UPDATE - Graham Shaw, Wealden District Councillor for Buxted

Local Plan

The first phase of the consultation (“Regulation 18”) on the draft Local Plan is coming to an end. There have been numerous opportunities for local people to contribute their comments and ideas through local exhibitions across the district, the council website and at other meetings organised by Parish Councils etc. I know that a number of individuals from Buxted have also made their comments. All of these will now be considered with a view to creating a new draft for a further round of consultation (“Regulation 19”), before submission to the Planning Inspectorate for (hopefully) approval in 2025. The Plan will then govern planning decisions for the next decade.

Business development

If you work for or own a small or medium sized business you may be interested in an all day workshop ‘How to get towards net-zero’. It will take place on 20th June at the Horsted Place Hotel. Go to clean-growth.uk/events/ to book a place.

Also, local business person, Harriet Wallis, is organising a meet-up for anyone in Buxted who is self-employed or a small business owner, on Wednesday 15th May at Oast Farm Café from 0930. Email her on harriet@harrietwallis.com for further information.

Biodiversity

Legislation now explicitly makes biodiversity net gain (BNG) a condition of planning permission, requiring all developers to demonstrate how they will deliver a 10% improvement to the biodiversity value of any application site. “Net gain” means that the natural environment is measurably better than what was the beforehand. BNG is now mandatory for planning application (but not household applications). In the new Wealden Local Plan there is a proposal to make this 20% for local applications, but that may or may not be agreed by government when the plan is submitted.

BNG is about delivering measurable improvements for biodiversity by creating or enhancing habitats in association with any development. It can be achieved on-site, off-site or through a combination of on-site and off-site measures. BNG will be measured using Defra’s biodiversity metric and all off-site and significant on-site habitats will need to be secured for at least 30 years, but there are still big issues around how developers will measure these issues. It’s therefore key that there is proper evidence about the biodiversity already in existence at a particular site - about trees and plants, wildlife habitats etc. so that proposals made by a developer can be tested against this evidence.

Council finances

You have probably seen in the news that a number of councils around the country are effectively declaring themselves insolvent. Birmingham City Council being the most prominent but by no means the only one. Many local authorities across the country, of whatever political persuasion, doubt they can survive for more than a couple of years without a dramatic increase in investment from central government. At this point in time Wealden remains in a relatively healthy position and is doing all it can to spend wisely. But we are conscious that the pressures – increased demand for services alongside stagnant budgets – are not sustainable in the longer term.

Free health checks return to Wealden

One You East Sussex is offering free NHS Health Checks to residents living in Wealden after the popularity of a similar programme delivered last year. One You provides a free holistic lifestyle service for residents of East Sussex, helping people make simple changes that can lead to a longer, healthier, and happier life. The service delivers NHS health checks to residents, helps residents to lose weight, be smoke free, move more, eat well and drink less.

COLIN, the service’s mobile health check van and practitioner team, will be offering NHS health checks to residents who qualify. The dates, locations and eligibility criteria are below.

Please book your NHS health check in advance as spaces may not be available on the day, by contacting sam.bentley@oneyoueastsussex.org.uk. Appointments take between 30-40 minutes and your results will be discussed with on the day.

Dates and locations:

· Thursday 16 May - Crowborough, Croft Road car park

· Thursday 23 May - Uckfield, Luxford Field car park

· Thursday 30 May - Hailsham, Vicarage Lane car park

· Thursday 13 June - Heathfield, Station Road East car park

· Thursday 20 June - Crowborough, Croft Road car park

· Thursday 27 June - Uckfield, Luxford Field car park

Residents wanting to book an NHS health check must meet the following criteria:

· Be aged between 40-74.

· Are not currently prescribed blood pressure or cholesterol medications.

· Do not suffer from Diabetes OR Heart/Circulatory/Kidney conditions or previously suffered from any cardiovascular events.

· Be an East Sussex resident.

· Have not previously had an NHS health check in the last five years.

Dementia Action Week

National Dementia Action Week is an annual event organised by the Alzheimer’s Society to raise awareness of dementia and sees the UK public taking action to support people with dementia and their carers. The week runs from 13 to 19 May. To help raise awareness in Wealden, members of the Wealden Dementia Action Alliance (WDAA), supported by Wealden District Council, have issued a booklet listing activities and events held in towns and villages throughout Wealden and the surrounding areas. The booklet also includes details of support and services available to residents available all year round and is available at https://www.sussexsupportservice.com/dementiaactionweek24.html

Uckfield to Lewes Rail Line and Greenway

There has been a long-standing campaign to re-open the rail line between Uckfield and Lewes. This was a key, alternative route from London to the Sussex Coast, before its closure in 1969. Our draft Local Plan has a commitment to work with other key partners to reinstate the rail line. In the meantime, Wealden District Council have agreed to support a feasibility study to establish a ‘Greenway’ cycle route along the old rail line, but with an explicit commitment that this should not interfere with the possibility of re-opening the railway line in the future. The cycle route would add a significant piece of ‘active transport’ infrastructure to the area.

Please don‘t hesitate to contact me to discuss these or any other issues important to you.

Contact me oncllr.graham.shaw@wealden.gov.uk

Wealden’s website iswww.wealden.gov.uk