The next meeting of Poynings Parish Council to be held on the Village Hall on Monday 31st January 2022 at 7pm.

Agenda
1) Apologies for absence
2) Minutes
3) Matters Arising
4) MSDC and WSCC
5) Public Participation
6) Expenditure for October 2021 and November 2021
7) Planning applications
a. SDNP/22/00121/TCA | Notification of intention for light pruning on overhanging branches to reduce excessive shading/light obstruction on 1 no. Mature Ash (T7). | Dyke Farm House The Street Poynings BN45 7AQ
https://planningpublicaccess.southdowns.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=R5I53JTUH3N00&activeTab=summary 
b. SDNP/21/06370/PRE | Retained employment floorspace (441sqm) divided into two units with flexible space and erection of 5 flats (4 x 2 bed and 1 x 1 bed) including a revised parking layout. Aviation House. Poynings BN45 7AQ
https://planningpublicaccess.southdowns.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=R4IIC1TU0OQ00&activeTab=summary
Note: Pre application
c. SDNP/21/06323/LDE | Commencement of underground drainage for approved extension planning ref: SDNP/20/00832/HOUS (Amended under: SDNP/20/03137/NMA) | Wilton House The Street Poynings BN45 7AQ
https://planningpublicaccess.southdowns.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=R4EV4ITUGOD00&activeTab=summary
d. SDNP/21/05567/FUL | Erection of a barn for the storage of forestry equipment and machinery and dry storage of materials produced on site | Pondtail Wood Muddleswood Road Albourne West Sussex.
Note: Decision
8) SDNP Planning process
9) Village signs
10) Queens Jubilee 2022
11) Fibre Broadband
12) Dog walking
13) Precept 2022 – 2023
14) Items for next month’s Agenda
15) Date of next month’s Meeting

Colin Warburton
Clerk to the Parish Council

Good News, the sign up for the ultrafast Broadband has now hit over 60% of the residents needed.

That means we need another 40% to commit to sign up, for one year only.

If you haven’t done so yet, is there something worrying you?

If you think your current speed is fine, you are probably right, for now!!  However, just think back how quickly things are changing. It wasn’t that long ago that dial up was fine, then 8 Mbps was fine, now 50Mbps is fine. But what about in 2025 when BT are switching off the analogue telephone network and you will have to use the digital lines (the same technology that WhatsApp, Microsoft teams, Zoom and Skype use). Will your current speed be enough then? When more games, films etc are using the network, will it be okay then?

For those that remember, back in the 70’s when the new gas line was being laid to Brighton (it goes just to the West of Poynings), locals were asked if they wanted to have gas to the village, for a fee. Not enough people said yes, so we have not had gas since. Will the same thing happen now? Possibly. It is unlikely that if this fails that Openreach will try again here for a long time as the grant might not be available again and it is very expensive to install.

Ultrafast Full Fibre broadband will service your needs for decades to come. As fibre optic technology evolves, you’ll already have everything that your need in your property to get the benefits – upgrade or downgrade your speed without ever needing an engineer to visit your home.

Remember, you only have to commit for one year, no one knows what the costs will be when the project is complete but even if is £10 a month more (unlikely) that is only going to cost you £120 for the year and then you can switch back. However, at a later date, you will have the option to upgrade again if required.

House prices. As you are probably aware, with more people working from home, Rightmove now put estimated broadband speeds on the sales details when selling properties. A high speed can put £1,000’s on the price of a house.

So, what are you waiting for, pledge now, at Connect my community (openreach.com) , the window will be closing soon!

Kind Regards,

Colin
______________________
Colin Warburton
Clerk to Poynings Parish Council

Due to Covid restrictions and venue difficulties, the meeting for next week has been postponed until Monday 31st January, venue and agenda to be published nearer the time.

Kind Regards,

Colin Warburton
Clerk to Poynings Parish Council

The Mid Sussex District Council Wellbeing team is offering extra support to people who want to give up drinking alcohol this January.

Going alcohol-free for a month during Dry January can be a great start to the New Year, providing a range of health benefits like better sleep, brighter skin, improved concentration and higher energy levels.

People who do Dry January with support are twice as likely to stay dry for the whole month, so the Wellbeing team is offering a free confidential advice service to anyone who would like to reduce their drinking.

Research published by the British Medical Council in 2018 found that one month without drinking alcohol lowers blood pressure, reduces the risk of developing diabetes, lowers cholesterol and reduces levels of cancer-related proteins in the blood.

The real magic happens when Dry January is over, with the majority of participants reporting that it helped them to drink more healthily year-round. Research conducted by the University of Sussex has found that more than 70% of people who take on the month with Alcohol Change UK’s Try Day app or coaching emails are still drinking more healthily.

Councillor Norman Webster, MSDC Cabinet Member for Community said:

“Take control of your life and join the millions of people that take on the Dry January challenge.

“Prevention is better than cure and getting on top of your alcohol consumption can help you to lose weight, reduce the risk of heart disease, improve your mental health and of course, leave you with more money in the bank.

“It only takes 3 weeks to break a habit and take control of your drinking. Anyone can get involved and it’s easy to sign up and get started on your journey”.

The Mid Sussex Wellbeing Team offers a range of support to help people make important lifestyle changes that lead to happier, healthier lives. You can contact them directly by calling 01444 477191 or emailing wellbeing@midsussex.gov.uk

Mid Sussex District Council has agreed to implement a new flexible season ticket offer and to increase car parking charges in line with inflation.

The decision was taken by Full Council at a meeting on Wednesday 8 December 2021.

Car park season tickets are primarily used by town centre workers and commuters. The pandemic has dramatically changed the way people work, with many more people working from home, and this has had an impact on the demand for season tickets. The number of people using town centre season tickets is not expected to return to pre-pandemic levels, so a flexible 3-day season ticket will be introduced to fit in with new working habits

Public sector organisations across the UK are facing serious budget gaps as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. In local government, the financial cost of supporting communities through the pandemic has been huge. Even with additional funding from the Government, the cost to Mid Sussex District Council was £1.9 million during the 2020/21 financial year and Covid-19 will continue to have a significant impact on the Council’s finances over the coming years.

Parking charges in Mid Sussex town centre Pay and Display car parks have remained the same for the past ten years, which means they have not kept pace with inflation or rising management and maintenance costs.

The Council is increasing car park charges to help protect essential public services and enable continued investment in the parking estate, particularly in new technologies to improve customer service.

Mid Sussex is currently one of the cheapest places to park in the area when compared to neighbouring Council areas and this will continue to be the case. Parking for one hour in a Mid Sussex District Council car park will increase from 80p to £1 and parking for two hours in a Mid Sussex District Council car park will cost a maximum of £1.50 compared with £1.80 in Lewes, £2 in Crawley and £2.80 in Horsham.

Councillor Stephen Hillier, MSDC Cabinet Member for Economic Growth said:

“The financial pressures created on council finances by the coronavirus pandemic are here to stay for the foreseeable future. We must plan ahead if we are to protect our services and safeguard the long-term sustainability of the Council.

“Our parking charges have remained frozen for the past decade and by bringing them back in line with inflation we will be able to support our key statutory services while also investing in the modernisation of our car parks.

“The decision to increase parking charges is not one we take lightly, but we must make some tough choices over the next few years if we are to effectively manage our budget and recover from the effects of this awful pandemic.”