I have asked Brighton & Hove Buses about overcrowding on the 2A at the Rising Sun, Upper Beeding, which was reported to me last week. The 8.35am bus was so full, mainly of school children, that apart from standing, some children were sitting on the stair steps.

It appears that Brighton & Hove have had similar overcrowding problems before due, in their view, to the number of children accepted at the Grammar School from the Shoreham area exceeding the capacity of the buses available.

Brighton & Hove Buses have agreed to investigate the current situation on the two morning buses and to let me know what action is proposed to overcome the problems. The County Council has been warned about the possible need to arrange for another bus.

I also referred to this problem at a meeting I had with the Director of Support Services at the Grammar School today on another matter. She agreed to investigate whether the students were reporting the problem.

Steyning Parish Council Highways & Lighting Committee last night agreed to support my campaign on behalf of local residents for urgent action by the County Council to improve pedestrian safety on this access road. The action to install bollards on the exit side of the road is necessary to prevent vehicles using the pavement and putting children at risk when there is traffic congestion.

There was also a suggestion that in the longer term, parking on both sides of the road could be restricted, with parking banned between say 8 and 9am and 3 and 4pm so that the full width of the road would be available at peak times (my only concern about this is that it might lead to higher traffic speeds, but may be road humps could be introduced to stop that). Clearly if a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) for this idea was supported by the County and local residents it would then make it possible to remove the proposed bollards on the exit  side of the road if a TRO was implemented.

Following my request for early action to improve this footway, I have been told by the Highway Engineers that it will be resurfaced towards the end of November.

This is great news for the very many users (school students and people going into town) that the badly rutted surfaces of this footway alongside the Shooting Field football ground will soon be a thing of the past.

The new community car park in Church Street is now open for use after the school day, at weekends and during school holidays.

Jointly funded by the Grammar School, Horsham District Council and planning contributions allocated at the request of Steyning Parish Council, this car park is an important addition to parking facilities in the Town.

The extra car parking facilities for the teachers will release spaces in the Steyning Centre (Fletchers Croft) car park they used to occupy during the school day and so the temporary car parking facilities along the access to Fletchers Croft Car Park ought to now be restored to grass.

I have been pressing for the signs for the new car park to be provided soon.

Earlier in the year I was told that a scheme for bollards or railings, to stop vehicles mounting the pavement to avoid waiting their turn to exit the schools, had been included in the 2008/09 minor scheme programme. I was assured that I would be contacted when the final designs for the scheme had been prepared.

The officers in charge of school travel plans have now said that whilst both the Grammar and Primary School Plans mention traffic congestion in the area, they do not mention any need for bollards or restrictions on the spur road.

I have now reminded the County Council about the promised provision of bollards or railings along the Shooting Field spur road to the school entrances

This footpath is currently being temporarily closed for emergency electrical work.

It has been agreed, however, that once the work is finished, the contractors will re-instate the path to the full width available. This would make it possible to consider making the route from Breach Close to the Grammar and Primary Schools entrance usable for cycling as well as the very many pedestrians who use it every day.

I will ask for this to be taken into account in the the school travel plans currently being revised.

Upper Beeding Primary School, Upper Beeding Baptist Church and Beeding & Bramber Village Hall have joined forces for today’s Village Fete. The profits  from this event will be divided equally between all three charities.

Mrs Connell, Teachers, Teaching Assistants, parents, friends and School Governors (including me!) are giving up some or all of this Saturday to help make the Fete a success and are manning some of the stalls.

The Fete starts at 10am and finishes at 5pm.  The weather is supposed to be good, so come along to join in the fun.  See you there!

Upper Beeding Primary School, Upper Beeding Baptist Church and Beeding & Bramber Village Hall have joined forces to have one Village Fete for the first time, and the Chanctonbury County Local Committee on Tuesday agreed to making a grant of £1000 towards the setting up costs and equipment.

The Fete is taking place on Saturday, 28 June.

I was pleased to recommend to my councillor colleages on the Chanctonbury County Local Committee that they should approve this grant, which will help towards this first joint event being a success and reduce the cost of future Village Fetes.

The Order for this temporary closure, to carry out electrical works, will come into effect on 30 June and will last for 6 months or until the proposed works are completed. It is anticipated however that the works will start on or soon after that date and will take 2 weeks to complete.

The published alternative route available for pedestrians will be via the footpath that runs behind 22 Breach Close and the exit adjacent to 14 Coxham Lane. Another option is the footpath from Tanyard Lane to Thornscroft and then the footpath from Thornscroft to Coxham Lane.

Any queries about the works to take place should be directed to Emma Osbourne, Amber Langis, telephone number (01474) 573831. Any queries about the effect of the closure on pedestrians using the footpath should be directed to Emily Delicata, WSCC, telephone number (01243) 753599.

Concern has been expressed to me about the present state of the footpath and so this is a good opportunity for a full width reinstatement of path to be carried out. I am informed that the County Council is in discussions with EDF at the moment to achieve this on completion of their work.

Following the reinstatement work hopefully more parents will use the Newmans Gardens Car Park to drop off their children to walk to school or to then walk with them to school. This would then reduce the traffic congestion at the Shooting Field entrance to the Grammar and Primary Schools.

Discussions have taken place with the two Primary Schools and the Grammar School and with the Towers on individual travel plans, but there is a good case for a joint travel plan for the area.

This is because some children go from Upper Beeding to St Andrew’s Primary School, Steyning and Steyning Grammar School, some children from Steyning go to Upper Beeding Primary School and the Towers. 

Clearly a joint plan could put forward more radical solutions for safer travel to/from the various schools, especially involving a safe crossing of the A283, which would have more chance of sucess than if just part of individual plans.

The Grammar School is going to update all the survey information within their travel plan and also survey the staff and 6th formers as it is felt that this is where their biggest problem lies. 

A meeting will be organised after half term when everyone can meet to discuss the way forward.