Storrington Business Community

FORMATION OF STORRINGTON BUSINESS ACTION TEAM

Starting from this summer of 2026, there is a fresh approach to establish a group to support businesses and encourage economic growth in Storrington and the surrounding area.

With the support of the local business owners, Rob Leet who heads up the Enterprise Team at Horsham District Council, is providing a lead to work with our local businesses, community organisations and partners to identify opportunities, bring people together and help turn ideas into practical projects that benefit the local economy. This initiative was at the invitation of local business owners, Parish and District Councillors and community groups who had previously been active to support the local economy.

The ambition is to establish a Storrington Business Action Team – a group of local businesses and individuals with the passion, experience and knowledge to help shape the future of the village. This isn’t about creating another committee; it’s about creating a proactive network that can identify opportunities, solve problems and turn good ideas into practical action.

Rob’s aspiration is for the Business Action Team to be a focused, collaborative group that identifies opportunities, agrees clear priorities and works collectively to deliver them. Meetings will provide the opportunity to share ideas, review progress and agree next steps, with much of the activity taking place between meetings as members take forward projects that make a real difference to Storrington.

The Storrington Business Action Team will also become part of a wider network of Business Action Teams across the south of Horsham District. This will enable communities to share ideas, learn from one another, collaborate on initiatives and develop stronger, more ambitious projects than any one community could deliver alone. It will also place us in a stronger position to attract external investment and funding, influence strategic decisions and ensure that opportunities benefiting the wider area also bring tangible benefits to Storrington and its businesses.

INITIAL MEETINGS

A first meeting was held 23 July 2026 attended by about 35 representatives from local businesses.
We discussed the purpose of the Business Action Team, the importance of businesses working collaboratively to strengthen the village economy, and how, by focusing on practical projects and shared priorities, we can collectively make a real difference for Storrington’s businesses, residents and visitors.

Rob led us through a survey method to gather an anonymous consensus. See the results here:

• Listening, Understanding, Acting
• Turning Evidence into Action

A second meeting held on 22 September 2026 discussed:

• Establishing effective communication across Storrington’s Business Community (this emerged as an important first priority)
• Christmas Festive Evening event: the businesses present were not fully aware of the arrangements for this year’s event on 3 December – a need for improved communication.
• Initiating a monthly market: A potential market operator, and prospective stallholders have expressed an interest.
• Attractive Village priority: Storrington’s existing floral displays are already a real asset. Some practical issues were raised around the shopping precinct, including access to water for maintaining planting and the recent removal of litter bins, which is contributing to litter. Rob is following this up with the owner.
• Wayfinding and Signage: some existing signage is outdated or inaccurate and additional signs could help visitors navigate the village and discover businesses away from the main High Street. This has been surveyed by a business owner previously and they will be review their work to bring forward an updated proposal.
• Shop Frontage Appearance: all businesses asked to keep their frontage clear of weeds and litter.

FUTURE MEETINGS OF STORRINGTON BUSINESS ACTION TEAM

NEXT MEETING: 8am to 9am, Thursday 22 October 2026 at Storrington Village Hall

Details of meetings are published on this page. Meetings are currently held at Storrington Village Hall, 59 West Street, RH20 4DZ between 8am and 9am.

The meetings are open to all local business owners and supporting organisations. If you are receiving email invitations, just come along. If you’d like to participate, please email storringtonBBC@gmail.com

If you do not want to be on the distribution list, please notify that email address and your contact details will be removed.