As was announced at the June members meeting, we are planning to produce a number of postcards of local views of Ferring with a view to selling them via local outlets and at meetings, events etc. to raise funds for the group.

We are inviting members to submit their own photos of suitable scenes which we might use for the cards. If you would like to submit a photo or photos for consideration, then please produce an enprint (we suggest a 6″ by 4″ print) and hand them in at one of our upcoming meetings. Alternatively, you can drop them off to one of our committee members addresses  – details are on the Group contacts page on this website. Please put your name, address and phone number on the back of each photo. The closing date for this is 28 October, after which the committee will consider the entries. There is no prize for this competition, but the winners will of course be credited on the cards, and the winners images will be seen around the village, and of course far and wide wherever the cards are sent!

I am delighted to inform you that it has just been officially announced that Ferring Conservation Group has been honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. This is fantastic news for the Group as it is the highest award a voluntary group such as ourselves can receive in the UK and it is the equivalent of an MBE.

I want to thank all of our members who have made this possible, and particularly those who have carried out the wide variety of voluntary tasks for which our Group is so well known, both within the village and further afield. I want to especially thank all of the Group’s committee members who have gone the extra mile to make the Group what is is today – without them, we would not have been successful in the award process.

We will receive the award from the Lord Lieutenant of West Sussex later in the summer, and this will include a certificate signed by Her Majesty The Queen. We also plan to have a small celebration at our next members meeting on Friday 24 June, starting at 7.30pm, which is at the St Andrews Church Centre on this occasion. Our guest speaker at that meeting will be Dr Dawn Scott from the University of Brighton, who is well known from her appearances on the BBC Springwatch programmes.

This really is a great day for Ferring Conservation Group, and I am very proud of what we have achieved.

David Bettiss

Chairman

Ferring Conservation Group

2/6/2016

The following planning application has just been refused by Adur and Worthing Borough Council:

Land South East corner of Amberley Drive/ Marine Drive at Goring – Change of use of land to caravan and camping site with 46 pitches. Erection of amenity block building comprising toilets and showers, laundry room, store, office and reception. Construction of vehicular crossover and provision of parking and bin storage area.

We are greatly reassured by Worthing BC’s decision on 1 June to refuse what would have been a major intrusion on a currently unspoiled area with much scenic and amenity value..

It was good to see over 400 objections from our members and other residents in Goring and Worthing displayed on the Council’s web site. Such a response strengthens the views of both Worthing and Arun Councils that the Gap should be kept free of any development.

In the latest of the series of local natural history visits, a group of members ventured into Patching Woods near to the village of Patching in a hunt for bluebells (and other wild plants) and to listen for seasonal birdsong.

Straight away on entering the woods, they were greeted by an amazing vista of blue from the native bluebells which stretched as far as the eye could see, and all those on the trip led by Group committee member, Tricia Hall, agreed it was one of the best years they could remember for these iconic plants – probably due to the wet Winter and cool Spring weather. Not only bluebells were seen in the woods, but also the first showing of Wood Anemones and the first sighting there of some Early Purple Orchids spotted by an eagle eyed member. Some of the other plants seen in the woods or nearby were Dog’s Mercury, Ladies Smock, Greater Stitchwort, Wood Spurge, Ground Ivy and Goldilocks Buttercups amongst many others.

Orange Tip

Due to the cool and unsettled weather, the birds and butterflies were a bit on the quiet side but Peacock and Orange Tip butterflies were seen in a couple of locations with the latter doing a fly past right by the group.

Patching group photo

On the bird front, Chaffinch, Wren, Robin, Chiffchaff, Great Tit and Blue Tit were seen or heard in the woods, while a Buzzard was heard “mewing” overhead nearby with one being spotted sitting in a tree branch on the woodland fringe. Once out of the woods and into open downland, there were very good sightings of Yellowhammer and Whitethroat, as well as Skylarks singing overhead. The attention of the group was then drawn to the towering shower clouds approaching and so there was a hasty retreat to the parked cars. By the time, sanctuary was sought at the nearby pub for lunch and a drink, a heavy snow shower had arrived – not bad for the end of April!

The recent application by the Bluebird Cafe in Ferring to extend its operating hours and make other changes will be heard by the Arun DC Licensing Committee this coming Monday 25 April at 9.30am at the Glebelands Centre in Greystoke Road. This is the only item on the agenda.

Sadly, only the people informed by the Licensing Team that they have a “relevant objection” will be allowed to speak, but the hearing is still open to the public to attend. We would encourage as many members and local residents to be at the hearing if only to demonstrate to the Councillors who make up the Licensing Committee, the Licensing Team and indeed the licensee of the Bluebird cafe just how strongly we feel on the subject, and that there are genuine concerns in the local community.

UPDATE: The Committee agreed to issue the Licence and put two specifications in place. These were 1: to decant all alcohol into glasses with the exception of wine and 2: that the cafe be closed by 8.30pm daily and only reopened for private functions.

A party of Ferring Conservation Group members met up in Church Lane, Pagham in bright sunshine for a birdwatching visit led by Group member and bird expert, Clive Hope. The party made their way round to the North Wall of Pagham Harbour taking in all the birds en route, which started with a very obliging Curlew seen just a short distance away in a field.

In the harbour itself, two Great Crested Grebes were then seen, followed by views of amongst many others, the following – Little Grebe, Cormorant, about 8 Little Egrets, Grey Heron sitting on a nest in a heronry with at least one young visible, 4 Mute Swans seen taking off from the water (a spectacular sight and sound), Sparrowhawk, Buzzard (with some display activity noted), Kestrel, Grey Plover (about 50 in the harbour), Black-tailed Godwit (about 70 in the harbour and 30 roosting at a pool), about 40 more Curlew in a field, Redshank, many Gulls including 3 Mediterranean Gulls, Green Woodpecker, Cetti’s Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Linnet, Reed Bunting, 3 Swallows and a couple of House Martins just arriving in the country after migration.

After lunch taken in a cafe in the village, the group moved round to the Sidlesham Ferry Information Centre car-park and walked the circuit, taking in views of the Ferry Pool and embankment of the Harbour, just making it back to our cars as a sharp downfall of rain came through. Here, there were some good views of amongst others, a number of Avocets

A total of some 51 species was either seen or heard by at least one member of the group, which was an amazing total in just a few hours of bird watching and just shows what a great place Pagham Harbour is for anybody to visit to view our wildlife. It comes thoroughly recommended, and the Group hope to visit again soon.

The Bluebird cafe on Ferring seafront has applied for a ‘pub’ – type licence enabling alcohol to be sold between 10am and midnight six days a week (10.30pm on Sundays). At present, there is a ‘restaurant’ – type licence where alcohol can only be served with a substantial meal, indoors only, between 10am and 11pm.

Also the owner wishes to extend his operating hours for music and dancing until 12.30am six days a week.

Ferring Conservation Group values the facility of a beachfront cafe and restaurant in the village, as well as its occasional use for late evening private parties, but we feel that the possible advent of a pub and in effect a night club up to six days a week until 12.30am in this residential location is not sustainable. We consider that there would be unreasonable problems of noise and disturbance, an increase in anti social behaviour, more litter and an increase of late night traffic in the narrow unlit residential roads leading to and from the cafe.

We are objecting to this application, as is Ferring Parish Council. If you agree and would like to lodge your own objection, please do so to by e mailing  – licensing@arun.gov.uk. The reference number is 14483.

Please see below our formal response to the Arun DC consultation on the much loved Tamarisk trees on Pattersons Walk, which has been sent to Martyn Burkinshaw at Arun. If you feel strongly as we do that these trees should be preserved, then please send your own response to him in writing at the Parks Department, Bognor Regis Town Hall, Clarence Road, Bognor Regis PO21 1LD by 1st Jan – please include your name and address for weighting purposes. If you are unable to send a letter as above, then you can e mail via parks@arun.go.uk, but still include your name and address please. The reasons for this consultation are in the recent Parish Flyer.

As the Chairman of Ferring Conservation Group, I am writing a formal response to the consultation on the Pattersons Walk Tamarisk trees in Ferring.

Having been present at our meeting last Friday (Nov 27), you will be very much aware of the strong feelings of our membership that the trees must be maintained in their present form as we feel that they form an integral and important part of the Ferring beach scene which have been there for many years. They act as an effective wind break and a very valuable habitat for wildlife, especially birds who use them for rest, roosting and as a source of food. We accept that there has to be some regular maintenance to stop them growing out of control and blocking the footpath or the raised concrete blockhouse area. We feel that this should be light cutting and would prefer this to be by hand rather than by large machinery, although we accept that the financial constraints of the local authority may mean that the latter is the preferred option.

We would stongly urge that the maintenance is decided by the opinions of the majority of Ferring residents rather than by the odd one or two who presumably back on to the area and may feel that they have a vested interest. We would also urge that these residents are dissuaded from taking the matter into their own hands and cutting back the trees themselves as has happened recently. This might be by writing to the few people involved and reminding them that these public space trees are there for the benefit of all, and not for them to do as they see fit without any prior permission from Arun DC.

Dressed appropriately for predicted showers 20 keen members of Ferring Conservation Group set out on a ‘Tree Identification Walk’ led by Tricia Hall our Group’s knowledgeable wildlife expert.

Our route took us from the Bluebird Café car park in Ferring along the west bank of the River Rife and across to Kingston Village. Jane Hayman from Ferring Conservation Group said ‘Tricia challenged us to try to identify 10 trees along the way and gave us further facts to add to our knowledge as we came to each tree’.

The first tree correctly identified by the walkers was a White Poplar. This untidy looking tree has dark green-grey leaves with a white downy underside. The bark is pale grey with lines of black diamond-shaped pores called lenticels. Once fertilised female catkins develop into fluffy cotton-like seeds.

Further along the bank a graceful Crack Willow was spotted, one of 300 species of willow worldwide. It is one of Britain’s largest native trees and is named after the sound made when its branches and twigs fall to the ground. It is found growing alongside rivers and lakes and is often planted to stabilise banks. The willow tree bark is a source of salicylic acid. This substance is used to produce aspirin, one of the most popular pharmaceutical agents.

As a kestrel hovered overhead we headed west away from the river towards Kingston Village. Treading carefully along the muddy paths we successfully identified an English Elm tree and Tricia informed us that ‘Dutch Elm Disease’ actually originated in trees in the USA. The word ‘Dutch’ was applied because the disease was identified by phytopathologists in Holland. This disease is caused by a fungus invading the water conducting system of trees and has killed over 60 million British elms in two epidemics and continues to spread today.

As our Group headed back towards the west bank of the Rife we came across a majestic Perdunculate or English Oak tree. These trees grow to between 20 to 40 metres tall and have leaves that typically have little stem and grow in bunches. Its fruit, commonly known as the acorn, grow on long stalks and are a popular food for squirrels. For thousands of years Oak was the prized hardwood timber used for ship building until the mid-nineteenth century, and remains a popular wood for house building. It is commonly used today for flooring, furniture, and wine barrels.

As our walk came to an end and we made our way northwards to the Country Centre for some well-deserved refreshment we reflected on our eye-opening journey into our dependence on trees and the benefits they have to all mankind and how every tree has its own story to tell.