West Sussex County Times
Legal fight over A29 roadworks is resolved
A long legal fight over a crisis-hit major road has finally been resolved – more than three years after it began. The A29 at Church Hill in Pulborough was shut by West Sussex County Council in December 2022 following a landslide which led to chaos in...
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New homes approved despite objections
Plans to build 92 homes in Broadbridge Heath were approved by Horsham District Council last week. The application from Vistry Homes Ltd, for land south of Broadbridge Way, was given the nod by the planning committee – but it was by no means...
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Capitol has closed its doors for big refurb
A major Horsham entertainment venue has closed its doors to the public at the start of an ten-month shutdown. TheCapitolinNorthStreet shut this week for refurbishment and will remain closed until November. Horsham District Council, which owns the...
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Former High Sheriff of West Sussex remembered for his enthusiasm for life
A Sussex landowner and former High Sheriff who touched everybody's lives has passed away at the age of 88. Mark Burrell will be remembered for his enthusiasm for life and the respect he had for people from all walks of life. He died peacefully at home...
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Layout and appearance of homes is approved
The layout and appearance of 265 homes in Steyning have been approved by Horsham District Council. An application for land north of Glebe Farm and Kings Barn Lane, was given the thumbs-up by the planning committee in September. The original plans...
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‘Ludicrous’ bungalow plans are condemned
Plans to build a bungalow on a patch of grass next to playing fields in Horsham have received a flood of objections from residents. MME Planning, agents for the applicant, say the site, in Rowlands Road, is not part of the playing fields and is...
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Solar fight rolls on as call-in is requested
Plans to build a 25-hectare solar farm on farmland between Wisborough Green and Loxwood were approved at a Chichester District Council planning committee meeting last Wednesday (December 3) – but campaigners are continuing their fight against the...
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End of the road for historic building?
Part of an historic building in Horsham is likely to be demolished and rebuilt. The 1930s Art Deco building that sits in the centre of the former Novartis site was to be converted into flats had previously been spared demolition as plans to redevelop...
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Concerns over plans for 'Dutch-style' roundabout
A roundabout which gives priority to cyclists and pedestrians could be built in Horsham. A ‘Dutch-style’ roundabout which gives priority to cyclists and pedestrians could be built in Horsham. If it goes ahead, it will be the second so-called...
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Grieving family issue heartfelt appeal after death of teenage son
The parents of a young man, killed by a drink-driver in West Sussex, have urged everyone to think twice before getting behind the wheel after drinking alcohol. Aidan Venison, from Thakeham, died on June 30, 2024 – just two days before he was due to...
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Worried residents raise concerns over plans for 1,000 new houses
Worried residents are expressing concerns over new plans by developers to build 1,000 new houses on land in Southwater. Berkeley Homes want to build the homes, along with a primary school, secondary school, sports pitches, shops and business units on...
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MAKE THE GRADE AT COLLYER’S!
Students at Collyer’s, one of the leading sixth form colleges in the country, have achieved 60% high grades (A*-B) at A-Level. Particularly strong individual A*-B subject results include Further Maths (86%), French (85%), Extended...
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DEFEND YOUR RIGHT TO KNOW.
Plans for licensed premises in your neighbourhood could be hidden f rom view if new government proposals for secret alcohol licensing notices get the green light.
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Drink-driver who killed teenage motorcyclist jailed
A drink-driver from Littlehampton who killed a teenage motorcyclist in a head-on collision near Wisborough Green has been jailed for eight years. Sussex Police said Toby Spiring was driving his father’s Mazda CX-5 northbound on the B2133 at Newpound,...
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Man and woman die in separate collisions in village
Two people died in separate collisions on the same stretch of road in Cranleigh over the weekend. In the first incident, on Friday evening, a man died after his car collided with a tree and caught fire. Officers were called to Elmbridge Road shortly...
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Residents quiz MP at public question time event
Andrew Griffith, the MP for Arundel and the South Downs, regularly meets local people at public question and answer sessions held in community venues across his far flung rural constituency. Editor In Chief Gary Shipton – who supports no political...
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Football mourns Billy Vigar - outpouring of love and sympathy from clubs
Football is united in its grief after the death of Chichester City striker Billy Vigar was confirmed. The 21-year-old died in hospital on Thursday morning, five days after suffering a significant brain injury when colliding with a wall near the...
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'No one left at the wheel' of rural bus services
Horsham MP John Milne MP warned that ‘there's no one left at the wheel’ of rural bus services in a debate in Parliament last Thursday (September 11) on the Bus Services Bill. The Horsham MP has tabled two key amendments to the bill aimed at addressing...
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Collyer’s “dream team” goes on tour
Collyer’s Student Ambassadors, nicknamed the “Dream Team”, are visiting schools and colleges across the region this autumn, to help year 11 pupils make informed choices about their futures and what Collyer’s can offer them in 2026. The students, who...
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Councillor dismayed at ‘seriously flawed’ consideration of plan for 62 homes
A Horsham District Councillor has expressed dismay about the discussion of a planning application, saying that he and two other councillors were not allowed to speak at a planning meeting. Independent councillor Alan Manton (West Chiltington, Thakeham...
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'Devastating': MP condemns approval for South Downs housing
An MP has described a council decision to approve plans for 62 new homes in a South Downs village as ‘devastating’ – while welcoming a block put on another nearby development. Horsham District Council gave the go-ahead last week to Wates Developments...
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Survivors of Japanese war camp reunite for VJ Day
Two survivors of a Japanese internment camp in Shanghai reunited on Friday during a VJ Day Service of Reflection, 80 years after the Second World War ended. Anne Bawden, from Hove, had long hoped to meet another former prisoner of the Lunghua Civilian...
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Woman saves husband's life – as well as life of a stranger
A Horsham woman has saved her husband’s life as well as the life of a stranger. Thirty-five-year-old Ashleigh Goacher donated one of her kidneys to a person she didn’t know – so that her husband could receive a life-saving transplant of his...
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Council plans to file complaint with the government over draft Local Plan
Horsham District Council plans to file a complaint with the government about the way its draft Local Plan was rejected. In December 2024, the examination of the Plan for 2023-2040 was halted by Inspector Luke Fleming, who then wrote to the council in...
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Woman who spearheaded major cancer campaign dies of the disease
A Horsham woman who spearheaded a major campaign for research into an untreatable form of cancer has died after living with the disease for 14 years. Dr Susan Michaelis passed away just days before she was due to meet health secretary Wes Streeting...
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Go-ahead for 800 new homes in Horsham sparks outrage
‘Outrage’ is being voiced by local residents after a Government inspector this week gave the go-ahead for 800 new houses on land between Horsham and Southwater. Proposals by developers Generator Group to build the houses and a sports and leisure hub on...
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Stream, rocks and birch trees to be removed in town-centre changes
A stream, rocks and birch trees in Horsham town centre are to be removed to make way for more outdoor eating and entertainment space. Horsham District Council has decided to go ahead with major redesign plans for the Bishopric area between the Lynd...
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Protest walk over plans to build 10,000 new homes
Concerned residents braved the heat to take part in a walk led by the Save West of Ifield (SWOI) campaign group. SWOI is fighting to prevent Homes England and Horsham District Council (HDC) from building up to 10,000 houses around the west of Crawley...
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Public consultation over road and travel changes
Public feedback is being invited on proposals by West Sussex County Council to make travel‘saferandmoreconvenient’ in Horsham. The council has launched a public consultation on proposed improvements to walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure in...
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Almost £500k recovered from major drugs gang
Sussex Police said almost half a million pounds has been recovered from a major drugs gang following a series of successfulapplications by police. Police said that in 2024, 15 members of the organised crime gang (OCG) were sentenced to a total of more...
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Couple jailed for stealing jewellery from homes listed for sale
A husband and wife from Sutton who stole jewellery from houses listed for sale in West Sussex – and then launched a smear campaign against those working to bring them to justice – have been jailed, police have said. Anil Mawkin, 67, and Sukhbir Mawkin,...
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Girlguiding Sussex Central celebrates 400 years of volunteering
Girlguiding Sussex Central hosted an afternoon tea on May 11 to recognise and celebrate over 400 years of service of eight of their members. The recipients came from across the county and many have held multiple appointments during their time, each...
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Concerns over plans for more than 300 new homes in village
Concerns are being raised over a developer’s plans to build more than 300 new homes on fields in a village. Riverdale Developments have lodged a planning application with Horsham District Council to build 304 properties on six fields north and south of...
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Dangerous driver who caused death of grandfather sentenced
A dangerous driver who caused the death of a motorcyclist has been sentenced, police have said. Sussex Police said Simon Cheeseman, 43, failed to see rider Martin Lyons, 66, from Billingshurst, on the A29 at Slinfold. The force said he turned across...
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Celebrating the incredible work of our nurses across Sussex
Monday (May 12) was International Nurses Day, a day to recognise the extraordinary contributions of our Trust's nurses to patient care. It was also Florence Nightingale's birthday, a historical figure considered to be the founder of modern nursing. At...
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Film company to release two hard-hitting documentaries
Breast cancer and the quality of the air you breathe on passenger jet aircraft are two subjects that most people will be touched by. Either as a passenger or by knowing someone who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. These are the subjects at the...
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Row erupts after Horsham's Local Plan chucked out by Government inspector
A political row has erupted after a Government-appointed inspector this week chucked out Horsham District Council’s Local Plan. Horsham MP John Milne is now to ask Government housing minister Matthew Pennycook to overturn the inspector’s decision....
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New outcry over huge increase in parking charges
A new public outcry has erupted over a huge increase in parking charges which have just come into force in Horsham. The increase – condemned by some as ‘utter madness’ when it was first announced by Horsham District Council in October – is again being...
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Mobile home residents left facing 'lagoons of foul-smelling sewage'
Residents at a Billingshurst mobile home park were left facing lagoons of foul-smelling sewage because of faulty disposal systems. Now the owners of Petty Char Court Mobile Home Park, near Billingshurst, have been fined more than £26,000 and ordered...
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Refurbishment work on theatre to start this month
Refurbishment work on Horsham’s Capitol theatre will start this month with the removal of asbestos from the auditorium roof and crawl spaces. Work to give the theatre a much-needed shot in the arm will be carried out in 2025/26 and 2026/27, with a...
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Concerns Horsham will miss out in shake-up of local councils
Concerns are being raised that Horsham could miss out because of Government proposals to shake-up local councils. Brighton and Hove, along with East and West Sussex are expected to be united in a super-council beneath an elected mayor under proposals...
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Top chef stars in TV’s Great British Menu 2025
A Michelin-starred chef at a top West Sussex restaurant is displaying his culinary skills this week on the TV show Great British Menu 2025. Jean Delport, executive chef at Restaurant Interlude on the Leonardslee Gardens Estate at Lower Beeding, is...
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Dangerous driver sentenced for travelling wrong way on A24
A dangerous driver has been sentenced after failing to comply with road signs. Sussex Police said Peter Byrne turned the wrong way into oncoming traffic on the A24 at Southwater. He followed an incorrect satellite navigation (satnav) system and...
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Opening date announced for new The Range superstore
Major retailer The Range has announced the opening date of a new superstore in Horsham. It is to take over the former Homebase store at Broadbridge Heath and reopen as The Range Superstore with an integrated Homebase Garden Centre on March 21. CDS...
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Developers launch fight to build 247 new village homes
Developers are putting up a fight to build 247 new homes in a South Downs village. Bellway Homes want to build the houses on a former mushroom farm in Storrington Road, Thakeham – but Horsham District Council refused planning permission for the...
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Concerns over huge increase in water bills
Concerns are being expressed over a huge increase in water bills facing residents in Horsham. Southern Water says customers are set to see bills rise by £224 this April – an increase of 47 per cent. Local MP John Milne says that it is not good enough,...
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‘Selfless couple’ are Resident of the Month winners
A ‘selfless couple’ couple have been named joint recipients of the Horsham Resident of the Month award for January. Holly and Ross Docherty are parents of Max, a little boy diagnosed with BainbridgeRopers syndrome, a rare mutation of the ASXL3...
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‘An enormous loss’ - Tributes paid to long-serving Horsham councillor Liz Kitchen
Horsham councillor Liz Kitchen has died. One of the district’s most respected and longest-serving councillors, she passed away at the Royal Marsden Hospital on Monday (February 10). Friends and fellow councillors of all political leanings have shared...
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'Housing land' between Horsham and Crawley goes up for sale
A plot of land – near a site earmarked for 3,000 new homes between Horsham and Crawley – has gone up for sale. Agents Vail Williams say that the land, off the A264 north of Ifield Golf Club and within the Horsham district, has scope for building 20...
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Residents’ ‘sadness’ at sudden closure of village pre-school
Residents in a South Downs village have been left ‘saddened’ after the sudden closure of a local pre-school. Thakeham Pre-School was formerly rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted. It moved into custom-built premises in Abingworth Crescent, Thakeham, around...
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Works to repair village sinkhole ‘still ongoing’
Works to repair a sinkhole which caused police to shut a Sussex village road are still ongoing – three months on. Church Street in Storrington was first closed to traffic in October when a sixfoot wide sinkhole suddenly appeared. Police, who erected...
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Plans to build 14 homes in village to be considered again
Plans to build 14 homes on a site in West Chiltington are to be considered by Horsham District Council for the fourth time The saga of Smock Alley has been dragging on for years, with applications to develop land west of the road being refused three...
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Multiple flood warnings and alerts still in place amid risk of snow
Multiple flood warnings and alerts remain in place in Sussex amid the risk of snow. A yellow weather warning for snow covered Sussex and Surrey yesterday (January 8). This came after snow fell in some parts of both counties on Saturday – and was...
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New Year’s Honours
The New Year’s honours list 2025 has been revealed and people in the Horsham district have been honoured. Horsham’s Rosemary Pavoni, who is chair of West Sussex Partners in Care has been awarded a British Empire Medal for services to Social Care....
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Concerns about dormice delays plans to build 14 homes in West Chiltington
Concerns about dormice have delayed plans to build 14 homes in West Chiltington. An application to build on land west of Smock Alley was due to be considered by Horsham District Council’s planning committee on December 17. But it was withdrawn from...
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To build 14 homes in village submitted for the fourth time
Plans to build 14 homes on a site in West Chiltington have been submitted to Horsham District Council for the fourth time. The saga of Smock Alley has been dragging on for years, with applications to develop land west of the road being refused three...
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Man arrested on suspicion of arson following flat fire
A man has been arrested on suspicion of arson following a fire at a flat in Horsham. Sussex Police said they were called to Brighton Road at around 7pm on November 26 after the fire in top floor of the building, near to the junction with Arthur...
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Concerns over future of historic railway carriage at defunct Sussex station
Concerns are being raised over the future of a railway carriage at a former West Sussex village station. West Sussex County Council has declared the 75-yearold railway carriage at the now defunct West Grinstead Station ‘surplus to operational...
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Pulborough grandfather will spend Christmas crossing the Atlantic for children's hospice
As a retired Navy Search and Rescue pilot, David Coles from Pulborough is no stranger to adrenaline. But even he confesses to a frisson of fear when contemplating his upcoming charity challenge – rowing 3,000 miles across the Atlantic. “I’m a...
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Male councillors are urged to sign pledge
Male councillors and officers at Horsham District Council have been encouraged to sign the White Ribbon pledge. The pledge – never to commit, condone or stay silent about violence towards women – is part of the White Ribbon Campaign to end domestic...
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Family scoops a £4k holiday prize
A Horsham family have won a £4,000 holiday prize following a UK-wide competition. More than 100 branches of insurance firm Howden took part in the £20,000 holiday giveaway competition where five lucky winners each won a £4,000 Tui voucher. And among...
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Man reunited with life-saving ‘angels’
A Horsham man who suffered a cardiac arrest at a local tea room has been reunited with ambulance service ‘angels’ who saved his life. Jon Hadaway was in a queue at Strawberry Fields Tea Room in Faygate on June 26 – the hottest day of the year – when...
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Residents invited to attend civic service
The annual Horsham District Council Civic Service will be held at Horsham Parish Church of St Mary’s in The CausewayinHorshamonSunday (October 6) at 6pm. Council chairman Nigel Emery is inviting all residents to join him for this special service,...
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