Charging to park will be a disaster for our towns

So they are thinking of charging for parking in Selsey. Never mind the cost, what about the chaos in the High Street?
In Selsey, it is handy to have rally car driving experience, as many people tend to consider the double yellow lines as permission to park when they need to nip quickly into the chemist, fish and chip shop, or a bank service till.
You take your life in your hands navigating round the cars to get along the road, without the added problem of the delivery vans that have to park outside the smaller shops.
We don't have a traffic warden here, and I have never seen a motorist moved on by a community police officer. Parking on yellow lines, it seems, is not only permissible, it is recognised and accepted as a fact of life.
If charges are introduced in the few car parks we have, surely parking on the street will increase, and make our High Street even more dangerous.
As for charging to park at the Bill – it wasn't long ago we were told it wasn't worth saving because sea defences cost too much, but now we are to be told we should be charged to enjoy the time we have left.
We are lucky to have an unspoilt, beautiful area tourists enjoy coming to, with small businesses and shops enjoying local trade.
Let's not spoil that for the sake of a few pounds in a parking meter– but please let us address the problems we already have with parking.

K Atkinson, Selsey

We were appalled when we heard about the proposed parking charges at East Wittering – this would kill the village.
Shopping in East Wittering at present is a pleasure – wonderful shops with great variety and friendly, helpful service, so much so people from all the other villages in
the Manhood come there to shop.
Parking is a problem, but as a resident of West Wittering, I know how to time my visits.
At present I buy all my day-to-day needs there, but I would be discouraged if I had to pay to park.
If the council insists on imposing metering, parking should be free for the first hour to discourage longer stays.
But surely the costs of employing wardens and installing meters would cancel out the revenue raised?

Patsy Watney, West Wittering



MP available - by appointment

I take issue with Colin May's letter last week regarding our local MP Andrew Tyrie.
Should Colin require Andrew Tyrie's help in any matter, the Citizens Advice Bureau will be happy to give him a telephone number to ring to arrange an appointment with him at his local once-a-month surgery in Wren House, North Street.
He is very readily available at this surgery to help with any problems or queries one might have.
As mentioned, in the recent Save St Richard's campaign, Andrew Tyrie had a very high profile, marching and holding meetings for locals to voice their opinions.
When I have had problems on two different occasions, I contacted Mr Tyrie's secretary, and made an appointment to see him in his surgery. I had first to write a letter stating what I wanted his help with, and send it to the House of Commons, which was not a problem.
I was then given an appointment to meet with him, and found him charming and a great help.
Some years later, again I had a serious problem, and wrote to him asking for his help, which was then freely given over a period of months, until a successful outcome was reached.
I don't see Andrew Tyrie has the time to make himself available as suggested. However, if his help is needed, it is very easy to make contact with him, and to receive his help.
What more can you ask for in an MP?
To myself and my husband, he fulfils all the criteria and we back him to the hilt.

Pamela Barkham, Tozer Way, Chichester



It's time to ban heavy vehicles

The problems caused by the increasing use of Orchard Street by more and more and larger heavy traffic vehicles is worsening rapidly.
When the last stretch of the so-called bypass (A27) was built a few years ago, it became obvious at once to local residents there was a large increase in heavy traffic cutting through Orchard Street.
If you look at a road map you can see why as it could be a short cut and develop into a rat run. Traffic comes into the city via Westgate and Avenue de Chartres, instead of negotiating roundabouts and going round it.
Could we prohibit heavy vehicles as some other cities do?
It seems unfair residents are bound by strict planning rules, as we are in a conservation area, yet our properties are probably being damaged by speeding heavy through traffic, and enjoyment of our lovely old city is spoiled.

Mrs CD King, Orchard Street, Chichester

Twenty years ago I was writing similar letters about the state of Orchard Street, and was interviewed by an Observer reporter – I also received praise for my 'crusade' from Alan Green, who wished me good luck but feared I was 'a voice crying out in the wilderness'.
A residents' association was also instigated, which eventually gave up.
Twenty years later the situation is even worse and Mr Green seems to have been proved correct. There is now a revived residents' association and I sincerely hope it has more success.

Ann Kirby, Orchard Street, Chichester



It's a mystery - where are all the ducks?

I write concerning the East Beach pond in Selsey and, of late, its distinct lack of waterfowl, namely ducks.
This time last year there were hundreds of ducks, all healthy and breeding (plenty of ducklings) but now a walk around the pond reveals at most, 20 or so ducks and all male.
It may be as a consequence of the lack of ducklings this year as food for our local fox, that the seven cygnets bred by our pair of swans dwindled to zero day by day a couple of weeks ago.
Without the blossoming population of ducklings to choose from, did Mr Fox have no alternative but to go for the cygnets this year? It is worrying.
Speaking to locals who frequent the pond regularly, they say that mysteriously the wardens were seen earlier in the year during their early-morning visits scattering grain for the ducks to eat – and it was shortly after this time all the ducks simply 'disappeared'.
Have they culled them, returning on their early-morning visits to remove them?
I can see no other reason for scattering grain – the ducks at East Beach pond had to be some of the best fed around and many people took notice of advice to give them grain instead of bread, too.
The pond, while remaining a beautiful place to be, is a sad reflection on the wildlife that used to gather there. Some would say there were too many ducks at one stage, but now we have hardly any. Does anyone else have any ideas why?

Lynn Corbett, Lingfield Way, Selsey



Ombudsman needs to look into taxi cash

The Licensing and Enforcement sub-committee of Chichester District Council decided last month to increase taxi fares by four per cent. Despite a large number of objections from the hackney carriage drivers, this was done without any formal debate.
The 1976 Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act states all such fee revenue should be ring-fenced and an accounting system should be in place showing the revenue and disbursement of all monies, which may only be used for the licensing function the council is obliged to undertake this legislation, and not for use elsewhere.
CDC has now admitted it has never made any proper provision for such accountability.
Those figures that have been issued seem to show a surplus over the past five years of about £80,000 which, if even partly accurate, would indicate no increase in fees would be proper, as any surplus should result in lower fees for the following year.
However, since questioning the council, it is now saying the 'taxi' administrative function costs an estimated £113,000 for the year 2008-09, a rise of more than £40,000 from the previous year.
If this is true, then council tax payers will now have to subsidise the function by £37,000.
Many months of trying to get the council to act responsibly and deal with this issue have resulted in no action, and as a result the district auditor and the local government ombudsman will now have to scrutinise the council's handling of these finances.

LT Ballard, spokesman for The Alliance, Bognor Regis



Welcome assurance there will be no hospital secrecy

I wrote to the Observer (April 18) with my concern that if and when the Western Sussex Hospitals Trust is granted foundation status, the trust's board of directors will have the option of holding all their board meetings in private.
I am pleased to say the trust's chairman and chief executive have recently given a public assurance the meetings will continue to be conducted in the open in the future.
This very welcome assurance was given at the trust's stakeholder forum meeting at St Richard's in Chichester on May 18 in front of a large audience.
Foundation trust rules allow directors' board meetings to be held behind closed doors, and unfortunately both the Department of Health and the South East Coast Strategic Heath Authority have recently declined to get involved, simply stating such decisions lie with FTs themselves.
On the other hand, the NHS' chief executive David Nicholson, on learning 42 per cent of FTs have opted for secret meetings, recently said: "I would hope that, over time,
people would learn the lesson that transparency and openness is far more likely to secure benefits for their patients, and if you look at where we have had problems, openness would have prevented that, so I encourage them to be more open."
Personally, I would have thought if the chief executive was prepared to say that, then the rest of his organisation should follow his guidance.
Obviously, however, the NHS bureaucracy is so tied up in its own rules even the chief executive is impotent in this matter.
Thank goodness, therefore, that, despite the lack of positive guidance and leadership from their controlling authorities, the people charged with running the Western Sussex Hospitals Trust have made it quite clear they understand the continuing need for openness and public accountability.

Derek Waller, Surrey Wharf, Arundel



Fairies, gnomes, warlocks and our new road surface

A while back I wrote to the Observer's letters page expressing my concerns for the white lines which had been painted around the pothole in Litten Terrace.
I was concerned the magic white lines spells hadn't brought about the required road healing but instead were now fading or, more sadly, were being eaten by the hungry encroaching craters.
However, shortly after sending my comments, the fairies arrived, admittedly wearing yellow helmets , yellow jackets and brown boots! They set about with their noisy magic wands in replacing empty spaces with smooth young surfaces.
I immediately dropped the Observer a note telling of the extraordinary effect my unpublished letter had had.
Such telepathic influence of the press, especially that of the Observer!
The second day started with the gnomes (I decided they were too noisy to be fairies) using the same black sticky hocus-pocus and filling in more potholes.
But alas, by lunchtime the gnomes were gone and still there were enormous chasms left in the middle of the road. Why the flight? Were they afraid to stay
on roads in the evenings as the fast cars enjoyed their rat-racing activities?
After many days, a group of warlocks moved in with their heavy wagons full of 'new road' and front-end loading equipment. Within the day we had a new road; well, nearly new, as other holes have now appeared, no doubt having being seeded from those initial empty yawnings. Even faster rat-racers now!

John Hutchings, New Park Road, Chichester



No swimming? Among the nettles?

A sign has been put up by the Environment Agency warning the public about strong currents and underwater obstacles and prohibiting swimming and diving at Snooks Corner in Felpham. This is total folly as there is no more than a small dry gully there, filled with nettles.
A local resident told me he has lived in the village for 30 years and has never seen any water there.
He said it took workers two days to put up the sign, construct a padlocked gate and strim the grass. This is health and safety gone mad and a waste of public money.
Surely the Agency must have put up the sign and gate in the wrong place.
Felpham is a conservation area and does not need to be cluttered by unnecessary warning signs. We already have enough signs relating to what dogs can and can't do on the seafront, where a plaque relating to the history and attractions of the village would be more appropriate.

Michael Wiseman, Felpham Village



We all feel so let down

First the residents of Bognor Regis were denied the benefits of Asda's presence in the town, now we have news that will deny us an Argos store.
What is perhaps even more worrying is it was the planning officers who barred the application from going ahead. Take note of that. The elected councillors did not, apparently, discuss the application, the decision was taken by paid officials.
If the elected councillors have delegated such powers, why should we bother to go to the polls and vote?
The criteria for approving or rejecting a planning application should not be whether it conforms to some high-flying strategic plan, but whether it is in the interests
of the surrounding community.
Not whether the rapidly receding regeneration plan will be breached, but whether the public will benefit from it.
Most people now think the much-vaunted St Modwen plan is never likely to happen, and in the meantime, shopping facilities in Bognor Regis are declining month by month while local government officers who have no interest in the town revert to the infamous 'bugger Bognor' approach.
Taking the decision-making process even further, we see the highly-paid planning officers do not even take the decisions themselves, but defer them to independent 'planning consultants'.
How much are they taking out of our council tax revenue? How much knowledge do they have of local community feelings and, more to the point, how much do they care?
The problem with Arun District Council is its ivory towers, outside of which officials are reluctant to go, are in Littlehampton.
Consequently, the requirements of Bognor Regis residents come a long way behind those of Littlehampton.
They can give Bognor stupid things like elephants on the front and silly monuments in the High Street – these are only meant to serve as a laugh.
I have to say the elected party lobby-fodder should be ashamed of themselves for the way this end of the district is being treated.
Will they be happy to stand up and say to the electorate 'I'm proud of what I have done for the community'?
For goodness sake, get a grip of what is happening before Bognor Regis is beyond redemption.

Geoffrey King, Oaktree Close, Pagham

Arun council does it again. First it stops Asda, now is stops Argos. Will Sainsbury's and Bognor regeneration be next?
It seems it wants to run Bognor down.
Will it reduce council tax to allow people to travel to Chichester and beyond to do the shopping? All Bognor seems to offer at the moment are mobile phone and charity shops.
It will soon be a ghost town unless the council lets Bognor people have more say on what happens in this town.

Edward Johnson, Lyon Street, Bognor Regis

As a Bognor resident, I think it is absolutely disgraceful ADC has yet again let Bognor Regis down.
It refused permission for the Asda store, which would have been a boon not only for jobs but healthy competition for the other supermarkets. Now it has refused Argos, again another much-needed jobs boost.
What is ADC playing at? I believe it won't rest until Bognor disappears under a huge pile of shingle and retirement flats.
All the talk about luxury apartments will be purely academic as no-one in their right mind will pay good money to live in a dead town with nothing to offer.
Why should Bognor residents be forced to drive out of town to shop at Argos or, indeed, Asda, when both these retailers were willing to invest locally which, in turn, would bring money into the town and ultimately the council.
Just think of all the tasteless fibreglass monstrosities the council could afford with the extra revenues!
I hope the likes of Asda and Argos do not give up on us all here in Bognor, as ADC has.

Ashley Joines, Bognor Regis

I am once again bemused by our local council. First Asda, now Argos. People need to be able to shop in Bognor and Shripney is surely part of Bognor.
Argos no doubt would move into the town centre if there were suitable premises, but parking is a strong issue in the town centre. We tend to shop in town on a Sunday when we don't have to pay for parking.
Argos in Chichester is far too inconvenient as again parking is a problem and it's too far away.
We feel it better to have Argos here than not at all.
People need to buy things and I don't agreed it would harm the town centre – that is already harmed and not because of adverse retailers, but because of the council's inability to know what the people who live in the town want.
Unless you want a mobile phone or a birthday card or something from a charity shop, Bognor town centre is a waste of time.
We urge Arun to liven up Bognor and let retailers have what they want. This town is dying on its feet, and that includes Shripney.
Visitors entering the town surely want to see vibrant stores including Asda and Argos – it would be a good thing instead of having empty units. Don't forget Tesco was allowed to go there and surely they, if anyone, would harm the town centre.
Wake up Arun, you are so blinkered in your view of things.
Morrisons will have an effect on surrounding businesses if they stock items that could be bought elsewhere in the town, so why object to a store opening which would enable the people of Bognor to buy items they need, especially since the demise of Woolworths?
What's happening now is Bognor people are travelling to Chichester's Argos or further afield – they are not buying those items in Bognor simply because you can't get them here.
Bognor people want the same as other vibrant towns. Don't stop us having what we want.

Mrs G Shadbolt, Linden Road, Bognor Regis

I am absolutely gobsmacked the council has yet again stopped a large retailer from opening a store on the outskirts of town.
How ridiculous. Not only has it opposed the Asda chain from helping the town's unemployment, it is now stopping another large company.
Do the bigwigs at the council want Bognor to pale into insignificance or do they just want more charity and phone shops to invade our town?
I very rarely go into the town centre nowadays as there is nothing there that draws me in. Ever since the closure of Woolworths, the town centre seems to be awash with phone and charity shops.
Perhaps that is the council's point – no jobs mean we have to shop in charity stores and we need the phone shops for, well, to be quite honest, I don't know why we need so many phone retailers.
I believe it would be a great asset to our town if we were to allow larger retailers to build on the old Lec site. We already have Tesco and Matalan on this strip of road and I can assure you each time I visit either of these stores, they are always busy so another few shops would benefit greatly.
Rather than the council getting all excited about the Blue Flag award, it needs to look at what else may draw people to our town. You only have to look at the number of hours of sunshine we have had recently and the number of people walking along the seafront to realise that, at the moment, we still have people visiting Bognor.
But I fear that may dwindle if the council doesn't get with the times and listen to what people want. The council may well end up looking more like fools than it already does.

Cathy Bowen, North Bersted, Bognor Regis

It is about time we stopped Arun Council ruining the lives of people who live in Bognor and now not allowing us to have a new shopping experience in Bognor.
First Asda. What is happening to Sainsbury's? And now we can't have Argos because there may be a town-centre regeneration in three or four years.
The great news for the town centre is Morrisons is expanding – great – and that Wilkinsons is looking at the old Woolworths site – fabulous. I live out of town and do and will use both of those town-centre stores.
But why am I and so many others denied the opportunity of choice where I shop outside of the town centre?
Different shops will bring people into the Bognor area and the town centre.
Arun District Council is actually driving Bognor people out of their town and Bognor retail park to Chichester for Sainsbury's and Argos and Havant for Asda.
There is something very, very wrong with our local political system when councils act against the public's wishes again and again, and when many of the councillors in the local authority do not live in Bognor.
We must get this changed otherwise Bognor will remain lifeless and insignificant.

Jan Malpas, Bradlond Close, Aldwick

Would someone please tell Arun we WANT Asda, we WANT Argos and we WANT Sainsbury's. I'd quite like an Ikea while they're at it.
What do the planners think they are achieving by denying them permission? Do they think people will wander into Bognor and buy what they want from a shop there? They will simply go to Chichester or Havant to get what they want and then spend they rest of there time enjoying that area.
If there was a store in Bognor, people would go there and then maybe go on to the seafront or into town to do a bit of shopping or eat.
Not allowing these stores to come to Bognor is just really annoying everyone and making Arun more and more unpopular.

Jacqui Beech, Elmer

As usual, another popular retail shop will not to come to Bognor Regis. The reason? Because it will affect the regeneration.
Bognor Regis has been regenerating since the 60s and I am sure unless we give the council the boot will do so until the next millennium with not a brick laid.
What has the council got against Bognor Regis? It could, I am sure, be such a wonderful vibrant town given the right plans and the right people for the town. It is such a shame.
I have lived in Bognor Regis on and off for the past 20 years and have seen many changes but at the moment the town is the worst I have ever seen it.

Heather Logan, Chestnut Grove, Bognor Regis

So it is thought Argos and Asda will damage the town centre regeneration proposals. What a load of rubbish. The town centre is already a ghost town.
Mothercare, Woolworths and Gamleys have all closed – all we have is card shops, coffee shops, charity shops and phone shops. There is nothing to go there for.
If the council thinks St Modwen is going to make a difference, I think it should think again. This regeneration is nothing but talk and no do.
People are not bothering to go to town – they are now all going to Chichester and further afield. So thanks to Arun – it has totally destroyed our town.
It's time Arun District Council had people who will listen to the people. They have absolutely no idea what is needed in Bognor.

Mrs J Davis, Felpham



Let's improve West Park

AS a newbie to Bognor Regis, I feel I have a new perspective on the general running and facilities at West Park in Aldwick.
Firstly, there just aren't enough dog waste bins. These are crucial because over the summer months – more and more children will use the park and if an irresponsible dog owner leaves the waste, I dread to think of the consequences.
Secondly, why oh why can't the Friends of West Park Association actually put into place direct action rather than pontificating about their intentions?
I have seen no particular benefits from this self-appointed body save for a few benches. Big deal. We need a path around the edge of the park for dog walkers that would be put to good use in the winter.
Finally, the cafe at the park is excellent but if it would open for longer hours, we would all benefit.
I know I sound like a moaning old so-and-so. But these little things would improve the park vastly in my humble opinion. What do other townsfolk feel?

L McQueen, The Cutting, Felpham



Join council and have a say

James Clark wrote about Felpham Parish Council's grants to local organisations (Observer letters, last week).
The council has the right to give away that money because it is allowed to by statute, and the councillors voted to do so. This is, I presume, to support local organisations to show the parish is concerned about local matters.
If Mr Clark is so outraged about it, why doesn't he approach the council about taking up one of the two vacant places on the council? There are posters on noticeboards around the village asking for volunteers to become parish councillors.
That way he could see what happened at the meetings, and make his representations directly to the council as a council member.
And why should the presentation of these grants be described as a publicity stunt?

Michael Turner, Clovelly Avenue, Felpham



We've done our bit to give duckling the best chance of survival

There has been a huge interest in the story about the 16 ducklings that hatched in our enclosed garden and we are sure many people would be interested in the final outcome.
As soon as we realised 'mum' was sitting on her eggs – she had been so well camouflaged even our two dogs hadn't found her – we erected a wire-netting fence to protect her and her family and shortly afterwards the ducklings emerged from the nest.
While we decided how return them to the wild, we provided food and plenty of water in various containers. When they outgrew those, a friend kindly loaned a paddling pool.
The duckling mortality rate is huge at South Pond. They fight a losing battle against rats, herons and swans, so our aim was to look after 'our babies' until they were large enough to be safe from the predators and as long as mum was happy for them to be trapped in our garden.
The food bill was huge for such small creatures – their appetites were voracious and we were grateful for the numerous bags of greenery donated by Top Crop and the two large sacks of food by Mrs J Hill from Stedham.
At five weeks old, they were rapidly outgrowing their small area and also stripping our garden of our prized rhododendrons, chrysanthemums and seedling acer trees.
Anxious to get them to their natural habitat, we abandoned the idea of trying to walk mum and babies through our house, along the road and round the corner to South Pond, mainly because the traffic situation was a problem and we didn't want mum spooked and frightened enough to fly away because of the experience.
The only option was to catch mum and ducklings with nets, box them and then release them on to South Pond. So the exercise went smoothly, we enlisted the help of the RSPCA.
An animal collection officer arrived and it took more than an hour to box all 17.
Believe it or not, the ducklings were much harder to catch than mum. One was even clever enough to hide in some undergrowth and not make a sound.
What a relief it was to transport them to South Pond. We let the babies go first, followed by mum and what a joy it was to see all 17 glide off in formation – and so quickly it was impossible to take any photographs to record the event.
We visited South Pond a few hours later to check on our family and were pleased to see mum was still giving them a guided tour of their new home.
The following day, we checked to see how they were coping after their first night in the wild and we were thrilled to see they were all thoroughly settled. The photograph shows them on the edge of the pond near the road.
There hasn't been any sign of them since that day, so we can only hope mum has taken them safely along the river somewhere.
But whatever the outcome, we know we have given them the best possible start in life and not like the little family of 12 ducklings we saw recently that dwindled to three in three days.

GA and Mrs LJ Oram, Bepton Road, Midhurst



Free parking is an attraction we must keep at all costs

I read the article about parking on the front page of the Observer (May 28) with interest. I am a trader in Petworth, where the Petworth Business Association (PBA) recently held a meeting which included planned discussion of parking.
I need to make clear I am a member of the PBA, but not writing on its or indeed any other's behalf: this is my personal view.
As I could not attend the PBA meeting, I replied to secretary Sarah's email about the agenda, by email, on May 21. You will see from my email (reproduced on the right) sent to Sarah about the parking issue for the PBA meeting it so closely predicts (as it turns out) the commentary on the Observer front page, I might have written the article.
Discussion with other Petworth businesses alerted me to the Observer story, and in the interests of balance, I believe some input about previous experience close
by, concerning village/small town parking in West Sussex, and the effects of decriminalisation (ie shifting costs to local government) is pertinent.
Personally, I hope we can learn from other, recent, local village/ town experience, and not pretend this energy to extract an income stream (and simultaneously redirect the community out of town) is a new activity and affects only our communities, whereas in fact the bigger picture clearly sweeps the effort across West Sussex.
Proposals from the servants to our communities raise, without evidence, anxiety and a sense of unfairness. But to then respond to this with spurious 'conversations' and follow it by a selective 'choice of solutions' (ie no choice) to placate the concern they created in the first place, and so justify revenues, only describe contempt for community integrity and local knowledge.
To the servants of our communities, please be aware our villages may be a few miles apart, but even here in the Sussex clay we do talk and work with each other, and have a great many links forming a strong network. It is unlikely treating us as ill-informed yokels instead of the cute, canny folk we actually are, will be useful.

Louise Prince, Art, Craft and Fabric of Petworth

We must do everything in our power to prevent parking charges being implemented in either Petworth or Midhurst.
How many of those proposing parking charges have any practical experience of the way parking operates in either of our towns?
A strong impression persists in this area that a high proportion of those making decisions on our behalf have little idea or practical knowledge of life north of the South Downs. Since the disappearance of parking wardens, parking has been working especially well in both towns.
Most importantly, the shops in both towns are doing their best to maintain trade and remain open. Introducing parking charges would inevitably impede any recovery.
Could it possibly be the council thinks some money could be made by introducing parking charges in Petworth and Midhurst?

Sue Loughnan, Lodsworth

I doubt I can attend the next meeting, but I would like the commentary below to be included in any parking discussion.
The free one-hour parking in the Square, and free all-day in the car park, is perfect and works very well. I have never, except on the November 20 fair night, not been able to park, at all different times of the day, in the car park.
I appreciate some folk would like to always park at the top end nearest the main shops, but it is only a 50-second walk (I've timed it) from the furthest point of the lower part of the car park up to Golden Square, which is brilliant.
Keeping parking free is an absolute must: we stand out from other villages, so people can come here for stress-free shopping and services.
If charges are imposed, we will be operating at a significant disadvantage to the free out-of-town outlets with Tesco and such like. If parking fees are charged, they have to be policed so you are not paying for parking, but for policing of the parking.
During the past four years I had a shop in Storrington, which comes under Horsham District Council. Storrington had free parking, and traders were given the same mantra as has been quoted to me here: a few commuters park their cars in the free car park, then the drivers all get in one car to drive to and park at the pay-for station parks.
This is untrue and has no evidence base. It is absolutely contrived and designed to create a sense of unfairness that 'we must stop this' and, therefore, 'we must do something''.
Horsham DC contracted out its parking for the whole district, then expected to develop an income stream to pay for 13 flying traffic wardens. It went through a spurious 'consultation' exercise, to ostensibly ask for the community views, and then tried extremely hard to impose pay car parking in all the areas and villages that were free.
Storrington strenuously resisted for two two years and HDC failed.
In the early stages it was proposed a one-hour disc system was implemented. It now has the two-hour free disc system, but this still needs some degree of policing.
What has resulted are extremely aggressive wardens, dressed head to foot in black (locally known as 'Ninjas') who will take a photo of you or your car as you arrive, with cameras attached to their headgear, and who pounce on visitors and shoppers. It is unpleasant to be photographed. However much it is denied, their performance is measured and this includes an expected level of activity and tickets.
The one-hour time disc is perhaps a stereotype, but if you are an average bloke who, alone, nips in and out of key shops for a few essentials, you can almost certainly do your shopping in, say, 20 to 30 minutes.
If you have never shopped with wide pushchairs, fierce toddlers on a sweetie mission, mumbling teenagers doing a GCSE project without the measurements, groups of nice, solvent friends on an equally nice, slow day out, the lovely elderly with hearing and mobility issues, you may not understand shopping and use of services can be, of necessity, easily longer than a two-hour experience.
It takes at least an hour and a quarter for essentials, and for each shop beyond that, the industry standard is an average of 17 minutes – this includes locating, walking, looking, discussion, selection, waiting, purchase and wrapping and closure.
Even in a two-hour slot this indicates only about four shops in total (not including having a coffee) which can be visited, plus the underlying stress of getting back to the car.
So, having experienced the above, please do not allow unique Petworth to go through two or three years of parking agony and end up sending all our terrific customers elsewhere.
Also, let's not, on top of our rates which go to central government, supply further funds to Chichester to be spread elsewhere.
Can we keep the friendly, rural feel of a largely independents, diverse market town which visitors love, that is a pleasure to come to and stay a while, rather than an irksome crossroads of empty shops policed by black-suited Ninjas?

Louise Prince, Art, Craft & Fabric of Petworth



Don't expect swift action to ease traffic nightmare

I read with interest residents of Loxwood are endeavouring to reduce the impact of speeding traffic on their lives.
I wish them well with their efforts. But I urge John Andrews to delay laying an extra place at the dinner table for the chief constable, since I suspect he will politely refuse the invitation.
I, too, have written to the chief constable, but my letter was passed to the road policing unit in Chichester for reply. Basically what that said was officers are attending Northchapel more frequently, but there are insufficient resources available to make much difference.
I also wrote to West Sussex County Council leader Henry Smith with much factual data derived from the county's highways department's own traffic monitoring results.
This letter was copied to WSCC highways department, WSCC member Chris Duncton, and Chichester District Council member John Andrews. I received neither acknowledgement nor reply from any of the former recipients.
John Andrews spoke to me at length and gave me his full backing in what I was trying to do.
So readers might understand the issues of speeding traffic in Northchapel (and I suspect in Loxwood, too) I reiterate some of the data I sent to all these authorities:
1 7,700 vehicles pass through Northchapel every day.
2 At specific monitored points, 92 per cent, 60 per cent, 43 per cent and 82 per cent are exceeding the speed limit.
3 Police Authority will not release figures but anecdotal evidence suggest only 30 to 60 speeding tickets are issued every two weeks.
4 The highways department solution to this problem is to replace the fixed 30mph signs at either end of the village with vehicle-activated displays and to repaint the red road markings.
At the last Northchapel Parish Council meeting I asked if councillors were satisfied the highways department's response was an adequate solution to the traffic problem in Northchapel. I was told they did not intend to take the matter further.

Garry A Duguid, Northchapel



Our MP is available to help us

I take issue with Colin May's letter last week regarding MP Andrew Tyrie.
Should Colin require Andrew Tyrie's help in any matter, the Citizens Advice Bureau will be happy to give him a telephone number to ring to arrange an appointment with him at his local once-a-month surgery in Wren House, North Street.
When I have had problems on two different occasions, I contacted Mr Tyrie's secretary, and made an appointment to see him in his surgery.
I had first to write a letter stating what I wanted his help with, and send it to the House of Commons, which was not a problem.
I was then given an appointment to meet with him, and found him charming and a great help.
Some years later, again I had a serious problem, and wrote to him asking for his help, which was then freely given over a period of months, until a successful outcome was reached.
To myself and my husband, he fulfils all the criteria and we back him to the hilt.

Pamela Barkham, Tozer Way, Chichester



Calling all cricketers...

Loxwood Cricket Club is searching for new players. We are convinced that among the Observer readership there are cricket lovers who would like to play either regularly or occasionally.
We have a picturesque ground for home matches on a Sunday afternoon, and players range in age from mid-teens to somewhat wrinkly.
There is a core of decent village and club-standard players so we are always able to compete on equal terms. However, we pride ourselves on making sure everyone has the opportunity to bat and/or bowl.
Village cricket has for centuries been the glue of our society, and the side comprises a rich cross-section of skills, professions and interests.
Did I mention the teas? A bit below (or should that be above) the belt, I know, but there is nothing quite as splendid as the mid-match tea tables sagging under the weight of all manner of goodies (none of which I'm allowed at home!).
And at the end of a glorious summer afternoon, enjoying the match post mortem over a thirst-slaking cold pint.
New players should contact our skipper Adrian Dudman on 07772 079 352.

Jon Lane, Guildford Road, Loxwood




To the point...

Can anyone help? I am living in France and running a snack-restaurant.
We are thinking of coming home and even though I am originally from Surrey, I have decided Chichester seems a nice place to open an upmarket snack shop.
Does Chichester need something like this? Is it better to live on the outskirts in a small village? If so, which villages are nice with good schools? I have children who are aged five and six.
What are the pluses and minuses of this area?

C Berger, France

Not all the news stories that come out of Tangmere are good ones, but on May 29 and 30 the Tangmere Players provided a wonderfully entertaining show in the village centre, to the delight of enthusiastic audiences.
Entitled Murder at Checkmate Manor, it was a hilarious portrayal of an inept amdram society endeavouring to put on a production of a murder mystery in the style of Agatha Christie.
Naturally the gremlins conspire against the production, with fluffed lines, hideously wooden dialogue, unpredictable effects, unreliable and often downright dangerous props, bewilderingly quick costume changes and absurdly contrived ending. It was all great fun.
The cast, led by the excellent Vicky Ford-Coates, Vic and Marilyn Butcher and Duane Wady, were on top form.
There was a tremendous performance from Adult Players newcomer Charlee Peters, but congratulations are principally due to the husband-and-wife
team John and Judy Simnett, who co-ordinated what was a very fast-moving and busy show without a dull moment.
Well done Tangmere Players – we look forward to your next production.

David Bathurst, Woodgate Close, Woodgate, Chichester

An article in the Chichester Observer (May 28) asked for volunteers to help to tidy up their local areas.
Leaving aside the issue of weeding and clearing blocked footpaths, why should volunteers have to be involved to clear up the mess left by thoughtless individuals?
We now have in operation the scheme where dog owners pick up the mess left by their pets with a threat of a hefty fine for non-compliance, and this by and large is working.
So it is about time to clamp down on those individuals who regularly blight our countryside with their unwanted rubbish.
Culprits should be issued with say 25 black bin bags and given a designated area to clean up.
Perhaps having to spend time cleaning up their own and the litter of other people instead of going out with their pals, might help them to change their ways and do something useful for the community into the bargain.

William Evershed, East Bracklesham Drive, Bracklesham Bay

In the last local election, my letterbox was bombarded with leaflets from political parties asking for my support.
People with brightly-coloured rosettes would hand me leaflets in the street and the odd car would go past my house with a public address system blaring out 'vote x, y, z'.
Going to the polling station, I would be greeted by members of the political parties so I could have a good old chinwag about their agendas and generally put the world to rights.
So what happened surrounding the council and European elections on Thursday, May 4?
Not one leaflet was put through my door and not a canvasser in sight.
At the polling station in Felpham at 4pm there was only one party supporter to be seen; a lady of senior years sitting sitting proudly in her chair wearing her party rosette.
Was the emotive subject of expenses keeping the canvassers' heads down?
If so, well done to that lady outside the poling station for sticking up for your party! I didn't vote for you but I liked your rosette and your rather dapper hat.

Malcolm Ferris, Felpham

I want to congratulate the cast of Curtain Call for yet another spectacular review at The Alexandra Theatre.
These kids give up their time every weekend to rehearse and, boy, what a show it was – they absolutely give it their all and enjoy every minute of it.
A standing ovation on Saturday, no less. Can't wait for Fame in October.

Mrs Susan Jupp (a very proud mum), Southfields Road, Littlehampton

I frequently go to Felpham Gardens with my grandfather and I like to go and look in the pond at the fish. I went on May 29, and was not very happy with the condition of the pond.
There was rubbish in the pond, the water was brown and mucky and there is fish in there! I think they are not happy fish and I think it is up to the people who are in charge of Felpham Gardens to do something about it.

Charlotte Regan (aged nine), Bognor Regis

A 4Sight charity party I held at the Newtown Sports and Social Club raised £281.
I would like to thank Sue Wingate for preparing the lovely buffet and the friends who kindly provided some food. My thanks to everyone who donated prizes for the raffle.

Margaret Ireland, Magnolia Court, Bognor Regis


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