Dear Resident,
From the website: www.westgatera.org.uk
JUNE IS A BUSY MONTH!
- Our social programmefocussed on the Crate & Apple continues to grow apace.
You may have missed it but there is now a Knitting Group which meets there at 10am every Monday morning. If knitting is your thing, then do come along and knit and chat with the kneighbours. - The First Saturday in every month (4th June)is our WGRA Residents’ Coffee Morning. Make sure to join your neighbours for coffee at the Crate & Apple from 10.00am. This is also an opportunity to learn what is happening in your street.
- Sunday 12th June: The WestgateStreet Party. Work is well advanced on organising the 2016 Westgate Street Party. The charge this year is £5 per adult present, payable to Sandy Young in cash please at
15. Make sure you save the date and do let us know if you are able to assist with this important event in our annual calendar. We will be celebrating the Queen’s 90th birthday with a hog roast and live music. Bring your own food, guests and chairs as usual. - Sunday 19th June at 12pmwill be the official opening by the Mayor of Chichester of Brewery Field, our new green space behind Henty Gardens. Bring a picnic, lots of community group stalls, get to know the Field. You access it via the car park at the back of the County Archives office in Orchard St. All three local residents’ associations are involved in this venture. Use it or lose it.
- Saturday 25th June: The WestgateTree Walk. Interested in learning more about the rare and protected trees along our streets? Brian Hopkins, our tree warden, will be taking us all on a walk up and down Westgate to learn more. Meet for coffee at the Crate & Apple from 10.00am, depart at 11 a.m. The Walk should last about an hour.
- Wednesday 29th June:The next regular meeting of the WGRA Residents’ Committee will be held on Wednesday 29th June 2016 at 6.30 pm. Submit any items for the agenda to sec@westgatera.org.uk
Whitehouse Farm
The Masterplan for the new development was considered by the CDC planning committee on 27th Among others, your chairman addressed the meeting on the concerns of local residents about the increased traffic which will be generated both by the 1600 new houses and 6 hectares of industrial units, but also from the outset by construction vehicles routed through the Westgate Roundabout, Orchard Street and St Paul’s Road. It is also likely that some will take a short cut up Sherborne Road across our other roundabout. After 2 hours of debate the Councillor from Tangmere put forward an amendment “For the avoidance of doubt nothing in the foregoing para (1) relates to the scale or design of any off-site or site-external access works except that it is expected that the southern vehicle access onto Westgate will be provided for public use prior to the commencement of works for the 751st dwelling or any part of Phase 2.
Nobody really understands this, but the outcome is that the Southern Access Road from the Cathedral Way Roundabout, which will remove all the traffic from the ring road, will not be built until Phase 2, probably after 2026. Indeed, there is a risk that it will never be built, leaving Chichester permanently with an even worse traffic problem than now. The Masterplan, with the amendment, was passed on the casting vote of the meeting Chairman. Your Committee, in association with other local Resident’s Associations are planning a campaign to make the public aware of the situation. The next stage in the planning process will be for the CDC Planning Committee to consider the outline planning proposal, which will FIX the details of the road layout probably at the July meeting. Keep an eye on the CDC website.
Vectos, the developers’ traffic consultants, have produced a new set of plans for the two roundabouts and Westgate itself. Available on the website https://publicaccess.chichester.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=NH1LX5EROY000
The traffic Advisory Group think they are an improvement on the previous ones and they are in line with the suggestions from WSCC highways Dept. The most extreme is to remove the roundabout at the A286 junction (Ave. De Chartres/ West Street/ Orchard Street) and install traffic lights. We believe this will not work unless other work and the building of the Southern Access Road stop the through traffic (rat running), otherwise there will be tailbacks along Westgate. We are not completely happy about the proposals and have sent detailed comments to the Highways Manager.
The Street Party
I hope you are ready for the party and are planning your menu. There are still places available, which may be obtained from Sandy Young at No 15 Westgate. She is organising the whole extravaganza (Road closure, tables, music, hog roast, bunting, etc).
PLEASE GIVE HER £5 PER PERSON IN CASH BEFORE 12TH JUNE.
You can also pay her at the Crate and Apple Coffee morning, 4th June from 10am.
Please will you move your car from the parking between the Crate and Apple and Henty Gardens for Sunday morning.
The provisional programme for the day is:
Road closed 8.00 am
Decorating 9.00 – 11.00 am
Laying tables 12.00 (Linen tablecloths will be provided)
Meal from 1.00 pm
Hog roast 4.00 pm
Music 2.00 – 6.00 pm
Road re-opens 9.00 pm.
This is an opportunity to meet other people living in the street. Even if you do not have a group please come along. We hope that residents will mingle and get to know neighbours they may not have met before. We have invited the local Councillors and Chairs of nearby RA’s as Honorary Guests. Not many replies yet! If you would be prepared to host one of them, please let us know at info@westgatera.org.uk
You should bring chairs and everything you will need for your drinks and meal, including plates and utensils, perhaps with a little extra to share. The hog roast will be available free to everyone attending, but it may not be cooked before mid-afternoon so do not rely on it for your lunch!
Planters
Penny Tomlinson (No 11) is doing an excellent job fighting the bureaucracy. We have the go-ahead for doing small jobs to tidy the planters up, providing we work from the pavement (You should also wear a Hi-Viz jacket – from your car). Many of the planters are pot bound and planted with inappropriate plants. They require major work, which will probably now have to wait until the Autumn. Several residents have already agreed to “adopt” a planter near their house and look after it. Several residents are suggesting that we should make up a working party to get started, after coffee at the Crate and Apple on Saturday. If you can spare an hour, please join them. Penny will be in command!
If you are willing to join the group, please contact Penny Tomlinson on pjmt@btinternet.com
Richard Brownfield 31st May 2016