Last Saturday, visitors at the Arundel Wetland Centre were surprised to be joined by the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, who was enjoying a sunny day out with his wife and children.
The 60-acre reserve is situated at the foot of the Offham Hangar, which is part of the picturesque Arun Valley in Arundel. The popular local attraction includes a boating safari, and hideaways to peek at rare birds in their natural habitat.
Last year I was delighted to visit myself, for the opening of their newest exhibits, the Coast Creek aviary and the Pelican Cove. The Centre’s enthusiasm for wetland conservation is clear and I would encourage any constituents looking for a day out to support their work with a visit.
In order to welcome visitors to our county, it is important to make it accessible. That is why I celebrating Arun District Council’s successful bid to secure £227,000 from the Government’s Changing Places Toilet fund. This will provide for six new wheelchair-accessible toilets to be constructed in Arundel and nearby towns.
This funding is in addition to the £19.4 million from the Levelling Up Fund which was secured by the Council with my support, which will help to deliver other major improvements to the area. These new facilities will support those who want to enjoy everything Arun has to offer – supporting our local economy and improving quality of life for visitors and locals alike.
I likewise welcome the news that Angmering’s Community Land Trust has been awarded a £113,770 grant from the Government. The money will help to deliver 12 new homes at Mayflower Way for locally affordable rent for those who have a local connection to Angmering parish, and they expect to sign contracts with the developer before the end of April. The CLT is supported by the parish council, South Downs National Park Authority, Arun District Council, the National CLT Network and Action in Rural Sussex.
The Angmering Community Land Trust (CLT) also recently exchanged contracts on three newly-built homes at Swallows Gate in Dappers Lane, which are all now allocated to people from Angmering.
I believe CLTs are one of the best solutions to providing genuinely affordable homes for truly local people. Community-led projects should be at the heart of the planning process. There are a number of such projects in Arundel and South Downs and I look forward to continuing to give them my full support.
