Emergency Road Closure – West Chiltington Road 6th December

West Chiltington Road will be closed from the junction with Harborough Hill to Nutbourne Road between 09:90 and 15:30 on 6th December to carry out urgent ditching works. It is anticipated the works will be completed by 6th December

Important Neighbourhood Plan Update – October 2024

Horsham District Council has launched the next stage in the review of the emerging West Chiltington Neighbourhood Plan – the Regulation 16 Consultation. This provides all parishioners with another opportunity to review and comment on the Plan before it progresses to the next stage which will involve formal ‘examination’.  After that, if the Plan is progressed, a referendum will be held which will provide an opportunity for Parishioners to vote on the formal adoption of the Plan. This stage of the process is being run by Horsham District Council and information on how to respond can be found here. As this is part of the neighbourhood planning process is being run by HDC please send any additional comments that you wish to make on the Plan to Horsham. To provide additional background and context, the information below was sent in flyers across the village at the last stage of the process, known as Regulation 14: Flyer 1 Flyer 2

Councillor Vacancy

Following the resignation of Councillor  Fulbrook, there is now a vacancy on The Parish Council. If you are interested in applying, please contact The Parish Clerk via email: clerk@wcpc.org.uk.

West Chiltington Silver Band presents a Christmas Brass Concert – 8th December, West Chiltington Village Hall, Mill Road, West Chiltington 

Come and enjoy an evening’s entertainment with some of Sussex’s finest brass musicians. Sing along to your season favourites with our Christmas ‘Brass-aoke’! Fun quiz and raffle too. Refreshments available (bar, hot mulled wine, and mince pies) Time: 7:30pm (doors open 7:00pm) Tickets £10; under 16’s are free of accompanied by an adult. Available from Julie (simplythebest21@btinternet.com), Richard (rabarron@btinternet.com) and from NISA, Haglands Lane, West Chiltington  Full details here

Update on Operation Watershed – East Street & Broadford Bridge Road

The first phase of Operation Watershed has been completed and the CCTV exploration which was conducted as part of the work specification has revealed potentially significant further work is required to address the various drainage issues identified.  The Council has referred the report to WSCC with the request that the issues highlighted be addressed. Regrettably, however, we have been advised they are not deemed to be sufficiently serious to be rectified at this time. If the winter weather causes further problems, we will take this up again with WSCC.

Hedges & Verges

Overgrown hedges and boundary planting can impact on highway site lines and potentially present a danger to motorists and pedestrians. We would ask residents to be mindful of this and ensure their planting doesn’t encroach onto the highway. Remember, it isn’t always obvious from a homeowner’s perspective, so regular sight checks would be very much appreciated.

Cyclists & Pedestrians

We have received reports from motorists who are concerned about ‘near misses’ with dog walkers and cyclists in dark clothing.  Please remember to ensure you are easily visible to drivers if you are walking around the village, especially if there is no pavement available. This is even more important as the light fails and on dull and wet days.

WSCC Budget Consultation – Complete by 15th December

The Council is embarking on a project to repair the footpaths between The Common and The Old Village, to create an all-weather pedestrian route, linking our community. We would welcome the support of any resident with relevant civil engineering experience, to help us deliver this. If you are interested, please email The Clerk:clerk@WCPC.org.uk or talk to us in person on our stand at The Village Show. We would be delighted to hear from you!

Road Closure – Broadford Bridge Road 23rd – 24th December & 20th – 24th January 2025

Broadford Bridge Road will be closed between East Street and the junction with Harbolets Road from 09:30 on 23rd December until 15:00 on 24th December for drainage work. The restriction will be in place off peak only (between 09.30-15.00) Broadford Bridge Road will be closed between junctions with East Street and Orchard Dell, for 24 hours a day between 20th – 24th January for new customer service connection work

Road Closure – Haglands Lane 3rd – 5th February 2025

Haglands Lane will be closed between the junctions with Southlands Lane and Lordings Lane, from 09:30 – 15:30 for gully clearance works

County Councillor Report

West Sussex County Councillor Charlotte Kenyon’s monthly report can be read here

Neighbourhood Plan Update

Following a long delay due to Natural England’s position statement on Water Neutrality, Horsham District Council has now formulated a policy to address the issue and included it in its Regulation 19 Draft Local Plan whose consultation begins on Friday 19th January 2024. We are therefore anticipating that we should be able to incorporate this policy and progress our Draft Neighbourhood Plan in the next few weeks. All updates will be posted here as and when we have them. April 2023 Following the most recent meeting with Horsham District Council, The Parish Council is disappointed not to be able to progress our Neighbourhood Plan. HDC’s document dated April 2023 explains their position Please see the Draft NP as at 28th March 2022 Letter from HDC – 7th February 2022 Letter from HDC – 28th February 2022 Letter from HDC – 26th April 2022 Letter from Natural England – 23rd March 2022 (Please follow the link to a page showing the Regualtion 14 survey results and consultation responses which are held on a separate website). Update on Smock Alley Site – HDC 20/05/2024

A Village with a Past & a Future

Nestling near the foot of the South Downs between Storrington and Pulborough, just over 50 miles from London, the picturesque village of West Chiltington is home to a 12th century church, a beautifully restored windmill and has a colourful history dating back to Norman times. Covering an area of just over 6.69 sq miles, with a population of approx. 3,500, the parish encompasses a variety of land usage from residential and agricultural, to small businesses and leisure facilities.

Your Council

The Council is the first tier of local government for West Chiltington comprising 13 Councillors who are elected or co-opted for up to four years.   The Parish Council meets on the second Tuesday of every month and is always keen to ensure that it reflects the wishes of the electorate and as such, all meetings are open to the public and include a session for public comments. Councillors work in partnership with local organisations, West Sussex County Council and Horsham District Council to preserve the essence of the area, and to protect the identity and character of the parish for the enjoyment of parishioners, visitors and future generations. The Parish Council has statutory duties and powers to provide services for the Parish of West Chiltington. Within these powers, we provide allotments, community buildings, dog and litter bins, community facilities, and we own and maintain many areas of public open space within the village on behalf of the community.

Parish Council Office

The Parish Council Office is open on a Tuesday and Wednesday morning from 10:00am-1:00pm. In an emergency, The Parish Clerk can be contacted on 07483 114836 outside these hours

Defibrillator Locations:

• • In the phone box opposite The Queens Head Pub – The Hollow

• • In the phone box opposite NISA Stores – Haglands Lane

• • The Village Hall