Dear Resident,
I hope you have now received your Spring 2016 Newsletter. I apologise for the error, the Westgate Street Party to celebrate the Queen’s 90th Birthday will be on SUNDAY 12th June. Please let Sandy Young have your payment of £5 per person (children under 16 free) either at one of the next two Crate and Apple Coffee mornings or to 15 Westgate. This includes at least one slice from the Hog Roast and hopefully a band, but you will need to bring all your other food and drink as well as chairs. Tables will be provided. Final details next month. The street closure has been arranged.
White House Farm
A great deal has suddenly started happening on the Whitehouse Farm development front. The CDC asked the developers to submit a Masterplan to be considered with the Outline Planning application. This is on the CDC Planning website at https://publicaccess.chichester.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=NH1LX5EROY000 dated 25th April. The Masterplan was brought before the planning committee on 27th April. I attended the meeting with other Chairs of RAs and interested parties, and addressed the CDC on the need to build the Southern Access Road at the beginning of the development. After 2 hours of debate the motion to accept the Masterplan was just passed by the casting vote of the chairman. Unfortunately, the Councillor from Tangmere tabled an amendment to delay the Southern Access effectively until Phase 2 of the development. This is very worrying as it means the Construction Traffic has to come through the town and it is possible that after building Phase 1 (750 houses) the developer could walk away leaving Chichester traffic in a mess. The Outline Planning Application was not considered because the CDC are still waiting for a response from the Environment Agency about sewage disposal, which could be by an onsite treatment works (the developer’s choice as it is cheaper) or a pipeline to Tangmere which is probably everybody else’s. We shall therefor get another chance when this comes up probably in June, but each setback makes the job harder. In the meanwhile, the Traffic Advisory Group (who advise the committee) have the response from WSCC Highways, which is very encouraging as they have thrown out most of the developer’s plans, but it does not include the Southern Access in phase one.
Buddy system
The response to the calls for ‘Buddys’ in the last Bulletin has been very good and we only have one lady left on our list, to be looked after. If you are able to print this (and future) Bulletins and drop them around to her, we should be most grateful. Please let us know at Info@westgatera.org.uk
Address | Surname | First name | Buddy |
30 Henty Gardens | Hart | Barbara |
Richard Brownfield, chair@westgatera.org.uk
Westgate Adopt a Planter Scheme
There has been an enthusiastic response from West Sussex County Council to allow Westgate residents to stock and maintain the planters on our street. Progress has been encouraging and we are hoping to complete arrangements shortly. Brian Raincock has mapped and reported on nineteen planters on Westgate and it would be great if the properties around each planter or area would take responsibility for these. The beauty of adopting a planter is that each one will have an individual look. Copies of the report and the map are available by email from me. Peter Cox, the City gardener, has offered to advise us about plants which will sit happily together and give us continuity of colour throughout the year. We are presently in the process of looking for sponsorship from local nurseries, either in kind or by donation and would encourage others to donate cuttings or seedlings to keep costings minimal. Darren Rolfe from WSCC has offered to coordinate a working party, with residents to carry out the initial preparation prior to planting. The WSCC is also offering an optional free First Aid Training Course for participating residents wishing to attend– in case you get bitten by a worm. There will, of necessity, be some paperwork to complete, which will include registration as a volunteer with the County Council Community Volunteer’s Scheme for insurance purposes but we will aim to keep this to a minimum. If you would be able to ‘adopt’ a planter as an individual or as part of a group and would like to be involved, please let me have your name. Some people already came forward at the last Coffee morning, but there are others whose names we do not have yet. I should also like to have some help organising the group if you are able to offer. Also let me know if you would be happy to be part of the team to maintain a planter and indicate which one it is. Really looking forward to meeting you and working together.
Penny Tomlinson, 11 Westgate pjmt@btinternet.com
The Brewery Field update
Many thanks to those residents who took part in our recent ballot regarding what name to give to the Field round the back of Henty Gardens. You will remember the field has been leased to the City by WSCC with a clear message that if the field is not used by the community it will be taken back and built on. Consequently the City Council has asked that the field be managed by a volunteer group taken from the residents of the three surrounding Residents’ Associations acting as the Friends of The Brewery Field.
The opening date has been fixed for midday on Sunday the 19th June when there will be a family picnic in honour of Fathers’ Day, an opening ceremony and the participation of various local organisations. Please pencil this date into your diary. If you can offer any assistance of any kind, organising or sponsorship of the event, membership of the volunteer group, etc, then please contact me at the email below. Many thanks for your collaboration
Colin Hicks, sec@westgatera.org.uk