Grounds & Environment Committee

Minutes

HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of the meeting of the GROUNDS AND ENVIRONMENT Committee held on Thursday 21 March 2024 at 7.30pm in the Parish Centre, Adastra Park, Hassocks. 

Attendees: Councillors Kristian Berggreen, David Bunting (Chair), Lesley Cruickshank-Robb, Frances Gaudencio, Angus Neil, Peter Richardson, Alex Simmons, Paul Shepherd and Ian Weir.

In attendance: Tracy Forte (Deputy Clerk).  Spencer Graham & Steven Hebborn – Fun Village.

GE23/82 APOLOGIES. Apologies were received from Cllrs Kate Bailey, Cllr Bill Hatton and Sue Hatton.

GE23/83 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST. There were no declarations of interest.

GE23/84 MINUTES.

It was RESOLVED that, the minutes of the Grounds & Environment Committee meeting held on 1 February 2024 be signed by the Chair as a true and accurate record of the meeting.

GE23/85 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.  There were no members of the public present, however Spencer Graham and Steven Hebborn from Fun Village were in attendance to answer any questions Members may have regarding item 7 of the agenda – Children’s Funfair, Adastra Park. This item invited Members to consider a request to hold a small children’s funfair (Fun Village) in Adastra Park for two weeks during July.  The Chair read through the information provided in Appendix 3 of the agenda regarding Fun Village and thanked Mr Graham and Mr Hebborn for attending to answer any questions Members may have.  The Chair then offered Members the opportunity to clarify any questions that they may have or to request further information if required.

Members asked Mr Graham and Mr Hebborn various questions.  Both confirmed that their fair was aimed at younger children aged 2years to 12years old with the target audience being local families.

They would like to be onsite for two weeks, however trading days will be Thursday to Sunday only.  The fair will consist of approximately six rides in total, inflatables, soft play and other activities such as crazy golf.   There will also be a small number of food stalls onsite.

Entrance into the fair is free via a designated entrance gate, a wristband can be purchased for £15 which will allow unlimited access to all rides and activities during the session.  Alternatively it will be possible to pay for individual rides at cost of approximately £2 per ride if a wristband is not purchased.

Each session will last for three and a half hours.  There will be one session on weekdays and two on weekends.  The last session will be finished by 8pm at the latest.

The fair will be enclosed by Herris rail fencing with locked double gates for vehicular access and a further pedestrian access which will also be kept locked outside of trading hours.   Two caravans will form part of the set up and will be lived in whilst the fair is onsite, this will allow at least two members of staff to be onsite at all times.

The entire ‘village’ will be self-sufficient.  Silent generators will be used to provide electricity and water will be provided by the organisers.  There will be public toilets including baby change and disabled toilets, which will be serviced by an outside contractor.

Advertising will be kept local and in consultation with the Parish Council.

The Chair thanked the organisers for providing the additional information and for answering questions.

Mr Hebborn and Mr Graham left the meeting.

GE23/86 OFFICER’S REPORT.  Members noted the report provided in Appendix 1 of the agenda.

GE23/86.1 ADASTRA PARK TREE WORK.  Cllr Richardson reported that the trimming back of trees overhanging Keymer Road had been insufficient and far more significant work was required to increase the level of lighting.  The Deputy Clerk noted this.

GE23/86.2 ADASTRA PARK DEVELOPER SUPPORT OPPORTUNITY. Members noted that Taylor Wimpey would be prepared to fund a suitable replacement tree in Adastra Park costing in the region of £500, this will be arranged for September/October this year.  A request had been made by Taylor Wimpey for a plaque to be installed next to the tree signifying the partnership between Hassocks Parish Council and Taylor Wimpey, Members agreed to this subject to Taylor Wimpey covering the cost of the plaque.

GE23/86.3 MEMORIAL BENCH.  Cllr Gaudencio noted that the new bench was to be installed facing the field, and questioned whether it would be an opportunity to provide seating to watch the tennis.  The Deputy Clerk confirmed that the bench was being located further forward on the hard-standing, which would allow sufficient space for a second bench to be installed facing the tennis courts should this location be favourable to any families donating a bench in the future.

In addition to the written report, the Deputy Clerk also reported the following matters which Members noted:

GE23/86.4 ADASTRA TENNIS COURTS.  The Deputy Clerk reported that the previously noted flaws in the surface have now been repaired by the contractor under the warranty.

The Deputy Clerk also informed Members about the recent LTA scheme to provide Free Social Tennis across the country.  At Adastra Tennis Courts this will take place between 12-1pm on a Saturday starting March 23^rd and is free to anyone who would like to play, registration is via the Clubspark website.  The sessions are being run by the Tennis Coach, Keith Brown.  Volunteers are also being sought to assist with running the session.

GE23/86.5 PARKLIFE COFFEE.  Members were informed that Parklife Coffee has run further Hummus Lunch clubs in the pavilion which have been very successful.  Due to the difficulties in trading over such a wet winter, an arrangement has also been agreed to enable Parklife to hire the Pavilion at the community rate to run a pop up café in poor weather, subject to no other bookings being received.

GE23/86.6 GROUNDS PERSON VACANCY.  The Grounds Person vacancy has now been advertised via Indeed, on the Parish Council website and poster points.

GE23/87 USE OF ADASTRA PARK BY GROUPS AND COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISES.  Members were invited to review and approve the conditions set out for the use of Adastra Park by groups and commercial enterprises.  Members reviewed the existing document and no changes were recommended.

GE23/87.1 It was RESOLVED to APPROVE the Terms and Conditions as set out in the Use Of Adastra Park By Groups And Commercial Enterprises document.  (Appendix 1).

GE23/88 CHILDREN’S FUNFAIR, ADASTRA PARK.  Members considered the proposal in full including the additional information provided by the Fun Village organisers earlier in the evening.

It was noted that the location of the fair would need to be considered to ensure Public Right of Way 10K was not obstructed during the event at any time.  Some concern was expressed over the potential for damage to the grass and it was agreed that this would need to be mitigated as much as possible. The Deputy Clerk noted that the fair would be sited across football pitches which would be in use again from the start of September.

Members were also invited to consider and agree an appropriate charge for the fair, which was discussed in detail using information provided in Appendix 3 of the agenda.

GE23/88.1 It was RESOLVED to APPROVE Fun Village running for two weeks in Adastra Park during July subject to the Clerk being satisfied that all conditions applied can be met.

GE23/88.2 It was RESOLVED to APPROVE the following charges to be applied for the use of Adastra Park by Fun Village.

£150 per trading day.    £50 per non-trading days and set up & take down days.

Cllr Alex Simmons left the meeting.

GE23/89 WINDMILLS SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTAL ART PROJECT.  Members were invited to note an update on the joint project between Hassocks Parish Council and Windmills Junior School to provide a piece of public art in Hassocks using s106 funds.   Members were informed that the final proposed project was for a large mosaic to be installed on the Parish Office building, comprising of a collaborative piece and individual mosaics created by the pupils.  (Full details were included as Appendix 4 of the agenda).

Members were fully supportive of the proposal.  There was some concern over the potential risk of vandalism, the Deputy Clerk confirmed that this had been considered and all involved were aware of this risk.   One of the reasons for selecting the Parish Office as the location for the artwork was due to its visibility from the road and car park.

It was agreed that the noticeboard on the south facing side of the Parish Office should either be moved or removed to allow a larger area for the artwork to be displayed.

GE23/89.1 Members RESOLVED TO APPROVE the progression of the Art project as presented and for the installation of Mosaic artwork on the external walls of the Parish Office.

GE23/90 ADASTRA PARK MASTERPLAN.  Cllr Bunting provided Members with a verbal update on the following matters:

GE23/90.1 GARDEN OF REMEMBRANCE.  Previously Members had agreed the installation of a ramp in place of the step from the path bordering Keymer Road in the Garden of Remembrance, with the aim of making the path which runs north-south under the stone pergola more accessible.  The estimated cost being in the region of £700.

The Volunteer Group who maintain the garden had expressed some reservations regarding this proposal due to the concern that it may further encourage the use of bikes and skateboards in the garden.

Members were also informed that the volunteer group would soon be turfing the borders running parallel to the path.

Members considered the proposal again, but remained in agreement that whilst acknowledging the concerns raised, the intention to increase accessibility within the gardens continued to be an important part of the Adastra Park Masterplan.

GE23/90.2 Members therefore RESOLVED TO APPROVE the installation of a ramp in place of the step onto the stone pergola path from the path at the side of the gardens.

GE23/90.3 WATER DRINKING FOUNTAIN.

A further request had been made to the Adastra Hall Committee to enable the installation of a drinking fountain on the side of the building as part of the new work.  The drinking fountain and installation would be paid for by the Parish Council.  Cllr Bunting reported that the Adastra Hall Committee had considered this request but had felt unable to agree to this proposal for various reasons, including the risk of encouraging groups of youths to gather around the hall and the potential plans to further extend the building in the future.

Members noted the reasons and although disappointed with the response, the Committee remained committed to the aspiration to install a drinking fountain in the park if possible.

It was accepted that the area directly in front of the pavilion bi-fold doors would not be suitable due to the current issues already around standing water in this location.   However it was accepted that the Pavilion was the most accessible location in terms of water supply.

The Deputy Clerk noted that the concerns raised by the Adastra Hall Committee regarding the potential of a drinking fountain to encourage youths gathering and disturbing hirers, would also apply to hirers in the pavilion.  The Deputy Clerk reported that during the summer there are often issues with youths filling water bottles and balloons from the public toilets and outside tap and causing a disturbance by throwing water around in the car park.  This should therefore be considered when agreeing the location for a drinking fountain.

It was AGREED to progress the concept to install a drinking fountain in the park, and that a suitable location in the vicinity of the pavilion would be explored.

GE23/90.4 PARK DRAINAGE.   The Clerk had sought informal advice from MSDC to clarify whether planning permission would be required for the installation of any drainage systems which discharge into the Adastra Stream.

Preliminary information had confirmed that dependent on the scheme itself meeting certain criteria, there was a likelihood that this could fall under Permitted Development, which was encouraging.

Cllr Bunting confirmed that a meeting was to be set up with the Drainage Consultants to discuss current proposals.  Members agreed that any scheme must look at the entire park as a whole.

GE23/91 FLOOD ACTION GROUP. Cllr Frances Gaudencio informed Members that Cllr Weir had written to Councillor Deborah Urquhart, WSCC Cabinet Minister for Environment and Climate Change.  The letter was to draw Cllr Urquhart’s attention to the apparent lack of progress on proposals made to mitigate surface water flooding in Hassocks in the WSCC Surface Water Management Plan (SWMP) which was published in 2016. One of the recommendations was that an implementation plan be produced within 3 months, however eight years later the recommendations have not yet been implemented.   Cllr Weir requested Cllr Urquhart’s support in raising awareness of the importance of the proposed work and finding resources to progress the proposals.

One recommendation being the implementation of a balancing pond to the east of Lodge Lane to mitigate the inability of the culvert in Lodge Lane to handle peak flows resulting in the subsequent flooding of Lodge Lane and Dale Avenue. It was noted by the committee that balancing ponds can be a very effective method to reduce flood risk, however the installation of such ponds can be costly and is therefore dependent on adequate funding.

Cllr Gaudencio noted that due to increasing cutbacks having to be made by local authorities, it was likely that the level of funding available to support any flood mitigation proposals may be reduced.  Therefore, the Parish would need to also consider smaller scale mitigation schemes that could be undertaken by individuals and local groups.

Cllr Gaudencio noted that the publication and distribution of Riparian Ownership leaflets had been a positive proactive step by the Parish Council in sharing information and raising awareness.  The subject of the enforcement of any Riparian Responsibilities was raised and it was accepted that there is no mechanism or authority in place to enforce any lack of action.  The Flood Action Group had previously discussed the potential to train and appoint volunteer Stream Wardens, and it was agreed that this would be revisited as wardens might be able to further support efforts to educate and raise awareness around riparian responsibilities.

GE23/92 20MPH SPEED LIMIT WORKING GROUP.  Cllr Peter Richardson provided a verbal update to the Committee.

The Working Group had held its first meeting and it was recognised that a proposal to implement a 20mph speed limit throughout the entire village was very unlikely to be acceptable to West Sussex County Council.  Therefore it was agreed that initially the group would need to consider smaller areas and to establish which roads should be priority routes.   It was decided that before progressing any further, it was necessary to establish a greater understanding of the criteria required by WSCC when considering such applications.  County Cllr Kirsty Lord has offered her support to the project and it was the Deputy Clerk was asked to contact Cllr Lord to seek her assistance in arranging a meeting with an appropriate WSCC Officer.  This meeting would enable the group to develop a clearer understanding of the process and requirements for a Highways Application Scheme.

Cllr Richardson also informed the Committee that community support is a key consideration in applications for Community Highway Schemes.  Therefore, although the group were still in the very early stages of exploring the possibilities of any proposals, the Working Group had welcomed an offer by Bob Kenhard (Hassocks Community Organisation representative on the Working Group) to send an information gathering email to registered HCO supporters.  This would be to seek preliminary opinions on any proposals to implement a 20mph speed limit and on which areas are considered to be priorities.

Once a meeting has taken place with WSCC, the Working Group would meet again to formulate its proposals.

GE23/93 PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY (PROW). Members were invited to consider proceeding with an application to divert PROW 10K in Adastra Park.  The current PROW route extends diagonally across the North Field from the north-west corner to the south east corner.

It had been previously agreed by the Committee to submit an application to WSCC for the diversion of Path 10K to allow ticketed events to be held in North Field without having to apply for temporary stoppage orders.  The anticipated cost at that time was in the region of £2000.

However at that time WSCC had temporarily stopped accepting diversion orders due to workload constraints.  It is understood that diversion requests are now being accepted again, however there has been an increase applied to the fees for this process.  The costs could potentially be in the region of £5000, depending on whether the application is opposed.

Therefore due to the time lapse since the previous resolution and the increase in costs, Members were invited to review whether the Committee is still minded to approve expenditure of up to £6000 from the PROW budget, for the diversion of PROW 10K to a path which follows the border of the North Field rather than diagonally across.

Members continued to be supportive of this proposal.

GE23/93.1 It was RESOLVED TO APPROVE the submission of an application to WSCC for the diversion of PROW 10K to a path which follows the border of the North Field rather than diagonally across.  Members approved the expenditure of up to £6000 from the PROW EMR to cover the costs involved.

GE23/93.2 Cllr Neil enquired about the re-opening of the section of PROW 5K which runs east/west from London Road under the railway subway.  Cllr Weir informed the committee that progress has been delayed on the work due to the excessively wet weather.  However the work is now almost complete and it is intended that the footpath would be re-opened once the ground has had the opportunity to sufficiently dry out to accommodate pedestrian use.

GE23/93.3 WEST SUSSEX COUNTY COUNCIL (WSCC) ASH DIE BACK WORKS.  Members were invited to note correspondence received from WSCC regarding planned ash die back work on London Road. (Appendix 6 of the agenda).  Members noted the information.

GE23/94 URGENT MATTERS at the discretion of the Chairman for noting and/or inclusion on a future agenda.  There were no urgent matters.

GE23/95 DATE OF NEXT MEETING. 9 May 2024 at 7.30pm.

There being no other business the meeting closed at 9.35pm.

APPENDIX 1

HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL

Use of Adastra Park by Groups and Commercial Enterprises

1. This note sets out the basis on which:

• Organised groups may use the Adastra Park.
• Commercial enterprises may use the Adastra Park on a regular basis.

General Use of Adastra Park

2. The Adastra Park is a public space to which all people have reasonable access at all times. It is expected that any person may use the space in any way within the terms of the Law and without interfering with the use, or causing a nuisance to any other person.

3. From time to time groups of people or organisations will propose to use some or all of the space in Adastra Park. These will be events which take place infrequently and irregularly.  An event is where there is a planned activity involving several people, which is organised by a definable person, group of people, organisation or company (the organiser).  These can be small events or large events.

4. Individuals or businesses with a commercial interest i.e./ fitness training, fairs, professional coaching etc. can apply to the Parish Council for permission to run one off or regular activities on a commercial basis on areas of the Adastra Park.

Small Events

5. A small event is defined as complying with all of the following:

• Less than 50 people (adults and children) gathered
• There being no machinery or vehicles deployed
• There is no trading (the sale of goods, food, drink or services) for commercial purposes.
• There are no public address systems (loudspeakers)
• There are no fires lit, including BBQ’S
• There are no fireworks.

6. The organiser is asked to seek the permission of the Parish Council, in writing. The following information will be required:

• The name and address and contact details of the organiser
• The date and approximate times of the event
• A brief description of the expected activity
• The area of the Adastra Park to be used
• An estimate of the number of people (adults and children) attending
• Confirmation that the terms of the small event will be complied
• Confirmation that all litter will be removed and any damage will be made good before leaving the recreation ground on the day of the event
• Confirmation that appropriate health and safety issues have been considered.

7. The Parish Council may make a nominal charge for a small event to be decided in accordance with individual applications.

Large Events

8. A large event occurs where any of the following apply:

• More than 50 people (adults and children) gathered
• There being machinery or vehicles deployed
• There is trading (the sale of goods, food, drink or services)
• There are public address systems (loudspeakers)

9. Organisers of a large event must apply to the Parish Office for permission to use the land and the following conditions will apply:

• A charge will normally be made
• A returnable bond might be requested
• The organiser will be required to remove any litter and to make good any damage to the Adastra Park
• The organiser will have to submit a Risk Assessment covering the activities, to demonstrate that proper attention has been given to all matters including safety, crowd control, emergencies, traffic and parking.
• The organiser may be required to obtain an Entertainment Licence from the Licensing Authority (Mid Sussex District Council)
• Evidence will be required of public and third party insurance of up to £5 million.

Commercial Activities

10. Individuals or Business who wish to use areas of the Adastra Park to run regular or one off commercial activities i.e./ fairs, fitness training, for which they are charging a fee, must apply to the Parish Office for permission to do so.

11. The organiser is asked to seek permission of the Parish Council, in writing. The following information is required:

• The name, address and contact details of the organiser
• A brief description of the business and activities involved
• The day and time on which the activity is proposed
• The area of the Adastra Park to be used
• An estimate of the number of people attending and fees being charged
• Confirmation that public and third party insurance is held
• Confirmation that any damage will be reported and made good.

12. The Parish Council will make a charge for such activities, to be decided on individual arrangements specific to each application.

13. No equipment is to be used which is likely to damage the turf, and the playing of music for fitness training is prohibited.