Have your say on a new village vision for Felpham

A public meeting will be held on October 27 to encourage as many residents as possible to have a say as the proposals are compiled.

The 7pm session at St Mary's Centre in Grassmere Close is likely to focus on issues such as:

Creating a better environment;

Crime and community safety;

Transport and accessibility; and

Sport, open spaces, leisure and culture.

The meeting will be the first stage in the creation of the first parish plan for Felpham.

This will include the features of the area which people enjoy, problems they experience, how they want the community to develop and action to achieve this.

A four-strong working party to prepare the way has been set up by Felpham Parish Council.

But councillors are keen to ensure the ideas of as many people as possible are included in the plan.

Council vice-chairman Cllr Geoff Farrell said: "Everybody needs to contribute to it, whether they live in Felpham or Flansham, whether they are a member of the village conservation society or whether they go to a school or society here."

Cllr Connie Reid, a working party member, said: "The people of Felpham can have their say at the meeting.

"Hopefully, that will mean a lot of people who don't come to the council will want to come to the meeting and get involved."

The principle of a parish plan was proposed by the Felpham Village Conservation Society at its annual meeting in June.

But vice-chairman Cllr Michael Harvey said the compilation of the plan was too big for one group to take on. It should be the result of a community-wide effort.

The October meeting will see the representatives of 40 organisations known to the parish council invited to attend. Some individuals may also be asked to take part.

Two speakers with experience of parish plans will be giving their views as well.

They are Mark MacTaggart, of the Sussex and Surrey Association of Local Councils, and Mike De Lara, who has recent and practical experience of the Arundel plan.

The meeting could end in agreement from those present that no plan is needed to bring the process to a swift end.

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