projects
Scaynes Hill - Lindfield cycle/walkway
The Sustainability Group carried out surveys in 2021-22 which had 750 responses representing over 1700 people in Scaynes Hill and Lindfield and showed 97% supporting the proposal for a dedicated safe walking and cycling path between the two villages. As a result the Scaynes Hill – Lindfield Active Travel (SHLAT) group including representatives from County, District and Parish Councils was formed. The SHLAT group has prepared a Feasibility Study Report, considering alternative routes, consulting with landowners and selecting a preferred route. They have carried out outline designs, prepared a robust cost estimate and carried out a Benefit-Cost Analysis, which indicates the project should be considered medium/high priority and good value for money. The Feasibility Report has been published and submitted to responsible representatives at West Sussex County Council and Mid Sussex District Council, with whom a meeting was held and commitments made to take the project forward in due course.
The Common - wildflower meadow
Due to our increasing demand for cheap food leading to the spread of intensive agriculture across our countryside, some 97% of our wildflower meadows have been lost in the last few decades.
Wildflower meadows are important for biodiversity as they provide habitats and food sources for a huge variety of insects, mammals and birds. As an area of semi-natural acid grassland, the Common is already designated a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC), and the Sustainability Group have been working with Lindfield Rural Parish Council, who own the Common, to ensure that the area is optimally managed as a wildflower meadow.
Fruit and Veg share scheme
The fruit and veg share scheme was started by the Sustainability Group to avoid waste and share any excess with others as those who grow their own often have a glut of produce when it ripens. A stall with a stripy awning is put outside the church on a Tuesday morning from July to September. Those who have excess produce put it on the barrow and anyone who fancies it can take what they want. No money changes hands and everyone benefits.
The scheme was started in 2012 and has been very popular and much appreciated by those who use it. In 2019 a record was kept which showed that the scheme was used by 40 people exchanging nearly 30 different varieties of produce.
Future projects
The Sustainability Group meet regularly to discuss on-going projects and to plan future events and projects. If you have any suggestions or ideas that you think the Group could help implement or be involved in then do Contact Us to discuss as we would love to hear from you.