Minutes of the Council Meeting held on Thursday 24 April 2025 at 7.30 pm at Sayers Common Village Hall.

Members Present:

Also Present:  Sarah Groom, Clerk to the Council, plus Cllr Geoff Zeidler (MSDC), and eight members of the public.

C24/25.165: To receive and accept apologies for absence:  Apologies for absence were received from Cllr David Evans and Cllr Lindsay Thompson, and it was:

RESOLVED: That the Council ACCEPTS the apologies for absence for Cllr Evans and Cllr Thompson.

Apologies were also received from Cllr Joy Dennis (WSCC) and Cllr Alison Bennett (MSDC).

C24/25.166: To receive and record declarations of interest:  There were no declarations of interest.

C24/25.167: To receive and accept the minutes of the previous meeting of the Council held on 27 March 2025:  Members reviewed the minutes of the previous meeting, and it was: 

RESOLVED:  That the Council AGREES the minutes of the meeting held on 27 March 2025.

C24/25.168: Adjournment for Questions from the Public: There were eight members of the public present.  One resident spoke in support of an application for a 20 mph, quiet lane designation for Danworth Lane to be considered by the Parish Council later in the meeting.  One member of the Sayers Common Village Society thanked the Parish Council for the grant for a Christmas Tree, and they were pleased to see restoration work had started on the pond.  One member of the public asked who would be the new representative on the Sayers Common Village Association.  The Chairman confirmed this position would be filled at the May Council meeting.  They also enquired after the success of the Reeds Lane Recreation Ground play equipment consultation that ran in the Village Hall from 11-22 April 2025.  Cllr Majsai confirmed that there had been 73 responses which were currently being analysed.

C24/25.169: Reports from Other Authorities: Members received reports from representatives of:

C24/25.169.1: West Sussex County Council (WSCC):  Cllr Dennis was not able to attend the meeting and had sent her apologies.  Cllr Avery will be reporting the poor re-surfacing works undertaken on College Lane, via the office, and also wanted to report the trouble buses are having driving through the High Street.  The Chairman has previously asked WSCC to consider amending the bus schedules so that the buses do not meet in the middle of the High Street as they cannot pass each other without mounting the pavements and putting pedestrian safety at risk.   Bus stops are also being looked at by WSCC throughout the parish, where vehicles are parked on the street obstructing the bus stops. The unintended consequences of MSDC introducing parking charges in the car parks will also be need to be considered by WSCC as the on-street parking situation will inevitably get worse.  The Chairman highlighted again that MSDC acting as the Local Planning Authority is still approving planning permissions, without any parking provision.  Cllr Avery will arrange to meet with the WSCC Area Highways Manager.  Cllr Shorrocks would like to ask Cllr Dennis about WSCC placing Tree Protection Orders on tree on Highway verges.

C24/25.169.2: Mid Sussex District Council (MSDC): Cllr Jackson reported there was no news on the draft Mid Sussex District Plan progress.  The draft Horsham District Plan had been rejected by their Planning Inspector on 22 April due to issues around consultation and the perceived lack of effort made to help meet Crawley’s un-met need.   

MSDC are offering grants for local groups to commemorate the 80^th Anniversary of VE Day.  Cllr Zeidler was pleased to see that conservation work had started on Berrylands Pond.  A meeting had been arranged by MSDC on 20 May between parish councils and developers.  The Chairman explained this meeting had been called for by the Parish Council and was intended to start discussions over the current developer led master-planning for the new homes in Sayers Common and Albourne, in order to design the best possible outcome for a sustainable community despite the Parish Council’s continued objection to the scale of the housing numbers.

The Chairman thanked Cllr Jackson and Cllr Zeidler for their reports.  Cllr Zeidler left at 8.05pm.

C24/25.170: Committee Minutes: Members received the minutes of the:

C24/25.170.1: Sustainability Strategy Working Group (24 February 2025):  Members were asked to agree and adopt the Sustainability Strategy Action Plan.  The Parish Council has been able to achieve a good number of actions but some work was reliant on other partners to assist with, such as solar panels on community buildings.  Some of the nature recovery work has been excellent and is growing.  A key challenge is the bio-diversity net gain issue. It was agreed to try and develop a process to attempt to protect and therefore prevent developers destroying nature in the first place. 

C24/25.170.2: Planning Committee (31 March 2025): There were no recommendations for Council. 

C24/25.170.3: Community Engagement Committee (3 April 2025): There were no recommendations for Council.

C24/25.170.4: Finance, Governance & Estates Committee (16 April 2025): There were no recommendations for Council, and it was:

RESOLVED:  That the Council RECEIVES the minutes of the following Working Group and Committees, and AGREES the recommendations where appropriate or as amended:

1. Sustainability Strategy Working Group (24 February 2025);
2. Planning Committee (31 March 2025);
3. Community Engagement Committee (3 April 2025);
4. Finance, Governance & Estates Committee (10 April 2025)

C24/25.171: Planning Committee Membership:  Members considered adding the positions of Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Council to the membership of the Planning Committee.  Concerns were expressed that this will raise the level required for a meeting to be quorate, and it was:

RESOLVED:  That the Council AGREES to add the positions of Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Council to the membership of the Planning Committee.

C24/25.172: Danworth Lane Traffic Regulation Order:  Members considered supporting residents in their request for Danworth Lane to be classified as a quiet lane by West Sussex County Council, and it was:

RESOLVED:  That the Council AGREES to support residents in their request for Danworth Lane to be classified as a quiet lane by West Sussex County Council and supported the same classification for the adjacent High Hatch Lane and Pomper Lane East.

C24/25.173: Willow Way Streetlights:  Members considered a quote for repairs to ten streetlights in Willow Way, nine of which were vandalised in January 2025, at a cost of £10,666.87+VAT and to seek an insurance claim, and it was:

RESOLVED:  That the Council AGREES to appoint Enerveo to repair ten streetlights in Willow Way at a cost of £10,666.87+VAT and to make an insurance claim.

C24/25.174: St Lawrence Fair:  Members considered an application for the use of the South Avenue Recreation Ground for the St Lawrence Fair 2025.  The implications from the new Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 legislation (known as Martyn’s Law) will impact on this large event attracting some 1,500 people or more.  The information has been sent to the Fair Secretary, and it was:

RESOLVED:  That the Council AGREES to support the application for the use of the South Avenue Recreation Ground for the St Lawrence Fair 2025.

C24/25.175: Reports from representatives on outside bodies:  Members noted the reports as follows:

C24/25.175.1: Hurstpierpoint Society:  Cllr Dyke reported the main piece of work at the moment was the signage for Latchetts Lane.

C24/25.175.2: Sayers Common Village Association:  Members noted the resignation of Barry Forster from the Parish Council which also left a vacancy for a Parish Councillor representative on the Sayers Common Village Association.  This appointment would be made at the May Council meeting.

C24/25.176: Information Items:

C24/25.176.1: Interparish Meeting:  Interparish Meetings had been born from the threat of a Mayfield New Town in the late 2010’s.  The Chairman had attended a meeting on 8 April 2025 at Henfield Parish Council with approx. eleven surrounding parish councils such as Shermanbury, Twineham and Albourne, to discuss the opportunities and threats from devolution to a Sussex Mayoral Authority with combined unitary authorities.  It seems the town and parish councils will not be properly consulted for some time either in late 2025 or early 2026.

C24/25.176.2: Hurst Meadow Tours: Cllr Majsai reminded Members that she was always happy to give tours of Hurst Meadows and to explain the work that happen there.

C24/25.176.3: Heritage Orchard Open Day:  Cllr Majsai reminded members that there was an open day on Saturday 26 April from 10am to 4pm in the Orchard in Hurst Meadows.

Members RESOLVED that in view of the confidential nature of the following items, the press and public be excluded under section 1(2) of the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960.

Confidential Matters:

C24/25.177: Hurstpierpoint Lawn Tennis Club: Members received a confidential briefing note regarding the renewal of the Lease between the Parish Council and the Hurstpierpoint Lawn Tennis Club which expires on 31 December 2025, and it was:

RESOLVED: That the Council AGREED to negotiate draft terms for a new Lease with the Hurstpierpoint Lawn Tennis Club, to be bought back to Council for final approval; to appoint Surrey Hills Solicitors to complete the new Lease at a cost of up to £2,320+VAT; and to commission a market rent valuation from Ditchling Surveying Services at a cost of £320 +VAT.

There being no other business, the Chairman closed the meeting at 9.13pm.

Chairman