HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL
To: All Members of the Grounds & Environment Committee (Kristian Berggreen, David Bunting, Frances Gaudencio, Bill Hatton, Sue Hatton, Peter Richardson, 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 5th June 2025 at 7.30pm in the Parish Centre, Adastra Park, Hassocks.
Parish Clerk 29 May 2025
1. TO ACCEPT APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
2. TO ACCEPT DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
3. ELECTION OF CHAIR AND VICE-CHAIR
4. MINUTES. To accept the Minutes of the Grounds and Environment Meeting held on 8th May 2025. (Previously circulated).
5. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.
6. OFFICER’S REPORT. (Appendix 1).
7. GROUNDSPERSON REPORT (Appendix 2).
8. ADASTRA PARK MASTERPLAN. Verbal Update (Cllr David Bunting/Parish Clerk).
8.1 DRAINAGE WORKS
Members are invited to note the Clerk has confirmation from MSDC that a contribution of 50K from S106 developer funds is available for the drainage works in Adastra park.
Timeline – Drainage works
9th June – Tender published
10th July – Deadline for submissions from potential contractors
17th July – Results published
It is PROPOSED that the panel who will meet to select the contractor will be Cllr Peter Richardson, Cllr Frances Gaudencio, Cllr David Bunting & Clerk – Elaine Langridge.
RECOMMENDATION: Members are invited to agree the panel members for the contractor selection process.
8.2 Pavilion Heating.
Members are asked to consider energy usage at the Pavilion. (Appendix 3&4).
To view Appendix 4 please click here.
9. 20MPH SPEED LIMIT WORKING GROUP. Verbal Update.
10 PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY (PROW). Verbal Update.
Timeline – PROW works
23rd May – Tender published
23rd June – Deadline for submissions from potential contractors
8th July – Results published
It is PROPOSED that the panel who will meet to select the contractor will be Cllr Ian Weir, Cllr Frances Gaudencio, Cllr David Bunting & Clerk – Elaine Langridge.
RECOMMENDATION: Members are invited to agree the panel members for the contractor selection process.
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. Thursday 17th July at 7.30pm.
Please Note:
All members of the public are welcome to attend meetings of the Parish Council and its Committees. Item 5 – 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: 5th June 2025
Contacts for this report: Deputy Clerk
Subject: Agenda Item 6 – Officer Report
The purpose of this report is to update the Committee on (G&E) Matters.
1. Tennis Courts – Members are asked to note the following:
The advice from the LTA is that it is correct to approach the Tennis Club if they are booking peak summer court time and not using it, as this detracts from public use and potential income generation. Before this is addressed a meeting with the Tennis Coach will be set up to gauge demand for further peak court time.
Our 25% booked court time is average for courts in a village of our size. The best performers are at 40%, that is larger towns and cities.
This will be reported on further once a meeting with the Tennis Coach & LTA representative has taken place.
2. Highways Signage
Deputy Clerk awaiting further information regarding the matter raised at the Grounds & Environment Meeting on 8th May, in relation to the replacement of the six road signs around the parish.
3. Trees over hanging Keymer Road – Southern boundary of the Garden of Remembrance.
Grounds Person to trim the lower tree foliage along the pavement on Keymer Road to ensure there is no obstruction to pedestrians. There are no plans to undertake any further tree works at present, but the Council does need to update the Tree Condition Survey as the last inspections were carried out in 2021/22. Quotes will be obtained from consultants for the survey work at all Council owned sites and this will likely result in an arboricultural management plan for ongoing maintenance, and to implement any recommendations.
4. Cricket Scoreboard
The cricket club have now installed their scoreboard to the outside of the pavilion.
5. Cricket Pitch
Following the member of the public attending the council meeting on 20th May:
Clerk & Grounds Person inspected the outfield pitch; the erosion appears to be at the four football goal mouths. Quality of the pitches is monitored regularly to ensure any holes are filled and seeded but unfortunately the bare patches persist in dry weather. It is very difficult to address whilst the pitches are in play as they are used regularly so any grass renovations will be ineffective. Grounds person to talk to Barcombe Landscapes about the possibility of rolling the pitch a couple of times a year to see if this might help.
6. The Council has received the Adastra Park drainage survey results in .dwg & .pdf formats, together with an accompanying manhole schedule, from Geotec Surveys Ltd who were commissioned to carry out the work in May. Hard copies of the plans will be kept on file in the Parish Office.
Appendix 2
HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL
To: Grounds & Environment Committee
Date: 5th June 2025
Contacts for this report: Deputy Clerk
Subject: Agenda Item 7 – Grounds Person Report
Members are asked to note the Grounds Person Report:
Appendix 3
HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL
To: Grounds & Environment Committee
Date: 5th June 2025
Contacts for this report: Deputy Clerk
Subject: Agenda Item 8.2 – Pavilion Heating
Members are asked to consider the following:
Members are asked to consider the following:
The Hassocks Parish Council Business Plan 25/26 includes this action:
“Commission energy efficiency and maintenance programmes for HPC buildings”
The Sports Pavillion was completed in 2011 and has issues with energy usage and efficiency. The current energy usage costs are around £400 per month for electricity only. The set up would benefit from an ‘on demand’ hot water system rather than storing hot water which is then not used. This also incurs costs related to the requirement of statutory legionella checks.
Discussions have taken place with both the original Architect and Project’s Quantity Surveyor to try to find information.
The Quantity Surveyor recommends that the next step to address and possibly improve the building is to engage a Chartered Building Surveyor.
RECOMMENDATION: Members agree that the Deputy Clerk can obtain quotes for a Building Survey of the pavilion.
HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL
Draft Minutes of the meeting of the GROUNDS AND ENVIRONMENT Committee held on Thursday 5th June 2025 at 7.30pm in the Parish Centre, Adastra Park, Hassocks.
Attendees: Councillors Kristian Berggreen, David Bunting, Bill Hatton, Peter Richardson,
Paul Shepherd and Ian Weir.
In attendance: Helen Valler (Deputy Clerk).
GE25/001 APOLOGIES: Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Frances Gaudencio & Cllr Sue Hatton.
GE25/002 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST. Cllr Paul Shepherd declared an interest in item GE25/006.1 Officer’s Report – Tennis Courts.
GE25/003 ELECTION OF CHAIR AND VICE-CHAIR
GE25/003.1 ELECTION OF CHAIR Cllr Bunting indicated that he would be willing to continue as Chair subject to there being no other expressions of interest. Cllr Kristian Berggreen proposed that Cllr Bunting was appointed as Chair of the Grounds and Environment Committee for 2025/26 and this was seconded by Cllr Bill Hatton. All Members voted in favour.
GE25/003.2 It was RESOLVED that Cllr David Bunting was elected as Chair of the Grounds and Environment Committee for 2025/26.
GE25/003.3 ELECTION OF VICE-CHAIR Cllr Paul Shepherd indicated that he would be willing to continue as Vice-Chair subject to there being no other expressions of interest. Cllr Bunting proposed that Cllr Paul Shepherd was appointed as Vice-Chair of the Grounds and Environment Committee for 2025/26, and this was seconded by Cllr Kristian Berggreen. All Members voted in favour.
GE25/003.4 It was RESOLVED that Cllr Paul Shepherd was elected as Vice-Chair of the Grounds and Environment Committee for 2025/26.
GE25/004 MINUTES. It was RESOLVED that the minutes of the Grounds & Environment Committee meeting held on 8th May 2025 be signed by the Chair as a true and accurate record of the meeting.
GE25/005 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. No members of the public present.
GE25/006 OFFICER’S REPORT.
Members noted the report provided in Appendix 1 of the agenda.
The following points were discussed:
GE25/006.1 Members discussed usage of the Tennis Courts, it was pointed out that even though the Tennis Club use all three courts at peak time on a Saturday morning, the courts are not booked before or after, which would indicate that the demand isn’t there for a Saturday morning. Meeting with the Tennis Coach & LTA representative to be arranged.
GE25/006.2 Deputy Clerk to again contact West Sussex Highways for advice on the best method of organising the replacement of the six road signs.
GE25/006.3 Members thanked the Grounds Person for trimming the low hanging branches back. Any further work will be decided upon once a Tree Survey has been completed.
GE25/006.4 Members discussed possible materials that could be laid on the pitches at the beginning of the season to even out the ground. Difficult to manage while the weather is dry.
GE25/006.5 Cllr Richardson complimented the survey results as looking professional. The printouts are too small to read though, needed in A1 size. The results were discussed; it was pointed out that any future contract should include updating the maps after the drainage works are complete.
Action: Deputy Clerk to organise printing these ourselves if not available from Geotec.
GE25/007 GROUNDSPERSON REPORT
Members noted the report provided in Appendix 2 of the agenda.
GE25/007.1 Cllr Richardson met with a representative from the Cricket nets company.
GE25/008 ADASTRA PARK MASTERPLAN.
GE25/008.1 ADASTRA PARK – Drainage works
Members noted that the Clerk had confirmation from MSDC that a contribution of 50K from S106 developer funds is available for the drainage works in Adastra Park.
Timeline – Drainage works
9th June – Tender published
10th July – Deadline for submissions from potential contractors
17th July – Results published
Members discussed the need for contractors who have experience of this type of work and quality/value for money.
Selection Criteria:
50% – price
30% – Quality/work plan
10% – Health & Safety plan
10% – Maintenance regime.
It was RESOLVED that the panel who will meet to select the contractor will be Cllr Peter Richardson, Cllr Frances Gaudencio, Cllr David Bunting & Clerk – Elaine Langridge.
GE25/009 Pavilion Heating.
Members discussed the points raised in the report. When the building was originally designed the plan included solar panels. The design of the heating means the system is constantly storing hot water that is not being used. Bi-fold doors currently not working. No ‘step up’ from the bi-folds so building is liable to flooding.
The costs of the Building Maintenance contracts were discussed, these are:
It was RESOLVED that quotes would be obtained for a Full Building Survey, including the feasibility of having solar panels installed.
GE25/010 20MPH SPEED LIMIT WORKING GROUP
The Deputy Clerk confirmed that the application for a Community Highways Scheme was submitted to West Sussex County Council on 14th May 2025. The Deputy Clerk proposed that the name of the group be changed to Traffic & Highways Working Group. Suggested projects:
GE25/010.1 It was RESOLVED that the Speed Limit Working Group would continue under the name of Traffic & Highways. The Terms of Reference would be updated in due course when time allows.
GE25/011 PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY (PROW). Cllr Ian Weir provided a verbal update.
Timeline – PROW works
23rd May – Tender published
23rd June – Deadline for submissions from potential contractors
8th July – Results published
GE25/011.1 It was RESOLVED that the panel who will meet to select the contractor will be Cllr Ian Weir, Cllr Frances Gaudencio, Cllr David Bunting & Clerk – Elaine Langridge.
GE25/012 OPERATION WATERSHED Cllr Ian Weir provided a verbal update.
Waiting for decision from West Sussex County Council to release the funds for the works, with a target for the work to be completed late Autumn.
GE 25/013 URGENT MATTERS at the discretion of the Chairperson for noting and/or inclusion on a future agenda.
Fencing – NE corner of Adastra park North Field
GE25/013.1 Cllr David Bunting raised to members that there is no secure fencing in this area of the stream and park. There is a deep bank down into the stream which could be a safety hazard. It is an access point from the park into private gardens and is littered with debris. Cllr Bunting suggested the need to reinstate the fencing.
Action: Deputy Clerk to find out which contractor fitted the barrier further along the stream and investigate new fencing or a barrier.
GE25/013.2 Adastra Park working group will be reinstated. Members:
Cllr David Bunting
Cllr Ian Weir
Cllr Kristian Berggreen
Cllr Frances Gaudencio
Cllr Bill Hatton
Meeting date: 10th July 10.30am
GE25/013.3 The Deputy Clerk made the committee aware that Hassocks Community Organisation have reinstated their youth-focused projects called “Hassocks Youth Project Events” (HYPE).
There are two events planned to take place this summer in Adastra Park:
Action: Deputy Clerk to contact Erika from HCO to discuss previous grant funding they were awarded for youth projects.
GE25/014 DATE OF NEXT MEETING. Thursday 17th July 2025 at 7.30pm (to be confirmed).
There being no other business the meeting closed at 8.30pm
See full list of 2024/25 meetings, minutes and agendas here >
01/07/2025
Policy, Resources & Communications
07/07/2025
Planning Committee
See full list of 2024/25 meetings, minutes and agendas here >
The Council Office is located at:
Parish Centre, Adastra Park,
Hassocks, West Sussex, BN6 8QH.
Opening Hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday
10.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m.
Wednesday CLOSED
Friday
10.00 a.m. to 12 noon.
