Brief
Our aim is to communicate with all residents within Easebourne parish and to be as transparent as possible. Our primary communication method is still our public parish council meetings held every other month and our annual parish meeting.
Given the significant number of changes taking place within the parish we rely heavily on this website to assist in providing you with updates from our meetings and projects. News stories and updates will also be shared through our Facebook page. Please do follow us on Facebook and share updates with your friends and family to help keep Easebourne parish updated.
We will continue to utilise our notice boards around Easebourne and Henley village for significant updates, updates in the United parish magazine, along with mail drops when necessary to reach out to everyone in the parish.
If you would like to ask your parish council anything please feel free to attend one of our meetings, or contact the parish clerk via eMail, post or phone. Details can be found on our Contact Us page.
Members
Kay Graetz
Ian Milne
Mike Noble (Chairman)
Trevor Baker
David Pack
Easebourne Park Crowdfunding Initiative Launched!
A new Crowdfunding initiative for Easebourne Park has been launched to raise funds to upgrade the paths around the Park enabling easier access to all areas for buggies, cycles and wheelchairs. Combined with an existing volunteering project to improve access on foot from the eastern Wheelbarrow Castle entrance, this initiative will help provide a much safer way to access the Primary School on foot.
During phase 1 of Easebourne Park, the paths were constructed in such a way that upgrading would be possible once sufficient funds were available. Since it’s completion in September 2018 the Park has proved to be a great success with large numbers of the community using it ever since.
Crowdfunding is the new way in which we as a Parish Council can try to access funds from the West Sussex County Council Community Initiative Fund. Projects must show that they have community buy-in in the form of likes, comments and most importantly, pledges to our crowdfunding campaign. This is why we are seeking as many pledges as possible (from as little as £2 upwards) from individuals and businesses within the Parish and surrounding areas to show that this project has the backing and support of the local community.
You can make a pledge to our project by following this link: www.spacehive.com/easebourne-park-inclusive-access-project and clicking ‘Back this project’. The more pledges we receive, the more likely we will be to secure additional funding from West Sussex County Council. If you’re not familiar with the concept of Crowdfunding, your pledge will only be claimed as and when we reach our fundraising target! So please help us achieve this key element of Phase 2 of Easebourne Park by pledging just £2 (or more!) and spreading the word among your friends, families, neighbours and colleagues. Thank you!
Beacon Lighting to commemorate the end of WWI – 11th November 2018
The event will take place on the field adjacent to the path/driveway running down from the Cowdray cafe. You will be able to park very close to the field and we will have stewards to show you where to drive and park.
The event will begin at 6.50pm with prayers, followed by the names of the fallen, Last Post, minutes silence and Reveille. The Beacon will be lit at 7.00pm, the church bells sounded and Midhurst Community choir will perform a short selection of music. Hot drinks will also be available (donation to the Poppy Appeal).
Vote Now!
Our Village Welcome Pack project has been shortlisted for the Hooli Boost award. This will enable Easebourne Parish Council to develop a fantastic branded welcome pack that will go out to all households!
https://poll.fbapp.io/hooli-boost-2018-the-vote
It will be a source of really useful local information, and will also allow us to develop our own Village branded Identity. This will be used throughout the village, and in all our future communications.
It will prove especially useful as we begin to implement our hugely exciting Village field project. So please – follow the link and VOTE!
Henley telephone box refurbishment complete
The iconic telephone box opposite the Duke of Cumberland Arms in Henley has been fully refurbished by the Parish Council and will shortly be put to good use again. It will house a life saving heart-start defibrillator that the council is purchasing with the support of the Communities Heartbeat Trust and with a generous donation by the owner and patrons of Duke of Cumberland Arms. This key piece of medical equipment has now been installed. Appropriate training sessions are in the process of being arranged, perhaps in the Duke, and will be widely advertised by the Parish Council.
The newly repainted K6 telephone box, resplendent in a coat of its original bright red paint, was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott to celebrate the King George Silver Jubilee. Over 20,000 were placed in every town and village by the end of the 1920s and the K6 had its 80th birthday in 2016. The Parish Council trusts that by injecting a new lease of life into this phone box it will continue to serve the wider community around Henley, in its new role, for many more decades.
Defibrillator training will be held at and co-ordinated by the Duke of Cumberland Arms in April for local residents who wish to apply.
Pictured from left to right, councillor Ian Milne, the Cardiac Science G5 defibrillator and the owner of the Duke of Cumberland Arms, Simon Goodman.
Wheelbarrow Castle Field Planning Application
We are aware of the recent press report regarding the change of use planning application for the field and are in communication with the relevant authorities. We’ll post any updates on the website as soon as we have them.
Residents warned of property banding reduction services
People in the Chichester District are being warned to be extra vigilant and be aware of calls from companies offering to challenge their council tax banding for a fee.
Following a recent complaint, the council is reminding people that they can find out their council tax banding for FREE by contacting the Valuation Office.
A number of companies contact residents directly and offer to challenge the banding on a resident’s behalf.
The companies’ methods include:
- Charging an up-front fee then not making the challenge at all.
- Asking for a person’s bank details so they can provide a refund but instead taking money from the account.
- Offering a resident an agent, telling them they must have one by law in order to challenge the banding, when this is not the case at all.
Chichester District Council is urging people not to give any bank details over the phone and to end any suspicious telephone call immediately.
Any suspicious phone calls, text messages or emails should be reported as soon as possible to:
- Chichester District Council’s Council Tax team;
- Sussex Police on 101; and
- West Sussex County Council Trading Standards on 03454 04 05 06.
Residents are also reminded that any genuine direct phone number given by Chichester District Council will be in the format of 01243 534***.
In some cases these companies may carry out cold calls at people’s homes. Residents who do receive a cold call are urged to seek identification from the person at the door, ring a cold caller’s office to confirm their identity and dial 999 if a cold caller refuses to leave.
Councillor Philippa Hardwick, Cabinet Member for Finance at Chichester District Council, says: “We are urging residents to be extremely careful and not give out any details over the phone.
“If you are concerned about the banding of your property, you can do this for free by contacting your local Valuation Office. Anyone can do this and you do not need a third party despite what these companies may tell you over the phone.
“No council will contact residents in this way and we certainly will not undertake cold calls at people’s homes and ask for their bank details. I would urge everyone to be vigilant and also keep an eye on older relatives or neighbours. Anyone concerned about a call should report it immediately.”
For more information go to the Council Tax section at the Valuation Office Agency https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/valuation-office-agency
People can also contact Chichester District Council’s Council Tax team http://www.chichester.gov.uk/counciltax.
For further information, please contact Rehannah Oozeerally, PR Assistant at Chichester District Council on 01243 521032
East Pallant House, 1 East Pallant, Chichester, PO19 1TY
Tel: 01243 521032 Email: roozeerally@chichester.gov.uk
Date of Release: 29 November 2017 Ref: 3773