Lost Arc found-but no-one knew it existed

WEST Sussex residents were amazed to discover last week that they are residents of Arc Manche, officially a new region of Europe which joins together with west Belgium and northern France to create Europe's first trans-national body.
By The Newsroom
Published 1st Nov 2006, 10:28 BST
Updated 8th Jun 2018, 04:21 BST

French socialist Alain Le Vern, president of Upper Normandy is now also president of Arc Manche, with Brad Watson, West Sussex county councillor and cabinet member for communications and external affairs, as its vice president.

If you have never heard of it, you will not be alone. Even Arundel and South Downs MP Nick Herbert only became aware of the new assembly when constituents began ringing andwriting to him last week after reading reports about it in a Sunday newspaper.

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The first meeting of the unelected regional assembly took place at Fontwell Park on Tuesday last week, chaired by M Le Vern. The meeting was used to discuss a strategic vision for Arc Manche, originally founded on February 9 1996 when a declaration of intent was signed by the Regions of Brittany, Nord-Pas de Calais, Lower Normandy, Upper Normandy, Picardy and the Counties of Dorset, Hampshire, Kent, West Sussex, East Sussex and the Isle of Wight (with the counties of Essex, Cornwall and Devon as observers).

A spokesman for West Sussex County Council this week stressed: "There is nothing secret about it and we have issued statements about it before, along with a report of the conference last week."

But Mr Herbert said: "I was surprised to learn about this. Local people don't seem to like the idea. It is a good thing for councils to cooperate and try to secure commitment in this area, but we already have one Regional Assembly and I don't think people want another."

For full story see West Sussex Gazette November 5

Related topics:EuropeBelgiumFrance