

The nuisance of bonfires has been brought to the attention of the Parish Council. As a matter of record there is no District bye law on the making of bonfires, however your Parish Councillors would urge people to not conduct this activity without having thought of their neighbours first. Bonfires can be unreasonable to light at certain times of the day and the associated wind direction
so please be reasonable and above all considerate to others when undertaking this activity.

Could you Help?

Volunteers are needed in the Parish. They are needed for various community activities ranging from local environmental projects to helping individuals who need support. We know this from the results of the Parish Plan Questionniare. We also know that a large number of people are willing to help in various ways - again, the questionnaire results tell us that this is the case.

If you can help in anyway, please use the Volunteer Sheet which is attached to this newsletter, to indicate that you would be willing to help with actvities within the community.

West Chidham Tidebank - Update on Progess

The Harbour Conservancy has persevered and despite, several setbacks construction work on the section of the new tidebank on the west side of the Chidham peninsula is at last well under way. All being well , the work should be finished by the end of October. The new 1.5 km long tidebank is being set back from the existing tidebank, which is in a very poor condition. Over time, 22 hectares of valuable intertidal habitat will form naturally between the existing and new tidebanks. The new bank has been designed for the 1 in 200 year tidal event and the Conservancy is required to maintain if for 80 years.The complete length of footpath on the existing bank will be maintained until the new bank has been fully consolidated, at which time the footpath will be diverted.


Editor Sandra James. Contributors Steve Clark, Cliff Archer, Robin Yeld.


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Chidham Parish Council Newsletter - Summer 2005

Since we last sent out the Parish Newletter much has been done and discussed in the Parish by both the Parish Council and the Parish Plan Executive Committee.The purpose of this newsletter is to keep you informed and encourage feedback on issues that effect you. As previously reported, this newsletter is produced mindful of keeping costs to a minimum and is distributed within the Parish by the Parish Councillors. The Parish Council is divided into working groups to allow subjects to be discussed more fully by members and then presented to the whole Council at their monthly meetings held on the first Thursday of each month.

The content of this newsletter includes reports from Councillors with regard to these specific topics which they are involved in.

Annual Parish Meeting - Report by Cllr Mike Penny, Chairman of Chidham Parish Council

The meeting held in the village hall on the 28th April was well attended; parishioners being welcomed with the traditional glass of wine. Following introductions, the Chairman gave his Annual report,touching on the activities and problems that have occupied councillors during the past year. Guest speakers included Mr Philip Couchman of the Chichester Harbour Conservancy and Sergeant Nick Millburn from Sussex police.

Mr Couchman gave a presentation on the forthcoming 'Managed Retreat' of the shoreline at West Chidham.He also covered the future of the 'Dell' in Chidham Lane.

Sergeant Milburn reported on the activities of the Sussex police and answered questions raised by parishioners .Our thanks to both of the speakers who kindly gave up their time to present very interesting subjects.

Other main topics reviewed included the Parish Plan which is shortly to be published and which has a fuller review later in this newsletter. Plus the issues of speed on our roads, the latter to be pursued with a 'Speed Pledge' campaign, again more on this to follow.

The Chairman reported that the annual precept for next year would be £12000; the small financial reserve in our bank remains satisfactory and is sufficent to cover unforeseen circumstances affecting the parish.

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The Dell - Report from Councillor Cliff Archer

The District Council land behind Hamstead Meadow has been transferred to the Chichester Harbour Trust.The Trust was set up to acquire parcels of land of environmental value and conserve and manage them in perpetuity.The Dell has been the subject of detailed investigations to determine its habitat/conservation value and examine other matters; a preliminary management scheme has now been developed.

A meeting will be held in June between the Trust,the Harbour Conservancy, the Parish Council and representatives of residents of Hamstead Meadow to finalise the management plan. This meeting will address environmental,health,safety access and other issues, prior to the Conservancy taking the lead role in the necessary remedial and ongoing maintenance work. Updates on progress with the Dell will appear in later issues of the Newsletter.

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Kill Your Speed - Report from Councillor Deborah Hoskins

The response to the Parish Plan questionnaire showed that speeding within our community concerned more people than any other crime.This issue received more comments from the Parish Plan response than any other issue, with 66% of respondents raising their concerns over the matter of speeding.

Sussex Police are committed to reducing road casualities, however it is not possible for them to carry out speed enforcement in every community on a regular basis. The requirement to prioritise the Police resources means that communities who do not have a record of accidents caused by collisions are unlikely to see meaningful enforcement.

For this reason,the Parish Council have taken the initiative and will be visiting many of the households within the main 'concern' routes. The purpose of these visits is to obtain the commitment from the householders into signing a pledge to drive within the speed limits.

This commitment program is part of a long term strategy within Sussex to help create a safer environment for all road users.The intention is to involve the community in speed reduction and so improve the local environment by reducing danger and nuisance.

If you would like to be represented, have any ideas or suggestions or could help in any way, please feel free to e-mail the group on parishweb05@aol.com, mark your E-Mail Chidham & Hambrook Website or it will not be opened. This address will remain open for a limited period of time only.

Alternatively you can reach me to discuss on the telephone number of 574129.

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West Chidham Tidebank - Report form Councillor Cliff Archer

The state of the tidebank on the West side of the Chidham peninsula has been a bone of contention for many years. However, it now seems that a remedy is imminent. The Harbour Conservancy plans to start work at the end of July on a new section of bank, set back from the existing bank and extending over a length exceeding 1.5km. In order to obtain a level bank top, along which the diverted public footpath will run, the bank will vary in height from between 1 and 2 metres above the ground surface.

Between the existing and new tidebanks,22 hectares of precious intertidal habitat will form naturally over time as the existing bank deteriorates. The new bank has been designed for the 1 in 200 year tidal event and the Conservancy is required to maintain it for 80 years.

A section of the existing public footpath to the north of the scheme will be improved as part of the overall project. The complete length of the footpath on the existing bank will be maintained until the new bank is fully consolidated,at which time the footpath will be diverted to its new location.

A detailed habitat survey revealed, much to the Conservancy's delight, the presence of a colony of water voles. The work has been carefully planned to avoid disruption to this colony.

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The Parish Plan - coming to your home soon! - report by Cliff Archer

The final Parish Plan is at the printers as we go to press with this newsletter.Barring misshap, you will receive a copy towards the end of June.

Since the last newsletter, the Parish Plan Steering Group has hosted the successful Consultation Event at which residents inspected all of the questionnaire results, including 3000 written comments. We received 101 feedback sheets from residents, giving their comments on the Draft Plan, and also detailed feedback from organisations both within and outside the parish. This useful feedback helped us to improve the draft and develop the final plan.

The Parish Council is already taking action on some of the 30 Action Points identified in the Plan; preparing a Parish directory, identifying volunteers for parish projects and setting up an over arching Parish Website.

If any individual or organisation would like a free insert in the Parish Directory, they should contact the Parish Clerk, a Parish Councillor or a member of the Parish Plan Executive Group. The contact details for the Clerk and the Councillors are given on the three Parish Council noticeboards and members of the Executive Group are identified in the Parish Plan document. Similarly if you would like to help local people with mobility problems, help in environmental projects or be involved in social activities please make contact in the same way.

We shall keep you updated on progress with the implementation of the Parish Plan, and would always welcome offers of help with the various Action points.

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Harbour Rover Bus Timetable

We would remind parishioners of the local bus passing through the village during the summer months, a timetable of the buses movements is included with this newsletter, should you wish to use this provision.

Parish Councillor Vacancy

A vacancy exists within the Parish Council for someone who would like to actively help the community of Chidham by becoming a Parish Councillor. There is no remuneration, simply the reward in knowing you are making a difference and helping the community. If you are interested please contact either the Clerk or one of the Parish Councillors.

Lay-by Outside The VillageSchool In Chidham Lane

The Lay-by is now provided and affords the ability of upwards of 10 cars to park off the main road. Thanks to everyone including the local landowner for making this possible. We hope this will make a significant difference for the parents whoes children attend Chidham school, when dropping them off and collecting, and equally to the residents of Hamstead meadow.

Editor of the Newsletter: Cllr Sandra James

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