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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. 

11 February 2025

Parish Council Meeting

Five Ash Down Village Hall Tuesday View Details
11 February 2025

Planning Committee

Five Ash Down Village Hall Tuesday 7:00 pm View Details

Latest Parish News

Footway Improvements - Five Ash Down

06

February 2025
Footway Improvements - Five  Ash Down

We have been advised by ESCC Highways of footway works on the A26, Five Ash Down, Uckfield.

These works are being carried out between 25-26 February 2025. There may be delays between 9.30am-3pm.

ESCC Cllr Galley Monthly News February 2025

06

February 2025
ESCC Cllr Galley Monthly News February 2025

County Budget and Council Tax

In this financial year, East Sussex County Council will have a balanced budget. This is a legal requirement. In order to achieve this, we will have to use £14.3m of reserves.

In 2025/26 there will be further investment in services of £54.9 million to meet growing demand and cost pressures. This will be funded by Council Tax, Business rates, grants and reserves. Some cuts in non-statutory services will be needed to balance the budget. These likely cuts will be ones that no one wants to make but are necessary to balance the budget.

The gross spending by the council is £1,138m overall with £409m for adult social care and £411m for children. This includes schools which are directly funded by the government; ESCC passes the money on. These gross figures include income from fees and charges, contributions from the NHS and other agencies along with some specific grants. The net spending is £579m, of which £280will be for adult care and £154m for childcare.

The increase in spending is largely driven by the increasing costs of care mainly through inflation and meeting more complex needs. Between 2020/21 and 2024/24 there was a 116% increase in the average weekly cost of Looked After Children Placements.

In addition, the Council is facing further pressures due to the impact of the rise in employer National insurance contributions and the higher minimum wage.

As in recent years, Council Tax is due to rise by 4.99% of which 2% is dedicated specifically to Adult Social Care.

Local Government Reorganisation

The Government announced today East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton will be in the first wave for local government reorganization. This will mean no elections this year as is also the case in Hampshire, the Isle of wight, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Thurrock, and Surrey. Elections will be held in 2026 for a Sussex Mayor.

Roy Galley

6th February 2025

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

01825 713018

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