Special Roadworks Bulletin M23

Added: 2nd December 2020

The following works are scheduled on the M23, subject to weather conditions. We attach a map which may help you to visualise the areas affected.

Wednesday 2 December to Friday 12 December (inclusive ) 21:00 to 06:00

Tomorrow night the Area 5 team will be closing the M23 both north and southbound carriageways between J8 & J10 for 3 nights, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night. Each day there will be narrow lanes northbound past the damaged barrier. From Saturday morning there will also be a lane 4 closure southbound past the damaged barrier. This Traffic Management will remain in place until Saturday 12th December.

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Other road works and traffic information

We are periodically asked why we do not detail other road works and traffic issues across Sussex. The simple answer is that there are too many! To obtain the latest information we recommend that you refer to the Highways England website https://highwaysengland.co.uk/traffic/ , where you can find details of traffic conditions, roadworks and other information across England.

Horsham District Christmas COVID Safe Project

Added: 26th November 2020

Horsham District Council are embarking on a COVID safe project in the run up to Christmas following lockdown to reassure the public and boost the local economy. Community Safety Wardens and Environmnetal Health Officers will be visiting town centres and villages over the coming weeks to reinforce the Prime Minsters message to remain ‘jolly cautious’ over the festive season. The aim is to engage with the public and visit local businesses to check that they have the necessary COVID controls in place to operate safely.

In addition to helping businesses with the ever changing COVID guidelines, the initiative will also provide people with the reassurance they can return to the high street, shops, bars, pubs, cafes, restaurants and other venues, to boost the local economy.

Businesses will be assessed against key areas of government COVID guidelines which apply to their specific sector and will include:

• COVID Risk Assessments

• Infection control

• Social Distancing

• Contact recording

• Staff training

The visits are not intended to be punitive but to enforce the public health message through advising businesses on good practice.

This innovative partnership project brings together Economic Development, Community Safety and Environmnetal Health working together for the good of the Horsham District. This follows on from the great work already done by the Councils Economic Development Team who worked closely with local businesses on re-opening following lock down. Some of the areas they will be visiting are:

• Billingshurst

• Storrington

• Henfield

• Steyning

• Horsham Town

• Southwater

Councillor Tricia Youtan Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Community & Wellbeing said "The run up to Christmas is undoubtedly going to be very busy for the retail sector. With Christmas only weeks away shoppers will be anxious to get their shopping done in time for the big day. We want to ensure the experience is as safe as possible.

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It’s been a tough time for our local businesses coming out of a second lockdown, in addition they are faced with specific COVID guidance which is not only restrictive but can be confusing. This initiative will help ensure that businesses which are open to the public are COVID-secure, limiting the risk of transmission to both customers and staff. We must do all we can to avoid the Horsham District from going into a higher risk tier. Both the public and business have a role to play in to stop the increase of infection rates." 

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For full details of times and locations contact:

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Michael McGale
Technical Officer Health & Safety
Telephone: 01403 215419   
Email: Michael.McGale@horsham.gov.uk

Current date for Steyning is:-

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8th December

Steyning High Street and Cobblestone Walk

Trail Blazing - 20 New District Wide Heritage Trails to Explore

Added: 19th November 2020

A scorching red hot furnace blazes out on one of the twenty new trails that has forged together the passion of local community for their heritage, the initiative of the Horsham District Community Partnerships Forum and funding from the Heritage lottery fund. Together with the support of Horsham District Council, some 40 volunteers and Treetop Design a stunning, engaging and informative range of trails have been created to entice residents and visitors alike to explore Horsham districts amazing heritage. With stories ranging from a memorial to a submarine crew, to medieval iron working, to gardeners to making salt, these 20 trails reveal just how rich, but also hidden the past is.

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The project, initiated by the Horsham District Community Partnerships Forum back in 2018, was intended as a way of using heritage to promote tourism, to help the local economy. Now thanks to Covid its importance has been transformed as people search out local walks that connect them to their place and so contribute to a sense of well-being, as the Heritage Lottery Fund were keen to promote. Though the trails were the final outcome, what was as important was the training of volunteers in writing and producing trails. So a guide for groups to create their own has also been written, pointing out, as the trails do, interesting features and the path to follow to create an engaging well thought out route to the destination.

Drawing inspiration from the Millennium Heritage trail, some 32 plaques scattered across the district the Heritage lottery funded project enabled community groups to explore further their local heritage and explain to others why they should seek it out. It captures people’s passions for their area, stories that grabbed their imagination, be it a gate post from a long lost garden on the outskirts of Horsham to a Burmese door in Storrington. Most of the trails are designed for walking, though two that explore the various churches are more suitable for the bike or car. But what all the trails do is reveal either interesting sites or picturesque views, from country lanes to meandering rivers, to the farmland of the downs, or the urban setting with its mixture of architecture. 

So if you want to discover Storrington, Sullington, Steyning, Southwater, or Bramber, Beeding, or Henfield, Horsham, The Adur, Arun, or Rusper,  Rudgwick and then down the road to Billingshurst, or Coolham, Cowfold, or Knepp, then pick up the free trails. If you want to discover famous musicians, money men, poets, soldiers and statesmen, quirky houses to quintessentially English views then these are the trails to find. If you want to create your own trail, follow the route in the manual.

Horsham District Heritage trails was a project involving Local heritage groups across the district, the Horsham District Community Partnerships Forum, Horsham Museum (Horsham District council) Treetop Design and print and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, without whose financial support and all of those who buy the lottery ticket this project would not have been possible. 

The free printed trails are full of images will be available at local libraries post lockdown, whilst those on line are far simpler in look, so they are easy to download and can be found on Horsham Museum’s website: https://www.horshammuseum.org/heritagetrails

Greening Steyning's Biodiversity Action Group

Added: 16th November 2020

Greening Steyning wants wildlife to thrive in Steyning, Bramber and Upper Beeding and one of the best places we can all help is in our OWN gardens!

We'd love you to fill out this short Wildlife Garden Survey by 5th JANUARY 2021, so we can get an idea of the wildlife you see in your garden. Then we can then work together as a community to make great spaces for nature in our local area.

https://greeningsteyning.org/project/garden-survey-2020/

No matter how big or small your garden is - we want to hear about it AND you could win a BIRD NEST BOX for taking part!

Thank you from us all at Greening Steyning - www.greeningsteyning.org

Online Pothole Reporting

Added: 10th November 2020

Last month West Sussex County Council launched a new online form for reporting potholes.  They want to improve the experience of reporting a pothole and have developed an interactive map displaying all reported potholes, so that customers can identify if already reported and to subscribe and receive future updates should they wish to. As this form is a trial they are welcoming customer feedback as they wish to continually improve their offer to Residents. Feedback can be provided by visiting their webpage (https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/) and clicking on the page link provided.

For the duration of the trial the online reporting of all other enquiries regarding the roads in West Sussex, such as grass cutting, flooding etc, have remained on Love West Sussex.

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Should you have any further questions regarding the form then please contact:

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Catrin Jones, Customer Experience Support Officer, Place Services, West Sussex County Council

Location: First Floor, Northleigh, County Hall, West Street, Chichester, PO19 1RQ

Contact: Internal: 26398 | External: 03302 226398 | E-mail: catrin.jones@westsussex.gov.uk

West Sussex Transport Plan Review

Added: 10th November 2020

West Sussex County Council (WSCC) has started a review of the West Sussex Transport Plan (WSTP).

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The current plan, which covers the 2011-26 period, needs to be reviewed to take account of changes to national and local policy, such as the Government’s legally-binding commitment to achieve net zero carbon by 2050.

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The new plan will set out how WSCC aim to continue supporting the economy and communities while protecting the environment.  They will consider the best approaches to tackle key transport issues such as congestion, road safety and pollution, and set out their plans for all modes of transport. 

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They are asking stakeholders, such as local groups, authorities and transport providers, to complete a survey to gather information about their key issues and priorities.  The survey is accessible to all, so individual members of the public can submit their views if they wish to do so. 

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To complete the survey please visit: www.westsussex.gov.uk/WSTPsurvey

The deadline is 17 December, 2020.

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The survey results will help shape the draft version of the plan, which will be published for public consultation in summer 2021.  We aim to adopt the plan in early 2022.

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If you would like to be notified at key stages in the review, please send your name and an email address to

Community Hub Response for Lockdown 2

Added: 7th November 2020

Good News: Reduction of Traffic Through Bramber

Added: 3rd November 2020

For the last 3 years, Bramber Parish Council has shared the use of a Mobile Vehicle Speed Indicator (MVAS) which was purchased jointly with Upper Beeding Parish Council.  As well as the visual indication / reminder of when the 20 mph speed limit is exceeded, the MVAS also records the individual speeding event (date / time / speed) and this can subsequently be downloaded for analysis.

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The accompanying graph shows a summary of the data measured outside St Mary's House over that 3 year period.  The effects of the current pandemic are clearly shown in the significant reduction in traffic, as well as a small reduction in both average and 85th percentile (15% of vehicles exceeded) speed.  The recent speed and volume reductions were also associated with a change in the peak afternoon traffic flow from 5-6pm to 3-4pm (not shown on the graph): presumably as more people work from home.

It is gratifying to see that the reduced traffic flow has not resulted in increased speeds!

Parish Newsletter for October

Added: 30th October 2020

Rookwood – Wildlife And Open Spaces Put At The Heart

Of A New Alternative Plan

Added: 21st October 2020

Following feedback from the Local Plan Consultation on a proposal for the future of Rookwood golf course on the edge of Horsham, an alternative proposal could see expansion of Warnham Local Nature Reserve and the area becoming much more open for full public use in the future.

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Horsham District Council is developing an alternative proposal which would enable most of the northern section of the current golf course to be turned into protected, recreational and accessible green space with increased biodiversity and opportunities for rewilding and additional open-air leisure facilities.

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This proposal will be submitted by Avison Young, alongside the original plan, for independent assessment by Strategic Planning Officers as part of the process for the Council’s new Local Plan that the Government requires it to produce.

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If allocated, this alternative proposal would:

• Provide around 45-50 ha of publicly accessible green space;

• Provide an opportunity to extend Warnham Nature Reserve, increase biodiversity and open the current golf fairways closest to the Nature Reserve to much greater flora and fauna;

• Limit housing development to just over one third of the total land area and primarily focused to the south of Warnham Road;

• Provide an opportunity to release the land north of the link between the Walnut Tree plantation and the Nature Reserve for public recreational access rather than only golf;

• Maintain the integrity of Boldings Brook, Red River and the Riverside Walk.

Councillor Jonathan Chowen, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture said, “We have listened to the community views about Rookwood and we have taken on board their feedback, namely concern about protection for Warnham Local Nature Reserve, and secondly a wish to have publicly accessible natural green space for recreation in the locality.

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“As a result, we are developing an alternative scheme that opens up the area to wider public recreational use - it is currently primarily limited to golf use - while enhancing wildlife and biodiversity adjacent to the Nature Reserve.  If the proposal is allocated through the Local Plan, then we would be keen to further consult and work closely with the residents, partners and stakeholders to develop ideas for what the project will ultimately look like. We will, for example, look to expand aspects of Warnham Local Nature Reserve and ensure that nature continues to thrive at Rookwood and is protected through our Wilder Horsham nature recovery networks.

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“These additional new initiatives have financial consequences and along with the current pandemic crisis, puts further strain on the Council’s budgets.  It is also vital to protect other community assets, parks, the museum, theatre, leisure centres and vital services that will rebuild our finances.  Although the plan significantly reduces the number of houses that can be provided, it still provides some 300 new affordable homes and we have an opportunity to provide a visionary eco-friendly, sustainable and imaginative development within a garden setting, with some 70% open space that will also deliver our corporate ambitions on the environment.”

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The next version of the Local Plan (Regulation 19) will be published for consultation early next year.

A27 Arundel Bypass Preferred Route Announcement

Added: 15th October 2020

Highways England have announced their Preferred Route for the proposed A27 Arundel bypass.  You can see their press release here...

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Note: Bramber Parish Council has no official view on this and neither agrees with nor objects to the proposal.

Calling All Dog Walkers

Added: 15th October 2020

South Downs National Park are seeking responses to a survey on dog walking behaviour from people who walk dogs in the Park including dog owners, as well as those who walk dogs for others, such as dog walking professionals.

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The survey is voluntary and your opinions and experiences will be very valuable.  The questionnaire takes on average no more than 10 minutes and does not ask for personally identifiable data.

Please click here to take the survey before 13 November: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/KYPV7YM .

The South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) is seeking information on dog walking behaviour in the heathlands of the South Downs National Park as part of the National Lottery Heritage Funded Heathlands Reunited project. SDNPA has commissioned independent research consultancy, Collingwood Environmental Planning, to undertake the survey on this topic.

The National Park Authority is promoting a campaign (‘Take the Lead’) to encourage responsible dog walking on heathlands and other habitats.  This survey of dog walking behaviours is a follow up to one that was undertaken in 2018 and will allow us to assess the success of the campaign. 

The survey results will be used to inform project activities aimed at conserving and improving heathlands sites and will contribute to a report.

If you have any queries about this survey, please contact: heathlands@southdowns.gov.uk

Starting School - September 2021

Added: 30th September 2020

The application process for children due to start school in September 2021 will begin on Monday 5 October 2020.  Click the button below for full details of the application process. The key points are:

• Apply online at www.westsussex.gov.uk/admissions

• Applications can be made and will be considered as on time, between 5 October 2020 and 15 January 2021

• Special rules apply for house movers until 12 February 2021

• Further information for parents is available on our website now

• Staff are available to support on 03330 142 903

Applications made after the closing date cannot be considered until all on time applications have been processed. This may mean it is not possible to offer a child a place at a local school. We would therefore be grateful if you could help actively encourage all parents to apply by the closing date.

If you have any questions regarding the process please do not hesitate to contact me.

In advance, please accept our thanks for your assistance and co-operation.

Kind regards

Natalie Bailey | Senior Admissions Officer

Education and Skills: Children, Young People and Learning

West Sussex County Council

Location: Post Point 4.2, Centenary House, Durrington Lane, Worthing, BN13 2QB.
Internal: 24968| External: +44 (0) 330 2224968| E-mail: natalie.bailey@westsussex.gov.uk

(Please note, working hours are part time Wednesday - Friday)

Bramber Public Toilet Re-opening

Added: 4th August 2020

Bramber Parish Council (BPC) is pleased to report that the Bramber public toilets in The Street will be re-opened on Friday 7th August. Government guidance has now been received that allow the toilet to be opened. BPC manages this facility however due to additional cleaning costs incurred due to the Covid-19 epidemic, the opening hours must be restricted to 8am to 6pm Friday to Sunday. It will remain closed, via an electronic lock, outside of these times. BPC has taken the following action to comply with Government guidance:-

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• Completed a site inspection and risk assessment;

• Installed a hands-free sensor soap dispenser;

• Installed social distancing and opening hours signs; and

• Laid down 2m marker tape in front of the public toilet.

The restricted opening times and social distancing requirements may lead to queues being formed. Please report any concerns to the Parish Clerk at bramberparishclerk@gmail.com or via our website www.bramber.org/contacts.