Annual Parish Assembly

This year’s Annual Parish Assembly had not taken place at the time of writing this article so a summary of what was discussed will be in next month’s Newsletter. The Annual Report will have been uploaded to the community website. Below is the Chairman, Cllr Ian Parker’s report:

Chairman’s Report May 2023 to May 2024

After the election in March last year, I was asked by my fellow Councillors to take over the Chairmanship of Mayfield and Five Ashes Parish Council.  I have enjoyed the role, and I am proud of what we have achieved with so many new councillors finding their feet. The Council is unified, and we are working well together to help continue the good work of our predecessors.

Our priority is the new Community and Health Centre, the majority of us stood for election on the basis we support the development, and we continue to do so. We have made progress and I remain confident that we will get the building the Parish needs and deserves. The project has suffered setbacks, but a few key Councillors work hard and diligently to over come them and we remain on track to see this built by the end of 2025.

The fund-raising team has done an amazing job with a significant grant secured and further promises of financial help as we need it along with several pending grant applications.

Many other items have been discussed and actioned at Parish Council Meetings and you will see a selection of these in the list below:

1. Speeding issues on Wellbrook Hill, Councillors Marlow and Tibbles have worked hard to reduce the speed limit by means of a petition that was signed by 505 residents.
2. The continuous problem with potholes and repairs in roads.  East Sussex Highways being chased regularly at times with little effect.
3. Problems with water supply, compensation and availability of bottled water for residents. Councillor Blakeborough has been in regular contact with South East Water since they attended the November Council meeting. They provided a presentation on their improvements to the infrastructure and have ongoing projects in the pipeline that should improve the provision of an uninterrupted water supply.
4. Antisocial parking in Mayfield and Five Ashes, particularly on the double yellow lines and ideas/plans to identify how to address it.
5. Problems with antisocial behaviour in Five Ashes and liaising with the PCSOs and Sussex Police to find a solution.
6. Antisocial behaviour including vandalism at Court Meadow and problems with graffiti throughout the recreation ground and village.
7. The replacement of ash trees in Five Ashes on the grass triangle and improvements to the landscaping. Cllr Tibbles dedicated time overseeing this project.
8. The plans for an additional runway at Gatwick Airport, the consequential increase in air traffic noise and opposition to its expansion proposals.
9. The Civility and Respect Pledge was agreed to demonstrate that the Parish Council is committed to treating Councillors, clerks, employees, members of the public, representatives of partner organisations, and volunteers, with civility and respect in their role.
10. Support for the introduction of wildlife verges for some of our rural lanes.
11. Wealden’s Draft Local Plan consultation. The Council’s response submitted following a lot of dedicated time taken to read and comment on the very lengthy paperwork.
12. The possible closure of Mayfield On-Call Fire Station and safety concerns over the loss of this service.

Finally, I would like formally to thank the following residents:

Reuben Winter for his tireless work with the ROW clearance team

Jeanette Hoare for her involvement with the Newsletter and Mayfieldians

Marion Robinson for her work with the Mayfieldians

Ros Hetreed for managing the tourist information in the tourism kiosk

Ken Audsley and Ros Hetreed for monitoring Jubilee Wood

Nick Gold for going above and beyond the duties of litter picker

Norman Bell for keeping the public toilets in South Street spotless for us.

A very big thank you to the Parish Clerk, Janna Todd without her expertise I would not have managed 

my role. Also to all my fellow Councillors for their support over the last year and to our lay members.

Temporary road closure warnings:

Newick Lane is scheduled to be closed on 6^th June 2024 to allow BT Openreach to carry out apparatus repair works.

Rotherfield Lane is scheduled to be closed from the junction with Station Road to the junction with the A267 at Argos Hill from 18^thJune 2024 – 21^st June 2024 to allow South East Water to carry out apparatus repair works.

Coggins Mill Lane is scheduled to be closed from 1^st July 2024 to 3^rd July 2024 to allow South East Water to carry out apparatus repair works.

The Avenue is scheduled to be closed from the junction with Fletching Street to the junction with South Street from 22^nd – 24^th July 2024 to allow South East Water to carry out apparatus repair works.

The B2100 Wadhurst Road / Best Beech Hill / Mayfield Lane, Mark Cross/ Wadhurst road closure has changed dates to 24^th July 2024 to 3^rd March 2025.

Garden Waste Collection service

 A reminder that it is time to subscribe or renew Garden Waste Collections, the new subscription year running from 01 August 2024 – 31 July 2025. To quickly and easily subscribe or renew go to:

www.wealden.gov.uk/gardenwaste You can request up to four bins at £60/ bin and can pay by debit or credit card. If you do not have internet access please phone Customer Services on 01323 443322 and renew by 17 July to avoid any disruption to your service.

Interactive map of new MP seats 

Residents may be interested in looking at the below link that shows the new constituency boundaries. The map shows the result of the 2019 General Election as if it had been run under the new 2023 constituency boundaries and shows each new seat across the whole country. You can pan and zoom, and explore the electoral geography of the country. Click on any new seat’s marker to see the current MP and the predicted winner at the next general election. https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/openseatmap.html?seats=2023

Community Infrastructure and Spaces Fund

Wealden has £121k available from the Rural England Prosperity Fund to be allocated to Parish Councils and other bodies for projects to enhance rural areas or community facilities. Applications for small grants (£1k -£5k) and larger grants (£5k – £20k) can be made. For organisations wishing to register their interest, please contact the council via email on communitygrants@wealden.gov.ukIt is a rolling programme open until Autumn 2024

Fly tipping

Wealden Council’s Street Scene Team were recently successful in their bid for just over £22,000 from Defra’s National Fly tipping intervention Grant Scheme. The Team will be using this funding on a campaign targeting waste producers, and in particular householders, in an attempt to reduce fly-tip numbers. The message is simple – your rubbish is your responsibility and if you don’t ensure you use a registered waste carrier to remove it you may be the one facing a large fine and criminal record if your rubbish is found fly-tipped.

Instagram – mayfieldvillagelife 

Available to for Mayfield and Five Ashes, this site can be messaged with details of a local event or alternatively, contact Cllr Sally Ann Tibbles: sally-ann.tibbles@mayfieldfiveashes.org.uk

and she will put it information up for you. The site ‘mayfieldvillagelife’ is a picture book of activities in this Parish. (Press ‘follow’ at the top of the page and you will be notified of posts as they appear.)

Parish Council Meetings

The meeting schedule on the website: http://www.mayfieldfiveashes.org.uk/ shows this month’s Council and Committee meetings as well as agendas, minutes of meetings and other meeting documentation

Janna Todd, Parish Clerk 

Old Manor House, High Street, Mayfield TN20 6AL 

Telephone 01435 873784          E-mail: clerk@mayfieldfiveashes.org.uk