The next meeting of Poynings Parish Council to be held online using Zoom software on Wednesday 3^rd March 2021 at 7pm.

Please contact the clerk on clerk@poyningsparishcouncil.com for Login details.

Agenda

1. Apologies for absence
   
2. Volunteer to run the meeting in the absence of a chair
   
3. Minutes
   
4. Matters Arising
   
5. MSDC and WSDC
   
6. Public Participation
   
7. Expenditure for Jan and Feb
   
8. Planning applications
   a. Demolition of the existing stable barn and erection of a Replacement stable barn (demolish existing) together with sandschool in association with Equine Assisted Learning Centre.
   Downmere Farm Mill Lane Poynings BN45 7AE Ref. No: SDNP/21/00320/
   b. Low level retaining wall and rear garden landscape and new movable deck with integral storage.(Remove existing timber decking)
   Wilton House The Street Poynings BN45 7AQ Ref. No: SDNP/20/04227/HOUS
   Decision
   c. Variation of Condition: Conditions 2 and 4 of Planning Consent SDNP/18/01972/FUL. (Relocation and amendments to proposed detached garage, relocation of proposed summerhouse and relocation of proposed swimming pool.)
   Downmere Poynings Road Poynings BN45 7AG Ref. No: SDNP/20/04053/CND
   Decision 
   
9. Passing place
   
10. Gas canisters dumping
    
11. Gully clearing
    
12. Website update
    
13. Dog bins
    
14. Devils Dyke Sewage outlet
    
15. Annual Parish Meeting
16. Item’s for next meeting’s Agenda
17. Date of Next Meeting
    

Clerk to the Council
Mr Colin Warburton
clerk@poyningsparishcouncil.com

Would you or someone you know be able to help with this year’s elections to the West Sussex County Council and for the Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner on Thursday 6^th May 2021.

Please tell us if you, other colleagues or adult family members can help to staff the polling stations on Thursday 6^th May 2021. Payments for election work are made subject to income tax, but there are no national insurance contributions. Pay rates this year for a duty period of 16.5 hours are as follows: Poll Clerks: £170, Polling Station Stewards: £187 and Presiding Officers: £266.50. Training will be provided.

MSDC must stage covid secure elections in just 9 weeks’ time. We need more staff than usual to make the polls safe for everyone. You will be given suitable PPE to do this type of work, and it must be worn by everyone involved. Please see our public information: how we plan to make voting safe.

If you wish to know more, or if you know of people who can help, please email staffingelections@midsussex.gov.uk
or call us on 01444 477222.

Polling stations will be run safely, but if you need to apply for a postal or proxy vote, apply now.

Many thanks, Terry

Terry Stanley, Deputy Local Returning Officer and Business Unit Leader – Democratic Services

Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne, in partnership with the Association of Police & Crime Commissioners (APCC) has launched today a national survey, designed to understand public perception of dog theft, enforcement and the prosecution of offenders.

The Home Secretary is currently reviewing the issue of pet theft and what future enforcement may look like with potentially tougher penalties for perpetrators.

The responses to this survey will help inform the discussions that PCCs will have on this issue nationally and allow police forces to better understand the public’s views on this crime and how they might improve their response to those concerns.

Demand for dogs as pets has increased during the coronavirus pandemic. The cost of some puppies, on Pets4Homes, is currently as high as £3,000, making them a valuable commodity to criminals. 

According to Dog Lost, the UK’s largest lost and found dog service, it is estimated thefts have risen by 250 per cent, with criminal gangs involved.

Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne is spearheading the first national conversation with the public on this issue as public perception and fear is growing to an all-time high. She says:

“Pet theft, dog theft in particular, is a growing concern for the public and their fear has been perpetuated over the last couple of weeks with shocking reports in the media of more dogs being snatched by criminals.

“I am incredibly eager to get more detail around this issue and understand residents’ views and if they feel more could be done to respond to their concerns or for more preventative measures to be put in place to better protect their pets. 

“I’m pleased to see the Home Secretary recognising the devastating impact of this crime and I hope that the results of this survey will give the Government the evidence it needs to take more robust action against perpetrators.”

Sussex Police recorded 31 dog thefts in 2020 but at least 12 of those were disputes over dog ownership between known parties.

Inspector Andrea Leahy from the Sussex Police Rural Crime Team said: “We support this national survey and the team are working tirelessly to collate information and intelligence on this worrying crime. We have dedicated officers covering the county who review every report that comes into us. We would like to encourage the public to report all suspicious circumstances and read our crime prevention advice on our website. We are dedicated to keeping your pets safe and target any persons believed to be involved in this distressing crime.”

The 60-second survey will be open until 17:00 on Friday 12^th March.

HAVE YOUR SAY TODAY: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/dogtheft

Natalie McFall

Communications Manager

T: 01273 481561

M: 07710 120632

A: Sackville House, Brooks Close, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2FZ

Coming to a screen near you… season two of West Sussex Unwrapped

West Sussex Unwrapped, brought to you by West Sussex Record Office and Screen Archive South East, is back for a second fun-filled series.

Premiering on Tuesday 16 February, this all new eight-part monthly series builds on the archival treats of last year and offers viewers a mix of films, photos, documents and fascinating facts on a range of West Sussex topics.

This series features:

• a Royal visit to Crawley in 1958;
  
• Women’s Suffrage in West Sussex;
  
• a new, computer designed, school in Eastergate in 1970;
  
• a glimpse of life at a real ‘Downton Abbey’ at Warnham Court, near Horsham;
  
• Scouts, picnickers and ramblers enjoying the majesty of the South Downs;
  
• Hurstpierpoint’s famous St Lawrence Fair – dating back to the 14th century;
  
• Shoreham Harbour at work in the 1960s,
  
• and a visit to the cinema in Haywards Heath – 1920s style.
  

Duncan Crow, West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Fire and Rescue and Communities, said: “Following on from last year’s popular 10-week series, this second collaboration between the Record Office and Screen Archive South East promises to be another thrilling insight into the rich history of the county.

“I have no doubt that it will continue to capture the hearts and imagination of all who view it and will again allow us to live vicariously through the people and places we encounter in the video footage and the archives that are presented to us each month.”

Dr Frank Gray, the Director of Screen Archive South East at the University of Brighton said, “The very positive relationship we have with the West Sussex Record Office demonstrates the real value of like-minded heritage organisations working together to share our collections and reveal the county’s multi-media history. At a difficult time for all of us, it’s been a real pleasure putting this series together and reflecting on so many different aspects of our past.”

A new episode will be available every month from February to September.

For more information and to watch the series, visit https://westsussexrecordofficeblog.com/west-sussex-unwrapped-21/. 

Walking in Sussex www.walkinginsussex.co.uk is the website for you! After lockdown of course!

With hundreds of walks to download and print, free, it also has books of walks, contact details for all the walking groups in the county and much more. Whether you want to walk on your own or with a group all the information is there in one place.

John said ‘There is so much walking information on the web but it is difficult to find. Walking in Sussex (part of the Walking in England suite of websites (www.walkinginengland.co.uk) – one for each county in England) has brought it together in one place so whether you are walking from home, or away on holiday, you will be able to find a walk suitable for you’.

With walks from half a mile to twelve miles plus long, and a note of suitability for pushchairs and wheelchairs, everyone can find a walk to enjoy.

So home or away, check out the websites and get walking!

John Harris

www.walkinginengland.co.uk

email: john@walkinginengland.co.uk

On 13^th of January the Council confirmed that it reopened the Hall for use by the NHS as a vaccination centre with the Hall available for as longas the NHS needs it.

Meanwhile MSDC proposes to undertake feasibility studies to identify practicable, community options for the future use of the Clair Hall site and to undertake a new public consultation exercise.

Jonathan Ash-Edwards, Leader of Mid Sussex District Council said, “At the moment, Clair Hall is fulfilling a role as a vaccination centre. For the future, we will look at options to improve the site and meet a range of community needs. This will include consultation with the public”.

In December MSDC received a legal challenge which was settled amicably out of court by a Consent Order. The Council has already confirmed that it will comply with the Order.

Background:

In September the Cabinet commissioned a business case to explore options on the site that provide for a range of community needs and are financially sustainable.

Following the legal challenge, both sides agreed a consent order that required the Council to reconsider the permanent closure of Clair Hall and carry out new consultation on the future of Clair Hall.

The Hall is now re-opened, and the new consultation will take place in 6 to 12 months as required by the Consent Order.

The NHS use of Clair Hall as a Vaccination Centre continues.

Mid Sussex District Council has collected over 16 tonnes of broken electricals in just ten weeks.

A new kerbside collection service of small electrical items and household batteries was launched by Mid Sussex District Council in late November 2020. Since the service launch, some twelve weeks ago, over 16 tonnes of unwanted small electricals and a staggering 2.8 tonnes of batteries have been collected by contractors, Serco.

Councillor John Belsey, Cabinet Member for Environment and Service Delivery said:

“Mid Sussex District Council is delighted that our residents are so engaged with this new kerbside collection service, which has enhanced our existing waste and recycling provision.

“Our huge thanks go to our contractors Serco, who have been extremely supportive of this new venture. We are enormously proud of our collection crews, who have worked tirelessly collecting unprecedented amounts of small electricals under very challenging circumstances. There has been a significantly increased demand on our existing rubbish and recycling services during this pandemic, and our collection crews have shown true dedication and professionalism throughout.”

The new service is for broken small electrical household items and used household batteries that can fit in a standard sized carrier bag. Most small electricals, items that have a plug, battery or lead, are accepted but some restrictions apply.

Many electrical items often stop working but could be repaired, they may be unwanted but have re-use value to others, so the Council is urging residents to consider re-use and repair options where possible and only use this service for broken electrical items.

There are a growing number of community-led repair cafes within Mid Sussex, run by knowledgeable volunteers who donate their time and expertise for free to help with repairing personal items including electricals. Residents can find local alternative re-use and recycling options, such as repair cafes and take back schemes, using the recycling locator on the www.recycleyourelectricals.org.uk website. Many have been affected by recent lockdown restrictions, so residents should check availability before use.

Serco Operations manager, Ian Tolley said:
“Demand for the service is still exceedingly high at the moment as many households seem to have taken the opportunity to have a spring clean during current lockdown restrictions and visits to Household Waste Recycling Sites are currently limited to essential use only.

“The storage cages on our collection vehicles are filling up fast, therefore if residents find their collection has been missed we are asking them to bear with us and store their items until their next scheduled rubbish collection or to wait a few weeks for demand to even out. Please remember ‘little and often’ so everyone can benefit.”

For more information on this new collection service and answers to frequently asked questions please visit the Household Small Electricals page of the Mid Sussex District Council website at www.midsussex.gov.uk/electricals

As there have been various reports of Dogs being snatched locally, here is an article from the Sunday Times.

• Avoid leaving them tied up outside a shop, making them vulnerable and tempting for opportunist thieves
• Don’t leave them alone in the car, even for a few minutes. Thieves can easily break in.
• Make sure they are microchipped and that you keep your contact details up to date.
• Your dog should always wear a collar and ID tag with your name and address on it.
• Make a note of any distinguishing features and take clear photographs of your dog from various angles.
• Take photos of your dog with you walking with it, for proof of ownership.
• Train them to come back when called and never let them off the lead in public until you are sure they will obey your call.
• Make sure your garden if secure and fit a bell to your gate so you hear if anyone opens it.
• Keep your dog in view in the garden. Don’t leave them outside unsupervised.
• While out walking, be wary of strangers asking questions about or filming your dog.
• Vary the times and routes of walks. Some dogs are targeted and snatched during them.

A new police unit has been launched to track and catch dangerous and wanted criminals

using the Sussex roads network.

The Specialist Enforcement Unit (SEU) will carry out disruption and enforcement

operations on roads across the county, targeting those involved in serious, organised and

violent crime.

The SEU, a mix of highly-trained police officers and detectives, is equipped to be a onestop-

shop to fight road crime – with the ability to identify, intercept and apprehend

offenders, seize drugs and stolen goods, and investigate the crimes through to conviction.

The unit is the latest in a series of police enforcement teams to be launched across

Sussex in the past year funded by the Government’s Uplift programme and local precept

investment.

The team has a blend of specialist skills and can use a range of tactics to tackle criminals

using the road network, including advanced driving skills and the use of a police dog unit

to track offenders and search vehicles.

Covering hundreds of miles of road network across Sussex, the team will carry out

operations and proactive patrols, working closely with colleagues and supporting the work

of regional and national agencies, targeting some of Sussex’s most wanted and prolific

criminals.

The SEU forms part of wider investment to support local policing priorities, to strengthen

local policing, tackle crime and prevent harm, disrupt serious and organised crime and to

support victims and safeguard the vulnerable.

You can read our press release here.