During its first decade of existence the CVRA, together with support from the Campaign for the Preservation of Rural England (CPRE), of which it is a Member, commented vigorously upon Catherington local issues and the surrounding countryside. Notable among these local issues were Catherington Down, and the threat to countryside posed by major Housing Developers and some local individual planning applications, especially where these abutted the Catherington Village Conservation Area which was created in 2003 partly as a result of CVRA pressure.

As a result of this, CVRA was able to persuade HCC to install ‘Heritage’ style lamposts in the Conservation Area when HCC implemented its County-wide lamppost replacement scheme.

The CVRA also offered constructive comment for the creation of the South Downs National Park (SDNP) in 2010 and a section of this Park abuts the Village. The CVRA succeeded in persuading HPC to convert the Old (Catherington Village) School Playing Field into a local picnic area.

A semi-protected pedestrian crossing with bollards was also created, at CVRA and others’ request, to improve safety for children and others moving to and from the HPC car park and the Infants School; and ‘No Waiting’ traffic signs established at this point.

The CVRA successfully achieved, after some 5 years deliberation, HCC recognition of a long-established footpath running from ‘The Creek’ to an area behind Catherington Church. CVRA members regularly monitor the condition of footpaths within the CVRA Area and report findings to HPC.

An ongoing problem area for CVRA remains the area of Downland (now in the SDNP) opposite Catherington Hill which is now protected by a Government ‘Article 4’ Order.

Efforts to preserve the Village Pond have seemed spasmodic.

The most serious and frustrating problem faced by the CVRA throughout its life has been the problem of excessive traffic speed in Catherington Lane. Despite 4 fatalities, continuing efforts to persuade the local Police and the Traffic Department of HCC to take this seriously have fallen on deaf ears. For a period of nearly 3 years, members of CVRA together with others from the HPC Area, erected Speed Indicator Devices (SIDs) within the HPC Area which clearly demonstrate that traffic speee in Catherington Lane and Lovedean Lane (also in the CVRA Area) was regularly far in excess of national speed limits. The CVRA will continue to press for speed reduction measures in its Area.

There has also been an ongoing traffic problem in White Dirt Lane, less of speed than of traffic usage to the hazarding of pedestrians, cyclists an horse-riders. The CVRA will continue to seek measures to improve safety in this Lane.

The CVRA contributed much to HPC’s adoption of the local ‘Horndean in the Next Decade’ (HIND) Report, in pursuance of all the CVRA constitutional aims.

We therefore trust that in it s second Decade of existence, the CVRA will continue to serve its Residents in meeting their aims for the Countryside, for local Planning, and for local Traffic control.