Home
Home
OgImage:

Buxted Parish Council

Buxted Parish Council came into being in 1894 when the present system of Parish Councils was instituted to give rural communities a voice. Buxted Parish covers some 7,000 acres with an electorate of about 2,500 out of a population of 3,200. It encompasses the villages of Buxted, High Hurstwood and Five Ash Down.

The parish is divided into two wards – Buxted/Five Ash Down (10 councillors) and High Hurstwood (5 councillors). Councils are elected for a term of 4 years. Council meetings are held on the second Tuesday in every month (except August), alternating between Buxted Reading Room, High Hurstwood Village Hall and Five Ash Down Village Hall, at 19.30. Meetings agendas are displayed one week in advance on the Parish notice boards in Buxted (on the Ionides Trust site), High Hurstwood (near The Hurstwood pub) and in Five Ash Down (outside the Village Hall) and on the website. The agenda includes a list of any planning applications received from Wealden District Council for consultation. All meetings of the Council and its committees are open to the public, who are welcome to ask questions or raise issues with the Council before the meetings formally begin.

An early requirement was to provide allotments, which we do. Councils can also support arts and crafts; contribute to maintenance of churchyards; protect commons, provide buildings for public meetings, functions and entertainment, maintain public footpaths and bridleways (jointly with ESCC), provide footway lighting (we don’t), provide and maintain public open spaces, and comment on planning applications.

We also take an active interest in highways matters, policy and our environment (e.g. trees and hedgerows). More and more we have to comment on government policies for local government and voice our electors’ concerns.

Parish assets include Buxted Reading Room, two recreation grounds (Buxted and High Hurstwood), two allotment areas in Buxted (recently re-generated) and High Hurstwood, children’s play areas in Buxted and High Hurstwood, and two bus shelters. The budget is set annually over the period October to December. Planned expenditure less income forms the ‘Parish Precept’ which is levied as part of annual Council Tax. Apart from meeting general running expenses of the council – specifically employing our Parish Clerk – the council makes grants to local organisations and contributes to local projects e.g. Buxted Traffic calming.

The Parish Council recognises the burden of Council Tax but is also conscious of local needs for improvements in the Parish that increasingly are not being covered by either County or District as they seek to keep within national government budgets. Before increasing Precept to cover costs of local improvements such as the recent traffic calming, the Parish Council ensures that such improvements are what our electorate want and are prepared to pay for.

Councillors sit on various committees (e.g. Finance, Planning, Communications) and outside bodies (e.g. Ionides Trust, Buxted Community Hall Trust). Each keeps an eye on different parts of the Parish, e.g. for planning purposes and trees.

Our Parish Clerks, Beccy Macklen & Claudine Feltham (01435 515219) clerk@buxted-pc.gov.uk, who act as the Council’s ‘proper officers’ on the Council’s behalf and under its direction. 

Latest Parish News

Have your say in Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne’s survey.

19

May 2025
Have your say in Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne’s survey.

Sussex PCC Katy Bourne has launched her annual survey seeking the views of residents across the county.

The Safer In Sussex Survey seeks to understand if residents have experienced crime, and looks at what measures would make them feel safer in their communities.

Responses to the survey will help Commissioner Bourne to understand where resources within Sussex Police may be better placed, where increased partnership working could help to drive down local issues, and to scrutinise the force on areas requiring improvement.

The survey is open now and will close at 23:00 30th October 2025.

Launching the survey, Mrs Bourne said: “As your elected voice within policing, the survey helps me understand your concerns and informs how I can effectively hold our Chief Constable to account for the performance of her force.

“Please take a moment to give me your feedback. You can also opt in to being contacted in the future to have a more detailed say in a focus group run by my office.”

You can complete PCC Katy Bourne’s survey here: https://forms.office.com/e/iXZt8BCssv

Any questions to the Commissioner or her office should please be directed to pcc@sussex-pcc.gov.uk .

Local Government Reorganisation consultation for residents launched

15

May 2025
Local Government Reorganisation consultation for residents launched

Residents are being invited to take part in a consultation that will help reshape local government and how services are run in the future.

The government wants to reorganise local government so that everyone in East Sussex gets their services from just one council. This could mean East Sussex County Council, Eastbourne Borough Council, Hastings Borough Council, Lewes District Council, Rother District Council and Wealden District Council, would be replaced by a single authority.

Other options could also be considered if they attract wide public support and government backing.

Local Government Reorganisation is set to be the most radical shake-up of local government in decades and people are being encouraged to have their say.

With a new council expected to be elected in 2027 and start work in 2028, the county council and district and borough councils are working on plans and asking residents for their views.

Wealden council leader Councillor James Partridge said, “Acting on the government’s request, we have worked with our colleagues in councils in East Sussex to draw up an initial plan for a single local authority for East Sussex that could provide best quality and value for all its 550,000 residents.

“We now need to know what local residents, businesses and the voluntary sector think about this so that we can make a plan which will deliver the greatest benefits to our communities. Final, detailed proposals have to be submitted to the government in September.”

The consultation is now available to complete online at www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/EastSussexLGR/

until Monday 23 June.

In the interim plan, East Sussex County Council and the five district and borough councils have set out what they believe any new local authority would have to achieve including:

• Improving outcomes for residents and communities

• Making best use of resources now and for the future

• Enhance local democracy, local identity, transparency, accessibility, local decision making and accountability

• Support and drive decision making and public service reform at both Sussex and local level

• Provide a stronger and unified voice to help attract investment and tackle priorities

More information about Local Government Reorganisation in East Sussex can be found at www.eastsussexcouncils.org

My Parish
°C
Weather Humidity percentage %
mph
Weather Description
FRI Weather Day One ° °
SAT Weather Day two ° °
SUN Weather Day three ° °
MON Weather Day four ° °
TUE Weather Day five ° °