As you will all be aware the fire last week at The Angel and adjoining businesses is having a devastating effect on Midhurst businesses. North Street is still closed for traffic but both car parks are accessible and are now completely free of charge to help support businesses (thanks CDC).
Midhurst is open for business – please come and support our wonderful local shops, cafes and pubs. Although North Street is still closed to traffic (following a devastating fire at The Angel and adjoining businesses) both car parks at either end of town are accessible and free!
Please share this with anyone who you think can help. #lovemidhurst Many thanks Philippa McCullough
You are welcome to come and join an informal group of volunteers this Saturday to help give a spring clean to the Church and the Church Yard area. Come and visit between 9:30am and 12:30pm. Home made refreshments provided.
Courier fraud is currently the highest reported fraud in West Sussex. Fraudsters contact victims by telephone claiming to be a police officer or bank official, duping individuals into handing over money or valuables to criminals posing as couriers. The fraudsters use a variety of different tactics, during the phone call they will convince the victim into handing over their card, valuables, or money to a courier who is sent directly to their home.
The West Sussex County Council Community Safety and Wellbeing Team are running a free to attend 1 hour webinar 15th March 10am-11am to raise vital awareness about this crime.
On Bepton Parish Council website we have a crime map section (Under Neighborhood Watch heading tab) which provides police data on all crime across the country. Specifically Bepton comes under police district of Rogate, Stedham and Harting and over the last 12 months Bepton has suffered seven documented crimes. These were two burglary’s, one of criminal damage-arson, one of violence and sexual offence, one theft, one vehicle crime and one public order disturbance. For further information go to the webpage that will provide processing data on each documented crime.
An example of what you will find – Data for November 2022 – Rogate, Stedham and Harting
The above map shows the new boundary proposal with the Parishes of Bepton, Elsted, S Harting, Trotton and Stedham changing constituency from Chichester to Arundel.
Although the consultation process has been taking place for nearly two years, many people are only now becoming aware that as a result a major change is proposed hereabouts -we are likely to become part of an extensive constituency called ‘Arundel and the South Downs’. Whatever the outcome, it will have no impact on the duties of Chichester District Council (eg bin emptying) and West Sussex County Council (highways maintenance). It will not affect our everyday life.
Every five years the boundaries of parliamentary constituencies are assessed, noting changes in the population and as necessary changing the area of the constituency to take account of this. The Boundary Commissioners are also obliged to take into consideration issues such as local ties, local government boundaries and geography in producing constituencies, as a result of this review, with electorates of between 69,724 and 77,062, 5% either side of the nominal figure. More than 2/3rds of the constituencies in England will experience some change.
Our inclusion in Chichester constituency hasn’t changed since 1974, when we were transferred to it from Horsham. In the past, the boundary change exercise tended to be a bit ‘flexible’ and as a result the electorates of some constituencies are currently well outside the average size. This tighter review aims to address this flexibility, and the initial proposals were published on 8th June 2021. Whilst it proposed us staying in Chichester constituency, half of the Manhood peninsula was allocated to Bognor constituency. There were howls of outrage from south of Chichester. This is probably the reason why the the areas of the three constituencies in the western part of West Sussex were then dramatically redrawn. It should be noted that these three constituencies have electorates on the high side, they being 77,985, 76,974 and 76,765. Only nine voters currently separate Chichester and the Arundel and South Downs constituencies; moving only Harting and Nyewood to Chichester would increase that electorate to over 78,000. Such an increase and change is unlikely to be given consideration, especially as that change would separate us from neighbouring parishes including those in Harting District Council ward. As it is we would remain with the parishes to the east of us that we have long had various associations with.
The Boundary Commission website provides a lot of information, including maps of the proposed constituencies. Should you wish to comment you only have until 5th December.
Bepton, West Sussex 