All posts by Bob

Problems with the approaches to the Whyke roundabout A27 Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge

January 24, 2017BridgesA27, WhykeBob

Alan Carn, Co-Chair Whyke Residents Association explains

At last we have the prospect of a safe crossing of the A27 at the Whyke roundabout.

The new bridge is in place and the approach steps and ramps appear to be in an advanced state of preparation. Highways have done what they were tasked to do, and the design (in my opinion as a long time teacher of Design) is quite pleasing and elegant.

The A27 problem has been solved, but unfortunately not the attendant problems of the B2145 (Whyke Road and Hunston Road).

Approaching the new bridge from Whyke Road, a pavement takes the pedestrian towards the A27 on the west side, but stops some 50 yards from the roundabout. Here it is necessary to cross Whyke Road in order to continue on the pavement which connects to the roundabout on the east side. At the roundabout it is necessary to cross to the west side again to access the new bridge. Drivers leaving the A27 and heading into town often seem not to appreciate that they are entering a 30 mph zone, and often exceed the limit, at just the points where pedestrians would be obliged to cross.

The Council are looking into the problem, but is seems unlikely that a solution will be in place when the new bridge is scheduled to open, or for some time after.

A similar problem exists on the Hunston Road side. The pavement on the West side connects directly to the bridge, but runs out a short distance from the roundabout.

To continue south, it is necessary to cross the road in order to pick up the pavement to Chichester Lakes, but at the entry point to the lakes, the pavement ends, and further progress towards Hunston is at the mercy of the traffic.

Crossing the Hunston Road at any point near to the roundabout is hazardous as the sight lines are restricted and the speed limit is an astonishing 50 mph!

There are other safe ways of accessing the bridge from the town side, but these are circuitous and not obvious. Similarly, there is a footpath to Hunston which crosses the fields behind the old Carmelite Convent and emerges by Canal Corner. Again not particularly obvious and no help to people wishing to visit the lakes or walk or cycle to The Mundhams.

Received 23 Jan 2017

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Developers threaten to go to appeal on Whitehouse Farm

November 4, 2016PlanningWhitehouse FarmBob

A reconvened Planning Committee Meeting to discuss Whitehouse Farm will be held at CDC Offices, East Pallant House at 2pm on Friday 11 November. Any thoughts to put further pressure on developers for a Southern access may be fruitless as the developers Miller and Linden Homes threaten to go to appeal. In their letter (viewable here) they state ‘an appeal will be submitted if there is either further deferral or refusal of the application at committee on 11th November‘

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Packed meeting opposes Chichester Court Closures

September 29, 2016PlanningCourt buildings, Court closuresBob

The Chichester City Council Assembly Room was the location on the evening of Tuesday 27 September for those opposed to the Court closures to hear arguments against this plan. The meeting was chaired by Peter Budge, Mayor of Chichester, with a Panel of speakers comprising His Honour Judge Robin Barrett QC Retired Circuit Judge, Edward Cook Solicitor at Anderson Rowntree Solicitor and Vice Chair of Resolution West Sussex, Sara Fildes Solicitor and Director of Owen-Kenny Partnership and committee member of Chichester district Law Society, Edward Hand Criminal Barrister and Louise Goldsmith Leader of West Sussex County Council.

Robin Barratt opened the proceedings citing several areas of objection. First, is the significance of the removal of a system of justice from our City; this fails to understand history and he described this as a ‘sacrifice on the altar of money’. Second, is the flawed process that was followed. While the start was promising it soon became clear that the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) had the end result in mind from the start. This has resulted in West Sussex being only one of two Counties without such Courts (the other being Northumberland). Third, the judges were not properly consulted throughout. This was exemplified by an early suggestion for a combined court to alleviate the closure being subsequently rejected because ‘sadly your proposal came too late’; this despite the promise not to close the Courts until local provisions were in place. This aspect was one covered by Edward Cook who followed Robin with a detailed chronology of the process.

The logistical problems faced by those having to interact with the legal system will only increase. Edward Hand cited cases with which he has had to deal and pointed out the lack of awareness that for any one case 20 to 30 support staff (court officers, clerks, judge, barrister etc) are involved. It was understood that the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne (who sent her apologies for not being present) is an advocate of video links, but experience has shown that such links have often proved unreliable and are not adequate to deal with the many different persons involved.

Cases will take much longer to be heard, asserted Sara Fildes from her experience as a Family Solicitor. It is not unusual for a parent and children to have to travel to another area to attend court, experience delays and find that the children have to be registered in this strange area to attend schools. The lack of a local court will further extend timescales while the expected population growth in our area will exacerbate the situation further. She felt that the other courts will not be able to cope.

The formal proceedings ended with Louise Goldsmith joining with other speakers in expressing anger on the closure decision and sorrow for local residents who will be faced with the inevitable increased disruption to their lives.

A lively discussion then followed chaired by the Mayor with around 20 or so local residents making their concerns felt. The support provided by the local MP Andrew Tyrie was acknowledged and everyone was urged to write individually to him with their objections and concerns (contact details below). There was a strong case for a Judicial Review of the process and this is one route that is apparently being considered.

The absence of a representative from the Chichester District Council was noted. The view was expressed that the CDC has divided loyalties and sees the land presently occupied by the Courts as an opportunity for development as part of a Southern Gateway project rather than one to be protected for judicial use.

One speaker noted those in more rural or distant areas will be particularly badly hit as they will have to get to the transport hubs in Chichester before they can begin their journey to courts elsewhere.

The Mayor concluded the meeting by thanking all those that attended. They were invited to leave email addresses as they left so that they could be informed of any follow up actions.

Report by Bob Wiggins (Editor)

Contact details for Andrew Tyrie
Andrew Tyrie
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA

Email: andrew.tyrie.mp@parliament.uk

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Tour of the West Dean Fruit Garden

September 21, 2016Society eventsOrchard, West DeanBob

Fourteen members of the Chichester Society enjoyed a tasting tour of the West Dean Fruit garden on 21 September, led by David Wilson who works there as a volunteer with the apples.

David also added the history of some of the varieties; Granny Smith, who was a Sussex woman from Rye, though she raised her apple in Australia after emigrating; the oldest recorded Sussex variety, Golden Pippin from Parham Park, dating from 1629; Red Devil, so sensitive to sunlight that you can stencil your initials on it; Margil, originally grown at the Palace of Versailles; and Howgate Wonder from the Isle of Wight which for many years held the recordof the world’s heaviest apple, over 4lb!

At the end of the tour, the party confessed to being ‘appled out’!

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Crossword – September 2016 Newsletter

September 4, 2016PuzzlescrosswordBob

There is no underlying theme for this crossword.

CLUES
Across
7 Ill-lit (6)
8 Tend (4-2)
9 Monster (4)
10 Maize part (8)
11 One-eyed giant (7)
13 Bend down (5)
15 Incubate (5)
17 Limbless reptile (7)
20 Point where snow covers ground (4,4)
21 System of weights esp. gems (4)
23 Story not narrated (6)
24 Space devoid of
matter (6)

Down
1 Sell or strike (4)
2 Of or relating to the north (6)
3 Fainting (med) (7)
4 Fame, honour (5)
5 Surgical knife (6)
6 Obstinate (8)
12 Desire (8)
14 Gain, obtain (7)
16 Stockman, rancher (6)
18 A coup (6)
19 An accent mark (5)
22 Large scale artistic work (4)

For solution click here

If you wish to read the articles that appeared in this issue you will need to wait until the December 2016 issue is received by paid-up members

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Enjoyable wine tasting at Hennings

August 10, 2016Society eventsHennings, wine tastingBob

Society member Caroline Hutchings reports on an enjoyable evening.

Some of the best regional wines from Northern Italy, were savoured by members of the Chichester Society at Hennings Wine Tasting in North street on Thursday 28th July.

The evening commenced with Hennings team member Hannah giving an introduction before going on to describe our 9 wine tastings, accompanied by bread, olives/oil, cheese and Parma ham.

First on the list was Nani Rizzi Valdobbiadene Millesimato DOCG 2014, a sparkling wine with fine bubbles from Veneto. The Glera (prosecco) grape has been grown for hundreds of years.

Girlan Aime Gewurztraminer 2015 is a new wine from Alto Adige – a boundary between Austria and Italy and grown high up in the mountains. The grapes are protected from the cold wind by the Alps to the north and benefits from the Mediterranean climate to the south. The dry, sandy, mineral rich soil combines with the high temperature fluctuation between night and day, creating a fantastic aromatic Gewürz with a subtle spice.

Soave Pieropan La Rocca 2014 from Veneto – a rich wine grown just below Verona
The Pieropan family have produced wines in Soave since the 1860’s. 2014 was one of the trickiest vintages seen since 1984 with its mild, wet winter when pests and pathogens flourished.

Torricella Chardonnay 2013 – a pale, straw colour wine from Tuscany. The nose has a concentration of white fruit scents, citrus notes and aromatic herbs. It has a good balance between freshness and minerality. 80% Chardonnay and 20% Sauvignon Blanc.

Mystery Wine – this turned out to be a juicy, sparkling red Lambrusco grape. Most unusual, but personally, not to my taste (or others)!

Dolcetto D’Alba Cascina Morassino 2014 – a Dolcetto grape from Piedmont. ( lovely Dolcetto – translated as ‘little sweet one’). A delicious, full juicy red with a lovely redcurrant flavour.

Fletcher X 13 – another Piedmont wine of power and elegance. Good, unfiltered wine, also suitable for vegans.

Barolo Essenze Terre Da Vino 2011 – grown in the south facing hills of Piedmont and keeps for 10 -15 years. Aroma of rose, berry spice and tilled earth.

Araldica Moscato Passito Palazzina 2013 37.5cl – our last wine of the evening from Piedmont. The grapes are dried for 45 days before fermentation losing 40% of weight during the dehydration. Rich and intense with a honey flavour but balanced with a crisp, fresh acidity. A wonderful dessert wine and a great one to end on!

All the wines were able to be purchased or ordered, with a discount applied on the evening.
In all, a great, informative evening, enjoying fascinating wines and socialising with other group members. Would love to try other regions – perhaps it could be an annual event?

(Photos courtesy of Caroline Hutchings and Bob Wiggins)

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Cathedral Cities and Historic Towns Reports

July 31, 2016Planningconservation areaBob

The forthcoming September 2016 issue of the Chichester Society Newsletter includes an article by Society member Christopher Mead-Briggs entitled ‘Chichester must accommodate more housing – but how?’ In it he references the following reports which can be viewed by clicking on their titles:

Cathedral Cities and Historic Towns
by the Kenwood House Group
March 2015

and

Cathedral Cities in Peril
by Foster and Partners with input from English Heritage
and Terence O’Rourke MBE
18 March 2015

They can be read on screen but the best way to read the second report is to print it out because of the size of the font and the illustrative material.

Notes on the Cathedral Cities and Historic Towns Report
1. The report was written by Lord March and Terence O’Rourke MBE in March 2015 and followed an appreciation of the forecast growth of Chichester and its planned expansion. This led to a much wider review of the impact on other similar cities and towns.

2. It makes key recommendations in a succinct and readable form in a booklet of just 6 pages.

3. It followed the publication in October 2014 of a very detailed report of 178 pages produced by Richard Bate and others for English Heritage entitled “The Sustainable Growth of Cathedral Cities and Historic Towns”. That report is on the English Heritage web here.

Notes on the Cathedral Cities in Peril Report
(This pdf file presents on-screen in a sideways format which requires use of a right click of the mouse when positioned over the text of the report. Choose “rotate” to turn the text clockwise – it requires three clicks to complete the rotation.)

1. This report is an important core document written by the leading architectural practice of Foster + Partners jointly with Terence O’Rourke MBE and runs to 59 pages. It outlines the need to provide good quality housing to meet the needs of a fast growing population and recognises the attraction of our historic towns as places to live and work. They explain that the challenge will be to provide for that growth in such high quality locations without damage to their intrinsic character. It was published in March 2015.

2. The authors have considered the similarities that the English historic towns possess, many having medieval city walls, narrow streets and a large number of listed buildings. They stress the need to encourage local councils to accommodate high quality design combining constructive conservation, regeneration and infill, and the use of compulsory purchase powers where necessary to combine old with new. They suggest connecting fragmented areas lying outside the core with good public transport. They encourage community led schemes.

3. Four Cathedral Cities are considered in some detail and are compared with four cities in Europe. Conclusions are reached and then tested using Kings Lynn as the example.

4. Their six recommendations appear at the end of the report and should be read across the pages because each refers to three issues: a) the supporting national framework for each recommendation, b) the implementation barriers and c) the proposed changes to policy.

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Commit to Southern Access Road for Whitehouse Farm development

July 8, 2016PlanningEast Broyle Residents Assocation, Orchard Street/Old Somerstown RA Residents Association, Parklands Residents Assocation, Westgate Residents Assocation, Whitehouse FarmBob

‘There are sound and clear cut reasons for refusing planning permission in the absence of any commitment to provide the Southern Access Road prior to the development of the site‘ so state The Chichester Society and the East Broyle, Parklands, Westgate and Orchard Street/Old Somerstown Residents Associations in a joint submission to the Local Council.

They further state ‘ In the absence of any commitment to the provision of the Southern Access to the Via Ravenna roundabout and not to Westgate to be in place before construction of the houses in Phase 1 the application 14/04301 should be refused’.

You can read the full submission here

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How should we build? A Point of View by Roger Scruton

June 18, 2016PlanningBob

In this BBC Radio 4 point of view broadcast on 10 June Roger Scruton addresses how we should prioritise beauty when building the countryside – Beauty in my back yard (BIMBY) not NIMBY. To listen to it click here.

BIMBY arises from the Prince’s Foundation and comprises a Toolkit with a series of workshops that guides a community through creating a BIMBY Housing Manual for their own area.

The toolkit has 3 workshops to help a community decide what it wants as a community. The outcome of the toolkit is a series of standards for developers to follow in the form of a Housing Manual. There is also guidance on how to get the Manual adopted as part of the formal planning process.

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Crossword – June 2016 Newsletter

June 12, 2016PuzzlescrosswordBob

There is no underlying theme for this crossword.

CLUES
Across
7 Small pocket (6)
8 Get the better of (6)
9 Unpleasantly and excessively suave (4)
10 Correspondence without an envelope (8)
11 Self-aggrandisement (3,4)
13 Buffoon (5)
15 Type of quick bread (5)
17 Fundamental principle (7)
20 Type of sausage (8)
21 Hurt (4)
22 Expresses a condition; ought (6)
23 Render capable (6)
Down
1 Part of footpath (6)
2 Watery part of milk (4)
3 Tending to check bleeding (7)
4 Snare (5)
5 Martinet (8)
6 Crease (6)
12 Besotted, soused (6,2)
14 Decorate tastelessly (7)
16 Day care centre (6)
18 Lacking warmth of feeling (6)
19 Ruffian, disorderly (5)
21 Natural fuel (4)

For solution click here

If you wish to read the articles that appeared in this issue click here

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