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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

Pension Credit - Are you Eligible

16

October 2024
Pension Credit - Are you Eligible

Could you be eligible for pension credit?

Have a look at the links below to find out more and how to apply

Roadside Adverts and Fly-posters - the Rules!

15

October 2024
Roadside Adverts and Fly-posters - the Rules!

Following some emotive comments on social media this week about signs and fly-posters on verges, the Parish Council has asked ESCC Highways for the definitive rules which are as follows:

EAST SUSSEX HIGHWAYS GUIDELINES AND ACCEPTANCE OF PLACEMENT OF ADVERTISING POSTERS UPON THE HIGHWAY WITHIN A RURAL ENVIRONMENT

We will tolerate these provided they are charitable or community events, or seasonal produce (e.g. cherries, strawberries)

(Community = amateur dramatics/carnival/bonfire/parish events/seasonal produce)

Maximum of two signs on each approach road to the event.

  1. Signs to be placed at the back of the verge
  2. Signs are not permitted on street furniture
  3. Signs not to be placed within 60m of a junction
  4. Signs not to be erected more than 7 days before the event
  5. Signs to be removed within 24 hours of the event
  6. Signs not to exceed 0.6 square metre in area. (Approx 2 feet by 2 feet.)

Enquirers placing signs do so at their own risk and should be advised that they may wish to take out public liability insurance recommended five million pounds.

NO COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING

NO METAL POSTS

SIGNS PLACED OUT NOT COMPLYING WITH THESE GUIDELINES MAY BE SUBJECT TO REMOVAL WITHOUT NOTICE.

The poster policy was always aimed at rural locations, within towns there are shop windows and other locations that can be used, in rural areas the availability of locations and opportunity to draw the event to the attention of people is restricted

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