Hassocks Parish Council

Agenda

A meeting of the Parish Council is being held on Tuesday 8 April 2025 at 7.30pm in the Council Chamber, Parish Centre, Adastra Park, Hassocks.

Parish Clerk 2 April 2025

Members of the public are encouraged to come to the meetings and there is an opportunity for them to address the Council relating to the non-confidential items on the published agenda. A period of 15 minutes will be set aside in item 4 Public participation. 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.

AGENDA

1. APOLOGIES

To accept Apologies for absence

2. DISCLOSURE OF INTERESTS

2.1. To deal with any disclosure by Members of any disclosable pecuniary interests and interests other than pecuniary interests, as defined under Hassocks Parish Council’s Code of Conduct and the Localism Act 2011, in relation to matters on the agenda.

3. MINUTES

3.1. To accept the minutes of the Parish Council meeting 11th March 2025.

4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

Up to fifteen minutes will be available to allow for the public to make representations, answer questions or give evidence in respect of any items of business included in the agenda, in accordance with Standing Orders.

5. TO ACCEPT THE FOLLOWING MINUTES

5.1.     Planning Committee – to note the minutes for the 24^th March 2025.

5.2      Grounds & Environment Committee – to note the minutes for the 13th March 2025.

6. FINANCE

6.1.      To approve the Financial Report and authorise the list of payments in the sum of £81,930.88 issued between 1 February 2025 and 28^th February 2025. (Appendix 1). To view Appendix 1 please click here.

7. REPORTS

7.1.      West Sussex County Councillor

7.2.      Mid Sussex District Councillors Report

7.3.      Police Report

7.4.      Rail Matters

7.5.      Youth Initiatives

7.6.      Reports from Councillors on meetings with outside bodies where the Council is Represented.

8. CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

8.1.      Current matters (oral report).

9. CLERK’S REPORT

9.1      Drain Mapping – Grounds & Environment Committee at its last meeting 13^th March considered a paper regarding commissioning a drain mapping study of Adastra Park.

Members approved the principle to undertake this work subject to the release of funds from General reserves. (GE24/76.1).

Therefore, this paper is seeking authority from Council to release up to £5,000 from General Reserves to commission this study.

9.2         Road Closure application – Light up Hassocks event (Appendix 2) – Members are requested to consider the attached application for the road closure on Friday 5^th December 2025. To view Appendix 2 please click here.

Member’s views are sought on the proposed closure and to indicate if they support the proposed application.

9.3      Downs Community Bike fest – Members are requested to consider the contents of the attached correspondence received from Greener Hassocks & Ditchling Group (Appendix 3) who are proposing to organise some cycle based events later in the year, and are seeking members views to utilise Adastra Park.

Normally this item would be considered by Grounds & Environment Committee, however due to the timing of the committee cycle it is felt it would be appropriate for Council to consider the item so that any feedback can be passed back to the organisers at an early stage, so that this can be factored into any arrangements.

Member views are sought.

9.4      Hebborns Fun Village – Members are invited to consider a request to hold a children’s funfair in Adastra Park (Appendix 4).

Normally this item would be considered by Grounds & Environment Committee, however due to the timing of the committee cycle it is felt it would be appropriate for Council to consider the item so the organiser can confirm their summer programme.

10. URGENT MATTERS AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CHAIR for noting and/or inclusion on a future agenda.

11. DATE OF NEXT MEETING

To note that the date of the next Council meeting is Tuesday 13^th May 2025.

EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC AND PRESS

In view of the confidential nature of the business about to be transacted Councillors will be referred to the Confidential Agenda. If any members of the public or press are in attendance they will be requested to withdraw from the meeting in the public interest.

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 3

20.03.2025

DOWNS COMMUNITY BIKE FEST – JUNE & JULY 2025

INITIAL INFORMATION SHEET FOR SCHOOLS AND PARISH COUNCILS

The ideas currently on the table:

• To run a few Dr Bike events – where people bring the bike that’s been gathering dust, and a qualified mechanic checks basics and advises what work is needed.
• One or more Play Streets events – Play streets – Playing Out.
• A Breeze women’s ride – Let’s Ride – Breeze
• A social road ride – probably organised by Brighton and Hove Cycling UK – Cycling UK | Let’s make a better world by bike
• A social mountainbike ride
• A Kidical Mass ride – a fun, safe, community bike ride for kids and parents.   Here are the details of the Brighton event https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/brighton-hove-kidical-mass-april-2025-tickets-1267361655829     We are looking at Saturday 12 July for this, a 5-7 km Hassocks loop starting in Adastra Park, with feeder rides in from Hurst and Ditchling.     Sussex Police have been informed.
• A launch event for the whole campaign, at 7.30 p.m. on Tuesday 3 June, held at Proper Café.  And a briefing/promo event for the Kiddical Mass event specifically, held on Tuesday 1 July.

These events will be run by Greener Hassocks and Ditchling, working with a range of partners including schools in Ditchling, Hassocks and Hurstpierpoint, HurstRethink, Hassocks Community Organisation, Cycling Without Age, Kiddical Mass, Cycling  UK, British Cycling, Proper Café and Cycling, Melo Velo, Play Streets and more to be confirmed.

Sussex Police have been informed of the initial route for the Kidical Mass ride, and Mid Sussex and West Sussex will be informed by the end of March.

Questions for Hurstpierpoint, Hassocks and Ditchling Councils:

• Can we have one named contact point in each Parish Council whom we can contact with any questions or concerns?
• We intend to run a few Dr Bike Sessions. Some will be in shops/cafes – others will be in parks (Adastra Park, Hurst Recreation Ground, Ditchling Recreation Ground).   Do we need permission to host the outdoor Dr Bikes, and if so, from whom?
• Similar question for the start of the Kidical Mass rides – do we need permission from Parish Councils for use of the Parks in Hurst, Hassocks and Ditchling?

Appendix 4

HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL

To: Council

Date: 8^th April 2025

Contacts for this report: Clerk               

Subject: Agenda item 9.4 – Children’s Fun Fair

CHILDREN’S FUNFAIR, ADASTRA PARK.

Members are invited to consider a request from the Hebborns Fun Village to return to Adastra park this summer to hold their fair. The same fair ran successfully last year from 8^th – 23^rd July. It has been recommended that they run around the same dates this year. It is anticipated that the rides will run as per last year:

SUMMARY 2024

• The fair will open in sessions and entry into the site will be free, a wrist band will need to be purchased to ride any attractions. The wristband will allow unlimited rides during the session.
• Each session will last three and half hours as follows:

Between 4pm and 7.30pm on weekdays

12 until 3.30pm and 3.30pm and 7pm on Saturdays, Sundays and School Holidays.

• The site will be made secure and will only be accessible via a designated entrance gate. The organisers will remain onsite at all times.
• The fair will consist of small rides, activities, games and refreshment outlets. There will also be toilets including disabled and baby change facilities.
• It is anticipated that the fair will be held in the bottom corner of the North Field, covering a footprint of approximately 50 metres x 60 metres.
• Any commercial enterprise would be subject to the Terms & Conditions of hire. A risk assessment and insurance certificate will be requested.

Fees 2024:

• Non-operational/set up/take down days:10 days @ £50 per day
• Operational days – 6 days @ £150 per day
• Refundable Damage Deposit: £500

OFFICER RECOMMENDATIONS:

Members are therefore invited:

To consider if the Parish Council is in agreement to the fair being held in the park over two weeks in July. If Members are in favour of the proposal to allow the fair to return, members are then invited to consider and agree an appropriate charge for 2025.