The Group’s annual Summer Social takes place at Ferring Village Hall on Sat 26 August, starting at 6.30pm.

As usual, this will include a hot buffet style meal and a dessert, as well as a your first drink. The menu this year will be as follows:

Choice of Chicken breast in cream and mushroom sauce, or Beef bourgignon, or Goats cheese and mediterranean veg tarts, plus selection of seasonal salads (apple coleslaw, tomato and mozzarella, green mixed salad) and French bread and butter

Followed by choice of gateaux selection and cream, fresh fruit salad and cream, or Banoffee pie and cream.

There will also be a good quality prize raffle, a variety of interesting prize quizzes for your entertainment, and of course good company and conversation.

Tickets priced at £10 per person will be available at our next members’ meeting on Friday 28 July also at Ferring Village Hall, starting at 7.30pm, and also from our treasurer, Gloria Moffatt on 502139. Tickets are limited, so please get in quick!

Latest planning applications

Ferring Conservation Group objected to two recent applications for flats in Ferring. The Beehive Lane flats were, in the end, allowed (with some reduction in scale). FG/198/16, for the demolition of the existing house and building eight 2-bedroom flats at 1 Sea Drive, was finally approved on 24 August.

Such a development here, on the corner with Sea Lane, just a few yards up from the seafront, is completely out of place – having a disastrous effect on the immediate neighbours and adding to traffic hazards for drivers and walkers. It could be the thin edge of a  long wedge in Sea Lane.

We keep a close eye on all applications for new houses or businesses. and send details and guidance on objections e mail circulars to members. If you are a member (or would like to join – £1 a year) and would like to receive these circulars, please e mail EdMiller43@msn.com..

David Bettiss – Chairman, FCG

In the latest of their busy schedule of activities, Ferring Conservation Group recently organised a well attended evening Bat Walk around the village, which was hosted by Laurie Jackson from the Sussex Bat Group.

Before heading out on the walk, Laurie entertained members with a highly informative talk about bats, highlighting the fact that West Sussex is one of the best counties in the country for them, with virtually all the native bats using our area. She answered a wide variety of questions from those present, but the most popular part of her talk was her demonstration of 2 bats from the Sussex Bat Hospital in Hurstpierpoint. These were a Common Pipistrelle (our smallest UK bat alongside the Soprano Pipistrelle – weighing between 4 and 8g) and also a Serotine (one of our largest bats weighing between 25 and 30g). It was great to have such a rare close up view of these tiny creatures.Serotine Bat (Photo by Laurie Jackson)

The group the headed out to the Ferring Rife at sunset and armed with bat detectors to help with tracking, we were able to detect a number of Common Pipistrelles probably feeding near the water, and then at least one Soprano Pipistrelle was seen nearby. The walk continued back into the village via the St Andrew’s Churchyard, Little Twitten recreation ground and finishing in the Ilex Avenue. A small number of bats were detected by some members, but generally bat numbers do seem to be down this year, suggesting that they are under threat for various reasons, including habitat loss. We had hoped to see or detect a Daubenton’s bat over the Rife, as this is a species that trawls prey from the water with comparatively large hairy feet, but sadly none were heard during our visit.Daubenton’s Bat (Photo by Laurie Jackson)

On the following morning, over 30 members and visitors met up on Ferring Beach for their final Beach Clean of the year. This one was part of the national Big Beachwatch Weekend in conjunction with the Marine Conservation Society, where a proportion of the rubbish collected is itemised and fed back to the Society to give a national picture of the problem of marine litter.

The members were resplendent in their new Ferring Conservation Group branded high vis vests, which together with some additional beach cleaning equipment, was purchased by the Group after a successful application to the West Sussex County Council Community Initiative Fund. The vests were supplied by local Rustington and Littlehampton company, Ricara.

It was very gratifying to see a good number of youngsters taking part in what would have been their first ever beach clean, and showing that they and their parents do care about our local environment.

Ferring Conservation Group in partnership with Ferring Parish Council and local District Councillors is fighting plans by Arun DC to close and demolish both of our village public toilets – at the Village Green and at the Rife near the Bluebird cafe.

At a well attended public meeting earlier this week, there was total opposition by local people to these ridiculous proposals, which would have serious public health consequences for both residents and our many visitors. We believe that the process to identify which toilets across Arun might be closed purely to save money is flawed and grossly unfair to the village of Ferring.

We hope that Coun Paul Dendle, who represented Arun DC at the meeting, took away the message from Ferring that we were very angry and would not accept our toilets being knocked down.

In order to re-inforce this message to Arun DC and to provide some form of consultation for local people which has been sadly lacking so far by Arun, Ferring Parish Council has devised a simple questionnaire to gauge local opinions and provide some evidence to Arun’s officers. If you’ve not already so, please complete one of these questionnaires and return it to the Parish Office by the end of Weds 31/8 – this is urgent. You can obtain a copy from the Parish Office, by requesting an electronic copy by e-mailing ferring-pc@btconnect.com, or via their website – www.arun.gov.uk/ferring

To keep members updated on important Ferring village matters, please see the below:

1. Proposed closure of both Ferring public toilets – Arun DC are proposing to close both of our village public toilets to save money and provide better facilities elsewhere in the district (not much use if you need them urgently!). I have written to one of our District councillors, Roger Elkins, outlining our concerns, and he has replied to me as follows having spoken a the recent Environment Working Party meeting: “The proposals were not well received, and more consultation and detailed information was requested before any recommendation is made”. We hope that common sense prevails and our toilets are preserved.
2. Sea Lane traffic issues – we are also concerned with speeding traffic and poor visbility for drivers emerging at junctions on to Sea Lane. Today, I met on site with our County Councillor, Peter Evans and a WSCC Highways officer, where we discussed the problems and potential solutions. It was agreed that immediately an extra sign warning of the concealed Sea Lane Gardens junction can be installed, and Coun Evans has agreed to request at the upcoming WSCC Highways Group that WSCC investigate various options (including our suggestions) to improve safety and reduce speeding. Further updates will hopefully follow.
3. Goring Gap north – Persimmon Homes Ltd are working on a planning application for the Goring part of the northern gap. They submitted some preliminary documents to Worthing Borough Council, which you can see on the WBC web site, under reference  EIAOPINION/0002/16, relating to an estate of 475 houses.The documents said, explicitly, that the proposed development does not include the small part of the northern gap on the Ferring side of the border. Access would be from Goring Street, near Goring station, not from anywhere in Ferring. The estate would occupy the land between the stream and the railway, leaving the stretch between the stream and Littlehampton Road free for agriculture.

   The application was made to test whether Persimmon (or rather their agents) needed to submit to a full Environment Impact Assessment for the planning application that will follow. The documents discuss the environmental importance of the site, which – of course – they disparage. Worthing Borough Council said Persimmon certainly would need to submit a full Assessment.

   Ferring Conservation Group Committee will liaise with our friends in the Ilex Conservation Group, and others in Worthing,if a planning application comes forward to see how we can best help them mount a campaign against it.

David Bettiss – Chairman

As was announced at the June members meeting, we are planning to produce a number of postcards of local views of Ferring with a view to selling them via local outlets and at meetings, events etc. to raise funds for the group.

We are inviting members to submit their own photos of suitable scenes which we might use for the cards. If you would like to submit a photo or photos for consideration, then please produce an enprint (we suggest a 6″ by 4″ print) and hand them in at one of our upcoming meetings. Alternatively, you can drop them off to one of our committee members addresses  – details are on the Group contacts page on this website. Please put your name, address and phone number on the back of each photo. The closing date for this is 28 October, after which the committee will consider the entries. There is no prize for this competition, but the winners will of course be credited on the cards, and the winners images will be seen around the village, and of course far and wide wherever the cards are sent!

I am delighted to inform you that it has just been officially announced that Ferring Conservation Group has been honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. This is fantastic news for the Group as it is the highest award a voluntary group such as ourselves can receive in the UK and it is the equivalent of an MBE.

I want to thank all of our members who have made this possible, and particularly those who have carried out the wide variety of voluntary tasks for which our Group is so well known, both within the village and further afield. I want to especially thank all of the Group’s committee members who have gone the extra mile to make the Group what is is today – without them, we would not have been successful in the award process.

We will receive the award from the Lord Lieutenant of West Sussex later in the summer, and this will include a certificate signed by Her Majesty The Queen. We also plan to have a small celebration at our next members meeting on Friday 24 June, starting at 7.30pm, which is at the St Andrews Church Centre on this occasion. Our guest speaker at that meeting will be Dr Dawn Scott from the University of Brighton, who is well known from her appearances on the BBC Springwatch programmes.

This really is a great day for Ferring Conservation Group, and I am very proud of what we have achieved.

David Bettiss

Chairman

Ferring Conservation Group

2/6/2016

The following planning application has just been refused by Adur and Worthing Borough Council:

Land South East corner of Amberley Drive/ Marine Drive at Goring – Change of use of land to caravan and camping site with 46 pitches. Erection of amenity block building comprising toilets and showers, laundry room, store, office and reception. Construction of vehicular crossover and provision of parking and bin storage area.

We are greatly reassured by Worthing BC’s decision on 1 June to refuse what would have been a major intrusion on a currently unspoiled area with much scenic and amenity value..

It was good to see over 400 objections from our members and other residents in Goring and Worthing displayed on the Council’s web site. Such a response strengthens the views of both Worthing and Arun Councils that the Gap should be kept free of any development.

In the latest of the series of local natural history visits, a group of members ventured into Patching Woods near to the village of Patching in a hunt for bluebells (and other wild plants) and to listen for seasonal birdsong.

Straight away on entering the woods, they were greeted by an amazing vista of blue from the native bluebells which stretched as far as the eye could see, and all those on the trip led by Group committee member, Tricia Hall, agreed it was one of the best years they could remember for these iconic plants – probably due to the wet Winter and cool Spring weather. Not only bluebells were seen in the woods, but also the first showing of Wood Anemones and the first sighting there of some Early Purple Orchids spotted by an eagle eyed member. Some of the other plants seen in the woods or nearby were Dog’s Mercury, Ladies Smock, Greater Stitchwort, Wood Spurge, Ground Ivy and Goldilocks Buttercups amongst many others.

Orange Tip

Due to the cool and unsettled weather, the birds and butterflies were a bit on the quiet side but Peacock and Orange Tip butterflies were seen in a couple of locations with the latter doing a fly past right by the group.

Patching group photo

On the bird front, Chaffinch, Wren, Robin, Chiffchaff, Great Tit and Blue Tit were seen or heard in the woods, while a Buzzard was heard “mewing” overhead nearby with one being spotted sitting in a tree branch on the woodland fringe. Once out of the woods and into open downland, there were very good sightings of Yellowhammer and Whitethroat, as well as Skylarks singing overhead. The attention of the group was then drawn to the towering shower clouds approaching and so there was a hasty retreat to the parked cars. By the time, sanctuary was sought at the nearby pub for lunch and a drink, a heavy snow shower had arrived – not bad for the end of April!