Parish Council News – November 2018

Councillor Vacancy

Following the October 2018 Parish Council meeting we are pleased to announce that a new Councillor to represent Five Ashes Ward was co-opted. Cllr Duncan Smith has worked as an accountant for various local authority bodies and has experience as finance representative on various committees in the public and private sector. He has also previously assisted in organising and managing the Speed Watch group in Five Ashes and hopes to use his experience to help the Parish Council in conducting its functions for the local community. Welcome on board Cllr Smith.

 

Community Book Swap

Since the closure of Mayfield Library the Community Development Committee has been looking into the possibility of having somewhere in Mayfield and Five Ashes where books can be exchanged. In November we will start a trial for a Community Book Swap in St Dunstan’s Church that has been kindly agreed to by Father Nigel. The shelves that will contain adult and child fiction will be clearly displayed to the rear of the church. We are asking residents to bring along any fiction that they think others may enjoy and to place the books on the shelves. We hope to soon build up a good selection of literature that everyone can borrow, enjoy and then return. We only ask that no bags of donated books are left on the floor beside the shelves. If the shelves are full they could be dropped off at the Parish Council office during opening hours.

 

We are hoping to expand the trial to Truffles café and Five Ashes Village Hall in the near future. We would be grateful if anyone with a spare stand-alone bookcase that they are willing to donate could contact the Parish Council. Once we have the shelving in place we will again be asking for book donations for those sites too. It will work particularly well if a book is donated or returned each time you borrow one. So please keep an eye on the Community website and Facebook page for information on when the other locations are ready to open and to receive donations.

 

Mayfield recycling centre

You may have noticed that the recycling bins in the Court Meadow car park have been replaced. There are now two bins that accept dry mixed recyclables, the same items that are collected from the kerbside, rather than the previous bins that were for paper only.

 

Roadworks

There are some scheduled roadworks in November on the A267 that will be taking place overnight. Mayfield Road will be closed to through traffic between 8pm and 6am from Frog Hole Lane in Five Ashes to the junction of the B2102 Mayfield Flat near Cross in Hand from Friday 23 November 2018 for nine nights.

Resurfacing of the A267 carriageway is scheduled to take place (finally!) at Mayfield roundabout. It will therefore be closed for 150m south and 100m east of the roundabout from 8pm to 6am from Friday 09 November for nine nights

 

Electric vehicle charging points

Wealden District Council is asking for your help in planning the infrastructure of electric vehicle charging points in East Sussex. They want to try to understand the charging patterns of existing electric vehicle drivers. It will also look at the potential interest in switching to using an electric vehicle. The consultation is being carried out by the five district and borough councils in East Sussex and views are being sought from those who currently drive electric vehicles as well as from those who don’t. To take part visit http://www.wealden.gov.uk/chargepoints ,but you will need to hurry as the consultation closes on 18 November 2018.

 

Warm home discount scheme

You could get up to £140 off your electricity bill for winter 2018 to 2019 under the Warm Home Discount Scheme.

This is an electricity bill rebate available to qualifying households. The money is not paid to you – it’s a one-off discount on your electricity bill, between September and March. You may be able to get the discount on your gas bill instead if your supplier provides you with both gas and electricity (contact your supplier to find out). The discount will not affect your Cold Weather Payment or Winter Fuel Payment.

There are two ways to qualify for the Warm Home Discount Scheme:

  • you get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit – known as the ‘core group’
  • you are on a low income and meet your energy supplier’s criteria for the scheme – known as the ‘broader group’

You can still qualify for the discount if you use a pre-pay or pay-as-you-go electricity meter. To find out if you qualify visit: https://www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme

 

East Sussex Highways customer panel

East Sussex highways is looking for residents to join their Highways Customer Panel. A survey, which will be sent via email twice a year, will ask for your views on the service that they provide and will help them make improvements based on the feedback given. If you are interested in joining then please sign-up here: http://eepurl.com/dtHTXr . You can unsubscribe from the panel at any time. More information on the Highways Customer Panel can be found at: https://www.eastsussexhighways.com/highways-customer-panel

 

Online support for domestic abuse

There were 938 reported cases of domestic abuse last year in Wealden. Domestic or sexual abuse and violence can happen to anyone. “The Portal” helps people across East Sussex to find advice and support online. Visit http://theportal.org.uk if you have been affected by domestic or sexual abuse or violence to find out more about the help, advice and support available. Remember that in an emergency call the police on 999. You can also use 101 to give information to the police or to make an enquiry.

 

Thefts from sheds

One of the most common crimes in the area is the theft of power and gardening tools from sheds and outbuildings. Sussex Police have issued the following advice:

Garden sheds can sometimes be a common target for thieves. Not only are they often filled with valuable equipment; they are often less secure than a house.

How can you prevent your shed from being broken into?

Choose the location carefully

Ideally, your shed should be positioned so that it cannot be seen from the street, but not so out of sight that you cannot see it from the house. If it does end up being targeted by a thief, then you don’t want them to be able to do it unseen.

Improve the lock

The lock that your shed comes with will be basic and easily bypassed. A hasp and a strong padlock will be a more secure and relatively inexpensive way to upgrade the security of your shed. While you’ll want the best lock for your shed, you don’t want to make it look like you’ve got something to hide, so it would be risky to attach several padlocks at once.