Village sign

I returned from my Easter break to find that over the Easter weekend the historic Mayfield village sign in the middle of the High Street was blown down! Fortunately it did not cause any damage to cars or property. A big thank you to Neil Walter from the Fire Service, Cllr Fitzsimmons and Cllr Lilly who managed to dismantle it and transport offsite. The Parish Council will now need to replace the wooden oak post and restore some detailed parts at the top of the sign.

Queens 90^th birthday celebrations

Over the weekend of the 11th & 12th June 2016 we would like you to help celebrate the Queen’s official 90^th birthday.

Clean for the Queen

To help to clean up Mayfield and Five Ashes we are asking residents to go outside at some point during the weekend and see what they can do to tidy up in front of their home:

• Pick up litter
• Sweep the pavement
• Remove weeds
• Clean a road sign
• Cut away any vegetation obscuring road signs

Obviously make sure it is safe to do so first! Please think carefully to ensure that you do not put yourself in any danger while you clean up. If you find a blocked drain you can report it to the Parish Council office for Highways to clear.

Picnic in Court meadow

As you know from previous editions of the Newsletter village we will be holding a village picnic for the Queen’s 90^th birthday on Sunday 12^th June at Court meadow. Please come along from 1pm and help celebrate. The Mayfield Band will be there and there will be refreshments available. We have invited organisations to come along and do some fundraising on the day which could increase their membership numbers. It is also the weekend of the National Garden Scheme’s open day in Mayfield so it should be a lovely weekend. Please contact the Parish Council office if you would like to take part on 01435 873784 or email clerk@mayfieldfiveashes.org.uk .

 Annual Parish Meeting Reminder

Your Annual Parish Meeting will be held in the Five Ashes Village Hall on 23 May 2016 at 19:30. Electors can contribute to the agenda and debate current issues in the community so please come along and have your say.

• Find out how Sussex Safer Roads are tackling antisocial driving.
• See the proposed plans for a hospice in Five Ashes.
• Let the Parish Council know if you would use adult exercise equipment if it is introduced at Court Meadow
• Learn about the new Mayfield and Five Ashes Community Service.

If you have any current issues that you believe should be added to the agenda please contact the Parish Council office.

 Slow Down!

Complaints have been received concerning speeding traffic particularly in Mayfield High Street and down Station Road. Please adhere to the 20mph speed limit in the High Street and check your speed when travelling downhill in Station Road as it is easy to accidently exceed the 30mph limit. Also beware – the local Community Speed Watch Group Co-ordinator is assessing where further suitable sites are available for speed checks in this area. East Sussex Fire and Rescue Services also aims to bring Roads Watch driver-monitoring activities to attention of as many Wealden road users as possible. You are being watched!

Natwest Mobile banking Service

I have been advised that the mobile bank can get a better internet connection in the overflow car park at the rear of Mayfield Memorial Hall. Therefore if they are not in the main car park in Tunbridge Wells Road on Mondays between 13:15 – 14:15 please go to the overflow car park to visit them.

PCSO Surgery

PCSO Julie Pearce-Martin will be holding her next surgery on Wednesday 18 May 2016 at 11am in the Parish Council office. Please come along to see her if you have any police related concerns that you wish to discuss.

Road Closure

Highways has informed that British telecom will be carrying out cabling works in East Street from the junction with Piccadilly Lane to the junction with Fletching Street. The works are anticipated to take place for 6 days between 16 May and 23 May 2016 so there will be a temporary road closure.

One You

East Sussex County Council are backing Public Health England’s ‘One You’ campaign aimed at helping adults avoid future diseases caused by everyday habits and behaviours such as eating too much unhealthy food, drinking more than is recommended, continuing to smoke and not being active enough.

The ‘One You’ campaign also provides information on how people can reduce their stress levels and sleep better. Take a look at the ‘How Are You?’ quiz online and get advice on positive changes that you can make to improve your health: www.nhs.uk/oneyou/

New Highways Contractor

Roads in East Sussex will be maintained by a new contractor after a £300 million deal was agreed for highway services in the county. East Sussex County Council has selected civil engineering and construction joint venture Costain CH2M as its preferred bidder following an extensive procurement process.

The new seven-year contract, starting on 01 May 2016, will replace the existing arrangement which sees three separate contractors responsible for highways, street lighting and traffic signals. The newly-formed joint venture will be responsible for maintaining the East Sussex highways network, including roads, pavements, drainage, street lights, traffic lights and structures. It will also be tasked with providing winter gritting across the county and delivering highway improvement schemes. Most Highway services will continue as normal but there will be some changes to the service.

The new deal includes a fixed price for routine maintenance activities such as grass cutting and gritting for the life of the contract, giving the County Council greater certainty over the cost of highway services for the next seven years. A new County Council management structure will be put in place, while the contract includes a number of incentives and penalties to ensure the best possible service is provided to the public.

Meanwhile, highways stewards, who are responsible for inspecting the county’s roads, will be given more powers to fix minor road defects themselves, allowing the work to be carried out more quickly and efficiently.