Grounds & Environment Committee

Agenda

HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL

To:      All Members of the Grounds & Environment Committee (Kate Bailey, Kristian Berggreen, David Bunting, Lesley Cruickshank-Robb, Frances Gaudencio, Bill Hatton, Sue Hatton, Angus Neil, Peter Richardson, Alex Simmons, Paul Shepherd and Ian Weir) with copies to all other Councillors for information.

 A meeting of the GROUNDS AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE will be held on 25 July 2024 at 7.30pm in the Parish Centre, Adastra Park, Hassocks.

Parish Clerk – 18 July 2024

1. TO ACCEPT APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

2. TO ACCEPT DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

3. ELECTION OF VICE CHAIR

4. MINUTES. To accept the Minutes of the Grounds and Environment Meeting held on 30 May 2024. (Previously circulated).

5. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

6. OFFICER’S REPORT. (Appendix 1).

7. ROYAL BRITISH LEGION MEMORIAL TABLETS. Members are invited to consider and agree a preferred wall design to display the Memorial Tablets in the Garden of Remembrance. (Appendix 2). To view Appendix 2 please click here.

8. ALLOTMENT RENT. Members are invited to approve an increase in the allotment rent for Parklands Allotments to £44.00 per half plot from 1 October 2024. (Appendix 3).

9. ADASTRA PARK MASTERPLAN

9.1 Verbal update (Cllr David Bunting/Parish Clerk).

10. FLOOD ACTION GROUP. Verbal Update (Cllr Frances Gaudencio).

11. POTENTIAL OPERATION WATERSHED PROJECT – DOWNS VIEW ROAD, HASSOCKS. Members are invited to consider whether the Council wishes to support and manage a potential Operation Watershed project to address flooding in Downs View Road, Hassocks (Appendix 4).

12. 20MPH SPEED LIMIT WORKING GROUP. Verbal Update.

13. COMMUNITY HIGHWAY SCHEME Chancellors Park Road. Members are invited to consider whether the Council wishes to offer its support to a Community Highway Scheme request for safety improvements on Chancellors Park Road, Hassocks outside Hassocks Infant School. (Appendix 5).

14. COMMUNITY HIGHWAY SCHEME A273 London Road – TRO for speed reduction. Members are invited to note that support for this this scheme has been declined by the WSCC Road Safety team. (Appendix 6).

15. COMMUNITY ORCHARD & FOOD GROWING INITIATIVE. Members are invited to consider correspondence received regarding a community orchard & food growing initiative and a request for available land within Hassocks to support this initiative. (Appendix 7).

16. WI CAMPAIGN. Members are invited to consider a request from the Hassocks WI to permit a display and vigil in the Garden of Remembrance in November highlighting its campaign against violence against women and girls. (Appendix 8).

17. CPRE SEWAGE SURVEY. Members are invited to note correspondence received from CPRE Sussex and to consider whether the council wishes to participate in the survey sharing any knowledge of local sewage spills, over capacity water treatment works and inadequate infrastructure investment. (Appendix 9).

18. PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY (PROW). Hassocks: Public Bridleway No. 8C (part) – Temporary Closure Notice (Issue no. 45543).  (Appendix 10). To view Appendix 10 please click here.

19. URGENT MATTERS at the discretion of the Chairman for noting and/or inclusion on a future agenda.

20. DATE OF NEXT MEETING. Thursday 19 September 2024 at 7.30pm.

Please Note:
All members of the public are welcome to attend meetings of the Parish Council and its Committees. Item 5 – a period of 15 minutes will be set aside for the public statements and questions relating to the published non-confidential business of the Meeting.
It may be necessary to consider particular items in confidential session and where this arises, these items will be considered at the end of the agenda.

FILMING, RECORDING OF COUNCIL MEETINGS AND USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA. During this meeting members of the public may film or record the Committee and officers from the public area only, providing it does not disrupt the meeting. The Confidential section of the meeting may not be filmed or recorded. If a member of the public objects to being recorded, the person(s) filming must stop doing so until that member of the public has finished speaking. The use of social media is permitted but members of the public are requested to switch their mobile devices to silent for the duration of the meeting.

Appendix 1

HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL

To:      Grounds & Environment Committee                    

Date: 25 July 2024

Contacts for this report: Deputy Clerk                         

Subject: Agenda Item 6 – Officer Report

The purpose of this report is to update the Committee on (G&E) Matters.

1. NEW GROUNDSPERSON. The Parish Office staff have been very pleased to welcome Francis, the new Groundsman to the team. Francis started at the end of June and has already made a noticeable positive impact on the appearance of the park.

2. ADASTRA PARK

2.1 ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR.   Two memorial benches have been damaged; one had the seating slats broken and another had offensive graffiti written across it.

The damaged bench was very promptly repaired by The Monday Group, however the graffiti on the second bench proved difficult to remove and unfortunately had to be covered over with black marker.

2.2 FUN VILLAGE.  The children’s Fun Fair set up in the park on Monday 8th July and completed its first weekend of trading Friday 13 – Sunday 15 July.  Trading hours 3pm-6pm Friday and 12noon-6pm Saturday & Sunday.  The fair will open again on Friday 19 July – Sunday 21 July and be offsite by Tuesday 23 July.

Operationally the Fair Management has been very compliant with all regulations and very keen to work with the Council to ensure a positive relationship.  The fair has generated additional revenue for the Council and appears to have been well received by the majority of residents.

2.3. FOOTBALL PITCHES.  The Council has received numerous requests to permit football training over the summer months.  For Members’ information, the football pitches are closed to all organised football activities (both training and games) from 1st July to the end of August other than in exceptional circumstances.  This is to rest the pitches and goal mouths out of season and allow the ground the opportunity to recover; as well as to enable other park users to enjoy the open space and to enable the Council to accommodate other events in the park outside of the football season.

3. PARKLANDS COPSE.

3.1 LOST WOODS PROJECT.  Members are invited to note that correspondence has been received informing the Council that the Lost Woods Project has been delayed due to changes in industry guidance; this has resulted in The Woodland Trust having to perform a UK-wide review of practices and procedures and renew its operational working policy.

The consequence of the review has meant that work cannot proceed as before and it is unlikely that any planned work will commence before Winter 25/26.

3.2 SAFETY TREE WORKS.  It is has been identified that two, possibly more, trees in Parklands Copse may be suffering from Ash Die Back and pose a potential safety risk.  Therefore a further assessment has been requested and it is anticipated that essential safety work will be required for identified trees within the woods.   All funds within the Parklands Copse tree budget have been utilised, however any work identified as being urgent, will be approved by the Clerk under the approved delegated powers under item 3.6 of the Financial Regulations (Standing Orders Appendix A).

4. STREET TREES. The Council has been able to submit requests for 21 street trees to be planted this year. The contribution required by WSCC per tree planted for 2024 is £257 and the trees in Hassocks have been funded by the £5000 budget set aside by HPC, supported by an additional donation of £400 from HCO.  The trees will be planted over the winter and are primarily new tree requests with some replacement trees being planted.

5. LIGHT UP HASSOCKS. The approved £1500 grant from Hassocks PC to HCO Light Up Hassocks towards the running costs for the Light Up Hassocks event 2024 has been received by HCO. Thanks have been received from the HCO Committee for the contribution.

Appendix 3

HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL

To:      Grounds & Environment Committee                    

Date: 25 July 2024

Contacts for this report: Deputy Clerk                         

Subject: Agenda Item 8 – Allotment Rent

1. The purpose of this report is to invite Members to approve a proposed increase in Allotment Rent for 2024/25. At a meeting of the Grounds Committee on 11 March 2015, a formula proposed by Hassocks Allotment Holders Association was agreed for calculating allotment rents which composes of three elements, plot rent, water installation, and water charges. (Minute 7b). This formula continues to be the agreed process for calculating allotment rents, with amendments as agreed on 3 September 2021 and 21 September 2023 relating to water charges.

2. The Rent formula is as follows:

(a)       Plot Rent 2013-14 Plot Rent £18.50 – increased annually based on inflation.

(b)       Water Installation. 2011 – an addition of £10 per annum for water installation costs to run for 21 years until 2032.

(c)        Water Charges. The charges for water usage were increased from £7 per annum to £8 per annum on 21 September 2023 Minute ref: GE 23/39. It is proposed that the charge for water should remain at £8 per half plot per annum for 2024, to be reviewed in July 2025.

(d)       Using the agreed formula rents have been set as follows:

October 2021

£21.10 plus water = £38.10 Rounded to nearest pound = Total £38.00

October 2022

£22.99 plus water = £39.99 Rounded to nearest pound = Total £40.00

October 2023

£25.38 plus water = £43.38 Rounded to nearest pound = Total £43.00

3. PLOT RENT. Using the agreed formula, applying inflation to the rent of £25.38 for a half plot for 2023/24 would result in a total increase of £0.60 (2.38%), bringing the plot rent to £25.98 for 2024/25

Rent    (23/24)           £ 25.38

Inflation increase     £   0.60

Water installation     £ 10.00

Water Usage             £   8.00

Total Rent 24/25     £ 43.98

4. OFFICER RECOMMENDATION. Members are requested to approve an increase of £0.60 to the allotment rent for 2024/25. This would take the total rent to £44.00 per half plot per annum, based on applying a £0.60 inflationary increase and rounding to the nearest pound as previously agreed.

Appendix 4

HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL

To:      Grounds & Environment Committee                    

Date: 25 July 2024

Contacts for this report: Parish Clerk                          

Subject: Agenda Item 11 – Potential Operation Watershed Project – Downs View Road.

1. The purpose of this report is to ask Members to consider whether the Council wishes to support and progress an application for an Operation Watershed Grant to address flooding issues in Downs View Road, Hassocks.

2. WSCC have provided the following information:

The problem relates to the section of road in front of No 11 Downs View Road, where during heavy periods of rainfall, the level of the stream opposite the property rises and flows across the road and subsequently floods the property.  The road also floods as well as a further property. 

A WSCC Drainage Lead was asked to investigate any possible action which could mitigate the issue.  A scheme has now been suggested.   

The proposal is to discharge the water from the highway to the watercourse belonging to No 11, who are fully supportive of this proposal.

WSCC Highways have also tried to do something in the area with the 6 gullies at the low spot to try and take the water away.  However this is not something they are looking to progress as the watercourse falls under riparian responsibilities.  The Local Lead Flood Authority Team are not looking to progress anything at this location either.

3. Technical details relating to the proposal have been distributed to the Committee as background papers.

4. This scheme could potentially be funded through an operation Watershed Grant; however it would fall to the Parish Council to prepare the application and obtain quotations/tenders for the work.

5. OFFICER’S RECOMMENDATION. Members are invited to consider whether the Parish Council wishes to approve supporting the application to Operation Watershed, and if so to approve the Clerk progressing this application.

Appendix 5

HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL

To:      Grounds & Environment Committee                    

Date: 25 July 2024

Contacts for this report: Deputy Clerk                         

Subject: Agenda Item 13 – Community Highways Scheme

1. The purpose of this report is to invite Members to consider whether the Council wishes to offer its support to a Community Highway Scheme request for safety improvements on Chancellors Park Road, Hassocks outside Hassocks Infant School.

2. To enable this application to be processed by WSCC so it can be taken forward for moderation this Autumn, the request needs written support from the Local County Councillor, and Hassocks Parish Council.

3. Details of the request, which has been independently submitted by a member of the public are set out below:

Issues, needs and/or initiatives and benefits
 		 The speed at which traffic goes along Chancellors Park, particularly outside Hassocks Infant School, is too fast for this type of road. The ramp which children come out of school, usually on bikes and scooters, goes straight next to the road. Cars open drive erratically, swerving into gaps between parked cars to let other cars through. There needs to be a way to slow cars down, either using speed bumps or reducing speed limit during school drop off and pick up times. Also a barrier to keep children from getting too close to the road along this stretch. These initiatives are in order to keep children safe
Proposed works or activity Install speed bumps either side of the school entrance, flashing 20mph sign (as with the one on Dale Avenue) and Slow – Children road markings or similar A barrier, similar to the one on Keymer Road, where children could potentially run into the road coming out of school.
Wider community support I have met with Kirsty Lord to walk along this stretch who has consulted with the 2 highways officers who have agreed there is scope for some or all of these measures to be put in place
Transport and public space Safety – reduces road traffic incidents/fear of crime

 

4. OFFICER’S RECOMMENDATION. Members are invited to consider whether the Council is supportive of the above Community Highways Application and therefore to approve written confirmation of this support being submitted to WSCC.

Appendix 6

HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL

To:      Grounds & Environment Committee                    

Date: 25 July 2024

Contact for this report: Deputy Clerk                           

Subject: Agenda Item 14 – COMMUNITY HIGHWAY SCHEME A273 London Road

1. The purpose of this report is to inform Members that the WSCC Road Safety team has declined to support a request to extend the 30mph zone to the north of the Friars Oak Pub on the A273.

2. A Community Highways Application for a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) to extend the existing 30mph speed limit northwards on London Road, due to the new developments at Kingsland Gate and near Friars Oak, was submitted by a resident with the support of Cllr Kirsty Lord.

3. At its meeting on 27 March 2023, the G&E committee had considered and strongly agreed a need to extend the 30mph zone further north on this section of road, and the Clerk subsequently formally confirmed with WSCC Highways that HPC fully supported a TRO assessment on this proposal.

4. Notification has been received that following a review of the application by WSCC, it has been declined as follows:

 “The current 40mph speed limit seems acceptable in this scenario. This site is subject to a single carriageway with adequate turning lanes, horizontal deflections (traffic islands) and road markings such as roundels and ‘SLOW’ markings. This section of the A273 (Hassocks to Burgess Hill) has pedestrians and cyclists facilities off the carriageway in the form of a shared footway which in lengths is accompanied by a wide verge to completely segregate from the carriageway. The policy recommends that a 40mph speed limit is appropriate where ‘Through traffic routes (single or dual carriageway) in partially built-up areas with segregated VRU facilities and limited frontage accesses or junctions’. This description would appear to be applicable here”.

Appendix 7

HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL

To:      Grounds & Environment Committee 

Date: 25 July 2024

Contacts for this report: Deputy Clerk

Subject: Agenda Item 15 – COMMUNITY ORCHARD & FOOD GROWING INITIATIVE

1. Members are invited to note the following correspondence from a resident regarding a community orchard & food growing initiative and a request for available land within Hassocks to support this initiative.

I’d like to follow up on my letter dated 5th March 2024 enquiring about any local climate response, mitigation and resilience building activities, and signposting Doughnut Economics Action Lab.

Prompted by a piece in today’s Guardian about food security, and based on the assumption that the lack of response to my earlier letter reflects a general busy-ness rather than a more solid aversion to its contents, I wanted to write to share a specific project that I’ve been day-dreaming about for some time now; a community food growing project serving the Mid-Sussex area.

Primarily the project would be centred on establishing a community orchard and food growing initiative which would enable local residents and other groups (e.g. Hassocks Community Organisation, local schools, health referral groups, Age Concern referrals, The Hassocks Veg Patch group etc) to get involved with hand-on growing and sharing fresh local produce. In doing so it would create a vibrant community hub promoting the benefits of a healthy active lifestyle and fresh, locally grown food. More broadly, the project would be a location for positive action and community network building, fostering and encouraging mutual aid, and demonstrating (through active participation) the growing importance of local resilient food production, agroecology methods, and issues around food sovereignty. I am imagining a suitable not-for-profit structure, a close partnership with the existing Greener Hassocks network, and an open and collaborative governance model offering opportunities for genuine participation.

Clearly there would be a considerable To Do list around clarifying the projects aims, objectives and priorities, developing a coherent project plan, building a range of local support, not to mention a significant fundraising effort!

But before all that can happen in earnest, I wanted to share the idea at this early stage in the hope of meeting the project’s biggest challenge head-on; the search for a suitable plot of land. I wonder whether the Parish, District or County Council might have a suitable location within its portfolio, and be willing to make that space available in support of such a project. I think the ideal space is somewhere between 1-2 acres minimum, ideally with services (certainly water) and reasonable vehicle access.

One specific location which has been highlighted in conversation is Talbot Field, but perhaps there are others too.

In the interests of keeping this short, I’m going to resist writing much more at this point, but if this project is of interest I’d be happy to come and discuss it further. I really think that it could be a fantastic, innovative and positive initiative for the area.

2. Members are invited to note that the Parish has committed to managing Talbot Field as a nature reserve in partnership with The Woodland Flora and Fauna Group; in recent years the site has become an extremely valuable natural location with an ever increasing diversity of flora and fauna and wildlife. The only other plots of land owned by the Parish Council are the Burial Ground, Parklands Copse, Parklands Allotments and Adastra Park – none of which would be suitable for a community orchard or food growing initiative.

3. OFFICER’S RECOMMENDATION. Members’ views are sought.

Appendix 8

HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL

To:      Grounds & Environment Committee                    

Date: 25 July 2024

Contacts for this report: Deputy Clerk                         

Subject: Agenda Item 16 – WI CAMPAIGN

1. Members are invited to consider the following correspondence received from the Chair of the Hassocks WI requesting permission from the Parish Council to permit a display and vigil in the Garden of Remembrance in November highlighting its campaign against violence against women and girls.

This year one of the campaigns being run by National Federation of Women’s Institutes is called -‘ No more violence against women and girls ‘ and November is the main month for highlighting the campaign.  Unfortunately, major football games such as the Euros leads to a major spike in domestic abuse.  I am in the process of obtaining some figures but believe they will be quite shocking

I should like permission to hang a banner of some sort between two posts of the wisteria square relating to the campaign and if possible holding a small candlelit (night lights in jars, vigil in the centre .It would not be late in the evening

If you allow us to go ahead with this I can assure you it would not conflict with the ‘Remembrance poppy cross’ which we provide in the memorial gardens each year.  My aim would be to remove the cross and install the banner towards the end of the month.  The poppy cross is attached to black netting and I propose to use similar netting as the basis of the banner (design to be confirmed).

I am aware time is short but if possible I should like to hear from the council before the summer holidays.  Please let me know if you require any further details.

2. OFFICER’S RECOMMENDATION. Members’ views are sought.

Appendix 9

HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL

To:      Grounds & Environment Committee                    

Date: 25 July 2024

Contacts for this report: Deputy Clerk                         

Subject: Agenda Item 17 – CPRE SEWAGE SURVEY.

1. Members are invited to note correspondence received from CPRE Sussex and to consider whether the council wishes to participate in the survey sharing any knowledge of local sewage spills, over capacity water treatment works and inadequate infrastructure investment.

2.

Dear Clerk,

Survey on sewage spills and development pressures in your area

CPRE Sussex, the countryside charity for East and West Sussex and Brighton & Hove, is launching a new campaign on the impact of development pressures on our overloaded sewerage system – and we’d love to hear from you, about what you’ve experienced in your area.

We are inviting all Parish and Town Councils within Sussex to respond to our short survey. It should only take a few minutes to complete but it will help to paint a powerful picture of the experience on the ground of sewage spills, over-capacity water treatment works, and inadequate infrastructure investment.

We suggest that you include this as an item for discussion at your next meeting, and then submit your answers using the online form.

Our new campaign calls on Local Planning Authorities in our area to make adequate sewerage infrastructure a prerequisite to development; no sewer upgrade, no development or occupation of new homes.

The results from the survey will help to build the case for Local Planning Authorities to consistently use pre-commencement (Grampian) conditions in the planning process, stipulating that sewerage upgrades precede development.

You can read much more about the campaign and what we’re hoping to achieve at https://www.cpresussex.org.uk/news/sewage-new-infrastructure-is-needed-before-developments-are-built/

3. The survey link will be shared with Members for review in advance of the meeting.

4. OFFICER RECOMMENDATIONS.

4.1 Members are invited to consider whether it has any relevant information to submit for this survey.

4.2 If Members consider the Council is able to provide relevant information, the committee is then invited to approve the Deputy Clerk collating this information and completing the survey on behalf of the Parish Council.