Dear Residents,
It’s lovely to see the days getting lighter and signs that Spring is on the way! Please see below a few updates on a few of the things that Gareth and I have been involved with recently.
Local Updates:
Lagoon 3 – The hearing at Worthing Magistrates took place on Thursday 25th January. The Lagoon 3 owner was deemed guilty beyond reasonable doubt of failing to comply with the enforcement notice and fined £4000 and £4800 for CDC’s legal fees. There is a 21 day period whereby the defendant can appeal the conviction. We also understand that they have been in touch with the EA and that an online meeting had been scheduled. It is therefore hoped that plans are underway to get the site cleared.
Gareth and I have asked to meet with Council leaders so that we can apply pressure to resolve this situation. We have subsequently secured agreement for a meeting to update the Parish Councils on the next steps, following the court proceedings.
We also have been made aware that there was a leak from the Lagoon and Gareth has written to the EA for further details on this and to question why we were not notified at the time. Going forward it has been agreed with CDC and the EA that, as your District Councillors, we will be informed as soon as any further incidents occur.
Wisborough Green Solar – Gareth and I attended the public consultation on Monday 5th Feb in order to find out more information on this proposed development. We will keep an eye out for any planning application that is subsequently submitted.
Flooding in Loxwood – We have contacted WSCC and Gillian Keegan about persistent flooding on the road through Loxwood. It has now been prioritised for a CCTV survey to inspect the drainage system and ascertain why it has failed.
CDC Wide Updates
Full Council Meetings – Tuesday 27th Feb will be the next Full Council meeting where we will agree the CDC budget for next year.
The following Full Council meeting is on Tuesday 19th March.
South Downs National Park Agency Agreement – The Development Management Division provides planning services, including dealing with applications and enforcement matters, on behalf of the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) for land within the national park area of our district. The current agreement was due to expire in October 2024, unless an extension was agreed by the council and the SDNPA. CDC is delighted to confirm that terms have been agreed to extend the agreement for a two-year period between 2024 and 2026. The agreement will see an uplift in the fee received by the council for the services delivered in recognition of the increasing costs of delivery. The relationship with the SDNPA is valued and so it was great to hear how positive the SDNPA are about the service delivered by our council and their willingness to negotiate terms to enable us to continue our delivery of planning services within the national park area of Chichester District
Food Waste Recycling – The introduction of food waste recycling is a particularly major project and will include procuring vehicles and associated equipment; looking at how the new service will be accommodated on the depot site; waste transfer and processing points; designing efficient rounds; recruiting staff; and rolling out the service. The Government requires all councils that collect waste to be delivering this service by March 2026. We will keep you updated on this as further information is shared.
Happy Birthday CDC – This year marks 50 years since CDC was formed alongside all other district councils. The Spring edition of the Initiatives Magazine will be focussing on the council’s key successes over its 50 year history and snippets of this will be shared on social media as well.
Meeting your District Councillors
Gareth has the following surgery dates scheduled from 12pm-2pm:
Saturday 2nd March – Onslow Arms, Loxwood
Saturday 16th March – Northchapel Club, Northchapel
Saturday 6th April – Ifold Stores, Ifold
Should the dates suggested not be suitable for you or there are any other reasons preventing you from seeing us we are also happy to do home visits, telephone calls or zoom calls.
Our contact details:
Cllr. Gareth Evans, email: gbevans@chichester.gov.uk or telephone 07958 918056
Cllr. Charles Todhunter, email ctodhunter@chichester.gov.uk or telephone 07500 577777