Billingshurst volunteers 'frustrated' by delays to community project

A ‘men’s shed’, which could be based in a corner of Station Road Gardens, has been supported by the Billingshurst & District Lions Club and the parish council.

The international initiative sees community spaces for men to ‘connect, converse and create’, especially for older men who are more at risk of loneliness and isolation. The Billingshurst facility would also be open to women.

A planning application was submitted to Horsham District Council earlier this year, but volunteers behind the project have now been told it could be refused on water neutrality grounds.

This follows advice from Natural England, despite no plans to connect mains water and only a composting toilet included.

David Ambrose, secretary of Billingshurst Men’s Shed, described their ‘frustration’ at the project being held up by regulations and thought the reasons given for not granting planning permission were ‘bizarre’.

The nascent group had been meeting in a room at the Unitarian Chapel and now at the scout hut by the tennis club, but needs a permanent home before it can properly get up and running.

The volunteers are hoping a solution can be found with council officers to allow the project to go ahead.Mr Ambrose added: “We would like to get it sorted as soon as possible.”

A HDC spokesperson said: “The issue of water neutrality is relevant to all planning applications across Horsham district and many applications are currently on hold as the council awaits further advice from Natural England, the Government’s adviser for the natural environment.

"There is a need to take a consistent approach as to how this is managed across all planning applications. As part of the Men’s Sheds application, possible measures to address water neutrality have been put forward, but we are not able to secure these measures, as a mains water supply is covered by separate legislation.

"As a council we recognise and are supportive of the benefits of the Men’s Sheds scheme, and are actively working to see if there is a solution, and further discussions will take place prior to any decision being finalised.”