Charter's vision

They voted unanimously for a community vision and charter on the leisure strategy for our area, and for these to be incorporated in local neighbourhood plans and community group discussions with councils at all levels.

We all know it is a challenge to achieve what Parliament and people want – genuine localism.

Littlehampton Town Council’s impressive Armed Forces Day displays on Saturday recalled the spirit of the Battle of Britain, with a Spitfire and Hurricane swooping low over our unique and open seafront, conjuring images of protecting our community assets including the Swimming and Sports Centre and Windmill, while enthralling and inspiring us all.

The community charter on the leisure strategy for the greater Littlehampton area agreed unanimously by local residents is an expression of the firm resolve of our community to fight for localism – born of necessity.

It is what the Parliament and people want. Nick Gibb, our MP, supports the community charter.

The charter aims to clarify, unite and build bridges.

We now need to join hands with councils at town/parish, district and county levels to make localism and the consensus community vision on the leisure strategy for greater Littlehampton happen.

To help us achieve this aim, the community charter proposes to unlock community empowerment and local knowledge to better balance decisions on local amenities.

It offers a crystal clear, unambiguous statement of our local community vision and resolve for a common-sense approach to implement key decisions on the leisure strategy that affect our lives, and more broadly.

We do not believe localism is dead. Rather, we see localism and the new community rights provided under the Localism Act 2011 as an opportunity.

This includes the neighbourhood plans that will shape how our community develops, and tools like community asset transfers to bring shared assets, like the Windmill home to where they belong – as locally-elected councillors, the wider community and our MP all want.

History tells us we all must come together to make this happen!

Diane Bayley, chairman, Littlehampton Civic Society

David Warne, chairman, East Beach Residents’ Association

on behalf of all local community organisations and residents in greater Littlehampton who voted on June 28, 2013 in the Millennium Chamber and the groundswell of people of all ages who will come forward to support our charter