FORUM UPDATE
4 July 2008- No known issues.
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Earlier this year, Billingshurst Community Partnership commissioned a research study of Billingshurst and its surrounding rural hinterland. The study was funded by South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) and Horsham District Community Partnership and had both local and regional/strategic objectives.

The study set out to look at service provision in Billingshurst and its hinterland; investigate how this meets the needs of the local community; and provide a context for proposals to enhance and maintain the vibrancy of the town and villages, and meet local needs. The study also used Billingshurst as a model to help better understand how small rural towns function.

The work was commissioned from Wood From The Trees Ltd, who has now completed their final report. Many local businesses, organisations and people were involved in providing information and views – thank you to all who contributed.

BCP is now working with the Parish Council and other partners, like Horsham District Council and the Chamber of Commerce, to see how we can take forward actions suggested and address the issues highlighted by the work.

A summary report which covers local issues and recommendations is now available – click on the link below if you would like to read this. There is a lot of information in the report, but some of the main issues highlighted are introduced below.

Billingshurst’s retail and commercial centre
Whilst much of Billingshurst’s trade is very local, shops like Austens, Jim Hill sports, DK Vintners and Burdfields attract people in from the wider surrounding area (including villages like Slinfold, Kirdford, Barns Green and Loxwood). Cafes, restaurants and takeaways and post-office, library and waste recycling facilities are also an important draw. The future success and continuation of these facilities is thus very important to the economy of the village centre.

The lack of a major superstore and limited non-food shopping (particularly clothes and gifts/presents) is an issue. Consequent shopper numbers mean that it can be challenging to establish a new and successful retail outlet in Billingshurst.

Whilst Billingshurst will always be challenged by neighbours like Broadbridge Heath, Horsham and the superstores in Pulborough, there is scope to do more to improve spending by local residents. The report proposes a number of actions including better marketing and promotional events, improvements to parking, support and advice to existing and potential retailers, and better signage to, and through, the centre. It will be important for traders, other businesses and community groups to work together to make this happen.

Village shops
The research indicated a fairly high rate of usage of facilities in the surrounding villages – including village shops, pubs and post offices. This reflects the high quality of these facilities in locations like Loxwood and Rudgwick, and also loyalty from local residents.

Visitor facilities
Bilingshurst is not a visitor destination in the way that some small rural towns are. However, there is scope to improve visits to the centre, perhaps centred around activities like walking or cycling, or better promotion of local food and produce. There may also be value in investigating options to provide better signage to the centres facilities to help capture “passing-trade”.

Community space, social activities and opportunities
Billingshurst is well provided with good quality community space at the Village Hall, churches and at The Weald School. This supports a thriving range of social, learning and recreational activities. The surrounding villages also generally have well used village halls of reasonable quality.

There is scope to better share information about social, recreational and sporting opportunities between Billingshurst and the villages, to ensure that services are well-supported and local people are aware of the whole range of opportunities available to them. There is also perhaps scope to use community transport better to enable local people (from Billingshurst and the surrounding villages) – particularly the young and elderly – to access local opportunities.

In general, local people choose to use social and recreational opportunities in their nearest village (if they are available here). Hence the main users of opportunities in Billingshurst are very local. However, social and recreational activities here also play an important role for people living in those villages that are less well provided with activities – for example Shipley and Coolham.

Education and learning
The primary schools are key to the villages – not just as education providers but also as providers of after school activities (helping working parents), social and sports activities. The Weald plays a major role in Billingshurst – as well as educating people from a wide rural area it is the biggest employer; attracts people to live in the area; and provides after school activities (used by around half its pupils). The Extended Schools initiative is currently encouraging schools to look at ways in which they can further support young people and parents, and be used as community spaces.

Sports facilities
Recent and planned improvements to Billingshurst’s sports provision (Jubilee Fields and the new pool and leisure centre) mean that Billingshurst will soon be as well served with sports opportunities as many larger market towns. These facilities both support local people and bring people into the town from the surrounding areas. A survey of Weald pupils found that some 70% pupils and/or their families might use the new swimming pool out of school hours.

Young people
Young people do not view Billingshurst as a shopping destination. About half of the Weald pupils interviewed do some form of sports activity (other than after-school sports clubs), and one-third attend youth clubs or social activities for young people (like Billi-rox). There are issues with sustaining youth club provision – reflecting problems finding and keeping professional club leaders and volunteers. More co-ordination and joint working between youth clubs and villages might help address this issue.

Business
Whilst many businesses are keen to source goods and services locally, there is scope to improve the level of local trading. Building stronger business networks, such as the Chamber of Commerce, could facilitate this happening.

Business expansion can be affected by a lack of suitable premises, and it will be important to ensure a sufficient supply range of good quality local business space in the future to encourage local business to grow. The research suggested that increasing the number of people who work locally should contribute to spending on village centres services and in shops, and thus support a stronger local economy.

Information
The research suggests that people are not fully aware of services and opportunities available to them in the area. There is scope to better share information about the whole range of services and opportunities through better linking of village websites, and by creating ‘information hubs’ at as village halls, schools and sports facilities.

Strategic
Policy documents, which will guide activity by public sector organisations, like the local authorities, indicate a commitment to supporting the role of small rural towns and larger villages as hubs for rural enterprise and key services. Other priorities include supporting local businesses and social and community enterprises; better physical and sustainable transport access to services; ensuring that older - and younger - people can actively participate in their communities and developing local food provision. There are currently a number of interesting opportunities to access funds for projects that pursue these aims in the area, which are worthy of further consideration.

People are reminded that the fishing lake is not suitable for swimming in.

Moving the picnic benches on to the fishing platforms, and then using them for diving, spoils the use of these for others and causes damage to the platforms, as they are not designed for this purpose. It is also highly dangerous as the water depth at the side of the lake is in some cases no more than 500 mm and the exit from the lake is a muddy bank.  Also the environment of the lake is settling down now and the fish are breeding - swimming is disturbing this and keeps stirring up the mud bottom to the lake. So please cooperate with us to keep this lake as a fishing lake and for the enjoyment of picnics and fishing - lastly if you do use the area please take your rubbish away with you. Throwing the benches into the lake is also not funny and causes more work - in the end this is paid for by your local taxes so we suggest ALL parents might like to get the message across to ALL the young people to help keep the lake as it has been designed.

Recent pictures of the day fishing organised by the Billingshurst Angling Club to encourage youngsters to use the facility