30 years ago

Detailed plans to build 24,000 square feet of offices on the former Caffyns Garage site in North Street, Horsham, ran into trouble at a district council planning meeting.

Strong objections were raised by two councillors on the area one plans sub-committee to the proposal by Deepdene Developments to demolish the garage and build offices with car parking for staff and users of the proposed arts centre next door.

Although permission had previously been agreed in outline by the committee, Mrs Avocet Phelps (Rusper) and Mrs Pam Henderson (Rudgwick) did not want to give detailed permission until they were satisfied with the number of car parking spaces which would be set aside for the arts centre.

Mrs Phelps said: “We should know exactly how many car parking spaces we are going to have for the arts centre. I would like to object strongly. We are going to have a mess of cars there.”

Mrs Henderson also said she objected strongly.

At the moment a minimum of 21 spaces had been agreed for arts centre use which was an increase on present provision. Director of planning and development Tony Jones said the exact number of council spaces had never been finally agreed.

Horsham’s fabric as a town is being ‘steadily eroded’, Horsham Society members have been told.

The comment was made at the society’s annual meeting recently by its retiring chairman, Stuart Reid, after members had talked about the ‘hidden damage’ caused by juggernauts in the town and about the ‘appalling’ state of Horsham’s pavements.

The society’s committee was asked to investigate the possibility of banning juggernauts from the town centre altogether and it was also suggested that big stores be encouraged to use small lorries for deliveries rather than juggernauts.

New chairman Mrs Annabelle Hughes said that, apart from visible damage juggernauts caused, there was also hidden damage to sewers and services lying under the road. “The case for these big lorries saving money is rather dubious,” she added.

People in Steyning have given their backing to plans to set up a museum in the town.

“We are trying to get all the costs from voluntary sources,” said Mrs Betty Payne, who chaired the meeting at St Andrew’s Hall.

“So far we are going very well. The Steyning Society has some spare funds from selling the ‘Steyning Guide’ and has transferred £500 to the fund.”

There will be no charge for admission to the museum, which is to be housed in premises fronting the High Street.

“We would hope people could go in free of charge but might be prepared to put something in a box as they go out,” said Mr Harry Ford, president of the Steyning Society.

“This is not ‘pie in the sky’ but would be one of the main sources of income,” he said. He illustrated his point by explaining that £100 a year would be produced by 100 people giving 10p each a week – and hoped that far many more people than this would actually visit the museum.

“We hope to start a ‘Friends of Steyning Museum’ as in Worthing and Horsham.

Members would pay an annual subscription and hold the occasional fundraising event on behalf of the museum,” he said. A trust would be set up with a management committee and an honorary curator.