Rustington Parish Council

Councillors’ Surgeries

The Council is continuing to hold its Bi-monthly Surgeries, to enable members of the local community to have the opportunity to meet with a Councillor to air their views in respect of the way in which the Parish is managed, maintained and enhanced, as well as any other issues of interest or concern. The Surgeries are held at the Village Information Centre in the Churchill Car Park from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm.

Replacement Bus Shelters

In 2007 the Council was, once again, successful in securing a grant from the West Sussex County Council, to replace another of its wooden bus shelters in the Parish, namely on the east side of Sea Lane between the junctions of Shaftesbury Road and Seafield Road.

The Council has now been awarded 50% grants towards the replacement of seven of the bus shelters in the Village,

Rustington Museum at Church Farm Cottage

The renovation works at the Cottage are progressing well, with the thatching of the roof and the installation of the leaded glass in the window frames almost complete.

The Rustington Heritage Association is busily preparing for the Museum’s relocation to the Cottage, and plans are progressing for purpose made display units to be installed as soon as the renovation works are finshed.

The Council’s application for the SITA Environmental Trust’s Challenge Fund Grant was, unfortunately, unsuccessful. So, a decision will now need to be made as to how the second and third phase, namely the construction of a Craft Workshop and Café, can be achieved.

The Raise the Roof Scheme continues to be supported with some £5,500 being donated to date. So, if you haven’t already contributed and would like to do so, please contact the Parish Council's Offices or the Village Information Centre.

Community Action Plan

The Community Action Plan Group welcomed parishioners to the Public Launch of the Plan at The Woodlands Centre on Saturday 16 February. Parish Council Chairman, Mike Warrington, welcomed everyone and thanked all of the volunteers, who had worked so hard to produce the Action Plan document.

Rowena Tyler, appointed by the Parish Council to co-ordinate the Community Action Plan process, explained how the Group had been formed and the work that had been involved. She stressed that the Plan was a result of factual data being collected, together with consultation with the wider community of Rustington, and the results were available in document form for all to see. The background statistical data would be available at the Library, the Village Information Centre and the Parish Council’s Offices. This included the analysis of the questionnaire, circulated to all households in 2007.

Austen Beard, representing the Community Action Plan Group, explained the steps that had been taken to get to this point, and outlined some of the actions to be implemented. The next stage would be to form a Community Partnership with a Constitution and elected Officers. Those present were then invited to stay for coffee and to talk informally to the volunteers who had displays of the work that had been carried out to date. The Group always welcomes new volunteers. So, if anyone has a particular interest in any part of the Community Action Plan, or wants to help generally, please contact the Council’s Offices in the first instance.

Click here to read the Community Action Plan

Parish Map

Rustington Festival

The Rustington Festival will run from 7 to 15 June - slightly earlier this year due to booking difficulties. The Littlehampton and District Lions Club are once again organising the Festival. Carnival Day will be Saturday 7 June, with the usual procession through the Village, followed by the Grand Fete on the Woodlands Recreation Ground.

The main attraction, namely The Solent Eagles Junior Motor Cycle Display Team is already booked. Even though they are only 6 to 16 years old, they produce some very exciting and daring displays which will excite the children and enthral the adults. The Silk Road Belly Dancers will lead the procession with their exotic dancing. Also included will be The Arundel and Littlehampton Scout Band, TS Implacable NTC Band, local pom-pom troupes and various floats, not forgetting last year’s fantastic Littlehampton Community School Steel Band with their own very special sound.

On Sunday 8 June, a special evening Songs of Praise Service will be held at St Peter & St Paul’s Parish Church. During the day the Rustington Short Mat Bowls Club’s Annual Tournament will be held in the Village Memorial Hall, followed by the Rustington District Twinning Association Quiz Night. Many other Groups and Organisations will also be holding events during the week and these will be publicised later. The Rustington Princesses will, of course, take part in the procession and any young ladies in Year 6 at one of the three Primary Schools and who live in Rustington, are eligible to enter. Sunday 15 June will be the final day of the Festival Week and, for the first time, there will be a genuine French Market in the service road between Barclays Bank and Johnson’s Dry Cleaners. There will be two rows of market stalls and a great atmosphere. It is hoped that the Market will be the first of many, and we are indebted to the Rustington Chamber of Trade and Commerce for their co-operation.

For further information please contact:- Carnival Procession - Austen Beard

Tel: (01903) 782366, Fete Stalls - Don Rogers Tel: (01903) 772691, Programme Advertising - Robin May Tel: (01243) 584517

A display case containing the Parish Map is located in the vicinity of the Millennium Clock in the Village Centre. A copy of the Map is also on permanent display in the Rustington Library in Claigmar Road.

A smaller copy (approx. 23” x 16”) is available to purchase from the Parish Council Offices, the Village Information Centre, Rustington Library and Edlows in The Street at a cost of £2.50.

Rustington Parish Council Wins Award For Its Loos

At The Churchill Car Park

The Parish Council was delighted to
receive notification recently, that the
Public Conveniences in the Churchill Car Park had again been awarded a 4 Star Grading in the 2007 Loo of the Year Competition. The Public Conveniences in Broadmark Lane also achieved a 3 Star Grading for their first time entry.

With the highest Grading being a 5 Star, it is considered that Rustington has faired very well this year. Let's hope we can retain these standards next year, or maybe even improve on them! We will certainly keep you informed.

Village Memorial Hall - 70th Anniversary -

12 October 2008

The Village Memorial Hall, an important part of the popular Woodlands Community Centre in Woodlands Avenue, Rustington, was opened on 12 October 1938 and this year celebrates its 70^th Anniversary. The Parish Council intends to mark this occasion with a special event on Sunday 12 October 2008, to which local parishioners who have a special memory or experience involving the Village Hall will be invited. For example, are there any persons that met their future partners at the Saturday night dances that used to be a regular feature at the Hall?

The Hall was the Headquarters of the local Home Guard during the Second World War and the Parish Council would be particularly interested in hearing from any persons, or relatives of persons who were involved during those critical years. Many different Groups and Organisations have used the Village Hall over the 70 years since it was opened and again, the Parish Council would be very interested to hear from local people who have been involved, particularly in the early days.

If you are interested in attending the event on

12 October 2008 and “Have a Tale to Tell”, please contact the Clerk of the Council at the Council's Offices.

Tree Planting

The fourth phase of the Tree Planting
Scheme on the Woodlands Recreation
Ground took place on 5 December 2007, with 16 new trees being
planted at various locations.

It is proposed that the final phase of
this particular Scheme will take place later this year on the North Field of the
Recreation Ground. Members of the
local community are again invited to
donate a tree at a cost of approximately £60 which will include a commemorative plaque.

For further information please contact the Council’s Offices or visit the
Village Information Centre.

Sussex Police "Drop-In" Surgeries

The Police Community Support Officers
(PCSOs) monthly Mobile Surgeries, will be taking place at various locations in the Village, including the Village Information Centre, Somerfield Store and the Library. The next Surgeries will be;

Somerfield Store, Rustington

4 June 2008 at 11.00 am - 12.00 pm

Meet Rustingtons PCSO Craig Wilson Click here.

For further Information on other PCSOs for Rustington and surrounding areas, Click here.

Meetings

Parish Council Meetings are held on the fourth Monday of each month (apart from August and December) commencing at 7.15 p.m. in the Roger Montgomeri Room, The Woodlands Centre, Woodlands Avenue.

All members of the public are welcome to attend these Meetings, and time is set aside before each Council and Committee Meeting commences

(7.00 pm) to give members of the public an opportunity to pose questions. Further details of future scheduled Meetings are given below. A copy of the Agenda for each Meeting is displayed at the Public Library, on the Website and on Notice Boards around the Village.

Click here for a full list of meetings, agendas and minutes.

Rustington in Bloom

The In-Bloom Campaign is really “stepping-up a gear” this year, with preparations progressing for the Village’s entry in both the Britain in Bloom and the South and South East in Bloom Competitions.

Confirmed projects this year include a major permanent landscaping project in Ash Lane to replace the majority of the overgrown and diseased shrubs and trees. The clearance works have been undertaken by members of the Youth Offending Team and The Oak Community Project, which has obviously reduced costs significantly. The Oak Community Project will also be assisting Ferring Nurseries with the new planting in this area, and the Committee is extremely grateful for all of this help. The roundabout in Mill Lane will also soon be benefiting from some floral enhancement, which will most certainly improve the aesthetic appearance when entering the Village at this point.

The Britain in Bloom judges will be carrying out unannounced judging across the Country from 12 April to 4 May. So, please be vigilant and play your part in ensuring the success for the Village, not just in the South of England, but across the entire Country.

Once again several fund-raising events are planned, including:-

Saturday 24 May - Plant Stall in the Methodist Church Gardens

Saturday 7 June - Grand Tombola Stall at the Rustington Carnival, Woodlands Recreation Ground

Please come along if you are able to and support this most important and worthwhile community campaign.