Chairman’s Report

It doesn’t seem possible that it is time to write to you all again. The nights are already beginning to draw in but what a wonderful summer we have had and the gardens on the park have looked beautiful.

Some Changes
Over recent months we have had occasion to write to Head Office on behalf of several residents. On his last visit to the park David Curson, Operations Director, agreed to meet with Geoff Furzer and myself. During the meeting we were able to have full and frank discussions which included the problems that had resulted in the correspondence. The outcome was the changes to some systems that are outlined in detail later in this Newsletter. The reason that you are asked to put any queries in writing is so that they may be logged to avoid any confusion later. Emergencies will, of course, be dealt with immediately and you should follow the procedure already in place for such occurrences. I do hope that you will feel able to work with us in this as it will also help the Association should our assistance be needed at a later date. I am also aware that many of you had been given the impression that park staff would no longer be trimming any hedges on the park. This is not correct and the explanation is also to be found further in the Newsletter.

Other News
I hope that those who use the footpath to the village now find it much easier to navigate. Several park residents and Committee Members contacted West Sussex and eventually they acted. We must hope that, when the Parish Council take over maintenance, it is kept clearer than recently. This is a much used access to the village. We are still waiting for the promised speed signs from West Sussex, which the Parish Council are chasing.

The Police have now agreed that Speedwatch may monitor along the 40mph limit in East Street. A meeting has now taken place to risk assess and agree where the Speedwatch activities can begin. Some of your Committee have agreed to be trained to participate in this activity but this training will take some time and they have to be registered with the Police. However, we look forward to seeing them along East Street in the future. This is another success for the Association and proves that persistence pays off!!!

Our September Coffee Morning took place on the 16^th and we had a speaker from Mid Sussex who had information on personal alarms and well being. Our next Coffee Morning will be in December. I would like to remind you all again that if you have any queries regarding the changes in legislation or are considering selling your home and are unsure of all the forms that have to be completed, we will be happy to advise or assist. Please contact any committee member who will pass your query on.

The Dreaded Japanese Knotweed
Again, the dreaded Japanese Knotweed has raised its ugly head and has appeared in Finch Crescent. Park staff are only allowed to deal with this weed on spare land belonging to Berkeley Leisure and it is up to residents to take action in order to eliminate this plant on their own plot. The bush should be cut down to the ground and the roots should be poisoned. The cuttings should be bagged up and given to park staff who will burn it. As soon as new growth is visible, the process should be repeated. There is no quick fix to getting rid of this plant but it does spread very quickly and, if left untreated, can lift patios, car parking hard standing and can even damage the bases of homes. Make sure you deal with this most dreaded of plants. If you are in any doubt, contact park staff and they will guide you.

New Procedures

All Complaints in Writing
Can we please inform you that, if any resident has a complaint or problem, they write, in the first instance, to the Park Manager, Mr. Diplock, and then if they do not obtain satisfaction, they write to the Residents Association with a copy of their letter and Mr. Diplock’s reply. We will then take up the matter on their behalf. Verbal information and agreements always lead to misunderstandings and misinterpretation.

Hedge Cutting
After discussion with Park Management it has been agreed that hedges on communal land and alongside footpaths will be cut by park staff. This includes the hedge on the car park side of Finch Crescent. However, park staff will not cut a hedge if it was planted by a resident and which fronts a garden. If you have any problem with this, please do contact the Park Manager who will explain further.

Community News

Re-launched Net Service for Reporting Speeding
An article in a recent East Grinstead Courier has informed us that it is now swift and easy to report speeding on Turners Hill roads. There is a website on which such incidents can be reported ie www.operationcrackdown.org and this should go a long way to sorting out problems in our village. Turners Hill Speed Watch

Volunteers have reported that, within the 30mph speed limit, some vehicles were travelling in excess of 45mph. The volunteers are there to act as a deterrent not to catch drivers. If they can get drivers to slow down then this should make a considerable difference for pedestrians. All you need do is note the registration number and, where possible, the make, model and colour of the vehicle so that Police Officers can contact the driver. If you do not have a computer, then you can telephone 01243-642222.

From Sussex Police

Gardening Scam
A male described as 20 - 30years old, slim build, 5ft 10inches tall with a tattoo on his neck knocked on a resident’s door offering to trim trees. The resident stated they didn’t have any money at the moment but would get some. The male then returned later in the day and asked for a deposit so he could guarantee he could return and do the work on the day and time agreed. The male then did not turn up when stated so the resident called him and he turned up with another male described as tubby build, 16 - 17years old, 5ft 6inches tall with dark hair. They unloaded their equipment, then stated they couldn’t carry out the work as there was something wrong with the chainsaw and needed more money to get this fixed. The males left the property and then returned later in the day asking for a further amount of money as the chainsaw was going to cost more to fix than first thought. The resident then refused and hasn’t had any contact from the males since.

Please ensure you do not give money to any cold callers and that you get a written quote for any work due to be done. There should then be a 7 day cooling off period before any work commences. If you have problems with cold callers please call Sussex Police on 101 or 999 depending on the situation.

Please note that this did not occur on Turners Hill Park.

Internet Scam
If you are a BT Internet customer you may be aware that BT are changing over to a new system to send and receive emails. They will no longer be using the old BT-Yahoo name but re-branding it through a new BT system so that they can better tell you about their services.
"As part of this change we're closing the existing BT Yahoo! portal that BT Yahoo! Mail customers used to access their email. Instead, BT Yahoo! Mail users will now log in to their email from a direct "Email" link on the new BT.com website and a secure BT email log in page. The old BT Yahoo! login page will redirect to BT.com. We plan to move BT Yahoo! Mail users to the new BT Mail service later this year."I'm sure that BT will attempt to make this move as seamless as possible, but unfortunately any such change brings with it fraudsters out to steal your personal details.

You may well receive a message from someone purporting to be from BT asking you to "log-in to your account otherwise you will lose your email". There may be some people with old BT email addresses already receiving such messages. The problem is that some MAY be genuine, but at the moment 95% are fraudulent. If you receive such an email, treat it as a fraud, read it by all means but do not click on anything just delete the email. Afterwards, start your browser and type in the address you normally use to login to your email.

PCSO Anika Clough 22316

Public Engagement Officer Mid Sussex

Breaking News
Some of your Committee Members have recently attended a Forum Discussion regarding the recent and future changes in the legislation. At the Forum, we learned that Sonia McColl of the Justice Campaign is now starting a petition to Government to review the 10% commission charge levied when we sell our homes. A Petition Form is enclosed here with your Newsletter and we urge you all to complete and sign the form and return it to Sonia as soon as possible. This is something that affects us all.

Author: Chairman – Jennie Forbes

Do you Need Help with Your Shopping
Sainsbury CARELINE: The supermarket provides a home delivery service for people who do not have or use a computer and cannot visit the store. Call the CARELINE on 0800 328 1700 to place your order. Charges are as follows:-

£2.95 = Basic admin. charge for service, then

£2.95 - £6.95 = Delivery charge (which varies according to day and time requested and amount ordered)

£25.00 = Minimum spend to use service.

The Order Line is open from: Mon. - Sat. 8.00am – 6.00pm.

Large Print Copies
If you find you are having difficulty in reading this Newsletter, a Large Print copy can be made available to you. All you need do is contact one of the Committee Members and one will be slipped through your letterbox. Those who have already requested a copy need do nothing as they are on our list.