The Wealden Local Plan has been published and the consultation has started. This runs from 5pm on Friday 15th March 2024 to 5pm on Friday 10th May 2024 and sets out the vision for development and associated environment and infrastructure up until 2040.

Development has been allocated in Buxted and Ringles Cross/Five Ash Down and we would need your views so the Parish Council can provide feedback to Wealden and our local WDC Councillor.

Please come along to the Annual Assembly to look at the allocated sites and tell us what you think.

Wealden Community Infrastructure and Spaces Fund – is now open for applications!

Wealden District Council are pleased to announce that the Community Infrastructure and Spaces capital grants programme in now open to apply

This new funding programme has been made available through the Government Rural England Prosperity Fund. The England-wide fund is a new £110million, two-year capital fund from DEFRA complementary to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund run by the Department of Levelling Up Housing and Communities. It is a top up for eligible authorities, such as Wealden District Council, which have already submitted an investment plan for UKSPF, to address the extra needs of rural areas.

The programme is a capital only fund, which means applicants must spend the grants on assets such as equipment and features which help to create or improve spaces/ facilities or infrastructure where the benefits last more than 12 months.

Wealden District Council has allocated £121,259.90 towards the Community Infrastructure and Spaces Grants Programme and are asking Town and Parish Councils and not for profit organisations to apply for between £1,000 and £20,000 for projects that benefit the residents of the Wealden District.

This will be a rolling programme and applications will be processed on a first come first served basis. The fund closes in Autumn 2024, or sooner if all funds are allocated.

See below table which details the level of match funding needed for each funding programme:

Successful applications will be given a set period to spend their grant on a case-by-case basis. Final payments will be defrayed once the project has been completed and evidence of spend submitted. All projects must be completed and money spent by end of January 2025.

What the capital grant can be used on:

For small grants programme only:

For small and large grants programme only:

If you interested in applying for this programme, please email a brief summary including the points below:

• A summary on what your project is,

• How much you want to apply for,

• Confirmation that match-funding is in place,

Please send through your expression of interest to communitygrants@wealden.gov.uk and WDC’s Economic Development and Wellbeing team will be in touch to confirm whether a full application can be submitted.

For the full guidance notes, application form and scoring sheet, please go to: https://www.wealden.gov.uk/information-for-businesses/economic-development-and-growth/rural-england-prosperity-fund/wealden-community-infrastructure-and-spaces-fund/

If you are interested in becoming a Parish Councillor or finding out more, please contact the clerks on clerk@buxted-pc.gov.uk

Residents and organisations across Wealden are being asked to take part in a climate change survey.

Wealden District Council is creating a new Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan and is asking residents across Wealden to take part in a survey to gather opinions on climate change action in the district.

The survey takes on average 15 minutes to answer and the views and opinions expressed from feedback will help to form the new strategy and plan, and ensure it meets the needs of local communities, captures climate action taking place already and reflects future priorities.

A council spokesperson said, “We are committed to promoting sustainable development and enhancing the quality of life for residents and businesses across the district. Through collaborative efforts and community engagement, we strive to address pressing environmental challenges and build a vibrant, resilient future for Wealden.”

To complete the surveys, visit Climate Change | Let's Talk Wealden. The survey will be open for eight weeks and closes Friday 10 May 2024 at 12pm. For more information residents can contact the Climate Change team at sustainability@wealden.gov.uk

Changes to some waste collection rounds in Wealden will be made to further improve the performance and efficiency of the service.

The current collection schedule for rubbish and recycling will be changing for some properties from Monday 15 April. This will not affect the garden waste collection service which will continue as normal.

Not all collections will be changing, but residents within Wealden whose collection will be altered will receive a letter and an updated collection calendar. Updates on the changes and further information is available on the council’s website www.wealden.gov.uk/collection-schedule-changes.

Residents are being encouraged to continue to put bins out by 7am on collection days as the collection time is likely to change even if the collection day stays the same.

Councillor Gareth Owen-Williams, Alliance for Wealden (Liberal Democrat) and lead councillor for Waste and Customer Services, said, “Following a review, a decision has been made to change the way that some waste collections are made. This is to make the service more streamlined and efficient for residents and the collectors. We appreciate the patience of our residents during this time.”

Businesses across Wealden can look forward to a free one-day sustainability workshop, helping them cut their carbon footprint and save money on energy and waste bills.

The session – on Thursday 20 June at the Horsted Place Hotel, Little Horsted, Uckfield -is one of several Net Zero 360 workshops, developed by the University of Brighton’s Clean Growth UK, to help businesses unlock the benefits of sustainability action.

Those benefits include cutting costs, winning new customers, attracting and retaining employees, meeting larger businesses’ supply chain requirements, and boosting investment prospects.

The workshops are run in partnership with Wealden District Council and exclusively for businesses in the area. They are part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

A previous Net Zero 360 attendee said: "A must for all businesses. Excellent course delivered by passionate presenters. This will genuinely support our organisation's work."

By the end of the workshops, attendees will have covered:

• Jargon busting, such as the difference between net zero and carbon neutral
• The full picture on where a business’s carbon emissions come from
• How to measure a carbon footprint
• How to create an action plan that will maximise cost and carbon savings
• How to boost marketing messages around sustainability

The workshop is part of Wealden District Council’s commitment to sustainability and helping make businesses resilient in the face of fluctuating energy costs and climate change.

They are open to micro, small and medium size businesses, including not for profit organisations and charities.

Councillor Paul Coleshill, Alliance for Wealden (Liberal Democrat) and lead councillor for Climate Change & Economy, said, “These free one-day workshops will help your business, any not-for-profit organisation, or charity, to become more sustainable, save money on energy bills and cut your carbon footprint.

“If you work or run an enterprise of any sort in Wealden district, please book a session. They are designed to help your business help the planet."

Check out the Clean Growth UK events page to see all workshop dates. People can book the Wealden date at https://www.clean-growth.uk/events/net-zero-360-free-sustainability-course-in-wealden/

Notes to editors

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus

The University of Brighton’s Clean Growth UK helps businesses access expertise and resources to tackle their carbon footprint and develop and commercialise low carbon products and services. For more information, visit: https://www.clean-growth.uk/

You may be aware that Wealden District Council is creating a new Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan. As part of this process we are asking our residents and local organisations to fill out a survey to gather opinions on climate change action in the district. This information and local insight will help inform our new strategy.

We have created two surveys, the first is our resident survey which is open to individual responses for anyone who lives in the district. The second is our organisation survey which is open to any type of organisation, council, community group and business based in the district.

We kindly request your participation in the organisation survey. Your assistance in facilitating responses will greatly aid our efforts in gaining a diverse range of perspectives.

To complete the surveys, go to our climate change hub Climate Change | Let's Talk Wealden

Both surveys will close on Friday 10^th May at 12pm.

Please be aware that the following works will be carried out:-

Royal Oak Lane, Buxted is a no through road, a diversion route is not applicable.( Apologies no map was provided with this application).

Advance warning signs will be placed on site advising of actual date of works

If you need to discuss this further please contact:

I & A Communications Ltd (on behalf of BT Openreach) on 0845 200 4035

Please be aware that the following works will be carried out:-

Diversion Via - U7861 Tibbs Mill Lane - Fowley Lane – C402 Hurstwood Road and vice versa..(please see map attached)

Advance warning signs will be placed on site advising of actual date of works

If you need to discuss this further please contact:

I & A Communications Ltd (on behalf of BT Openreach) on 0845 200 4035

The new Street Learning programme for April to July 2024 has been released and the booklet, detailing the courses, is now available.

Wealden and Eastbourne residents, aged 19 and above, can attend a range of academic, wellbeing, and practical courses free of charge.

Courses are designed to help residents boost their confidence, employment opportunities, develop existing skills, learn something new or meet new people.

The courses are delivered in community venues located throughout the district including Uckfield, Heathfield, Hailsham, and Crowborough. Some courses are also available online.

Councillor Paul Coleshill, Alliance for Wealden (Liberal Democrat), and lead councillor for Climate Change and Economy, said, “The Street Learning courses have shown to be popular amongst residents looking to achieve a new skill, increase their social life or create better employment opportunities. If you are any age over 19, have a look at what courses are available in our district. Everyone can learn something new!”

Street Learning is a project supported by Wealden District Council in partnership with ACRES (Adult College for Rural East Sussex), East Sussex College, East Sussex Country Council Libraries, Job Centre Plus, GRH Training, Compass Community Arts and Heathercroft.

Notes for editors

For further details on the street learning courses, case studies and a series of short promotional video’s visit www.wealden.gov.uk/streetlearning, or @StreetLearning.Wealden;on Facebook.

Cllr Graham Shaw, District Councillor Report for Buxted Parish Council

Consultation on Local Plan (“Regulation 18”)

The first steps in consulting residents, community groups and businesses across Wealden will be launched at 5pm on Friday 15th March, ending at 5pm on Friday 10th May. The draft Local Plan contains a wealth of information and proposals, ranging from possible development sites, sites Wealden does not think appropriate, as well as approaches to ensuring the quality and types of housing, promoting climate change and net zero, protecting the natural environment and habitats, promoting employment, flooding, infrastructure etc.

Councillors are committed to making the consultation as open and effective as possible. We are encouraging everyone in Wealden to take part, not only telling us what you disagree with, but also what you support and what we could more we could do.

You can register to be informed about the start of the consultation at: https://consult.wealden.gov.uk/kse/

There will be several opportunities for you to engage and comment, including:

- an online, virtual exhibition, which will provide information about the key aspects of the plan and opportunities to comment,

- 9 face-to-face exhibitions across the district, the closest to Buxted being: Maresfield Village Hall, Monday 25th March, 14.00-20.00, Uckfield Civic Centre, Saturday 13th April, 10.00-16.00 Crowborough Community Centre, Saturday 20th April, 10.00-1600.

- a Community Forum for Buxted residents on Saturday 27th April, 10.00-12.15, at St. Marys’ Church Hall, to further consider the Local Plan and discuss with me your views and ideas.

The draft Plan is the outcome of enormous amounts of work by both Council officers and councillors, seeking to balance the top-down pressures from Government, alongside local needs for appropriate housing, protecting our natural environment and considering the limits of local infrastructure. As the local councillor I voted to establish this consultation. It doesn’t mean I agree with everything in the Plan! But I am convinced that having a Local Plan will be better than what we have had for the last few years – namely, a developer “free-for-all” and a deluge of planning applications and costly appeals. I really encourage you to get involved and make your voice heard so that the next draft of the Plan reflects your views, both positive and negative.

Buxted Primary School

I spent a very enjoyable afternoon with this years “Green Team” of pupils from the school. Their energy in wanting to address important environmental issues inside and outside the school (such as litter, energy use and recycling) gives me hope for the future. Alongside this, year 6 pupils will be undertaking an environment module, including work on traffic, pollution, air and water quality, and carbon footprints. It would be great for them to get a wider UPDATE MARCH 2024 Through direct mailing and various networks, this update currently goes to about 350 people around Buxted. Please feel free to forward to any friends or networks of which you are a member. audience for their work and I hope we can arrange this; and if you have some expertise you would like to offer the school, I am sure they would be happy to discuss this.

Council Tax rises

You will no doubt be aware that council tax will increase this year, as the costs of delivering services continue to rise and Government support for local authorities remains insufficient. Some of the “big ticket” items, such as adult and children’s social care are not the responsibility of the District Council, however, other areas, such as responding to increasing homelessness, especially of families, are our responsibility. The Council recently agreed a conservative budget *(with a small C) to avoid unnecessary expenditure, control spending, and well manage reserves. This means the Wealden Districts share of council tax will rise by 2.99%.

Council Tax Reduction Scheme

Alongside increases in council tax we are continuing to support financially vulnerable council taxpayers. They can continue to benefit from an enhanced CTRS. Under the new scheme, agreed by the Council recently, a single person could receive a 100% reduction if their earnings are up to £103.82 per week. For a couple with no children this is £152.32pw; for a couple or single parent with one child this is £214.90pw; and for a couple or single parent with two or more children this is £272.25. We are very aware that, whilst residents pay may have gone up, living costs have risen even more. Further details are on the Council website but if you need assistance, please contact me.

Downlands Farm Appeal

This concluded recently with the Planning Inspector supporting the Councils decision to oppose the application for 400+ dwellings alongside the A22. In announcing that the appeal was dismissed, the planning inspector said the main issues were the effects of the proposal on Ancient Woodland; on protected species and whether the proposal provides adequate mitigation in relation to the potential effects of the proposal on Ashdown Forest Special Protection Area (SPA) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC); on the highways network including whether the scheme provides safe and suitable access for all users; on heritage assets, including non-designated heritage assets and historic landscape character: and finally, whether the proposal would be in an appropriate location, having regard to local and national policies which advocate development in locations which are accessible to local services and restraint to development in a countryside location.

Grants for Rural Businesses Wealden has won £500,000 to provide grants to support a range of rural businesses, including the purchase of equipment and machinery, adaptation of premises, the creation or expansion of rural leisure and tourism businesses and farm diversification outside of agriculture. The fund closes on December 31, 2024, or when all funds are allocated. More information about the grant scheme and details of how to apply can be found at www.eastsussex.gov.uk/business/support/grants/ruralbusinessgrants

…and finally… 

Congratulations to those campaigning for the re-opening of the footpath 23 from Chillies Lane to meet footpath 24 towards “Stroods”. I know lots of local residents are looking forward to being able to walk the path, after so many years closure, but let’s hope this will be accompanied by better weather.

Contact me on cllr.graham.shaw@wealden.gov.uk

Wealden’s website is www.Wealden.gov.uk

The Wealden Local Plan.

This is not a County Council responsibility, but the effects of the Plan will be so fundamental to our local area for generations to come so we must all get involved.

There are many proposals in the consultation which will affect us all but two in particular are a source of great anxiety.

One is the potential massive expansion of the Maresfield Business Park on a new 77-acre site which most people know about. It is not specifically part of the Plan, but it is part of the consultation. If we don’t resist it, we may suddenly find a planning application is approved and we can do nothing to stop it . Now is the time to act.

The other is a possible development of over 2000 houses at Owlsbury. This land goes from Buckham Hill and Rocks Road through to Little Horsted although the Suitable Alternative Natural Green Space will remain. This is on the west side of the A22 opposite the Ridgewood site which is currently being built out. This will have a profound effect on our rural area.

Again, this is not in the Plan but part of the consultation.

The two proposals will mean a new Greater Uckfield township. If we need a new township this is in the wrong place and will mean massive environmental damage.

SABRE, the group opposing the Business Park expansion, have done a huge amount of work on these and other proposals. You can find out more by contacting them on sabreowl.com or sabre2023@btinternet.com

They provide a ready way for you to respond, and we need hundreds, no thousands, of people to do.

PLEASE ACT BEFORE MAY 10^th

Local Transport Plan.

There is a very outline proposal in this Plan which suggests a dualling of the A22 Uckfield. Bypass. Having made further enquiries, I can reassure you this is not an imminent scheme. It will take years to assess, and it may never happen.

This is also true of the Uckfield to Lewes Railway line which would not even be considered until the 2030s/2040s.

Footpath 24 High Hurstwood.

Restoration of this key footpath from High Hurstwood has been a matter of concern for some time. The excellent team who put together a petition presented it to The County Council on February 6^th.

The landowner and insurers now seem to have an agreement for a way forward and we are looking for the work to begin from June onwards so that the footpath may be open again in the Autumn.

Roy Galley

March 2024

Roy Galley. cllr.roy.galley@eastsussex.gov.uk

01825 713018

An enhanced Council Tax Reduction Scheme has been approved, providing residents with more financial support

Residents on low incomes are entitled to have their Council Tax reduced – sometimes to zero.

As of 1 April 2024, residents can earn more compared to last year and still receive help with their Council Tax.

Under the enhanced scheme, a single person could receive a 100% reduction in their Council Tax if their earnings are up to £103.82 a week; a couple with no children could earn up to £153.32 a week; a couple or lone parent with one child could earn up to £214.90 and a couple/lone parent with two or more children could earn up to £275.25.

Councillor Rachel Millward, Alliance for Wealden (Green Party), and lead councillor for Housing & Benefits and deputy leader of the council, said, “I am so pleased that the council has agreed to increase income bandings for the 2024 Council Tax Reduction Scheme.

“Last year the council increased the maximum level of reduction of Council Tax to 100%. This has worked well and, perhaps surprisingly, we have collected more Council Tax following this change, even in this Cost-of-Living crisis.

“The scheme uses income bands to decide how big a reduction a household can have. Residents’ pay may well have gone up last year, but costs have risen even more. So, if the bands had stayed the same, they might have lost out under the scheme. So, we have increased the amounts that households can earn and still qualify for the scheme.

“This will make a real difference to our most financially vulnerable Council Tax payers at a time when so many are struggling to make ends meet.”

An eight-week public consultation will start in March 2024 regarding the recently agreed Wealden Draft Local Plan.

The Draft Local Plan Regulation 18 document was agreed at a Full Council meeting and will be consulted on alongside its supporting Sustainability Appraisal.

The consultation dates are now confirmed, meaning the consultation period will run from 5pm, Friday 15 March to 5pm, Friday 10 May 2024.

Alongside the face-to-face exhibitions, Wealden District Council will launch a virtual exhibition accessed via the council’s website so that residents who cannot or do not want to visit the face-to-face exhibitions can still partake in the consultation. Interested parties wishing to be notified when the consultation commences can register using the consultation portal at https://consult.wealden.gov.uk/kse

Councillor Ian Tysh, Alliance for Wealden (Green Party), and lead councillor for Planning and Environment, said, “It is important that everyone has their say on the Local Plan as it affects everyone living in Wealden. There is an online consultation which can be accessed by residents at the comfort of their own home, as well as face-to-face consultations which are spread across various venues in the district.

“I would like to encourage residents, businesses, and communities to give their views as this will help shape the final version of the Local Plan.”

The locations of the face-to-face consultations are confirmed below.

Buxted Symphony Orchestra is holding its Spring concert at 3.00 pm on Saturday 16th March in St. Margaret's Church in Buxted Park. Come along and enjoy an afternoon of excellent music from Mendelssohn and Beethoven, featuring the welcome return of our guest soloist, Miriam Teppich. Tickets, priced at £14 for adults (students & under 18s free) are available in advance from Gale & Woolgar Jewellers in Uckfield High Street (cash only) or on the day (card or cash).

A Council Tax increase of £6.23 a year has been approved by Wealden District Council.

The decision to increase the amount by 2.99% was approved by the council’s Cabinet Committee and ratified at a meeting of the Full Council this week.

It means households living in Band D properties will pay an additional 12p a week for its share of the Council Tax for 2024/25, with other bands increased in line with the Council Tax formula.

Wealden council receives 9% of the Council Tax collected and that helps pay for refuse and recycling collections, planning, street cleaning, environmental protection, and free car parking.

The remainder of the Council Tax bill is shared to pay for a wide range of public services provided by East Sussex County Council, Sussex Police, East Sussex Fire and Rescue and local town and parish councils.

Councillor Greg Collins, Alliance for Wealden (Green Party), and lead councillor for Finance and HR, said, “Wealden District Council has decided to increase its share of Council Tax for all bands by 2.99% in 2024/2025. For example, for a typical band D property this means a rise in Wealden’s share of less than £7 a year.

“This rise is significantly below the current rate of inflation, is the same percentage as last year and the maximum allowable rise under central Government rules, as it was last year too. The funding Wealden gets from central government assumes that we will increase council tax by the maximum we are allowed.

“Your council continues to absorb significant cost pressures, just as we are all experiencing continued financial pressures personally. Council Tax simply must rise for the council to continue to provide its services to the community. Total Council Tax bills for Wealden residents will regrettably rise by much more than 2.99%, as people will see when their bills arrive.

“Wealden has no control over the rises made by the other authorities, on whose behalf it simply collects Council Tax, and which make up the lion’s share of residents’ Council Tax bills. Wealden itself only receives 9% of the Council Tax it collects. The services provided to residents from that 9% represent excellent value-for-money.”

IMPORTANT ROADWORKS INFORMATION 12 February 2024

Shepherds Hill, Buxted

Dear Resident / Business owner,

Balfour Beatty is working in partnership with East Sussex County Council to manage the highways service across East Sussex. As part of this, we will be carrying out targeted patch repairs in Shepherds Hill, Buxted

Once completed, these works will help improve the condition of the road surface.

When do they start?

Work will be carried out on Saturday 2 March between the hours of 8am – 4pm.

We will inform you of any changes to the dates or times via advanced warning signs on site.

How will this impact highway users?

The road will be closed to through traffic whilst the work is undertaken. A diversion route will be in place via Shepherds Hill, Nan Tucks Lane, Etchingwood Lane, Streele Lane, Barn Lane, Pound Lane, Shepherds Hill & vice versa.

If you need vehicle access, please discuss this with the team on site to see if this is possible. Please bear in mind, there will be delays whilst the area is made safe and your vehicle is escorted by site marshalls.

Information for residents and businesses

Parking: We will put out ‘no parking’ signs and cones on the site to advise where parking is restricted. Please avoid parking in these locations as it will delay our works.

Weather: All of these works are subject to favourable weather conditions, for example heavy rain may affect the progress of the works.

Properties close to the carriageway may experience a temporary disturbance as this can be a noisy process and those properties may experience flashing lights and reversing sirens.

We would like to take this opportunity to apologise in advance for any inconvenience or disruption this work may cause, however this forms part of our continuing improvement for the East Sussex highway network.

For information on roadworks and journey planning, visit www.One.Network.com. Please follow us on X (formerly Twitter)@esccroads or Facebook@EastSussexHighways for updates. If you would like to know more about East Sussex Highways and what we do, please visit our website www.eastsussexhighways.com.

Thank you,

East Sussex Highways

Wealden District Council’s Draft Local Plan has been approved and will go out for public consultation in March and sets out development for the district for the next 15-20 years. The document was discussed at an Extraordinary Meeting of Full Council on Thursday 8^th February, at which councillors approved it and agreed for the formal Regulation 18 consultation to begin in March. The consultation will run for eight weeks and people will be able to view the Draft Local Plan at a virtual exhibition and in-person drop-in sessions. The plan will have an impact predominantly for those who live in and around Five Ash Down, with some further development proposed in Buxted.

Here is the link to Local plan - (Public Pack)Agenda Supplement: Appendix 1 Draft Local Plan and maps Agenda Supplement for Local Plan Sub-Committee, 29/01/2024 10:00 (wealden.gov.uk) document. It is a very long document, but you can do a search for ‘Buxted’ and ‘Ringles Cross’ to find out how we could be affected. 

However, in brief the parish has been allocated the following housing numbers:

Land East of Coopers Green Road – 20

Land behind The Croft, Coopers Green Road – 15

Land Opposite Roundwood, Coopers Green Road – 20

Lower Totease Farm, Framfield Road, Buxted – 10

Land at The Walled Garden, Five Ash Down – 20

Land East of Great Totease Farm, Church Road, Buxted – 20

Land at Holly Farm, Station Road, Buxted – 20

Land at Mockbeggars Farm – 60

It does not necessarily mean all the above will be brought forward, but these are the sites that WDC consider suitable for development. We may not be able to stop development, but we would be very grateful for thoughts on any of these sites, specific issues relating to them, any gain we could try and obtain if we have to accept them e.g. we will be pushing very hard to have all four traffic crossings at Coopers Green pedestrianised.

The Parish Council will, of course, be responding to the consultation on behalf of residents. If you have any comments you would wish for us to consider and take forward, please do send them to clerk@buxted-pc.gov.uk as well as responding directly to WDC if you wish.

Wealden District Council’s Draft Local Plan has been approved and will go out for public consultation in March.

The document was discussed at an Extraordinary Meeting of Full Council on Thursday after which councillors approved it and agreed for the formal Regulation 18 consultation to begin in March.

The consultation will run for eight weeks and people will be able to view the Draft Local Plan at a virtual exhibition and in-person drop-in sessions.

If adopted, the Local Plan will provide a vision for the Wealden district, strategic and non-strategic planning policies to guide development and locations the council proposes for new homes, jobs and infrastructure to help meet the district’s needs.

Dates and details of the exhibition will be released at a later date.

Councillor Ian Tysh, Alliance for Wealden (Green Party), and lead councillor for Planning and Environment, said, “The council’s commitment to a new Local Plan is strong. We want a Local Plan to help ensure that development can be managed in accordance with strong innovative policies around climate change, the built and natural environment, biodiversity net gain, our local economy, housing standards and more besides.

“This is a Draft Local Plan and not the final one as we will be running a consultation and want our residents, businesses and communities to give their views.

Council leader James Partridge, Alliance for Wealden (Liberal Democrat) said, “Residents want a say in the future of our district. We don’t want it to stop adapting to meet the needs of present and future generations. We want it to go on being a great place to live and work and know it won’t if we don’t plan for it.

“We want the right houses, in the right places, with the right infrastructure and at a price which we have some hope of being able to pay. We want to preserve our heritage and as much green space as possible. We want nature restored. None of this will happen if we don’t have a plan to make it happen.”

People wishing to receive updates about the Draft Local Plan and to take part in the consultation process, should register using Wealden District Council’s consultation portal at https://consult.wealden.gov.uk/kse/

A decision to refuse planning permission for a 420-home development in Wealden has been backed by a planning inspector.

Wealden District Council originally turned down plans by developers to build on the site of Downlands Farm, Uckfield, in April last year.

The developers appealed and following a 10-day inquiry in December last year, the government’s planning inspector dismissed the appeal comprehensively backing Wealden council’s decision.

The outline application was for up to 424 residential dwellings including affordable housing, the provision of vehicular, pedestrian and cycle access and separate emergency access from the Uckfield bypass (A22), pedestrian and cycle access from Snatts Road, open spaces including children's play space, sustainable urban drainage systems, associated landscaping, infrastructure and earthworks.

The appeal was also against the refusal of a full application comprising of the creation of a strategic SANG, associated landscaping and car parking, and demolition of existing residential property and other buildings and provision of pedestrian and cycle access from Rocks Road, associated landscaping, infrastructure and earthworks.

In announcing that the appeal was dismissed, the planning inspector said the main issues were the effects of the proposal on Ancient Woodland; on protected species and whether the proposal provides adequate mitigation in relation to the potential effects of the proposal on Ashdown Forest Special Protection Area (SPA) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC); on the highways network including whether the scheme provides safe and suitable access for all users; on heritage assets, including non-designated heritage assets and historic landscape character: and finally, whether the proposal would be in an appropriate location, having regard to local and national policies which advocate development in locations which are accessible to local services and restraint to development in a countryside location.

Councillor Ian Tysh, Alliance for Wealden (Green Party), and lead councillor for Planning and Environment, said, “We are delighted that the Planning Inspector agreed with the council’s original decision to refuse this application and save this site from development.

“Downlands is an important area, a very, very special place, ecologically sensitive and enclosed on most sides by Ancient Woodland, with many veteran trees within. It also abuts Lake Wood, a local nature reserve run and owned by Sussex Wildlife Trust. I am pleased we have defended this land from what was a very hostile application which would have caused immeasurable damage to the Wealden landscape.”

A call for artists and makers to join in this years Crowborough Open Studios, on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th September. Previously artists from Buxted have participated and the organisers would love to welcome more. Full details can be found at www.crowborough-arts.org.uk Closing date for entries is 31st March

Balfour Beatty is working in partnership with East Sussex County Council to manage the highways service across East Sussex. As part of this, we will be carrying out drainage works in Limes Lane, Buxted.

Once completed, these works will help alleviate flooding to the carriageway and private property.

When do they start?

Work will be carried out from Monday 26 February and will continue for 5 days. We will inform you of any changes to the dates or times via advanced warning signs on site.

How will this impact highway users?

The team will be working between

The road will be closed between 9am and 4pm. A diversion route will be in place via Limes Lane, Framfield Road, A272 & vice versa.

If you need vehicle access, please discuss this with the team on site to see if this is possible. Please bear in mind, there will be delays whilst the area is made safe and your vehicle is escorted by site marshalls. Access for emergency vehicles will be maintained at all times.

Information for residents and businesses

Parking: If required, we will put out ‘no parking’ signs and cones on the site to advise where parking is restricted. Please avoid parking in these locations as it will delay our works.

Weather: All of these works are subject to favourable weather conditions, for example heavy rain may affect the progress of the works.

Properties close to the carriageway may experience a temporary disturbance as this can be a noisy process and those properties may experience flashing lights and reversing sirens.

We would like to take this opportunity to apologise in advance for any inconvenience or disruption this work may cause, however this forms part of our continuing improvement for the East Sussex highway network.

For information on roadworks and journey planning, visit www.One.Network.com. Please follow us on X (formerly Twitter)@esccroads or Facebook @EastSussexHighways for updates. If you would like to know more about East Sussex Highways and what we do, please visit our website www.eastsussexhighways.com.

Thank you,

East Sussex Highways

The watchdog responsible for regulating the water and sewerage industry has pledged to work more closely with local authorities across the south coast to hold Southern Water to account.

OFWAT, the Water Services Regulation Authority, agreed to better partnership working with local authorities at a recent meeting of the Southern Water Stakeholder Group, set up to put pressure on Southern Water in light of pollution and flooding concerns.

The pledge by OFWAT came following criticisms by councils that the watchdog has not been effective in holding Southern Water to account.

The Southern Water Stakeholder Group was initiated and is co-ordinated by Wealden District Council and includes representatives from more than 24 local authorities from the New Forest to Folkestone.

At its recent meeting this week, the Stakeholder Group was joined by Paul Hickey from OFWAT as well as representatives from Southern Water.

Council officials said responses from Southern Water were continuously slow and unacceptable and the company failed to deliver promised upgrades. They asked OFWAT what their local authorities could do to expedite complaints about Southern Water and how OFWAT carried out compliance checks against the company.

There were also criticisms of OFWAT that it was not monitoring Southern Water closely enough and checking in to see if the water company was working efficiently. They said a much clearer understanding was needed of how councils can work with OFWAT to resolve problems and called on the water regulator to help local authorities rather than waiting until something went wrong. They also want reassurance from OFWAT that water companies such as Southern Water are making promised investments to infrastructure happen.

Mr Hickey said OFWAT’s fundamental duty is to ensure that customer and environment interests are met but that it was keen as a growing organisation to have evidence in advance of concerns so it could hear from the water companies how those issues could be addressed.

Chair of the Southern Water Stakeholder group Wealden Councillor Rachel Millward said, “It was once again very useful for all the local authorities across the southeast to express their concerns and raise the local issues their residents face.

“However, the disappointing reality is that OFWAT – the regulatory body for our privatised water and sewerage industry - effectively allows Southern Water to mark its own homework, with no monitoring to ensure that promised improvements are made. OFWAT issues permits with conditions of upgrades to the system, but then fails to check that those happen. OFWAT effectively waits until the system breaks down and sewage pollution is a major problem, instead of taking preventative action of checking that required works are done. This clearly isn’t good enough for the national regulatory body.

“OFWAT should ensure Southern Water has a plan in place to make sure they do the upgrades and not just wait to the point of breaching the permit. We have major concerns about Southern Water’s performance and the resulting sewage pollution in our rivers and seas.

“While there is a complaints system, we are unable to see exactly how a local authority would raise those complaints with OFWAT or evidence that OFWAT is doing that work. We need much greater accountability and much clearer routes to improving the situation for our residents.

“We will continue to work in partnership with other stakeholders to hold Southern Water to account.”

Following a previous meeting, the Stakeholder Group wrote to the Secretary of State for the Environment calling on more resources for the Environment Agency so it can also take action against failing water companies.

The next meeting of the Southern Water Stakeholder Group will be held in the spring.

See below - a press release from WDC who have given themselves planning permission (somewhat controversially) for a new sports hub in Hellingly

Full planning permission for the development of a new sports hub facility in Hellingly has been given the green light.

The new sports hub includes two full size floodlit artificial pitches, two multi-use games areas (containing four dual floodlit tennis/netball courts), two padel tennis courts, skate park, play facilities and a sports building providing changing rooms, toilets and café, alongside parking, landscaping, drainage, ancillary works and vehicular access via the A267.

The state-of-the-art hub will also accommodate 206kWp solar array of photovoltaic (PV) panels over the parking spaces in the main car park - 60 spaces will have the ability to provide electric car charging with 20 spaces fitted with active from the outset with the remaining 40 passive spaces being capable of being brought into use as and when demand requires to plan for future increase in uptake.

The sports hub will be accessible by a new pedestrian and cycling access, which will also connect the site to the Cuckoo Trail. Bus routes will be enhanced to provide public transport links to the facility.

The 20-acre site will offer new opportunities in several sports and deliver health and wellbeing opportunities to a wide range of residents of all ages and abilities.

The project has been supported by Dominque Corbett from Hailsham Town Football Club and Mark Pedrick from Brighton and Hove Albion Foundation who both spoke today at the Planning Committee South meeting.

Councillor Kelvin Williams, Alliance for Wealden (Liberal Democrat), and lead councillor for Public Health, Wellbeing and Asset Management, said, “It is great news that the planning application has been given the go ahead. This is an exciting project which will offer residents in Hailsham and across Wealden a new sport and leisure provision to meet social, environmental, and economic needs and functions of the district in line with the recently adopted Council Strategy.

“The wellbeing of residents is important, and the new sports hub will provide the facilities for group classes and residents to use as a social meeting with friends and family.”

The full application, with a layout plan outlining the proposed development is available below. 

https://council.wealden.gov.uk/documents/s85815/WD20232100DC%20-%20LAND%20AT%20KNIGHTS%20FARM%20EAST%20LOWER%20HORSEBRIDGE%20HAILSHAM.pdf

Members of Wealden District Council’s Overview & Scrutiny Committee have expressed their disappointment after Southern Water officials withdrew their agreement to attend the meeting.

The water company, which is responsible for wastewater and sewerage treatment across the Wealden district, had originally said its representatives would be able to attend the meeting at the council offices.

But shortly before Christmas, officials declined the information and the acting chair of the watchdog committee Councillor Daniel Manvell said he was very disappointed.

The invitation to Southern Water to attend the committee meeting came after a catalogue of concerns across Wealden including flooding, sewage seeping into people’s homes, gardens and roads, the ongoing problem of discharges into rivers and waterways and the inability to deal with additional development.

Wealden council and other local authorities have pledged to keep the pressure up on Southern Water and to hold it to account for constant failings.

At the meeting on Monday, Councillor Manvell, a Labour Party councillor representing Uckfield North, said, “We must start our first meeting of the New Year with some bad news. Southern Water had previously accepted an invitation to appear before this committee today, following our very successful meeting with the CEO of South East Water in September.

“Unfortunately Southern Water informed us just before Christmas that their representatives were now declining our invitation to attend today's meeting. They claim instead to be in favour of one-to-one meetings with councils, as well as 'wider stakeholder work'.

“Southern Water has not explained why our meeting today is not considered a one to one meeting or wider stakeholder work. This reasoning clearly does not hold water - it is merely an attempt to avoid public scrutiny.

“This is yet another failure from Southern Water. They are polluting our rivers and seas and now they are refusing to be held to account. The motion we passed at November's Full Council to clean up our waterways has clearly shown the water companies that we are not tolerating failure any longer. We will not let Southern Water off the hook.”

Councillor Manvell invited members of the committee to forward any questions they would have asked Southern Water to officers and said the committee would ensure it would get answers.

The Wealden and Rother Rural Business Grants Programme is now live and open for applications.

The Rural Business Grants programme will deliver capital grants of between £2,500 and £50,000 to businesses located in rural areas of Wealden. The programme is open to small and medium sized businesses (SME’s) to apply for capital grants of up to 50% of the cost of capital projects.

The aim of the programme is to support rural businesses to grow, increase their productivity and to make other improvements to their business, such as investing in Net Zero infrastructure. Capital grant projects could include farm diversification outside of agriculture, property adaptions, creation and expansion of rural leisure and tourism businesses, new equipment, machinery and commercial vehicles.

The scheme is funded through Wealden District Council’s Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF), a 2 year capital programme which supports the aims of the government’s Levelling Up White Paper and Future Farming Programme, the funding aims to help productivity and strengthen the rural economy and rural communities. The scheme is not open to those businesses located in Bexhill, Polegate or Stone Cross. This requirement has been set by Defra.

The scheme is being delivered by East Sussex County Council on behalf of Wealden and Rother District Councils, for full details of project eligibility please view the Rural Business Grants Programme guidance and eligibility and email your interest and contact details to ruralbusinessgrants@eastsussex.gov.uk

IMPORTANT ROADWORKS INFORMATION 15 January 2024

Buxted Road, Uckfield

Dear Resident,

Balfour Beatty is working in partnership with East Sussex County Council to manage the highways service across East Sussex. As part of this, we will be carrying out drainage works in Buxted Road, Uckfield following numerous reports of flooding to private property and the carriageway.

These works involve a jetting unit attending to clear gullies, alleviating flooding to the carriageway and private property.

When do they start?

Works will take place on Monday 5 Februaryand Tuesday 6 Februarybetween 8pm and 4am.

What are we doing?

These works involve cleaning the drainage system, including all pipes, gullies and access chambers. Any damaged areas found will be recorded for repair at a later date.

How will this impact highway users?

The road will remain open to through traffic with temporary traffic signals in place.

Information for residents and businesses

Parking: If required, we will put out ‘no parking’ signs and cones on the site to advise where parking is restricted. Please avoid parking in these locations as it will delay our works.

Weather: All of these works are subject to favourable weather conditions, for example heavy rain may affect the progress of the works.

Properties close to the works area may experience a temporary disturbance as this can be a noisy process and those properties may experience flashing lights and reversing sirens. We would like to take this opportunity to apologise for any inconvenience or disruption this work may cause, however this forms part of our continuing improvement for the East Sussex highway network.

For information on roadworks and journey planning, visit www.One.Network.com. Please follow us on X (Formally Twitter)@esccroads or Facebook@EastSussexHighways for updates. If you would like to know more about East Sussex Highways and what we do, please visit our website www.eastsussexhighways.com.

Hello from the Funded Team,

This week, we have found some amazing fundraising opportunities for organisations who:

• Support older people who are frail
• Work on innovative medical, social, or religious projects
• Work to carry out local community sports projects
• Work on medical care, research and training

If any of the above funds are a good fit or you would like to find out about other funds, get in touch with us now by calling on 0203 191 6696 or book a no-obligation chat with us. We also have an excellent team of grant fundraisers onboard with years of experience, who have written many compelling and successful applications for our clients at affordable prices.

Let's get you funded!

1. Funding available for registered charities supporting older people who are frail.

Discretionary

(covers capital projects or running costs)

Deadline: 9th February 2024

2. Grants available for innovative medical, social, or religious projects.

Up to £60,000 over a period of three years

(covers project costs)

Deadline: 15th February 2024

3. Grants available to help not-for-profit sports clubs, local authorities and schools in England to carry out local community sports projects.

Up to £15,000

(covers project costs including minor capital alterations)

Deadline: 31st March 2024

4. One-off grants available to registered medically related charities for medical capital projects, medical care or research, medical training and running costs.

Up to £10,000

(covers projects, research and equipment costs)

Deadline: 3rd April 2024

If you want to learn more about how we can help you to get funded through our affordable grant writing or training services please call us on 0203 191 6696 or chat with us by clicking the link below:

Let's chat >>

Best wishes,

Julia at Funded Team

(0203 191 6696 or info@funded.team)

Rural businesses could benefit from match-funded grants of up to £50,000 to help create jobs increase productivity and adopt new technology.

Rother and Wealden district councils will be using money from their Rural England Prosperity Fund to support a range of businesses, with a £500,000 pot for Wealden and a £300,000 pot for Rother.

The scheme launches on Friday, January 12, and small and medium businesses can apply for financial support for projects including the purchase of equipment and machinery, adaptation of premises, the creation or expansion of rural leisure and tourism businesses and farm diversification outside of agriculture.

Councillor Paul Coleshill, Alliance for Wealden (Liberal Democrat), and lead councillor for Climate Change and Economy, said, “This funding will give eligible businesses much needed financial help to grow, creating jobs and helping communities within rural Wealden thrive. The grant can be used to support businesses with a range of equipment, for work vehicles and for adaptations to premises. There are many rural businesses that could be eligible for the funding so please apply.”

Councillor Christine Bayliss, Rother District Council’s portfolio holder for regeneration, said: “Our rural businesses have had to deal with so much uncertainty over the past few years and continue to face significant challenges, so it’s great that we can offer financial support to help them succeed and grow.

“These grants will help to safeguard existing jobs in rural areas, as well as creating new ones, help businesses future-proof with the introduction of new technology, and support diversification projects.

“Rural businesses are vital to the Rother economy and to the thousands of people living in our rural communities, and I hope that we are able to help as many as possible to thrive.”

Match-funded grants of between £2,500 and £50,000 will be available in communities with a population of under 30,000 and both councils are keen to see non-agricultural applications which will help businesses grow or diversify. The Rother and Wealden Rural Business Grants Scheme is not open to those businesses located in Bexhill, Polegate or Stone Cross. This requirement has been set by Defra.

The fund closes on December 31, 2024, or when all funds are allocated. More information about the grant scheme and details of how to apply can be found at www.eastsussex.gov.uk/business/support/grants/ruralbusinessgrants

The Rother and Wealden Rural Business Grants are funded through the UK Government’s Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) and are administered by East Sussex County Council.

This programme has received funding from the UK Government through the Rural England Prosperity Fund and creates a rural top up fund to deliver the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Levelling Up objectives. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK, investing in communities and place and supporting local business. For more information, visit Rural England Prosperity Fund: prospectus – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Please be aware that the following works will be carried out:-

Free net zero workshops will be delivered exclusively to businesses across Wealden to encourage them to do their bit to save the planet.

The 90-minute sessions will be led by Clean Growth UK, a pioneering university-led innovation network, on behalf of Wealden District Council to help businesses along their net zero journey.

Each session is interactive with a Q&A and all sessions are online and free to attend. Each session will have a theme and the dates and times are below.

What is Net Zero and how do you get there?

15 January 2024, 9.30am – 11.00am

How can you drive down energy costs and help save the planet at the same time?

22 January 2024, 9.30am - 11:00am

Building a workforce fit for a net zero future.

29 January 2024, 9.30am - 11:00am

Councillor Paul Coleshill, Alliance for Wealden (Liberal Democrat), and lead councillor for Climate Change and Economy, said, “We are pleased to be working with Clean Growth UK at the University of Brighton to offer our local businesses free net zero workshops. These workshops will make it easier for companies to learn how to achieve net zero, drive down their energy costs and build a workforce fit for a net zero future.”

Zoë Osmond, Director, at Clean Growth UK said: "It's never been clearer that small and medium-sized businesses have a huge amount to gain, and to contribute, in the race to combat climate change. Clients from business-to-business to individual consumers are demanding green approaches and asking informed questions about your Net Zero plans. Staff are increasingly attracted by employers with genuine planet friendly credentials."

The sessions will be covered by two facilitators, a Clean Growth UK team member and Adam Bastock, small business climate change expert and Founder of Small99. To view the event page and details for how to book, visithttps://www.clean-growth.uk/events/net-zero-workshops-for-wealden/

Editor’s notes:

Clean Growth UK is a pioneering university-based network of forward-thinking green businesses.

We can help you get new products to market faster, decarbonise your business, and hone your commercial skills. Everything you need to

drive your net zero mission, all free or heavily subsidised. Tackling the climate crisis demands disruptive thinking and decisive action. Our Innovation Accelerator is designed to help you design, develop, and refine innovative green products, services, and business processes. It’s an integral part of our Net Zero 360 package, providing the expertise, equipment and facilities needed to transform products, services and processes for net-zero.

Please be aware that the following works will be carried out:-

Diversion via: - U7864 Nan Tucks Lane – U7403 Pound Green Lane – A272 Pound Green - The Toll - Curtains Hill - Main Road – C508 Wilderness Lane – U7406 Pounsley Hill and vice versa.(please see map attached)

Advance warning signs will be placed on site advising of actual date of works

If you need to discuss this further please contact:

I & A Communications Ltd (on behalf of BT Openreach) on 0845 200 4035

Dear Resident,

Balfour Beatty is working in partnership with East Sussex County Council to manage the highways service across East Sussex. As part of this, we will be carrying out targeted patch repairs in Rocks Lane, Five Ash Down.

Once completed, these works will help improve the condition of the road surface.

When do they start?

Work will be carried out between Wednesday 3 January and Thursday 4 January. We will inform you of any changes to the dates or times via advanced warning signs on site.

How will this impact highway users?

The road will be closed to through traffic between 7am and 7pm.

A diversion route will be in place via Hurstwood Road, A272, A26 & vice versa.

If you need vehicle access, please discuss this with the team on site to see if this is possible. Please bear in mind there will be delays whilst the area is made safe and your vehicle is escorted by site marshalls.

Information for residents and businesses

Parking: If required, we will put out ‘no parking’ signs and cones on the site to advise where parking is restricted. Please avoid parking in these locations as it will delay our works.

Weather: All of these works are subject to favourable weather conditions, for example heavy rain may affect the progress of the works.

Properties close to the carriageway may experience a temporary disturbance as this can be a noisy process and those properties may experience flashing lights and reversing sirens.

We would like to take this opportunity to apologise in advance for any inconvenience or disruption this work may cause, however this forms part of our continuing improvement for the East Sussex highway network.

For information on roadworks and journey planning, visit www.One.Network.com. Please follow us on X (formerly Twitter) @esccroads or Facebook @EastSussexHighways for updates. If you would like to know more about East Sussex Highways and what we do, please visit our website www.eastsussexhighways.com.

Thank you,

East Sussex Highways

Located in the picturesque village of Buxted, Wealden’s Buxted Court is a well-known feature of the area. Surrounded by beautiful woodlands and including pretty gardens, it is intended to provide a safe and secure home to many older people, many of whom are vulnerable and suffer from ill health.

We at Wealden completely understand why people would like to walk through the grounds or even exercise there, but the grounds of Buxted Court, including the carpark, are private property which belong to Wealden District Council.

Sadly, we have received reports of people leaving dog mess in the grounds, jogging and practising yoga and of local children taking bikes onto the site. There have also been reports of non-residents using the carpark for personal use.

These incidents are causing our elderly residents distress, upset and worry. It is affecting the sense of security at Buxted Court and reducing the sense of wellbeing for some of our residents. Many of our residents have problems with mobility and cannot manage to park a distance away and many others are upset by the sight of strange people in the proximity of their homes.

We respectfully ask the residents of Buxted to not trespass onto the grounds of Buxted Court, or use the carpark. If you have any concerns or queries, please contact us retirementliving@wealden.gov.uk

Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

Retirement Living Team – Wealden District Council

Special Festive Fares Promotion on FlexiBus this December.

FlexiBus fares will be £1 on Saturdays before Christmas and all week 18-22 December.

Festive offer for Flexibus users | The Newsroom (eastsussex.gov.uk) – Link to media release.

FlexiBus is a flexible, on-demand rideshare service, for areas with limited or no bus service. Residents can book a FlexiBus journey to their nearest town, train station, hospital and other key destinations. FlexiBus links people to our improved conventional bus services.

Give the bus a go. December special offer: FlexiBus fares will be £1 only on the following dates:

• Saturday 2 December
• Saturday 9 December
• Saturday 16 December
• Saturday 23 December
• Monday 18 - Friday 22 December

This discount will automatically be applied on the bus on these dates. If booking via the app, choose 'Pay on Vehicle'.

Whether we’re shopping or socialising, playing games or watching a movie, dating or enjoying a few days away, the internet normally plays some part in our festive season these days.

But fraudsters also love this time of year, taking advantage of the fact that we’re busy and sometimes distracted. Some are even using AI to make their work easier and more convincing. Which is why it’s essential that we take a few easy precautions to protect ourselves, our families, finances and devices against online harms.

The 12 tips of Christmas

1: Buying online

Spot the signs of fake websites, insecure payment pages and counterfeit goods. Never pay someone you don’t know by bank transfer if you haven’t seen the goods in person. Before you visit a website, check if it’s likely to be legitimate or fraudulent at www.getsafeonline.org/checkawebsite.

2: Delivery notifications

Beware of texts claiming to be from a parcel firm telling you there’s a ‘delivery fee’. If in any doubt, always call the courier or retailer on the number you know to be correct to check if the message is authentic or not.

3: Mobile devices

Protect all new or second-hand internet-connected phones, tablets and computers with a reputable security app/software. Add a new and unique PIN or passcode as soon as you power up. Ensure all documents and photos are backed up automatically so you don’t lose them. Check privacy and location settings for new and existing devices.

4: Smart devices

Always set up new and unique passwords on internet-connected devices like voice assistants, appliances, cameras, kids’ toys and fitness watches, as soon as they’re switched on. Using the factory-set default passwords could result in them being hacked. And remember that voice assistants and smart speakers are designed to pick up what you’re saying. Find more information about setting up connected devices.

5: Updates

Download software, app and operating system updates on all your devices as soon as you get notified. Better still, set them to update automatically. Otherwise, they could get infected by malware, leading to fraud, identity theft or snooping.

6: Second-hand devices

Do a factory reset to erase your data if you’re selling or gifting a computer, mobile device or console. Find out how from the manufacturer’s website. If you’ve bought or been given a used device, remove the previous owner’s settings and data if this hasn’t already been done.

7: Mobile apps

Download new apps only from official sources such as App Store, Google Play or Microsoft Store. Downloading them from elsewhere could result in fraud or identity theft.

8: Out & about

Don’t use Wi-Fi hotspots in cafés, pubs, hotels, on public transport and other public places for anything confidential as they could be either insecure or fraudulent.

9: Gaming

Avoid things like pirated games, griefing and in-game overspending. Keep track of how much time you’re spending online. Don’t overshare private information on chats. Keep an eye on your kids’ gaming by checking games’ PEGI age limits, and talking with them about who they’re or playing and chatting with.

10: Oversharing

Make sure what you share online is respectful and doesn’t reveal confidential, sensitive or embarrassing information about yourself or others, including family members and friends. If you’re away from home, keep it to yourself, as burglars keep an eye on social media too.

11: Safeguarding your children

Talk to your children about being safe and responsible online, including what they share, who they’re talking to and the type of content they access, including in apps and games. Consider downloading a reputable parental control app and using ISP content filters. Make sure they aren’t running up bills in games and other apps.

12: Video calls

Make sure those Christmas calls are safe and secure by using a service that needs a strong password, and don’t share the call invitation or details outside the person or group on the call.

Please be aware that the following works will be carried out:-

Diversion: - Royal Oak Lane is a no through road no diversion applicable. Apologies no map was provided with this application.

Advance warning signs will be placed on site advising of actual date of works

If you need to discuss this further please contact:

I&A Communications (on behalf of BT Openreach) on 0845 200 4035

Please be aware that the following works will be carried out:-

Diversion Via - U7861 Tibbs Mill Lane - Fowley Lane – C402 Hurstwood Road and vice versa..(please see map attached)

Advance warning signs will be placed on site advising of actual date of works

If you need to discuss this further please contact:

Kelly Traffic Management (on behalf of BT Openreach) on 0247 664 2814

Please see above details of the WDC refuse and recycling schedule for Christmas. All collection dates will be on the WDC website and they will be send out calendars to anybody who requests a hard copy

The Met Office issues weather warnings, through the National Severe Weather Warning Service, when severe weather has the potential to bring impacts to the UK. These warnings are given a colour (yellow, amber or red) depending on a combination of both the impact the weather may have and the likelihood of those impacts occurring.

Yellow and Amber warnings represent a range of impact levels and likelihoods. This means it is important to read each warning to know what level of impact you can expect for your chosen warning area – and how likely those impacts are to occur.

These impacts can include damage to property, travel delays and cancellations, loss of water supplies, power cuts and, in the most severe cases, bring a danger to life.

Headline

Very strong winds associated with Storm Ciarán may disrupt travel, utilities, and cause some structural damage.

What to expect

· Flying debris could result in a danger to life

· Damage to buildings and homes is possible, with roofs blown off and power lines and trees brought down

· Roads, bridges and railway lines may close, with delays and cancellations to bus, train, ferry services and flights

· Power cuts could occur and affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage

· There is potential for large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties.

What should I do?

Further details

On Thursday morning very strong west to southwesterly winds will develop over parts of the far south and southeast of England where gusts are likely to reach 70-80 mph in some coastal areas and may exceed 85 mph in a few of the most exposed English Channel coastal spots. The extent of these high winds remains a little uncertain and is dependent on the exact track of Storm Ciarán. Winds will begin to ease from the west during the afternoon. Very large waves could bring additional impacts to coastal areas, especially along the English Channel coastline.

View full warning details and map view

Regions and local authorities affected

East of England: Essex, Southend-on-Sea, London & South East England, Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Medway, Portsmouth, Southampton, West Sussex

South West England: Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole, Dorset

News from GTR:

Many of you will have seen the news following Transport Focus and London TravelWatch’s response to the ticket office consultation, published this morning and I wanted to ensure you have the correct information as I know there are some very strong views about the proposals.

Over the summer a local public consultation was run with Transport Focus and London TravelWatch on proposals about how tickets are sold on the railway and customer service.

Many of you took part in that consultation and we would like to thank you for making your feedback available to us and the passenger bodies to support their work and we know it has been immensely valuable.

Today, Transport Focus and London TravelWatch have updated us they are supportive of the principle of redeploying staff from ticket offices to improve the overall offer for customers.

However, they have also made clear that they are not able to approve these changes as there is feedback related to the railway as a whole which has not been completely addressed.

We always made clear that this was a genuine consultation and as a result, following the process of the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement, all proposals have been withdrawn and will not be introduced.

The consultation did, however, raise interesting ideas on related issues, such as expanding the types of products that can be sold at ticket machines. Where possible, with the wider industry we will look to introduce ideas such as this.

Buxted Parish Council has received a planning application consultation for ‘49 dwellings, access, landscaping and infrastructure’ on land north of Buxted (between properties near White Hart and Buxted School).

This application will be considered by the Parish Council Planning Committee on Tuesday 14th November at 7pm in St Mary’s Church Hall, Church Road, Buxted.

Please note - the parish council is one of a number of consultees, so will be returning a recommendation back to WDC - it is not the decision maker.

Please feel free to come to the meeting to express any views you have on the application, or email the clerks prior to the meeting at clerk@buxted-pc.gov.uk. 

Link to application on WDC website: https://planning.wealden.gov.uk/plandisp.aspx?recno=163172

Sussex Police are open for PCSO recruitment and are looking for compassionate, driven and community-minded people to join the force.

• You’ll act as an integral part of the community, supporting those who need us most.
• You will receive a starting salary of £32,633 (which includes unsociable shift allowance.).
• You’ll become someone who is trusted and relied upon and engage with different people every day.
• You will gain a fully funded professional qualification as well as access to plenty of training opportunities to progress within your career.

Interested? Head over to our career pages and apply today, https://www.sussex.police.uk/police-forces/sussex-police/areas/careers/jobs/pcsos/.

If you are unsure and would like to find out more about the role, you can book in a for a 1:1 career call with a recruitment expert at Sussex Police by emailing careers@sussex.police.uk, or sign up and attend a recruitment webinar where the team can advise you on the application process, eligibility criteria and much more.

Webinar details are posted to the Sussex Police Facebook page.

To find more information about other career opportunities at Sussex Police, visit www.sussex.police.uk/jobs.

Hallowe'en has become an increasingly popular celebration over the past few years for children, families and young people especially, but it is important not to have fun at the expense of others.

To make it easy to see who’s welcoming of trick and treaters and who doesn’t wish to be disturbed, Sussex Police have produced trick or treat posters.

If you see someone displaying a no trick or treat poster, please be considerate and do not call at those homes.

Tips for a safer Hallowe’en:

· Young children should be accompanied by an adult.

· Stay in well-lit areas.

· Consider calling only at houses where you know the occupants, rather than strangers.

· Respect the privacy and wishes of people who do not want to take part in trick or treat – observe the 'No Trick or Treaters please' posters people may display in doors or windows.

For residents

Residents are advised to continue to be vigilant when opening the door to strangers or unexpected callers.

One way to deter unwanted trick or treaters on 31 October is to print and display the 'no trick or treaters' poster.

If you feel unsafe

· Don’t open your door if you’re unsure who is there. Use your spyhole, look out of a window, and use your door chain if you do decide to open your door.

· Have a contact number of a close relative or good neighbour to hand by your telephone, just in case you need to phone them.

· If you are part of a Neighbourhood Watch scheme, let your co-ordinator know that you will be on your own at Hallowe’en. If you are a co-ordinator, please identity people in your scheme that may be vulnerable and offer them reassurance.

· If you are driving on the evening of the 31st, remember that excited children may be crossing the road unexpectedly, so slow down in residential areas and take extra care.

There will be increased police patrols this Hallowe’en to deter any anti-social behaviour. Officers will be quick to disperse groups of people who are found to be causing a nuisance.

Sussex Police will not tolerate any anti-social behaviour at any time of the year.

To report anti-social behaviour please report online.

If you feel threatened, in an emergency, or if a crime is in progress, call 999

Please be aware that the following works will be carried out:-

Diversion via: -C402 Chillies Lane – A26 Uckfield Road - Five Ash Down - Mill Pond Road – A272 Budletts Lane - Buxted Road - Lephams Bridge Road and vice versa.(please see map attached)

Advance warning signs will be placed on site advising of actual date of works

If you need to discuss this further please contact:

ALS Civil Engineering Ltd (on behalf of UKPN) on 01843 850746

Electors in Wealden are being asked to give their views on polling stations they go to when voting in elections.

The law requires councils to review their polling districts, places and stations every five years. The last one for Wealden was in 2019.

Voters in the Wealden district area or within its neighbouring parliamentary constituency areas of Lewes, Eastbourne and Bexhill and Battle, are invited to give feedback on the convenience and suitability of the places currently used for voting and to suggest possible alternative locations.

The review starts on Monday 2October and will be completed in January 2024, when final proposals are considered by the council’s Audit, Finance and Governance Committee. The public consultation period runs until 30 November and electors can send in their comments in writing by email or by filling in a form on the council’s new interactive tool, Let’s Talk. https://letstalk.wealden.gov.uk/

The council would like to hear from electors, particularly those with any type of disability and any person or organisation with particular expertise in accessibility issues.

‘Polling places’ are the buildings or areas designated by the council where electors in a polling district go to vote in person. ‘Polling stations’ are the rooms where voters collect their ballot papers.

As part of the Review, Wealden council will be seeking representations from Acting Returning Officers (AROs) for each parliamentary constituency which is wholly or partly in its area. Their views will be published within 30 days of receipt and electors can also comment on them.

Once the review is completed, in early 2024, all correspondence and comments received will, by law, be published and made available for inspection.

Councillor James Partridge, Alliance for Wealden (Liberal Democrat), lead councillor for Governance, Community Leadership and Communications and leader of the council, said, “This is an important review for residents because it’s about voting, which should be as easy as possible. We have a legal obligation to do the review but, as we run all elections in Wealden, it is obviously important for us to understand what suits residents when it comes to voting. We want everyone to have a polling station, which is not easy in Wealden’s big rural area.

“I would ask everyone to fill in the online form as it’s everyone’s opportunity to have their say and let us know what is and is not working for them when voting in person.”

Review information can be inspected at The Council Offices, Vicarage Lane, Hailsham, BN27 2AX, at the public library in Wadhurst and also at the following town/parish council offices:

• Crowborough – Pine Grove, Crowborough, TN6 1DH
• Uckfield – Uckfield Civic Centre, Uckfield, TN22 1AE
• Polegate – Council Offices, 49 High Street, Polegate, BN26 6AL
• Heathfield and Waldron – 73 High Street, Heathfield, TN21 8HU
• Forest Row – The Community Centre, Hartfield Road, Forest Row, RH18 5DZ
• Willingdon & Jevington – Council Office, The Triangle, Willingdon, BN20 9PJ

Any comments and representations may be submitted by post to Electoral Services PDR, The Council Offices, Vicarage Lane, Hailsham, BN27 2AX, by email to PDR@wealden.gov.uk or by completing the online feedback form.

All comments must be made by no later than 5pm on Thursday 30 November 2023.

Come and talk to your local County Councillor

Have your say on the future of the High Weald…

The High Weald AONB Partnership is now collecting feedback on the draft High Weald AONB Management Plan 2024-2029.

Your comments will help us conserve and enhance this precious landscape for years to come.

The consultation runs until Sunday 5 November via an online survey on the High Weald AONB website: https://highweald.org/aonb-management-plan/management-plan-public-consultation-2023/

If you have any problems accessing the consultation form, please contact the AONB team on 01424 723011 or email info@highweald.org and they will assist you.

About the Management Plan

The High Weald AONB Management Plan is the single most important document for the area - it sets out a vision for the kind of place we want the High Weald to be in years to come and, crucially, some of the activities that organisations and local people could take to achieve that vision.

The Plan must be updated every five years. Working on behalf of the area’s 15 local authorities, the High Weald AONB Partnership has prepared a new draft Plan that runs from 2024 to 2029.

The Plan is informed by research and the many conversations the Partnership has had with organisations, farmers, businesses, community groups and residents over the last 30 years.

You may or may not be aware, but the Asian Hornet is gaining a strong foothold in this country after a small number of forays in previous years.

At the time of writing this email there have been over 50 Asian hornet nests found in the UK in 2023, mostly in the vicinity of ports. Most recently in Sovereign Harbour Eastbourne. This is more than the total found in previous years!

Asian Hornets are an invasive species brought into to Bordeaux in a packing case from China some 20 years ago.
They are now endemic in France and much of Europe.

Although there have been relatively few sightings in the UK over the last decade or so, DEFRA have managed to keep on top of things (we believe) but there has been a dramatic increase this last year.

Asian Hornets have transformed the world of Beekeeping in France decimating many apiaries and other insect populations. They have also caused many human fatalities.

The BBKA (British Beekeeping Association) are really upping their efforts to communicate the problem too. They are even spending £15k for advertisements on the back of buses

The only way to reduce the devastating impact that these insects have on honeybee colonies is to find the nests, and this can only be done by educating our largest resource - the general public.

The following links show where the sightings have been made so far:

2023 Asian Hornet Sightings

· Click <<- here ->>

2023 Map of confirmed sightings

· Click <<- here ->>

Get the latest Asian hornet news stories, sent straight to your WhatsApp on your computer- all you need to do is click the link below:

• https://chat.whatsapp.com/KtHEKzoayn46VwwK0isFco

Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC) Katy Bourne acts as the voice of the public within policing in Sussex and runs an ongoing programme of engagement with residents to understand their views.

Since 2014 Katy Bourne has secured nearly £35 million for over 53,000 victims of crime to help them cope and recover.

In the past two years alone, she has been awarded more than £4m to fund initiatives focusing on violence reduction and tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB) in Sussex.

This is a final reminder that the Government have offered more funding to tackle ASB - so if you have not already done so please take part in PCC Katy Bourne's short survey to share your feelings of safety using this link: https://forms.office.com/e/7bZZrdJC8n

If you have any queries please direct these to pcc@sussex-pcc.gov.uk.

Balfour Beatty is working in partnership with East Sussex County Council to manage the highways service across East Sussex. As part of this, we will be carrying out targeted patch repairs on the A272 at Buxted.

Once completed, these works will help improve the condition of the road surface, and ensure a smoother and safer journey.

When do they start?

Work will be carried out between Thursday 12 October and Monday 16 October. There are no plans for weekend working.

We will inform you of any changes to the dates or times via advanced warning signs on site.

What are we doing?

These works involve cutting out the affected area and refilling with a new smoother tarmac.

How will this impact highway users?

We will be working between the Buxted Church of England Primary School and the Buxted Inn.

The road will be closed to through traffic between 7pm and 7am. A diversion route will be in place via the A272, A267, A26 & vice versa.

If you need vehicle access, please discuss this with the team on site to see if this is possible. Please bear in mind there will be delays whilst the area is made safe and your vehicle is escorted by site marshalls.

Information for residents and businesses

Parking: We will put out ‘no parking’ signs and cones on the site to advise where parking is restricted. Please avoid parking in these locations as it will delay our works.

Weather: All of these works are subject to favourable weather conditions, for example heavy rain may affect the progress of the works.

Properties close to the carriageway may experience a temporary disturbance as this can be a noisy process and those properties may experience flashing lights and reversing sirens.

We would like to take this opportunity to apologise in advance for any inconvenience or disruption this work may cause, however this forms part of our continuing improvement for the East Sussex highway network.

For information on roadworks and journey planning, visit www.One.Network.com. Please follow us on X (formerly Twitter)@esccroads or Facebook@EastSussexHighways for updates. If you would like to know more about East Sussex Highways and what we do, please visit our website www.eastsussexhighways.com.

Thank you,

East Sussex Highways

The Tommy’s Autumn Trail is taking place at 10am on 8th October at Eridge Park Estate, Tunbridge Wells.

Eridge Park is one of the oldest deer parks and usually closed to the public, so it’s a special opportunity to see the grounds. A great excuse to enjoy the beautiful Autumn weather and get out with family and friends, meeting new people along the way.

The event is near the Remembrance period, and as a military charity this has a very special meaning, giving time and space for us to reflect, give thanks and to Remember Them.

If you have any questions or need anything please do come back to me. To have Buxted Parish Council’s support is very much appreciated.

Please see the link to the Tommy’s Autumn Trail and if you, or anyone you know, would like to join in please Register here:

https://rbli.co.uk/rbli-events/tommys-autumn-trail/

A new online community engagement hub has been launched to improve engagement between Wealden District Council and its residents.

Let’s Talk Wealden aims to provide an interactive and relaxed space for residents to find out about the latest proposals for their area, have their say, ask questions and discuss ideas with the community. Residents do not need to sign up if they wish to view the site but will need to register if they wish to comment, discuss, or ask a question.

Councillor James Partridge, Alliance for Wealden (Liberal Democrat), lead councillor for Governance, Community Leadership and Communications and leader of the council, said, “Let’s Talk Wealden is a hub that will give residents easy access to information about projects we are working on and provide the opportunity to keep up to date with our projects and create discussions.

“We noticed that residents did not comment much in previous consultations and, as a council, we want to hear more from, and form better relationships with, our residents.”

Residents can sign up by visiting https://letstalk.wealden.gov.uk/

Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil has replaced diesel in all of Wealden District Council’s waste collection and street cleansing vehicles, operated by the council’s contractor Biffa.

The alternative sustainable replacement fuel HVO is cleaner and reduces carbon by up to 90% compared to regular diesel, saving up to 1,800 tonnes of CO₂ per year. The switch will also reduce other potentially harmful emissions including nitrous oxide, particulate matter and carbon monoxide, helping to make our air cleaner.

Wealden District Council worked with Biffa to conduct a successful trial earlier this year, with Biffa also sourcing the HVO for the vehicles.

Councillor Gareth Owen-Williams, Alliance for Wealden (Liberal Democrat), and lead councillor for Waste and Customer Services, said, “There are 33 vehicles in the waste and street cleansing fleet that will be operating on HVO. It is initiatives like these that are vital to helping us meet our net zero commitment.”

Councillor Paul Coleshill, Alliance for Wealden (Liberal Democrat), and lead councillor for Climate Change, Wellbeing and Economy, said, “I am very pleased that the waste fleet will be moving to a sustainable alternative from diesel. The amount of carbon emissions that will be reduced from this one scheme alone is substantial. By making these positive changes, we are making significant progress towards our goal of becoming net zero.”

A Biffa spokesperson added, ‘In partnership with Wealden District Council, this full replacement to use HVO across the 33 vehicles is a great step forward and we are pleased to support Wealden District Council’s ambition towards net zero’

Councillor Rachel Millward, Alliance for Wealden (Green Party), lead councillor for Housing & Benefits and deputy leader of the council, said, “I think this is an innovation we should be proud of, we are making changes and heading in the right direction to achieve the council’s objective of becoming net zero. There is still a lot of work to do, but I hope it will be seen as an opportunity for other local operators of diesel-powered commercial vehicles to join us and make the switch.”

A planning application for Wealden Community Sports Hub in Lower Dicker, Hailsham, has been submitted following significant community and stakeholder involvement in the design and development.

The project will see major investment into a state-of the-art leisure and sports facility, creating a variety of new outdoor sport and leisure facilities for local communities. The 20-acre site will provide a range of sport and leisure provision and will help to address the need for further amenities within the local area.

The facility will offer new opportunities in several sports and deliver health and wellbeing opportunities to a wide range of residents of all ages and abilities.

The Sports Hub includes a range of energy efficiency measures to reduce operational costs and contribute to the net-zero aspirations for the council. These include a solar PV system, EV car chargers and battery storage for efficient use of the energy generated. The buildings will use air source heat pumps for heating the buildings and the water used on site. There will be storage areas for bicycles to promote sustainable travel alongside the pedestrian/cycle entrance to the south of the site that will link the Sports Hub with the Cuckoo Trail.

The planning application proposes two full size 3G floodlit football pitches, four floodlit multi-use games areas for tennis / netball, two Padel tennis courts along with a walking and cycle route, BMX and skate area, children’s play area, outdoor tennis tables, outdoor gym equipment and a community café.

Councillor Kelvin Williams, Alliance for Wealden (Liberal Democrat), and lead councillor for Public Health and Asset Management, said, “This is a very important project which will give residents in the Hailsham area and wider afield in Wealden the opportunity to have more accessibility to play sport. The plans for the first community sports hub of its type within the district, outline an array of sports particularly football which can be played at the new Community Sports Hub.

“It also provides a range of community facilities for our residents to enjoy. The proposal covers a wide range of different activities that all ages and fitness levels can enjoy. The new site will also show case the best approaches to sustainability and biodiversity in its development and future running.

“Whilst we are awaiting confirmation of a national funding bid, in a year the English Lionesses have had such a successful run in the World Cup, I am looking forward to seeing this once in a lifetime opportunity being delivered for the existing and future residents of Wealden.”

To view and comment on the planning application online, visit https://planning.wealden.gov.uk/plandisp.aspx?recno=163100

Want to know what planning applications are being submitted for your neighbourhood? 

Residents are able to sign up for alerts for applications in their area via the Wealden District Council website at:

Keeping up to date with Planning Applications - Wealden District Council - Wealden District Council

Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne acts as the voice of the public within policing in Sussex and runs an ongoing programme of engagement with residents to understand their views.

Since 2014 Katy Bourne has secured nearly £35 million for over 53,000 victims ofcrime to help them cope and recover.

In the past two years alone, she has been awarded more than £4m to fund initiativesfocusing on violence reduction and tacklinganti-social behaviour (ASB) in Sussex.

The Government have offered more funding to tackle ASB- so please take part in PCC Katy Bourne's survey to share your views below:

Here’s the link: https://forms.office.com/e/7bZZrdJC8n

‘What Matters To You: care, support and independence for adults in East Sussex’ is the brand new adult social care strategy for the county.

The title reflects the approach taken to developing the strategy: asking people who need care and support, their carers and families, what was important to them.

Mark Stainton, Director of Adult Social Care in East Sussex, said: “We wanted this plan to be driven by what people told us were their priorities, rather than what professionals might think people need.”

Around 700 local people responded to surveys or came along to focus groups and interviews to share their opinions.Using this feedback, and with the help of East Sussex County Council’s Citizens’ Panel, six priorities were agreed. They are:

1. Right support, right place, right time

2. Information and communication about care and support

3. Cost of living and cost of care, now and in the future

4. A suitable home

5. Personal connections with others

6. Group activities, hobbies and volunteering

Adult Social Care & Health staff, the NHS, district and borough councils, the private sector, and voluntary, community and social enterprise sector were all involved in working on the strategy.

Now the next step is to build an action plan based around the 15 ‘we will’ statements that set out the strategic response to the six priorities in ‘What Matters To You’.

Mark Stainton: “What Matters To You is specific to the county, puts local people at the centre of our plans and gives direction for colleagues who work within or alongside adult social care. It will help everyone know what to expect from adult social care and what our strategic priorities are.”

· Read ‘What Matters To You’, please visit: www.eastsussex.gov.uk/ASCstrategy

· Watch a film about ‘What Matters To You’: www.eastsussex.gov.uk/asc-strategy-film

· For a paper copy or alternative formats, please email: ASCPersonalisation@eastsussex.gov.uk

· Phone: 01273 481565

· Write: Adult Social Care strategy, FREEPOST, ESCC, Public Health, County Hall, Lewes BN7 1UE

Don’t lose your vote – residents in Wealden urged to check voter registration details

Wealden residents are being urged to check their electoral registration details or risk losing their chance to vote on decisions that affect them.

The annual canvass allows Wealden District Council to keep the electoral register up to date, to identify who risks losing their voice at elections, and to encourage them to register before it’s too late.

Trevor Scott, the electoral registration officer and chief executive at Wealden District Council, said, “Keep an eye out for important updates from us. The annual canvass is our way of making sure that the information on the electoral register for every address is accurate and up to date. To make sure you don’t lose your say at upcoming elections, simply follow the instructions sent to you.

“If you’re not currently registered, your name will not appear in the messages we send. If you want to register, the easiest way is online at https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.”

Recent home movers in particular are urged to check their details. Electoral Commission research has found that recent home movers are less likely to be registered than those who have lived at the same address for a long time.

In Great Britain, 92% of those who have lived in their home for 16 years will be registered, compared with 36% of people who have lived at an address for less than a year.

Melanie Davidson, head of Support and Improvement at the Electoral Commission, said,

“It’s really important that everyone who is eligible to vote is able to do so. We urge people to check for updates from their local council on this year’s canvass. The council may contact residents by post or email.

“If you are not registered to vote, make sure you provide the necessary information to your local council when asked and register to vote online at https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.”

Information on registering to vote is available on the Electoral Commission website.

Residents with questions about their registration status can contact Wealden’s Electoral Services team atelections@wealden.gov.uk

Notes to editors

1. The Representation of the People Act 1983 places a duty on electoral registration officers to maintain the electoral register for their area and to conduct an annual canvass of all residential properties.

2. The electoral register lists the names and addresses of everyone who is registered to vote. The register is used for electoral purposes, such as making sure only eligible people can vote. It is also used for other reasons as specified in law, such as detecting crime (e.g. fraud), calling people for jury service or checking credit applications.

3. The open register is an extract of the electoral register, but is not used for elections. It can be bought by any person, company or organisation. For example, it is used by businesses and charities to confirm name and address details. Your name and address will be included in the open register unless you ask for them to be removed. Removing your details from the open register does not affect your right to vote.

4. To be eligible to register to vote a person must be:

• aged 16 or over (a person may register to vote at 16, but may not vote until they are 18)

• a British or qualifying Commonwealth citizen who has leave to enter and remain in the UK or does not require such leave.

• a citizen of the Republic of Ireland or other European Union (EU) member state

5. British citizens, Irish citizens and qualifying Commonwealth citizens can vote in local elections in England and Northern Ireland, Mayor of London and London Assembly elections, Police and Crime Commissioner elections and general elections.

6. EU nationals legally resident in the UK may currently register to vote in local government elections, providing they meet with the age and residency requirements and that they are not legally incapable of voting. The Elections Act 2022 will change the eligibility of some EU citizens to vote. Changes are expected to come into force in May 7 2024, after local elections in England, Police and Crime Commissioners elections in England and Wales in 2024.

7. The changes in voting rights for EU nationals will not affect voters from Cyprus, Malta and Ireland.

8. Full details of the Electoral Commission’s research on the electoral registers can be found on its website.

Please be aware that the following works will be carried out:-

Diversion via: -– A272 Pound Green - High Street - Station Road - Buxted Road - Budletts Lane – A26 Uckfield Bypass – A22 Uckfield Bypass - Eastbourne Road – B2192 Lewes Road – A267 Mayfield Road - Heathfield Road – A272 Summer Hill - Main Road and vice versa.(please see map attached)

Advance warning signs will be placed on site advising of actual date of works

If you need to discuss this further please contact:

South East Water on 0333 000 0365

Please be aware that the following works will be carried out:-

Diversion via: - A26 Uckfield Road - Five Ash Down - Mill Pond Road – A272 Budletts Lane - Buxted Road - Lephams Bridge Road – C402 Hurstwood Road and vice versa.(please see map attached)

Advance warning signs will be placed on site advising of actual date of works

If you need to discuss this further please contact:

Road Traffic Solutions Ltd (on behalf of UKPN) on 01724 848246

There is a significant number of bus service improvements were made in East Sussex from Sunday 23 July. These include new weekend services on some routes. Most are funded through East Sussex County Council’s successful bid to UK Government, in support of the BSIP.

Attached are the services for the Wealden area and this is the link for all:

Improvements to Bus Services | East Sussex County Council

New timetables should be available now or shortly on the bus operators’ websites.

We would also draw attention to the lower fares that have been introduced as part of the BSIP. This includes the £2 bus fare scheme which the Government has extended to October 2023 as part of Help for Households. Other fare news can be found here: Lower fares on East Sussex bus services | East Sussex County Council.

You are probably already aware of the introduction of FlexiBus by the County Council also. Operating in the rural areas of the county, this initiative aims to deliver the BSIP’s objective of providing residents in rural areas of East Sussex with access to a bus service where there is no public transport route. This will enable residents to connect to the wider bus or rail network and access vital services. You can read more about FlexiBus here: www.eastsussex.gov.uk/roads-transport/public/flexibus

Wealden Crematorium will be hosting an open day event in August.

Following on from the success of last year’s open day, another one will be held on the 16 August between 11am-3pm. The friendly crematorium staff will be offering guided tours to go behind-the-curtain and demystify the cremation process – everyone is welcome.

The crematorium has held over 4,000 cremations since the opening in 2019 and has the largest ceremony hall in the local area which can seat more than 120 people. It has car parking spaces for 160 vehicles to give the most stress-free experience possible.

The state-of-the-art crematorium recently received the Highly Commended Award from the Sussex Heritage Trust in the landscape and gardens category, and have further donated £12,000 to Chestnut Tree House, a children’s charity in Sussex. The donation was funded through the ICCM Metals Recycling Scheme, which, with written consent, allows bereaved families to donate metals after a cremation.

Councillor Kelvin Williams, part of the 'Alliance for Wealden', Liberal Democrat councillor for Uckfield East and lead councillor for Public Health and Asset Management, said, “I am really pleased to hear that Wealden Crematorium is hosting another open day. I would encourage residents and organisations across Sussex to attend, and to understand the process of what happens and ask questions, which might normally seem taboo.”

Refreshments will be served throughout the day, for more information about the newest crematorium in East Sussex, visit https://www.wealdencrematorium.co.uk/ 

Neighbourhood Watch knows that when we take positive actions to reduce risks, support others, and challenge behaviour, we can make a difference. Over the last 10 month’s we have brought you along a journey of exploring topics such as, Harassment, Hate Crime, Antisocial Behaviour (ASB), and then find out practical steps you can take to help the victim, intervene, and deal with confrontation.

The next module is called #BETHECHANGE. We know that YOU can make a difference in your community, a difference at home, and in public spaces. Whether you make changes in the way that you think, in your actions, or indeed how you speak to people. The smallest action may seem small but it can have a big impact on someone’s life.

The link to #BETHECHANGE is: https://prezi.com/view/E1q5yr7Fip07Zjc9dOZD/

We ask that you do 3 actions with this module:

• Read it.
• Share it with others.
• Take positive action to challenge your own unconscious bias.

We thank you for your ongoing support and look forward to sending you our next module soon, on Personal Safety.

Landowner opportunity:

FREE GATES to replace stiles on footpaths

• Do you own land in East Sussex or Kent which is also in the High Weald AONB?
• Do you have public rights of way on your land?
• Do you have stiles on these rights of way?
• Are you interested in improving accessibility?

We have an offer for you… The public rights of way team of your local County Council can currently supply and deliver FREE, galvanized metal pedestrian gates to replace existing stiles.

As the landowner, all you need to do is:

• sign a simple (one page) agreement with the relevant county rights of way team
• undertake correct installation of the gate following the instructions provided
• keep it well maintained.

It really is that simple!

This is a great opportunity to make rights of way on your land more accessible for people who find stiles difficult to use. Gates also have a reduced maintenance liability compared to a stile. Removing stiles will enhance people’s ability to access and enjoy the beautiful, farmed landscape of the High Weald.

Don’t miss out on this time limited offer. Interested? Please contact: 

Rights of Way & Countryside Team,  East Sussex County Council West B, County Hall, Lewes, BN7 1UE 

Email: rightsofway@eastsussex.gov.uk Telephone: 0345 6080193 

or

Public Rights of Way and Access Service, Kent County Council Worrall House, Kings Hill, Kent, ME19 4AE 

Email: westprow@gov.uk Telephone: 03000 417171 

This project is led by the High Weald AONB Partnership with support from the Government’s Access for All programme. To find out more about how you can improve access on your land then please contact Simon Fathers, our Access and Recreation Officer, on 01424 723011 or email info@highweald.org to discuss ways in which we may be able to help

I am writing to inform you of an important change to train services on Saturday 5 August network-wide. We would welcome your support in sharing this message, as it is very important that customers consider what it means for their travel plans. There is no change to the current plan for services on Friday 4th or Sunday 6th August.

Journey planners such as www.nationalrail.co.uk for travel on Saturday 5th August are expected to be updated from this Saturday, 29th July.

As context, the recent announcement of the ASLEF overtime ban from Monday 31 July to Saturday 5 August has meant we have had to carefully reassess all of our plans for the network on Saturday 5 August as this date sees peak demand for Brighton Pride with, in normal years, hundreds of thousands of additional journeys.

No services to or from the Brighton area on Saturday 5 August

It is with the deepest regret that, due to significant safety concerns, no trains will now run to Brighton or nearby stations on Saturday 5 August.

Keeping passengers and colleagues safe is the absolute priority and following discussions with the council, police and emergency services, as well as our own risk assessments, GTR has very sadly concluded that it cannot safely run any services as it would be impossible to avoid severe overcrowding and present a considerable risk to passenger safety.

In addition:

• An amended timetable will be in place across the GTR network (please see more details below)
• Stations between Three Bridges and Brighton will not be served all day
• Trains will not run along the southern coastways into Brighton because of the amended timetable.
• Services to and from Brighton will be unaffected on Friday 4th or Sunday 6th August

Every year, GTR runs a significantly enhanced service for Pride with additional late-night trains on Saturday evening. These enhancements are needed to safely transport the huge number of people that travel into Brighton during Pride’s busiest day but also home again after the popular Saturday community parade and Fabuloso fundraiser in Preston Park.

As these services are not part of the regular Saturday timetable, in normal times, these services are covered by volunteer drivers. The ASLEF overtime ban means that our volunteers cannot take part, and without the additional late-night services there is a clear risk of stranding tens of thousands of people overnight without accommodation. On Saturday evening there is always a massive demand for return travel over a short period of time, with a capacity shortfall of 20,000 passengers expected in the busiest hours of the evening alone.

Keeping passengers and colleagues safe is the absolute priority and following discussions with the council, police and emergency services, as well as our own risk assessments, GTR has very sadly concluded that we cannot safely run any services as it would be impossible to avoid severe overcrowding and present a considerable risk to passenger safety.

We cannot in good faith bring people into Brighton who we know would have no chance of getting home, or be caught up amongst tens of thousands of other people, all trying to get onto a very limited number of trains at the same time. We know that while people will understand the safety concern, this will not offset the frustration and we are really sorry to everyone who will be affected, especially in the LGBTQ+ community. We hope by making this decision now we enable as many people as possible to make alternative arrangements.

Further information specific to Brighton Pride is available at: www.southernrailway.com/travel-information/plan-your-journey/brighton-pride

Significant impact to the wider GTR network on Saturday 5th August

Regrettably, there will be a significant impact to the wider network as a result. This is because Brighton is a terminus station – so is integral to the operation of the Southern, Thameslink and, by connection, Great Northern networks. On Saturday 5th, Three Bridges will be used instead of Brighton as a turn back point for the Brighton mainline, in particular to enable Gatwick Airport and other major stations on the route to be served.

However, the added complication of significant engineering work such as between London Bridge and Tulse Hill or on the Great Northern Metro means that we have had to revert to our contingency service, as previously used on some RMT strike dates as the only available plan that can be adapted and delivered in the time available.

As on previous earlier RMT strike dates, this means that fewer services will run, some stations will not be served and some routes, particularly north of London, will start later and finish much earlier than normal. As a general rule, hours of service will be between 07:00-19:00, with some extensions, particularly on the routes that directly serve airports. It is especially important that early-morning or late-night customers for the airports on our routes check their journeys and make alternative arrangements if required.

Customer information

Our websites contain the latest information on planned services. Journey planners such as www.nationalrail.co.uk will be up to date for Saturday 5th August from this Saturday, 29 July.

We know how disappointing these changes are for our customers and we are very sorry. As always, if you have any questions, please let us know.

Best wishes,

Paul,

Paul Codd
Senior Stakeholder Manager
Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR)

Jobcentre staff are available for drop in’s on Monday’s, Wealden District Council,Vicarage Lane, Hailsham:

9am – 12.30pm

1.30pm – 3pm

Buxted Bonfire Summer Fayre and Dog Show

Saturday 15th July 2023

12 - 4pm

Buxted Recreation Ground, TN22 4LE

FREE ENTRY for all the family!

Stalls, Dog Show, Raffle, Tombola, BBQ, Bar, Cakes, Arena Events, Bouncy Castle, Face Painter, Ice Cream Van and much more!

Follow our Facebook event for more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/259669443325528

The Street Learning programme has been released for September - December 2023.

The project offers Wealden and Eastbourne residents, aged 19 and above, a range of academic courses, wellbeing and practical classes.

The courses are provided in several local community venues including East Sussex College (Eastbourne), Uckfield College, Crowborough and online.

A council spokesperson said, “The Street Learning programmes provide learning and skill development for every age. They are designed to help residents boost employment opportunities whilst having fun. Anyone wanting to improve on a skill, learn something new or widen their social life should take a look at the courses available.”

Street Learning is a project run by Wealden District Council in partnership with ACRES, East Sussex College, East Sussex County Council Library, Job Centre Plus, GRH Training, Compass Community Arts and Heathercroft.

Visit www.wealden.gov.uk/streetlearning, @StreetLearning.Wealden on Facebook, or email streetlearning@wealden.gov.uk for more information. Updates, participant feedback and details of new courses can be found on the website.

Cabinet has recommended that Wealden District Council enters into a lease and contract at Uckfield Leisure Centre.

East Sussex County Council (ESCC) currently leases the leisure centre to the district council which was set to expire on 17 July 2023.

In March 2023, a public consultation conducted by ESCC, went live to give residents their chance to comment on the future of the leisure centre. The consultation received more than 3,000 responses helping all parties to address how the facility can continue to be operated.

A Full Council motion was passed for the council officers to investigate all opportunities to save the leisure centre. The new lease will implement new working arrangements to also include exploring investment opportunities to deliver greater energy efficiency measures and reducing potential overall operating costs.

A council spokesperson said, “We have been able to work together to save the leisure centre. Providing the opportunity for everyone to exercise safely is important.

“Annual attendance at Uckfield Leisure (in 2022/23) was 175,661, with around 680 members of the centre, and the Learn to Swim programme has 866 participants enrolled. We look forward to building on these numbers, so it is fantastic that we can provide continued use of services to residents in Wealden.”

There are three periods of industrial action confirmed to be taking place, with different impacts on different days:

1. A nationwide ban on overtime called by ASLEF between Monday 17 and Saturday 22 July
2. A nationwide RMT strike for Thursday 20, Saturday 22 and Saturday 29 July
3. Separate RMT and ASLEF strike action between Sunday 23 July to Friday 28 July by London Underground (LU) staff, which may affect some of our services.

Given the overlapping sets of industrial action, the impacts on train services will vary on different days. We know that this will be inconvenient and difficult for customers, which is why we are strongly urging all customers to check every journey, every day, throughout this period.

The table below shows dates affected by industrial action, a high-level overview of the impacts on services and the expected update for journey planners:

Buxted Parish Council grant applications for the financial year 2024-25 are now open.

See the attached documents for more information and how to apply.

Closing date for applications is 1st September 2023

Please be aware that the following works will be carried out:-

A safe route will be provided for pedestrians and vehicular access for residents and to properties maintained whenever possible.

Church Road, Buxted is a no through road, a diversion route is not applicable.(please see map attached)

Advance warning signs will be placed on site advising of actual date of works

If you need to discuss this further please contact:

Road Traffic Solutions Ltd (on behalf of UKPN) on 01724 848 246

Councillors joined forces to pass a cross-party motion at an extraordinary meeting to hold South East Water accountable for recent water supply failings.

The motion was proposed by Councillor D White and signed by Councillors Benton, Cleaver, Collins, Gadd, Lunn, Millward, Reed and Shaw to consider the recent failures on the part of South East Water to maintain an adequate supply of water to parts of the district.

This motion follows the recent incident in the north of the district where water outages lasted five days in some areas leaving homes and businesses without water, schools to close and farmers struggling to feed livestock.

The proposed motion asked for the leader and the chief executive of Wealden to write to South East Water asking for a full explanation of the causes of the recent failures, full details of the actions taken to address them and to mitigate the effects to local residents, including details of when the company first became aware of the problems and the timing of its response; and confirmation of the steps being taken to ensure that there is no recurrence of the failures.

The second part of the motion addressed the impact of climate change and the increasing demand for new housing in an area of acknowledged water stress.

The council asked Wealden’s leader and chief executive to notify OFWAT, and the government to consider concerns at the failures on the part of South East Water to maintain an adequate supply of water to our existing residents and the effect of this upon their health and wellbeing. They also asked the Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government to support a reduction in housing numbers for the district until there is a long-term solution to the water shortage.

Councillor David White, Independent councillor and leader of the Independent Group said, “Twice in the space of eight months a significant number of Wealden residents have been left without water. First during the period immediately before Christmas 2022, when as a consequence of a freeze thaw event in December, 286,000 properties including large parts of Rotherfield, Wadhurst, Crowborough and Tunbridge Wells were without water for upwards of a week.

“Within less than six months and during the first spell of hot weather this year much of the same areas, and some 6,000 properties were again without water for several days, this time we were told as a result of high demand.

“Our residents are entitled to expect the statutory supplier to be able to meet its obligations and for this to be guaranteed by the official regulator, if it cannot then it should be replaced.”

Councillor Greg Collins, Alliance for Wealden, Green Party councillor for Horam and Punnetts Town Ward, said, “I want to extend my sympathy to residents impacted by the crisis. The performance of South East Water is inadequate and unaccountable and nothing short of victim blaming. What has become clear is that we cannot accept the long-term failing of private water companies and allowing the blame to be on customers. We are also told that we have no choice but to connect homes to a system that cannot supply existing residents. Our residents deserve clarity, enough is enough.”

Chestnut Tree House, a children’s hospice covering Sussex and South East Hampshire has been presented with a £12,000 cheque from Wealden District Council’s Crematorium.

The children’s hospice, which first opened in November 2003, provides care and support for children and young people with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions, and their families, in East and West Sussex and South East Hampshire.

The cheque has been donated to Chestnut Tree House through a national scheme run by the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management, of which Wealden is a member and, sees recycling of metals following a cremation with the written consent of each bereaved family. The metals are recycled through the scheme with proceeds shared between its members to donate to their chosen charity.

Martin Styring, Fundraiser at Chestnut Tree House said: “On behalf of Chestnut Tree House, I’d like to say a huge thank you for this generous donation. We need to raise around £10,000 every day to provide vital hospice care services, so this money really will make a difference and help us to ensure that children and families get all the care and support they need – whether that is splashing around in our hydrotherapy pool, relaxing in the multisensory room, or receiving counselling and emotional support.”

Councillor Kelvin Williams, part of the 'Alliance for Wealden', Liberal Democrats Councillor for Uckfield East and portfolio holder for Public Health and Asset Management, said, “I am thrilled to have been able to present this cheque to Chestnut Tree House. We choose this charity because of the amazing and vital care they give to the children and support offered to the families of the children.”

For more information on Chestnut Tree House, visit the website here. Chestnut Tree House - The children's hospice for Sussex (chestnut-tree-house.org.uk)

Good afternoon,

A significant number of bus service improvements are being made in East Sussex from Sunday 23 July. Most are funded through East Sussex County Council’s successful bid to UK Government, in support of our East Sussex Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP). Summary details are shown in the attached document. These also include changes to other services that have already been made or are planned. In respect of the upcoming changes, further detailed timetable information will be available on the websites of the bus operator(s) concerned over the coming weeks.

Specific to the Parish of Buxted:

Buxted, Hadlow Down – Revised service 248 will offer journeys on 5 days a week to and from Uckfield.

We would also draw attention to the lower fares that have been introduced as part of the County Council’s BSIP and you can read more about these here: www.eastsussex.gov.uk/roads-transport/public/bus-service-improvement-plan/lower-fares-on-east-sussex-bus-services. This is in addition to the Government’s ‘Help for Households’ fare cap (currently £2.00 for a single journey) about which more detail can be found here: www.eastsussex.gov.uk/roads-transport/public/buses/2-bus-fares

Many of you will be aware of the introduction of FlexiBusby the County Council. Operating in the rural areas of the county, this initiative aims to deliver the BSIP’s objective of providing residents in rural areas of East Sussex with access to a bus service to enable residents to access services such as health, education and retail or to connect to the wider bus or rail network. You can read more about FlexiBus here: www.eastsussex.gov.uk/roads-transport/public/flexibus

Household Support Fund–Wealden Food Partnership

Application Deadline: Tuesday 4^th July 2023

Wealden Food Partnership has been asked by East Sussex County Council to co-ordinate a further round of the Household Support Fund (HSF) grant to groups/organisations who are working to address food poverty and/or food insecurity in Wealden.

In previous rounds we have given grants to support some excellent work which is making a real difference to our communities.

Examples include:

· Community fridges and sharing tables focused on reducing food waste.

· Community growing projects bringing people together to grow and cook fresh food.

· Delivery of cookery training to staff and volunteers focusing on low cost, healthy eating for people on low incomes.

· Development and support for new and existing lunch clubs.

· Providing the healthy lunch element for holiday activity clubs for children on free school meals

· Supporting farmers and community groups to provide meal kits and recipe cards for families and older people.

We’d like to support as many organisations as we can with these grants. The money could be used to support existing work, or to start something new.

Is there something you’ve wanted to develop, whether it be around training, developing infrastructure or delivering something collaboratively? We’re here to help! We can support you in your application through discussing, connecting and helping to enable your ideas come to life.

If you’d like to have an initial chat about your ideas, please email helen.graham@3va.org.uk

The application form below is very simple and will ask you to outline:

· what you’d like to do

· who you envisage supporting, e.g. families, older people

· how much you’d like to apply for

· how you would spend the money

· any other organisations you’d like to collaborate with

Please be sure to get your completed application to us by Tuesday 4^th July

Dear Wealden Resident

I am writing to ask for you to help some residents of Wealden whose water supply has failed. This is unpleasant and frightening for all affected residents and particularly for housebound and vulnerable people.

Our ask is simply – Please would you use as little water as you reasonably can, until further notice?

Whatever the right and wrongs of the situation, this is the only way by which the water supply can be restored quickly. Small changes by our whole community will help to restore water to those affected.

I should make it clear that South East Water (SEW) is, alone, responsible for supplying water to the Wealden District. WDC does not supply water and has no water infrastructure. It does not regulate South East Water and has no legal powers over it. OFWAT is the only organisation with those powers.

As local councillors, we do have a duty to represent residents’ views to SEW (and others) and I gratefully acknowledge the efforts of all who have done this.

The Council itself, officers working closely with our leadership team, has:

• Initiated WDC emergency response at 07.54 on Monday 11 June. Gold command at WDC was stood up putting response teams on alert.
• Notified SEW on Monday morning at 08.07am. At the same time WDC offered support to staff bottled water stations and to deliver water to the most vulnerable.
• Has worked with SEW to pass information from and to residents.
• Has written to the CEO of SEW (copy letter within FAQs).
• Has met with the CEO of SEW to understand better what is causing the problem and when it is likely to be solved.
• Has agreed to the convening of an extraordinary meeting of Council to enable the matter to be fully aired.
• Has committed to a make a formal complaint to OFWAT.
• Has encouraged SEW to declare a major incident, allowing greater partner support.
• SEW have consistently declined support from WDC or the Sussex Resilience Forum.

The root cause of the problem is a lack of investment in the District’s water infrastructure. This is true of many, if not all, parts of the country. Putting that right is a matter for national government and I wish I could see any signs of that nettle being grasped.

Finally, and regrettably, we are aware of many myths circulating around this issue, often from those that should know better and so are creating a live list of FAQs to address these here:

Yours sincerely

James Partridge – Leader Wealden District Council

P.S Please do what you can to use less water for the time being.

A woman has been fined £1,000 for failing to comply with a planning enforcement notice.

Linda Hazelgrove, of Highlands Lane, Chiddingly, appeared at Brighton Magistrates Court last month in a prosecution brought by Wealden District Council.

Ms Hazelgrove pleaded not guilty to the allegation that she had not done everything within her power to comply with a planning enforcement notice issued in 2018, for the erection of an unauthorised building and decking.

Following a trial, Ms Hazelgrove was found guilty and fined £1,000 and a victim surcharge of £100 was also applied by the court with full costs of £7,169.50 awarded to the council.

The building and decking is scheduled for removal later this year.

Councillor Ian Tysh, Wealden District Council’s portfolio holder for Planning & Environment, said, “We will robustly persue breaches of planning control and this court case shows we will escalate matters to court where there has been a serious contravention of planning laws.”

Pledge made to lobby county council over potholes problem on Wealden roads

Wealden District Council has passed a motion calling on East Sussex County Council to address problems associating with potholes across the district.

The county council has responsibility for the county’s roads and has its own contractor to deal with issues such as potholes.

At a meeting of the Full Council recently, a motion proposed by Councillor David White and seconded by Councillor Mike Gadd, was unanimously approved by fellow councillors.

The motion called on Wealden council leader Councillor James Partridge and chief executive Trevor Scott to ask the county council to confirm that it has undertaken an immediate and comprehensive condition survey of the district’s road network, confirm the extent of work to be carried out and set a timetable to rectify the present state of disrepair; invite relevant officers from East Sussex County Council to attend an early meeting of Wealden council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee to explain the position or ongoing maintenance of the roads; and finally to urge the county council to make greater representation to the government for increased funding for road repairs.

Councillor White said, “Having travelled much of the district’s highways during the recent elections we have all experienced for ourselves the disgraceful condition of the road surfaces - pot holes so large and frequent that in many cases it felt more like driving across a ploughed field than a tarmacked road; roads where the edge of the carriage way had disintegrated leaving deep ruts the size of the Grand Canyon.

“My fellow councillors may also have heard from their residents as I did from mine of broken suspensions and split tyres in some cases costing several hundreds of pounds to replace. They may also have been told of the repeated complaints lodged with East Sussex County Council and of the poor quality of the repairs carried out when workmen eventually turned up; repairs so poorly undertaken that within a matter of a day or two the pot holes reappeared often larger than the originals.

“And many will have heard of residents waiting weeks for repairs to be undertaken if at all. The county council was clearly made aware of the deteriorating state of the local road network yet failed spectacularly to respond to the concerns of residents with any sense of urgency or effective repairs.

“So bad was the condition, that my parish council received a request earlier this year from Hadlow Down Parish Council to join an initiative to take action against the county council to demand an improvement in the way in which the county and its highway stewards deal with the repair and maintenance of the road network.

“The condition of much of the road network has now deteriorated to such a state that repair is probably no longer an option and many roads will require resurfacing if not remaking in order to achieve a satisfactory finish.

“This council of course is not responsible for the upkeep of the local road network. We are however able to bring pressure to bear upon the county council and this motion seeks to bring pressure on the county council to address the concerns of our residents.”

Councillor Mike Gadd said he was pleased to support the motion and hoped the county council would respond with positive news.

Sussex Police have launched the 2023 #TalkSussex survey which is really short and asks residents to share their feelings of safety with the PCC.

See link to survey below which takes just a couple of minutes to complete

Link to the survey here: https://forms.office.com/e/7bZZrdJC8n

Buxted Symphony Orchestra is holding its Summer concert on Sunday 2^nd July at 7.30 pm, in the beautiful setting of St. Margaret’s Church in Buxted Park.

Come and join us for a varied and entertaining programme of classical music, featuring works by Mozart, Handel, Rossini, Vaughan Williams and Hérold.

Tickets are £12 at the door, including programmes (students & under 18s free) and interval refreshments of wine, soft drinks and nibbles will be served (outside if weather permits) with donations welcomed.

FlexiBus services are now fully operational across 10 zones in East Sussex. (click here or see map above).

This service, delivered through the East Sussex Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) and funded by the Department for Transport, aims to deliver the BSIP’s objective of providing residents in rural areas of East Sussex with access to a bus service to enable residents to access services such as health, education and retail or to connect to the wider bus or rail network. Operating in the rural areas of the county where traditional bus services don’t quite reach, FlexiBus provides an invaluable link to services and access to other public transport services for onward travel. The service operates between 7.00am and 7.00pm on Mondays to Saturdays (excluding public holidays).

The cost of a FlexiBus ride is similar to a standard bus fare, £2 for a single journey, £4 for a return and £5 for a day pass that can be used on any bus service in East Sussex. There are discounts on these tickets for young people and Concessionary pass holders can use their pass to travel for free with the usual time restrictions.

To enable officers and/or members to sample the service, we are offering a limited number of rides for free. Download the Ride Pingo app – go to https://bit.ly/RidePingo - to plan, book and track your ride or call the Customer Call Centre on01273 078 203 (6.30am to 7.30pm Monday to Saturday except bank holidays) and provide this code when asked -TPFree. Promo codes are available on a first come first served basis.

After you’ve completed your FlexiBus journey send your feedback toflexibus@eastsussex.gov.uk. We would love to know about your ride!

Residents living in Wealden are invited to a benefits service drop-in session in Hellingly on 5 June 2023.

Taking place at Hellingly Community Hub, BN27 4EP, from 12pm-4pm, the drop-in day aims to support residents to ensure they are claiming for what they are entitled to.

Wealden council has hosted other sessions since last year in Hailsham, Uckfield, Heathfield, Pevensey Bay and Crowborough.

The council will have its tenancy support, housing allocations, Ukraine housing options

and Council Tax enforcement officers on hand to provide support.

For residents who do not have online access, but need assistance in claiming Household Support Fund, officers will be available to assist with the applications.

Rachel Millward, Wealden’s portfolio holder for Housing and Benefits, said “These drop in sessions have been running over a year long period and are vital to make sure that our residents are claiming what they are entitled to.

“The sessions aim to give support and assistance to residents who may need assistance with claims, or clarification on what they are entitled to claim.”

Residents do not need to pre-book an appointment. For more information on the benefits day, visit Benefits Service Day - Wealden District Council - Wealden District Council

Our waste collection contractor, Biffa, has informed the Council it has received formal notification from the GMB union that its members intend to take strike action at the depots operating services in Wealden from Thursday 1^st June 2023 over workplace and managerial issues.

Biffa is in on-going discussion with the GMB union to try to resolve this dispute ahead of the intended strike action.

We are disappointed by this decision of the GMB Union and encourage both parties to escalate their talks to avoid potential disruption to waste collection services.

In the meantime, all waste and street cleansing services continue to operate as normal until the strike so please continue to put your bins out on the scheduled collection day.

Should Biffa and the GMB not reach an agreement there may be some disruption to services from Thursday 1^st June. We will inform residents by regular updates on our website, our weekly e-newsletter and social media.

To sign up to our newsletter and to view our FAQ’s, please click the link below. Waste Collection Disruptions - Wealden District Council - Wealden District Council

Residents should continue presenting their bins as normal. Biffa is in active and ongoing negotiations with the unions and remains committed to reaching a solution as quickly as possible.

Wealden Community Lottery is celebrating the first £2,000 win by one lucky player.

On Saturday 13 May, a Mrs S from Uckfield won the £2,000 cash prize after matching five numbers.

Mrs S said, “‘I choose to partake in the lottery weekly now as I am very keen to support local groups in these difficult times. It’s great to feel that the money is going to good causes on the doorstep that I might otherwise have never heard about.

“Regarding my win, I was speechless and absolutely thrilled as I have never won anything before and it will help enormously in necessary repairs to my home caused by the extreme weather we experienced through the winter. And perhaps a couple of fun days out with my grandchildren too.”

During the same draw, four other players matched three numbers and won £25 and several people won free lottery tickets after matching two numbers.

Since launching nine weeks ago, the lottery has seen 299 lucky winners – prizes include a mixture of cash prizes, free tickets and one lucky individual winning the IPAD giveaway prize – and almost £7,742.40 raised for Wealden good causes so far.

Wealden Community Lottery is an online sustainable fundraising solution provided by Wealden District Council for local good causes with, believe it or not, no upfront costs. It’s designed to help local not-for-profits to diversify their fundraising streams and enable year-round fundraising in a safe, fun and effective way.

People are being urged to buy a ticket and support the local community today by playing the lottery. There are more than 67 registered causes to choose from to help people with their ticket purchase.

The chosen cause receives 50% from the sale of each £1 ticket with an additional 10% going to further support the local community. There are weekly cash prizes to be won up to the value of the £25,000 jackpot and with 50:1 odds of winning a prize people will find a bit of fun at the same time as knowing they’re really helping their local community.

Wealden District Council leader Councillor James Partridge said, “Congratulations to the first £2,000 winner of Wealden Community Lottery. It is wonderful to see a player winning a substantial amount of money while raising money for good causes at the same time.

“The funds raised through the lottery are already making a huge difference to grassroots good causes. We’d like to thank everyone who has joined the lottery so far, and encourage anyone who wants to support a good cause to take part, have fun and maybe even win the top prize of £25,000.”

To support a local good cause and play the lottery today go to: www.wealdencommunitylottery.co.uk

Good causes not only benefit from receiving 50% of the profits from ticket sales from their page they also receive a host of bespoke marketing materials and support as well as their own Wealden Community Lottery web page.

Good causes can sign up at any time for free to start raising money in the first week, it’s so easy to do – simply visithttp://www.wealdencommunitylottery.co.uk

If you, relatives or maybe friends and neighbours may need help should power, gas or water cuts occur, please make sure that you or they register for priority support. You can help everybody by passing on this message.

The Priority Services Register is a free support service to help people in vulnerable situations. Energy suppliers and network operators offer it. Each keeps their own register, although some share with each other.

We recommend that people who may be vulnerable or at risk during severe weather should be on a Priority Services Register. Friends and relatives can assist those who may be in need of a bit of help to register, such as the elderly or people with serious medical conditions, or those who may not have Internet access and therefore may not have received this message. Each operator can be contacted online or by phone.

Similarly, if your household is already registered, please make sure that your registration is fully up to date, for example, to ensure that contact details and special needs remain accurate.

Please act now, don’t wait!
Power cuts don’t happen very often, but if the electricity, gas or water supply network is damaged or develops a fault, engineers work around the clock 24/7 to restore supplies as quickly as is safely possible. Being on a Priority Services Register will ensure that extra support will be received if the customer experiences an outage. Support is likely to include:

· A priority number that you can call 24 hours a day

· Text and voice message alerts, letting you know when they are aware of a large power cut in your area or should your water supply be interrupted

· Tailored support if needed such as home visits, hot meals, advice and keeping your friends and relatives updated

· Where possible they will send you text and voice messages when severe weather is expected, to help you prepare

· In certain scenarios they may also offer a free hotel overnight and transport to the hotel

· For complex power cuts, community welfare teams provide on-site support which includes hot drinks, hot meals, a Wi-Fi connection and charge points.

OFGEM has a summary at https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/information-consumers/energy-advice-households/getting-extra-help-priority-services-register, and this includes help in finding the suppliers in your area. As various energy suppliers and network operators are active in Sussex, the following are the ones who cover most of the county, but there are some others. If you try to register with the wrong operator they will usually steer you in the right direction.

Electricity
UK Power Networks – most of the SE of England https://www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/power-cut/priority-services/about-the-priority-services-register
SSEN – parts of the West of Sussex https://www.ssen.co.uk/PriorityServices/

Water
Southern Water https://www.southernwater.co.uk/help-advice/join-our-priority-services-register
South East Water https://www.southeastwater.co.uk/get-help/help-for-priority-customers

Thank you for helping to keep Sussex safe.

Hello

In my role as PCC, I’m delighted to have been able to secure nearly £35 million for over 53,000 victims of crime to help them cope and recover since 2014. In the last two years alone, I have been awarded more than £4m to fund initiatives focusing on violence reduction and tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB) in Sussex.

The Government has recently offered more funding to tackle ASB and I’d like your help in deciding where best that money can be utilised in Sussex.

To find out how safe you feel in the county and to get your views, I’ve launched a new survey as part of my #TalkSussex campaign. It’s important that I hear what you have to say about the types of crimes you may have experienced, what makes you feel unsafe within your community and what measures could be put in place to help you feel safer?

The survey can be completed anonymously and, as well as the results being used to help inform my future funding decisions, they’ll also be fed back to Sussex Police to let them know whether residents feel safe or not and in which areas.

It only takes a few minutes to complete the survey online.

I will also be asking more about any ASB happening locally and seeking your views for suitable reparative activities for offenders in our Immediate Justice programme so please do keep an eye out for this in your inbox.

Supporting Project Edward

This week, I joined the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership alongside Community Speedwatch and West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service in Horsham at one of their engagement events taking place across the county for the Project EDWARD week of action.

Project EDWARD (which stands for Every Day Without A Road Death) is the UK’s biggest platform showcasing good practice in road safety. Working alongside partners such as the emergency services, highway agencies and British businesses, they promote what is being done around the four nations focusing on safe vehicles; road use; speed; safe roads/roadsides and post-crash care.

At the event, Sussex police officers and road safety partnership members spoke to the public about the five main contributory factors that cause serious road traffic collisions. These are known as the 'Fatal Five': careless driving; drink and drug driving; not wearing a seatbelt; using a mobile phone and speeding.

Members of the public also spoke to officers and staff about their own road safety queries including recent updates to the highway code and tyre safety.

You can click the play button on the picture above to watch a short video of the day.

With the elections just days away, Wealden District Council is urging voters to make sure that they have the correct ID and information to cast their votes.

Residents must vote at the polling station they have been assigned – this can be checked by looking at the details on the poll card, or by following the link here. Find your polling station | Where Do I Vote?

If residents are registered to vote, a polling card is not necessary to bring with them, but will help staff to speed up the process.

If the poll card is lost, residents can contact Wealden District Council on 01892 602417 to confirm their local poll station.

People who registered for a postal vote in the elections are being reminded to make sure they complete the paperwork and post their vote back as soon as they can.

Everyone who applied for a postal vote should receive it in the next couple of days.

Voters need to fill in the necessary paperwork and send in their vote ahead of Election Day on Thursday 4 May.

Anyone who has a postal vote will not be able to vote at a polling station, even if they do not use their postal vote.

All residents voting will need to provide photo identification before voting. All forms of accepted photographic ID, can be viewed here. https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/voter-id/accepted-forms-photo-id

A packed programme of events has been lined up across Wealden to mark National Dementia Action Week in May.

Dementia Action Week is Alzheimer’s Society’s biggest and longest running awareness campaign which runs from 15-21May.

To help raise awareness in Wealden, Wealden Dementia Action Alliance (WDAA) has issued a booklet listing activities and special events held in towns and villages starting 11 May until 25 May.

Activities include singing workshops, memory cafes, exercise classes, community lunches and afternoon teas that are open to everyone.

All are designed for people living with dementia and their families and carers. Many of the events are free and some are available at a small cost. Some must be booked in advance while others invite people to turn up on the day.

The Wealden Dementia Action Alliance was set up in May 2016 to help make the district more dementia friendly and raise the awareness amongst residents and businesses.

The booklet is available online a thttp://www.wealden.gov.uk/dementia and in town council offices, libraries, Wealden District Council offices in Vicarage Field, some local churches and community centres.

The booklet has been funded by Care UK Bowes House and CPJ Field.

To get in contact with the WDAA please email wellbeing@wealden.gov.uk or look at our website https://www.wealden.gov.uk/community-and-safety/wealden-dementia-action-alliance/ or Facebook page (Friends of Wealden Dementia Action Alliance)

Notes for editors:

Dementia Action Week | Alzheimer's Society (alzheimers.org.uk)

Heathfield Agricultural Show - Saturday 27th May 2023 10.am - 5.30pm

With free entry for children 16 and under, and lots of hands on learning experiences around the Showground, it is a great event for a family day out during half term. Free programmes and car parking are available to all visitors making it better value for money.

Please be aware that the following works will be carried out:-

Diversion via: - C402 Hurstwood Road – Chillies Lane– A26 Uckfield Road and vice versa.(please see map attached)

Advance warning signs will be placed on site advising of actual date of works

If you need to discuss this further please contact:

Sunbelt Rentals Ltd(on behalf of BT Openreach) on 03700 500 792

Free* reusable nappy trial kits are available to Wealden residents.

Wealden District Council is once again supporting Reusable Nappy Week (24April to 30 April 2023) by offering nappy trial kits to residents, who might be thinking about changing to a more financial and eco-friendlier version of nappies.

The world of washable nappies is not what is used to be - modern reusable nappies are advanced, easy to use and easy to care for systems that leave any hard work to the washing machine.

The average baby uses at least 4,000 nappies up to potty training and every year, three billion disposable nappies are used in the UK.

With the current economic pressures everyone is facing, making the switch can save families up to £1,000 (or more if used on subsequent children), the nappies use98% fewer raw materials and are much kinder to children’s skin and the environment.

To try outWealden’s nappy trial kit before buying a bulk pack, please contact recycling@wealden.gov.uk, or visit our website www.wealden.gov.uk or call01323 443322.

*A £25 deposit is required which is refundable on the return of the nappies after the trial.

Free advice is available throughout the trial.

Note to Editors:

For more information about the environmental benefits using real nappies, visit Reusable Nappy Week.org

Life Transitions Volunteer

This is an exciting volunteer opportunity to support people in preparing for and managing significant life transitions as they age such as retiring, moving home, experiencing changes in health and mobility, becoming a carer, and experiencing a bereavement. These changes can have a big impact on our lives and can be hard to manage – the Life Transitions Service will help people to prepare ahead of time and be better equipped and supported when change happens.

In this role you will:

· be trained in how to undertake conversations with people to help them explore their approach to preparing for and managing life transitions

· practice these conversations with fellow volunteers to build your confidence and skills

· undertake conversations with local people to support them in preparing for/managing life transitions

· be interested in how people age, how they prepare for their later lives, and how they experience older age

· have the opportunity to reflect on your own, or family members, decision making as you/they age

· be able to travel locally to meet clients (expenses paid) and/or meet clients online

· meet new people with similar interests and be well supported as part of the Life Transitions Service team

Requirements for the role:

· Ability to build positive, warm, supportive relationships with other people, and be genuinely interested in them

· Being a good listener and allowing/encouraging people to talk about what matters to them

· Being comfortable hearing and talking about a range of topics about ageing and remaining supportive and non-judgemental

· Ability to read, write, and speak clearly

· Lived experience of life transitions is welcome but is by no means essential

For further information contact: Lifetransitions@eastsussex.gov.uk

Please see attached a Statement Persons Elected for the Buxted Parish Council.

Time to apply for free voter ID ahead of the May elections is running out. The deadline is 5pm on Tuesday 25 April.

For the first time, voters will need to show photo ID to receive their ballot paper at the local elections on Thursday 4 May. Those without an accepted type of ID can apply online for a Voter Authority Certificate, at https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate or by applying for and submitting a paper form to Electoral Services, Wealden District Council, Council Offices, Vicarage Lane, Hailsham, BN27 2AX.

Applicants must be registered to vote and will need to provide their date of birth, National Insurance number and a photograph.

Those that have an accepted form of ID already do not need to apply. Accepted forms of ID include a UK, European Economic Area (EEA) or Commonwealth passport; a UK or EEA drivers’ licence; and some concessionary travel passes, such as an older person’s bus pass or an Oyster 60+ card. Voters will be able to use expired ID if they are still recognisable from the photo.

Trevor Scott, Wealden District Council’s Returning Officer and chief executive, said,

“As the deadline to apply for free ID looms, it is important that residents of Wealden make sure they’re election ready. If you need any help with applying for free ID or want to request an application form, you can contact the electoral services team on 01892 602407.

Ailsa Irvine, director of Electoral Administration and Guidance at the Electoral Commission, said, “Voters will be required to show photo ID at polling stations at the May elections. The availability of free ID helps ensure elections remain accessible to all eligible voters. For those who don’t currently have the ID they need, it’s crucial they apply before the deadline so that they can take part. That date is fast approaching so don’t delay.”

A strategy setting out how the council will ensure that people have the financial help and skills they need and are supported during times of financial difficulty is being consulted upon.

Residents can give their views and feedback on Wealden District Council’s Cost of Living Strategy, which has been created to replace the council’s current Financial Inclusion Strategy.

The purpose of the proposed strategy is to ensure the council helps to build resilient communities that residents feel engaged in and are able to live safe and healthy lives.

It also sets out how the council aims to ensure that individuals have the financial help and skills needed, but are also provided with support during difficult times and with cost of living pressures.

A Wealden District Council spokesperson said, “The financial wellbeing of our residents is important to us. The general wellbeing of our residents underpins the council’s core aims and research has shown there are clear links between financial insecurity and poor mental health.

“Secondly, because of the way our services are funded, we need to ensure residents are able to pay for council services such as Council Tax and rent if they are a council tenant or leaseholder. This is because we rely on this income to deliver our services.

“Finally, the availability and access to services to support our residents is fundamental to the council’s core aims. Therefore, as well as the direct support provided by a number of council services, we do provide funding to some third sector organisations so they can deliver support to our residents.

“We look forward to residents’ feedback on the proposed strategy.”

The draft strategy can be found here.

The consultation is now live until 12 May 2023 and can be found at Cost of Living Survey.

Wealden residents are coming together to invest in renewables through a group-buying scheme for solar panels and battery storage.

Solar Together Sussex helps Wealden’s homeowners feel confident that they are paying the right price for a high-quality installation from pre-approved installers.

This innovative scheme builds on six years of highly successful Solar Together programmes run across the UK. To date, Solar Together has delivered more than 14,000 installations and over 300,000 tonnes of avoided lifetime carbon emissions.

Wealden residents can join the group-buying scheme which offers solar panels with optional battery storage and EV charge points, as well as retrofit battery storage for residents who have already invested in solar panels and are looking to get more from the renewable energy they generate as well as increase their independence from the grid.

It is free to register and there is no obligation to go ahead with an installation. Wealden council is working in partnership with East Sussex County Council, Eastbourne, Lewes, Hastings and Rother councils and independent experts iChoosr, to make the transition to clean energy as cost effective and hassle-free as possible.

Some households across Wealden will receive details in a targeted mail drop in the coming days.

How does it work?

• Householders can register online to become part of the group for free and without obligation.

• Pre-approved UK solar PV suppliers participate in a reverse auction. They are able to offer competitive pricing as the volume and geographic concentration makes it possible for them to realise greater efficiencies, which they pass on with lower prices for installations.

• After the auction, registered households will be emailed a personal recommendation which is specific to the details they submitted in their registration.

• If they choose to accept their recommendation, the specifics of their installation will be confirmed with a technical survey after which a date can be set for the installation of their solar PV system.

• Telephone and email helpdesks are on-hand throughout the whole process which, together with information sessions, will allow households to make an informed decision in a safe and hassle-free environment.

For further information visithttps://solartogether.co.uk/wealden/home

Marie-Louise Abretti, iChoosr’s UK Solar manager, said, “With energy prices continuing to increase, residents of East Sussex are looking for opportunities to reduce their carbon emissions, save on energy bills and increase their independence from the grid.

“The Solar Together group-buying scheme offers a straightforward way to make an informed decision and to access a competitive offer from a trusted, vetted provider.”

iChoosr has a strong track record of delivering group purchase schemes for local authorities. It has worked with 210 UK local authorities on its collective energy switching schemes. Furthermore, in 2018 UK councils, in collaboration with iChoosr, initiated their collective purchase schemes for solar PV systems. iChoosr’s schemes have been delivered in partnership with local authorities in five countries. More than 95 schemes led to 148,000 residents installing solar PV systems.

About iChoosr - www.ichoosr.co.uk:

iChoosr was founded in 2008 and is privately owned by two co-founders. Before it entered the UK energy market in 2012, it had focused on collective schemes in the Netherlands and Belgium where it works with community leaders helping households to select energy and solar power suppliers. As in the UK, its operations continue to grow across Europe, North America and Japan.

Easter is a time for indulging in chocolate eggs and other delicious treats – and with that in mind, Wealden District Council is making residents aware of how to recycle Easter egg packaging correctly.

Aluminium foil, cards and envelopes can be recycled at home - any cards containing glitter or foil must be put in the rubbish bin. To check if an item is foil or metallised plastic film, scrunch the item in your hand and if it remains scrunched it can go into the recycling bin -just make sure it's clean before you put it in.

Cardboard boxes can be recycled at home too and flattening them will save space. The plastic inserts used to display and to protect the egg can also be recycled – the insert needs to be separated from the box.

Residents can cut down on waste by choosing eggs with minimal packaging and save money and food waste by freezing leftovers or making other meals out of them. Visithttps://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/ for recipe ideas.

It is also possible to avoid packaging altogether by making your own eggs using melted chocolate and a mould.

Many residents may be purchasing flowers as a gift and these can be added to your home compost bin or the brown waste bin if you have subscribed to Wealden’s garden waste service.https://www.wealden.gov.uk/recycling-and-waste/garden-waste-service/

If you are unsure of how to dispose your Easter egg packaging use the Recyclopedia tool https://www.wealden.gov.uk/recycling-and-waste/recyclopedia/

Dear Wealden resident,

As you may be aware, the East Sussex County Council is currently holding a 10-week public consultation regarding the future of Uckfield Leisure Centre, and I would like to encourage you to take the time to formally respond and have your say

Wealden District Council have protected the Leisure Centre previously by extending the lease and now East Sussex County Council have opened a public consultation. We need you, the residents of Uckfield and users of this important asset to do your bit and ensure that your views are made known to the East Sussex County Council, who are the body that manage the consultation and will be deciding the future of the leisure centre.

Please remember that any correspondence to myself as your MP, social media posts or signing up to unofficial petitions do not count as contributions to the East Sussex County Council's consultation.

To formally share your views, please do so via the link below:

https://consultation.eastsussex.gov.uk/business-services/consultation-on-future-options-for-uckfield-leisur/

Leisure centres and swimming pools are key facilities for our communities, and I appreciate the difficulties that swimming pools in Wealden and nationwide are facing as a result of rising energy costs. I have recently met with the Chief Executive of Freedom Leisure to discuss the current challenges for our Wealden sites, and I have been making representations to the Treasury on the matter.

I am very pleased that following my representations, the Chancellor recognised this difficult situation by announcing additional targeted support for leisure centres in the Spring Budget.

While I appreciate that the limited funding will be available to struggling pools across England and I would have welcomed an even greater package to guarantee support for our local facilities, I fully encourage Wealden District Council and East Sussex County Council to apply for this funding and secure this much-needed support for swimming pools in Wealden.

Responding to the East Sussex County Council's consultation is the only way to have your voices heard, and I urge you to share your views before the 10-week consultation period is over.

Best wishes,

Nusrat

Buxted Parish Council is currently working on a new Emergency Plan for the parish, but we need your help

If you are able to provide any of the above services or help please do not hesitate to get in touch with us at clerk@buxted-pc.gov.uk.

These services would only be used in a major public emergency. You would not be expected to be 'on call' for general issues.

Very many thanks in advance

Buxted Parish Council

Buxted Parish Council backs a national campaign urging residents to become and councillor to make a change.

It supports a national campaign encouraging residents to stand in the May 2022 local parish elections.

The Make A Change campaign by the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) calls on people from all backgrounds and experiences who are passionate about their local area to put themselves forward.

Buxted Parish Council is urging enthusiastic and engaged members of the community who want to make a long-lasting change, have innovative ideas or have concerns about a specific issue to stand as councillors for the opportunity to make a real difference.

The work we do is exciting and rewarding. An integral part of a councillor's role is engaging with local people, groups, and businesses to determine their needs, making decisions on the services and projects the council should take forward, and getting involved to ensure services meet the community's needs.

Find out more about the local elections and how to become a councillor https://www.nalc.gov.uk/makeachange or contact the clerk to Buxted Parish Council: clerk@buxted-pc.gov.uk

Voters will head to the polls on Thursday 4 May to elect their Wealden District Council councillors and town and parish councillors.

On Monday 20 March, the Notice of Election for all 45 seats on the council was published alongside the Notice of Election for seats on the district’s four town and 35 parish councils.

Nomination papers for those wishing to stand for election are now available from the council’s Electoral Services team. The deadline for nominations is 4pm on Tuesday 4 April.

Anyone who wants to have their say in the elections this May must be registered to vote. It only takes five minutes to register online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

The deadline for registering to vote is midnight on Monday 17 April.

In addition, the deadline for new applications to vote by post or to cancel or amend an existing postal or proxy vote is by 5pm on Tuesday 18 April; the deadline for new applications to vote by proxy is by 5pm on Tuesday 25 April and the deadline for applications to vote by emergency proxy is by 5pm on Thursday 4 May.

For the first time in elections, there is a requirement to show photo ID at the polling station. The requirement was introduced by the UK Government’s Elections Act which was passed last year and comes into effect for the first time this May.

Acceptable forms of photo ID include a driving licence with photo, passport, older persons and disabled persons concessionary bus pass, Blue Badge and any PASS-accredited forms of photo ID.

Photo ID can be expired, such as an out of date passport, but there must be a likeness, and if there has been a change of name, people will need to provide evidence of this. It must also be an original document, not a copy.

Find out more about acceptable photographic ID here.

If people do not have any of the approved photo ID they can now apply online for a free Voter Authority Certificate. People can also complete a paper application form.

People will need to provide their name, address, date of birth, National Insurance number and a photo and must also be on the electoral register.

The deadline to apply is 5pm on Tuesday 25 April, but the council is encouraging people to apply as soon as possible.

Find out more about applying for a Voter Authority Certificate here.

Wealden District Council’s Returning Officer and chief executive Trevor Scott said, “We want to ensure everyone can have their say on who is elected to the district, town and parish councils over the next four years.

“This time around, as well as registering to vote, residents will need to show an acceptable form of photo ID.

“We do not want to have to turn anyone away from the polling station, so it is essential that residents check these new rules and make sure they either already have an acceptable form of ID, or take action as soon as possible to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate.”

Find further details on the Notice of Election here.

Please see attached the Notices of Election for the District and Parish Elections

There are allotments in Buxted and it could be easier to rent one than you might think. There is currently no waiting list and the horror stories from other sites around the country of having to wait years simply don’t exist here in our lovely village.

There are so many benefits in renting an allotment for adults and children alike. There are the health benefits. For example, NHS guidance suggests that adults should exercise every day and doing some physical activity twice a week can reduce the risk of heart disease or stroke. Getting out into the fresh air and growing some of your own food can benefit mental health as well. Renting an allotment can help to meet the five NHS-recommended steps to improve mental health. These are: 1) connecting with other people to share positive experiences; 2) be physically active; 3) learn new skills; 4) giving to others and 5) paying attention to the present.

There’s also the added benefit of having some control over what goes into some of your food. Ever wondered about the trade-offs that have to be made to get that straight, beautifully proportioned carrot into the supermarket rather than the wonky, slightly discoloured one grown on an allotment? And it can also save you money particularly now that the price of food in the shops is rocketing. Just getting a few months’ worth of potatoes or onions from your plot can save a lot on the grocery bill.

And… what about the kids? What an education an allotment can be. It can help youngsters connect with nature. Not only is the site surrounded by trees and open countryside; there’s also a wildlife area on the site just waiting to be explored. It can also help your children to understand where their food comes from and the environmental costs of getting food on the table.

If this has whetted your appetite, then read more about the allotments on the Parish Council’s website. You could make a decision that could change your, or your children’s, life. Worth thinking about!

Have you ever thought about becoming a councillor? or do you wonder what a parish council/councillor does?

District and Local Parish/Town Council elections take place on May 4th and Buxted Parish Council is looking for new councillors. We have 15 spaces on the council and currently only 9 councillors with one due to step down.

Head over to our facebook page to view a produced by the West Sussex Association of Local Councils to get a small insight into why people enjoy the role and what they do in their communities: https://www.facebook.com/BuxtedParishCouncil

If you have any questions regarding becoming a councillor (how much time/what would I have to do etc) please do not hesitate to get in touch with the clerks Beccy & Claudine: clerk@buxted-pc.gov.uk or come along to our next meeting in Five Ash Down Village Hall on 14th March starting at 7pm.

If you are interested in becoming a councillor, nomination packs are available via the Parish Council or direct from Wealden District Council (deadline for completion and return of nomination papers is Tuesday 4th April)

The Street Learning programme has been released for April to July 2023. It offers FREE practical, educational and wellbeing courses to residents in Wealden, aged 19 and above.

The project offers free courses to help develop new skills, enhance existing ones, and expands on education, encouraging growth and self-confidence.

The booklet is split into different areas: Health and Wellbeing, Employment and Education, Creativity, Family and Practical Skills – so there really is something for everyone.

The courses are both practical and fun and provided in local community venues including East Sussex College in Eastbourne, local libraries, Uckfield College, Uckfield Civic Centre or online.

Councillor Philip Lunn, Wealden council’s portfolio holder with responsibility for Commercial, Economic Development and Leisure, said, “The Street Learning courses provide residents with a range of courses to boost confidence, increase employment opportunities or to have fun and start a new hobby.”

Street Learning is a project run by Wealden District Council in partnership with ACRES, East Sussex College, East Sussex County Council Library, Job Centre Plus, GRH Training, Compass Community Arts and Heathercroft.

Visit www.wealden.gov.uk/streetlearning, @StreetLearning.Wealden on Facebook, or email streetlearning@wealden.gov.uk for more information and feedback left by others who have attended the courses.

Updates, new courses and other training opportunities can be found on the Street Learning website.

Tickets for the new Wealden Community Lottery are now on sale, with the first weekly draw taking place on Saturday 25 March.

The local lottery has been set up by Wealden District Council to help local good causes throughout Wealden to raise money.

Tickets are available to buy online at https://www.wealdencommunitylottery.co.uk/

at a cost £1 each and winners could scoop up to £25,000.

To celebrate the launch of Wealden’s Community Lottery, anyone with a ticket in our first draw will automatically be in with a chance of winning an Apple IPAD. The winner of the bolt on prize will be announced at the first live draw.

Draws will take place every Saturday at 8pm. The lucky winners will be informed by email and will have the money transferred automatically into their bank account.

Wealden council’s portfolio holder for Community Councillor Pam Doodes said, “We’ve established Wealden Community Lottery as a way for good causes to raise essential funds.

“Some 50% of the money raised will go to good causes which have signed up. The rest will go towards the prize money and running costs, and VAT. It’s a fantastic way for people to support a good cause of their choice, whilst also getting the chance to win up to £25,000. I wish everyone the best of luck.”

Over 30 good causes that have already signed up to the lottery including not-for-profit organisations such as charities, sports clubs, residents’ associations, community groups and PTAs. Good causes are encouraged to sign up and start benefitting from the lottery https://www.wealdencommunitylottery.co.uk/good-causes.

Residents can find the most up to date list of good causes to support on Wealden’s Community Lottery website https://www.wealdencommunitylottery.co.uk/

Buxted Symphony Orchestra will be holding its Spring Concert on Saturday 18th March at 3.00 pm, at St. Margaret’s Church in Buxted Park.

The varied programme will include performances of Tchaikovsky’s ‘Rococo’ Variations for Cello & Orchestra and BSO conductor Julian Broughton’s Elegy for Cello & Piano, both featuring soloist Pavlos Carvalho. The orchestra will also be performing Mendelssohn’s popular Hebrides Overture ‘Fingal’s Cave’ and ‘Italian’ Symphony No. 4.

Refreshments will be served in the interval, with donations welcomed.

Tickets: £12 at the door, with free entry for students and under 18s.

Programmes: £1 which includes entry into a free prize draw.

From an enchanting mermaid gliding through the streets to a shopping dance display, there’s something for all the family in towns across Wealden next month in an initiative to promote Wealden’s high streets and increase footfall.

The wide range of fun, free street theatre events will take place in Polegate, Crowborough, Hailsham, Heathfield and Uckfield in March as part of the Streets of Wealden. There is no need to pre-book. The events are funded through the council’s Shared Prosperity Fund from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ and are being delivered by local events company, 18 Hours.

The fun kicks off on Friday 3 March at 4:30pm, in Polegate at St Georges Hall, 110 Eastbourne Road, Polegate BN26 5DF with a puppet show. Hulla Balloony Moon Time! Little children will feel the magic at this riotous, zany show. 45 minutes of cakey fun, puppets and a dance with the moon. Based on ‘Pat-a-cake Baby’ by Joyce and Polly Dunbar, with music and songs by Tom Gray.

On Saturday 4 March, 11.30am–2.30pm in Crowborough, Salana the seal and Marina Mudflat the marine biologist and an Enchanted Flower Globe- Say hello to beautiful Floris in her miniature world, brimming with butterflies, flowers and spring colours. Not to mention The Wardens - empowered with the jurisdiction to enforce any rule or law they see fit. Watch out or you may end up with a ticket!

Hailsham will get a visit on Saturday 11 March, 11.30am–2.30pm from an interactive, unforgettable, spell-binding act, an enchanting mermaid, the world’s first (and only) shopping trolley dance display team and Dolly Delicious will be towering above everyone.

Heathfield will host a puppet show, on Friday 17March at 4:30pm at Union Church Hall, Station Road, Heathfield TN21 8LB. Woodland Tales - there is something is happening in the woods, Laura the ladybird, Jeffrey the spider, Brett the Woodlouse and Willoughby the Woodpecker are worried.

Finally, the event closes on Saturday 18 March in Uckfield, 11.30am–2.30pm with Yeshe the Yak who is very fond of children who carefully stroke his nose, a mermaid who will glide through the town in a bubbling, shimmering underwater world and many more acts will end the week.

Councillor Philip Lunn, Wealden’s portfolio holder for Leisure, said, “The activities planned for the high streets of Wealden sound impressive and fun. I hope that families and communities go out and enjoy their local towns and the displays.

“The funding received from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund helps to host events like these and to show support to communities and our local towns and village centres, which is particularly important in the current climate as many continue to experience financial pressures.”

For full information on each event and times please visit www.explorewealden.co.uk and look out for posters and flyers in your local high street.

Council Tax increase of £6.05 a year approved

A Council Tax increase of £6.05 a year has been approved by Wealden District Council.

The decision to increase the amount by 2.99% was approved by the council’s Cabinet Committee and ratified at a meeting of the Full Council this week.

It means households living in Band D properties will only pay an additional 12p a week for its share of the Council Tax for 2023/24, with other bands increased in line with the Council Tax formula.

Wealden council receives 9% of the Council Tax bill and that helps pay for refuse and recycling collections, planning, street cleaning, environmental protection, and free car parking.

The remainder of the Council Tax bill is shared to pay for a wide range of public services provided by East Sussex County Council, Sussex Police, East Sussex Fire and Rescue and local town and parish councils.

Councillor Neil Waller, Wealden’s portfolio holder for Finance, said, “Wealden District Council has resolved to increase its share of Council Tax by 2.99% in 2023/2024 and for a band D property, this is an increase of just over £6.

“The current rate of inflation is above 10% and the Council is absorbing significant cost pressures to protect Council Tax payers during the current period of cost of living pressures.

“The Council operates a Council Tax Reduction Scheme for those facing the greatest challenges to pay their Council Tax.”

For more information on the Council Tax Reduction Scheme visit https://www.wealden.gov.uk/benefits/who-can-get-council-tax-reduction/

The recent Highway Code changes are largely focused on ensuring the safety of cyclists and pedestrians. However, there’s a growing concern that drivers aren’t getting the information they need about the new changes.

That’s why I wanted to reach out with this informative guide, Share the Road: Cyclist & Pedestrian Safety Awareness for Drivers: https://www.comparethemarket.com/car-insurance/content/cyclist-pedestrian-safety-awareness-for-drivers/.

It covers everything drivers today need to be aware of:

• New changes to the Highway Code
• How to be considerate around cyclists, pedestrians, and horse riders
• What to do if there’s an accident

Here are just some of the insights the guide offers:

• The Highway Code changes follow the Mayor of London’s pledge to eliminate all deaths and serious injuries that occur as a result of road traffic by 2041.
• The new rules state that you can cross a double white line (usually prohibited) in order to overtake a cyclist if they are going under 10 miles per hour, provided it’s safe to do so.
• It’s important to pay particular attention to these rules about overtaking, as overtaking led to a shocking 141 fatalities on British roads in 2020.

Households with low incomes across Wealden are set to benefit after a scheme to reduce the amount of Council Tax they have to pay was approved.

Previously only pensioners, subject to their income, could receive 100 per cent support towards their Council Tax and some working age people could receive 80 per cent support.

But following a decision by Wealden District Council’s Cabinet Committee this week, people of working age can also get the full amount of support in a bid to ease the financial pressures being experienced by low-income households.

The Council Tax Reduction Scheme was approved along with other changes to discounts and premiums with effect from 1 April 2023. That decision is expected to be ratified at a meeting of the Full Council later this month.

Councillor Neil Waller, Wealden’s portfolio holder for Finance and Benefits, said, “The revised scheme increases the maximum relief from 80% to 100% and will support those in the greatest financial distress at this time, irrespective of Council Tax band. Crucially it will support working families.”

To find out more about the Council Tax Reduction Scheme visit: https://www.wealden.gov.uk/benefits/who-can-get-council-tax-reduction/

Freedom Leisure, the not-for-profit leisure trust which manages three leisure facilities in Wealden, and Wealden District Council will be working together to deliver a wide range of free activities to improve both the physical and mental wellbeing of the community and enable better access to health and leisure facilities and activities across the district.

The initiative has been made possible following government approval of Wealden District Council’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund bid.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is part of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda which gives local authorities the opportunity to improve pride of place and increase life chances by investing in communities, supporting local businesses and people..

Toby Reed, Freedom Leisure’s area manager in Wealden said, “We are delighted to be working with Wealden District Council on this hugely beneficial scheme. Our vision is to improve lives through leisure, this funding will enable us to achieve that vision and engage with members of the community that may be previously couldn’t access their local community health and wellbeing facilities.”

From February, Freedom Leisure will begin a range of activity sessions that will appeal to all ages and abilities across Heathfield, Hailsham, Polegate and the surrounding villages.

The instructor led sessions will include New Age Kurling and Boccia which will take place at various Retirement Living schemes and community cafés across Wealden as well as activities targeting families such as Active Play Sport Sessions and walks along parts of the Cuckoo Trail.

Freedom Leisure will also be facilitating a 12-week Menopause Support Course at Freedom Leisure Hailsham. The sessions will incorporate exercise-based classes in the gym and the swimming pool. Participants will also benefit from mental health wellbeing seminars and classes to enable them to better manage the symptoms of menopause.

Councillor Philip Lunn, Wealden’s portfolio holder for Leisure, and Councillor Pam Doodes, the authority’s portfolio holder for Public Health and Community have welcomed the government funding.

Councillor Lunn said, “This is fantastic news and the programme of activities will cater for people of all ages within our communities.”

Councillor Doodes said, “The funding secured by us will give people better access to health and leisure facilities than they might normally have. These are free activities and I hope people will enjoy the benefits of them.”

These sessions are free to the local Wealden community and can be accessed by emailing Freedom Leisure’s Healthy Communities team on activecommwealden@freedom-leisure.co.uk.

For more information and to discover how to take part, please search online for ‘Healthy Communities Wealden’.

A decision is due soon as to whether a multi-million pound package of transport improvements on the A22 Corridor can move to the next stage of its development.

The proposed A22 Major Road Network Outline Business Case is seeking a £46.5 million package which includes improvements to roundabouts and junctions along the road, toucan crossing facilities, a new roundabout at the A22/Hempstead Lane junction, bus priority measures and better access to the Cuckoo Trail.

Wealden District Council has committed more than £4 million towards the project alongside a further £2 million, which has also been earmarked towards a package of improvements to the Ersham Road roundabout

Subject to the approval, the scheme will move to the detailed design and Full Business Case stage of development.

The finer details are set out within the Business Case that was submitted to the Department for Transport in December last year by East Sussex County Council in partnership with Wealden District Council and Eastbourne Borough Council.

The A22 is an important transport corridor for all road users but is regarded as being of an inconsistent standard. The proposed package of improvements directly addresses the existing overcapacity junctions, improving journey time reliability on the A22 Corridor for local and longer distance journeys for all modes to and from the south Wealden and Eastbourne area.

The proposals will also help the delivery of significant planned housing growth in the south Wealden and Eastbourne area, support the local economy, ease congestion and provide enhanced sustainable transport provision for buses, walking and cycling.

The portfolio of measures proposed for the A22 Corridor will help to address the current restricted business growth and inward investment in a low productivity area, and specifically help alleviate the real current problems with traffic congestion, safety and network reliability.

Specifics of the proposals include improvements to the A22/A267/A271 Boship Roundabout including toucan crossing facilities and bus priority measures; A22/A295 Eagles Roundabout including toucan crossing facilities between the roundabout and Arlington Road to aid east-west connectivity; A27/A22 Golden Jubilee roundabout; A22/B2247 Dittons Road junction: replacing the existing roundabout with a signalised crossroads including toucan crossing facilities and cycling and walking schemes from Polegate – Pevensey and Dittons Road – Willington Drove; better access to the Cuckoo Trail in Hailsham; a Core Walking Zone in Hailsham and finally, a new roundabout at A22/Hempstead Lane including toucan crossing facilities and a cycling and walking scheme along Hempstead Lane.

Leader of Wealden District Council Councillor Ann Newton said, “This could be such exciting news for Wealden and we are hoping for a decision in favour of the bid.

“Importantly, it provides the county council and Wealden District Council with the greatest flexibility in accommodating future housing and economic growth in South Wealden as Wealden progresses its updated Local Plan over the coming months.

“The A22 Corridor Package also incorporates enhanced facilities for pedestrians and cyclists for all journey purposes, whether that be a trip from western Hailsham to the town centre, longer cycle rides via the Cuckoo Trail or walks using the Wealdway.”

Households with low incomes across Wealden are set to benefit after a scheme to reduce the amount of Council Tax they have to pay was approved.

Previously only pensioners, subject to their income, could receive 100 per cent support towards their Council Tax and some working age people could receive 80 per cent support.

But following a decision by Wealden District Council’s Cabinet Committee this week, people of working age can also get the full amount of support in a bid to ease the financial pressures being experienced by low-income households.

The Council Tax Reduction Scheme was approved along with other changes to discounts and premiums with effect from 1 April 2023. That decision is expected to be ratified at a meeting of the Full Council later this month.

Councillor Neil Waller, Wealden’s portfolio holder for Finance and Benefits, said, “The revised scheme increases the maximum relief from 80% to 100% and will support those in the greatest financial distress at this time, irrespective of Council Tax band. Crucially it will support working families.”

To find out more about the Council Tax Reduction Scheme visit: https://www.wealden.gov.uk/benefits/who-can-get-council-tax-reduction/

A meeting with the government’s new Housing and Planning minister is being sought by Wealden District Council to continue lobbying against the high number of homes the authority is required to provide.

The council has consistently lobbied the government for the last few years to reduce its nationally set housing targets and called for a change in planning policy - with leader Councillor Ann Newton expressing the council’s concerns during several meetings with government ministers, facilitated by Wealden MP Nus Ghani.

A letter from the outgoing Housing and Planning minister Liz Fraser MP said she had noted Councillor Newton’s concerns relating to identifying a five-year housing land supply, and appreciated how important the matters are to Wealden District Council about the timescale for implementing changes to the standard method for calculating local housing need and the proposed changes to the planning system.

In December last year, the government said it had listened to all councils’ concerns and was looking to adjust housing targets and remove the five year housing land supply requirements.

The proposals would also see the council given greater powers to deter unjustified speculative applications during the production of its Local Plan.

Councillor Newton now wants to meet the new Housing and Planning minister Rachel Maclean MP to keep the pressure up. Ms Ghani has offered to set up an in person meeting at Westminster between the two politicians.

Councillor Newton said, “We remain committed to making the case that Wealden cannot deliver the unrealistic housing targets that government has required for so long and welcome the proposed changes, which we hope will enable us to protect the natural beauty and character of our district and meet our climate change requirements.

“I look forward to meeting the new minister to reiterate our concerns and thanks Ms Ghani for facilitating meetings so we can have our voice heard.”

A Cost of Living support hub to help businesses, community groups and residents has been launched by Wealden District Council.

The hub has been designed to point people in the right direction to receive professional advice on finances and what is available to them – each section tailored to the needs of businesses, residents, and community groups.

There are several grants, loans and funding streams available to businesses and community groups no matter what their size, as well as financial support and advice for residents struggling to pay bills, or are concerned about food and rising energy costs.

Councillor Richard Hallett, Wealden’s portfolio holder for Governance, Customer Services and HR, said, “So many people are currently suffering with cost of living pressures and making ends meet so I am pleased to see this information hub has been created.”

“It is a much-needed tool that will help residents, community groups and businesses access services and funding that they are entitled to and reduce the financial impact that so many people are experiencing.”

The hub is updated regularly. To access the page please visit www.wealden.gov.uk/cost-of-living-support/

The Coronation of His Majesty The King will take place on the morning of Saturday May 6 and is set to be one of the most significant events of the year.

The Coronation ceremony will see His Majesty King Charles III crowned alongside The Queen Consort, followed by a celebration concert held the following day on Sunday May 7 at Winsor Castle.

The three-day bank holiday weekend – on 5, 6 and 7 May - will host Coronation Big Lunches, thousands of street parties bringing communities together throughout the UK.

In Wealden, communities planning street parties which require road closures are being urged to submit their road closure applications as soon as possible.

It is free of charge to apply for and details of how to apply can be found on the council’s website. All applications should be submitted at least eight weeks before any planned event – which would be by Friday 10 March.

The council also wants to hear from people holding events and organisers wanting publicity can email pr@wealden.gov.uk

Councillor Ann Newton, leader of Wealden council, said, “The Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort in May will be a huge historic milestone and I would like to encourage streets, communities, friends, and families to celebrate the Coronation together.

“There are many events happening across the special bank holiday weekend that people can support and get involved with.”

In addition, Wealden has set up a dedicated page packed with information on how to get involved with the community events.

On Sunday 7 May, neighbours and communities are invited to share food and fun together as part of The Coronation Big Lunch. This is being overseen by The Big Lunch team at the Eden Project. If you would like more information on planning a Big Lunch for you and your neighbours, visit the Eden Project's website.

On Monday 8 May, members of the public will be invited to take part in The Big Help Out, which will encourage people to try volunteering for themselves and join the work being undertaken to support their local areas.

The Big Help Out is being organised by The Together Coalition and a wide range of partners such as The Scouts, the Royal Voluntary Service and faith groups from across the United Kingdom.

An inaugural meeting of local authorities has taken place to continue to hold Southern Water to account for delivering the vital infrastructures that communities need.

Wealden District Council is co-ordinating the Southern Water Local Authority Stakeholder Group, which includes representatives from more than 40 councils across the south east including neighbouring Eastbourne, Hastings and Rother councils.

It was set up in the aftermath of a catalogue of issues including flooding, sewage seeping into people’s homes, gardens and roads, the ongoing problem of discharges into rivers and waterways and the inability to deal with additional development.

It also follows the July 2022 Full Council motion by Wealden District Council to demand better quality information from Southern Water when it considered planning matters.

The meeting was held on Tuesday 31 January when the group discussed action and experiences to date across the full Southern Water network.

Southern Water is responsible for waste water across the region and for drinking water in other parts of the south east.

Leader of Wealden District Council, Councillor Ann Newton said, “It is not just Wealden council which is appalled and frustrated at the issues and concerns which lead back to Southern Water’s failings.

“All those at the inaugural meeting were united in their pledge to hold Southern Water to account and press for immediate action particularly in relation to upgrading and investing in the sewerage systems.

“We were able to explain what our planning officers have been doing on live application casework. All those attending were very interested in how officers have been able to persuade Southern Water to comment much earlier in the development process. Calling Southern Water to Overview and Scrutiny Committee is likely to be followed by partners in the group.

“Unfortunately we do not have the direct power to regulate Southern Water or require it to address its rather lengthy list of failings. But as local authorities working together, we can do our utmost to apply pressure to seek the required action needed to end this catalogue of failings.

“It was a very positive meeting and we have agreed to meet regularly moving forward.”

Wealden District Council’s Dementia Action Alliance (WDAA) is still going from strength to strength making a difference to residents living with dementia and their carers.

The alliance, set up in 2016, is run in partnership with community groups, volunteers and businesses from across the district.

Ranging from cafes to film screenings, there is something for everyone to enjoy. There is a Friends of Wealden Dementia Action Alliance Facebook page (Friends of Wealden Dementia Action Alliance) and a weekly email which residents can sign up to. Here, people can get all the latest information on a number of groups and support services available to residents.

The alliance and local forums aim to raise awareness of dementia across Wealden, support people living with dementia and make Wealden a dementia-friendly place to live. The alliance also supports Care for the Carers and Dementia Information and Support Courses (DISC) with their local carer groups and help to advertise to Wealden residents.

The forums cover South Wealden, Uckfield and Crowborough, where local issues are discussed and new activities or initiatives are created. The alliance also supports Care for the Carers and DISC with their local carer groups and help to advertise to Wealden residents.

Dementia-friendly cafés are run in partnership with Home Instead in Willingdon, Polegate and Hailsham. There are cafes in Crowborough and Withyham supported by the local community and volunteers. The Saturday Social is run in partnership with Sussex Support Service every Saturday at Victoria Pavilion for another great afternoon of lovely refreshments and activities to take part in or just come along for a cup of tea and a chat.

If people would like to see some of the classic films, volunteers run Golden Oldie film afternoons in Ninfield, Crowborough and Hailsham Pavilion and more information can be found on the website (Wealden Dementia Action Alliance - Wealden District Council - Wealden District Council) or Facebook page (Friends of Wealden Dementia Action Alliance)

In partnership with the Sussex Cricket Foundation, Sporting Memories is held at Polegate Community Centre every Wednesday and is a chance to reminisce about favourite sports.

The Dementia Charter is to encourage businesses to become dementia-friendly and show support in the community. To find out more please do get in contact with us and we can send the relevant information.

People interested in helping to raise the awareness of dementia in their community should please contact DISC. DISC can train people to become a Dementia Guide to help teach others about dementia whether that is in a local bowls club or their local shops. It is a great opportunity for people to show their support for people living with dementia and their carers.

Councillor Pam Doodes, Wealden’s portfolio holder for Community, said, “I would like to thank all the community groups, businesses and volunteers who have been supporting our goal to have a dementia-friendly district. The hard work that goes into running these events is honourable.

“I would encourage anyone with dementia that wants to gain more social interaction to go along to one of the events. They are a safe, welcoming, and comfortable place.”

To get in contact with the WDAA please email wellbeing@wealden.gov.uk or look at our website (Wealden Dementia Action Alliance - Wealden District Council - Wealden District Council) or Facebook page (Friends of Wealden Dementia Action Alliance)

Time for Dementia - A unique opportunity for people with a dementia diagnosis and their carer or partner.

Would you like to take part in an award-winning training programme to help healthcare students improve their knowledge and understanding of what it is like to live or care for someone with a diagnosis of dementia?

The Time for Dementia project, supported by the Alzheimer’s Society is looking for families affected by dementia to meet with students from local universities either at home or virtually. Families will be paired with students and meet three times a year, enabling you to share your experiences and help train the healthcare professionals of tomorrow and improve dementia care.

You can hear what some of our families think about taking part here: https://youtu.be/EvdE85OFz0s

For more information on how get involved, please contact 07858 678 962

or email timefordementia@alzheimers.org.uk . We are also happy to come along and talk to groups and organisations about the programme and how they can take part.

Comment from a person affected by dementia:

“I will do anything I can to help bring about changes. Time for Dementia is so important because if doctors and nurses can have a better understanding of people with dementia and their needs, their stay in hospital and their overall treatment is going to be much better.”

Residents living in Wealden are invited to a benefits drop-in session in Heathfield on Tuesday 24 January.

The event is being held in the Parish Meeting Room at Heathfield and Waldron Parish Council. Residents do not need an appointment to attend the session, which is from 9:30am - 3pm.

Members of the Benefits Service will be in attendance to answer any questions and advise residents on any financial support that they may be entitled to including Council Tax Reduction, state benefits and other assistance.

Councillor Neil Waller, Wealden’s portfolio holder for Benefits, said, “After hosting a number of these sessions across the district last year, we’re delighted to bring them into the new year.

“These sessions are vital in ensuring that our residents are claiming all that they are entitled to, and our Benefits Service is happy to be of assistance and support them however they can.”

Residents can also go online tohttps://www.wealden.gov.uk/ and click on ‘benefits’ to check their eligibility.

Please see the link below on an update on our Ukrainian residents:

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKESCC/bulletins/3429ce4

Please report Pot Holes to ESCC via the ESCC Highways website:

https://www.eastsussexhighways.com/report-a-problem OR

https://www.fixmystreet.com/

For the first time, residents in Wealden will need to show photographic ID to vote at this year’s local elections.

Residents are being urged to make sure they are ready to vote in May by checking they have an accepted form of ID.

Elections for Wealden District Council and town and parish councils will be held on Thursday 4May this year.

Accepted forms of ID include a UK, European Economic Area (EEA) or Commonwealth passport; a UK, EEA or Commonwealth drivers’ licence; and some concessionary travel passes, such as an older person’s bus pass or an Oyster 60+ card. Voters will be able to use expired ID if they are still recognisable from the photo.

Anyone who does not have one of the accepted forms of ID will be able to apply for free ID online from Monday 16 January athttps://voter-authority-certificate.service.gov.uk/ or by completing a paper form.

The full list of accepted ID is available on the Electoral Commission’s website, along with more information about the new requirement and details of how to apply for the free ID, athttps://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/voter-id

Trevor Scott, Wealden District Council’s chief executive and Returning Officer, said, “With elections taking place in Wealden on 4 May 2023, it is important that those who want to vote make sure they have an accepted form of ID. It may seem early but checking now means you will be ready to vote in May.

“Residents who do not have one of the accepted forms of ID can apply for free ID either online or by completing a paper application form and sending this to Wealden’s Electoral Services team. If you need any help with applying for the free ID or want to request an application form, contact the electoral services team on 01892 602407 or via emailelections@wealden.gov.uk.”

Ailsa Irvine, director of Electoral Administration and Guidance, said, “Anyone voting at a polling station in England this May will need to show photo ID before they can be given their ballot paper.

“It’s important that everyone understands what types of ID they can use, and how to apply for free ID if they need it. You can find information about the new requirement and what to expect at the polling station on the Electoral Commission’s website.”

Anyone who wants to have their say in the elections this May must also be registered to vote. It only takes five minutes to register online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. Voters wishing to apply to their council for free ID should first make sure they are registered to vote.

The requirement to show photo ID at the polling station, is a new requirement, introduced by the UK Government’s Elections Act which was passed last year and comes into effect for the first time this May.

For more information contact Wealden District Council’s communications team atpr@wealden.gov.uk or Electoral Commission press office on 020 7271 0704, out of office hours 07789 920 414 orpress@electoralcommission.org.uk

Notes to editors

1. Council elections are taking place in Wealden in May 2023.

2. The requirement to show photo ID at the polling station, is a new requirement, introduced by the UK Government’s Elections Act which was passed last year.

3. The legislation requires voters at polling stations to show an accepted form of photo ID before they receive their ballot paper. From May, voters will need to show photo ID before voting in local council elections in England, parliamentary by-elections, and police and crime commissioner elections in England and Wales. From October 2023, photo ID will be needed at UK parliamentary general elections. It will not be a requirement at local elections in Scotland or Wales, or elections to Scottish Parliament or Senedd. The requirement already exists in Northern Ireland.

4. Applications for the free ID available, called the Voter Authority Certificate, are expected to open in January.

5. To apply for the Voter Authority Certificate, voters will need to provide a photo, full name, date of birth, the address at which they are registered to vote and their National Insurance number.

6. The UK Government’s Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities is responsible for the new voter ID policy and for the free voter ID application system. Enquiries relating to the application system or the policy itself should be directed to the Department.

7. The Electoral Commission is responsible for ensuring voters are aware of the new voter ID requirement, and for supporting local authorities with the process. Questions related to the public awareness campaign should be directed to the Electoral Commission.

8. Local authorities are responsible for implementing voter ID at the local level.

Please find attached a letter from Cllr Claire Dowling, Lead Member for Transport and Environment regarding the current situation on the roads.

Dear colleagues, 

The nation’s roads have taken a battering from the weather in recent months, and I wanted to let you know how East Sussex Highways are responding. After the wettest November on record, we have had freezing conditions, followed by a thaw and more heavy rain. And we are only halfway through the winter. 

Roads right across Britain have deteriorated as result of these conditions, with water freezing and melting in the road surface to create new holes or surface water eroding parts of roads. Both can leave serious damage. 

In East Sussex, like all other areas, we are working flat out to repair as much of this new damage as quickly as we can. 

Right now, we have around 2,000 reported potholes, which is approximately 1,200 more than we would normally expect with more reported all the time as winter continues. 

In response, we have almost doubled the number of gangs working on road repairs (from 10 to 17) by diverting them from other highways work. They are working in all weathers and for longer hours, including at weekends. Over the last seven days they have repaired 700 potholes. 

Most pothole repairs will be of the quality to be permanent but there will be times when our contractors need to make temporary repairs. This may be in emergencies or where it is not safe to carry out a permanent repair because of the speed of passing traffic or at a busy junction. We only pay once for each pothole fixed, even if it has both a temporary and permanent repair. 

There are times, including over Christmas and the New Year, when tarmac plants are closed and hot tarmac is not available. When this happens, our contractor has to use a cold-lay material to repair potholes. This is specially designed to fill potholes and is applied to the manufacturer’s instructions but does not have the same appearance as a repair where the pothole has been cut out, lined, and filled with hot tarmac. 

We do not repair every pothole that is reported to us; only those that meet the intervention criteria in our published Guide to Highways. Guide to Highways (eastsussexhighways.com)

However, the Highways Steward may still refer a particular pothole, cluster of potholes, or stretch of road, for inclusion in our annual patching programme to prevent or reduce future damage. 

By the end of November we had already patched 800 sections of road across the county, with 100 more sites to be finished before the end of March. 

We are responsible for 2,000 miles of roads and 1,542 miles of pavements and cycleways across East Sussex, as well as hundreds of bridges, thousands of drains and road signs, 37,500 streetlights and nearly 2,800 miles of verge and hedges. 

East Sussex County Council has invested an extra £8.9 million this year in this highways network. This means we are now spending more than £40 million a year on maintaining it to as high a standard as we can. 

We are very grateful for peoples’ patience as we continue to tackle the winter backlog on our roads, over the coming months, which includes fallen trees and flooding. 

However, we can only repair the potholes and incidents we are made aware of, and we would ask you and your residents to please report any problems with the road condition to East Sussex Highways: Report a Problem (eastsussexhighways.com)

Thank you for your understanding during these very difficult winter months. 

Yours sincerely 

Councillor Claire Dowling 

Lead Member for Transport and Environment

We’re delighted to tell you about a great funding opportunity for ideas in East Sussex that are making positive change in the county!

Crowdfunder and East Sussex County Council have teamed up to award a share of £25,000 in +Extra funding to 5 community projects across the county. Better yet, you’ll get £500 as soon as your project goes live!*

We’re on the lookout for projects that are helping to create social equity, economic prosperity, cultural vitality and environmental sustainability in East Sussex.

Find out more

To be in with a chance of getting up to £5,000, organisations must set up a crowdfunding campaign before Wednesday 1 February and apply to the East Sussex Community Wellbeing Fund – Winter 2023. Don’t worry, this is just the first step and the campaign can be a rough draft!

Shortlisted eligible participants must then set their project live by 22 February 2023. Once your project is live, you’ll receive the initial £500 pledge from the East Sussex County Council.

*The entry pledge will only be paid out if the project raises £500 from the crowd, with 20 unique supporters, i.e. reaches a total amount raised of £1,000. Please see full terms and conditions for more information.

If you have any questions, please contact support@crowdfunder.co.uk.

Good luck!

Programme Manager – Community Resilience

Public Health

With Spring on its way we start to think about getting out to walk in the beautiful English countryside again, but where to find new and interesting walks?

Walking in Sussex https://www.walkinginengland.co.uk/sussex has loads of walks to download and print, free, it also has books of walks, details of all the walking groups in the county and much more. Whether you want to walk on your own or with a group all the information is there in one place.

John Harris (who maintains the website) said ‘There is so much walking information on the web but it is difficult to find. Walking in Sussex (part of the Walking in England website) has brought it together in one place so whether you are walking from home, or away on holiday, you will be able to find a walk suitable for you’.

With walks from half a mile to twelve miles plus long, and a note of suitability for pushchairs and wheelchairs, everyone can find a walk to enjoy.

So home or away, check out the websites and get walking!

John Harris

www.walkinginengland.co.uk

East Sussex 4 Community

A free-to-use funding website with information on grants, loans and other initiatives in the UK.

https://www.idoxopen4community.co.uk/eastsussex/

Crowdfunder

Crowdfunder gives local organisations the opportunity to raise money and potentially match fund against external funding pots in just 6 weeks. Pots to match fund against through Crowdfunder currently includes:

• ‘Co-op Warm Spaces Funding Boost - Supporting projects who are bringing communities together into warm spaces (max £3,000).
• Aviva Community Fund - Supporting projects that boost the resilience of communities (Max £50,000).
• Aviva Cost of Living Boost - Supporting projects that boost the resilience of communities. (Max £50,000)
• M&S Community Energy Fund - Supporting community projects committed to being environmentally conscious (Max £5,000)
• Sport England: Active Together - Funding for keeping communities physically active.
• Sport England: Places & Spaces - Up to £10,000 to improve your Place or Space and keep your community physically active.
• British Cycling: Places to Ride Fund: For projects who are developing or improving existing cycling facilities.

Furthermore, East Sussex County Council will be releasing additional match funding for local organisations in East Sussex to apply for. Details will follow shortly.

Please read through the external funds to ensure you are eligible and meet the criteria.

For further information, feel free to contact Kat Jenner on communitygrants@wealden.gov.uk or to sign up on one of the hourly introduction sessions to crowdfunder https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/d/united-kingdom--london/crowdfunder/?page=1

Crowdfunder website: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk

Platinum Jubilee Village Hall Fund

The application window will close on 20 January 2023, with successful applicants being able to draw on the funding from April 2023.

Village halls interested in applying can request grants from £7,500 to £75,000, and up to a maximum of 20 per cent of eligible project costs. Capital grants will be allocated to support infrastructure improvements, the refurbishment of facilities, such as kitchens and toilets, and measures to improve energy efficiency.

More information, including how to apply for the fund, can be found linked below.

https://acre.org.uk/platinum-jubilee-village-halls-fund/

Sports England - Small Grants Programme

The closing date for applications to the programme is 30 June.

Small Grants Programme returns with awards of between £300 - £15,000.

Our Small Grants Programme can now give 50% larger awards to help communities get active after the maximum grant amount was increased to £15,000 for 2023 (was previously £10,000)

The Small Grants Programme was put on hold for a year in 2022 as we launched the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Activity Fund, which was designed to bring communities together through activity.

We believe that communities that work together and share resources provide a stronger and more sustainable impact.

So, the programme will also prioritise projects that focus on environmental sustainability, can demonstrate how they connect with their communities, provide the biggest possible impact to those who need it most and are working with people living in areas of disadvantage.

Applications can be made for awards of between £300 and £15,000, with multiple applications permitted but organisations can only have awards totalling £15,000 or less in any 12-month period.

Only not-for-profit organisations are eligible for the programme and applications should explain the need for the project as well as how end users have been involved in its development.

https://www.sportengland.org/news/small-grants-programme-returns-awards-15000

Wealden Community Lottery

Wealden District Council is delighted to invite your local organisation to the launch ofWealden’s Community Lottery, taking place on Wednesday 1^st February at Hailsham Civic Community Hall. This initiative is an exciting new way for local organisations to fundraise locally and this event will highlight how the Community Lottery will work and the benefits it could bring to your organisation.

We welcome voluntary and community organisations, charities, sports clubs and other organisations in Wealden to attend the launch to find out more about how the community lottery can support them.

For more information and to sign up to our ‘Good Causes Launch Event’, click through the Eventbrite link below to hear all about how to get involved!

Eventbrite Link to the Event

Community Action Fund

To apply, groups must complete a short eligibility questionnaire by 26 February 2023.

The Civic Power Fund is the first donor fund dedicated to community organising, which aims to provide targeted long-term funding across the UK.

Its new grants programme is open to non-profit organisations with a turnover of less than £250,000 that are:

• Rooted in and accountable to their community.
• Hoping to achieve long-term change on the issues affecting their communities.
• Addressing injustice by the power of their community. For example, through community organising, campaigning, or democratic engagement.
• Lacking the resources to take their vision to the next level.

Grants of £2,500 to £20,000 are on offer, with funding to be used to build community resources to take action on issues that matter to them.

Priority will be given to organisations led by people with lived experience of the injustice they are trying to overcome.

https://www.civicpower.org.uk/community-action-fund

Sussex Community Foundation – General Awards

Our General Awards are open to applications. We have three main rounds of grant-giving each year. Upcoming deadlines for applications (unless specified otherwise) is 5:00pm (1700 hours) as follows:

Friday 6th January 2023 (Decisions March 2023)

Friday 5th May 2023 (Decisions July 2023)

Friday 8th September 2023 (Decisions November 2023)

Our grants programme is made up of a range of funds which help to address disadvantage and deprivation and build resilience in Sussex communities. Grants of up to £10,000 are available. We are particularly keen to support grassroots community groups and small-to-medium sized voluntary organisations. Please note our general funds cannot support small contributions to large capital appeals or campaigns. General round grants are available to cover a range of core and project costs including support for work planned in response to the pandemic.

https://sussexgiving.org.uk/apply-for-grants/how-it-works/

· Sussex Community Foundation - Winter Support Fund for East Sussex

· A total of £405,000 is being made available up until the end of March 2023. Applications will be made on a rolling basis, with first grants made before the end of November 2022.

· A new small grant fund offering grants of up to £10,000 for not-for–profit organisations working to support people most affected by cost-of-living issues. Set up in partnership with East Sussex County Council, the Fund has been informed by results of our cost of living survey and aims to help local voluntary sector organisations in East Sussex manage increasing costs to deliver services this winter. For more information and how to apply please visit our guidance page.

https://sussexgiving.org.uk/named_funds_posts/winter-support-fund-for-east-sussex/

Awards for All

Application deadline: Ongoing

Awards for All funding from the National Lottery, which gives out awards from £300 upwards:

In order to support communities, we fund projects and organisations which aim to:

• build strong relationships in and across communities
• improve the places and spaces that matter to communities
• help more people to reach their potential, by supporting them at the earliest possible stage.

In addition to meeting one or more of the above funding priorities we are also able to fund projects that

• support people, communities and organisations that are facing increased demands and challenges as a direct result of the cost-of-living crisis.

Funding size - £300 to £10,000, for up to one year

https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/programmes/national-lottery-awards-for-all-england

National Lottery Grants for Heritage – New Dates for Grants

Not-for-profit organisations and third sector-led partnerships in the UK can now apply for the largest grants within the National Lottery’s Heritage programme.

Until the end of the 2022/23 financial year, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, priority will be given to projects that:

• Promote inclusion and involve a wider range of people (mandatory outcome).
• Boost the local economy
• Encourage skills development and job creation
• Support wellbeing
• Create better places to live, work and visit
• Improve the resilience of organisations working in heritage

The programme provides three levels of grants, with those under £250,000 offered on a rolling basis:

• £3,000 to £10,000 (for up to one year)
• £10,000 to £250,000 (for up to five years)
• £250,000 to £5 million (over five years)

Grants can cover a wide range of projects and cover most costs associated with direct project delivery including staff/volunteers, training, repair and conservation and digital outputs.

The next deadline for grants up to £5 million is 23rd February 2023.

Tel: 020 7591 6044

Email: enquire@heritagefund.org.uk

https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/

Cost of living grant – Asda Foundation

Grants of between £500 and £2000 are available and the grant submission window will close in February.

This grant is designed to support the increased running costs groups will face between September 2022 and February 2023, including rent increases and electricity cost rises. The Foundation state: “The term ‘warm banks’ has emerged in recent months encouraging community locations this winter to remain open for longer to provide people with a warm, safe place to be rather than heating homes or living in a cold property.” This grant is targeted at community groups that are going to open longer to support individuals in their local area and provide a warm place to be.

Each Asda superstore has a Community Champion, and their role is to support groups and projects within the community, as well as managing Asda Foundation grant applications. The Community Champion in your local superstore will support you in completing your application and will submit the application to the Foundation on your behalf. The Foundation cannot accept application direct from groups.

PowerPoint Presentation (asdafoundation.org)

The Homity Trust is a small and approachable Brighton based charity. We give modest awards to registered community causes working across Sussex, helping those suffering financial hardship, and where the funds will make a significant difference.

Our current funding round is the Spring one, application deadline 31st March 2023, using the form on this site. We are particularly open to applications from organisations helping those most affected by the general increasing cost of living and ongoing energy crisis.

https://www.homity.co.uk/

Wealden District Council is excited to launch the new Wealden Community Lottery in spring 2023.

And as part of that, the council is encouraging local organisations to attend the launch event, taking place on 1 February 2023 at Hailsham Civic Community Hall, Vicarage Lane.

The initiative is an exciting new way for local organisations to fundraise locally. The launch event will highlight how the community lottery will work and the benefits it could bring to community groups across the Wealden district.

A generous 50% of the ticket proceeds from the Wealden lottery will go to charities, voluntary organisations and other not-for-profit groups with the remainder being put towards a central fund, prizes, operating costs and VAT. Tickets will cost £1.

Anyone involved with a local organisation that would like to find out more about fundraising with Wealden Community Lottery and attend the launch, can contact Wealden District Council on communitygrants@wealden.gov.uk

Following the event, tickets for Wealden Community Lottery will go on sale on Tuesday 21 February via a brand new website – to be launched soon - and the first live draw will take place on Saturday 25 March.

Wealden District Council’s portfolio holder for Community Leadership Councillor Pam Doodes said, “I am delighted to announce the launch of the Wealden Community Lottery in February.

“The money raised by the lottery is going to make a lot of difference to grassroots good causes and it’s an exciting new way for charities and organisations to fundraise locally.

“We welcome voluntary and community organisations, charities, sports clubs and other organisations in Wealden to attend the launch to find out more about how the community Lottery can support them and start fundraising. It’s easy and free.”

Leading lottery management company, Gatherwell, has been appointed by

Wealden District Council to operate the lottery, having successfully launched similar lotteries throughout the UK.

Nigel Atkinson, Gatherwell's general manager, said, "We are delighted that

Gatherwell has been awarded the opportunity to deliver Wealden District Council’s Community Lottery.

“We're looking forward to working with Wealden council to raise funds for many amazing good causes.”

A message from ESCC Highways:

I am writing to provide you with some information regarding grit bins following the wintery weather we have recently experienced.

A full replenishment programme is underway for all East Sussex County Council owned grit bins, but as we have over 600 grit bins we are using additional resources and endeavouring to complete this as early as possible.

As you will be aware, there are a number of grit bins in the county that are privately owned (usually belonging to parishes, residents associations etc). Should you wish to have any of your grit bins replenished as part of our programme, you can apply for this at a cost of £108 per fill. This application form can be found on our website: https://www.eastsussexhighways.com/files/Fixed-Word-Documents/Grit-Bin-Application-2020-(1).pdf

South East Water are appealing for people across our supply area to help find leaks both inside their homes, on business premises and out in streets and fields.

With the first winter cold snap due to come to an end this weekend, thawing snow and ice makes pipes susceptible to bursting which could cause damage, wasting water and money.

We are already seeing high demand for tap water which we believe could be due to leaking pipes or outside taps left on. We are also seeing an increase in the number of burst pipes on our network and we have repair teams out 24/7 fixing leaks and bursts, prioritising the most serious ones.

We are asking people in your community to look in their attics, airing cupboards, under their sinks and to check the taps out in their gardens to see if they have any unnoticed leaks which could be a trickle at the moment but later will cause major damage. If leaks are detected, they should turn off their water supply at the stop tap and call a Water Safe registered plumber.

Business owners are being asked to check their unoccupied premises and landlords any unoccupied homes as if there is a leak it could cause continued damage to their property as well as wasting valuable water supplies.

Those with outdoor troughs for horses and livestock should also check they are not running water to waste or have been damaged by the sub-zero conditions.

Taking these steps now, and throughout the weekend as the ice thaws, can make all the difference - and could save customers a bit of money if it’s found water is running to waste.

Our website has lots of tips on how to make homes winter ready and what to do if there’s a problem.

Water Safe Registered plumbers can be found at: www.watersafe.org.uk

Wealden District Council has confirmed recycling and rubbish collection dates over the Christmas period.

In order for recycling and rubbish to be collected during this busy season, please take note of the applicable dates below and make sure that your bins are at the edge of your property by 7am for collection.

Usual Collections Revised Collections

Usual recycling and rubbish collection dates will resume from Monday 2January 2023. Garden waste collections are suspended from Monday 26 December 2022 and will resume on Monday 9 January 2023.

Please remember that cards and wrapping paper - not including foil and glitter - can be put in your recycling bin, and that any extra recycling can be placed in a non-black bag next to your recycling bin. You can recycle your real Christmas tree in your garden waste bin or, if you are not subscribed to the service, you can recycle your real Christmas tree at your local Household Recycling Site.

Wealden District Council’s portfolio holder for Waste Councillor Ray Cade said, “During the festive period, many households produce extra recycling and waste so it’s therefore vital that collections continue to go ahead. This year, we’re fortunate that collections will go ahead with only a one-day delay, which will ensure that households across the district will still be able to dispose of recycling and waste appropriately.”

Wealden residents are invited to attend two drop-in sessions for advice about benefits that are being held in Heathfield on Tuesday and Wednesday 13 and 14 December.

Residents can meet with members of Wealden District Council’s Benefits Team for advice on support that may be available to them, such as reduction in Council Tax or additional financial support to help with cost of living pressures.

It follows on from previous similar events held by the council’s team in Hailsham and Uckfield.

The events are at Parish Meeting Room, High Street, Heathfield and Waldron Parish Council on Tuesday 13 December from 9.30am-3pm; and on Wednesday 14 December in the Ian Price Room, Sheepsetting Lane, Heathfield Community Centre, between 9am-1pm.

Councillor Neil Waller, Wealden’s portfolio holder for Benefits, said, “I am delighted that the council is hosting more sessions on benefits advice. The previous sessions have highlighted how beneficial the advice given is and have supported residents to claim what they are eligible to receive.

“I hope that many more residents take advantage of this opportunity to visit the benefits team in Heathfield.”

Residents can go online to https://www.wealden.gov.uk/ and click on ‘benefits’ to check their eligibility.

We are about to go into a period of cold weather, so now is the time to make sure that you have support available should power, gas or water cuts occur.

The Priority Services Register is a free support service to help people in vulnerable situations. Energy suppliers and network operators offer it. Each keeps their own register, although some share with each other.

We recommend that people who may be vulnerable or at risk during severe weather should be on a Priority Services Register. Friends and relatives can assist those who may be in need of a bit of help to register, such as the elderly or people with serious medical conditions, or those who may not have Internet access and therefore may not have received this message. Each operator can be contacted online or by phone.

Similarly, if your household is already registered, please make sure that your registration is fully up to date, for example, to ensure that contact details and special needs remain accurate.

Please act now, don’t wait!

Power cuts don’t happen very often, but if the electricity, gas or water supply network is damaged or develops a fault, engineers work around the clock 24/7 to restore supplies as quickly as is safely possible. Being on a Priority Services Register will ensure that extra support will be received if the customer experiences an outage. Support is likely to include:

· A priority number that you can call 24 hours a day

· Text and voice message alerts, letting you know when they are aware of a large power cut in your area or should your water supply be interrupted

· Tailored support if needed such as home visits, hot meals, advice and keeping your friends and relatives updated

· Where possible they will send you text and voice messages when severe weather is expected, to help you prepare

· In certain scenarios they may also offer a free hotel overnight and transport to the hotel

· For complex power cuts, community welfare teams provide on-site support which includes hot drinks, hot meals, a Wi-Fi connection and charge points.

OFGEM has a summary at https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/information-consumers/energy-advice-households/getting-extra-help-priority-services-register, and this includes help in finding the suppliers in your area. As various energy suppliers and network operators are active in Sussex, the following are the ones who cover most of the county, but there are some others. If you try to register with the wrong operator they will usually steer you in the right direction.

Electricity
UK Power Networks – most of the SE of England https://www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/power-cut/priority-services/about-the-priority-services-register
SSEN – parts of the West of Sussex https://www.ssen.co.uk/PriorityServices/

Water
Southern Water https://www.southernwater.co.uk/help-advice/join-our-priority-services-register
South East Water https://www.southeastwater.co.uk/get-help/help-for-priority-customers

Thank you for helping to keep Sussex safe

The Street Learning programme has been released for January to March 2023. It offers FREE practical, educational and wellbeing courses to residents in Wealden, aged 19 and above.

The project offers free courses to help develop new skills, enhance existing ones, and expands on education, encouraging growth and self-confidence.

Courses such as maths, English and accounting to boost job opportunities as well as sign language, painting, and cookery for people wanting to learn a new skill or take up a hobby are available.

The courses are both practical and fun and provided in local community venues including East Sussex College in Eastbourne, Uckfield College, Uckfield Civic Centre or online.

Councillor Philip Lunn, Wealden council’s portfolio holder with responsibility for Commercial, Economic Development and Leisure, said, “Street Learning offers a wide range of courses for people in Wealden and Eastbourne. The free courses are great for residents wanting to build confidence, increase their job opportunities or to have some fun.

“It’s a fantastic service and I encourage anyone wanting to learn something new to take a look.”

Street Learning is a project run by Wealden District Council in partnership with ACRES, East Sussex College, East Sussex County Council Library, Job Centre Plus, GRH Training, Compass Community Arts and Heathercroft.

Visit www.wealden.gov.uk/streetlearning, @StreetLearning.Wealden on Facebook, or email streetlearning@wealden.gov.uk for more information and feedback left by others who have attended the courses.

Updates, new courses and other training opportunities available throughout Wealden can be found on the website.

See the link below to find out if you could qualify for extra help:

Could you qualify for an extra £65 a week, cheaper broadband or help to stay warm? (govdelivery.com)

Please be aware that the following works will be carried out:-

Diversion via: - U7505 Limes Lane – U7504 Framfield Road – A272 High Street - Pound Green – U7403 Pound Green Lane and vice versa. ( please see map attached)

Advance warning signs will be placed on site advising of actual date of works

If you need to discuss this further, please contact:

Kelly Traffic Management (on behalf of BT Openreach) on 0247 664 2814

Please be aware that the following works will be carried out:-

Diversion via: - U7505 Limes Lane – A272 High Street and vice versa..(please see map attached)

Advance warning signs will be placed on site advising of actual date of works

If you need to discuss this further, please contact:

Road Traffic Solutions Ltd (on behalf of UKPN) on 01724 848 246

Wealden residents are being encouraged to shop locally and support small traders in the run up to Christmas.

In Wealden, 91% of the district’s businesses are micro businesses with less than 10 employees and this year, with the current financial pressures, it is more important than ever to support local shops and businesses.

There is a wide range of fantastic businesses in the district offering an array of goods and services, so customers won’t be short of choice and for every £1 spent, 38p stays within the local economy.

Small Business Saturday – taking place on Saturday 3 December - is a grassroots, non-commercial campaign. Now in its 10th year, it is the UK's most successful small business campaign and celebrates small business success and encourages consumers to shop local and support small businesses in their communities.

The campaign engages millions of people each year, with billions spent with small businesses on the day. On Small Business Saturday customers across the UK go out and support all types of small businesses online, in offices and in stores, many small businesses take part in the day by hosting events and offering promotions.

Businesses will benefit from free advertising on the Small Business Saturday website and the use of free marketing materials, all they need to do is register their small business and download the ready to use logos and marketing pack.

Customers can use the Small Business Saturday website to browse the businesses in their area and download their free cook book full of recipes from small businesses across the UK.

As a local authority, Wealden District Council is supporting Small Business Saturday by promoting the campaign through our various communications channels including our business newsletter and social media pages.

Councillor Philip Lunn, portfolio holder for Commercial and Economic Development, said, “This campaign has been very successful over the years and continues to emphasise the importance and value that we as a local authority place on our small businesses. They work hard and we wish them the very best with their efforts over the forthcoming Christmas period and beyond.”

The campaign encourages everyone to share how they are supporting Small Business Saturday on their social media channels and tag the organisers along with #SmallBizSatUK.

An initiative to help prevent homelessness and build partnerships between tenants and landlords has been hailed a success.

Wealden District Council has seen an improvement in its tenant satisfaction thanks to the appointment of two specific officers.

The roles of Tenancy Sustainment officer and co-ordinator was introduced into the council’s housing team to support the most vulnerable tenants in privately rented and social rented housing.

The initiative has seen an increased rate of positive relationships being formed in communities, tenants and landlords and partners to reduce legal action possible eviction, and homelessness within the Wealden district.

The service operates with a non-judgemental model of person-centred work which aims to make tenants feel heard and supported challenging tenant’s behaviours with a view to creating positive and sustainable change.

Tenants in social housing can contact their housing support officer, who will refer them to the sustainment officers and residents renting in the private sector can contact the housing team where their situation will be assessed and referred into the sustainment officer.

The council has seen a reduction in legal action against tenancy breaches which is having a positive impact on homelessness across Wealden.

Councillor Ray Cade, portfolio holder for Housing, said, “I am very pleased to see the reduction of homelessness and issues across the district because of the tenancy engagement roles. I would like to thank the officers within the team for working positively with tenants, landlords and partners to create a better living environment for all parties involved.

“This is all about supporting the most vulnerable tenants with support being designed around their needs. We had some great feedback from residents who have been helped. It is roles and initiatives like these within the council that are vital to make changes to people’s lives for the better.”

Make a date in your diary to come along and enjoy the Buxted Symphony Orchestra’s next concert on Saturday 10th December, which will be held for the first time at Uckfield College, in its excellent theatre with tiered seating, and plenty of free parking on site. The concert starts at 2.30 pm and refreshments will be served during the interval.

We are excited to welcome Miriam Teppich as our guest soloist, who will be performing Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 1 and Dvorák's Romance in F minor. The varied programme also includes works by Schubert, Johann & Josef Strauss.

Tickets are £12 at the door, with free entrance for students and under 18s.

Two familiar landmarks in Wealden have today been placed on a register in a bid to help save them and restore them to their former glory.

The Mint House in Pevensey and Cross in Hand Windmill have been included on this year’s Heritage at Risk Register, which identifies historic sites most at risk and most in need of safeguarding for the future.

Historic England works with owners, friends groups, developers and other stakeholders to find solutions for those historic places and sites across England which are ‘at risk’ of being lost as a result of neglect, decay or inappropriate development.

The Mint House, opposite Pevensey Castle, is a Grade II* listed building which contains medieval timbers taken from the hall of neighbouring Pevensey Castle.

The high-status 16th century hall is listed due to the high quality of the surviving timberwork including the roof structures, finishes, and the surviving wall paintings, decoration and carved panelling.

The Mint House has seen many uses over the years - occupied as a dwelling, used as a brew house and from the early 20th century it became a large antique shop, owned by Charles Henry Allen. In 1937, it was visited by Queen Mary who bought some antique furniture to be sent to Buckingham Palace.

Then, in the early 2000s, the site was sold off separately from the rest of the complex and The Mint House and its associated buildings stood vacant for a decade before being sold in 2018.

Historic England says water penetration is causing wet rot and deterioration of the timber frame and structural movement has caused further damage. The chimney has been removed as far as the eaves for safety, and further investigations and a comprehensive programme of repairs are now urgently necessary.

A newly formed charity, the Friends of Mint House is working to further understand the building, find a future use which will support the local community and fundraise for the much-needed repairs.

Harriet Tait, chair of trustees for the Friends of Mint House, said, “In April 2021, we formed the Friends group with the idea of conserving it for the future so that all visitors could once again share it, and lucky for us, we had a very understanding and supportive owner in Jason Rolf, who gave us custodianship of the building in August 2021 so that we could open it to the public. We continue to raise much-needed funds for its purchase and conservation.”

Councillors Pam Doodes and Ray Cade, who represent Pevensey at Wealden District Council, said, “The Mint House is a familiar landmark to so many residents and visitors and steeped in history.

“The inclusion of it on the Heritage at Risk Register can only be seen as a good thing as it has identified the historical importance of the building and the need to preserve it.

“The Friends of Mint House is working to further understand the building, find a future use which will support the local community and fundraise for the much-needed repairs. We are delighted that as a council we will be supporting this initiative and look forward to helping with the aim of the building being restored to its former glory.”

Cross in Hand Windmill, also a Grade II* listed building and known as New Mill, is on Mill Lane, Lewes Road, and was originally built at Framfield in 1806 but moved near to this site in 1855 before moving again to the exact site in 1868 with a two-storied roundhouse erected around it.

A lean-to was added to the roundhouse in 1900 to accommodate two further millstones powered by a steam engine. Repairs were carried out to the mill in the 1930s, 50s, 60s and finally in 2018.

Historic England says the mill, which has five floors and was one of the last remaining working corn mills in Sussex, has survived particularly well, including the weatherboarding and timber-framing to the buck, the machinery, and the roundhouse; the rare surviving internal machinery which remains in place, French burr stones, a bell alarm and sack hoist.

Councillor Ann Newton, who represents Framfield and Cross-in-Hand at Wealden District Council, said, “The windmill is a hugely important part of our landscape and its inclusion on the register will come as good news for those who have and continue to work to establish a meaningful dialogue with all the correct parties to halt its decline.”

Please see below fund that you may be interested in regards to the cost-of-living crisis. Please pass to local contacts who you believe may be interested in applying.

Sussex Community Foundation has set up the Winter Support Fund in partnership with East Sussex County Council. The Winter Support Fund is a new small grant fund offering grants of up to £10,000 for not-for–profit organisations working to support people most affected by cost-of-living issues. The Fund has been informed by results of our cost-of-living survey and aims to help local voluntary sector organisations in East Sussex manage increasing costs to deliver services this winter.

What can you apply for?

Grants of up to £10,000 are available to locally based not-for-profit organisations working to support people most affected by cost-of-living issues. We will consider applications for funding to:

• Meet increased organisation running costs such as salaries, fuel, electricity, heating, and volunteer expenses – some of the areas hit hardest by rising costs.
• Build capacity by bringing in additional resources to help meet increased community needs. For example, by recruiting additional staff and volunteers, by building local partnerships or by delivering additional training and support for staff and volunteers.
• Support organisations in adapting to and providing alternative support to those in need over the winter. For example, through the provision of warm banks and spaces, including those where food and other activities can be provided.

A total of £405,000 is being made available up until the end of March 2023. Applications will be made on a rolling basis, with first grants made before the end of November 2022.

For more info: https://sussexgiving.org.uk/named_funds_posts/winter-support-fund-for-east-sussex/

See image for Christmas Bin Collections 2022

WDC will not be sending out Waste and Recycling Collection Calendars to residents again this year and we will not be producing bin hangers with the Christmas Collection Dates on.

Hundreds of thousands of pounds for much needed infrastructure and leisure facilities have been passed on to town and parish councils by Wealden District Council.

Each year councils across the Wealden district are passed Community Infrastructure Levy payments – funds paid by developers to contribute towards providing much needed facilities for the communities in the area.

Spending by many of the town and parish councils has seen improvements ranging from new equipment in playgrounds to a roadway being reconstructed.

Over the past year the parish and town councils have spent an amazing £414,300 on infrastructure projects throughout the district. These include £77,872 on our community buildings, £35,093 on provision of new and repairs to recreational facilities for all age groups and £53,341 on landscaping and street furniture such as benches and seating.

The possible uses for CIL are wide and far reaching and in addition the councils spent almost £7,000 on speed surveys and speed watch schemes; £14,172 on local transport infrastructure works; £53,341 on highways works; £4,944 on Finger Post repairs; £29,585 on street lighting; £8,536 on repairs to bus shelters; £38,356 to footpaths and green lanes; £1,600 on Christmas lights; almost £21,000 on CCTV and local security; £13,115 on allotments; £20,000 towards a new mini bus for the use of the community and £33,425 on drainage works.

Some councils have not yet spent their CIL payments while others did not receive them due to there being no CIL liable developments in the areas.

For detailed information on town and parish councils spending please visit: Infrastructure Funding Statement and CIL Annual Monitoring Reports - Wealden District Council - Wealden District Council

Leader of Wealden District Council Councillor Ann Newton, who is also the portfolio holder for Planning, said, “CIL payments are a legal commitment by developers and they help pay for vital infrastructure that is needed where developments are taking place. All but the smallest development projects will make a contribution.

“The regulations require Wealden to pass a proportion of CIL funds raised to the relevant parish council/s. This is called meaningful proportion and the figure is 15%, subject to an annual cap. The cap is equivalent to £100 per dwelling in the parish. When development is built in an area covered by a neighbourhood plan, the parish council will receive a higher CIL proportion of 25%, uncapped.

“Money raised via the meaningful proportion can be spent on anything that deals with the demands that development places on the area. We encourage parish councils to work closely with neighbouring parishes and us (at the district council) to agree on infrastructure spending priorities. If the parish council shares our priorities, they may agree that we should keep the parish portion of CIL to spend on that infrastructure.”

Sussex Community Foundation (SCF) and East Sussex County Council (ESCC) have teamed up to create a new small grant fund for not-for–profit organisations working to support people most affected by cost-of-living issues.

The Winter Support Fund for East Sussex will go live on Monday 7th November, and will make grants to successful not-for-profit organisations of up to £10,000, a total of £405,000 is being made available up until the end of March 2023. All grants will need to be fully spent by the end of May 2023.

SCF will consider applications for funding to:

• Meet increased organisation running costs such as salaries, fuel, electricity, heating, and volunteer expenses – some of the areas hit hardest by rising costs.

• Build capacity by bringing in additional resources to help meet increased community needs. For example, by recruiting additional staff and volunteers, by building local partnerships or by delivering additional training and support for staff and volunteers.

• Support organisations in adapting to and providing alternative support to those in need over the winter. For example, through the provision of warm banks and spaces, including those where food and other activities can be provided.

The first two types of support have been informed by the results of the SCF Cost of Living Survey administered to VCSE groups and organisations, and also chime with the insight that we are hearing from VCSE sector partners.

We are sharing this information with Parish and Town Councils to enable you to consider how you might work in partnership with your locally based not-for-profit organisations to provide support for adapting and providing alternative support to those in need over the winter in your local communities.

Although applications for this grant fund are not open directly to Parish and Town Councils, this is a great opportunity for you collaborate with your locally based not-for-profit organisations that would like to apply to the Winter Support Fund for East Sussex.

SCF and ESCC will be promoting the grant fund to not-for-profit organisations form Monday 7^th November.

If you are interested in learning more on the support to individuals in East Sussex you can visit the ESCC webpage Support with the cost of living, ESCC will be updating this webpage on a regular basis through our work with the multi-agency financial inclusion steering group.

3VA’s Household Support Fund (HSF) grants - food poverty/insecurity in Wealden October 2022

3VA has been asked to co-ordinate the second round of the Household Support Fund (HSF) grant to groups/organisations who are working to address food poverty and/or food insecurity in Wealden.

In the first round we gave out grants to support some excellent work which is making a real difference to our communities.

Examples included:

• Community fridges and sharing tables focused on reducing food waste by receiving food from supermarkets and redistributing it to community members.
• Community growing projects bringing people together to grow and cook fresh food.
• Delivery of cookery training to staff and volunteers focusing on low cost, healthy eating for people on low income.
• Development and support for new and existing lunch clubs.
• Cookery leader training.

We’d like to help small organisations with these grants. The money could be used to support existing work, or to start something new.

Is there something you’ve wanted to develop, whether it be around training, developing infrastructure or delivering something collaboratively? We’re here to help! We can support you in your application through discussing, connecting and helping to enable your ideas come to life. Think big! Think creative!

To make an application or to have an initial discussion about your ideas, please email helen.graham@3va.org.uk

In your email please outline:

• what you’d like to do
• who you envisage supporting, e.g. families, older people
• how much you’d like to apply for
• how you would spend the money
• any other organisations you’d like to collaborate with

Closing date for applications is Friday 18^th November 2022, with the panel meeting the following week to consider each application.

Dear Districts, Boroughs and Parish Clerks,

This is an URGENT plea. As ESCC Lead member for Children and Families I am asking for your help.

Below you will find a link to a new national campaign on fostering. Our foster carers make such a difference to young people and have the ability to change lives. We are constantly searching for new recruits to our foster carer service, and the need has never been greater than now. The new national campaign is accompanied by a short film, which can be viewed via the link on the ‘Becoming a foster carer’ page of the ESCC website, by clicking here.

We are always happy to have preliminary discussions, without obligation, with anyone interested in becoming a foster carer. Even if now isn’t the right time for a family to begin their fostering journey, it’s always a good time to discover more. We offer online information sessions throughout the year on our ‘Contact us’ page too.

We are asking for all our Boroughs and Districts and all parish clerks to please distribute this information to their elected members/councillors and residents as widely as possible. Also attached are posters which we would be very grateful if you could consider putting up in places where they might catch people’s eye.

Working together, YOU could make a difference by spreading the word across East Sussex.

On behalf of our young people, thank you.

To Local Organisations, Schools and Parish and Town Councils,

Please see below funds you may be interested in:

Tesco’s Community Grants of up to £1,500.

Who is eligible to apply?

Grants will be awarded to voluntary or community organisations (including registered charities/companies), schools, health bodies (e.g. Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), NHS Hospital Trust, Foundation Trust), Parish/Town Councils, local authorities and social housing providers to deliver community projects.

At the moment Tesco’s are accepting applications in the Hailsham region (postcode BN27 1DN), Crowborough Region (postcode TN6 3DZ), Uckfield (TN22 1BA) and Heathfield.

Here is the link to the eligibility checker : https://tescocommunitygrants.org.uk/apply-for-a-grant/ which takes you through to the application form.

If you are interested and would like to contact the fund please email Elizabeth from Groundwork South: Elizabeth.M@groundwork.org.uk or call her via 07736 132697. Elizabeth is happy to give further advice and support.

Last chance to apply for Tackling Inequalities Fund:

Tackling Inequalities

WDC’s Wellbeing team are pleased to announce that we will be able to support and enable partners to reduce physical activity inequalities and deliver better health outcomes within Wealden through a new funding programme.

This is an exciting prospect which has been made available by funds being released by East Sussex County Council Public Health.

The funding programme is available to one or more delivery partners who can apply for between £1,000 and £15,000. Projects must support and enable Wealden residents to become more active. This will help individuals realise the many mental wellbeing and health benefits associated with living a more active healthier lifestyle and enable them to make positive health choices.

The deadline for the application is the 28^th October 2022 with all funds to be spent by the 30th June 2023.

Funding Aims

The aim of this funding programme is to develop approaches to supporting physical activity in Wealden. These must focus on the impact that COVID-19 has had on the local sport, the physical activity sector and residents. The project will seek to identify and implement the actions needed to address the issues that have arisen due to the pandemic and support physical activity delivery and participation.

Funding will be prioritised to projects that demonstrate how they achieve this aim and the following objectives:

• To work with residents to understand the impact of COVID-19 has been on people’s physical activity behaviour and support them to begin/return to activity.

• To work with sport and physical activity clubs and organisations to understand the impact of COVID-19 on future delivery and participation, supporting the development of the physical activity sector through effective communication and networking.

• To develop pathways into and out of the service which seek to increase uptake by high priority individuals

• Provide participants with access to wider advice and guidance services to address wider determinants of health (e.g. housing, debt, unemployment). Note: assistance may be provided by us with this aim, if required.

If you are interested in applying please email wellbeing@wealden.gov.uk to be sent an application form. The form needs to be done online, but a word document can be sent to complete a draft before you complete the final application.

A consultation is underway to make changes to a scheme which could improve the overall level of financial support to low income and vulnerable working age people in Wealden.

Wealden District Council wants to implement changes to the existing Council Tax Reduction Scheme for working age people from 1st April 2023.

The scheme gives Council Tax bill payers a reduction on the amount they pay, and the level of discount is based on the income of the household.

The maximum discount for working age households is currently 80 per cent but could be increased to 100 per cent which would cut bills even further.

In the Wealden District Council area, almost 6,689 people currently receive a Council Tax reduction. Some 3,504 are working age and are therefore potentially affected by the proposed changes.

The remaining who receive a Council Tax reduction are pensioners, and they will see no changes as they are part of a national scheme.

The council says changes to the working age scheme will assist low-income households, provide further assistance to certain Universal Credit applicants, and provide flexibility in the scheme to allow for changes in government welfare benefits and initiatives.

All councils are required to review their schemes each year and decide if they want to make any changes. Before any changes can be implemented, they must be subject to public consultation which is why Wealden is consulting – from now until 27^th November - on whether to the keep the scheme the same as it is now or make changes that will benefit some residents.

Councillor Neil Waller, Wealden’s lead member for Benefits, said, “We are proposing a number of changes to our Council Tax Reduction Scheme that could improve the overall level of support to low income and vulnerable working age applicants.

“This is important, especially at a time when many residents are struggling with cost-of-living pressures.

“The council has a duty to consult its residents on these changes and provide them with the opportunity to tell us their views on them.”

To take part in the survey visit https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/WEALDENCTRLIVE/ or contact our Benefits team at benefits@wealden.gov.uk or 01323 443500 to request a paper copy.

A Hailsham woman has been fined for her part in the fly tipping of asbestos on the Pevensey Marshes.

Phoebe Ripley, 33, from Hailsham, pleaded guilty at Hastings Magistrates’ Court on 20 September 2022, following a prosecution brought by Wealden District Council.

In April 2021, around 16 black sacks filled with broken asbestos roofing sheets, tarpaulin and debris were dumped along the verge of New Bridge Road, Rickney, near Pevensey.

The council’s Street Scene Enforcement Team traced the waste back to a resident based in Lancing, who had hired Miss Ripley and another person to renovate a garage roof.

Despite assuring the resident that the asbestos would be disposed of in the correct manner, the waste was subsequently found dumped across the Pevensey Marshes.

During the investigation the Lancing resident showed the council evidence of duty of care, a legal requirement for all waste producers, so avoided any action being taken against them.

However, Miss Ripley was unable to provide any documentation for disposal of the waste nor did she offer the Street Scene officers or the court an explanation as to what had happened to the asbestos or how it came to be fly tipped.

At court, Miss Ripley was fined a total of £1,000 for the waste disposal offence, ordered to pay £100 victim surcharge and must pay £1,005.66 towards the council’s costs.

Councillor Ray Cade, Wealden’s portfolio holder for Waste, said, “I would like to advise anyone who produces or handles waste that they have a legal duty to ensure that it is disposed of correctly to prevent our beautiful countryside being tainted.

“The council will not tolerate the actions of fly-tippers and will investigate and take action against crimes like these happening in our district.”

Hubbub - Community Fridge Food Hub Fund

The funding is intended to increase the social and environmental impact of community fridges by allowing them to deliver their own activities that will bring local people together and provide access to healthy, affordable and sustainable food.

Each successful applicant will receive a grant of £6,000.

This will be in the form of £5,000 towards costs of setting up the hub and then a further £1,000 one year after opening.

Constituted voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) groups may apply.

To be eligible for funding, applicants must:

• Be operating a UK based Community Fridge which is open to the public.

• Be registered members of the Community Fridge network.

Funded activities must fit within one of the following themes:

• Skills - providing access to training and knowledge-building activities, including: Training, Events, Growing, Budgeting, How to set up a food surplus enterprise

• Affordable food - supporting collaborative purchasing and/or local food retail, including: Food co-operatives, Food box schemes, Fruit and vegetable stalls, Meals on wheels or a community cafe

• Community Connection - providing opportunities for communities to come together around food, including: Community cooking, Community meals, Youth activities, Recipe sharing

• Growing - increasing the amount of food grown locally, including: Community gardens, Edible greening, Neighbourhood ’grow and watch’ schemes, Workshops, Skill and seed shares

The fund will close at 1159pm on 7th November 2022.

There will be a Q&A webinar on 20th October 2022, 1pm to 2pm.

Email: communityfridge@hubbub.org.uk

https://www.hubbub.org.uk/community-fridge-funding

Councillors at Wealden District Council have agreed to earmark a £250,000 fund to help ease the current cost of living pressures for local residents and services.

The money will be put aside to support local initiatives and fund any increased service demands within the council. It will also be available for additional support for residents and businesses when needed.

There are real concerns that council services such as housing, benefits, economic development will see an increase in people, businesses and other organisations needing assistance in the coming months due to the rise in day to day living costs and expenses.

To combat that, a cross-departmental working group has been set up to monitor the ongoing situation and identify areas where additional support is needed for residents and businesses. The group will work with stakeholders including town and parish councils, voluntary organisations and community groups.

Councillor Richard Hallett, Wealden’s portfolio holder for Governance, Customer Services and HR, said, “The present cost of living crisis is beginning to impact on Wealden's residents, communities and businesses.

“As many of the services the council provides form an important safety net to protect residents’ health and wellbeing, the setting aside of funding to react to pressures from the cost of living crisis will enable officers to act promptly and effectively as pressures arise.

“I am pleased this co-ordinated approach will help us provide support to those in our communities who are going to be hardest hit.”

An open day at Wealden Crematorium saw more than 150 people from all over the district and beyond come and take a look ‘behind the curtain’.

The event at the Wealden District Council facility in Horam was held to demystify cremation and saw the intrigued public discover every step of the cremation process as well as meet the friendly staff and ask any questions they had about the range of services to promote the celebration of life.

All were welcomed at the facility and served refreshments. Among the guests were council chairman Councillor Ron Reed, fellow councillors and the council’s new Head of Waste, Assets and Crematorium Chris Bone.

Councillor Philip Lunn, portfolio holder for economic development, said, “We were delighted to welcome the public to Wealden Crematorium’s open day.”

“It’s clear that the public have a great interest and that the open days at the crematorium are essential for the district and beyond to dispel the myths surrounding the cremation process.”

Wealden Crematorium is set in 25 acres of Sussex countryside in Horam, and people do not have to be from the Wealden district to use its range of services.

We’re delighted to tell you about a great funding opportunity for ideas in East Sussex that are making positive change in the county!

Crowdfunder and East Sussex County Council have teamed up to award a share of £25,000 in +Extra funding to 5 community projects across the county. Better yet, you’ll get £500 as soon as your project goes live!*

We’re on the lookout for projects that are helping to create social equity, economic prosperity, cultural vitality and environmental sustainability in East Sussex.

Find out more

To be in with a chance of getting up to £5,000, organisations must set up a crowdfunding campaign before Sunday 23 October and apply to the East Sussex Community Wellbeing Fund - 2022. Don’t worry, this is just the first step and the campaign can be a rough draft!

Shortlisted eligible participants must then set their project live between 17 November - 15 December. Once your project is live, you’ll receive the initial £500 pledge from the East Sussex County Council.

*The entry pledge will only be paid out if the project raises £500 from the crowd, with 20 unique supporters, i.e. reaches a total amount raised of £1,000. Please see full terms and conditions for more information.

If you have any questions, please contact support@crowdfunder.co.uk.

Good luck!’

Beam, a social enterprise initiative focused on supporting homeless people to rebuild their lives, has been launched in Wealden.

Wealden District Council’s Housing Options team has agreed to work with the award-winning service to deliver better outcomes for clients who are homeless or threatened with homelessness and help them find stable employment and accommodation along with financial security.

Using an online platform, Beam encourages members of the public to donate money to help pay for training, smartphones, transport costs and more, so homeless people have everything they need to find a job and move into a home.

Clients are given support to find new jobs and homes, a dedicated caseworker to help keep them on-track and progress with rebuilding their lives and acquiring a secure future.

Beam is working in partnership with other local authorities across the country - the scheme in Wealden went live on Wednesday 28th September.

Councillor Ray Cade, portfolio holder for Housing, said, “We are pleased to launch Beam in Wealden. This will give homeless people and those at risk of homelessness the chance to get stable jobs and make life changes.

“It is great that we are working to tackle homelessness with this award-winning organisation which has a wealth of experience and many success stories.”

A new way of working is evolving to combat sewerage and drainage issues in new developments planned across the Wealden district.

Wealden District Council and Southern Water have agreed to work collaboratively in a pilot scheme ahead of a rollout to all other local planning authorities in the water company’s catchment area.

Following a meeting between the two recently, it was agreed to look at new ways of working targeted at better quality information in response to planning applications; Southern Water will continue to be held to account at Wealden’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee meetings; and new planning conditions will be attached to large developments so that occupation will be restricted until vital infrastructure works are completed by Southern Water.

The partnership working comes after the council called on Southern Water to update and upgrade the sewerage and water infrastructure systems so they can deal with existing sewage issues and accommodate new development in the future.

It also comes on the back of a Full Council Motion earlier in the summer when councillors unanimously agreed to hold Southern Water to account and take a lead on addressing issues of sewage backing up in the homes and gardens of local residents.

Leader of Wealden District Council Councillor Ann Newton, also the authority’s portfolio holder for Planning, said she welcomed the opportunity for the council to be the first local planning authority to work hand in hand with Southern Water.

She said, “We stand by our commitment to our residents and communities to ensure Southern Water delivers the much-needed infrastructure in our area. Our new approach will ensure a more collaborative approach between Southern Water and developers to ensure that upgrades take place to serve new and existing communities.

“We will continue to work with Southern Water and developers to identify gaps in their planning for growth and hold both to account for their records of delivery. We are also working with our partner local authorities across the region to establish a local authority working group to ensure that the voice of our community is heard."

Wealden Crematorium will be welcoming the public with an open day where they will be invited to go ‘behind the curtain’.

The Wealden District Council-run facility is opening its doors on Wednesday 5^th October between 11am-3pm.

Opened in 2019, the crematorium in Horam is set within 30 acres of beautiful landscaped grounds surrounded by wildflower meadows and woodland.

In addition to the crematorium – which has a ceremony hall that can seat more than 120 mourners, car parking for around 160 vehicles, services which can be relayed outside under cover via screens and speakers and webcast facilities – there are Gardens of Remembrance, vaults where ashes can rest peacefully and other memorials.

Since opening, more than 3,000 cremations have been held at the venue as more people choose the tranquil setting Wealden Crematorium offers rather than the increasingly busy crematoriums in neighbouring towns outside the district.

The crematorium has also donated more than £40,000 to various charities in the district through the ICCM Metals Recycling Scheme which, with written consent, allows bereaved families to donate metals after a cremation.

Councillor Pam Doodes, Wealden’s community and public health portfolio holder said, “Death is still a difficult subject for many of us to talk about, so for many hosting an open day at a crematorium may, at first, seem a little feel strange.

“The reason we are opening our doors to the public is to give an opportunity for people, from Wealden, East Sussex and further afield to come, take a look and ask questions to staff in a relaxed and friendly way atmosphere.”

For more information on Wealden Crematorium visit www.wealdencrematorium.co.uk

A new funding programme to support and enable community and voluntary groups to reduce physical activity inequalities and deliver better health outcomes within the Wealden area has been launched.

The initiative has been made available by funds from East Sussex County Council’s Public Health department. Funding will be used to enable groups to develop a placed-based approach or approaches to support physical activity programmes that look to reduce health inequalities and improve health outcomes over a specified period.

The aim of the funding programme is to develop place-based approaches to supporting physical activity in Wealden. These must focus on the impact that COVID-19 has had on the local sport, the physical activity sector and residents. The project will seek to identify and implement the actions needed to address the issues that have arisen due to the pandemic and support physical activity delivery and participation.

The funding programme is available to one or more delivery partners which can apply for between £1,000 and £15,000 for projects enabling Wealden residents to become more active.

Applications for funding are invited from voluntary and community organisations. The funding programme opened on Tuesday 13^th September. If you would like an application form please email wellbeing@wealden.gov.uk. Applications must be received by the 28^th October 2022.

Research undertaken by Active Sussex identified older people, people living in deprived areas, disabled people/ people living with long-term health conditions and black and south Asian people as the four priority groups within Wealden most at risk of inactivity.

Councillor Philip Lunn, portfolio holder for Leisure, said, “We are thrilled to be able to increase the physical activity levels of the four priority groups within Wealden. The funding is welcomed to tackle inactivity and to promote inclusion across disadvantaged communities.

“We recognise that the pandemic has affected many people and this funding will address the issues that arose during the pandemic with lack of physical activity, delivery and participation.”

It is with great sadness that we have learned of the death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. The Councillors and Officers of Buxted Parish Council are deeply saddened and our thoughts are with the Royal Family at this time.

Message from Wealden District Council:

We are pleased to announce that we will be able to support and enable partners to reduce physical activity inequalities and deliver better health outcomes within the district through a new funding programme.

This is an exciting prospect which has been made available by funds being released by East Sussex County Council Public Health.

The funding programme is available to one or more delivery partners who can apply for between £1,000 and £15,000. Projects must support and enable Wealden residents to become more active. This will help individuals realise the many mental wellbeing and health benefits associated with living a more active healthier lifestyle and enable them to make positive health choices.

The deadline for the application is the 28^th October 2022 with all funds to be spent by the 30th June 2023.

Funding Aims

The aim of this funding programme is to develop approaches to supporting physical activity in Wealden. These must focus on the impact that COVID-19 has had on the local sport, the physical activity sector and residents. The project will seek to identify and implement the actions needed to address the issues that have arisen due to the pandemic and support physical activity delivery and participation.

Funding will be prioritised to projects that demonstrate how they achieve this aim and the following objectives:

• To work with residents to understand the impact of COVID-19 has been on people’s physical activity behaviour and support them to begin/return to activity.

• To work with sport and physical activity clubs and organisations to understand the impact of COVID-19 on future delivery and participation, supporting the development of the physical activity sector through effective communication and networking.

• To develop pathways into and out of the service which seek to increase uptake by high priority individuals

• Provide participants with access to wider advice and guidance services to address wider determinants of health (e.g. housing, debt, unemployment). Note: assistance may be provided by us with this aim, if required.

If you are interested in applying please email wellbeing@wealden.gov.uk to be sent an application form. The form needs to be done online, but a word document can be sent to complete a draft before you complete the final application.

We look forward to hearing from you

Plans for the proposed multi-million pound Wealden Community Sports Hub have taken a major step forward this week.

Members of Wealden District Council’s Cabinet committee agreed to progress the scheme – on a 20 acre parcel of land at Knights Farm East between the A267 and A271 – towards a planning application.

The proposed onsite sports facilities are for two full size 3G floodlit football pitches, four dual use floodlit tennis / netball courts, two padel tennis courts along with a walking and cycle route, BMX Pump track, skate park, children’s play area, outdoor tennis tables, outdoor gym equipment and a community café.

This facility mix is informed by a mix of leisure research including the Playing Pitch Strategy as well as the results of our public consultation and stakeholder engagement undertaken during 2021.

As plans for the site develop, officers will continue to engage with a number of key stakeholders such as sport governing bodies, sports clubs and town and parish councils to further develop and agree the preferred operating model and programming.

Councillor Philip Lunn, Wealden District Council’s portfolio holder for Commercial, Economic Development and Leisure, said, “This is very exciting and I am delighted to see this project take a major step forward following research, which showed a gap between the existing and required facilities in the district, and a public consultation exercise where we asked residents what they wanted to see included in the plans.

“The results of that consultation were overwhelmingly in favour of such a facility.

“The delivery of top-end sporting facilities on the site will provide opportunities for a large number of Wealden residents.”

A fresh call has been made by Wealden District Council for Southern Water to update and upgrade the sewerage and water infrastructure systems so they can deal with existing sewage issues and accommodate new development in the future.

The council issued the plea as part of its response to a consultation on the water company’s Draft Drainage and Wastewater Management Plan, which proposes how it will meet its infrastructure challenges up until 2050.

It also comes on the back of a Full Council Motion earlier in the summer when councillors unanimously agreed to hold Southern Water to account and take a lead on addressing issues of sewage backing up in the homes and gardens of local residents.

Southern Water is consulting with many stakeholders across the south east, including Wealden council especially as there have been major concerns regarding existing water infrastructure, considering the number of homes the council is expected by the government to provide in the future.

In the response, the council says it has concerns around the low level of upgrading water systems both in terms of pipework capacity and treatment for new development.

These works are funded directly by developers’ contributions and is generally meant to be undertaken within two years; yet this is not always happening in practice.

The response also says that the council and its communities in Wealden have lost faith in Southern Water and that the water company should consider reducing profits and shareholder dividends instead of funding these improvements through customer bills in the first instance.

Wealden District Council leader Councillor Ann Newton said, “It is considered imperative for both the health of the public and state of the environment that this plan from Southern Water acts as a catalyst to deliver the change necessary across our sewerage network.

“As can be seen from the council’s Full Council Motion on 20th July 2022, the council and our community have lost faith in Southern Water to deliver the infrastructure needed for our area.

“All too often communities are promised action and investment, be that to remedy a historic issue or through upgrades to support new growth, only to find that action is not forthcoming and the situation is made worse.

“Over the last few years, the council has been pressing for change, encouraging action, but seeing little. Staff at Southern Water will know well the issues at Station Road in Hellingly; Back Lane in Cross-in-Hand and Horebeech Lane in Horam, to name but a few.

“In all these cases investigation, investment and solutions have been promised, but been slow to materialise, all the while residents suffer with sewage backing up in their homes and gardens.

“We consider it is appropriate that first Southern Water considers reducing profits and shareholder dividends, to increase investment, in conjunction with a greater level of central government funding to correct historic issues rapidly.

“It may be necessary for increased customer contributions, but only where it is evidenced that the step change in delivery is taking place on the ground. Simply ‘maintaining’ our water infrastructure considering the identified challenges is not a genuine option; investment to correct the mistakes of the past is clearly required.

“Developer contributions received by Southern Water also needs to be spent where growth is taking place, rather than putting the funding emphasis on existing bill payers in the first instance.

“We do consider it necessary to update and upgrade current water infrastructure, to investigate new alternatives and futureproof the network. The council’s emerging Local Plan will of course pursue efforts to achieve this - subject to financial viability -and is also actively considering policy issues around surface water drainage - the use of Sustainable Drainage Systems - and water efficiency for new developments, including measures that will reduce water consumption, including water re-use and recycling.“

In the light of the recent submissions for a large amount of development in Five Ash Down, Buxted Parish Council would wish to make the following statement.

The Council feels badly let down by Wealden District Council which has failed to produce a timely Local Plan or indicate preferred development sites which would have allowed the parish council to respond to planning consultations in a focused detailed way based on policy grounds, and where possible, obtaining benefit to the local area (should applications be approved). Instead, we are responding having no knowledge as to whether each site will be allocated for development within any emerging local plan and without WDC having considered the accumulative effect that the development of these sites will have on the village and surrounding area.

We have been told time after time that each site would be considered on its own merit, but this would not now appear to be the case. This became apparent at the recent North Wealden Planning Committee when officers advised that the appeal to build at the Coopers Green crossroad has been allowed on appeal and therefore the application to develop land to the rear of Coopers Row should therefore also be approved otherwise, they would be subject to ‘unreasonable case processing’.

We are not experts in concerns such as road safety, sewage capacity, infrastructure, and flooding. However, we can gauge the impact that an unacceptable level of acceptance of numerous local planning applications would have on Buxted and Five Ash Down, namely doctor and school capacity, local parking for commuters.

Also worrying is that appeal inspectors are putting the most amount of weight on the fact that WDC does not have a 5-year housing land supply. For example, when reading the appeal inspectors decision for the Cooper Green crossroads application, the inspector even agreed with some of the reasons for refusal but commented the lack of a 5-year housing supply and lack of any significant environmental reasons for refusal, they had no choice but to approve the application. So, this reason appears to supersede every other. Will this continue to be the case until WDC reach the housing target? In a recent communication from WDC, dated 12^th August, Planning appeals update, external lawyers advised the council that their objections, mainly on traffic matters, was not defensible, and the objections would be withdrawn. Does this mean any future meaningful, previously material objection, from a local point of view, is rendered useless?

The Parish Council will however continue to work on resident’s behalf, listening to concerns and representing local knowledge when responding to all planning applications. We just hope Wealden listen and accept that town and parish councils should have a say in the planning process, otherwise it would seem our opinions are rendered worthless and unconsidered.

A lack of a local plan and any meaningful interim guidance from WDC who appear not to consider the quality of life of those currently residing in the area makes it increasingly difficult to respond proactively to when considering new large-scale development within our parish.

Together with its residents and partners, East Sussex County Council is developing a long-term plan, its strategy, for adult social care.

To understand what really matters to local people, and so that the strategy can be informed and led by what is important to people who need care and support, their unpaid carers and their families, the adult social care team has created the ‘Living Well in East Sussex’ survey.

This survey is the starting point for creating a strategy that will set the future direction of adult social care for everyone who has – or will have – care and support needs within the county, the projects and services that support them and their carers and families.

It opens on 08 August 2022 and will close on 18 September 2022.

Mark Stainton, East Sussex director of adult social care, said: “Long-term funding, a workforce crisis and living with COVID-19 are just three of the challenges facing adult social care.

“But there are also opportunities, such as exploring new ways of developing and delivering services, the greater public focus on the role and value of social care that the pandemic has brought, and the government’s social care reforms.

“Our strategy will describe the priorities for adult social care in East Sussex, provide direction for services, and offer a clear understanding of what our clients, their carers and families, can expect from adult social care.”

So, whether you have lots of experience of adult social care - or none at all - East Sussex would like to hear from you.

Talking with East Sussex staff, independent sector care providers, NHS colleagues and wider stakeholders will follow in the autumn/winter, informed by what local people have told us about their priorities.

To complete the survey, please use this link: www.eastsussex.gov.uk/ASCsurvey, or contact the adult social care team using the details below for paper and other formats:

Email: ASCPersonalisation@eastsussex.gov.uk

Phone: 01273 481565

Write: Adult social care strategy survey, FREEPOST, ESCC, PUBLIC HEALTH

Completing the survey also brings a chance to win one of four Love2Shop vouchers, each with a face value of £25.

East Sussex County Council and the bus operators have worked together to introduce a range of bus travel discounts across the County this Summer. This is part of the East Sussex Bus Service Improvement Plan, with more affordable bus travel being especially important when family budgets are under pressure due to other cost increases.

Bus travel has been significantly impacted by changing travel habits over the pandemic period. Your help in encouraging more bus use, by doing what you can to help promote these lower fare ticket options, will also mean operators will be in a much stronger position to continue running the services in East Sussex that our residents rely upon.

Information about these lower fares can be found on our website, which we would ask you to direct people to for more information, through this link: New lower fares on East Sussex bus services | East Sussex County Council

The website will be updated with any changes to these fares offers and news of any new participating operators. We are also promoting the fares in a social media campaign using TikTok, Twitter and Facebook as well as by other means. We particularly need to encourage people to use bus services who do not do so currently.

The lower fare offers most relevant to your area are summarised below.

Brighton & Hove Buses and Metrobus

• Introduction of a new £5 East Sussex day ticket valid on any Brighton & Hove Buses and Metrobus bus route that runs through the county of East Sussex. Buy this East Sussex day ticket on the Brighton & Hove Buses or Metrobus phone app.
• Up to four children or young people age between 5-18 years can travel free in East Sussex with an adult who has a valid ticket or concession pass.
• For young people travelling independently there is a £1 single fare, available on any Brighton & Hove or Metrobus bus journey in East Sussex. This offer was previously limited to Brighton & Hove Buses only and will be available up to 31^st August. Young people travelling on Brighton & Hove Buses will need to show their BusID. Those travelling on Metrobus may show other forms of proof of age.
• The £5 East Sussex day ticket, the free accompanied travel young children/young persons, and the £1 offer for young people travelling independently, are also available on Brighton & Hove and Metrobus routes into the city of Brighton and Hove, West Sussex and Kent. But the passenger’s first trip must start in the East Sussex County Council area. They are not valid for individual trips wholly outside East Sussex.

Buxted Parish Council has received a consultation for 65 dwellings at land north of Budletts, Five Ash Down.

We are required to respond to this consultation by 30th August.

Please forward any comments regarding this application to: clerk@buxted-pc.gov.uk and copy in planning@wealden.gov.uk

See below a link to the details on the WDC website:

https://planning.wealden.gov.uk/plandisp.aspx?recno=158557

Applications for consideration by Buxted Parish Council

Please find below a message regarding changes in Waste Collections this week due to the extreme heat.

We will be sending out a press release and putting it on the website and also on social media and are trying to reach as many people as possible. Anyway you can help to promote this message so that we can reach as many people as possible would be greatly appreciated

Waste Collections To Start at 6am

Due to a Level 3 Heat-Health Alert issued by the Met Office, Wealden District Council is asking residents expecting a rubbish, recycling or garden waste bin collection this week between Wednesday 10^th August and Friday 12 August to place their bins out ready to be emptied by 6am on their normal collection day or, preferably the evening before, during this period of intense heat.

To help reduce the risk to operatives emptying bins during this period where temperatures are expected to exceed 30ºC, crews will be starting work earlier than normal from 6am.

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

A bid for almost £20m of the government’s Levelling up Fund has been made by Wealden District Council.

Last year the council missed out on the first round of Levelling Up funding but hopes to secure a portion of the £4.8bn available to local authorities in the second round.

Wealden is applying for a grant of £19.8m to help towards the cost of a new £43m Health and Wellbeing Hub as phase one of the ambitious Hailsham Aspires scheme to regenerate Hailsham town centre.

The plans encompass a new leisure centre - to replace the existing ageing Freedom Leisure Centre – with a range of new facilities promoting physical activity for all, and a long-awaited new medical centre co-located with the leisure centre, and shared amenities supporting better health outcomes.

The Hub, which would be built on council-owned land near the current council offices, forms part of the wider vision for the regeneration of Hailsham town centre. This seeks to ensure Hailsham is fit for a future which will see both an ageing and a growing population, in addition to improving the overall health and wellbeing across the community.

Improving the vitality and attractiveness of the town centre will also be key to widening the employment offer and improving the quality of life of residents.

The project will unlock potential development sites by freeing up the land where the existing leisure centre is located, as well as two existing and one proposed GP surgery sites within the town.

Councillor Philip Lunn, the council’s portfolio holder for Commercial, Economic Development and Leisure said, “This Round 2 bid to the Levelling Up Fund builds on our unsuccessful Round 1 bid, and proposes an immediately deliverable project on council-owned land that will deliver wide-ranging benefits and kick-start the wider regeneration of Hailsham town centre.

“It is a hugely exciting project and we hope the government will recognise this and we will be successful.”

The government’s Levelling up Fund, which brings together the Department for Transport, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Treasury to invest £4.8 billion in local infrastructure, was announced in a Spending Review March 2021 by the then Chancellor Rishi Sunak.

Tell us what you think and help shape Wealden’s future

Wealden residents are being invited to give their views on how they want the district to look in years to come and what priorities there should be.

A consultation is underway asking residents, along with relevant stakeholders, what is important to them and what should be focused on from 2023-2027.

The feedback will help draft a Corporate Plan which will then go before Wealden District Council’s decision making Cabinet committee and Full Council for further input and final agreement.

The progress and delivery of the Corporate Plan will then be measured and reported to council committees on a regular basis.

The last Wealden District Council Corporate Plan covered a period from 2019-2023 and despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the council achieved many of its aims.

The authority delivered more than530 affordable and 1,200 market homes across Wealden; is taking an active role in delivering new healthcare facilities in Mayfield, Hailsham and Polegate; declared a detailed climate action plan to become net zero by 2050 or sooner and provided more than £320,000 to charities and organisations within the community.

In addition, the council secured more than £28m for infrastructure within the district; is continuing to work with partners to deliver new school places and major highways improvement;, and is also providing £2.5m to town and parish councils.

Wealden District Council leader Ann Newton said, “The Corporate Plan sets out our direction, aims and priorities as a district council for the next four years.

“We are consulting on our next Corporate Plan now as we want to know what is important to our residents and what our priorities should be from 2023-2027. Whether it's supporting local businesses and our high streets, helping older people and disabled people that need support, delivering housing for local people, promoting activities that improve health and well-being or creating new employment opportunities, we want to know what's important to you.

“I would urge everyone to let us know by filling in the survey online or by completing a form and sending it back to us.”

The consultation runs from now until 30^th September and to take part visit: www.wealden.gov.uk/corporateplan where information and achievements of the previous Corporate Plan can also be found.

Councillors have joined forces to pass a cross-party motion to protect rivers and seas from pollution.

At a Full Council meeting this week, a motion put forward by Councillor Rachel Millward and seconded by leader Councillor Ann Newton was unanimously approved by all members.

It follows the revelation that in 2021, according to The Rivers Trust, Southern Water was responsible for raw sewage being spilled into Wealden’s waterways for over 17,000 hours, spanning across four river catchments – all serving areas of outstanding natural beauty and ecological significance.

It also followed a meeting attended by Wealden councillors Ann Newton, Neil Cleaver and David White with senior Southern Water officials.

The motion also looked at inviting the new incoming CEO of Southern Water, plus senior representatives from the Environment Agency and Natural England, to attend a meeting to answer questions on the current levels of sewage discharge; and ask Southern Water, in its planning consultation responses for major development, to clarify which treatment works will be managing the sewage and whether it has information available to assess the impact on the number or duration of sewage discharges into local rivers or seas.

Councillor Rachel Millward said, “Our water companies are letting us down and it’s getting worse. This motion empowers us to fulfil our commitment to serve our communities and with better knowledge and a refined process, we can work together to make better decisions to protect and restore the natural areas. I am delighted to bring this as a cross-party motion.”

Councillor Ann Newton, who seconded the motion, said, “I am very happy to make this a cross-party motion. This is an important subject for us, which in the past we have had little control over, and we need to change this. We owe it to generations going forward.

“I would particularly like to thank Councillors Neil Cleaver and David White for their dedication and persistence.”

The motion in full called for councillors to recognise the council’s obligation to protect rivers and seas in line with its local strategy and the National Planning Policy Framework; recognise that deterioration of water quality occurs due to cumulative impact of multiple sewage discharge events, or "sewage overload”; ensure an evidence base is compiled that assesses the cumulative impact of sewage discharge so it is factored into decisions made in new iterations of the local plan, including the overall level of future development; better understand the cumulative impact of wastewater discharge including untreated sewage on our local rivers, wildlife and the health of our residents and continue to take a lead on addressing the issue by working constructively with other agencies.

The motion also requested that planning officers include in all relevant reports relating to major development, a specific section on the impact on watercourses, including the potential for the development to affect sewage outflow into watercourses.

2^nd August 2022

Applications for consideration by Buxted Parish Council via email consultation

Please return any comments to the parish council at clerk@buxted-pc.gov.uk by 5th August 2022

Discretionary scheme payments are now available to assist households which were not eligible under the national Council Tax Energy Rebate Scheme earlier this year.

To receive the Discretionary Council Tax Energy Rebate Scheme payment, applicants will need to be living in bands E-H, or are not liable for council tax in bands A-D but responsible for energy bills and entitled to some benefits. All rebates are subject to earnings/capital limit.

The scheme went live on 26th July 2022 and closes to applications on 3rd October this year or sooner if funds have been exhausted.

The government has allocated a total scheme payout limited to £327,000 which is equivalent to 2,180 payments.

Applicants will be required to upload proof of benefit entitlement and proof of income before a one-of payment of £150 will be issued.

Councillor Neil Waller, portfolio holder for Finance and Benefits, said, “We are pleased to have already given thousands of residents living in Wealden the £150 payment which was part of the national Council Tax rebate scheme announced by the government.

“Starting this week, households which weren’t entitled to the national scheme due to eligibility will be able to apply for the discretionary one.”

All applications will take 10 working days to be reviewed and applications can only be made online through our portalhttps://wealden.grantapproval.co.uk/

Join the Festival team for a fun-filled launch event on 10 September

Exciting news! This year, the start of the High Weald Walking Festival with be marked with a special launch event at the Ashdown Forest Centre in Wych Cross on Saturday 10 September.

Free guided walks will be leaving from the centre throughout the day from 10am – why not treat yourself to a coffee and cake from the Pop-up Café, peruse the Festival programme and then set off to explore the historic Ashdown Forest with a knowledgeable guide?

Visitors can learn about other Festival walks taking place throughout the week, and a selection of self-guided walking routes on the Ashdown Forest will be available to purchase for a small donation.

There will be family-friendly craft activities and free I-spy nature spotter booklets packed with information about the fascinating landscape and wildlife of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. You can also enjoy demonstrations of traditional countryside crafts from the Ashdown Wood Turners and East Grinstead Spinners.

The launch event will kickstart a week (and a bit!) of fantastic free guided walks taking in every corner of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, running until Sunday 18 September. The Walks Programme will be launched on Saturday 20 August, so be sure to join the Festival mailing list for the latest news and updates.

About the High Weald Walking Festival

High Weald Walking Festival offers FREE guided and self-guided walks for all, every September. Now in its 5^th year, the event is a collaboration between the High Weald AONB Partnership and a number of local branches of The Ramblers. The Festival aims to help walkers of all abilities explore and learn about the historic and beautiful High Weald landscape. Participants are led by experienced and knowledgeable guides from a range of organisations with a passion for the countryside.

Learn more at www.highwealdwalks.org.

Please see below the hyperlink to the latest help and support for Ukraine residents:

LATEST: Rental guide, mental health support and help with essential items (govdelivery.com)

Almost 700 inspections were carried out at food premises across Wealden in a 12 month period during 2021-22.

That included 152 micro-businesses operating from domestic establishments, which applied to be registered and each was visited as a priority to ensure they received the support and advice to operate safely.

The details are included in Wealden District Council’s Food Hygiene Service Plan, which governs the food hygiene work of the authority for the year.

The council – through a shared service with Rother District Council - carries out the Food Hygiene Scheme on behalf of the Food Standards Agency, which sets out the numerical scheme of 0-5 food hygiene rating that local authorities must use at each inspection.

Reassuringly, 981 food premises – which includes restaurants, pubs, hotels, care homes, schools, takeaways and mobile food suppliers – received very good food hygiene ratings which is a number 5.

Some 906 food premises were due for inspection in 2021-22 but many had to close for significant periods due to the Covid-19 pandemic while others operated sporadically and many stopped trading completely.

For the year 2022-23 the total number of food premises due for inspection is 817.

The Food Hygiene Service Plan must now be approved by Full Council as it forms part of the council’s policy framework and is expected to be ratified later this month.

Councillor Pam Doodes, Wealden’s portfolio holder for Climate Change, Public Health and Community Leadership, said, “It is very reassuring to see that the vast majority of food businesses in Wealden have received a very good food hygiene rating despite the difficulties of the past two years.

“Wealden District Council is committed to protecting public health and we encourage consumers to support all five rated businesses, look for the sticker or check online atSearch the Wealden area/Food Hygiene for further information.”

Since the Local plan Direction of Travel consultation concluded in January 2021, we have been working to progress a new Local Plan. We have updated Local plan evidence bases (many of which are now published) and we have also progressed many key topic areas of our plan.

The Local Plan is an important document and we have set out from the very start that we wish to progress its production and consultation as quickly as we can. In accordance with our Local Development Scheme (LDS), we were due to consult on a Draft Local Plan in spring 2022. However, there is currently too much uncertainty in relation to plan-making to go out to consultation on a Draft Local Plan at this current time. This includes matters around our housing requirement and the continued lobbying to central Government by Wealden District Councillors and Parish and Town Councillors on housing numbers. It has also recently been announced that a National Planning Policy ‘prospectus’, is due to be published in the near future, which will set out the direction for changes to national policy. We consider it really important to understand these matters ahead of any consultation as these matters will directly affect our Local Plan Strategy and the content of our Plan.

Given the above, we are writing to let you know that the Draft Local Plan Regulation 18 consultation will be reviewed. Once we have considered the nature of planning reform, we will set out an updated timetable via an updated LDS and we will publish this on our website once it has been approved.

Further detail is provided on our Wealden local Plan webpage. If you have any further questions then please contact the Planning Policy team at planningpolicy@wealden.gov.uk

Yours faithfully

Planning Policy Team

Wealden District Council

The Parish Council has received the following information from WDC advising that planning application WD/2021/1895/MAO will be considered at the next North Planning Committee on Thursday 21st July

Application No: WD/2021/1895/MAO OUTLINE APPLICATION FOR THE ERECTION OF UP TO 40 DWELLINGS LAND AT COOPERS ROW, FIVE ASH DOWN, TN22 3AN

I refer to the above planning application which is due to be considered by Members of the Planning Committee North on 21 July 2022. The meeting commences at 10.00am, and will be held at the Civic Community Hall, Wealden District Council Offices, Vicarage Lane, Hailsham, BN27 2AX.. Due to the Government restrictions imposed as a result of Covid-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, certain changes have been made to the arrangements for the Planning Committee meetings.

It is possible to still register to speak on planning applications that come to Committee, however our speaking rules have been amended during this pandemic as follows:

1. Registration for members of the public to register to speak on an application will open from the time the agenda for that meeting is published on the Council’s website;

2. To speak on an application you must email committee.services@wealden.gov.uk. Please provide your name, address and a contact telephone number and advise the application number and proposed development to which it refers. You must advise if you are speaking in favour or against the application and your relationship to the application site. Please also state whether you wish to attend the meeting and address the committee, or whether you wish to submit a statement or media file only. This must be done by no later than 12noon on the Tuesday before the meeting on a Thursday. For those speakers who want to address the Committee in person:

3. Speakers are allocated on a first come first served basis. For a major application up to 6 speakers (3 in favour and 3 against) can speak on an application. The speaker will be allowed 3 minutes to speak in favour or against the application. For all ‘other’ applications up to 4 speakers (2 in favour and 2 against) can speak on an application, with speakers being allowed 2 minutes to speak in favour or against the application.

4. There will be a Reserve List if public speaking for a particular application is oversubscribed. Should a registered speaker fail to lodge their request to address the committee or their media/audio file by the cut-off date (or their submission breaches the decency criteria/timing rules listed above), we will then contact those on the reserve list to invite their submission. If contacted, reserve speakers will be given 24 hours to make their submission or advise that they wish to attend the committee. For those speakers who do not want to address the Committee:

5. You are still able to email your speech or media file and details of this will be included in your confirmation email. The deadline for receiving either your request to address the meeting or speech or media file is 12 noon, 2 working days before the meeting (this is generally the Tuesday before the meeting on a Thursday). Your statement or media file will not be read out or played during the meeting and Councillors will be asked to consider these statements before the meeting Once the media files from Public Speakers have been published, you will need to access them via Google Chrome. Please note that some media files may take a few minutes to download due to the size of the file.

6. Any submissions considered to contain aggressive or abusive language, or that make personal remarks regarding any Member or Officer will be rejected. Equally, if you do not adhere to the protocol for addressing the Planning Committee you may be removed from the meeting.

Whilst there is the right to speak on a planning application being reported to the Committee meeting, there is no obligation to do so. Comments previously sent in writing will still be taken into account, whether you choose to speak at the meeting or not. If you consider making further comments, please note that these must be submitted no later than 10am the day before the meeting. The comments must be made via the application case file online or to planning@wealden.gov.uk. Please do not send further comments to Committee Services who should only be contacted directly about the public speaking arrangements listed above. There may be occasions when an application is withdrawn by the applicant/agent and, therefore not discussed at committee. In such cases it will not always be possible to advise you prior to the meeting.

For your information, the Officer’s recommendation to Members of the Committee regarding this application, is for Approval. The officer’s committee report relating to this application can be viewed online by visiting www.planning.wealden.gov.uk

Our main activities during the Summer are visiting, recording and documenting houses across the Weald. We compile a record of each property and over 600 records have been completed since we began in 1964

The programme details have finally come together and we still have several outstanding single buildings to eventually pair up for the 2023 programme with at least two pairs looking to be definitely feasible at this early stage.

In the interim until the New Year & beyond please do encourage any householders to approach us about arranging a visit.

They could be a house that was visited some time ago that needs re-evaluating in the light of more recent advances in knowledge but its best if we can add a building that has not been evaluated before, if at all possible.

See attached for further information

Upcoming drainage works on Framfield Road, Buxted. 

ESCC will be excavating the drainage system to alleviate flooding.

Work will start on Thursday 7 July and continue for two days

Framfield Road will remain open with temporary traffic lights in place at the junction with High Street between 9am and 4pm each day.

Further information regarding these works can be found on our website via the below link: https://www.eastsussexhighways.com/highway-schemes/framfield-road-buxted-drainage

Swarms are an amazing natural phenomenon and nothing to be alarmed about provided you exercise common sense. There is much information online about swarms and collecting them which can be found in the links below.

There is an official system in place for the reporting of bee swarms setup by the BBKA (British Beekeeping Association) which can be found here Swarm removal | British Beekeepers Association (bbka.org.uk). This facility is used by local authorities such as the police, local councils, reputable pest control companies and other responsible bodies etc when they are informed about a swarm.

The attached map provides contact information about local Swarm Coordinators. They themselves are experienced beekeepers who know how to deal with swarms and who maintain a list of other local beekeepers who are willing, qualified, and sufficiently experienced to collect swarms safely. They will also be members of a local association and therefore the BBKA which provides them with a high level of public liability insurance should something go wrong.

The local association for this area is the HWBKA (High Weald Beekeepers’ Association) which you could contact directly via Reporting a Swarm - High Weald Beekeepers’ Association (hwbka.org.uk).

The swarm coordinators will also try to ensure a fair distribution of swarms for those on the list.

Be careful when using Facebook as you cannot necessarily ensure all the above points apply. It is not unheard of for people to use this channel to get bees ‘on the cheap’ and then sell them on for commercial gain.

After the early warmth of March and February swarming may be starting early this year

Please be aware that the following works will be carried out:-

Diversion Via - C402 Hurstwood Road – U7503 Burnt Oak Road and vice versa.(Please see map attached)

Advance warning signs will be placed on site advising of actual date of works

If you need to discuss this further please contact:

Sunbelt Rentals Ltd (on behalf of BT Openreach) on 03700 500 792

Pressure on the government by MPs to get the number of homes Wealden District Council is obliged to deliver in the future has been welcomed by the authority’s new leader.

Councillor Ann Newton, who took over as leader of the authority this month and is also the portfolio holder for Planning, said she welcomed the input from Wealden MP Nus Ghani and Huw Merriman, the MP for Bexhill and Battle, whose constituency includes part of the Wealden district.

Ms Ghani has facilitated meetings between Councillor Newton and senior government ministers to highlight concerns that the number of new homes – 1,221 - the council has to provide is unreasonable, and Mr Merriman urged the government to deliver planning reforms, which focus building on land where permission has already been granted before fresh applications are entertained by local planning authorities.

Speaking in the House of Commons this month, Mr Merriman asked for a meeting with Housing Minister Stuart Andrew so the minister “could deal with the following situation whereby Wealden and Rother councils have issued 10,000 planning permissions, which have not been built out, yet they still have to deliver 2,000 new homes between them each year”.

Mr Merriman said, “Wealden and Rother councils are left in the frustrating position of having to entertain fresh planning applications when there are plenty already in the bank for developers to build on.

“Surely, at the very least, we can have annual housing targets which take into account those houses not yet built out so that developers build rather than land bank.”

Councillor Newton said, “I very much welcome Huw Merriman's intervention over planning numbers affecting the district.

“His timely input adds to the district council’s work with the Secretary of State and ministers to highlight the issue which has also been addressed in Parliament and Whitehall by MP Nus Ghani.

“I very much hope we do see some sensible planning reforms along the lines that Huw has suggested. They would come as an enormous relief to residents up and down the land.

A message from ESCC Highways:

I am writing to advise we will be carrying out carriageway patching works on Shepherds Hill, Buxted.

Work will start on Tuesday 31 May and continue for two days.

Shepherds Hill will be closed to through traffic from Nan Tucks Lane to Pound Lane between 9.30am and 3.30pm each day. Traffic will be diverted via Nan Tucks Lane, Etchingwood Lane, Streele Lane, Barn Lane, Pound Lane and vice versa.

Please see our website for information on this works - https://www.eastsussexhighways.com/highway-schemes/shepherds-hill-buxted-patching

Please be aware that the following works will be carried out:-

Diversion via: - A272 Pound Green and vice versa..(please see map attached)

Advance warning signs will be placed on site advising of actual date of works

If you need to discuss this further please contact:

Sunbelt Rentals Ltd (on behalf of BT Openreach) on 03700 500 792

The National Trust’s Sheffield Park and Garden in East Sussex is famed for its spectacular displays of rhododendrons in spring, with tunnels of bright, uplifting flowers.

And now visitors can use sustainable transport to visit, as part of a free bus trail, every Tuesday in May 2022, in an initiative supported by East Surrey Rural Transport Partnership.

The conservation charity aims to make the Grade II listed garden more accessible to visitors and volunteers in the local community. All seats on the service are fully wheelchair accessible. It leaves Uckfield Bus Station on Tuesday mornings, returning after lunch, with journey times coinciding with mainline London train services from Uckfield rail station, just a five 5 minute walk away.

May is an exciting time for Sheffield Park and Gardens as it comes alive with thousands of brightly coloured blooms of rhododendrons, one of the best times to visit the park.

Councillor Roy Galley, Wealden’s portfolio holder for climate change said, “This is an opportunity for residents to visit these world-famous gardens by public transport. This is a pilot service, but we hope it will continue with enough community support.

“The idea is to link this service with rail journeys to and from London Bridge so that people can visit Sussex, Surrey and London car-free.”

For more information, booking online and bus timetable visit http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sheffield-park-and-garden/whats-on