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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. 

    Latest Parish News

    Mockbeggars Farm - public exhibition for Reserved Matters application
    16
    January 2025
    Mockbeggars Farm - public exhibition for Reserved Matters application
    Booking.com users targeted with scam messages
    16
    January 2025
    Booking.com users targeted with scam messages

    Those using the platform Booking.com to book their holidays or accommodation are being warned they could be targeted with emails or messages requesting payments from hotels who have had their account taken over by fraudsters. Between June 2023 and September 2024, Action Fraud received 532 reports from individuals, with a total of £370,000 lost.

    Insight from Action Fraud reports suggests the individuals were defrauded after receiving unexpected messages and emails from a Booking.com account belonging to a hotel they had a reservation with, which had been taken over by a criminal. Using this account, the criminals send in-app messages, emails, and WhatsApp messages to customers, deceiving them into making payment and/or requesting credit card details.

    The specific account takeovers are likely to be the result of a targeted phishing attack against the hotel or accommodation provider, and not Booking.com’s backend system or infrastructure.

    Adam Mercer, Deputy Head of Action Fraud, said:

    “With more than 500 reports made to Action Fraud, those who have booked a holiday on the Booking.com platform should stay alert to any unexpected emails or messages from a hotel using the Booking.com platform, as their account could have been taken over by a criminal.

    “If you receive an unexpected request from a hotel’s account you booked with using Booking.com, asking for bank details or credit card details, it could be a fraudster trying to trick you into parting ways with your money. Contact Booking.com or the organisation directly if you’re unsure.

    “Remember to report any suspicious emails by forwarding it to report@phishing.gov.uk, or if you receive a fraudulent text message, you can forward it to 7726.”

    How can you protect yourself?

    Booking.com and Action Fraud are providing the following advice on how to spot signs of fraud and protect your Booking.com account:

    · No legitimate Booking.com transaction will ever require a customer to provide their credit card details by phone, email, or text message (including WhatsApp).

    • Sometimes a hotel provider will manage their own payment and may reach out to request payment information, like credit card details – before providing any information, always verify the authenticity of communication between yourself and the hotel’s account.

    · If you receive any urgent payment requests that require immediate attention, like a booking cancellation, immediately reach out to the Booking.com Customer Service team via the details on the official Booking.com website and/or app to confirm.

    • Any payment requests that do not match the information in the original booking confirmation should also be double checked and confirmed with Booking.com Customer Service before proceeding.

    · Any messages purporting to be from Booking.com that contain instructions to follow links and/or open/download files should be treated with caution.

    • If you have any doubts about a message, contact Booking.com directly. Don’t use the numbers or address in the suspicious message and use the details from their official website.

    · For more information about how to protect your Booking.com account, please visit: Safety Tips for Travellers | Booking.com

    If you receive any suspicious emails or text messages, report them by forwarding emails to: report@phishing.gov.uk, or texts to 7726.

    Find out how to protect yourself from fraud: https://stopthinkfraud.campaign.gov.uk

    If you’ve lost money or provided financial information as a result of any phishing scam, notify your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud at https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/report-phishing or by calling 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.

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