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VACANCY ON VILLAGE HALL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE (VHMC)

Following the resignation of Mick Gratton, there is a vacancy on the VHMC for the third co-opted place on the Committee. If you are interested in being considered for the role, or if you would like further details about the Committee, please visit the Village Hall pages of this website, or contact the Clerk by the 15th October, as the intention is to consider making an appointment at the next VHMC meeting on 31st October 2023.

ANNUAL PARISH MEETING OF ELECTORS 2023 - Please note that this meeting will take place on Tuesday, 16th May 2023 at 7.30 p.m in the Village Hall. See HERE Please also now find HERE the Agenda for the meeting (published on 3rd May 2023). The draft minutes of the meeting held last year are posted on the Meeting Dates page of this website, or are available by application to the Clerk.

AUDIT - ALBOURNE PARISH COUNCIL has now completed the Annual Governance and Accountability Return for the financial year 2021/22. The Certificate of Exemption has also been completed and submitted to the external auditor - see the Notice of Public Rights HERE. Please also see the Transparency Code page for all the relevant documents (Annual Governance and Accountability Return) and information for the 21/22 audit year, and for previous years.

(Councillors Stafford, Butler, Ernest, Smith (Howard), Sawyer, Drew, and Parks all elected, uncontested, at the Parish Council elections on 2nd May 2019). Nikki Ernest has since resigned, and Geoff Zeidler co-opted onto the Parish Council.

Former MSDC Councillor for the old Bolney Ward (now replaced by the new Ward of Downland Villages), Kristy Adams, was elected in December 2022.

The next scheduled meeting of the Parish Council (being the Annual Parish Council meeting, and first meeting of the new Council since the elections on 4th May 2023) will be held on Tuesday, 9th May 2023 at 7.00 p.m. in the Village Hall.

2023 ELECTIONS ON 4TH MAY

Mid Sussex District Council has published the Notice of Elections for Parish Councils HERE, and please also see their press release HERE for further information. Remember that all voters will now be required to bring photo ID with them to the Polling Station.

PARISH COUNCILLOR VACANCIES

At the forthcoming Parish Council elections on 4th May 2023, three of our seven current Parish Councillors are stepping down. It is very important that we find candidates who are prepared to put themselves forward for election, so that the Parish Council can function effectively. Please see HERE for further details.

NEW PARISH COUNCILLOR

Further to the item (now moved to the News Archive) regarding the Casual Vacancy, the Parish Council is pleased to announce thet Geoff Zeidler was co-opted onto the Parish Council at its meeting on the 6th December 2022. The Parish Council very much welcomes Geoff onto the Council, and he will be be leading for us on the considerable planning issues and pressures facing the Parish at the present time.

MID SUSSEX DISTRICT PLAN REVIEW

The formal 6 week consultation (under Regulation 18 of the statutory process) has now started (on 7th November 2022) and closes on 19th December 2022. Please see the Press Release HERE The proposals include a large development south of Reeds Lane down towards Albourne, known as Sayers Common Garden Village. This for up to 1850 homes, with business related activity, and infrastructure. To respond to the consultation, please follow the links in the Press Release. Albourne Parish Council will be taking further steps to publicise and advertise the proposals, and will be organising public meetings in order to give residents an opportunity of expressing their views. The Parish Council will of course be submitting its own robust response. Please also see the dedicated Planning Proposals page of this website.

Please also see this communication from MSDC-

As part of the District Plan consultation engagement, and as set out in the Community Involvement Plan, we have arranged a series of exhibitions so that members of the public can speak to planning officers about the content of the Plan.

The content of the exhibitions will be the same, so that those unable to attend their local exhibition can receive the same information by attending another.

The schedule is as follows, all sessions 5pm – 7pm:

Monday 21^st November	Bolney (Rawson Hall)
Wednesday 23^rd November	Ansty (Village Hall)
Thursday 24^th November	Sayers Common (Village Hall)
Monday 28^th November	Crawley Down (Haven Centre)
Wednesday 30^th November	Burgess Hill (Cyprus Hall)
Tuesday 6^th December	Haywards Heath (MSDC Council Chamber)

We are also arranging an exhibition in Hurstpierpoint. However, we are waiting for confirmation from a potential venue, and we will update you on this once confirmed.

CASUAL VACANCY ON ALBOURNE PARISH COUNCIL

Councillor Nikki Ernest has resigned from the Parish Council, and so a casual vacancy now arises on the Council. Please see HERE the statutory Notice of the Casual Vacancy, which the Parish Council is obliged to publish. If you have any queries, please contact the Clerk. We would like to place on record the Parish Council's immense gratitude for all the work and dedication, particularly in the field of planning, that Nikki Ernest undertook on behalf of the Village, during her time as an Albourne Parish Councillor.

VACANCY ON THE VILLAGE HALL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

If you are interested in being co-opted onto the Village Hall Management Committee, please see the Notice/advertisement HERE

ANNUAL PARISH MEETING OF ELECTORS 2022 - Please note that this meeting will now take place on Tuesday, 24th May 2022 at 7.30 p.m. See HERE Despite the lifting of legal restrictions, it is not considered safe to hold a potentially large scale gathering in the Village Hall, so as for last year, the meeting will be held via the Zoom platform. The joining instructions will be with the Agenda, which will be published on 13th May 2022, and posted on the Meeting Dates, etc., page of this website.

HAZELDENS. Further to the item below, the appeal has now been determined, and the Planning Inspector has decided to allow the appeal. If you wish to view a copy of the extensive decision letter, please contact the Clerk. In essence the Inspector decided that the benefts of the development outweighed any harm.

HAZELDENS, AND HORSHAM DISTRICT COUNCIL DEVELOPMENT PLAN. The appeal for the develoment of the former Hazeldens Garden nursery site has now finished, and the result from the Planning Inspector is awaited. As a rule 6 party, the Parish Council played a big part in the appeal hearings, all of which were conducted remotely. Please see the News Archive page for the history of the planning application(s). Likewise, the Horsham District Plan review consultation, taking in the Mayfields market town proposal as one of the strategic sites being considered by HDC.

A message from our Chairman, Councillor Graham Stafford-

The Parish Council is concerned about any vulnerable residents in the Village in the light of the current Coronavirus situation. We want to take the lead in being as helpful as we can, and being aware of anybody that may require help, should they find it necessary to self -isolate. Please let us know if you need help, or if you are aware of anyone who does. Should residents have to stay indoors, perhaps a phone call or a tap on their window to check their mental well being would let them know we (as Councillors and the wider Albourne community) are thinking of them and are here to help if required. With kind regards and keep healthy.

A message from West Sussex County Council Public Rights of Way (PROW)-

"Please note WSCC has suspended the 15 month Inspection and Maintenance Cycle, due to the Covid 19 pandemic, and is currently only taking action on Public Rights of Way where reported issues require work to ensure public safety on the network. Should any enquiries received not be of this nature it will be logged so it can be prioritised and addressed in the future when normal working practices are resumed. We are currently reviewing when we can re-start inspections in line with government guidance and ask you for your patience in dealing with issues that arise. It is also important to note that our summer clearance programme for surface vegetation has now begun on selected paths and is running between the 1^st June and mid-August.

At this time it is important to remind people that public footpaths are for use by the public on foot only and cycling on these routes is a trespass against the landowner. This unlawful use risks conflict on the paths themselves and considerable challenges for people trying to keep the necessary 2m apart whilst enjoying the countryside.

It is also important to note that landowners are responsible for any side vegetation encroaching onto the path and any structures on the PROW network, such as stiles and gates. If appropriate to do so please contact the landowner, if known, directly to make them aware of the issue but if not you can continue to report such issues by following the link below.

https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/land-waste-and-housing/public-paths-and-the-countryside/public-rights-of-way/report-a-problem-with-a-right-of-way/#report-a-problem

A final reminder is the need to ensure good hygiene when using the PROW network including regular hand washing along with social distancing in line with government advice."

ALBOURNE PARISH COUNCIL has now completed the Annual Governance and Accountability Return for 2019/20, and the papers submitted for external audit - see the Notice of Public Rights and Publication of the un-audited annual Governance and Accountability Return HERE. Please also see the Transparency Code page for all the relevant documents and information for the 19/20 audit year, and for previous years.

In view of the current lock down situation, all Parish Council meetings (in person) are suspended until further notice. Please see the meetings page of this website for further information.

FINANCIAL YEAR 2019/20. Further to the audit item below, the external auditor, Moore, has now completed the Annual Audit for the financial year, 2019/20. The Council is required to publish a Notice of Conclusion of Audit, which you can find HERE along with the Auditor's Certificate and opinion HERE. We are required to publish the Statement of Accounts, the auditor's certificate and opinion (as above), and any public interest report, or other recommendation of the auditor. Insofar as applicable, all these other documents can be found on the Transparency Code page.

From West Sussex County Council- West Sussex County Council asks for views each year about the Post-16 Transport Policy Statement. The consultation aims to make sure the information in the Policy Statement is up to date and complete. The Policy Statement sets out the help that is available through the council, schools, colleges and transport operators for young people of sixth-form age and those who are 19+ with an Education Health and Care Plan to get to school or college. A consultation is now open and available online here and runs until Friday 25 April 2021. All responses will be considered before the council’s Post-16 Transport Policy statement is published at the end of May.

CHANGE OF DATE - Please note that the Annual Parish Council meeting will now take place on Thursday, 6th May 2021 (not the 11th May 2021) via the zoom platform. Please see the meetings page for further details.

ALBOURNE PARISH COUNCIL invites you

To the Annual General

Meeting of the Parish

on Tuesday, 4^th May 2021

at 7.30 p.m.

_________________________________

Please note that this meeting will be held via the zoom platform, under the current Regulations, which permit such meetings to be held remotely, because of the current lockdown rules.

The Agenda for the meeting is now available on the meetings page, along with the draft minutes of the last meeting held back in May 2019. Details of how to join the meeting via zoom are on the Agenda, and also appear below. Please note that as this is principally a meeting for registered electors of the Parish, you will be asked to give your name in order to be able to join the meeting.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85732878201?pwd=SUtYSzM1T2F4MCt6NVRnNW13VzBFUT09

Meeting ID: 857 3287 8201

Passcode: 314319

We hope that you will be able to join us, as this is your chance to have your say with Parish, District and County Councillors on any issues that concern or affect you!

Please see this letter HERE from Mid Sussex District Council to nearby residents regarding the Hazeldens planning appeal (see below for the planning history of the site)

Formal consultation on the draft Horsham District Council District Plan (2019-2032) has started today, 17th February 2020, and runs until the 30th March 2020. Please see HERE. One of the nine strategic sites selected by the Council is the Mayfield's site to the north east of Henfield for up to 7000 houses. This borders the boundary with Mid Sussex, and is very close to the Parish of Albourne. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU HAVE YOUR SAY!

Please see HERE for the latest on the Horsham District Council District Plan. The Plan proposals may well affect villages and local communities in Mid Sussex. Please have you say when the formal consultation opens.

Please see HERE for details of the appeal concerning the former Hazeldens Garden nursery site (see the planning history of the site below).

PLANNING (HAZELDENS) - Following the refusal, the below application is now being appealed, and under the recovered appeals procedure, will be decided by the Secretary of State, following an inquiry held by a Planning Inspector, in early 2020.

PLANNING (HAZELDENS) - Further to the below, the applicant has now submitted a new application to MSDC, under reference DM/19/1001. This application, and the Parish Council's response, will be discussed at its meeting on 14th May 2019. Please now see the minutes of this meeting, should you wish to view the response. Please note that this application was also REFUSED by MSDC on 26th July 2019.

PLANNING (HAZELDENS) - Further to the Parish Council meeting on 3rd October 2017, the Parish Council has lodged a detailed submission to Mid Sussex District Council in response to planning application DM/17/3784 - site of the former Hazeldens Nursery (outline application for an extra care development of up to 110 units). Please find the response HERE Update: Please note that the application was REFUSED by MSDC on 23rd March 2018.

There is a vacancy for one of the allotment plots in the Parish. Please see HERE for further details. Please note that this vacancy has now been filled, but if you want to be added to the waiting list for an allotment, please let the Parish Council know.

Further to the audit item below, the external auditor, Moore Stephens, has now completed the Annual Audit for the financial year, 2018/19. The Council is required to publish a Notice of Conclusion of Audit, which you can find HERE We are also required to publish the Statement of Accounts, the auditor's certificate and opinion, and any public interest report, or other recommendation of the auditor. Insofar as applicable, all these documents can be found on the Transparency Code page.

ALBOURNE PARISH COUNCIL has now completed the Annual Governance and Accountability Return for 2018/19, and the papers submitted for external audit - see the Notice of Public Rights and Publication of the unaudited annual Governance and Accountability Return HERE. Please also see the Transparency Code page for all the relevant documents and information for the 18/19 audit year, and for previous years.

CHANGE OF DATE - Due to a clash of dates, please note that the November Parish Council meeting has had to be moved from Tuesday, the 12th November 2019 to Tuesday, the 19th November 2019.

MID SUSSEX DISTRICT COUNCIL WASTE COLLECTION FREIGHTERS will be at the Village Hall car park on Sunday, 27th October between 10.00 a.m. and 12.00 p.m. Please use this free service. See the poster HERE for full details.

DEFIBRALLATOR TRAINING - There are 3 volunteers for the defib training in the Village Hall, which takes place on Friday, 4th October 2019, but 3 spaces are still available, and the trainers (John and Joy Parks) would very much welcome anyone who would like to take part in this valuable training. The training is free, starts at 7.00 p.m. and lasts for about an hour (after which the Albourne Arms opens!). Please apply via the Clerk at albournepc@gmail.com or see the Contact Us page.

UPDATE on roadworks at London Road, Hassocks (Stone Pound Crossroads). Hurst Road will be closed from 24th July 2019 to 2nd September 2019, with ongoing work controlled by signals thereafter. Please see HERE for a copy of a letter to residents affected by this work for further details.

2019 LOCAL ELECTIONS: As there were exactly seven nominations for the seven places on the Parish Council, please now find the Notice of an uncontested election on 2nd May 2019 HERE

[The audit has now been completed, and so please now find a copy of the statutory Notice of the Conclusion of the Audit, along with Sections 1, 2 and 3 of the Annual Return, which can be found

The Parish Council has completed the Annual Governance and Accountability Return for 2017/18. Under the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015, and the Transparency Code (see below), the Parish Council is obliged to publish (1) the Certificate of Exemption (if applicable), (2) the Annual internal audit report, (3) the Annual Governance Statement, (4) the Accounting Statements, (5) Analysis of variances, (6) the end of year Bank reconciliation Statement, (7) Notice of the period of the exercise of public rights and other information required by regulation 15(2) of the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015. Please find all these documents HERE AND HERE

The annual Parish meeting of Electors will take place this year on Tuesday, 21st May 2019 in the Village Hall at 7.30 p.m.

Please note that Parish Council elections take place on Thursday, 2nd May 2019. The whole of the Parish Council (i.e. its full complement of seven members) comes up for election. If there are seven or less candidates who come forward, then members are automatically elected to office on an uncontested basis. If you are interested in becoming a Parish Councillor, please contact the Clerk. PLEASE NOW SEE THE FORMAL NOTICE OF ELECTION HERE. Please note that MSDC is taking part in the Governments 2019 Local Elections Voter ID Pilot. There are a number of local authorities taking part in the Pilot, each with a different aspect of Voter Identification to trial. In the Mid Sussex pilot voters will need to bring their poll card with them as identification when they vote at polling stations on 2^nd May. See the poster HERE.

PLEASE HELP: The Parish Council is monitoring the use of the local roads, particularly the Henfield Road to find out the frequency of HGV lorry use early in the morning, or after hours in the evenings, i.e. before 7.00 a.m. and after 6.30 p.m. These are mainly delivery lorries going to the Firsland Park Industrial Estate or Winterpick Farm. If you live on any of the routes, and you are being disturbed, especially in the early mornings, by these vehicles, please could you log the date and time (and the name on the lorry if you can) and report this to albournepc@gmail.com The Parish Council can then keep a record of all the activity, and provide it in evidence in its continued efforts to have something done about this ongoing problem. Thank you.

ALBOURNE ALLOTMENTS: Please contact the Clerk (see Contact Us page) if you would like to take on one of the allotments. There is likely to be a vacancy in August, and if no one comes forward it will probably be let to an existing allotment holder, who has expressed an interest. Please note that you must be an Albourne resident in order to qualify.

DON'T FORGET the Albourne Village Show being held this year on Saturday, 1st September 2018. See the relevant page of this website for further information.

BINS: In light of forecast high temperatures on Thursday and Friday and also the early part of next week Mid Sussex District Council will allow Serco (its waste collection contractor) to begin emptying bins from 6am on Thursday 2, Friday 3, Monday 6, Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 August. The recent hot temperatures mean working conditions are tough for Serco’s collection crews and this will give them more time to work in the cooler part of the day. See further HERE

ANOTHER DATE FOR YOUR DIARY: The Parish Council is pleased to say that it has resurrected the mobile freighter waste collection service provided by Mid Sussex District Council, for the benefit of Albourne residents. This will take place on Sunday, 29th July 2018 between 10.00 a.m and 12.00 p.m. for the collection of general waste. The freighter will be located at the Village Hall car park. Please see HERE for details as to what items cannot be collected.

ANNUAL RETURN for 2016/17. The Parish Council has completed the Annual Return for the Parish Council's finances for the financial year 2016/17. The public are entitled to inspect the accounts, and so please now find HERE the statutory notice advertising such rights, along with the relevant pages of the Annual Return. The accounts have been audited by the internal auditor, and have now been submitted on to the external auditor, PKF Littlejohn, for the external audit to be carried out. Please let the Clerk know if you have any queries.

Please note that the Annual Return for 2016/17 has now been signed off by the external auditors, and by law, the Parish Council is obliged to publish a Notice of Completion of the Audit, along with sections 1, 2 and 3 of the Return. These can be found on the Transparency Code page (see the menu on the left), or on the Noticeboard outside the Village Hall, the Street, Albourne.

DATE FOR YOUR DIARY: The annual Parish meeting of Albourne electors will take place this year, on Tuesday, 1st May 2018 in the Village Hall at 7.30 p.m. Everyone is welcome, and this is your chance to have your say about any local issues that affect you. Parish Councillors, and hopefully Albourne's Ward Councillors from both MSDC and WSCC will be present. Please see the Meeting Dates page for the Agenda. Please note that the minutes (in draft only) of the previous meeting held on 2nd May 2017, are also posted on that page.

CASUAL VACANCY - Further to the previous posts on this page (now on the Archive page), we are pleased to announce that at the Parish Council meeting on 7th November 2017, John Drew was unanimously elected to serve as a co-opted Parish Councillor on Albourne Parish Council. We very much welcome John onto the Parish Council, and are glad that once again, the Parish Council is back up to its full complement of seven members.

Following the resignation of Councillor Nick Wergan, a casual vacancy on the Parish Council now exists. The Parish Council is obliged to publish a statutory Notice of the Vacancy, which please find HERE In essence if 10 electors of the Parish do not call for a by-election within 14 days of the date of the Notice (29th August 2017) the Parish Council may proceed to fill the vacancy by co-option.

The Parish Council would like to record its immense gratitude to Nick for all his hard work on behalf of the Parish.

Please note that under the item above, no by-election has been called, and so if you are interested in becoming a Parish Councillor, the Parish Council is now free to co-opt you! Please see the Notice HERE for further information. If you would like to know more about being a Parish Councillor, and what it involves, please do telephone the Clerk (see Contact us page).

At its meeting on the 6th June 2017, the Parish Council unanimously elected Suzi Sawyer to serve as a Parish Councillor for Albourne. The Parish Council is delighted to welcome Suzi on to the Parish Council, and is pleased that the Council is now back up to its full complement of 7 Parish Councillors.

Following the resignation of Councillor Meg Price, a casual vacancy on the Parish Council now exists. The Parish Council is obliged to publish a statutory Notice of the Vacancy, which please find HERE In essence if 10 electors of the Parish do not call for a by-election within 14 days of the date of the Notice (4th May 2017) the Parish Council may proceed to fill the vacancy by co-option.

The Parish Council would like to record its immense gratitude to Meg Price for all her hard work on behalf of the Parish, both as a Councillor, and over the last four years as Chairman.

Further to the above, no election has been called, and so the Parish Council hopes to fill the vacancy by co-option at its next meeting on 6th June 2017. If you are interested in becoming a Parish Councillor, please see the Notice HERE

Please note that following the recent resignation of Mid Sussex District Ward Councillor, John Allen, there will be an election for a new Councillor for the Bolney Ward, which covers Albourne, on 4th May 2017, to coincide with the Councillor elections for West Sussex County Council. See the Press Release HERE.

Your Village Hall needs you!

There are two vacancies concerning the running of the Village Hall (VH) · A new co-opted member for the VH Management Committee · A Bookings Manager and Treasurer (this post attracts a small honorarium payment). If you are interested in either position please contact:

Mr Iain McLean; Parish Council Clerk at- albournepc@gmail.com

before the 1^st September 2016.

NEW: The Parish Council is delighted to have unanimously co-opted Jerry Butler back onto the Council at its meeting on 12th July 2016, so as to return to the full complement of seven Councillors. Jerry has previously served on the Parish Council, so he brings "ready made" knowledge and experience of the role. We very much welcome him back.

The new owners of Pondtail Wood, opposite the Singing Hills Golf Club, have had a temporary stop notice placed on them by the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA), as they have been felling ancient trees and laying hardcore without any permission from the relevant Authorities, or even any application to do so. Please log in to the Albourne Community website at https://www.disc-net.org/albourne to find out how to support the SDNPA, and/or visit www.facebook.com/savepondtailwood

West Sussex County Council is consulting on some proposed changes to their household waste disposal plants "Council dumps" across the County. These could have some significant effects on opening times. Please see HERE and visit the link given in the letter for more information. The consultation ends on 12th June 2016.

NEWS ABOUT TREE IN PLAYGROUND. Message from Parish Council Chairman.

"Unfortunately, a survey undertaken by MSDC (Mid Sussex District Council) apparently showed that the tree was unsafe. Branches were liable to fall. The PC was not informed in advance of the work.The Parish Council will be seeking a meeting with MSDC to discuss how the playground could be updated, and what the tree could be replaced with."

Meg Price; Chair PC

VEHICLE SECURITY: Our local Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) reminds Albourne residents to lock cars and vehicles securely, particularly if parked on a public road, and not to leave anything of value in them. In December, it has been reported that overnight, six cars were broken into and valuables stolen. Please be vigilant.

It is with deep sorrow and regret that we report the death of Councillor Barry Compton last month, after a long illness. Barry joined the Parish Council a few years ago, and has been a great source of help and inspiration in all the Parish Council's various tasks and dealings. He was especially involved, along with Councillor Graham Stafford, in pushing through the Operation Watershed flooding issues in the Parish to a successful conclusion. Barry will be greatly missed.

The Parish Council must now look to find a new Councillor to serve on the Parish Council, and we are obliged to advertise the Notice of Casual Vacancy, which you can find HERE If an election is not called under the terms of the Notice by 29th April 2016, the Parish Council will be free to co-opt onto the Council, and a separate Notice will be posted at that point, seeking suitable applicants.

NEW. We can now confirm that no election was called under the above Notice, and so the Parish Council is now free to co-opt a new member onto the Council (hopefully at its meeting on 7th June 2016). The Parish Council is therefore seeking suitable applicants for the position of Albourne Parish Councillor. Please see the formal advertisement HERE If you want to know more about the role, and what is involved, please do contact the Clerk.

ANNUAL PARISH MEETING OF ELECTORS ON TUESDAY, 3RD MAY 2016 IN THE VILLAGE HALL AT 7.30 PM. Please make a note in your diaries and come to this important annual meeting. It is not a Parish Council meeting - it is your meeting. This is an opportunity to find out about the important things that have been happening in the Village, to hear from a number of expert speakers about things like policing, flooding, planning in Mid Sussex, and most importantly it is a chance for you to have your say, and to air your concerns. Please watch out for the Agenda towards the end of the month. See now HERE or on the Meetings page.

The Parish Council intends to hold some open sessions in the Village Hall about the Plan, so that anyone who wants to find out more about its policies and direction, and how it has evolved over the last 18 months or so, will have an opportunity of doing so. Further details about these events will appear here soon.

Official Mid Sussex District Council release-

"Albourne Parish Council has prepared a Neighbourhood Plan for the Parish of Albourne and submitted it to Mid Sussex District Council and the South Downs National Park Authority. MSDC is acting as lead Local Planning Authority for the purposes of the consultation. The Plan seeks to retain the rural village character; it sets out the development principles and allocation of areas for future building and land use. MSDC is publishing the submitted Albourne Neighbourhood Plan. The publication will run for six weeks from 26th November 2015 until 7th January 2016. The documents are available at http://www.midsussex.gov.uk/neighbourhoodplans Formal comments can be submitted online at www.midsussex.gov.uk/neighbourhoodplans or by post to Planning Policy and Economic Development, Mid Sussex District Council, Oaklands Road, Haywards Heath, RH16 1SS. Comments must be received by midnight on 07th January 2016. All comments received will be for public information."

Mid Sussex District Council is increasing the housing numbers it needs to find in its District Plan. Please see their press release HERE

The audit of the Parish Council's financial affairs, for the year 2014/15 has now been completed, and signed off by the external auditors, Littlejohns. The Parish Council is obliged to publish the complete Annual Return, and so please find the document HERE

The South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) is holding a number of public drop in sessions to promote and explain their own Local Plan, which will guide the planning process within the National Park. A small part of the Parish of Albourne to the south, falls within the Park. Please see HERE for further details.

Albourne pop-up Village Pub "The Albourne Arms" opens on Sunday 19th July. Please see the events page for further information. Please come along and support this new Village initiative.

Mid Sussex District Council has published its pre-submission District Plan. This is the cumulative result of previous versions and consultation exercises. It also takes on board all the latest work MSDC has carried out since the original Plan was found by the Inspector not to have met the duty to co-operate. The closing date for comments is 24th July 2015. For further details, please click HERE

The Parish Council election on 7th May 2015 was uncontested, as there were only 6 nominated candidates for the 7 seats on the Council. As a result Councillors Price, Stafford, Ernest, Compton, Jordan, and Wergan are deemed automatically elected as Parish Councillors for a term of four years. There was therefore one vacancy (see further below).

[Mick Gratton decided to stand down as a Councillor in 2015, although he still going to be heavily involved in taking the Neighbourhood Plan through. Mick has been an invaluable member of the Council, particularly on planning matters, and we thank him for all his hard work and dedication over the last four years. We also wish him all the very best for the future.]

At the Parish Council meeting on 2nd June, Di Howard was co-opted to the vacancy on the Parish Council, so as to take the Council back up to its full complement of 7 Councillors. We very much welcome Di onto the Council, and hope that she enjoys the role.

Thank you to everyone who responded on the pre-submission draft Neighbourhood Plan. The period for comment is now closed, and the Parish Council will be considering all the input it has received, and deciding if the Plan needs amendment and revision as a result of the comments made. After that, it will prepare the submission Plan, along with a Consultation Statement and Basic Conditions Statement, which it will then formally submit to Mid Sussex District Council.

Mid Sussex District Council as the Local Planning Authority, has now accepted the Parish Council's Plan as the formally submitted document, for the next legal step of the process, known as Regulation 16 Consultation (see below). This gives a further period for people and organisations to have what should be their final say on the contents of the Plan, given the changes that have been made to it, since it was first drafted and consulted upon. The period of the consultation is 6 weeks, and this started on the 26th November 2015, running to 7th January 2016. Under the rules, MSDC must publish the Plan, the Sustainability Appraisal, a Consultation Statement, and a Basic Conditions Statement (all prepared by the Parish Council). All these documents are available for viewing on MSDC's website (see links below), and any consultation responses must be sent to them, not to the Parish Council. Again, details of how to respond are set out on MSDC's website. (see links below) However, if you wish to view any of the documents here, please find them below as follows:-

Submission Neighbourhood Plan HERE

Sustainabiliity appraisal HERE

Consultation Statement HERE

Basic Conditions Statement HERE

Official Mid Sussex District Council release-

Mid Sussex District Council is increasing the housing numbers it needs to find in its District Plan. Please see their press release HERE

Albourne pop-up Village Pub "The Albourne Arms" opens on Sunday 19th July. Please see the events page for further information. Please come along and support this new Village initiative.

The next West Sussex County Council "County Local Committee" (CLC) meeting is on 1st December 2015. Please see "Information" page for further details.

Halloween!!! Please see this press release from MSDC HERE and the poster referred to HERE (should you want to print it off and put it up).

Following the recently advertised vacancy, we are very pleased to report that Nick Wergan was unanimously co-opted onto the Parish Council at the meeting on 4th November 2014. Nick brings a wealth of financial experience from his previous work in the private financial sector, and much community experience from his current role as the Head teacher of a major School in Mid Sussex. Nick lives in the Village in Church Lane, and we very much welcome him as our seventh Councillor onto Albourne Parish Council.

Albourne Parish Council publishes its annual return and audit (both internal and external) for the financial year 2013/14. Please click HERE to view. Also included is a report from Councillor Meg Price, Chairman of Albourne Parish Council, on the activities and achievements of the Parish Council during the year. This can be found on the first page of the report.

Flooding and drainage issues. Land owners are respectfully asked to do their bit to prevent problems in the Parish. Please see the advice HERE

West Sussex County Council want to know your views on their budget plans. What matters to you? See the survey at www.westsussex.gov.uk/whatmatters

The Parish Council has added to its slot on the News Page, some information and guidance on winter management planning and maintenance, for the coming winter period.

Sussex Police has re-launched Operation Crackdown - a system that enables anyone to report anti-social driving and abandoned vehicles either on-line or by phone. (See Useful Links and Information page).

Remember that if you suffer from noise nuisance from neighbours or any other source, the Environmental Health Department at Mid Sussex District Council can help. Please see the link on the Useful Links and Information page under Mid Sussex District Council.

Albourne Parish Council publishes its annual return and audit (both internal and external) for the financial year 2012/13. Please click HERE to view. Also included is a report from Councillor Meg Price, Chairman of Albourne Parish Council, on the activities of the Parish Council during the year. This can be found on the first page of the report.

Mid Sussex District Council fail the Duty to Co-operate test on submitted District Plan, and so both the Plan and the Community Infrastructure Levy have had to be withdrawn. See News page.

Albourne Parish Council supports MSDC's local plan-

Albourne Parish Council is supporting the Mid Sussex District Council local development plan, which has been published for final consultation before being submitted to the government planning inspector in August 2013. Albourne Parish Council considers this plan protects the best interests of Mid Sussex, and the rural nature of our area. The MSDC plan does not include or support recently publicised developer led concepts for major development between Sayers Common and Henfield. Please note that the statutory consultation period has now closed, and the Plan will go forward for examination as above. See also further below as to the latest news. For further information on the Plan, visit MSDC's website. Click on the link /ClientAdmin/Text/www.midsussex.gov.uk

The New Market Town proposal referred to above has been in the local and south east news just recently. Click HERE to view a press release from Nick Herbert, who is MP for Arundel and South Downs. He is joined by Mid Sussex MP, Nicholas Soames. Albourne Parish Council, along with many of its neighbouring Parishes, will be keeping a close eye on this issue, and watching any developments with interest. Also, an independent organisation, Locals Against Mayfield Building Sprawl (LAMBS), has been formed to voice local opposition to the proposed scheme. It is establishing a fighting fund in order to enable it to match the financial muscle of the promoters, and to help with its objective of defending the countryside in the area of the proposed development. If you wish to contribute to the fund, or find out any further information about LAMBS, please visit their website http://lambs.org.uk/

Mid Sussex District Council publishes its draft Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Charging Schedule. This sets out how much money a developer will have to contribute towards local infrastructure, etc. Please see the press release on the Press Releases page, or visit MSDC's website to access the document. Parish Councils with a Neighbourhood Plan will receive 25% of CIL monies directly.