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We are pleased to be able to tell you that the the bridge and the approaching footpaths have been completed.

There is a level footpath running a short distance through the woods from the gate on Badgers Holt to the bridge and on the other side of the bridge a gently rising footpath to join the path on the quarry side of the park.

The main motivation for getting the bridge and footpaths in place was to improve accessibility and we are gratified by the comments we have been getting from people about what a positive difference the new bridge and footpaths have made to their ability to enjoy the park.  It is now easy for people using mobility scooters to cross the stream.

We would love to hear from people about what they think about the new bridge and footpaths.  Email us on sandgate.conservation@gmail.com or send us a message us on Facebook – www.facebook.com/SandgateConservation.

The works have obviously left some marks on the landscape, for example where soil has been moved to create the footpaths and piled up along the side of the paths, but in time the vegetation will grow and hide the soil.  Also,  it is hoped that with the new footpath in place people will avoid walking across the bluebell and wild daffodil areas and these will regenerate in time.  We plan to clear the stream of the logs and other debris that was used as a makeshift bridge now that it is no longer needed.

Over the next few weeks and months people should also see some other changes, such as a signage board and a dog poo bin, for the quarry area of the park.

As we move into mid summer the woods have become quieter as bird nesting tails off.  The heather is flowering and is looking reasonably good considering the die-off due to drought last year.  The wet heath pond looks much better now that the fence has been removed from around it.  Fungi are already starting to appear here and there.

The quarry area of the park is still full of wildlife activity.  The meadows are a mix of wild flowers and grasses that are attracting a wide variety of insects including a variety of butterflies.  The quarry is a regular nesting site for sand martins and the birds can be seen swooping over the grassy areas.

Please avoid creating new paths across the meadows as this results in fragmentation which significantly degrades it as a wildlife habitat and causes disturbance to the wildlife that lives in it.  Also, keeping to the footpaths greatly reduces the risk of you and your dog picking up ticks that could carry Lyme disease.  The footpaths around and through the meadows are clearly defined as they are finished in yellow Fittleworth stone (there are some tracks for infrequent use by maintenance vehicles – these are not intended to be used general footpaths) and the area can be fully enjoyed from the footpaths.

In our last update on the bridge, just over 2 weeks ago, we reported on the start of the work to build the bridge.  The contractor had marked the trees that needed to be taken out for the new path and the Sandgate Conservation Society volunteers had spent a work morning removing the trees.

Regular visitors to Sandgate Park would have seen that within a few days the contractor had cleared away the felled logs, removed the tree stumps and dug out the new path, and created the concrete foundations for the bridge.

A few days ago we were told that the bridge was at the stage where we could usefully help to finish work on it.

You can see the new path on the Cemex quarry side has been completed and it now has a gentle slope through the woods to the bridge.

The bridge crosses the stream at a point where its banks are level so that there is step-less access to the bridge from the paths.

The bridge is made from durable oak and it is build on top of two steel beams that span the gap – it is built to last.

The bridge still needed anti-slip strips and hand-rails so on Tuesday morning the ‘crew’ gathered for work.  Sandgate Conservation Society volunteers were joined by Horsham District Council Parks and Countryside staff.  Anna Worthington-Leese, Chairman of Storrington and Sullington Parish Council came along to check out progress.

Fixing the anti-slip strips.  Two people screwing on the strips, one person sorting out the screws and one person as the obligatory ‘foreman’!

 

 

Meanwhile, in another part of the woods, the redundant gate was removed.

While this activity was going on the contractor was continuing work on the paths.  A new path is being created from the new bridge to the gate onto Badgers Holt.  This will provide accessible access to the area of Sandgate Park from the eastern end of the park.  It is hoped that park users will stick to this new path so that the native bluebells and wild daffodils are not trampled.

We think you will agree that the bridge looks just right for the woodland setting and it meets all expectations.

A big thank-you to all of you who helped make this happen by donating to the bridge fund.

 

 

If you go down to the woods you may see evidence of some activity at the site of the planned bridge across the quarry stream.  The Sandgate Conservation Society volunteers were out this morning clearing trees along the route of the new path to the bridge from the Cemex side.

The existing path is far too steep and leads to a point in the gully which is too wide to be sensibly bridged. The new path will be less steep and lead to where the gully is narrower and the banks on either side of an equal height.

We were met by Ryan from Horsham District Council (HDC) Parks and Countryside who told us what needed to be done. The contractor employed by HDC had been out and marked the trees to be felled to make way for the path.

The new path will branch off the main path a few yards further east of the steep path and the first thing we had to do was to cut and stamp our way through the scrub to get to the trees.

Ryan didn’t just supervise but got stuck in with the rest of us

By break time (tea/coffee and cake) you could see the progress we had already made.  The  picture below shows the view looking out from the woods. You can just make out some of the volunteers who were very keen to get their cake!  The stumps will be removed by the contractor who will also chip the logs and branches we left stacked up by the side of the path.

The picture below is looking back into the woods from the main path.  The scrub beaten down and the start of a path.

We cut down the trees using bow saws. Many of the trees were fairly spindly but a number had trunks at about the limit that we could manage with bow saws and had reached a considerable height. These trunks had to be saw to shorter lengths to allow us to move them.

By the end of the session we had managed to cut down the last marked tree and moved the logs and branches to the side of the path ready for the contractor.  The picture below shows the last felled tree.  We all cheered when this one came down – it was hot work even in the shade! You can just make out how long it was – the bright green leaves in the foreground are its canopy and you can see two figures at different points along the trunk sawing it into manageable lengths.

When the bridge project was originally conceived it was going to be a relatively small scale construction project built by volunteers overseen by Horsham District Council. The goal-posts have moved considerably over the past few months with the need to re-route paths. HDC Parks and Countryside, who will be responsible for the safety of any volunteers working on the project and the safety of users of the finished bridge have decided that a much more substantial construction project is required and that a contractor is needed to carry out the bulk of the work. There will still be some opportunities for volunteers to get involved but less so than originally envisaged.

The money raised by the crowdfund and some significant off-line donations received by Sandgate Conservation Society will still go towards the project and, in fact, will cover a significant proportion of the cost of the entire bridge and paths project. Additional funding is being sought from various sources by HDC.

The current plan (subject to change) is that scrub and tree clearing will start this week to enable the construction of the re-routed path on the Cemex side to the chosen bridge site. On Saturday 22 June Sandgate Conservation Society volunteers will help by felling a number of small trees for the contractor to remove. Details of this work party can be found on our Facebook page and website. The main construction activity will take place between Wednesday 26th June and Friday 19th July. Its expected that volunteers will be asked to help with bolting the bridge together on site on Tuesday 2nd July.

On Friday 22 March we received a pledge from our local West Sussex County Council committee of £2500 grant from the Community Initiative Fund.

This grant plus the generous pledges from people in the community means that we have met and exceeded our funding target.

The additional money raised will be used on enhancements to the footbridge project such as improvements to the paths on the approach to the future footbridge to improve accessibility.

The Society and Horsham District Council Parks & Countryside now need to firm up plans including exactly which enhancements can be made using the extra funds.  Our fundraising campaign officially has a further 3 weeks to run (to mid April).  Any further pledges made will be added to the ‘enhancements’ pot and used in the park.

We will let people know about the plans when they become clearer.

 

At the end of January 2019 a crowdfunding campaign was launched to raise funds to build a footbridge across the quarry stream between Horsham District Council’s Sandgate Park Local Nature Reserve (LNR) and the area of parkland owned by CEMEX north of their Sandgate Quarry (also confusingly called Sandgate Park).

The CEMEX parkland offers easy walking suitable for those less able to negotiate the rougher terrain of Sandgate Park (LNR) as well as views over the quarries and towards the South Downs, including Chanctonbury Ring.  With its open south facing aspect sitting on one of the benches on the CEMEX parkland is a pleasant way to while away some time on a warmer day.  Also the linkage between Sandgate Park (LNR) and the CEMEX parkland opens up new circular and linear walking routes.

Accessing the CEMEX parkland from the Badgers Holt end of the parks currently requires the steep muddy banks of the quarry stream to be negotiated and the stream itself crossed.  This is hazardous, especially in the wetter weather.   A variety of makeshift ‘bridges’ have been laid across the stream over the winter, from planks which have rotted and broken, to logs which are uneven and slippery.

HDC Parks & Countryside do not have the budget for a footbridge but grant funding for community projects is available from West Sussex Country Council.  The process to bid for WSCC grant funds involves the setting up of a ‘crowdfunding’ campaign.  This allows WSCC to gauge the level of public support for the project.

The crowdfunding campaign is being run by Sandgate Conservation Society and is fully supported by HDC Parks and Countryside.

The WSCC Local Committee is due to discuss our application for a grant at their meeting on 13th March.  We are very optimistic that WSCC will agree to giving the project a significant grant which will help us to meet our funding target as the project has the support of HDC, our local councillor and Storrington & Sullington Parish council as well as more than 55 individual local backers who have pledged almost 40% of the total funding required.

Provided we meet our funding target we will be seeking to overshoot that target so that we can provide enhancements to the project such as improving the paths on the approaches to the new footbridge.

The footbridge will be of similar design to the one in the photograph.  The build will be carried out by volunteers and overseen by HDC.

How to pledge your support

If you want to support this project please pledge a donation.  Pledges do not need to be for much.  At this stage, while we are waiting for WSCC’s grant decision, the number of backers is as important as the amount of money pledged, so even the minimum pledge of £2 would be very helpful.

You can pledge your donation at www.spacehive.com/sandgate-park-bridge

If you do not want to pledge your donation online you can send a cheque made out to Sandgate Conservation Society to

The Secretary
Sandgate Conservation Society
Greystones
Melton Avenue
Storrington
RH20 4BH

Your cheque will not be cashed unless and until the crowdfunding target is reached.