village clean up

Dear Fellow Resident,

Hopefully, like us, you really appreciate how fortunate we are to live in these beautiful surroundings – and consequently become upset or annoyed to see the lanes strewn with litter, the drains blocked, the fingerposts green with mildew etc.

Well, since the local authorities stopped providing such services years ago, there are but two options – accept the decline or do something about it! Hence the initiative of our Village Clean-up Day on Saturday 6th April from 9am to 1pm.

This is now long overdue, as the last one, organized by the late and lamented Norman Young, was now about five (?) years ago.

Every resident, no matter what their age, is welcomed – indeed encouraged – to take part. If you feel you can only spare – or last! – 30 minutes or an hour, then that’s fine. Equally, if you can spare the whole morning, that would be fantastic. Or, of course, anything in between. Many hands make light work!

Barrington Lawes will be acting as co-coordinator based within the Village Hall and will delegate tasks, either to pairs or small teams, according to individual abilities and wishes.

Please wear suitable footwear and clothing including, if you have one, a ‘Hi-Vis’ yellow vest and suitable gloves for litter picking, sign post cleaning etc.

As an added incentive, if you pitch up between 09.00 and 10.00 there’ll be fresh bacon rolls and hot drinks on offer (profits going to the Village Hall). Hopefully, there’ll also be some banter and great camaraderie!

Thank you.

 John Cross – Parish Council
 Martin Shepherd- Village Hall Committee
 John Collis – Sutton Horticultural Society
 Barrington Lawes – Editor of the Village News

Parish Matters 32

Last month I wrote at length concerning the General Date Protection Regulations (GDPR), by now you will have received an email from our Parish Clerk asking if you wish to continue to receive parish emails. If you were on our list and received an email and did not respond you will no longer received Parish Council emails. If you were never on our email list and wish to be, or you never got around to responding on time then you can still email the Parish Clerk asking to be included on parish circulars, the Clerks email is listed in the back pages of the Village News.

As we begin to draw out of winter, fingers crossed that we are, we can already see the ditches and drains have served their purpose, many have silted up due to the annual soil erosion, but have avoided serious flooding and blocking access to the village The drain outside the Collis’s and another on the Street have become completely blocked with mud and gravel, while several ditches have become full with soil too. In the Autumn I reported that Cllr Brown had commissioned contractors and the council to have many of the problem areas dredged and cleaned out ready for the winter. So in being proactive in maintaining these we have avoided submerging part of the road at the Plantation, the flooding of the corner where Glatting and Folly lanes meet and improved the soak away on Sutton Hollow. This has meant the village has not been cut off from flooding despite some very heavy rainfall this winter. Despite our best efforts the ditches going down to the Bignor Ford have silted quickly and again we have water transgression the road. We will have to look at this again in the coming months and see if we can improve it further.

Another item we continue to monitor is the Village website, the use of the website is gradually increasing, with the Parish Council business being the most viewed/popular area closely followed by the Village Hall. Interestingly, we are getting hits from a far afield as Canada and America, although most viewings are closer to home. As we build up the website and continue to add archival material the website will attract more viewings and potentially bookings for events and businesses in the locality.

Finally, at the last Parish Council meeting Cllr Neave gave us an update of the parishes finances and we believe our budget forecasts are on target, and we therefore decided to informed WSCC that this parish wishes to have 0% increase in our precept.

Chair
John Cross
Sutton and Barlavington Parish Council
Next meeting on March 5th, 7.30pm, Sutton Church

Parish Matters 31

Last night we held the first parish council meeting of the year in the Church, the next three PC meetings will also be held in the Church as personal schedules and conflicting dates mean the Village Hall is not available.

A subject that took up a great deal of time was the preparation for the implementation of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). Hannah-Louise, our Clerk, has been following developments with SALC and NALC and advised the Parish Council that we need to put in place guidelines and policies to comply with the GDPR. So the Parish Council adopted and updated policies on Privacy Policy, Freedom of Information Guidelines, Document Retention Guidelines and Data Protection Guidelines. These documents will of course be publicly available via the Sutton, Bignor and Barlavington website.

In order to comply and update our database for the purposes of communicating with residents we are obliged to send an email to each of you who currently receive emails from us asking for your consent to remain on our database list to receive emails. To be absolutely clear our new policy, and to comply with GDPR, means we will only email you for the purpose of communicating information related to the Village that falls in the remit of the Parish Council, such as gritting schedules, road closures etc. So early in February you will receive an email from us asking for your permission to remain on our database, if you wish to be on the list you MUST respond to that email and agree. If we do not hear from you within 2 weeks, we will be obliged by law to remove your email address from our database we will not send and further communication.

John Dwane bought to the Parish Councils attention a talk on scamming that police deliver to communities, we were delighted to liaise with John and fixed a date that suited both parishes, consequently I am indebted to John for hosting the talk on Saturday, January 6th in the village hall. The police came along to the village hall and gave an excellent talk on phone, internet and door scams and how coincidental factors often take in the most savvy of us. For those that attended, sadly I was unable to, residents would have seen short films of those effected or heard from the audience of personal stories. The Parish Council will make any links available so those that missed the presentation so they may get access and an insight to this subject.

Finally, it was raised at the last AGM that the old road into Sutton has no status, it is no longer a road, nor is it a registered footpath. We are now commencing the official procedure to secure this path as a public footpath, and give it the status many had long thought it had. We will keep you updated on our progress as we move forward.

John Cross
Chair Sutton and Barlavington Parish Council
Next Meeting 5th March 2018 Sutton Church at 7.30pm

Parish Matters – December

A Letter from Brittany

Bonjour tout le monde, I am out in Brittany until the new year and whilst this is wonderful I have been pondering as to what to write in this article being far from the good people of Sutton and Barlavington.

I am staying in a large village called Rochefort en Terre, which is on the South side of Brittany and has a population of roughly 700 people. Last year it was voted by the French to be their prettiest village. The consequences of this accolade is that enormous numbers of tourists descend on the place during the summer and particularly at this time of the year to see the Christmas lights. You may be wondering why I am babbling on about this subject. Well I am curious to ponder and compare the governance and powers of the equivalent of a parish chair and the French Mayor the ‘mairie.’

Both are elected positions, and both chair a council of elected councillors, yet this is where the comparison ends. It is striking the absolute authority of the ‘mairie’. Once elected, the mayor, a paid post, appoint their administration. The mayor’s powers are significant, they spend their budget as they see fit, approval for any new enterprise, the use of any part of the town that is not your property, any planning all has to gain the mayor’s approval, without it you are sunk. Needless to say the opportunity for corruption is plentiful.

Interestingly, though the mayor in France has no authority over raising any tax, 100% of his funds come from regional administration, which in turn comes from central government. In England of course the parish council after government is the only body that can raise taxes, though the precept. So the comparison is interesting— in England the parish council has many responsibilities and no power except to raise a local tax and in France the ‘mairie’ has absolute power in everything except to raise a tax. The result of this arrangement is that in England we are frugal and only what needs attention is acted upon by the unpaid parish councillors, whilst in France everything is managed by the paid administration as funding is never locally accountable. I’ll let you decide which system is best.

Before moving to Sutton, the prettiest village in England, in 2010, we drove through the village many times and admired its classic ‘English-ness’. In 2009 we came to the village on hospitality day in the summer, vernacularly known as ‘hostility’ day, it is this day that set in motion the purchase of our house, which we saw that day. Hospitality day finished in 2009 as everyone became weary of the hard work and energy required for the event. It wasn’t the end of community life in the parish and others things come along, such as the film society, to fill the void. Sadly, the Gentlemen’s Christmas lunch has now come to the end of its run, for the time being. We must not be disheartened it is the natural circle of life, but we must thank those that got that show on the road and gave much time to give so much pleasure to the community and raise good funds for charity. We are still a tight community, I for one feel privileged to be a part of it, and I sure in good time something will again bring us together like the Christmas lunch. Happy, peaceful and prosperous New Year.

John Cross—Chair of Sutton and Barlavington Parish Council

Next PC meeting at Sutton Church on Monday 8th January 7pm 2018.

The dates for the forthcoming PC meetings are as follows:

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Parish Matters – October

As we begin the descent into winter the Parish Council is mindful that our winter maintenance preparations are all in good order, so grit bins topped up, contractor employed and Councillor Parkes is ready to authorise the gritting of key areas of road that are particularly susceptible to hazardous conditions, for example outside the White Horse and Sutton Hollow. There are other areas too that are gritted, but the point I wish to make is that more of the parish roads are not gritted than are. So do be careful when driving about in the coming months. Whist I am on the subject of road maintenance, you will have noticed that Councillor Brown has ensured that any potholes have been filled, culverts have been cleared and we are ready again for winter. Where you can help to minimise water on the roads is to clear leaves away from drains, if one is located near your house.

In the coming months the full implications of the ‘General Data Protection Requirements’ (GDPR) Act will become apparent to the Parish Council. This act will affect all the village clubs, societies and committees as the communication of personal data, the holding of databases with personal data and the forwarding of emails will fall under the long shadow of this act. More on this when our Clerk finds out more for us. With the GDPR in mind and the need for transparency in all the Parish Council’s communications, it is always wise to contact parish councillors via our clerk, Hannah, who will know to whom to direct emails and be in the loop to give advice if required. ( suttonbarlav@gmail.com )

An instance where residents may wish to seek advice from our clerk or relevant councillor is planning. Once again numerous residents and  applications do not appear to be following correct planning regulations and are consequently coming to the attention of planning enforcement. This, needless to say, can all be avoided if advice is sought in advance, and the Parish Council is more than happy to direct you to the right people.

Finally, many will have heard of the dreadful and shocking news of Nick Hajigeorgiou, our former landlord of the White Horse. I cannot begin to imagine what state of mind would drive anyone to such an extreme act, but I am deeply saddened for Nick and his family and I am sure we all extend our condolences to them at this difficult time.

John Cross

Chair of Sutton and Barlavington Parish Council

Next PC meeting Village Hall on Monday 8th January 7pm 2018.

The dates for the forthcoming PC meetings are as follows:

Parish Matters – September

Holiday season is over, as is the sunny weather, and the Parish Council is already getting our Winter Maintenance Plan submitted and put into action. So shortly salt bins will be topped up, the contractor who salts the roads will be engaged, and drains and ditches made ready for any deluge that lies ahead. You too can help by keeping leaves clear from any drain culvert near your property. Cllr. Parker is in charge of Winter Maintenance Plan process so if you do have anything you are concerned about or feel needs addressing do contract Yvette.

Something else the village needs to prepare for is the change of Landlord at the Whitehorse. In last month’s edition of the Village News it was announced when Nick was leaving, 18th September. Do go along and say goodbye to Nick, he has served the village well and we all wish him the best of luck for his future adventures.

The PC was invited to meet the new owners of the Whitehorse, John Connelly and Odile Griffith in the pub just before the Parish Council meeting on the 6th

September. This informal meeting allowed John and Odile to explain what their

vision and aspirations were for the pub, and likewise we were able to feed back ideas and thoughts we had received from residents. The bad news is that the Whitehorse will be closed from September to spring to allow for some major refurbishment to take place. The amount of time is contingent on planning approval and the extent of problems encountered. At our meeting the PC were told that this building work will be to update and refresh the structure and interior, but the pub will remain a pub and fundamentally it’s footprint and character will remain unchanged. The planning and listed building applications we are told will be submitted very soon.

We will also be making a link via the Village website to the Whitehorse website, so that residents can write in and make suggestions to the new owners. They are very keen to hear from the community, and indeed have already taken on-board

comments in their planning.

Whilst you are searching the village Website for the link to the Whitehorse you will also note that we have uploaded some images and notes in the archive section

relating to the 25th anniversary of Village Hall. Thanks to Brenda and Sue for

finding these photographs, and we will be asking them again to find other suitable images and stories to upload and expand the village archive on the website. Now that Cllr. Neave and Kevin Berry have been trained to upload stuff we look forward to much progress in this area and if you have any material that you think will be of interest do contact Sue Dudman and Brenda Phillips.

Finally, the Parish Council is looking for someone who would be willing to be the Parish tree warden. Such a role does not necessitate having to be on the PC, but the tree warden would need to liaise with the PC. If anyone is interested then please come and talk with me and I can explain further.

John Cross

Chair Sutton and Barlavington Parish Council

Next meeting in the Village Hall at 7.30pm on November 15th

Parish Matters August

As many of you know Nick at The White Horse will be leaving Sutton in theAutumn. We wish him well in the future.

 As soon as the Parish Council became aware that there would be a change of
landlord or owner, we applied to have the pub to become a village asset, the

Purpose of this was purely precautionary. It was a concern that should Enterprise Inns the owners of The White Horse not find a suitable purchaser and try to sell the pub for anything other than a pub, then the listing as a village asset would have given the residents of the village time to acquire the property and run it.
The White Horse village asset application remains valid for 5 years.

Sutton Bowling Club seems to be going from strength to strength with an

Enthusiastic team of helpers.
Building Management- Chris Dudman and Jeremy Pontin have done a sterling job
of painting the outside of the pavilion and resurrecting the loos.
Green Management- Stewart Dallyn,Anthony Harding and Denis Barnard have dealt with all many of vermin and greens in a very sad state but with applications of various treatments have improved the PH level from 4.5 to 6.5 and we understand that they are playing much better.

Lastly but by no means least-The Hospitality Team of Susan Harding,Susan

Dudman and Carolyne Pontin have provided excellent teas on match evenings.

Anybody that feels so inclined are invited to go along on Monday or Wednesday
evenings from 6.30.

Hilary Andrews
Vice Chair Sutton and Barlavington Parish Council

NEXT PARISH COUNCIL MEETING TO BE HELD IN SUTTON CHURCH
ON THE 6th SEPTEMBER

Planning Applications

No planning applications have been received this month.

Parish Matters July

On Saturday morning of the 13th July I sat in the village hall with a cup of coffee and a very nice piece of lemon drizzle cake, very well done whoever made it. The purpose of my ‘sit in’ was not to judge cakes but rather to allow the good folks of the parish to see the proposed development of Barlavington farmyard. If you are not sure where that is, it is where the great old barn is behind the church in

Barlavington. Many people took the opportunity to view the drawings and express their thoughts and opinions. I am most grateful as there were some useful

comments and observations. Several residents asked what was going to be the

parish council’s view; we will have submitted those thoughts by the time the VN goes to the press. Broadly our thoughts are exactly the same as the opinions I heard from residents. The site is an ancient farmyard, which probably hasn’t been touched for two or three hundred years and now is nearly in a state of abandonment. Do go and see it if you haven’t already done so, it’s quite a treasure. Sadly, if nothing is done further degradation will only make the site worse. Something has to be done to save the buildings that will keep the essence of the character of what was

formally there, of course that is never going to replace an old farmyard. Cllr Hilary Andrews’, Arthur Thompson and I also visited the site and will submit a number of observations, but generally the PC will not object to this development..

In the previous week, the 10th July, we also held a parish council meeting; unusually this was well attended by a number of residents for several different reasons. The first was the so called caravan site to be located in the village. There was much

discussion about this subject at the meeting, and generally in the village beforehand. We heard a statement read out by a friend of the caravan site licensee, which was tabled and will be minuted, and you can see that in the PC folder on the village

website. This matter does not fall within the remit of the PC, but it was agreed at the meeting that the PC would facilitate a discussion with a number of persons, yet to be identified, to bring this issue to a conclusion that is satisfactory to all. The

discussion group will table progress before the next PC meeting.

The other major issue that arose from the parish council meeting was the commotion that took place on the evening prior to the parish council meeting. The meeting heard the account of a number of residents in Greenfields and beyond, and again this falls out of the remit of the PC, but a number of residents asked the PC to intervene on their behalf and write to Hyde Marlett to ask them what action they would be taking in light of such a serious case of anti social behaviour.

Finally, on a more cheery note, the PC is in the process of putting a Community Initiative Grant for new seating benches for the Bowls Club. The current ones are rotten and not fit to be sat on so we are only too happy to help to get the club back on its feet and fit for purpose. Do go along on Monday or Wednesday evening from 6.30 and have a go, you might surprise yourself!

John Cross

Chair Sutton and Barlavington Parish Council

Next meetings of the Parish Council:

Wednesday 7.30pm, 13th September, SUTTON PARISH CHURCH

Wednesday 7.30pm, 15th November, Sutton Village Hall

Planning Applications

Case Number: SDNP /17/03290/LDE

Closing Date for Comments: 4th August 2017

Case Officer: Jenna Shore

Location: Sutton Court barn, Barlavington Lane, Sutton, RH20 1P

Proposal: Change of use land to garden

June 2017

Last month’s annual parish meeting was attended by 20 or so residents, who came along for drinks and sandwiches, thanks Nick, and primarily to listen to our guest speaker. Dr Ian Wightman, senior advisor for historic buildings for WSCC, gave an interesting and thought-provoking talk on the issues and problems that confront him and his colleagues. It was an enlightening presentation that illustrated the complexity and often seemingly contradictory approval or refusal of planning applications. I think all of us laymen went away with a greater understanding of his team’s role and purpose. Reports were also received from the Village Hall Committee, the Horticultural

Society and from me regarding the parish council’s priorities over the past and coming year.

Those priorities for the coming year are to become proactive, rather than

being reactive in ditch and drainage management in the parish, to seek

funding to continue to improve assets in the parish and to update and select a sample of the archive to the Village website. The Parish Council will

endeavour to do this whilst being keeping in our present financial forecasts.

In previous editions of ‘Parish Matters’ I have reported on the ditches and drains which we have already cleared for next winter. Further work to

unblock culverts needs doing later in the year before the onset of winter.

Since the last edition of VN we have had good news regarding the charming red brick bridge on the footpath from Sutton to Barlavington. West Sussex County Council are responsible for bridge repairs, not as I previously stated SDNP, and this bridge is now on their list to restore very shortly. I am so pleased about this as its an excellent piece of nineteenth century brick work and it would have been a great shame to have lost it due to poor maintenance.

Finally, once again I write about the loss of a resident, Jane Lawes, to our community. Jane was a fully active member of our rural life, she was well respected and loved and will be greatly missed.

John Cross

Chair Sutton and Barlavington Parish Council

Next meeting at the Village Hall on Monday 10th July, 7.30 pm

Following meeting: Wednesday 6th September in the Church

Wednesday 15th November.

May 2017

Beating the Bounds, Gangdays prior to the Norman conquest, I don’t think is part of our local churches calendar, do correct me if I am wrong. Should this ancient ritual still be undertaken then Ascension day, May 25th this year, will be the day to gather with our clergyman and beat the boundary stones of the parish with sticks of birch and willow and pray for good fortune of the parish. Now we have our two boundary stones restored between Sutton and Bignor once again we can follow the parish boundaries in order to avoid disputes over ownership and maintenance. Apparently such disputes were regular occurrences in times gone by, on one such occasion in the eighteenth century two groups of young men from Sutton and Bignor became embroiled in a punch up while ‘Beating the Bounds’.

The parish council is beating its on bounds, by continuing to concentrate on maintenance and up keep of the parish assets. In our efforts to improve the

infrastructure of the parish we have gradually been looking at the state of

drainage, which I wrote about last month, but also the bus shelter, roads and bridges. The more observant of you will have noticed that the bus shelter had lost a few tiles, this has now been rectified and that the Sutton noticeboard has lost one of its doors. Thanks to the Dudman’s for salvaging the door before more damage occurred and special thanks to Tony Saward for repairing the door. Hopefully, by the time this Village News goes to press I will have got the door screwed back onto its frame. The door was broken because someone hadn’t turned the catch properly and the wind then caught it, so could all those that pin information please ensure the door is closed securely.

Another village asset that is in a much reduced state is the red brick footbridge on the way to Barlavington. This old, guessing nineteenth century, bridge has been gradually eroded by tree roots causing several layers of brickwork to be lost and a very uneven path is the consequence. The Parish Council is seeking

external funding to restore the bridge before it collapses and is replaced with a standard SDNP wooden one. More on this as we progress.

The Parish Council as you will have noticed reduced the precept as a percentage of your council tax this year. We are continuing to find savings and value for money. This year we shall be reviewing our liability insurance to see if savings can be gained. One area where we cut our costs was to stop all charitable

donations. It was the parish councillors view that we are not here to tax

residents and then give their monies to very worthy causes. If you disagree with us then we are happy to review our policy.

Next Meeting in the Village Hall on July 10th 7.30pm

April 2017

As of the first of April the parish council has a new Clerk, Louise O’Callaghan, Rachel will hand over the finances at the end of the May and Louise we then be in charge. The parish council thank Rachel Orr for all her stirling work over nearly two years. Communication by email with Louise is exactly the same, so anything that arises that you feel should be bought to the parish council’s attention do please contact any of the parish councillors or Louise on the same email address.

Something that the parish council, in particular Cllr Wendy Brown, has been focusing on recently is clearing drains and ditches. This spring we are taking a proactive approach, having spent several years clearing drains, ditches and culverts that had been long neglected, we can finally target our efforts on areas that tend to flood, overflow or block readily. In particular you will have noticed the water pooling just south of the Permissive path before Couch Farm Lane, our contractor has dug soakaways and this water has now ‘soaked away’. All drains into the village have been cleared, and the stream that rises in the middle of Sutton Hollow, has hopefully been diverted by a newly created ditch, which you can see as you go down the hill on the left hand side. We are hoping this new ditch will stop, or at least drastically reduce, the water crossing the road and then freezing. Finally, now the winter is behind us we will be pushing to get our annual road repairs done very soon.

One of the many communication the parish council are sent by WSCC is the draft neighbourhood plan and sustainability appraisal for Petworth. I haven’t had a chance to look at this yet, but thought this might be of interest given its proximity to us. You can gain sighting of these documents by visiting Petworth Town Council’s website.

Finally, to remind you of the date of the annual parish meeting. This will be held in the Village Hall on Wednesday 24th May at 7pm, and our guest speaker will be Ian Wrightman, senior historic buildings advisor at CDC.

John Cross

Chair Sutton and Barlavington Parish Council

Next Parish Council meeting will be in the Village Hall on 26th April commencing at 7.30pm.

15th March 2017

In last month’s parish matters I had a short rant about the parish council being asked its opinion on everything and generally being ignored on the important things that concern us.  One of my more attentive readers wrote to say I was factually incorrect.  Wishing to be a paragon of virtue and model of the free press we all love and respect, I am happy to self regulate and correct my error.  Planning, which is what I was complaining about, does not fall to WSCC but rather is controlled by SDNP and is run locally by its agent CDC. 

As I am discussing local authority powers, the parish council has received no volunteers to fill the two parish councillors vacant posts .  While this in itself can be managed in the short term, we do need residents to step forward.  The smaller the Parish Council, the more work falls on the Clerk, which in turn costs us all more money in extra wages.   Last month I mentioned our present Clerk was standing down.  Rachel Orr has been a real asset and work diligently for the parish for nearly two years, we wish her well in her new career.   

Rachel has also worked hard trying to find us a new Clerk.  At the beginning of the month Councillor Wendy Brown and I interviewed and appointed a new Clerk Hannah Louise O’Callaghan.  The exact date of hand over is to be negotiated, which is complicated by the parish accounts having to be ready for auditing around this time of year.  Despite this we will have a new Clerk very shortly.

WSCC have written to all parishes to advise them that ‘Operation Watershed’ is going to be funded again this year and all Parishes are encouraged to apply and seek funding.  So we will be again looking at pinch points in the parish where drainage and flooding regularly occur and how we can alleviate such locations in the future.  If you have suggestions do let us know.  On a not unrelated subject the SDNP ranger will be contacting us shortly about any repairs to gates, styles, signposts, footpaths etc.  Already the Ranger and his team have around our parish, cutting back and clearing footpaths, bridle ways and removing fallen trees and debris.  So if you do know of any areas that are in need of urgent attention again let any of the parish councillors know.

John Cross

15th February 2017

A couple of months ago in this column I mentioned and illustrated the Bignor and Sutton boundary stone.  This stone had been upturned, and now we hope will be corrected and made stable.  The stone is marked on the ordinance survey maps that layout Lords Piece, so this was easy to identify and locate correctly.  However, someone mentioned there was another boundary stone!  This has confounded everyone, even those who have lived in and around the parish for many years had no knowledge of this other stone.  Well I am pleased to say this isn’t a figment of some persons imagination, it is true.  There is another boundary stone.  This new information is thanks to Brenda Phillips, who contacted an old acquaintance who had lived in the parish for many years (Brenda did tell me his name, but I’ve forgotten it).  He knew of the boundary stones and was able to tell us about the fabled missing stone.  It is positioned by the barn at Maresby, commonly known as the house in the woods, near Bignor old school house.   I haven’t been to see it yet but intend too.  I suppose there is more to this story, why was there a need to have boundary stones between Sutton and Bignor , and when were they placed there?  I do remember reading in an old account of life in the Parish that there was ‘fisty cuffs’ between the young men of the parishes of Bignor and Sutton and now wonder if this boundary was disputed for many years.  Again if anyone knows more, I would be interested to hear.

You will have noticed from the notice boards, emails and village news that we are currently seeking a new Clerk.  Rachel has done a fabulous job over the last eighteen month and has decided to move on, we hope to be able to interview and appoint a new Clerk, more on this very soon.  The other notice the Parish Council has circulated is that positions are available on the Parish Council itself.  There are two positions vacant and we would like to fill these, as at present the work of the Parish Council is falling to just five of us.  Should you be interested in serving the community in this manner do feel free to contact any of us to discuss what it might involve.

Finally, the Parish Council, as usual, has been asked to contribute to various reports and documents regarding all manner of things ‘Public Space Protection Orders’ , ‘Dog Control’ and the ‘Joint Minerals Local Plan, Proposed Submission Draft (Regulation 19)’.  Interesting that our opinions are sought for all these documents yet the one thing we do have strong opinions on and wish to express to WSCC is always ignored, namely planning applications and appeals.   With this in mind, we have managed to arrange  as one of the speakers for the annual parish meeting in May, Ian Whiteman.  Many will know Dr Whiteman, as he is the Senior Advisor on Historic Buildings and will have come across him in any application if you live in a listed building or live within the conservation area.  I for one look forward to that talk.  More about the Annual Parish Meeting nearer to the date.

John Cross

15th January 2017

Should you decide to meander down the hill from the White Horse you will be amazed at the state of our ditches, culverts and drains.  Not for a long-time has the excess rain water flowed so freely into these. For a number of years this, and the previous Parish Council, have been trying to reverse the neglect of these hidden and forgotten features of our village.  Finally, after a large grant from ‘operation watershed’ and some determination, from first myself, and then with much greater success Cllr Wendy Brown we have stopped the water flowing down the road rather than into the drains, culverts and ditches.  We are aware of one last culvert that appears to be blocked, but despite this hickup we can already begin to see the damage and degradation to the road edge.  Clearly this time of year is not conducive to road repair but we will begin in earnest in a months time to lobby for the roadside to be repaired.

I thought my article in last month’s Village News on the boundary stones would bring about a cornucopia of information regarding the stones correct position and the location of the missing stone.  Sadly, all those in the Village with long memories were bamboozled and unaware of the boundary stones existence.  It would be interesting to locate the person who spoke with Rosemary Elliott’s on Lords Peace who remember the other stone!  Sebastian Anstruther did contact us to say he would ask the estate workers to keep an eye out for the lost stone, as well as uprighting the up turned stone.

At the last parish council meeting on the 11th January we found ourselves nice and warm in the Village Hall despite the freezing cold weather.  The warmth was in part due to the newly installed boiler, which if you recall was a joint bid from Sutton and Barlavington and Bignor parishes to the New Homes Bonus scheme.  We were successful in that joint bid and have been able to give a considerable donation to the Village Hall Committee for this new boiler and hope that will keep the Village Hall warm for many years.  We will continue to work with the Village Hall Committee to update, replace and renovate the hall for everyone’s pleasure.

Finally, this month we received the resignation of Caroline Pontin, who having been given exceptional leave has decided to step aside.  We thank Caroline for her work on the parish council.  Sadly, we also received another resignation letter from our parish clerk.  Rachel has been with us for two years and has been invaluable in that time and will be sorely missed.  Notices and emails have been sent out on the village website, and so if you are interested in either serving on the parish council or as the parish clerk then do speak with either Rachel, Cllr Andrews or myself.

John Cross

15th December

Despite the mild weather of late councillor Parkes has been doing a lot of work organising a winter maintenance plan.  The grit bins are full and additional boxes of salt have been left with numerous residents, but we have been aware that WSCC do not extend gritting to the small B and C roads about the parish, so in previous years we have relied on the good will of local farmers even during their busy times,and will continue to do so when we have significant snowfall.  However, the Parish Council has been for sometime looking at how we can afford and undertake gritting the roads when we have very cold nights within our limited budget.  Cllr Parkes has done much research and after much investigation the Parish Council are going to try a company called Sussex Manures, who are based in Slindon, to grit our roads on our instruction when the temperature drops below -3 degrees.  They were first called out when we had that sharp spell a couple off weeks ago.  We do have a limited budget so we will see how this goes and monitor and review its progress after the winter has passed.

Rosemary Elliott contacted me last week to discuss amongst other things the over turned boundary stone on Lords Piece.  I have been walking there many times and was not aware of any boundary stones existence, or should I say their existence, as one seems to be missing.  I illustrate Rosemary’s image of the up turned boundary stone.    The boundary stone is distinctive as it has a ‘B’ on one side and a ‘S’ on the other, it is thought the other stone is identical and would have marked the boundary between Bignor and Sutton.  The stone that is on its side is marked on ordinance survey maps and is roughly on the ‘Southern end of the boundary bank that traverses Lords Piece near the quarry.’  If anyone knows of the missing stones whereabouts, or has any information about the history of either of them, or where we should be looking to find the missing or buried stone the Parish would be delighted to hear.  If we can locate them and identify their correct position we can pass this onto the SDNP ranger to restore them.  Thank you Rosemary for bringing this to our attention. 

Just to remind everyone about rubbish collection over the New Year is as follows; 23rd December recycling, 31st December general waste, 6th January recycling.  Thereafter we go back to normal unless we hear otherwise. 

It just remains for me to say on behalf of the Parish Council happy new year.

John Cross

15th November

At the parish council meeting, held on the 9th November, numerous issues were discussed that we will be acting upon in the coming months.  Every meeting the district and county councillors for our area also endeavour to come along and bring us up to date with various issues and grants that are available to the parish.  This month Cllr Michael Brown, discussed the substantial grants for the maintenance of paved footpaths.  Alas the only paved footpaths we have in the parish are in Greenfield, and they are in good order.  Cllr Brown also asked us to remind everyone that the county councillor do not come out and unblock roadside drains and at this time of year they quickly become blocked by leaves.  So if you are walking around the parish, with stout shoes or wellies, and come across clogged up drains please do drag out the debris. Today I did my regular survey of the three drains by my house and despite clearing them out last week they were all firmly blocked.  If we have a sustained period of rainfall we are more likely to be cut off by flooding if we do not keep clearing these drains.

In last month’s village news I mentioned that the parish council and the village hall committee were going to meet to discus how a refuge facility could be provided for the Village in an emergency.   The issue of affordability, ownership and maintenance was discussed at length and the parish council’s intention is to investigate the costs, maintenance and grants that are available before we commit ourselves or the village hall to anything.  It is the parish council’s view that such a facility ought to be available for all residents as long as the parish council can seek grants to cover the capital costs and afford the servicing of acquired equipment

Finally, having just heard of the sudden death of Norman Young I wanted to express my sadness and regret at loosing a fine servant of this parish.  Norman sat on two parish council’s, to my knowledge, and was the chairman of the planning committee in the previous parish council.  He undertook this role with great energy and always sought to do his best for our parish, to mediate if their was discord, to pursue wrongdoing doggedly, but always with good grace and humour.  We all own him a debt of gratitude and I for one wish the world had more gentlemen like Norman.

John Cross

Chair Sutton and Barlavington Parish Council

15th October

In last week’s Village News Jo Wellman highlighted the on-going problem of fly tipping in and around the vicinity. WSCC decision a few months ago to charge businesses and households for even the smallest amount of rubble at recycling centres will only make the situation worse. Despite many parishes warning of the consequences of introducing such a charge the short term necessity of saving and making money seems to have trumped logic. We can all expect the dumping of waste building materials to become a constant and regular feature of country life. Should you see or be suspicious of vans, or come across any material that has been dumped please let any of the Parish Councillors know so we can keep a record of the extent of this problem and in the future lobby for this ridiculous charging of building waste to be scrapped.At this time of the year the Parish Council start to gather evidence and compile a list of footpaths, hedges, fences and bridges that may need to be looked at in the early spring by the South Downs National Park ranger, Nick Scott. We have

already had a number of folk mentioning the footpath beyond School Lane, but if there are other stiles and gates, fingerpost that have become in a state of disrepair then could you let Cllr Wendy Brown known. Sutton and Bignor have both been proactive in using the services of the Ranger and in turn this positive engagement has been reciprocated by our Ranger and his volunteers. Since the SDNP was established there has been much improvement in the state of the footpaths and accessibility for walkers, let’s hope that continues.

Many of you will be aware that Southern Electricity have been doing a significant amount of tree pollarding, the footpath opposite the White Horse being the most visual example. The drastic pruning in this instance was necessary as the sub

station and the main electricity cables had become completely engulfed and entwined by the trees, the effect of this was brief intermittent interruption of power supply. Clearly this work was long overdue.

Finally, the Parish Council was informed that it’s New Homes Bonus Grant application was successful and that the new boiler for the Village Hall can now be acquired, so these funds will be passed to the Village Hall Committee when the boiler is purchased, hopefully the new boiler will be installed relatively soon. The Village Hall Committee and the Parish Council will be meeting jointly soon to discuss a range of issues, but fore most on our minds will be the idea of the Village Hall being equipped to be a refuge in case of emergency such as prolonged periods of electricity outage, floods etc…. This facility needs to be funded and maintained and the responsibility of who does what needs to be settled. The meeting will also examine other funding sources that could be called upon to further improved the Village Hall itself.

John Cross

Chair Sutton and Barlavington Parish Council

Next Parish Council Meeting in the Village Hall on November 9th, 7.30pm

15th August 2016

This is a reminder that the on-line enquiry form for Report a Problem with Roads and Pavements has replaced highways@westsussex.gov.uk as from the 1st August 2016.

For any complaints and enquiries contact should be made to the above other than of course for the roads etc around Sutton. Cllr.Wendy Brown is still responsible.

From September 6th the new national phone number 105 will be launched by electricity network operators for customers to call should they need to report or get information about power cuts in our areas.

Vulnerable customers who would like to sign up to the ‘Priority Services Register’ can still call 0800 169 9970 or e-mail psr@ukpowernetworks.co.uk

Cllr.Neave writes; ‘Over the next couple of weeks I will send an e mail out to introduce you to the new village website. It won’t quite be the finished article (and I will be looking for some volunteers to furnish some information to fill in the gaps) but it’s hopefully a good start and no doubt, will grow and evolve over time, it will be aimed at both visitors to our area and residents.

As a brief taster,it will include PC agendas and minutes; information on village hall and film society; links to the Churches,White Horse and Bignor Roman Villa websites.It will sit alongside The Village News – some of us will always like paper whilst others will prefer the digital option!’.

I am sure most of you would have noticed that Ravesland Field at the Coates crossroads is filled with tents and caravans towards the end of July/August for a week.

I took the opportunity to pay the organisers a visit and was amazed to discover they have been meeting up each year since 1926!

The camp is known as Camp Brighthelm and is affiliated to the United Reform Church in Brighton. The organisers originally  stared the camp for youngsters to escape the confines of fairly strict family life and experience the open air and freedom of the countryside.

The oldest camper this summer was 92 years of age and has been with the group since it’s inception. The ages vary from young babies to of course the eldest if 92 years.

Some of the members learnt to walk at the camp and now bring their young families to do the same and with some families this year with 5 generations of extended family having their annual get together.

The camp is extremely well run and is totally self sufficient, this is all part of the committee of 10 who have rosters for duties strictly adhered to which involves Chiefs,cooks,engineers, caterers and orderlies.

There are usually 150 guests who pay £120 per head full board!! Including early morning tea served to their tents!!!

The highlight this year was an experiment of burying a whole pig in a huge pit of hot stones and wood for 18 hours and I was assured by Martin Porter (1 of the Chiefs) it was delicious.

They assured me they would be back next year and I for one look forward to their return.

Hilary Andrews

Vice Chair Sutton and Barlavington Parish Council

15th July 2016

In recent weeks the more visually aware will have noticed the Sutton telephone box has changed colours several times.  It’s traditional K6 telephone box red was replaced by a fetching pink.  WSCC Councillor Brown and PC Councillor Brown wishing to reflect the open, rich and diverse nature of our small community thought the kiosk should celebrate gay pride day.  Just kidding.   The necessary pink undercoat application amusingly did coincide with that event though.  All will agree the telephone box looks the best it’s look in a number of years, well done Cllr Brown for organising and executing this task.

A number of residents in Greenfield’s contacted the Parish Council regarding Hyde Bartlett’s new found interest in cars found parking on the green and generally on the road.  Concern was expressed that Hdye Bartlett would investigate reconciling the issue by replacing part of the green with parking provision.  One of the costs being the felling of the Lime tree in the centre of the green.  The council, at the request of some residents, have applied and successfully obtained a tree preservation order (TPO).  So any future plans will need to consider the tree and its environment.  The council should be informed though planning or highways of any alterations to the road layout and if we do hear anything we will be sure to let everyone have their say.

On the 6th July the Parish Council meeting took place and one of the matters that required a decision was the NHB grant.  After much consultation we finally have a consensus that a bid should be made for a contribution to the much needed new boiler for the Village Hall, this would require both Sutton and Barlavington and our close neighbour Bignor applying jointly, which both parties are happy to do.  This application needs to be completed by the end of month so Cllr Neave is working with the Village Hall Committee to populate the application in time.  In order to give the application the best possible chance of success, the new boiler and the Village Hall is to be equipped as a place of ‘refuge’.  This means that should the community, or individuals, suffer long periods of electricity outage and some other unspecified disaster the Village Hall will be in a condition to help, by having a warm environment where food can be cooked  and shelter sought.  Needless to say this means that the Village Hall does not just require a new boiler, so other plans and applications will be submitted to various grant providers to make the grant for a new boiler part of a slightly larger project.  The Parish Council of course will be working closely with the Village Hall Committee to make this ‘refuge’ provision happen.

Another item that comes round too quickly is the ‘winter maintenance plan’.  We were lucky last year having very mild weather, whether that is the case next winter is in the lap of the gods.  We have limited resources and currently Cllr Parkes is investigating how we can best spread the limited grit available to us when the need arises.  More on this in the coming months.

Next month my deputy will be writing ‘Parish Matters’ when we will be able to give you an update on the village website.

John Cross

Chairman Sutton and Barlavington Parish Council

Next Parish Council Meeting will be in the Village Hall on September 14th 7.30pm

15th June 2016

The annual parish meeting took place on the 25th May and was well attended with thirty residents coming along. A big thank you to all those that contributed.  Our two main and external speakers were Janet Wilmot of Sussex Wildlife Trust and Peterl Gillbee of Burton Park Management both delivering fascinating talks on aspects of the landscape in and close to the parish.  Interestingly, whether the wild natural landscape of the Downs or the man-made landscape of Capability Brown’s work at Burton Park, both are heavily managed either to return the flora and fauna to how we think it should be or to make sure the flora and fauna are not how we think it should be.  Whether you enjoyed the talks or not, and whether you agree to how they are being managed or not, it is clear we are very much observers of these changes and projects that effect the countryside that we inhabit.  That aside one of speakers also informed us, for those keen nature lovers and invertebrate enthusiasts you will be pleased to know we have the rare Alder Leaf Beetle in our midst.  Perhaps Toni Green will dedicated a few paragraphs in the next edition to educate us as to its appearance and habits!

The continuing discussion on the New Homes Bonus will come to an end at the next parish council meeting on July 6th.  At the APM I raised this issue again to bring everyone up to date, in short we have received no other ideas other than the Village Hall Committee suggestion of funding towards a new boiler.  This does meet the criteria and broadly speaking all parties concerned support this idea.   Unless we receive any alternative thoughts then we will make an application to the NHB scheme after the PCs approval.

Another issue that was raised by concerned residents at the annual parish meeting was Sutton Bowls Club.  It was reported by a resident that a number of parishioners were concerned about the state of the bowling greens and the apparent abandonment of this village facility. So much so that a group of residents took it upon themselves to dedicate a day to maintain the Bowls Club, in order to save the greens and make the place at least look more presentable.  Clearly, the parish councillors are aware of developments and are looking and acting on a number of options, but given the long and lamentable history of this problem there is no simple answer.  We are open to all thoughts and ideas.

Finally, there have been a number of incidents of fly tipping in and around the area.  Both Bignor and Barlavington have had to deal with the aftermath of this outrage. Coincidentally the parish council was asked to contribute to the consultation over WSCC changing opening times and charging for the use of recycling centres for vans and folk with trailers.  The PC expressed the view any such suggestion to charge will only encourage further fly tipping, if it happens without charges it is likely to increase if fees are introduced.  In terms of opening hours they know when their facilities are used and under used, why ask us.

John Cross

Chairman Sutton and Barlavington Parish Council

Next parish council meeting will be held on Wednesday the 6th July, Village Hall, 7.30pm

15th May 2016

This time last year the Parish Council bid for funds for the new comfortable chairs for the Village Hall.  I think everyone is pleased with the upgrade in seating arrangements.  It appears that if Bignor and Sutton and Barlavington Parish’s conjoin in another bid for the New Homes Bonus scheme then we may be able to apply for a further grant.  The reason for the need for the two parishes to work on this together is that separately we do not qualify, but together we do.

Both Sutton and Bignor representatives have agreed that it is in both parishes interest to submit a joint bid.  Rachel Orr our parish clerk has sent around an email circular asking for ideas for what we should use this grant for, if we were successful in our application.  We have asked the Village Hall Committee to forward ideas, and Rachel mentioned in her email that they have suggested the funds could go towards contributing to a new boiler.  If you do have any other ideas do send these to any of the Parish Councillors or our Clerk, the Parish Council have to submit an application by July so please gives us your ideas soon.

In another enterprise with Bignor parish we have jointly, and successfully, bid for funding for the Queen’s 90th birthday celebrations.  The Village Hall Committee are arranging a street party, to take place on the 12th June, so the funds will go towards the cost of the live music.  The grant could not be used to purchase alcohol, so instead of a toast to the Queen we will be dancing to the Queen, perhaps Abba’s famous hit would be appropriate!

On the June 11th we have arranged, with the help of David Snowdon, to have a Defibrillator training day. This has not been arranged the day before the street party because we think everyone will be dancing wildly for hours and may over do it, it is purely coincidental.  Dr. Richard Richardson has very kindly agreed to come and demonstrate, kindly assisted by David, how to use this life saving piece of equipment.  Could those that are interested in attending please contact theme Clerk or me, I will be one of those that will be going along, it would be useful to know in advance how many residents are likely to attend.  The session will commence at 10am at the Village Hall and should last roughly an hour.

I mentioned last month that the annual parish meeting will be on Wednesday 25th May at 7pm in the Village Hall, all are welcome.  As well as our two speakers, Janet Wilmot from Sussex Wildlife Trust and Peter Gillby who will be talking about Burton Park house and parklands.  We will also have numerous reports from the different representatives of village committees and elected councillors.

Oh of course there will be nibbles and a glass of wine to help you enjoy the evening further.

John Cross -Chairman of Sutton and Barlavington Parish Council

MEETINGS SCHEDULE 2020

All meetings are held at 7.30pm and in the Church , unless otherwise stated.

Due to the ongoing COVID 19 situation there will be no Annual General Meeting or Parish Meeting in May 2020

Parish Council Meeting 6 July
Parish Council Meeting 14 September
Parish Council Meeting 2 November (Budget Discussion)

Annual General Meeting 4 May 2020 – CANCELLED

Annual Parish Meeting 6 May 2020 CANCELLED

Draft Minutes 9 March 2020

Agenda 9 March 2020

Minutes January 15 2020

Agenda 15 January 2020

Minutes 4 November 2019

Agenda 4 November 2019

Minutes 9 September 2019

Agenda 9 September

Minutes 1 July 2019

Agenda 1 July 2019

Minutes 13th May 2019

Agenda 13th May 2019

Minutes 6th March 2019

Agenda 6th March 2019

DRAFT Minutes March 2019

Agenda March 2019

Minutes January 2019

Agenda January 2019

Minutes November 2019

Agenda November 2018

Minutes September 2018

Agenda September 2018

Minutes AGM May 2018

Minutes July 2018

Agenda July 2018

AGM Agenda May 2018

Minutes March 2018

Agenda March 2018

Minutes January 2018

 Agenda January 2018

Minutes November 2017

Agenda November 2017

Minutes September 2017

Agenda September 2017

Minutes July 2017

Agenda July 2017

AGM Minutes May 2017

AGM Agenda May 2017

Minutes PC Meeting April 2017

Minutes PC Meeting 22nd March 2017

Agenda PC Meeting 22nd March 2017

Minutes PC Meeting 11th January 2017

Agenda PC Meeting 11th January 2017

Minutes PC Meeting 9th November 2016 Agenda PC Meeting 9th November 2016 Minutes PC Meeting 14th September 2016 Agenda PC meeting 14th September Minutes PC Meeting 6th July 2016 Agenda PC Meeting 6th July 2016 Minutes PC Meeting 18th May 2016 Agenda PC Meeting 18th May 2016 Agendas and Minutes May 2015 to March 2016

In order to keep everyone better informed about new planning applications, The Parish Council now includes details of new applications monthly both in the Village News and our website with a link to the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) planning portal where further information and associated documents can be viewed – see below. This is in addition to the information regularly updated and posted on the notice boards.

The Parish Council is a consultee in the planning process and if anyone wishes to discuss a current application, please contact Hilary Andrews, Chair of Planning at suttonbarlav@gmail.com.

CURRENT PLANNING APPLICATIONS

SDNP/17/03405/HOUS Bakers Cottage, Sutton

SDNP/17/02862/FUL Barlavington Farm, Church Lane

SDNP/17/02863/LIS Barlavington Farm, Church Lane

APPLICATION CODES AND DESCRIPTION

External Auditor Report & Certificate

2019 AGAR Sections 1 & 2

2019 Notice of Conclusion of Audit

Notice of Public Rights 2018-19

2018-19 Payments

Explanation of Variances 2018-19

Bank Reconciliation 2018-19

2018-19 AGAR

Internal Audit Report 2018-19

Sutton Uncontested Election Notification

Sutton SOPN

Barlavington Uncontested Election Notification

Barlavington SOPN

Certificate of Exemption 2017-18

Annual Accounting Statement 2017-18

Annual Governance Statement 2017-18

Internal Audit Report 2017-18

Variance Analysis 2017-18

End of Year Bank Reconciliation 2017-18

Notice of Public Rights 2017-18

Payments 2017-18

Privacy Statement 2018

General Data Protection Information

Data Protection Policy 2018

Document Retention Policy 2018

Freedom of Information Policy 2018

External Audit Report and Certificate 2016 – 17

Acounting Statements 2016-17

Annual Governance Statement 2016-17

Internal Audit Report 2016 – 17

Annual Return Notice of conclusion of Audit Year ending March 31st 2017

Payments over £100 Year Ending 31st March 2016

Notification of Public Rights Year Ending March 2016

Accounting Statement Year Ending 31st March 2016

Annual Governance Statement Ending 31st March 2016

Annual Return External Auditor report year ending 31st March 2016

Annual Return Internal Audit report year ending 31st March 2016

Internal Audit Report Ending 31st March 2016

Annual Return Notice of conclusion of audit Year ending March 31st 2016

John Cross Chairman, Strategy and VDS, cllr.jcross@gmail.com

Hilary Andrews Vice Chair, Chair of Planning, Strategy and VDS, cllr.handrews@gmail.com

Wendy Brown Roads and Ditches, cllrwbrown@gmail.com

David Snowdon Tree Warden, cllr.dsnowdon@gmail.com

Yvette Parkes Winter Maintenance Plan 01798 69280

There is one vacancy on the Parish Council. For more information on how to apply to be a councillor, please see our vacancy page.

All parish councillors are members of the Planning Committee. 

Hannah-Louise O’Callaghan Parish Clerk  suttonbarlav@gmail.com

PARISH COUNCILLORS

Parish Clerk and RFO – Hannah-Louise O’Callaghan, Wykikamookow, School Lane, Fittleworth, RH20 1JB. Tel: 07584 269606 email: suttonbarlav@gmail.com