Buxted Parish Council, 14^th 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