By HILARY GAVIN
SIDLESHAM Parish Councillors were few in number when they convened on Wednesday, September, 10th, 2025, for their full meeting which Chairman Martin Mellodey described as being “quite an important month”.
There were apologies for absence from Cllrs Lewis Ramm, Tricia Tull, Tracy Parsons and Nick Wade – although Cllr Adrian Harland explained that Cllr Tull was concerned about her husband and so couldn’t be with them.
Chairman Mellodey and Cllr Harland were joined by Cllrs Corina Hall, David Guest and Mary Monnington, WSCC Cllr Pieter Montyn, and Manhood Wildlife and Heritage Group trustee Paul Bedford, who presented a talk as a representative of SWiSH on the umbrella role of the Manhood Peninsula Partnership (MPP). Chichester District Councillor (CDC) Donna Johnson sent apologies as she had a conflict of interest.
As you can see from the meeting’s agenda, PDF link at the bottom of this post, parish councillors discussed the Gypsy and Traveller letter to Parliament, road traffic concerns, the Sidlesham Waste Treatment Plant, WSCC devolution and reorganisation, the Local Plan, and the new roof quotes for Sidlesham Memorial Hall and Recreation Ground.
At this point, I should apologise for my shaky camerawork. I have no idea why my camera took footage in segments on Wednesday evening. Saying that, I have itemised my videos footage below so you can easily fast-forward and rewind them to view the matters discussed in the full council agenda that interest you:
ITEM 5.1: Gypsy and Traveller Letter (Matthew Pennycock MP)
Update: 1.44 minutes into footage on Video One
Chairman Mellodey told members that the Gypsy and Traveller letter was more or less ready to be sent to our MP, but they were still waiting for responses from Littlehampton and Northchapel councils. He said our MP Jess Brown-Fuller had been “well-briefed” on the matter when they met with her in August last month.
ITEM 5.2: Road Traffic Concerns
Update: 2.40 minutes into footage on Video One
Chairman Mellodey thanked WSCC Cllr Pieter Montyn for “the effort he had made to help with the junction with Donnington junction” and the changing speed limit roundels from 40mph to 30pm. He went on to say the parish still had a lot of “potential traffic problems” at Highleigh Road, Rotten Lane and Keynor Lane.
(3.28mins) Cllr David Guest listed the vehicles, including a lorry, school bus and two cars, that had ended up on their side in a ditch and flagged up the Highleigh Road junction as waiting for “a deathtrap”. He said there will be some discussions about Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs), but this needed community support. WSCC Cllr Montyn stressed the importance of separating and picking out a TRO that councillor felt was a priority, and warned them that WSCC would not consider a pedestrian crossing on the B2145 without street lighting.
ITEM 6 WSCC update
6.1: Update on Sidlesham Treatment Plant
(10.41mins)
WSCC Cllr Pieter Montyn quizzed members as to why they had mentioned Sidlesham Sewage Treatment Plant “because there wasn’t much to say”. He told members that the Sidlesham treatment plant had its rainwater capacity increased ten years ago, and there were “never had any outfalls from Sidlesham anymore”.
He added that “the thing that is important to them” is Pagham Harbour due to “the nature side of it”. He pointed out that the harbour’s Summer Lane Wastewater Treatment Works had a completely new water processing plant, holding more rainwater and reducing chemical waste. Chair Mellodey welcomed Cllr Montyn’s news (see footage in Video One), adding: “What you are saying is that the will be very little effluent flowing into Pagham Harbour”. WSCC Cllr Montyn agreed, adding (12.43mins) that this would be the case “from both of them”.
Cllr Mellodey invited Mr Bedford to comment on the item before Cllr Montyn touched upon Itchenor and Birdham and the impact the 140-home planning application there might have on Southen Water’s sewerage system. He said they need to “reinforce the system”, and have two years in which to do it in, but added that don’t want another scenario like Clappers Lane, where owners have moved in but Southern Water still haven’t said what they are going to do (14mins).
ITEM 6.2: WSCC and CDC devolution/re-organisation
Update: 15.19mins
Cllr Montyn outlined WSCC business case for a proposal/ideas for one unitary for the whole of West Sussex, which differs from CDC. WSCC are meeting on Tuesday, September 23rd, 2025, when councillors hope to accept the 90-page document drawn up by council officers. If agreed, these proposals will go to the Cabinet before being submitted. Cllr Montyn said the Government will issue a consultation on WSCC in October this year, before making a final decision on local government re-organisation in March, 2026 (See Video One).
Video Two: See above
If you watch Video One to the end, you will see Cllr Harland mentioning the River Lavant and its diversion into Pagham Harbour, quizzing both Paul Bedford and Cllr Montyn about any sewage risk. Mr Bedford explains that there wasn’t so much of a risk from sewage, but phospates as an agricultural and horticultual farming by-product (see discussion). In Video Two, Cllr Montyn told the meeting “what comes out of Fordwater Road Treatment Plant mainly goes to Chichester Harbour but some of it, “when there is an overflow”, goes to Pagham Harbour.
Southgate Roadworks (2.20mins)
Cllr Montyn asked if the parish councillors had received his notifications of the roadworks and closure at Southgate in Chichester starting on Monday, September 22nd, 2025, possibly lasting for eight weeks. Chairman Melloday asked if there was a plan of the proposed roadworks and Cllr Montyn said he had sent one to the council (see footage). He said the road closure will be heavily signposted.
Cllr Montyn left the meeting at 8.53pm
ITEM 7 and 7.1: CDC Cllr Donna Johnson updates and Local Plan
CDC Cllr Donna Johnson emailed her apologies for missing the meeting due to a conflict of interest, but said Cllr Montyn would have briefed them. Chairman Mellodey raised the matter of printing the Local Plan and shared “the other bit of news” from Cllr Johnson announcing that CDC had a new Managing Officer, called Tiffany, an employment lawyer from Hampshire County Council.
ITEMS 8.1 and 8.2 Sidlesham Memorial Recreation Ground (Put back until later in the meeting).
ITEM 8.3: New Roof Quotes Sidlesham Memorial Hall Clubhouse
Cllr Monnington pointed out that there was “such a big discrepancy” between the three roofing quotes and wondered why one quote was so much cheaper than the other two. Cllr Mellodey told the meeting that the quotes were the subject of a CDC grant and the parish council had to get three and submit them all for the CDC Grants Committee to discuss when they next meet in December. He said the other option was to go to the Football Foundation for money to replace the clubhouse which would be a long process. Chairman Mellodey said: “I think we should plough on with what we are doing, stick it in and see what happens”
At this point I should say that I edited my clip of the footage on Video Two as the councillors discussed sensitive business quotes from local builders.
ITEM 8.6: Signage outside gym
Sidlesham clerk Alison Colban updated councillors on the new signage at the changing rooms etc at the Sidlesham Memorial Hall and Recreation Ground.
ITEM 9: Paul Bedford’s presentation on the Manhood Peninsula Partnership (see footage in Videos Three and Four, below)
ITEM 11: Dead trees Cllr Corina Hall raised the potential dangers of dead trees falling on the highway.
I left the meeting, as requested, just after Sidlesham Community Association treasurer Norman Robson arrived with his fellow trustee Kate Wade to brief councillors and following Cllr Monnington question about the possibility of dredging near the Quay in Mill Lane, which has silted over to attract wading birds on the RSPB’s nature reserve.
Cllr Monnington said that small boats used to moor up at the Quay until shortly before she arrived to the parish as the meeting discussed flooding issues. She added that the sight of small boats at the Quay could “look beautiful”.
Chairman Mellodey admitted there were conflicts of interest between the RSPB’s remit and local farming (see footage).
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Hilary Gavin
Freelance Journalist & Writer
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grumpywoman@hilarygavin.blog
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