Lindfield Parish Plan
Many
Mid-Sussex towns and villages have plans to provide guidance for the future
development of their infrastructure and of their communities. The Society is
supporting Lindfield Parish Council in its initiative to prepare a Village
Parish Plan, which is intended to be all embracing and to include every
aspect
of Lindfield life.
Rev Michael J Davies, who is a Lindfield Parish Councillor and who also
sits on our Management Committee, is Chairman of the Parish Council’s
Parish Plan Committee. However, the plan is to be based on submissions by
residents. An independent Steering Group is to be set up in May and
initially
five or six working groups are being assembled, covering such matters as:
Traffic & Transport, Safety & Security, Sports & Leisure, Village
facilities & attractions (e.g. Parish magazine, maintenance of retail
businesses, additions to the King Edward Hall facilities), Housing &
Environment.
The Lindfield Village Appraisal 2000, which was based on replies to a
questionnaire sent to all residents, will be the starting point, with the aim
of the final plan being ready in about one year. Before being adopted it will
require the approval of residents. With nearly 1,000 members the Society
feels
it can make inputs on a broad range of issues.
Our three delegates, Peter Lawson, John Jesson & Alan Gunson, have
initially elected as their topics: the preparation of a Village Design
Statement, and the Protection and Management of the Environment. With a large
commuter population and an increasing volume of through traffic, these
aspects
of the village will be included in the plan, and the Society is already
involved in a joint study on this with Lindfield Parish Council and West
Sussex
County Council. The village has many nursery and other schools, as well as
more
than the average number of elderly residents, so all ages must be catered
for.
Our delegates will be taking into account suggestions already put
forward by members and they look forward to receiving further comments and
ideas for inclusion in the plan.
Alan Gunson, April 2005
Photo: Chris Bosker | |  | | |
Streetmate
Last November
the
Management Committee invited Jenni Addison the Project Coordinator to make a
presentation at our meeting about Streetmate and its work with the young
people
of our village.
Streetmate is a partnership founded and supported by NCH and Churches Together
in Haywards Heath and district, which aims to respond to the needs of young
people in the local community aged between 13 and 25, encouraging their
potential and helping them to live more rewarding and fulfilling lives.
The project employs a youth worker able to meet young people in their own
surroundings to offer support, guidance and information on issues that affect
them. This includes putting them in touch with services aimed at young
people,
and developing new projects in partnership with other agencies.
Streetmate also aims to give young people a voice within the community,
by helping them to influence and shape the services available to them and the
decisions that affect their lives.
As a result of this presentation the Management Committee has offered
financial support for the work of Streetmate in Lindfield for the next three
years, subject to the appointment of a replacement for Jenni Addison who has
now completed her work in our area.
Alan Gomme, April 2005
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| | | | Year of the Volunteer 2005
As 2005
is “The Year of
the Volunteer” the Management Committee discussed at a recent meeting
the
possibility of the Society’s becoming more actively involved in
improving
the village environment and possibly sponsoring some items of village
maintenance.
We know that there are already a number of villagers who are actively
involved in keeping our historic village looking its best throughout the year
by maintaining flower beds or by taking part in the clean-up day organised by
the Parish Council. However the idea I put to the committee was a bit more
radical but it could only work if enough of our members are interested in
volunteering.
There are a number of maintenance tasks, such as painting the posts around the
pond, that are not done as regularly as is desirable due to a lack of funds
in
the Lindfield public purse. What I suggested was that if we could find enough
volunteers from our members to undertake village projects as a team then the
Society would finance the materials. Particular projects would of course need
to be discussed with the Parish Council.
Before your Management Committee can enter into any such discussions
about village projects we need to know how many of you will volunteer. If you
are interested in volunteering for Lindfield please give me a call on 01444
483086 or email me.
Alan Gomme, April 2005
Treasurer, Mid-Sussex Volunteering | | |
| | | | Speedwatch
As a
result of your representative's discussions with the Lindfield Parish Council
within the Joint Traffic Working Party, the feasibility of Lindfield having
its
own Speed Watch scheme operated by volunteers is being actively investigated.
Community Speed Watch (CSW) schemes arose from an idea to involve local
residents in speed reduction activity in Ash, Somerset, and which has been
successfully tried out in Sussex. Put simply, speed monitoring is carried out
by trained volunteers from the community, with follow-up work on education
and
enforcement by Sussex Police and the local authority.
Initially, letters are sent to registered keepers of offending
vehicles, asking for their assistance in keeping speeds down in your
community,
with persistent offenders targeted for police enforcement.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer involved in the operation
of Lindfield's own Speedwatch scheme, please contact me on 01444 483086 or
email
me.
Alan
Gomme, April 2005 | |  |
| | | | Public Toilets in Lindfield
In any
town
or village centre, particularly one with a significant number of visitors
travelling from a distance or with elderly residents, the provision of
adequate
public toilet facilities must surely be a high priority. However, in an
attempt to save a few points on its Council Tax change, the Mid-Sussex
District
Council, having already closed the toilets on Lindfield Common, has decided
that unless the Parish Council will take over the responsibility and cost of
running the Denmans Lane toilets, they too will have to be closed.
Whilst it can be argued that the conveniences on the Common were little
used (except on occasions like Village Day and Bonfire Night) and were also
vulnerable to vandalism and misuse, those in the heart of the village are
absolutely essential. What is more, since the Parish Council will clearly
have
to take over responsibility if MSDC insists on closure, the cost will have to
be added to the precept, so that the council taxpayer will not save a penny.
There seems to have been no real consultation until after the decision
was made. Strong representations have subsequently been made to MSDC to
reconsider what appears to have been an arbitrary and ill-conceived decision
(other toilets in Haywards Heath, Cuckfield & Hassocks are to be
retained)
and to maintain at least the Denmans Lane facilities as a vital public
amenity.
Meanwhile, if you feel strongly about the matter, make your
protest by writing to the Chief Executive of Mid-Sussex District Council,
John
Jory, with copies to the MP, the Hon Nicholas Soames and to your MSDC
Councillors, Christopher Snowling, Margaret Hersey & Mark Sharman, asking
them to press the matter on behalf of the people of Lindfield.
Alan Gomme, April 2005
Photo: Alan Gomme | |  |
| | | | Programme of Events
Although the main
aims of the Society are to represent members on issues of importance and
concern such as traffic and the environment, we like to give you something
extra for your subscription in the way of light relief. Thus our Programme
Committee, under the able chairmanship of Alan Gomme, meets several times a
year to draw up a series of talks which we think might be of interest. We
try
to choose topics relevant to Sussex and Lindfield and also from time to time
like to conjure up memories of the past, bearing in mind our historic
heritage.
Our aim is to plan winter afternoons and summer and autumn evenings
for you to enjoy, but if you feel that we do not meet your own criteria in
this
respect we would love to hear from you. The meetings are listed inside your
membership card and advertised on the notice board opposite the Parish office
in Denmans Lane, and in the local press.
This season continues on 18th May with the history of Steyning, on 21st
September a Sussex brewery, on 19th October the Downland Museum, and on 16th
November we are arranging a Members' Open Meeting where we hope you will all,
over a glass of wine, express your views on the Society's activities.
An event on the 17th June which we are all looking forward to is
another garden party at Old Place at the kind invitation of Lady Hunt, who
makes her lovely and historic home and garden available to us for an evening
reception at this most delightful time of year. (Tickets for this event at
£15 each can be purchased from the Hon Secretary using the form on the
back page of the Newsletter)
Next year we are planning talks on Kipling's Sussex, the Bluebell
Railway, a Lindfield 'Scrapbook', a well-known historical figure by an
equally
well-known daughter, a Sussex artist, and for a bit of fun, 'Butchering,
Baking
and Candlestick Making' in Georgian times.
We hope to see as many of you as possible at these social events and
also at our stall on the Common during Lindfield Village Day on Saturday, 4th
June.
Alison Woodhead, April 2005.
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