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.

There will be a Forum meeting to update local community groups, Parish Councils and Residents Associations about the West Sussex Minerals and Waste Development Framework (MWDF) on Wednesday, 9 July from 7 to 9.30pm at the Steyning Centre, Fletchers Croft Steyning.

Invitations have been issued to those who may have been involved with the work that the County Council Minerals and Waste Policy Team (the Team) undertook during 2005 and 2006. The Government announced further changes to the planning system since then and the decision was taken to wait until the outcome of these changes was known until proceeding further with the MWDF. Rather than producing three separate documents, it is likely that there will be a single Core Strategy document including strategic minerals and waste sites. Comments received from the previous consultation will inform this work.

The aim of the Forum is to provide a chance to catch up with where the Team is with the work and to check, challenge and seek clarification of information and thinking so far, and local input is important to the early evidence gathering stage. The evening will be run by County Council officers and facilitated by an independent team from Inside Outreach who are working with the Team enhance their community engagement.

Hopefully people will leave the meeting clear about what is going on; what the changes are to the planning system and how it applies in West Sussex. Feedback will also be sought on some of the evidence the Team has gathered so far. This will be in preparation for a more formal consultation in 2009.

Attendance is by specific invitation only. If you represent a community group in the Bramber Castle area, have previously contributed to the work of the Team or consider you have an input to make on behalf of a community group not originally involved, and have not been invited, please contact me by 23 June. Spaces are limited and so it may not be possible for you now to be invited, but I will see if a place can be found.

A number of people have complained about the burger van in the High Trees Car Park at the Upper Beeding roundabout on the A283.

County Officers have advised that there are no highway grounds on which the burger van can be removed, but there are South Downs Joint Committee and County land ownership issues. The present management arrangements in respect of the car park need to be confirmed before recovery of the land presently occupied by the burger van could be considered.

In any event there is a view that the burger van is not really causing a problem. Also it is claimed that users of the South Downs Way seem to be enjoying the convenience of the van at the end of a long day walking, cycling and riding.

One of the problems is, however, that the burger van attracts heavy vehicles to the site which sometimes blocks the car park for other users, and can cause a dangerous traffic situation at the entrance from the roundabout. Since the car park is also used by equestrians to unload/load horse boxes, the provision of a height barrier to prevent use by heavy vehicles would be difficult, but this is being investigated. Clearly if this can be resolved then the presence of the burger van might be acceptable in providing a valued facility for users of the South Downs Way.

Any comments from local people would be welcome.

Woodmancote Parish Council and several local residents, supported by local County Councillor, Derek Deedman, have objected to this application on planning and highway safety grounds. 

Bramlands Lane is an unclassified rural road, with no footways or street lighting, with a single vehicle width, damaged grass verges and subject to a derestricted speed limit. 

Traffic flows along Bramlands Lane are light given that it primarily serves a small number of dwellings/small holdings. 

It has been estimated that the maximum traffic generated by the proposal for 50 tents would be 45 trips per day based on occupancy of 30 tents with 1.5 movements each tent. This would lead to 100 vehicle movements along Bramlands Lane. 

This would be a significant number over and above the existing traffic flows on Bramlands Lane and given the single vehicle width would lead to further damage of the verges and greater risk of accidents to road users. 

Highways accept that some campers would explore the countryside by sustainable modes of travel as recommended in the proposed Green Travel Plan but this would be a small percentage of all movements. 

In the circumstances the highway authority is recommending that the planning application be refused on road safety grounds in that Bramlands Lane is insufficient in width to accommodate safely the additional vehicular movements that the proposed tented campsite would generate, resulting in an increased risk of accidents to road users.

Hopefully the District Council Planning Committee will accept this recommendation and refuse planning permission for this scheme.

Derek Deedman reported:-

1. Horton Landfill Site - the planning application is due to be heard by the County Planning Committee on 8 April, there will be a site visit by Committee members on 3 April. The current planning permission expires on 31 March, but no enforcement action will be taken to stop tipping whilst the current planning application remains to be determined. If it is refused, no enforcement action will be taken if there is an appeal until that is determined, which could be another 15 months.

2. The next Chanctonbury County Local Committee (CLC) meeting is on 18 March at Pulborough Village Hall, starting at 7pm. The main item on the agenda will be a discussion on the proposed closure of the Mobile Waste Service. Under the bids for a CLC grants, a decision will be made on the Upper Beeding Parish Council bid for a grant towards a new bus shelter outside the Kings Head and a Beeding & Bramber Village Hall bid for a grant towards the replacement of radiators at the Hall.

3. A response is still awaited from the Safe Routes to School Team regarding improvements to the Pound Lane/Monks Walk twitten where it goes through the Monks Walk garage compound.

4. The repair to the interactive speed limit sign opposite the Village Hall in Small Dole is awaiting a spare part. Also in Small Dole, County Officers have been requested to consult with the Parish Council on the design of the Village ‘Gateway’, planned for construction during 2008/09.

5. The reasons behind the latest electoral review of the County Council divisions, and the possible impact on the Bramber Castle Division if the Horsham District were to have an additional County Councillor.

6. The new Health Centre was due to open in Autumn 2008. A newsletter was being produced to give more details of the building and the services which might be available.

7. The interviews for the new Head of Upper Beeding Primary School, to replace the existing Head who was retiring in the Summer, would take place on 8 & 9 May.

8. Recent publicity about new incinerators in West Sussex was based on very old news regarding possible sites for waste management facilities. Nothing had changed in the past few months and arrangements to decide on the successful bid for the Materials Resource Management Contract dealing with the waste left after recycling etc were still in progress. The new contract would not be signed until 2009, and so it would not be known until later this year whether the old cement works site would be proposed to be used as part of that contract.

At long last the County Planning Committee is expected to consider this planning application at its meeting on 8 April 2008.

The committee papers should be sent out by first class post on Friday, 28 March 2008, copies going to everyone who has made representations (believed to be around 150). Registration of requests by the public to speak will close at 09.30am on 4 April 2008.

As in the case of other previous controversial applications, the Chairman of the Planning Committee has exercised his discretion to allow more than three objectors to speak. He has indicated that on this occasion he is likely to allow extra speakers to enable the Committee to hear all the arguments, provided there is no repetition of points.

With the February meeting of the County Planning Committee cancelled the next meeting the Horton Landfill Site, Small Dole, planning application could be considered is Tuesday, 11 March. The following meeting is on  Tuesday, 8 April (which is after the current planning permission expires).

Liberal Democrats are opposed to the Government’s proposals for the building of replacement nuclear power stations and want radical plans for increasing the use of renewables and reducing overall energy use to be adopted instead.

Local Liberal Democrat campaigner Derek Deedman said,

“The Government is determined to push forward an expensive programme of new nuclear power stations, which will undermine the potential for an increase in renewable energy and energy efficiency measures.

“As well as the cost, there is the risk of accidents, the long-term legacy of waste and the danger of terrorist exploitation of nuclear material. Plus a new generation of nuclear power stations will mean that other technologies, such as renewable and carbon capture, are pushed out of the mix. This only serves to make the day that we can be fully sustainable further away.

“The Government should reject nuclear power and instead invest in reducing the amount of energy we use. The Liberal Democrats have put forward radical proposals to improve the energy efficiency of homes, here in Arundel & South Downs and elsewhere.

“By setting tough new insulation standards for new homes, and creating a system of ‘energy mortgages’, so the cost of energy efficiency measures can be repaid over the long-term, using the money saved from lower energy bills, we can reduce carbon emissions from existing homes by more than 60 per cent, and from newly built houses by 95 per cent, by 2050. That is more carbon than is produced annually by all the cars on Britain’s roads.

As people will be aware Viridor Waste Management has applied for planning consent to provide an additional 400,000 cubic metres of essential landfill disposal capacity within the existing footprint of the current Horton Landfill Site at Small Dole. This application also seeks to extend the operation of the site until late 2010.

Viridor have now decided to hold another public exhibition from 4.30 pm to 7 pm on Wednesday 23 January at Small Dole Village Hall, (in the Village on the A2037 Henfield Road).

The purpose of this public exhibition is to enable local people to view the latest details the Company have submitted to the County Council to clarify a number of matters raised by the County Planners and others consulted such as the Small Dole Action Group.

In particular these matters cover the question of settlement and site contours. Senior technical staff from Viridor will also be on-hand to explain the proposals, to answer any queries and to record comments and concerns.

Derek Deedman, as Chairman of the Horton Landfill Site Liaison Group, has welcomed the decision by the Company to hold this latest public exhibition in Small Dole to explain the current position on the planning application. He hopes that many local people will visit the exhibition to learn more about the latest planning proposal details and to speak to the Viridor representatives.

Derek Deedman reported the following to the Parish Council meeting on 4 December: -
1. The next Chanctonbury County Local Committee meeting on 22 January 2008 will be at the Penfold Hall, Steyning, starting at 2pm to include a presentation/consultation by the Health Centre Development Group on the proposals for the services etc to be based/available at the new Steyning Health Centre.
2. The County Members seminar on 28 November on the next stage of the Fundamental Service Review (FSR3) of County Council services had highlighted the significant reduction in chief officer posts from April 08, with further reductions in April 09, and the major change in culture for the County to become completely customer focussed. It is anticipated that this will lead to very large cost savings in County Council expenditure.
3. The planning application to extend the life of the Horton Landfill Site at Small Dole had not been considered by the County Planning Committee on 4 December. The next meeting is on 15 January 2008, by which time all the queries from both county officers and the Small Dole Action Group should have been answered so that a decision could be made to either approve or refuse the application. With the current planning permission running out on 31 March 2008 a decision must be made soon.
4. Viridor Credits, West Sussex will be meeting on 6 December when the Committee will be considering a grant application for a Skateboard site at Small Dole.
5. The new material recycling facility (MRF) being constructed at Ford will not now be operational until October 2008. When completed this will enable waste collection authorities such as Horsham District Council to introduce mixed kerbside collections rather than the current separate bins and also enable other material such as glass to be collected in this way rather than having to be taken to a household waste recycling site. This should improve recycling rates.
6. The next full County Council meeting on 14 December will be considering it’s response to the post office closure proposals.
7. As part of the safe routes to school improvements being introduced for the Upper Beeding Primary School, the County School Crossing Patrol Officer will be carrying out a survey just before or after Christmas to enable consideration to be given to the provision of a School Crossing Patrol at the Pound Lane/Hyde Square junction. If the results do not meet the national criteria then a voluntary patrol could be considered with the County Council meeting the cost of training, uniform and equipment. If such a volunteer was unpaid the School would need to carry out the CRB checks, if paid for from sponsorship (School, local companies, parish council etc) then the County would carry out the CRB checks.
8. The new yellow lines painted along School Road related to the safe route to school work, but unfortunately had been painted before the required Traffic Regulation Order had been published, let alone approved. They would therefore have to be removed as they cannot legally be enforced and so were causing confusion.

There are three parish council meetings in the Bramber Castle Division this week.

Steyning Parish Council meets tonight, Monday, 12 November. The meeting starts at 7.30pm at the Steyning Centre, Fletchers Croft, Steyning. There will be reports from the Police, Neighbourhood Wardens, Parish Committee Chairmen and County & District Councillors. Members of the public present will be able to ask questions.

Woodmancote Parish Council meets on Tuesday, 13 November. The meeting starts at 8pm at the Parish Hall, Brighton Road, Woodmancote. There will be reports on various parish matters, including planning applications, and reports from County & District Councillors. Members of the public present will be able to contribute on planning applications before discussion and decision on the recommendations to be made to Horsham District Council by the Parish Councillors.

Bramber Parish Council meets on Thursday, 15 November. The meeting starts at 7.30pm at the Beeding & Bramber Village Hall, High Street, Upper Beeding. There will be reports on various parish matters, including planning applications, and reports from County & District Councillors.

Following a meeting between the Local Highway Manager and the crossing expert from County Hall last week, the Local Highway Manager has agreed with Derek Deedman to arrange for a preliminary design and safety check to be prepared for the crossing.

Derek has reiterated that he fully supports the scheme, which he has campaigned for over many years, and it has considerable local support from residents, the Parish Council, and the Chanctonbury County Local Committee. He also reminded the Local Highway Manager that local residents had petitioned the MP for this crossing and he had passed it to the County Council for action.

Following the recent public consultation on new issues relating to the South Downs National Park (Designation) Order 2002 the Secretary of State has decided to re-open the public inquiry.

Arrangements are being made for the inquiry to re-open at 10am on Tuesday 12 February 2008 at The Chatsworth Hotel, Steyne, Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 3DU.  Mr Robert Neil Parry, BA DipTP MRTPI, will hold the re-opened inquiry.

The Inspector has been asked to consider, in the context of the terms of the original inquiry, the following specific issues:

i.  any implications for the Designation Order (as varied by the Variation Order) arising directly as a result of the revised National Parks legislation – amendments to the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 made by the Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act 2006;

ii.  any implications for the Designation Order (as varied by the Variation Order) arising directly as a result of the High Court and Court of Appeal Judgments in the challenge by Meyrick Estate Management Ltd relating to the New Forest National Park;

iii. the possible alternative boundary line from north of Petersfield running east across to Pulborough, produced by Natural England at Defra’s request, based on a recommendation in the South Downs Inquiry Report Volume 1, Part 2 (para 2.71); and

iv. those possible additional areas of land recommended for inclusion within the proposed South Downs National Park against which there have been objections.

The Inspector has also been asked to indicate if any other points raised during the further public consultation that was held during the period 2nd July to 24th September 2007 have caused him to change any of his recommendations.

The Inquiry website is at:

http://www.planning-inspectorate.gov.uk/southdowns/index.htm

The Planning Inspectorate can be contacted at:                 

                                                Tel: 0117 372 8424

4/02 Kite Wing                           Mobile: 0791 9057365

Temple Quay House                     Fax: 0117 372 8766

2 The Square                                     Email: Barbara.bay@pins.gis.gov.uk

Temple Quay

Bristol BS1 6PN

Derek Deedman has welcomed the addition of land recommended for inclusion in the proposed Park at Small Dole and supports the objections to the recommended exclusions of Steyning and Upper Beeding. 

Email to Cllr Derek Deedman from Michael Elkington, Group Manager (Local Policy) for West Sussex County Council (3/10/07)

“I am writing to update you about the current situation regarding the preparation of new planning policy documents for minerals and waste.

Following further discussions with officers from the Government Office for the South East (GOSE), the publication in August of the Panel’s Report on the draft South East Plan, and an analysis of the national and regional situation, it is considered that there are a number of problems and uncertainties that inhibit the preparation of the Minerals and Waste Core Strategy and other documents as originally intended.

Since the decision was made in March 2006 to prepare joint minerals and waste documents, the advice from Government Office for the South Easte about their preparation has changed on a regular basis. Initially, the advice was that the Core Strategy and Strategic Waste Site Allocations should be prepared in parallel. Earlier this year they advised that the work on the waste allocations should be put back until the Core Strategy was found to be ’sound’. The advice now is that ’strategic sites’ (both minerals and waste) should be brought into the Core Strategy thereby potentially negating the need for separate waste and mineral site allocation documents.

Given the current level of uncertainty, a formal decision about the preparation of the Core Strategy and other documents will be made next year through the roll-forward of the statutory management plan, the Minerals and Waste Development Scheme. This will allow us to continue to progress technical work, building upon the work already undertaken and the results of previous consultations. It will also enable us to consider the implications of draft revised Government guidance that should provide clarity about the changes to the planning system outlined in the Planning White Paper this Spring.

I would like to emphasise that the County Council is extremely frustrated by the delay which is due to the evolving ‘interpretation’, by the Government and the Planning Inspectorate, of the implementation of the new planning system. I appreciate that the delay in preparing the new documents will not be welcome news but hope that you understand the reasons behind the decision.

For information, a report about the problems and uncertainties that we face will be taken to the County Council’s Strategic Environmental Services Select Committee on 17 October 2007. The report will be available, including on the County Council’s website, one week before the meeting.

When I wrote to you in July, I outlined our intention to consult this Autumn about broad locations/areas of search for new built waste management facilities. Given the issues outlined above, the informal consultation will not take place and the work will be taken forward next year as part of wider technical working and stakeholder engagement.

I will write to you again next year when the revised programme has been established.”