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.

Future Surgeries will be held at the Village Information Centre in the Churchill Car Park from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm as follows:-

Saturday 30 August 2008

Saturday 25 October 2008

Saturday 13 December 2008

Saturday 28 February 2009

Saturday 25 April 2009

Replacement Bus Shelters

This year the Council has submitted a further application to the West Sussex County Council, to replace a wooden bus shelter in the Parish. The Council has already been awarded 50% grants towards the replacement of seven of the bus shelters in the Village, and is hopeful that it will again be successful. The shelter that the Council hopes to replace this year is located on the
eastern side of North Lane.

Rustington Museum at Church Farm Cottage

The renovation of the Cottage was completed on 24 April, and the results are most impressive. The next stage is the fitting out of the Cottage with purpose made units to accommodate the Museum's Collection, and this is being progressed with specialist Companies at the present time.

The recently formed Museum Management Committee is now in the process of appointing a Curator for the new Museum, who will be supported by administrative personnel already employed by the Parish Council at the Village Information Centre, and most importantly, volunteers from the Heritage Association and the local community.

The Parish Council has recently agreed to proceed with the second phase of the project, namely the construction of a Café at the rear of the Cottage, whilst the third phase has been put on hold for the time being, pending funding becoming available at a later date. It is hoped that the landscaping of the garden will be undertaken on a voluntary basis by members of the local community. Anyone who is interested in assisting the Council in this regard, should contact the Parish Council's Offices. Fund-raising is continuing, and some £5,543 has already been donated to the Raise the Roof Scheme. So, if you would like to make a financial contribution to the project, please contact the Parish Council's Offices or the Village Information Centre.

Rustington Festival

The teams entering the Short Mat Bowls Tournament have all paid their entrance fees, and Peter Scott is busy making sure everything is arranged for the day. The questions for the Twinning Association's Quiz Night on the evening of Sunday 8 June are being prepared (not too difficult, we hope!!), and every team will have a good chance of being this year’s champions.

The Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul will be expecting a large congregation for the special Songs of Praise Service on Sunday 8 June at 6.30 pm. So, if you are planning to attend, make sure you are there in good time. Reverend Zachary Allen will, most certainly, have a good address prepared for the day.

Rustington Community Partnership

Following twelve months of hard work by volunteers the Community Action Plan was publicly launched on 16 February at The Woodlands Centre.

The process involved collecting facts and figures from various websites and censors; obtaining grass roots information obtained from residents via questionnaires, visiting schools, talking to the public at the Carnival fete and on the environmental bus; as well as being present at the Open Day for the Museum Project.

The launch was well attended by Parish Councillors together with Councillors from Arun District and a considerable number of residents, many of whom expressed an interest in what had already been achieved and were keen to help with the next phase of the plan i.e. forming the Community Partnership.

At the Inaugural Meeting of the Partnership, Officers were elected and a Management Committee was formed, and the first constructive ideas for the work ahead were discussed. Subsequent Meetings of the Management Committee have prioritised various items from the Action Plan which, it is felt, can be achieved in the early stages of the Partnership whilst funding is very limited. The Partnership is actively seeking volunteers to take forward some of the first stage projects, such as discouraging plastic bag usage, street seating, glass recycling, walking routes, a quiet garden, a Village jobs information board and parking issues, amongst others.

The Partnership has a small, but important, set up grant from the Parish Council which will enable a Bank account to be opened. A Constitution and a Memorandum of Understanding is being drafted and will be agreed with the Parish Council prior to the Partnership launching itself into the first items of concern from the residents. It can then apply for grants from various authorities to help us achieve the most expensive, but also the most needed item on our agenda, the Village Design Statement.

When residents were asked what was their biggest concern about the future of the Village, most said that further house building development in inappropriate areas was their major worry and needed to be strictly controlled. To this effect the Community Partnership needs to produce, with the help of a professional architect, a Village Design Statement. This document will be expensive but when completed, and accepted by Arun District Council as part of its planning criteria, it will be a major factor when the planning authority considers future development and should ensure that what is allowed will be sympathetic to the existing Village environment.

If you have an interest in the Village and wish to offer something to the Partnership, they will be delighted to discuss your involvement. Please contact the Partnership via email at communitypartnership@rustingtonpc.org. Members of the Management Committee will also be at the Rustington Carnival on Saturday 7 June.

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 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.

It will be inviting local parishioners who have a special memory or experience involving the Village Hall, for example, anyone that met their future partner 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 without delay.

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, continue to take place at various locations in the Village, including the Village Information Centre, the Somerfield Store and the Library.

The next surgery will be Wednesday 20 August at 12 noon - 1.00 pm in the Village Information Centre.

Meet Rustingtons PCSO Craig Wilson Click here.

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

Rustington in Bloom

The unannounced Britain in Bloom judging period has now ended. Obviously, no-one knows on what day the judges actually visited the Village, but the In-Bloom Committee is confident that everyone involved did as much as possible to ensure that the Village was at its best at all times.

As far as the South and South East in Bloom Competition is concerned, the judging date has been set for Friday 11 July from 9.30 am to 12 noon, and the actual route will include the following roads:-

Ashwood Drive, Ash Lane, Broadmark Lane, Bushby Avenue, Chatsworth Drive, Cowdray Drive, Evelyn Avenue, Georgian Gardens, Glenville Road, Merton Avenue, Mill Lane, North Lane, Old Manor Road, Penfold Lane, Sea Avenue, Sea Lane, Seafield Road, Station Road, Sutton Avenue, The Street, Windsor Drive, Woodlands Avenue and Worthing Road.

The Campaign is progressing really well, and one cannot fail to notice the major landscaping enhancement that has been carried out in Ash Lane, which is most innovative. There is also the new raised flower bed at the junction of The Street and Broadmark Lane, which has been presented to the Village by the Rustington Residents' Association, a most generous gesture. The increase in the number of sponsored areas is most encouraging, with seven new sponsored beds in The Street and a floral display on the roundabout at the junction of Worthing Road and Mill Lane. The sponsors now include Store Property Investments Limited, Owen Electrical, Ferring Nurseries, The Windmill Inn, Employment Law Services and Dolland and Aitchison.

Fund-raising is, as always, most important to ensure that the Committee is
able to continue with its rolling programme to enhance the Village even
further. Almost £1,000 was raised from the "Catwalk Connections" Fashion
Show on 18 April.

The Committee would like to ask all members of the local community to participate in the Campaign in some small way, whether it be by ensuring that the streets are free from litter or by making that little extra effort in front gardens, any assistance will be most appreciated.