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Minutes of the annual General Meeting of Walberton Action Group

17 November 2009 at Walberton Pavilion

1. Present: chairman Peter Brown, and about 30 people, including committee members Emma and Mike Tristram, Peter Hatley, John Heathcote, Vince Cooper, Geoff Alder, Wendy and Newton Coen and John Bushrod.    Apologies were received from Christine Llewellyn, David Hart, and Alan and Val Allison.   [Only 13 signed the attendance list, but I counted 24 before the meeting began and I think a few more arrived after that.]

2. The minutes of the 2008 AGM, which had been circulated, were accepted as correct.   Matters arising:

     - The South Downs National Park.   This is now officially in existence, though arrangements for planning decisions, maintenance of PRWs, etc. have still to be finalised.   ET pointed out the revised boundary on the wall map – it includes all the southernmost copses of Binsted Woods, and the fields bounded by them, i.e. Binsted Park, the two fields at the back of Binsted Nursery, and the two fields north of Scotland Lane.   (These areas were left out by the first Draft Boundary but then included due to representations by local organisations including WAG.)   The boundary then follows Hedgers Hill and the top end of Yapton Lane to the A27.

     WAG’s 2003-5 Landscape Project, with its major hedge and tree planting along ROWs such as Scotland Lane, was a factor in the Inspector’s decision to include these extra areas.   Their inclusion means all previously discussed routes for the Arundel Bypass are now within the Park.  

3. The Annual Report.     PB present his Annual Report which had been circulated with the Agenda.   Additional points were:

- On trees, JH reported that most of the endangered oak trees at Fontwell now have TPOs.  More tree work is needed on the Golf course.  

- Work party: there will be a working party on Thursday 26 November at 9.45 to clear the new ditch alongside Scotland Lane.

- Ford Ecotown.   PH reported that this plan had now been cancelled due to a fantastic community campaign against it in which WAG took part.

- Hospitals: JB reported that Worthing and Chichester hospitals were now not going to close departments.   Their administration has merged instead.   There will be a public board meeting at the Avisford Hilton on Thursday 26 November.

- Flint wall survey: PB reported that the meticulous survey of flint walls in the parish by Newton and Wendy Coen had been completed this year.

- Bird box day: this was well conceived and very interesting, with information about bat and dormice boxes too, but not many attended.   One of NC’s barn owl boxes, made from a packing case, was on show.   He has assembled three of these which are to be put up at barns on Bill Forse’s land.

4. Past and future.   PB described the founding of WAG with a public meeting at the school on 12 July 1994.   Actions asked for by those present had included bus timetables, guided walks, a tennis club, a young people’s needs survey, a play area at Fontwell, a parish audit, traffic calming, a youth coffee shops, a parish map and better links with the Parish Council.  Many of these have been acted on.   Other projects have been

- Surveys: Housing Needs, Valued Features, Icons and Eyesores, the Phase 1 Habitat  Survey (1994-5), the Hedge Survey (2005-6) and the Bird Survey (2007-8).

- The 2003-5 Landscape Project, which included path creation such as the new path in the Shaw next to Yapton lane.

- The creation of the Millennium Parish Map project and the History Group.

- Publications including ‘Walberton Past and Present’, ‘Six walks around Walberton’, and ‘Binsted Wildflower Walks’.

- Tree and bulb planting and conservation working parties including work on ponds.

- Creation of the Walberton village website (www.walbertonag.org.uk ).

- Walberton Churchyard Heritage Project.

- Flint Walls Survey.

He then divided the meeting into four groups to discuss four topics of concern – conservation and enjoyment of the countryside; cycling and public transport; young people; and local businesses – and suggest action that could be taken.   Their leaders then reported back as follows:

- JB’s group on conservation and enjoyment of the countryside felt that we are lucky to be surrounded by beautiful countryside and access is good, but a safe crossing of the A27 would make access to the Downs much easier.   There is an underpass at Fontwell in the west of the parish.   Another crossing, for instance at the top of Yapton lane, might be made if that became a roundabout as part of the long-mooted Arundel Bypass, but both the bypass and a roundabout now looked unlikely (especially as all its proposed routes are now in the National Park).   

     There was some concern that WAG projects only benefit a few, and government initiatives such as recycling are not well publicised.   A Green Day was suggested to raise green issues in the community.   Stedham has had one and Tony Douglas was willing to look into this.

- ET’s group on cycling and public transport were pleased that the cycle path from Felpham to Barnham was nearly completed, and that it is planned to extend it to Walberton and Slindon, giving a link to the Downs.   But more cycle paths were needed, such as a safe route along the A27 from Havenwood Park to Binsted Lane, giving a route to Arundel.   More cycling in Walberton village was difficult because of the amount and speed of the traffic.   Constant pleas for traffic calming over the years by the Parish Council have produced no results, though French villages have this as a matter of course.   Humps, chicanes, and reducing the speed limit to 20 mph were all suggested again.   Police checks with a camera had led to letters being written but no further action.    The Parish Survey, which included pleas for traffic calming, might be used to try to put further pressure on the authorities.  

     Trains: members tried to use trains but one problem was parking at stations.   One person parked in a housing estate at Barnham, another at a friend’s house – this is a concern for residents of Barnham.   Buses: the bus to Chichester should be diverted through Walberton, though access onto the A27 makes one direction of this journey difficult.    What buses there are tended to be underused, but the community minibus is often full.

     - Sue Sergeant’s group on young people felt that young children up to the age of 10 were well provided for, but not teenagers.   Police checks and health and safety regulations had made provision of anything for young people more difficult, and as a prosperous village we can’t get grants.   There are youth groups in Yapton and Barnham, but in Walberton only sports groups, although there is a youth group at St Mary’s church, and an informal cycle trail in Binsted Woods.   The Village Hall was made extra high to allow badminton, but this club has lapsed.

     This is not seen as a major problem by the public, though there have been problems with older children hanging about the children’s play area.   Lack of facilities for them is particularly acute during the school holidays.

     - Peter Hatley’s group on local businesses thought that the website could be better used to promote local businesses.   There could be a directory of local traders, B and Bs etc. on an enhanced website, with links to their websites.    The local shops won’t be used for the weekly shop as they don’t have enough stock; there is no easy answer to this.   On employment, there was no focal point for local job seekers.   WAG liaises well with the Parish Council but could do more to attract young people.   WAG’s monthly slot in the Parish Magazine could say what we are going to do, rather than report on what we’ve done.

     PB summed up the discussions by saying that there were many challenges there and perhaps the main one was, can we widen our membership to include younger people?   He will ask the committee to look for action to take as a result of the workshop.

5. Treasurer’s report.   GA reported that there were now 34 subscribing members, up from 6 two years ago.    The major expense of the year had been mending the theft-damaged flint wall in Yapton Lane, which had cost £1810.   This was achieved with the sale of recovered capping bricks, and various grants including £500 from West Sussex County Council, £500 from the Sussex Community Fund and £20 from Walberton History Group.   There was now £721.26 in our bank account.   The accounts were adopted and Alan Crook, who had audited them, was thanked.  

6. Election of officers.   PB would like to step down from the office of Chairman, but was willing to continue for another year; GA was willing to continue as Treasurer.  They were reelected.   ET was resigning as Secretary after this meeting, but will stay on the committee.   Wendy Coen offered to take on the job of Secretary.   She was duly appointed and was thanked.  ET was thanked for her past work as Chairman and Secretary.    The existing committee members were re-elected en bloc.

7. AOB.   Brian Varney was concerned about children playing in the field next to the playing field, which belongs to Mr Tupper.   A swing had been put up on an oak tree at the edge of the field.   VC suggested the gate should be padlocked.

The AGM was followed by an interesting talk about Butser Ancient Farm near Petersfield by John Bushrod, who is treasurer of the Friends of Butser as well as a volunteer.    It gets no public funding and maintains itself as a research institution entirely by school visits and other activities such as story telling in the replica Iron Age thatched roundhouses.   The replica Roman villa there was shown to be very similar in layout to the one recently excavated in Walberton at Blacksmith’s Corner.