Progress on Better Broadband
- Published on Sunday, 06 May 2012 10:21
The project to bring better, faster broadband to all of West Sussex is progressing. The Government has now committed funding of £6.26million for this major project; the same amount that West Sussex County Council has ear marked. Private sector funding to match the total public investment and build the necessary technological infrastructure is now being sought.
You have until the end of June to register your demand for improved broadband services to encourage telecommunications suppliers to investment in the county. If you haven't already done so, please consider signing up for better, faster broadband and pass on the message or a link to this page to your circle of contacts.
If you run a business in the county you can sign up for news and information relevant to your broadband needs.
Further information on the Broadband project can be found by clicking on the new logo above.
Cocking Village Plan
- Published on Monday, 27 February 2012 19:10
Cowdray Estate introduced what it described as 'a sustainable development plan' for the village at the public meeting on Monday 20th February in Cocking Village Hall. The attached files make up the consultation document, in whole and in parts, and attendees on the 20th will have seen them displayed in the Hall. They are published here with the permission of the Cowdray Estate.
Planning applications can be examined on the Planning area of Chicheser Distict Council's website.
| Planned Development | Planning Application |
| Planned Development | (The whole document - large file) |
| Village Maps | |
| 210 Cocking Causeway | 11/00721/FULNP (refused) |
| Manor Farmhouse | 12/00080/LBCNP and 12/00079/FULNP |
| Manor Farmyard | 12/00133/FULNP and 12/00134/LBCNP |
| Manor Farm Cottages | |
| Memorial Cottage | |
| The Old Lime Works |
Note: Attachments open in a new Tab or Window as portable documents. You will need Adobe Reader or compatible software to open these files.
Sign up for Better Broadband (Again)
- Published on Wednesday, 22 February 2012 07:01
You have yet another chance to express your views on the poor state of rural broadband by signing up to the West Sussex Better Connected campaign.
The District Council is urging residents and businesses to register their need for faster broadband and show their demand to suppliers. They are aiming to provide internet access to everyone in the county while also looking into offering superfast broadband services to 90 per cent of West Sussex homes and businesses by April 2015. They say you can help by signing-up online at www.westsussex-betterconnected.org.uk or by completing a form at a nearby library. Registering does not commit you to any new services.
Cowdray Estate has Plans for Cocking
- Published on Monday, 20 February 2012 22:13
Around fifty villagers packed Cocking Village Hall on the evening of 20th February, keen to hear what Cowdray Estate would have to say about the future of their properties in and around the village, many of which it is fair to say are in a poor state.
Frances Russell, Chair of the Parish Council introduced Robert Windle, Cowdray Estate Manager and explained the importance of a dialogue with the Estate as it owns approximately a tenth of the properties in the parish and the majority of the land area.
Mr Windle then spoke in general terms for a quarter of an hour on the importance, from the Estate's point of view, of filling what sounded rather like a planning vacuum. He said that the creation of the South Downs National Park and the new Localism Act were both catalysts for this work and that this meeting was part of a dialogue, with little cast in stone. One potential area for development he focused on, and invited village feedback on, was the disused Lime Works on Cocking Hill. He outlined the option of creating a camping area for South Downs walkers designed to bring trade to the village without threatening existing Bed & Breakfast businesses.
An hour's wide ranging discussion then followed, with plenty of questions and comments from the floor. Among many topics covered were the potential building of a cottage (Memorial Cottage) on land at 185 Church Path (to the surprise of the existing tenants), a detached house at 210 Cocking Causeway, and developments at Manor Farm for which a planning application had already been submitted. Apart from residential developments, there were proposals to turn the farm outbuildings near the Church into stores, the provision of parking space nearby for Milestone Garage and the move of an Estate Works Yard from Easebourne to the Hawks Farm buildings, north of the village.
Malcolm Woods gave a short explanation of his project to restore the fish ponds in conjunction with the Estate, while Parish Clerk Kate Bain updated the audience on plans for village allotments, saying that an agreement with Cowdrays was close.
There was also some criticism from the floor of the neglect of properties such as 210 Cocking Causeway where two attempted burglaries had damaged an already deteriorating property, regarded as an eyesore by both villagers and passers by. Mr Windle said that 210 was high on the Estate's list, but that there were planning issues and a lack of access for vehicles to overcome.
It was clear throughout, as pointed out by Gill Buchanan, that although there were some current planning applications a lot of the proposals would take years to come to fruition - if ever. It was clear that while some of the potential developments would yield rental income for the Estate, capital investment would typically come from selected land sales and the less commercial propositions would need grant aid to get off the ground.
Frances Russell wound up the meeting by emphasising the need for the debate it had opened up and Robert Windle associated the high turnout not only as evidence of local concerns, but as a sign of the health of the community.
27/02/2012 Note: This website has today uploaded the outline proposal documents - read it it now
A Walk on the Downs
- Published on Monday, 20 February 2012 21:06
On a chilly but fine Sunday afternoon, 19 February 2012, seven Cocking residents joined in a walk on the Downs. Their route started from the Blue Bell, continuing to Crypt Farm and ascending to the first of Andy Goldsworthy’s Chalk Stones before walking west along the South Downs Way.
They continued to where a bridleway descends Linch Down, and from Linch Farm they returned to Cocking along the road from Treyford and Didling, pausing to admire the bank of snowdrops by Bepton Church before finishing their walk along Bell Lane.
Story filed by Peter O'Neill.
West Lavington Walk
- Published on Wednesday, 25 January 2012 20:09
The Parish Walk on Saturday 21 January 2012 attracted ten participants: nine of them appear in the photograph, the tenth being the photographer himself.
The party met at Midhurst bus station, to which most of them had travelled from Cocking by bus, and they headed first for the Cowdray ruins where they turned towards Easebourne before making a clockwise circular tour outside the boundaries of Cowdray House. A short stretch took them across the A 272 and along the edge of the golf course before re-crossing the road and following lanes by Moor Farm, South Ambersham, Great Todham Farm and West Lavington from where a footpath in open country took them suddenly to the Wharf, enabling most of the group to catch the return bus after just two hours of steady walking.
The photograph was taken near the southern gateway to Cowdray House by Peter O'Neill.
