Findon Valley Residents' Association
Protecting the interests of our community and the countryside around us
Monday 14th March: Remote meeting via zoom
In Attendance:
Lance Allen (LA), Lorraine Taylor (LT), Neil Worsfold (NW), Terri Binstead (TB), Clive Sanders (CS), Tony Anderson (TA), Matthew Ward (MW), Colin Binstead (CB), Roger Oakley (RO).
Apologies
Paula Barnes (PB), Hannah Hunte (HH).
The meeting was recorded to allow access to members unable at a later date.
Minutes of last meeting and Matters Arising
Minutes from 14th February were agreed and will now be published on our website and displayed on the notice boards. LT has not yet completed a list of relevant telephone numbers but will do in due course.
Chair
About ten people have shown an interest in the AGM so far and it is hoped more will do so now notice of it has been circulated to all FV residents along with the Traffic Survey.
A draft copy of the Trustees report was attached to the Chairman’s report which has to be produced yearly to satisfy Charity Commission requirements.
The Arts and Crafts group has not restarted since Covid and no-one has come forward to lead the group. Suggested we advertise it in the next news letter.
Councillor Elizabeth Sparkes has given an update on the new cycle route which will be progressed for cyclists on a shared route using Maytree Avenue and Lime Tree Avenue.
Further discussion is to take place and construction is anticipated to commence in autumn subject to contractor and road space availability.
HH provided two new logo designs which were debated and agreed. One as a letter heading and a slightly different design with the full FVRA name for larger topics such as Tote bags, hi vis jackets etc.
Vice Chair
LT thanked everyone for their help at the February Market which was another very successful and sunny event and thanked HH for preparing the logo survey so quickly.
There was plenty of interest shown with the project and it was a great talking point.
The tote shopping bags raised £14.50 on the day and it was decided to price them next time rather than ask for a donation.
Some books were collected for the PPG which were delivered to the surgery.
LT has pledged for FVRA to provide ten bags of litter during the Great British Spring Clean campaign running from 25th March until 10th April.
Community garden is looking lovely and it is hoped to get a council contractor to do the heavy work soon.
CS was thanked for his hard work getting the traffic survey sorted and thanks to all members for delivering them.Collection boxes are at the Library, Jet Garage and the Post Office.
Secretary
The notice boards outside the toilet block are being refurbished and brought back into use.
Posters advertising the AGM have been distributed around the area but worth noting that The Computer Shop prefers posters not laminated as they fall off the window when the sun heats the laminate up.
Negotiations are ongoing with Jacobs Steel re a community notice board and FVRA are assisting them to source a supplier.
It was suggested that a notice board would be beneficial in another area of the valley and LT suggested that the boards in the cemetery are not used very much.Secretary to make enquiries regarding using these.
Treasurer
The CAF account balance for end of February stands at £6,255.58 and the HSBC account balance is £1,163.46.
The treasurer explained that he will have to monitor both the HSBC and CAF accounts as both are in use at present.
There is still an issue with standing orders being paid into the HSBC account by some residents in spite of being contacted a while back.
Attempts will be made to contact these people again before the HSBC account is finally closed.
The annual accounts have now been audited and sent off to the charity commission.
Membership
Total membership for 2021 and 2022 to date is 518.42 members have renewed their subscription during February.
Problems still remain with trying to get subscriptions changed from standing order to direct debit from some residents and there are still issues with contacting some people.
It was asked that any members finding address discrepancies while delivering the traffic survey inform NW or CS so that records can be updated.
Some payments by cash are being collected at the Post Office and NW is paying these into his own account.
He will make a credit of this money directly into the CAF account once a month so that an audit trail can be followed.
This is because CAF do not take cash payments so the committee agreed totally with this procedure.
Schools liaison
Vale School have added PB to their school mailing list so she should now receive communication from the school and can also check that FVRA articles are being shared with parents.
The AGM and Jubilee meeting have been shared with school parents.
PB approached the school regarding whether they have any Ukrainian or Russian families connected with the school.
They have so Elizabeth Sparkes has been informed and it is hoped she will follow this up and provide support.
Environment
MW expressed his thanks for the positive comments he received about his tree street survey and asked for suggestions as to how to proceed further.
AWC are planting trees in parks where so many have been lost but WSCC do not seem to be showing much interest and there is no programme for tree planting.
RO advised contacting the person in charge of trees at WSCC and to also present the results of his survey to Elizabeth Sparkes to get support from her.
MW will try to contact and arrange a meeting with the tree representative for WSCC to discuss the loss of trees in FV and assess the way forward.
Over the weekend of 12th and 13th March many volunteers gathered in Cissbury Fields and planted several hundred saplings to form a hedge on the field boundary at the top of Cissbury Avenue.
They also bulked up the hedgerow running up the hill, Children, families and Councillors all came along at various times to take part.
Highways
The traffic survey has now been distributed to all Findon Valley residents and RO has asked that all returns are given to him for monitoring.
He suggests a completion date for returns of the survey to be end of April.
Work on the new A24 speed limit reducing it to 40 mph north from Bost Hill is almost completed.
The sale of cars in the street has stopped at the moment but RO would like people to inform him if they notice vehicles being advertised for sale again.
Highways have given out their schedule for work in Worthing this year and no plans have been included for FV this year other than in an emergency.
LT mentioned about a van parking daily on double yellow lines at the bottom of Cissbury Drive.
RO will check this.
Web Administrator
TA has been setting each committee member up with a new fvra.org.uk email address and those members who do not yet have their new email set up were asked to contact TA for advice. The new website continues to be managed.
Events & Media
A street party meeting has been arranged by FVRA for 19th March to give out information and to gauge interest from the residents with regard to parties in the area.
FVRA also need to decide if there is enough interest for a formally organised party in the village which we can organise jointly with the free church.
As well as using church land the option of the library garden and surgery land could be considered.
Nick at the coffee camp will assist in some way if required.
AOB
An email had been received from a Vale Drive resident expressing her disappointment at FVRA not getting involved and objecting to a mobile coffee outlet application.
Date of next meeting Monday 11th April 7.30pm.
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