welcome & introductions highlights of 2016 - 2017 ... · click to edit master title style...

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Ashurst Wood Village Council

Annual Village MeetingAgenda

• Welcome & Introductions

• Highlights of 2016 - 2017

• Financial report 2016 - 2017

• Overview of Planning Process

• Story of Guinea Pig Club

• Wildlife Conservation

(Cherry Gardens & Berry Wood)

• Projects and Events 2017 - 2018

• Highways (West Sussex County Council)

• Questions & Answers

Refreshments & Socialising1



Councillors & Employees

2

Chairman Brian Phillips

Vice-Chairman Jonathan Samways

Councillors Rob Bright

Margaret Bussell

Jenny Forbes

Claire Judge

Karen Lindsay

David Loveday

Derek Wailes

Clerk to Village Council Caroline Leet

Assistant Clerk Rebecca Roberts

Handyman Ceri Evans

Caretaker Sue Pollard



Village Council & Committees

3

Full Council

Brian Phillips

Planning

Jenny Forbes

Finance &

Administration

Margaret Bussell

Public Services

David Loveday



Agenda











Refreshments & Socialising

Annual Village Meeting

4

Referendum – 5th May 2016

• Declared result• Turn-out 578 43%

• Yes 505 88%

• No 72 12%



Footpath to Forest Row - 2016

• Initial study 2009

• Complex due boundaries: Mid-Sussex District Council

East Sussex Highways

Wealden District Council

Forest Row Parish Council

Land owner on Wall Hill

• Many thanks to: John Gentles who allowed

Permissive Path over his land

Mid Sussex for advice, signs,

and handrails

6



Footpath to Forest Row - 2016

7



Traffic bollards

8


Ashurst Wood Village Council 9

Traffic bollards



Multi-activity Games Wall

Then the day before inauguration with Ashurst

Wood Primary School & Sackville



Schools’ day

•Ashurst Wood Primary

•Sackville Secondary




Suitable for all age groups !




Ashstock 2016: The Summer event

• Selection of Stalls

• Youth and Headline Bands

• Local ales and ciders

• Supported local groups,

businesses & organisations



Waste freighter

• Spring & autumn

collection

• 4 to 5 tons collected

• Funded entirely by

Village Council

14




Blunter Brothers

Evening

band



Ashstock 2016: The day after!

17

14 wheelie bins full



Sports day - 2016

18

• 26 children

• Ages 5 - 11

Organisers / helpers

• Athletics Club

• Village Teenagers

• Village Council



Christmas Market - 2016

• Wide range of stalls

• Father Christmas’s

grotto

• Festive occasion for all

ages

• Supports local clubs,

traders & organisations19

Youth Club reopened its doors on Wednesdays 7.00-8.30pmJohn Pears pavilion

Last term activities included: • Mexican evening with Piñata

• Djing taster session

• Smoothie bikes

• Easter egg hunt

This term we have:• Street Art

• Sussex University Pocket Science

• Tie-dying

• Bake-off

• Wood Turning

All secondary school young people (years 7-11)

For information contact the Council office on 823770 or [email protected]

Youth Club



Agenda













21



Financial Report (1)

22

2016 - 2017 results summary

Income £89,554

Expenditure £111,178

Result -£21,624

* Unspent funds for capital projects: Completion of Council office & meeting room

Multi-activity games wall (John Pears field)

Brought forward from

2015 –2016 * £27,243

Overall £5,619




23

Income 2016 / 2017:

• Precept (Council tax) £63,000 58%

• Council generated income £26,547 42%

• TOTAL £89,547

Council generated income from:• Grants

• S106 money

Levy paid by developers to Mid Sussex District Council (MSDC)

Councils apply to MSDC to use for only approved schemes

• Solar panels

• MSDC for management of John Pears (field & pavilion)

• Other – walks leaflets, photocopying, bank interest




24

• Grants: Forest Row PC footpath £2,270

West Sussex CC for defibrillator £2,146

• S106 money

Contribution to the games wall * £3,531

(* also £10,000 Lottery funding in 2015 / 2016)

Contribution to the footpath £5,444

• Solar panels £2,047

• John Pears management £2,140

• Other

Photo-copying, walks leaflets £154

Bank interest £15




25

Precept for 2017 - 2018Band D

contributionIncrease

West Sussex County Council * £1,256 3.95%

Mid Sussex District Council £156 1.99%

Police £154 3.36%

Ashurst Wood Village Council £87 1.50%

Total Council Tax £1,652 3.47%

* Includes 2% increase to cover Adult Social Care




26

West Sussex

County Council

76%

Mid Sussex

District Council

9.4%

Police

9.3%

Ashurst Wood

Village Council

5.3%

West Sussex 76%

Mid-Sussex 9.4%

Police 9.3%

A/W 5.3%



Agenda







(Cherry Gardens & Berry Farms)






27



Planning

Introduction

Purpose of planning system

Role of Mid Sussex District Council

Role of Ashurst Wood Village Council

Role of residents



Planning

National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)

Contains Government’s planning policy

Presumption in favour of sustainable

development

confirms the principle that planning

decisions must be made in accordance with

the local plan unless material

considerations indicate otherwise.



Planning

The Local Plan

Mid Sussex Local Plan 2004

Small Scale Housing Allocations Document

2008

Ashurst Wood Neighbourhood Plan



Planning

The District Plan

Current position

Housing numbers – Inspector increases

target to 1026 per year

No current 5 year land supply

Increase in speculative applications and

appeals

Huge pressure for more houses



Planning

Ashurst Wood Neighbourhood Plan

Referendum May 2016

Adopted by Mid Sussex District Council

Forms part of Local Plan

Used in determination of planning applications

Provides for new homes in built up area and on

allocated sites

Policies to protect character of area



Planning

Contributions from Developers

Provision of infrastructure

Section 106

Community Infrastructure Levy

Affordable Housing

Mitigation of impacts on Ashdown Forest Strategic Access Management and Monitoring (SAMM)

Suitable Alternative Natural Green Space (SANG)



Planning

Planning Applications

Submitted to Mid Sussex District Council

Village Council, other bodies and public consulted

Village Council’s Planning Committee met 15 times in last year

public attendance at meetings

Council makes recommendation to MSDC

recommendation must be based on material planning

considerations



Planning

Material Planning Considerations

Matters that must be taken into account when a

decision is made on a planning application

These include:

• Government policies and Guidance (NPPF)

• Local Plan policies (including Neighbourhood Plan)

• Previous appeal and court decisions

• Overshadowing/loss of outlook, but not loss of view

• Overlooking / loss of privacy

• Highways issues

• Noise and disturbance from proposed use

• Loss of trees

• Design and character issues



Planning

Non-Material Planning Considerations

Matters that cannot be taken in account include:

• Private issues between neighbours

• Disruption during construction period

• Opposition to development if outline permission

already granted

• Loss of view

• Personal circumstances of applicant

• Opposition to business competition

• Loss of property value



Planning

Commenting on Planning Applications

• Send letters or emails of objection or support to

MSDC

• Advice and links on our website

• Stick to relevant planning considerations

• Send copy to Village Council

• Comments will be placed on MSDC’s website



Planning

Making of Decision

• Delegated to Planning Officers

• MSDC Planning Committee

for larger or contentious applications

• Appeal by applicant

• Recovery or Call-in by Secretary of State



Agenda







(Cherry Gardens & Berry Farms)






39

Rebuilding Bodies and SoulsEast Grinstead Museum

Lucy Bailey

Learning and Community Engagement Officer

For further information about events and activities visit:

www.eastgrinsteadmuseum.org.uk

Lucy Bailey

Email: [email protected]



Agenda













53

Cherry Garden Farm and Berry Wood

Wildlife conservation workPresentation to the

Ashurst Wood Annual Village Meeting 2017

Deer + no management = no wood

Designations and surveys

1985• Mills Rocks re-notified as SSSI

1989• County Council Ecological Survey of Berry Wood & Management Plan => SNCI

2011• Forestry Commission – deer fencing east Berry Wood

2015• Sussex Botanical Recording Society carry out plant survey

2016• Countryside Stewardship – deer fencing SSSI etc

• Hazel hoops for

‘slack barrels’

• >100 million pa at

peak in 1854

• 25,000 ha coppice

managed for barrel

making

• Stopped after WWII

Traditional use of hazel for centuries

Typical ages of unmanaged woodland trees

60

60

80

100

120

200

200

200

350

350

450

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500

Cherry

Hazel

Silver Birch

Willow

Holly

Sycamore

Ash

Beech

Oak

Yew

Sweet Chestnut

Typical ages of managed woodland trees

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500

Cherry

Hazel

Silver Birch

Willow

Holly

Sycamore

Ash

Beech

Oak

Yew

Sweet Chestnut

If coppiced, live

indefinitely

Deer eat seedlings and saplings

Unmanaged, so not enough light for seedlings

Fallow deer

Numbers are on the rise

Fallow deer

Must manage the woodland but not increase

damage by deer, so consider:

• Shooting – works if co-ordinated in long

term

• Deterrents – do not work!

• Fencing – works but expensive…

So, what about fencing?

Deer fencing

Forestry

Commission

specify 1.9m high

Forestry

Commission

specify

construction; must

be tensioned

Effects of management and excluding deer

• Coppice can grow

• Biodiversity increases

• Coppice can grow

• Biodiversity increases

Effects of management and excluding deer

Species before and after reintroducing management and excluding deer

261

99

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

After

Before

Source: Berry Wood plant surveys 1989 and 2016

The future of local wildlife is in our hands

Thank you for listening



Agenda













83



• Phone box adopted in 2015 by Village Council £1

• West Sussex Local Committee grant £2,146

Installation

Paint and signs

First year maintainance

Defibrillator

84



War Memorial Refurbishment

85

• Specification produced

• Achieved pre-application

approval

• Next phases:

• Obtaining accredited

professional advice

• Seeking quotations

• Applying to War Memorial

Trust for grant



Traffic bollards

86



John Pears Field

87

• Possible improvements under consideration.

Extending basket ball area

Extra playground

equipment

Adult gym facility

Will require grant funding



Diary summary for 2017 (1)

• Litter pick Saturday 6th May 10:00 – 12:00

Thanks to St Dustan’s Church Group for organising.

Lots of volunteers required!

• Ashurst Wood Community Tennis Club Discounted membership before 1st May

Forms here, Village Office, [email protected]

• Great British Tennis Weekends 13th & 14th May (Saturday & Sunday)

22nd & 23rd July (Saturday & Sunday)

Free tennis 9 a.m to 5 p.m

Supported by Ashurst Wood Community Tennis Club, Village

Council & Mid Sussex District Council 88

mailto:[email protected]



Diary summary for 2017 (2)

• Ashstock 8th July (Saturday)- All day

Afternoon Youth music with some of 2016 favourities

including performances from Brighton Institute of

Music, stalls and activities

Fine selection quality local real ales & ciders, and

other drinks, plus food.

Evening with Funkee Junkees

• Sports Day 16th August (Wednesday) 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Children aged 5 to 11

• Christmas Market 1st December (Friday) 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

89



Annual Village MeetingAgenda











Refreshments & Socialising90



Highways

Richard Speller

from

West Sussex County Council

Area Manager Highways

Richard is here to answer your

questions on highway matters

91



Agenda













92



Any Questions?

• Please wait for the microphone

• Please state:

Your name

Your address - road name

• Join us afterwards for refreshments

93

welcome & introductions highlights of 2016 - 2017 ... · click to edit master title style...

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