Dear Resident,
Whitehouse Farm
The saga of Whitehouse Farm moves slowly along. Thank you to all those who turned out for the meeting on 20th October, I am sure the presence of many vocal locals in the room influences the Councillors. The decision by a majority vote was to defer the decision again for another month, with a request that the developers find a way to deliver the Southern Access Road for construction traffic at the beginning of the works. They had moved their intention to build the road to after about the 120th house, instead of the 750th, but the heaviest lorries will make the most frequent journeys during the early earth moving and groundworks before even the first house is built. Their “promise” was also shrouded in comments such as “if the negotiations are satisfactorily completed” and “we hope to” which the committee rejected as inadequate commitment. The decision was against the advice of the planning officer who said that the developers would be likely to go for “non-determination”. Despite this, the Councillors did not feel that they could grant the permission at this stage. We shall have to wait and see what happens. Another meeting has been arranged for 2.00pm on 11th November at the Council Offices so please put this in your diary, as it is important to keep the pressure up. As soon as the developers agree a firm commitment to build a route for the construction vehicles before they start the other works, which keeps them out of the residential roads, we will withdraw all our objections and presumably the committee will agree the development can go ahead. The ball is in the developer’s court. “Simples!”
Planters
Thank you to all the residents who donated bulbs. These have now been distributed by Penny Tomlinson our very active “Captain of the Planters”. Hopefully they are all in the ground by now and we look forward to Westgate being a picture in the spring. Negotiations will continue over the winter to carry out major replanting next year, which will require professional help to empty some of the “pot bound” planters and replace the old plants with more suitable ones. If anyone is good with paperwork and would like to help write an application to the City Council for funding please contact the Secretary at sec@westgatera.org.uk.
AGM – advanced warning
Please note that The Westgate Residents’ AGM will take place at 2pm on Saturday 14th January at St Wilfrid’s Community Hall in Sherborne Road. There is ample car parking. Please submit any motions, nominations for committee or suggested rule changes by 21st November for consideration at Committee on Wednesday 23rd. Final AGM papers will be sent out mid-December as we have to give a minimum of three weeks notice.
If anyone would like to organize coffees and teas on the day, even cake and biscuits, please let sec@westgatera.org.uk know.
Richard Brownfield
Our Social Programme –
The Westgate Christmas Party
The Westgate Residents Christmas Party will take place on Wednesday 7th December from 6pm at the Crate and Apple as an exclusive booking to the WGRA. A buffet will be served for 7.30pm, including a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie, all for £12 a ticket. Tickets will be on sale at the pub from the 5th November coffee morning. To assist with catering planning, tickets will continue on sale until the end of the 3rd December coffee morning or when 120 people have purchased tickets, whichever is the soonest (120 is the safe capacity of the pub). Dancing via a sound system will be arranged for later in the evening, plus a pay bar, and last orders will be at 11pm with a closing time of 11.30pm.
Crate & Apple Activities – Bavardage au Pub or Knit and Natter?
Two residents are to be applauded for having independently organized a French conversation group and a knitting group.in our local pub. These have proved very successful. The “Bavardage au Pub” French conversation group will next meet on Monday 21st November at 6.30pm. The “Knit and Natter” knitting group meets every Monday morning at 10.00am. Just come along if you are interested.
The Pub itself also has its own programme of activities. Look out for the next Quiz Night on 13th November.
Volunteering for the Brewery Field
Our social programme tends to lack outdoor pursuits but luckily, along with Parklands and Orchard St RAs, the WGRA is responsible for assisting with community activities in the Brewery Field, our new green space at the back of the Record Office. If you can help with any or many aspects of the following items for the 2017 programme, please let sec@westgatera.org.uk know before the end of November. Many thanks. We use it or lose it remember!
- Join the litter-picking team
- Set up a Chichester Men’s Shed
- Offer research or design skills to get our interpretation boards together before manufacture
- Coordinate the board and bench installation project
- Draw up a distribution plan for the items destined to be installed in the Field
- Create a wild grass mowing regime
- Sow the poppy seed
- Organise a wild life programme
- Assist with the hedgerow planting
- Organise a Field Family Day in Summer 2017 complete with dray horses
- Contribute skills to setting up a Winter 2017 exhibition about the Field in the local library
Colin Hicks
The next Coffee morning at the Crate and Apple will be on Saturday 5th November