Samuel Ashby joins Crawford Davis as new Sales Director

As part of Crawford Davis growth plans they are delighted to announce that Samuel Ashby has been appointed as the new Sales Director. Samuel will be responsible for pioneering sales in both the commercial and specialist taxi teams to ensure profitable growth. In addition he will also be building and strengthening key relationships with insurers and local businesses.

Samuel commented “I am looking forward to being part of Crawford Davis continued success and driving forward new initiatives within the branch whilst guaranteeing that Crawford Davis is recognised as one of the leading brokers on the South Coast. I have been working in the finance and insurance industry for the last 12 years with roles in both independent and national brokerages. I feel it is important in business to ensure that in addition to seeking growth opportunities, that client experience and service levels are treated with equal importance.”

Geoff Hall, Area Managing Director commented “ Samuel brings a wealth of experience in commercial and personal lines insurance and coupled with his local business relationships we are confident that he will be an excellent resource to help us achieve our growth plan”

Crawford Davis is part of Towergate Insurance and specialises in a variety of different insurance products including commercial, personal and specialist taxi covers.

Public urged to have their say on major Lancing development

People are being urged to have their say on plans to build 600 homes and a new Ikea superstore in Lancing.

Adur District Council has received the proposal from New Monks Farm Development, which is a subsidiary of Brighton & Hove Albion FC, for the New Monks Farm site.

In addition to the homes and superstore, the application also includes the planned creation of a new roundabout on the A27, a country park and school/community hub.

Members of the public now have eight weeks to have their say on the plans with councillors making a decision later this year.

More than 1,200 letters informing local residents will be sent out to residents in Lancing and Shoreham asking for their views on the application for the site.

The full set of plans and supporting documents is also being uploaded onto the Adur and Worthing Councils website while a full hard copy will also available at the Shoreham Centre, Pond Road.

James Appleton, Adur and Worthing Council’s Head of Planning and Development, said:

“This is a complex detailed planning application which will affect thousands of people across Adur and beyond. For that reason, we are determined to allow as many as possible to see and comment on the proposal. As a result, we have extended the time that people can comment on the application from the usual three weeks to eight.

“All of these comments will then be taken on board before the council takes a decision on the application possibly before the end of the year depending on when the council receives the inspector’s full report on Adur’s emerging Local Plan.”

The application for the site, located between the east of the Mash Barn estate and to the north of Brighton & Hove Albion’s training ground and next to Shoreham Airport, is 1,200 pages long.

It is described as a hybrid, which means some aspects are for full permission; while others are for outline, which requires a further detailed application at a later date.

An illustrative masterplan brings the whole development together. It includes plans for:

·         250 residential dwellings (full application);

·         350 residential dwellings (outline application);

·         32,900sqm of IKEA store (outline);

·         relocation of travellers site with an additional two pitches (full);

·         new A27 Roundabout at Sussex Pad junction, with associated access roads (full);

·         28 hectares of Country Park (full);

·         two football pitches for Brighton & Hove Albion training ground (full);

·         school and community hub (outline)

The residential part of the plan will include 30% affordable homes, which is in line with Adur District Council’s housing policy.

The creation of a new roundabout replacing the Sussex Pad traffic light junction is separate to the ongoing A27 consultation run by Highways England, which includes alterations to the Grinstead Lane roundabout in Lancing.

If approved, developers believe work could start on the site by 2019.

For more details and to see the planning application in full visit https://www.adur-worthing.gov.uk/planning/applications/view/

Adur Local Plan nears completion

The Adur Local Plan has moved a further step closer to being formally adopted.

The document, which will be used to guide development in Sompting, Lancing, Shoreham and Southwick until 2032, is aimed at balancing the need to build new homes and employment space while protecting the environment.

Following recommendations from Government-appointed Planning Inspector, Adur District Council held a period of consultation on the Main Modifications (the recommended changes to make the document legally sound) for six weeks. This period closed at midnight on July 26.

Now, the Inspector will review the comments received and make his final report, with the hope the document could be adopted before the end of the year.

Councillor Brian Boggis, Adur District Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, said:

“We want to thank people for commenting on this latest stage in the development of the Adur Local Plan.

“It may have been several years in the making but we are confident the final result will be a document which ensures the area has a healthy balance of places for people to live, work and play.

“We look forward to receiving the Inspector’s final report on the plan in due course.”

Councils across the country were required to make Local Plans in 2011 after the government issued new planning guidance for all councils.

After several detailed consultation periods, where more than 1,000 people, businesses and organisations had their say, the final document was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate last year.

Key targets in the Plan include building a minimum of 3,700 homes and  41,000 square metres of employment-generating floor space.

Lewis Rowell acquired by MHA Carpenter Box

Sussex-based chartered accountants, tax and business advisers, MHA Carpenter Box has acquired Crawley-based chartered accountants Lewis Rowell.

Lewis Rowell co-founder and Partner Peter Rowell and many of his team have joined the Gatwick Office of MHA Carpenter Box, which opened in June 2015 and is now full to capacity with a headcount of around 25.

Lewis & Co. accountants was established in Brighton prior to relocating to Crawley almost 35 years ago and over that time, Peter has gained a wealth of experience in tax, audit and accounts and commercial matters. As well as being a Chartered Accountant, Peter is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation. After qualifying, Peter worked in the London office of a large national practice before moving into commerce gaining experience within the offices of an international bank and an MOD military contractor, returning to general practice in 1985. He then joined Roland Lewis in partnership as Lewis Rowell operating from a Crawley office.

Peter, who joins MHA Carpenter Box as a Departmental Director in the Business Services Group, commented: “I felt the time was right for the acquisition to take place to support the longer term needs of the business and its clients. After following up on a recommendation from a colleague and already being aware of the excellent reputation MHA Carpenter Box has in the industry, I had no hesitation in agreeing to the acquisition of Lewis Rowell by them. Once I had met with the firm’s partners and staff, I knew it was the right move for the business.”  

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Charity Concert in aid of Chestnut Tree House Children's Hospice

A27 SCHEME LIKE “REARRANGING DECKCHAIRS ON TITANIC”

The leaders of Adur and Worthing councils today expressed disappointment at proposals for improvements to the A27  with one likening them to “rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic”.

Highways England yesterday published the details of its proposed improvement scheme for the stretch of the road through Worthing and Lancing.

The £69m option dismisses radical solutions such as underpasses and flyovers in favour of more modest improvements to six junctions between Durrington Hill and the Lancing Manor roundabout.

Highways England’s own scoring system points to no “significant benefits” achieved by the scheme.

Neil Parkin, leader of Adur District Council said, "We need to continue to grow our economies and are being asked by government to build hundreds more houses yet we need the transport infrastructure to do so.

“As far as that infrastructure is concerned Highways England have just rearranged the deckchairs on the Titanic with these proposals."

Dan Humphreys, leader of Worthing Borough Council, said,"I am very disappointed by these proposals and fear that the solutions offered, particularly at Grove Lodge and Lyons Farm, will not bring the benefits clearly needed given the costs involved.

" We think residents will also be disappointed by the lack of information Highways England give in their consultation to back up why they have gone for this option."

Consultation ends on September 12 with two years of construction expected to start in 2020 if the scheme is approved.

For more information visit highways.gov.uk/a27Worthing-and-Lancing.

“The long overdue upgrade of the A27 which is the central artery through our constituencies has been the most important issue locally for decades. We very much welcomed the news that the Government had put the A27 back on the agenda and we are grateful for the work that Highways England and their consultants have undertaken.

What that work has clearly shown is that it is impossible to achieve an effective solution to the congestion problem within the indicated budget which has straitjacketed their work. As a result the only option that they have been able to come up with represents a ‘tinkering round the edges’ at the 6 key identified junctions from Salvington to Lancing. There is no convincing case that this will have any significant impact on traffic flow, congestion or air quality to deal with the existing problem let alone the significant growth in traffic expected if various proposed developments go ahead.

As we have warned all along it is essential that we have a budget that is fit for purpose and that is at least commensurate with that applied to other parts of the A27 if we are to achieve any meaningful and sustainable solution. If the Arundel section is working on the basis of a budget upwards of £250m around a town of 5000 inhabitants it is hard to follow the logic of applying just £50m-£100m to achieve a solution for a much busier and more problematic section of the road through Worthing with over 100,000 residents.

Speeding the passage of vehicles around Arundel to join lengthening tailbacks going into Worthing won’t wash and we have always worked with our West Sussex colleagues for an holistic solution. It is also impossible to see how major proposed new developments such as that at New Monks Farm, including a new branch of IKEA, can possible go ahead in the absence of a scheme that effectively addresses the existing congestion problem even before adding to it.

In the absence of a bypass through the Downs being an affordable or effective proposition at this time the only solution is for grade separation involving flyovers Worthing’s MPs dismiss A27 Improvements Scheme as an expensive damp squib

and/or underpasses at the key junctions. We are pleased that Highways England have looked at these options and clearly identified major benefits but have not been able to explore them further as they come in over the indicated budget.

We will therefore be recommending to the A27 Working Group and our constituents that the option in this consultation should be rejected outright and further work authorised on the more extensive options involving grade separation.  We have already spoken to Transport Secretary Chris Grayling to make him aware of or objections and deep disappointment and asked him to keep an open mind about increasing the budget to accommodate this further work. If it means a slight delay to any scheme starting this is surely much more desirable than spending money and causing upheaval for a scheme which will be redundant before it is completed.