I have been contacted about what action can be taken to reduce the danger to pedestrians using the narrow part of the Lane from it’s junction with Laines Road to the chalk pit.

Previously the Steyning Parish Council suggestion to provide a pavement was rejected by County Highways. This time it has been suggested that the above mentioned closure of the Lane would make the road much safer for pedestrians whilst not stopping the small amount of traffic going to/from the chalk pit. Through traffic going over the Downs would use the more suitable Bostal Road.

I have also been contacted by another local resident, who drives and walks this section of road regularly, who can see why the closure suggestion has been made, but believes that it is not a practical way forward. 

He believes the perceived safety of walkers would be the only benefit from the proposal.

He considers that with the route currently being used by many residents of Newham Lane, Laines Road, Hills Road and the surrounding estate when entering or leaving Steyning, forcing these vehicles to use the Bostal Road route would cause more problems. Additional traffic would go through the village centre and/or use Ingram Road as a ‘rat run’. In addition there would be extra traffic at the Bostal Road junction which is already probably the most hazardous location for traffic and pedestrians in the village. The proposal would also lead to longer journey times and increased fuel consumption for a significant number of Steyning residents and visitors.

He has never felt unsafe walking the section of Newham Lane in question, and considers the narrowness of the road works to the walker’s advantage by forcing traffic to slow significantly. If it is felt that steps need to be taken to make the Lane safer for walkers, he suggests warning signs, ‘Walkers in Road’ or similar, perhaps combined with extending the 30 mph limit up to the chalk pit.

I have asked the Parish Council for views on the possible closure of this Lane at the entrance to the chalk pit, taking into account these alternative views, and this will be considered at the Highways & Lighting Committee meeting on 30 September.

Following reports of illegal parking on yellow lines in Saltings Way and Pound Lane, Upper Beeding; Horsham Council officers (acting under delegated powers from the County Council) have told Derek Deedman that they will be giving greater attention in future to the illegal parking in those roads.

Residents are rightly concerned that much of this illegal parking is hazardous and could result in accidents if such parking is not prevented.

At long last the new Steyning Health Centre opens at 10am on Monday, 1 September. For more information go to the Health Centre website via the link on the left.

There are two meetings next week.

Upper Beeding Parish Council meets on Tuesday at 7.30pm at Small Dole Village Hall.

Ashurst Parish Council meets on Thursday at 8pm at the Village Hall.

Both meetings are open to the public with District and Parish Councillors present to answer questions. I will be on holiday.

In an article today in many national newspapers I understand that the Tories will be launching a drive to encourage healthier lifestyle and insisting that people claiming biological or environmental causes for their obesity are simply making excuses.

Well they obviously have no idea why most people get into this condition. Just one example from the whole variety of possible causes - for those on low incomes, is to compare the price of junk food/sweets etc with good nutritional meals/fruit etc – no prizes for guessing which is the cheapest. They are really launching a persecution of such people by encouraging bullying in the playground, at work and in the community. The outcome will certainly not reduce obesity but might increase the number of suicides.

Only a few Small Dole residents are interested in the possibility of such a bus service suggested by Compass Travel and advertised in the Summer edition of Focus. Just eight people said they would use this bus service. In view of the low number I am sad but not surprised that the Manager does not wish to pursue the matter at the present time.

I will include a report on this in the next edition of Focus and this may provoke further support for such a bus service. If so it might be possible to convince Compass to at least trial a service before Christmas.

LIBERAL Democrats in Arundel & South Downs are making their final preparations to attend the party’s conference in Bournemouth in September.

A number of members from the Chanctonbury area will be heading for the conference which will be held from Saturday 13^th to Wednesday 17^th September.

Debates taking place will include pensions, crime, eco-towns, the housing and mortgage crisis, transport and health.

“We are looking forward to a good conference and some lively debates,” said Councillor Derek Deedman, Local Party Chairman.   “We are also looking forward to speeches from leading figures in the Liberal Democrats, particularly Nick Clegg’s Leader’s speech on the final day.

“People in this area are feeling the pinch with rising unemployment, rising prices for food and energy and a collapsing housing market. So there will be a great deal of interest in the debate about the housing and mortgage crisis and in the speech of Vince Cable MP, our Shadow Chancellor.

“I am also particularly interested in the debate on our visions and values paper, Making it Happen, and on two of our proposed policies - Building a Transport System for the 21^st Century and Shaping Our World Through a Strong Europe. On Making it Happen I especially support the priorities to deliver big tax cuts for those who are struggling and to end the unfair Council Tax, to invest in clean energy instead of nuclear, and getting people out of their cars and into quality public transport. I want to see how our Transport policy will lead to improved public transport for our area, and the way Lib Dem policies will lead to the UK playing a constructive part in Europe to protect and promote our national interests, protect our citizens and further our influence in the world.

“It should be a great few days in Bournemouth which will enable the Liberal Democrats to set out our vision for Britain.”

LIBERAL Democrats in Arundel & South Downs have given their strong backing to ambitious calls by Nick Clegg MP for Britain to become self-sufficient in energy.

The Liberal Democrat Leader has called for a major programme to build up Britain’s own energy supplies through wind, tidal, wave and biomass technologies.

Mr Clegg said, “We have an enormous opportunity to create real energy independence for the UK, freeing ourselves from the shackles of foreign oil, coal and gas. This will require the kind of ambition and political will that succeeded in putting man on the moon.”

County Councillor Derek Deedman said, “I am delighted that Nick Clegg is calling for a green revolution in the way we produce power.

“The recent Russian invasion of Georgia and the ongoing troubles in Iraq and Iran show just how dangerously reliant Britain is on energy from unstable parts of the world.

“We have to build up our own energy supplies and as an island nation, we have an abundance of natural and clean energy sources that both Labour and Conservative governments have failed to develop.

“Whilst Labour and the Conservatives joined together earlier this year to agree Britain should have a new generation of nuclear power stations, Liberal Democrats believe this will leave a legacy of radioactive waste for future generations. It will also leave us dependent on foreign supplies of uranium.

“Liberal Democrats in Arundel & South Downs welcome Nick Clegg’s call for Britain to develop clean energy supplies and become self-sufficient in them by 2050. This is an industry in which we as a nation should aim to be world beaters“.

Despite the weather looking ominous yesterday it held out for the whole session (10-3pm) at the Memorial Field, and the event was yet another success for the Local Action Team.This follows on the success of the mobile skate park events in Upper Beeding last month. A big ‘thank you’ must go to the Neighbourhood Wardens and Horsham’s Mobile Skate Park supervisor for the organisation at the event.

The younger children came in the morning as planned and really enjoyed it and quite a few parents came to watch on and off as well.  Unfortunately there was an injury (broken arm!) but it comes with the territory and could have happened walking across the street.  Horsham’s Mobile Skate Park supervisor dealt with it perfectly and an ambulance was called.

The afternoon went well too with some of the older kids coming along.  Again the behavior was great, noise minimal and they helped pack up and clean up at the end.  A number of residents walked by and everyone was very supportive.

The Local Action Team will be reviewing the mobile skate park events which have taken place over the summer to see what can be done to build on their success.

This is the great news from Jennie Musgrove, the Project Coordinator for the new building which is due to be handed over by the contractor this Friday 22nd August - 2.30pm on time and within budget. Congratulations to Jennie and her team on this success!
Following the delivery of new furniture and fittings next week, the doctors, other health professionals and administrative staff will move in on Thursday 28th and Friday 29th August. The Upper Beeding Surgery will remain be open for emergencies during the move. The New Health Centre will then open to patients on Monday 1st September.

The existing temporary Health Centre buildings in Fletchers Croft are due to be removed on 2 and 3 September, so the Steyning Centre car park will be closed whilst the removal work is carried out. The work should be completed in time for the car park to re-open just ahead of the school term start on 4h September.

For more information about the New Health Centre click on the link on this website under Health services.

The official opening celebration date has yet to be confirmed but is still likely to take place in October.

The meeting of the Steyning, Bramber and Upper Beeding Local Action Team (LAT) today heard that the Steyning Zero Tolerance campaign is a success. The figures for anti-social activities are being collated, but the indications are that they show a welcome downturn on the figures for the same period last year. Good news for the launch of the campaign in Bramber and Upper Beeding next month.

However, aggressive behavior by individuals who have become intoxicated with alcohol continues to be a problem. In my view we must start to change the culture in this Country, that getting ‘merry’ or drunk is just a ‘laugh’ and is something to be expected, especially from young people. The media is to be blamed for promoting such a culture, particularly on television.

Not that the media is much better on the smoking front. How many TV programmes can you name where people are unnecessarily shown as smoking and/or drinking to excess? We cannot expect young people in particular not to smoke or to drink to excess when leading personalities are shown doing just that almost every night. It would surely not be difficult to eliminate such activities from television shows? The savings to the NHS from fewer smokers and heavy drinkers would be enormous, as would be the benefit to family life and community safety from a reduction in anti-social behavior from drunks on our streets or in their own homes.

The Police, Police Community Support Officers and our Neighbourhood Wardens can help tackle the drunks in our community, but the Government, media and people as a whole can do much more to show that drinking to excess is unacceptable in a civilized society. And let’s do much more to show that anyone with any sense or concern about their own, as well as other peoples, health should not be smoking at all, not just in those places banned by law.

Liberal Democrats in Arundel & South Downs have described a call by a Conservative-leaning think tank for people from towns and cities of the North to pack their bags and move to the South as appalling.

Policy Exchange, described as David Cameron’s favourite think tank in the media, claimed many towns and cities in the North were failing and regeneration would not save them. They suggested people should move to the South East instead. Policy Exchange was set up by Michael Gove, now a senior Conservative MP.

“The idea that people should abandon the North and move to the already crowded South East, where house prices and living costs are sky high, is an insult to people living here,” said Derek Deedman, Chairman of Arundel & South Downs Liberal Democrats.

“I am staggered that a think tank so close to the Conservatives is making such a call. I am appalled that they are saying that large swathes of the North can simply be abandoned and yet more pressure be put on the South East to accommodate even more houses we have no room for. This proposal is at considerable odds with the local Conservatives attacking the Labour Government for wanting more houses built in West Sussex. Once again the Conservatives don’t seem to know what they want!

“Here in Arundel & South Downs the battle is between Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives at the next general election. People should make it quite clear to the Conservatives that we don’t want any more houses in our areas unless they are affordable houses for people who already live here (but do not have their own housing).

“What the Policy Exchange has done is to highlight the lack of understanding many Conservatives have of the North and to show that they have no consistent policy on housing in West Sussex.”

I have been asked why the County Council no longer directs Horsham District Council household waste collection to go to Small Dole.

This is because when the landfill capacity in the County started to run out the County had to make interim arrangements for disposal of the waste prior to the new Materials Resource Management Contract (which will deal with all waste not re-used or recycled) coming into operation in 2009/10. Since at the time (last year) the Small Dole site was due to close in April 2008, and any extension was subject to planning approval, that site could not be considered and so an interim contract was agreed for all Horsham household waste to go to Warnham from this year.

This interim contract is now in operation. As all the recycling and waste minimisation targets have been achieved, along with a lower growth in waste than had been anticipated, the waste going to Warnham is only just meeting the minimum tonnage agreed in the contract.

Whether this lack of municipal waste going to the Small Dole site will have an impact on the current estimated life of the site will be raised at the next meeting of the Horton (Small Dole) Landfill Liaison Group.

The construction of the new Health Centre is expected to be completed later this month.

Provided all goes to plan it is likely that the move to the new building will take place at the end of August with the new Health Centre open for business from 1 September. The temporary Health Centre will close whilst the move takes place, but the Upper Beeding centre will reamin open for urgent appointments.

The temporary buildings at Fletchers Croft should be removed a few days after, but the Steyning Centre car park will have to close whilst this takes place. The new car park in Church Street (next to the Library) for the School (and community use after school hours and at weekends) should help relieve the parking situation at that time.

There will be more publicity about the move and confirmation of the dates at the Temporary Health Centre, in the local media, and hopefully the Parish Council’s ‘Steyning News’.

George Cockman, Steyning’s Independent District Councillor, has just passed me a complaint from a local resident in Newham Close who reports that she was unable to get her car out of the Close recently, because of parking on both sides of the road.She writes that this has been getting worse for some time with residents from other roads using the Close for parking; it would not be possible for emergency vehicles to access houses in the Close.

Since this is a County Council and Police matter, George has asked the Police to have a look at the situation, and I have asked the Local Traffic Engineer to investigate whether a Traffic Regulation Order, restricting parking in the area, should be considered.

Local Lib Dem Focus Team member, Andrew Purches, has informed me that Highways staff have been out in Upper Beeding today surveying what action can be taken to improve the traffic situation in these roads.

These surveys relate to the possible Traffic Regulation Orders for parking restrictions in these two roads, reported in the Summer edition of Focus as having been planned for 2009/11.

It is understood that Upper Beeding Parish Council asked for some action to overcome the problems for traffic caused by the parked cars on these narrow roads. It is not clear, however, what action was suggested by the Parish Council as the records currently cannot be found. Andrew, who is also an Upper Beeding Parish Councillor, will be pursuing the matter with the new Parish Clerk.

In the meantime, whatever scheme is eventually proposed by the County Council for each of these roads, there will be full consultation with the public on the details of any scheme before they are approved by the Chanctonbury County Committee for work to take place within the next two years.

Commenting on the news of Northern Rock losses of half a billion pounds since nationalisation, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor Vince Cable said:”These figures confirm the suspicion, held by many of us, that the Government and the regulators were badly deceived by Northern Rock’s former managers when they agreed to bail it out on the basis that it was a good bank with a good loan portfolio.

“Some of us suspected at the time, and it is now clear, that reckless lending by the managers, in some cases to well in excess of the value of the property, was going to lead to large numbers of borrowers being unable to sustain their mortgage payments in difficult times.

“I am encountering cases of people being repossessed as a result of deeply foolish loans and the bank and the taxpayer who now own Northern Rock are having to absorb the resulting losses. The one redeeming feature of the current situation is that when markets recover, the Government will be able to retrieve some value from the sale of the bank which would not have been the case had they underwritten the losses of a privately run bank, as was their original plan.”

Concerns have been expressed about the letter to all residents from the County Council regarding the future operation of the Horsham Mobile Waste Service in the Chanctonbury area.

I can confirm that the proposals listed in the letter for the period from July 08 to March 09 are taking place. This includes the provision of the appropriate containers in the car parks used for the Mobile Service such as Fletchers Croft, Steyning as stated in the letter.Where this has not yet happened WSCC and HDC are sorting this out and will be reminded about the matter if it does not happen!

The proposals from March 09 are still subject to discussion with the Parish Councils and further meetings of the Task Force are being provisionally arranged for October and December this year. I am sure concerns about the bulky non-hazardous waste collection after next March will be shared by others and debated at those meetings.

For those who feel that the changes do not reflect an improvement in services, the letter does not represent the final word on the situation. I have no doubt that all parish, district and county cllrs will still be working to get the best possible service for local people from March 09.

West Sussex Liberal Democrats have welcomed the announcement that the County Council is to consult residents on spending more money on footway maintenance.

Liberal Democrat Group Leader Morwen Millson says, “The Liberal Democrats have consistently pressed the Conservative led council to spend more on pavements in order to improve residents’ safety.

“Last July we called on the County Council to improve access to services, in particular by provision of safe crossing points, well maintained footways and reliable transport to enable vulnerable people to access vital services safely and easily.* This proposal led directly to the formation of Footways Task Force (referred to in the Council Press Release), which is looking at the issues around pavement maintenance.

More recently, our budget amendment in February this year called on the Council to put an additional £400,000 into additional maintenance of roads and pavements. Although the Conservatives voted this down as unnecessary and unaffordable, they have since put an extra £300,000 into repairing pot holes and have now announced this consultation on footway maintenance to address a back log of nearly £20 million on faulty pavements. We are delighted that the Conservative Council is responding to the Liberal Democrat agenda of providing pavements the people of West Sussex want to walk on.”

The state of pavements and twittens in my area is on constant concern to many local people, especially the elderly,  and so an improved level of maintenance from this u-turn by the Tories can only be welcomed. 

During a debate at the County Council meeting on 25 July, Liberal Democrat Councillors condemned the Council’s performance on supporting the education of young people being looked after by the Council.

The Council’s Corporate Plan aimed to increase the percentage of West Sussex Looked After Children gaining at least one GCSE from 60% to 68%. The target was not reached.

Lib Dem group leader, Morwen Millson, said, “The Council has been concerned about the educational achievement of this group of children for almost eight years and yet has still not achieved just 68% of all Looked After Children attaining just one GCSE. As Corporate Parents we continue to fail our most vulnerable young people.

Deputy Leader Dr James Walsh said : ” The Council is failing disgracefully to support this most vulnerable group of children. Their life-chances are being taken away from them, as they will be virtually unemployable without even single a low-grade GCSE to show from their education. Many are truanting, and little action is taken. We must not let this go on, and urgent action is needed now”

I also spoke on this matter and said, “As a corporate parent visitor to one of the Council’s Children’s Homes, it is clear to me that there needs to be much greater co-ordination between those responsible for the care of each child and school staff if the educational achievement by our looked after children is to be improved.”