Friends of Centurion Way
Newsletter No.2
Dear Friends
Our Summer Event on 7th July, highlighted in our first Newsletter, was a great success with good coverage in the local press.
In this edition of the Newsletter we talk about path maintenance,Whitehouse Farm developments and a possible video of CW, but we start with bats.
Bat Walk, Saturday August 18th
It’s not only people that commute along Centurion Way. Bats do too! To tell us how they use the path to forage adjoining fields and gardens and travel to other feeding and roosting sites, local bat expert, Peter Etheridge, has kindly offered to conduct a late evening walk, using specialised equipment to help find and better appreciate the bats in our locality. Nearby Cocking Tunnel is an internationally important bat roost and we know that Centurion Way is vital for bats for hunting, breeding and as a natural linear link. Bats require a varied habitat, including meadows and woodland. Such locations, including Brandy Hole Copse nature reserve, are linked by Centurion Way. Each site can only flourish provided interconnectivity is maintained.
The Walk is limited to 20 people. Please contact Philip Maber or Ian Bartle at friends@centurionway.org.uk to reserve a place. We can organise a second walk if there is interest on 25th August. Three people who are taking part have Bat Detectors.
Meet at 8.15 pm at Bishop Luffa Close, opposite Bishop Luffa School’s back entrance, where there is a convenient lay-by.
Blood, Sweat and Tears of Joy!!
“Blood from bramble scratches, sweat – it was hot, but it was a joy to see the effect we had!!”
Led by Mark Hillman, founder member of the Centurion Way Users Group (CWUG), a good team of 8 people worked in the heat to cut back the edges of Centurion Way on Monday and Tuesday 23rd/24th July. They started at the Bishop Luffa end, clearing blind spots caused by bushes on the bends just north of the railway bridge and continued north past the exit from Bishop Luffa Close. Work has continued and the path is now clear to Brandy Hole Lane! With the help of two domestic battery strimmers as well as shears, secateurs and slashers the path now looks a lot better. Thank you Mark and team!
Maintenance of this section of the path is the responsibility of WSCC, which owns the section. However, the last trim was in December last year so thanks are due to people from Sustrans, FoCW and CWUG for all their hard work.
If you wish to join the CWUG please contact Mark Hillman on halfrey52@yahoo.com
Why I Joined Friends of Centurion Way (Adam Bell)
“I recently moved to the area from Luton. As a Bikeability instructor and regular cyclist, as well as a volunteer Ranger for Sustrans, I’m very keen on getting people on their bikes. The main objection put forward as to why people don’t cycle is that they don’t feel comfortable on roads and don’t know where cycle paths are.
The Centurion Way is an amazing resource which I’ve found is enjoyed by cyclists, dog walkers, shoppers and people simply going for a walk into the countryside. Being an old railway line, it is virtually flat, and so is ideal for connecting different parts of Chichester, enabling people to avoid any conflict with motorised traffic. With potential development from new housing and roads around Chichester, it’s even more important that the Centurion Way continues to be protected for everyone to benefit from. That’s why I’m happy to help with the ongoing maintenance of the route, as well as supporting the Friends of Centurion Way.”
Whitehouse Farm Infrastructure Steering Group (ISG)
Chichester District Council, West Sussex County Council, the developers and landowner are bound by a contractual Planning Agreement in respect of the first Phase of development at Whitehouse Farm. Part of this “Section 106” Agreement provides for an advisory group to be set up comprising representatives of the Councils, the developers and appropriate resident and community groups, who will together look at the off-site/edge-of-site highways schemes arising from the development. The intention of this“Infrastructure Steering Group” is to help the developers and County Council (as highway authority) work up the current indicative designs for these works into detailed, deliverable designs that reflect local concerns/knowledge and will work better for everyone in the long run. The ISG has not yet met formally (contractually it does not need to be set up until shortly after development commences) but the Friends of Centurion Way is pleased to have been included as a relevant community group in a recent pre-meeting on 19th July, incidentally, not attended by the developers nor CDC.
Although the potential for diversion of Centurion Way is separate from Phase 1 development, and therefore not within the scope of the ISG, our inclusion will help us understand the context in which proposals for the Southern Access Road (SAR) and any diversion of Centurion Way are subsequently brought forward, and to consider/influence the potential impacts on the use/users of Centurion Way for the better.
As far as the current Reserved Matters application is concerned, do have a think how it meets your needs for somewhere that you’d like to walk/cycle/mobility scooter and let Chichester District Council know if you have any suggestions that would make the Country Park/green corridors/spine road places you and others would like to use. To know more – and submit your comments, just Google Chichester District Council, follow the link to Planning Applications and Search under Planning Applications Ref:18/01587/REM. Land West Of Centurion Way And West Of Old Broyle Road Chichester West Sussex PO19 3PH
Upcoming Events
Of the many events taking place in the next few weeks, the
following may be of particular interest:
- The Bald Explorer (Richard Vobes) will be visiting Centurion Way on Sunday 12th August to make an interactive video. He has commented “Your group and situation certainly has piqued my interest.”
- World Car-Free Day, Saturday 22nd Sept. is to encourage people to give up the use of their cars for a day.
- Velo South, Sunday 23rd Sept. when the A286 will be closed, making CW the obvious route for people in Chichester and beyond to travel to Lavant
Green/Village Hall to see the 1500 cyclists go past.
Mellow fruitfulness
Centurion Way is such a good spot for blackberrying in the Autumn and this year looks like being a particularly good one.
Contacting Friends of Centurion Way
To keep you up to date with what’s happening concerning Centurion Way our web site www.centurionway.org.uk is updated regularly. We’re on Facebook and you can E-mail us on friends@centurionsway.org.uk. We would love to hear from you.
Ian Bartle