-
Temporarily Unavailable
Home
Home
OgImage:
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 and January), alternating between High Hurstwood Village Hall and Five Ash Down Village Hall, at 19.00. Meetings agendas are displayed one week in advance on the Parish notice boards in Buxted (on the Ionides Trust site), High Hurstwood (outside the village hall) 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, 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 two recreation grounds (Buxted and High Hurstwood), two allotment areas in Buxted 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) and outside bodies (e.g. Ionides Trust, village hall committees). 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
ESCC Councillor Coleman - monthly update July
14
July 2026
Buxted Parish Council, 14th July 2026 - Cllr Coleman Report
Wealden District Councillor for Danehill and Fletching
East Sussex County Councillor for Maresfield and Buxted
East Sussex Highways
I recently attended an induction at East Sussex Highways, a partnership between Balfour Beatty and East Sussex County Council (ESCC), which is Reform-led. Due to the poor financial state of the County Council, highways maintenance is now rated as high amber - regarding their capacity to repair roads. Our network is now officially in a state of “managed decline.” As a result, East Sussex Highways pays out over £1 million annually in compensation for claims related to road defects. This represents poor value for the tax payer, not to mention the danger, disruption, and inconvenience that poor road conditions cause in people’s lives.
From my perspective, this is an unacceptable and irresponsible situation. Therefore, I am actively working with the voluntary sector, community groups and Parish Councils to see how we can fill in the gaps and build community resilience. I am particularly keen to enlist ESCC support for Buxted Together, to enable their work with footpath cutting and ditch clearance. We have already had a productive meeting with Andrew Turner, enlightened officer at ESCC, who has committed to providing guidance, training, and personal protective equipment (PPE).
There are other examples where the voluntary sector is stepping up, such as in Devon, where the council uses a combination of professional repair teams and a Community Road Warden scheme. Volunteers are supplied with materials to fix minor potholes. If you would be interested in initiating or contributing to such a scheme, please do get in touch.
Water Stress
Wealden has written to the government (https://www.wealden.gov.uk/UploadedFiles/Full-SEW-later-sent-from-WDC.pdf) to highlight the urgent and increasing problem of the severe water stress in the District. It is unacceptable that the government’s excessive and unrealistic housing targets for Wealden do not account for the drought conditions that we face for the majority of the year. Local businesses, the farming sector, and residents are facing increasingly frequent water outages. The environment is also suffering from over-abstraction of water. This summer, we have endured our third extended heatwave, with temperatures reaching highs of 36 degrees. The met office says that we will face increasingly hot, dry summers, with highs of 45 degrees expected in the next couple of decades. The government’s housing targets are blind to this reality.
It’s also clear that our provider, South East Water, has not invested sufficiently in making our supplies resilient and able to cope with these changes. Their successive Water Resource Management Plans are not fit for purpose. For example, the expected delivery date for the proposed Arlington Reservoir has been repeatedly delayed from an anticipated date of 2036, to a new target date of 2057.
Wealden Council emphasises that the planning system should not be expected to compensate for shortcomings in water industry regulation. There must be future thinking, realistic housing targets that align with water company investment plans. We also need effective regulatory oversight of the water companies.
Ashdown Forest - The Big One Hundred
As the newly elected Conservator of Ashdown Forest, I would like to draw your attention to the Big One Hundred, a series of events and performances throughout the summer to celebrate the centenary of Winnie the Pooh, the Ashdown Forest, and the original Hundred Acre Wood. Further information can be found at thebigonehundred.co.uk.
Tree Protection Orders (TPO)
One positive thing that we can all do to safeguard our natural heritage is to make sure that our favourite trees are protected with a TPO. If you are aware of a tree that is visually significant, can be seen from a public place, contributes positively to a local area and may be at risk of being damaged or felled, then you can request a TPO by going to www.wealden.gov.uk/suggest-a-tree-preservation-order. You will need to state where the tree is located, why you think it should be protected and who owns the tree (if known).
As ever, if you have any other questions, problems, or concerns, please do reach out to me, and I will do my best to help.
Cllr. Christina Coleman
cllr.christina.coleman@wealden.gov.uk
cllr.christina.coleman@eastsussex.gov.uk
07718 208340
WDC Cllr Shaw - Monthly update July 2026
09
July 2026
Please see the latest news attached which includes current and future water issues; environmental results specific to Buxted; and thank you's to the Primary Schools and Buxted Together
My Parish
°C
%
mph
FRI
°
°
SAT
°
°
SUN
°
°
MON
°
°
TUE
°
°