The Parish Council does not meet in Januarys therefore it tends to be one of the quieter months of the year. At the December meeting the Parish Council approved its 2019/20 budget and voted for no increase in precept for the next financial year.

Another decision that was made was to approve the tender to refurbish the play areas in Mayfield. The work will be funded almost entirely by Section 106 money received from the housing development at Love Lane. It is hoped that the refurbishment will commence in spring this year and it will include new fencing and in the toddler area new surfacing with ‘shipwreck scramble,’ a den and a slide. The horse will be refurbished and there will be improvements to the gymnastic rings in the multiplay equipment that are currently rather too high to be enjoyed. There will also be improvements to the swings.

West Street

The county ecologist recently reviewed candidate wildlife verges and has agreed to add the embankment on the south side of West Street to the designated wildlife verge schedule. Apparently they found an interesting population of ferns and other native wild flowers. This designation will enable East Sussex Highways to cut and clear the vegetation once a year in autumn.

Local Elections 2019

The District and Parish Council elections will take place on 2nd May this year. If you are interested in becoming a Parish Councillor you must:

• be a UK or commonwealth citizen, or a citizen of the Republic of Ireland, or be a citizen of another Member state of the European Union (yes, this still will apply;

• be a least 18 years old.

• be an elector of the parish, or;
• for the whole of the previous 12 months have occupied (as owner or tenant) land or other premises in the parish, or;
• during the previous 12 months have worked in the parish (as your principal or only place of work), or;
• for the whole of the previous 12 months lived in the parish or within three miles of the parish boundary.

You do not have to be connected to a political party.

The timetable of events for the local elections in 2019 is below for residents who are interested:

If there is an insufficient number of valid nominations but the Parish Council is still quorate it will be classed as an uncontested election after which Members may co-opt any person or persons to fill the vacancy or vacancies remaining unfilled. If the new Parish Council is not quorate a new lection has to be called within 35 days of the original election date. Please contact the Parish Council office if you would like more information on what is involved if you become a Parish Councillor.

New waste contract

A new waste, recycling and street cleaning contract will start in Hastings, Rother and Wealden from the end of June this year. Biffa has been appointed to provide waste and recycling collection services to all households in these areas and to provide street cleaning in the Rother and Wealden areas. The appointment follows a robust procurement project conducted by Hastings, Rother and Wealden councils over the last year following a mutually agreed early exit from the current contract with Kier Environmental Services.

Wealden District Council has confirmed that it will introduce customer charges for garden waste collections when the new Joint Waste Contract for refuse and recycling collections starts. A charge of £50 a year will be introduced from 1 July 2019. The level of charge is apparently well down the list of the authorities across the whole of Sussex that charge for garden waste services with all except Rother charging more. More information about how the scheme will operate will be available soon.

227 Bus Service from Five Ashes to Crowborough

In the `January Newsletter article I mentioned that Compass Travel would no longer be providing the school day service 227 between Five Ashes, Rotherfield and Crowborough from 7 January. The new operator of the service, which will operate to an unchanged timetable, is now confirmed as Seaford and District Motor Services.

Action Fraud alerts

• Fake TV licensing emails

Action Fraud has received more than 5,000 reports about fake emails and texts purporting to be from TV Licensing. The messages contain links to genuine-looking websites that are designed to steal personal and financial information. Please remember to always question unsolicited requests for your personal or financial information in case it’s a scam. Never automatically click on a link in an unexpected email or text.

• Fake HMRC notifications

There has been an increase in the reporting of malicious calls, voicemails, text messages or emails purporting to be from HMRC. The fraudsters state that as a result of their non-payment of tax or other duty, the victim is liable to prosecution or other legal proceedings such as repossession of belongings to settle the balance but can avoid this by arranging for payment to be made immediately by bank transfer or by iTunes gift cards. If the victim is hesitant or refuses to comply, the suspect makes a threat such as immediate arrest, bailiffs or in cases where the victim appears to be of overseas origin; deportation. Often, the period for which the tax is allegedly due is distant enough to guarantee the victim will have little, if any, paperwork or ability to verify the claims.

Always question unsolicited requests for your personal or financial information. Just because someone knows your basic details (such as your name and contact details), it doesn’t mean they are genuine. Instead, contact the company directly using ta known email address or phone number. No genuine organisation will ask you to pay taxes, bills or fees using iTunes Gift Cards, or any other type of voucher.