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Buxted Parish Council

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Latest Parish News

Christmas and New Year waste collection dates for Wealden

02

December 2024

Christmas and New Year waste collection dates for Wealden

Waste collection days for Wealden residents are changing over the Christmas and New Year period.

The revised collection dates are in the table below. All rubbish or recycling needs to be out by 7am on the collection day.

Normal Collections Revised Collections

Wednesday 25 December	Friday 27 December
Thursday 26 December	Saturday 28 December
Friday 27 December	Monday 30 December
Monday 30 December	Tuesday 31 December
Tuesday 31 December	Thursday 2 January
Wednesday 1 January	Friday 3 January
Thursday 2 January	Saturday 4 January
Friday 3 January	Monday 6 January
Monday 6 January	Tuesday 7 January
Tuesday 7 January	Wednesday 8 January
Wednesday 8 January	Thursday 9 January
Thursday 9 January	Friday 10 January
Friday 10 January	Saturday 11 January
Monday 13 January 2024	Collections Resume on your normal collection day

As normal, there will be no garden waste collections over the festive period between Wednesday 25 December and Tuesday 7 January. The garden waste collections will return to the normal collection days from Wednesday 8 January 2025.

New collection calendars for 2025 are now available online. Residents can download the calendars on the Bin Day Search at www.wealden.gov.uk and can also receive free weekly reminders of bin collections by signing up to Wealden Weekly. Visit www.wealden.gov.uk/wealden-weekly .

Don’t forget, all wrapping paper and cards, except foil/glitter, can be placed in the recycling bin and real Christmas trees can be cut up and put inside the brown garden waste bin with the lid closed. Alternatively, residents can take their tree to the local Household Waste Recycling Site.

Many of us produce extra waste throughout the festive period, a lot of which can be recycled. Extra recycling can be placed out in non-black plastic bags next to the recycling bin for collection - except for glass which should only be put into the recycling bin.

Councillor James Partridge, Alliance for Wealden (Liberal Democrat), lead councillor for Governance, Waste & Local Economy, and deputy leader of the council, said, “The collection crews will be working hard over the Christmas period to ensure a continuous service of everyone’s rubbish and recycling bins. Many of us produce extra recycling and waste throughout the festive period, a lot of which can be recycled, so please put it in the right bin. In Wealden, we have excelled in our recycling again this year with almost 50% of our waste being recycled. I would like to thank everyone for the effort put into helping Wealden to achieve this amazing recycling rate.”

For further information on what can and cannot be recycled, visit www.wealden.gov.uk/recycling-and-waste/

02

December 2024

Sussex Police launch winter crackdown on drink and drug drivers

Operation Limit launches

There will be increased drug testing of motorists on our roads as part of Sussex Police’s annual crackdown on drivers over the limit.

Additional patrols will be in place as part of the nationwide campaign to tackle drink and drug driving called Operation Limit.

The focus on drug-driving follows a rise in the number of drug-driving offences detected across the country, and officers will also be continuing their efforts to catch drink-drivers as well.

Motorists are being warned that there are no excuses for drink or drug-driving as Sussex Police launch the annual winter crackdown campaign today.

Being over the limit can have fatal consequences, with drink and drug-driving being one of the the main reasons why people are killed or seriously injured on our roads.

But it also has consequences for those who are caught while over the limit, such as losing their driving licence and potentially losing their job as a result.

The campaign runs from December 1 to January 1, and appeals to the public’s sense of shared responsibility to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured.

Officers will carry out additional patrols and stop checks, above the regular patrols which take place 24/7, every day of the year. There will also be more drug-testing of drivers being carried out.

During last year’s campaign, Sussex Police made a total of 261 arrests, of which 56% were for drug driving related offences.

Sussex Police Chief Constable Jo Shiner, who also is the roads policing lead for the National Police Chiefs’ Council, said:

“Driving while intoxicated through alcohol or drugs destroys lives, but tragically every day we still see reckless drivers getting behind the wheel.

“They are putting themselves and all other road users at risk. People who consume alcohol or drugs and then drive need to be stopped.

“Our campaign aims to save lives by deterring people from drink and drug-driving, and to deal robustly with offenders.

“We urge the public to persuade friends and loved ones not to get behind the wheel if they have consumed alcohol or drugs, and if that fails, for them to report those drivers to the police so they can be stopped before they cause a needless fatality.”

Many motorists may not realise that they are still over the limit for alcohol the morning after Christmas parties or a night out with friends.

Meanwhile those who consume drugs may not realise that the chemicals stay in their bodies for a long time, which means they can be over the drug-drive limit for a considerable period after taking them.

Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne said: “Each year, Sussex Police’s winter crackdown to tackle drink and drug driving results in hundreds of people being arrested.

“Whilst it’s good news that those who are committing these dangerous crimes are being taken off our streets and facing the consequences, these results show that there is still a selfish minority that do not understand the severity of getting behind the wheel under the influence.

“The repercussions can be tragic and fatal. There are many other options and methods of transport to use across our county, it simply isn’t worth it. I know it can be difficult to report someone you know for drink or drug-driving but it could be life-saving.”

Superintendent Rachel Glenton, Head of Surrey and Sussex Roads Policing Unit, said: “Our officers will be joined by officers from across the force to carry out increased patrols and stop checks on the road networks.

“This is in addition to our existing patrols which we carry out 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

“Through education, engagement, and enforcement, we aim to reduce the devastating impact of drink and drug-driving.

“We will deal robustly with offenders. So while our officers can’t be everywhere, they could be anywhere and there really is no excuse for drivers who put their own safety and the safety of everyone else at risk.”

In keeping with previous campaigns Sussex Police will be publishing the names of some of those convicted to raise awareness of the issue and to act as a deterrent to others from committing the same offence.

The consequences of drink or drug-driving could include:

• Killing or seriously injuring yourself or someone else;

• A minimum 12-month ban;

• An unlimited fine;

• A possible prison sentence;

• A criminal record, which could affect your current and future employment;

• An increase in your car insurance costs;

• Difficulty travelling to countries such as the USA.

If you know someone is driving while over the limit or after taking drugs, call 999.

You can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or report it online www.crimestoppers-uk.org

The campaign is being supported by the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership and Surrey RoadSafe.