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South Downs National Park Authority commissions plans to shore up Midhurst buildings damaged by fire

The South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA), with the support of Chichester District Council and West Sussex County Council, has stepped in to break the deadlock in progress around getting the listed buildings safely and legally secured. While the South Downs National Park Authority are leading on this aspect of the recovery, they continue to work closely with the other members of the multi-agency recovery group and other agencies will continue to lead on other aspects of the recovery.

We understand that the top priority for the community and businesses is to get the road through Midhurst open again and the frustration that this has not yet happened. We want to assure everyone that there is a huge amount of work going on behind the scenes to secure the buildings to enable this to happen. The Angel Hotel and other buildings damaged are listed buildings and are protected by law. The solution to making the buildings safe and to secure them is for them to be shored up. The SDNPA, with the support of Chichester District Council and West Sussex County Council, has therefore stepped in to ensure this happens without further unnecessary delay.

We can report that we have appointed a structural engineer who is currently finalising a plan for shoring up the damaged buildings. This week we are liaising with and visiting on site with potential specialist contractors who could then carry out this very specialised work. Our aim is to appoint a contractor to begin work as soon as possible. Please be assured that progress is being made. Unfortunately, we cannot give a date on when work will commence until we have a contractor in place, but we will provide regular updates on this work as soon as it becomes available.

Once the buildings have been safely secured, West Sussex County Council, as the highways authority responsible for the road, will be able to reopen the road through Midhurst.

The multi-agency recovery group was quickly set up in response to the fire as this is a complex legal, financial and practical issue with multiple agencies holding legal responsibility for different aspects of the response and recovery. To help, the group has prepared a detailed FAQs prepared by Chichester District Council which is updated as new information becomes available. The FAQs can be found here: www.chichester.gov.uk/article/37648/Midhurst-fire-Frequently-asked-questions

As public sector bodies it is deeply regrettable that we have to step in and address what is a landowner responsibility. Such decisions are very rare for good reason and have to be carefully considered. While public money will be spent to shore up the building and therefore break the detrimental impasse, we will use all legal means to reclaim these costs. The priority now must be the shoring up of the buildings which will, in turn, enable the road to be opened to get Midhurst moving again.

South Downs National Park Authority commissions plans to shore up Midhurst buildings damaged by fire2023-04-26T12:04:56+01:00

Latest press release from CDC – 26th April

The South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA), with the support of Chichester District Council and West Sussex County Council, has stepped in to break the deadlock in progress around getting the listed buildings safely and legally secured. While the South Downs National Park Authority are leading on this aspect of the recovery, they continue to work closely with the other members of the multi-agency recovery group and other agencies will continue to lead on other aspects of the recovery.

We understand that the top priority for the community and businesses is to get the road through Midhurst open again and the frustration that this has not yet happened. We want to assure everyone that there is a huge amount of work going on behind the scenes to secure the buildings to enable this to happen. The Angel Hotel and other buildings damaged are listed buildings and are protected by law. The solution to making the buildings safe and to secure them is for them to be shored up. The SDNPA, with the support of Chichester District Council and West Sussex County Council, has therefore stepped in to ensure this happens without further unnecessary delay.

We can report that we have appointed a structural engineer who is currently finalising a plan for shoring up the damaged buildings. This week we are liaising with and visiting on site with potential specialist contractors who could then carry out this very specialised work. Our aim is to appoint a contractor to begin work as soon as possible. Please be assured that progress is being made. Unfortunately, we cannot give a date on when work will commence until we have a contractor in place, but we will provide regular updates on this work as soon as it becomes available.

Once the buildings have been safely secured, West Sussex County Council, as the highways authority responsible for the road, will be able to reopen the road through Midhurst.

The multi-agency recovery group was quickly set up in response to the fire as this is a complex legal, financial and practical issue with multiple agencies holding legal responsibility for different aspects of the response and recovery. To help, the group has prepared detailed FAQs which will be updated as new information becomes available.

As public sector bodies it is deeply regrettable that we have to step in and address what is a landowner responsibility. Such decisions are very rare for good reason and have to be carefully considered. While public money will be spent to shore up the building and therefore break the detrimental impasse, we will use all legal means to reclaim these costs. The priority now must be the shoring up of the buildings which will, in turn, enable the road to be opened to get Midhurst moving again.

 

Latest press release from CDC – 26th April2023-06-27T11:04:16+01:00

Latest CDC press release

Latest press release issued by CDC this afternoon:

Date of Release: 21 April 2023                                                   Ref: 4233
Authorities planning to use statutory powers to take over the shoring up of Midhurst buildings
Following a meeting between the owners of the properties affected by the major fire in Midhurst, their insurance professionals, and the multi-agency recovery group on Wednesday 19 April, it has been established that the owners have been unable to agree a viable way forward to stabilise the listed building, which would allow the road to be reopened in a reasonable timeframe.

This became apparent after the multi-agency recovery group were informed that once liability for the damage has been decided, it would take a minimum of 60-90 days to assess and finalise the claim to pay for the works. This is despite the owner’s Structural Engineers, who assessed the building, estimating that the works could be completed, and the road could be reopened to vehicles, within six weeks.

The multi-agency recovery group includes South Downs National Park Authority, Chichester District Council, West Sussex County Council, Historic England, West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service and Midhurst Town Council.
Given the legal obligation to preserve what is possible of the listed buildings and to address the significant impact on Midhurst and the surrounding area, its community and businesses, the South Downs National Park Authority has taken the decision, with the support of Chichester District Council and West Sussex County Council, to step in and use statutory planning powers. The South Downs National Park Authority has already appointed a structural engineer to design a solution to shore up and protect the listed buildings. This will enable the road to open as soon as possible. The authorities recognise the need for urgent action and everything is being done to speed up the process.

Although an exact timeline cannot be given at the current time, a clearer indication will be possible as preparatory works progress. The agencies are moving as quickly as possible to get specialist contractors in place given that the owners are unable to.

This solution has been agreed by the multi-agency recovery group. The situation has been a very complex one, and public safety is paramount. Once the façade of the building has been made secure and safe for the public, it will be possible to reopen the road (A286 North Street) to vehicles.
The multi-agency recovery group is producing a series of Questions and Answers to help answer some of the questions it is receiving from the community. It also explains the role that each authority has played within the recovery process. This will be published at:www.chichester.gov.uk/latestnews
The document addresses key questions such as why the building could not be pulled down. As the buildings are listed and are of historical importance, it would be an illegal act for anyone to pull down the buildings without Listed Building Consent. The Structural Engineers involved in assessing the building believe it may be possible to save some parts of the buildings, and so the owners are legally required to try and save what they can of the buildings.
It also explains why free car parking has not been continued. The effectiveness of the free parking period was closely monitored. It became apparent that the normal car parking incentives that are usually in place were more effective in encouraging people to visit the town to shop and spend with local businesses. These help with turnover and capacity in the car parks, which Midhurst businesses require to ensure that as many people as possible to have the opportunity to park and support the town. This decision was made following feedback from local businesses and consultation with the Business Recovery Group, Midhurst Town Council and Midhurst Town Team. Customers can still access periods of free parking in The Grange car park, where they can benefit from two hours free parking per day, or in either the Post Office and North Street car parks, where they will receive an hour free per day. Customers will need to display a ticket or use MiPermit to obtain their stay (even during the free period). People can easily extend their stay by using the parking machines or using MiPermit: https://secure.mipermit.com/chichester/
The agencies involved are urging people to support Midhurst by shopping and spending in the town, which boasts an excellent array of local and independent businesses, the vast majority of which are open for business and can all be accessed on foot from the local car parks.
All of the agencies involved are committed to doing everything they can to get the road reopened to vehicles as soon as possible and helping Midhurst recover from this dreadful incident. Regular updates can be found at www.chichester.gov.uk/latestnews and on Chichester District Council’s social media pages
Latest CDC press release2023-06-27T11:04:27+01:00

New Roundhouse Roof

It’s been a busy week in Easebourne Park, with the new Roundhouse Roof almost complete and the main structure of the Eco Loos also now in place. What a difference a week can make!

The roof will be completed on Monday 24th and whilst there is a little bit of work to do in order to fit out the inside of the Loo building we also hope that will be completed very early in May.

Watch this space for the final update!

New Roundhouse Roof2023-07-18T15:14:15+01:00

Work has started on the eco loo and new roof!

If you’ve visited the Park in the last week you will have seen some activity as you enter from the main car park near the portaloo, with work having now started on the construction of our Eco friendly loos. In addition, work on the brand new cedar shingle roof for the Roundhouse begins today.

The loo tanks are now in and the concrete base ready for the arrival of the building, which is due tomorrow, 18th April. We’ll update this post as the work continues, but all should be completed by the end of April.

The loos will then be open daily and maintained by Wettons.

 

Work has started on the eco loo and new roof!2023-04-17T10:20:31+01:00

Update from Chichester District Council following the Fire in North Street, Midhurst

Residents and visitors urged to support Midhurst businesses following major fire

Local residents and visitors are being encouraged to support businesses as work continues to help Midhurst recover following last month’s hotel fire at The Angel Inn hotel and neighbouring buildings.

People visiting Midhurst this Saturday 15 April could be in with a chance of winning between £5 and £250 worth of vouchers to spend in independent shops in the town. Between 10am and 3pm, the Midhurst Town Team will be handing out over 400 envelopes of ‘Midhurst Pounds’ outside Stockley Trading near the North Street car park. The vouchers will be handed out on a first come, first served basis and can be used until 31 May 2023. For more information, visit: www.facebook.com/MidhurstBusinessNetwork

A multi-agency recovery group, which includes Chichester District Council, West Sussex County Council, West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, Midhurst Town Council and the South Downs National Park Authority, is working hard to support the town. The partners involved are urging people to support Midhurst by shopping and spending in the town, which boasts an excellent array of local and independent businesses, the vast majority of which are ‘open for business’ and can all be accessed on foot.

In consultation and agreement with the Business Recovery Group, Midhurst Town Team and Midhurst Town Council, following feedback from Midhurst businesses, Chichester District Council has been offering free parking for a period of a month (up until the end of 16 April) in order to help support residents and businesses in the first few weeks following the fire. From Monday 17 April, people can still access periods of free parking in The Grange car park, where they can benefit from two hours free parking per day, or in either the Post Office and North Street car parks, where they will receive an hour free per day. Customers will need to display a ticket or use MiPermit to obtain their stay (even during the free period). People can easily extend their stay by using the parking machines or using MiPermit:  https://secure.mipermit.com/chichester/

Residents and visitors looking to travel into Midhurst by bus, can currently access single bus tickets for £2 on the vast majority of routes in the district as part of the Government’s bus cap scheme, which will run until 30 June 2023. Please note that bus services in Midhurst are currently unable to serve Midhurst Bus Station, and so services 60, 91, 92 & 93 will now depart from a temporary bus stop at The Grange Leisure Centre / Library Car Park. For updates, visit: www.stagecoachbus.com/service-updates/serviceupdatesarticle?SituationId=ID-17/03/2023-15:02:33:525. The ‘traveline’ website — www.traveline.info — shows customers whether a particular bus journey is part of the £2 fare scheme and also provides live updates on the bus services.

To support Midhurst businesses during this difficult time, Chichester District Council has set up a business recovery group, which involves weekly meetings, updates, and plans on how funding should be spent to support the town in its recovery. Chichester District Council has set aside £300,000 to help the town get back on its feet and encourage residents and visitors to support local businesses in Midhurst. Further information about this support can be found here: www.chichester.gov.uk/article/37575/300000-is-set-aside-to-help-Midhurst-recover-following-hotel-fire.

One of the initiatives being developed is a grant scheme for Midhurst businesses and this will be available next week. This scheme is not related to business rates, which are determined by the government and which have separate support schemes available — anyone wishing to know more about this, can visit: www.chichester.gov.uk/businessratesdiscounts and www.gov.uk/apply-for-business-rate-relief

The Midhurst recovery group is committed to doing everything it can to reopen North Street to vehicles as soon as possible and to support those businesses affected by the incident. A firm of structural engineers, working on behalf of the owners, are devising a temporary façade support system that seeks to reopen as much of the road as possible whilst preserving the listed building facades. An update on timings will be issued as soon as possible after a further meeting with the structural engineers, owners, South Downs National Park Authority, Historic England and Chichester District Council next week. Once the building has been made secure, it will be possible to open the road (A286 North Street) to vehicles.

The West Sussex County Council Highways team have organised a diversion around the closed North Street with related signage at key locations. To ease congestion, temporary one-way restrictions have been put in place on the lanes surrounding Midhurst. Both the diversion and one-way restrictions are being monitored and adjusted where needed. Drivers are urged to follow official diversion signage, with more information available on: https://one.network. The team has also been responding to reports of potholes in the area and continue to encourage people to report these at: www.westsussex.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/report-a-pothole-online/ or by calling 01243 642105.

West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service responded to the fire, and they are currently investigating the cause. The investigation is complex and the buildings are not yet safe to enter, which is impacting the timescale for the investigation. It is anticipated that it may take a few months to determine the cause.

All waste and recycling collections are operating as usual after the council put in plans in place to overcome access issues. To keep up to date, the council is encouraging residents to download the Chichester District Council app, which provides personalised notifications on waste and recycling collections: www.chichester.gov.uk/chichesterdcapp

All of the agencies involved would like to thank local residents and businesses for their feedback, which is discussed at a multi-agency group every week. A series of Frequently Asked Questions — covering information about the incident, who is involved in the recovery process and who is responsible for what elements, and how residents and businesses are currently being supported — will be published on Chichester District Council’s website at: www.chichester.gov.uk/latestnews.

Residents are also encouraged to visit this web page and follow the council’s social media channels for the latest updates on the situation.

Update from Chichester District Council following the Fire in North Street, Midhurst2023-04-14T19:47:20+01:00

CDC press release 6th April

Work continues to help Midhurst recover from major fire

A multi-agency recovery group has today (Thursday 6 April) issued a further update following the major hotel fire at The Angel Inn hotel and neighbouring buildings on the A286 North Street in Midhurst.

The group, which includes Chichester District Council, West Sussex County Council, West Sussex Fire and Rescue; Midhurst Town Council and the South Downs National Park Authority, are committed to doing everything they can to reopen the road to vehicles as soon as possible and support those businesses affected by the incident.

The South Downs National Park Authority, as the local planning authority for Midhurst, has asked the owners and their structural engineers to shore up the buildings as quickly as possible. Currently, it is estimated that the work may take six weeks from 3 April, but it is hoped that it can be completed quicker than this. Once the buildings have been made secure, it will be possible to open the road to vehicles.

West Sussex County Council Highways team have organised a diversion with related signage at key locations. To ease congestion, temporary one-way restrictions have been put in place on the lanes surrounding Midhurst and other options are currently being considered. The diversion and one-way restrictions are also being monitored and adjusted where needed. Drivers are urged to follow official diversion signage, with more information available on https://one.network. The county council is also aware that local roads are seeing significantly higher volumes of traffic than usual due to the diversion. They are increasing their targeted inspections and repairs and are also regularly reviewing works in the wider area to reduce disruption as much as possible. The team has also been responding to reports of potholes in the area and are encouraging people to report these at: www.westsussex.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/report-a-pothole-online/ or by calling 01243 642105.

Chichester District Council has been working closely with local businesses through a recovery group, which involves weekly meetings, updates, and plans on how funding should be spent to support the town in its recovery. Chichester District Council has promised to set aside £300,000 to help the town get back on its feet and encourage residents and visitors to support local businesses in Midhurst. A member of the council’s Economic Development team has also been seconded to support businesses in the town for the next two months. The district council is also continuing to offer free parking in its Midhurst car parks until the end of 16 April 2023.

All waste and recycling collections are operating as usual after the council put in plans in place to overcome access issues. The only exception this week, is that changes have had to be made to the collection date for five roads in Midhurst, because the crews are unable to use their access route through Midhurst Rother College on Friday, due to the bank holiday. Instead, the collection date for Lamberts Lane, Orchard Way, Park Crescent, Wyndham Place and Gilbert Hannam Close was moved to Thursday (6 April) morning. Due to unavoidable changes such as this, the council is encouraging residents to download the Chichester District Council app, which provides personalised notifications on waste and recycling collections. Residents are also urged to follow the council’s social media pages and website (www.chichester.gov.uk/latestnews)  where updates are also shared.

Chichester District Council has also arranged two drop-in information sessions for residents and businesses at the South Downs National Park Authority offices. The first one took place on Thursday 6 April and a further one will be held on Wednesday 12 April between 2-4pm. Chichester District Council staff from the Supporting You, Economic Development and Social Prescribing services will be on hand to provide information and help, along with representatives from West Sussex County Council’s Highways team and the South Downs National Park Authority.

All of the agencies involved are committed to doing everything they can to get the road reopened to vehicles as soon as possible and helping Midhurst to recover from this dreadful incident. The agencies would like to thank residents and businesses for their feedback, which is discussed at a multi-agency group every week to be considered and responded to. The partners will continue to keep both residents and businesses closely updated on the situation.

CDC press release 6th April2023-04-07T13:34:35+01:00

Coffee and cake in Easebourne Park!

We’re thrilled that The Goatbox, a brand new local business has agreed to come along to Easebourne Park over the Easter school holidays to provide barista coffees, teas, bake and cold drinks to our visitors.

Tom and Alice will be open from around 9.30 until 3 everyday, possibly longer over the Easter weekend and weather permitting! The forecast is looking good for most of the holidays, and with the addition of the loo in the Park, it really does become an all day destination!

Just in case you’re planning to visit from outside of the Midhurst and Easebourne area, please note that you cannot drive through Midhurst at present and many rural lanes are now operating as 1-way to ease the flow of traffic, so worth checking the route before you head off! No problem coming from Petworth or Haslemere. From Chichester you can go via Ambersham/Selham, or north towards Milland and then through Fernhurst. 

Coffee and cake in Easebourne Park!2023-06-27T11:04:50+01:00
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