Grounds & Environment Committee

Agenda

HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL

To:      All Members of the Grounds & Environment Committee (Kate Bailey, Kristian Berggreen, David Bunting, Lesley Cruickshank-Robb, Frances Gaudencio, Bill Hatton, Sue Hatton,
Angus Neil, Peter Richardson, Alex Simmons, Paul Shepherd and Ian Weir) with copies to all other Councillors for information.

A meeting of the GROUNDS AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE will be held on Thursday 8^th May 2025 at 7.30pm in the Parish Centre, Adastra Park, Hassocks.

Parish Clerk – 30^th April 2025

1. TO ACCEPT APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

2. TO ACCEPT DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

3. MINUTES. To accept the Minutes of the Grounds and Environment Meeting held on 13 March 2025. (Previously circulated).

4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.

5. OFFICER’S REPORT. (Appendix 1)

6. GROUNDSPERSON REPORT – (Appendix 2)

7. ADASTRA PARK MASTERPLAN. Verbal Update Cllr David Bunting/Deputy Clerk.

7.1 Adastra Hall – Extension (Appendix 3)

7.2 Adastra Park – Drainage (Appendix 4)

7.3 Adastra Park – Tree donation by Taylor Wimpey (Appendix 5)

Taylor Wimpey wishes to publish a press release regarding the donation of tree and are requesting that the Parish Council provide a quote. Members views are sought.

8. HIGHWAYS SIGNAGE – It has been identified there are a number of road signs around the village that are in need of update and replacement. The committee is asked to agree that these signs be replaced and discuss new designs or village gateways. Permission from WSCC and costs will then be investigated. Members views are sought. (Appendix 6). To view Appendix 6 please click here.

9.  20MPH SPEED LIMIT WORKING GROUP. Verbal Update.

10. PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY (PROW). Verbal Update. (Appendix 7). To view Appendix 7 please click here.

11. OPERATION WATERSHED Verbal Update.

12. URGENT MATTERS at the discretion of the Chairman for noting and/or inclusion on a future

agenda.

13. DATE OF NEXT MEETING: To be agreed

Please Note:
All members of the public are welcome to attend meetings of the Parish Council and its Committees. Item 4 – a period of 15 minutes will be set aside for the public statements and questions relating to the published non-confidential business of the Meeting.
It may be necessary to consider particular items in confidential session and where this arises, these items will be considered at the end of the agenda.

FILMING, RECORDING OF COUNCIL MEETINGS AND USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA. During this meeting members of the public may film or record the Committee and officers from the public area only, providing it does not disrupt the meeting. The Confidential section of the meeting may not be filmed or recorded. If a member of the public objects to being recorded, the person(s) filming must stop doing so until that member of the public has finished speaking. The use of social media is permitted but members of the public are requested to switch their mobile devices to silent for the duration of the meeting.

---

Appendix 1

HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL

To:      Grounds & Environment Committee                    

Date: 8th May 2025

Contacts for this report: Deputy Clerk                         

Subject: Agenda Item 5 – Officer Report

The purpose of this report is to update the Committee on (G&E) Matters.

1. Adastra Skate Park – The Skate Club theskateclub.com have made enquiries about running a holiday club for children who break up from school early. The booking will be the same set up as last year, hiring the pavilion and skate park for 6 dates in July. Public access will be maintained at all times.

The following fees will be charged:

Pavilion £11.90 per hour

Skatepark £10.20 per hour.

Proposed dates: 1^st,2^nd, 8^th. 9^th. 15^th, 16^th July.

2. Fun Village – The fair has confirmed the following dates:

Arrive – Tuesday 8^th July

Open – Friday 11^th July – Sunday 13^th July

Closed – Monday 14^th – Thursday 17^th July

Open – Friday 18^th July – Sunday 20^th July

Leave by – Tuesday 22^nd July

Fees for 2025: Set up/take down – £53.00 per day

Operational days – £155.00 per day

A condition will be attached to the booking conditions that they don’t fly post around the village.

3. Tennis Courts – We have received the following from the LTA regarding usage of Adastra Tennis Courts.

• 1264 bookings in the 12months previous from 31^st This represents an increase of 67 bookings on the 12 months leading up to 31^st December 2024.
• There were 2393 ‘court hours booked’ in 2024, which represents an occupancy of 25% when taking into account annual available daylight hours for play.

4. Adastra Skatepark Repairs – Work has recently been completed by Safeplay:

Repair to Overhead Rotator – Skate Park – PO1058

Replace 7 links. £273.35

5. Garden of Remembrance –

The new plaque is now in place under the Lych Gate.

The volunteer group have planted the VE days flowers in preparation for 8^th May.

To view the plaque and VE Day flowers please click here.

6. Memorial Bench – Burial Ground – There will shortly be a new bench installed in the burial ground, to view the example bench please click here. Our contractor will be installing a brick paved base and securing the bench to the ground. The bench will be located in the north east corner, through the entrance gate. The family requesting the bench have a family member buried in the cemetery and will be making a donation of £2000 to cover our costs. To view the example bench please click here.

---

Appendix 2

HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL

To:      Grounds & Environment Committee                    

Date: 8th May 2025

Contacts for this report: Deputy Clerk                         

Subject: Agenda Item 6 – Groundsperson Report

• Weekly Records – Deputy Clerk will be working with our Groundsperson to put together a record of the regular checks that take place across our sites. These records will be evidence that important health and safety checks are being completed, essential in the event of an insurance claim. This will allow the office to identify patterns of vandalism or broken play equipment.

Summary of Groundsperson activities in April:

• Daily litter picking
• Regular grass cutting and strimming.
• Weekly visual safety checks around all sites; burial ground and allotments.
• Pitch preparation – records kept of pitch condition and suitability for use, to allow comparison once drainage works are complete.

---

Appendix 3

HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL

To:      Grounds & Environment Committee                    

Date: 8th May 2025

Contacts for this report: Parish Clerk                          

Subject: Agenda Item 7.1 Adastra Hall – extension project

Adastra Hall Community Association Hassocks intends to proceed with the capital works, given Planning approval in October 2023, to create an extension to the building to provide additional toilets.

The project will enhance entrance security and enable the provision of seven self-contained cubicles, including two disabled / family changing units. This will require the relocation of the bench by the Green Room and reinstatement of the diagonal path.  It is proposed to remove an existing path which runs at a right angle around the footprint of the building (site plan attached).

The community association lease the building from the Parish Council but the lease plan does not include the additional area needed for the extension so a Deed of Rectification will be required to amend the plans.

The exterior build will take place between Mon 2 June – Fri 1 August.  During this time the hall will remain open and a lit compound will be created with temporary path for public use.  The contractors will require two car parking spaces and a barrier key, and they may need to place a skip near the compound.

Work to install a drainage channel along the side of the path to the east of Adastra Hall has been put on hold until after these works are completed.

The interior building work will continue between Fri 1 Aug – Sun 31 Aug during which the compound will be removed or reduced and hall will be closed. Additional internal works include an EICR inspection and electrical upgrade, a replacement fire alarm system, new AV equipment, fire door and redecoration in the Committee Room.  The Main Hall will be redecorated, some additional sound proofing and storage will be installed and a new radiator will be fitted in the kitchen.

Also, for information, the community association is considering upgrading their CCTV including coverage of the fire escape, across the front of the building (including by default the carpark), the bin store area and the front of the green room entrance with a camera fixed to the new toilet extension. To view the Adastra Hall – extension project site plan please click here.

---

Appendix 4

HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL

To:      Grounds & Environment Committee                    

Date: 8th May 2025

Contacts for this report: Parish Clerk                          

Subject: Agenda Item 7.2 Adastra Park Drainage – Provisional Project Timetable

Adastra Park has inadequate drainage which adversely affects the sports clubs and park users during the winter months and periods of heavy rainfall. The Council has approved Earmarked Reserves and applied for the Release of S106 receipts to fund drainage improvements in the park.

Please find a provisional timetable below regarding the appointment of a contractor to deliver a project to install improved drainage in the North and South fields.  Details of the specification for the works will be presented to the G&E Committee.

When	Who	What
8-30 May 2025	Clerk	Finalise tender documents
5 June 2025	G&E	Approval of tender documents
6 June 2025	Clerk	Publish details of invitation to tender on website and place contract opportunity on Contract Finder
9 June – 1 July 2025	Clerk	Receipt of tenders and manage questions from responders
2-11 July 2025	Panel tbc	Open tenders and evaluate bids
17 July 2025	G&E	Presentation of findings – select contractor
18 Aug 2025	Council	Award Contract
19 Aug 2025	Clerk	Tender Award notification
14 Sept 2025	Contractor	Works start on site

 

NB. Please note meeting dates for future Committee and Council meetings will be confirmed at the Council meeting in May.

---

Appendix 5

PRESS RELEASE

April 2025

Taylor Wimpey provides new tree for Hassocks community

Taylor Wimpey South Thames has funded the installation of a new field maple tree at Adastra Park, near to its Friars Oak development.

Taylor Wimpey South Thames and Hassocks Parish Council worked together to install a new addition to the landscape at Adastra Park for the benefit of local residents, as well as the local wildlife which has made Hassocks its home.

Having decided the most suitable type of tree based on the local soil, environment and proposed location, the housebuilder then provided a £500 donation to cover the cost of the sapling, planting materials and commemorative plaque.

Helen Valler, Deputy Clerk for Hassocks Parish Council, said: “insert quote”

Louise Adams, Sales and Marketing Director at Taylor Wimpey South Thames, said: “Protecting and enhancing animal and plant life on our developments and in the areas we build is extremely important to us. We are delighted to have been able to work with Hassocks Parish Council to provide this tree for Hassocks and establish it in Adastra Park.”

Taylor Wimpey is currently building new homes at Friars Oak. For more information on the homes available, please call 01273 894366 or visit https://www.taylorwimpey.co.uk/new-homes/hassocks-/friars-oak.

ENDS

Press contact

Rhea Foster | rfoster@rkh.co.uk