Buxted Parish Council

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Buxted Parish Council
Annual Meeting 6th May 2008
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Chairmans report

• The Council
• Its relationships
• Key issues and matters
• Correspondence
• Policing
• Planning and Development

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The Council

• 1st year of new 4 year term of office
• Uncontested election
• Quota of councillors to be eligible for Quality
  Council status

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The Council

• 2 councillors stepped down
• Mike Kettel retired
• Martin Rogers moved from area
• 1 councillor coopted
• Margaret Dopson Five Ash Down
• 2 vacancies remain today

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The Council

• Colin is retiring
• Appointment of new clerk
• Excellent response
• Quality of candidates
• Beccy Macklen
• 9 years with Wealden District Council
• Completing NVQ in Democratic Services
• Will commence work towards Certificate in Local
  Council Administration Quality Council
• Starts June 2
• A Parish Clerk is like a Chief Executive

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The Council Who does what

• Nothing happens without the individual efforts of
  Councillors and unless the Council agrees
• Councillors are volunteers with lives, families
  and jobs
• Buxted Parish Councillors do not take expenses/
  are not paid
• And function without politics

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The Council Who does what

• Each Councillor
• is assigned a Parish area
• ear to ground
• sits on various committees
• does as much as they feel they can

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The Council Committees
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The Council Representations and Relations

• Wards
• Buxted (including Five Ash Down)
• High Hurstwood
• Schools
• Invited governors
• Charities
• Transport Committees
• Wealden District Council
• East Sussex County Council
• Police
• Other Parishes
• Sussex Association of Local Councils
• Wealden Association of Local Councils

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Issues and Matters
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Wealden Local Development Framework (LDF)

• Development in the next 20 years
• Vital the Parish Council and community engage
  positively
• To help inform and assist in ensuring development
  better meets local needs
• Responded to initial Issues and Options
  Consultation
• In ongoing discussions three tier working
• WDC and ESCC

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Community Parish Hall

• Lottery application
• Shortlisted but pipped at post
• Impact of the Olympics
• Exploring other options
• For broadest community gain

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Parking Problems in Buxted

• Extensive discussions with Police and County
  Highways
• Working with Uckfield Town Council and other
  partners
• Police and public road meeting
• Highways agreement for new traffic order
• Consulted and took input from community who are
  affected
• Statutory consultees all agree
• 4 week Public consultation to commence
• Implement after July

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Buxted Traffic Order

• Considers the visual impact of yellow lines
• Considers amenity of locals
• Developed with Buxted Village Stores
• To alleviate their problem with commuters
• Freeing space for shoppers
• Developed with the Police
• Who will implement it

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Parking Problems in Buxted

• Extending parking at Buxted without tackling
  issues elsewhere will be resisted
• Uckfield!
• Brings nothing to Buxted except more cars
• Many cars park before car park full
• Many cars park for days at a time
• Many cars park with no consideration

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Speeding

• Buxted and Maresfield were pilots for new
  SpeedWatch
• Went live in Buxted in November 2006
• Coordinated by volunteer Colin Mills
• Managed by PC Paul Stephens
• Implemented by trained volunteers

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SpeedWatch

• Diane Clancy
• Desmond Gunner
• Betsey Gunner
• Jane Graham
• Ros Hawthorn
• Steve Hole
• Brenda Hunnisett
• Frances Harding

• Sam Langridge
• Carolyn Langridge
• Rocky MacMahon
• Simon Morley
• Gordon Reid
• Jeanette Reid
• Rob Storey
• Roger Ward

More volunteers are required
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SpeedWatch

• Teams out gt 40 times since end November
• Different times, days and locations
• Hi-Viz vests reduce speeds!
• 191 letters issued by Police
• Home visits for a little chat
• Driving at ridiculous speeds
• On mobile phones
• Gesticulating/mouthing at volunteers
• Cars in bad state of repair
• First repeat offender letter now issues

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SpeedWatch

• SpeedWatch exists because local people feel
  speeding is number one police issue!!

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SpeedWatch

• Up to March 2007 1/3 of offenders were local
• From Buxted!
• From March 30-19 April 43 letters
• Buxted 8
• Uckfield 6
• Sussex as a whole 36
• 7 out of the County
• Buxted residents are at least responding!!
• No car is incapable of sticking to the limit
• Drivers who claim they cant are not in control
  of their cars
• Please continue to THINK about your speed

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Buxted Youth CouncilNext Step
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Buxted Community Emergency Action Plan

• A requirement of the Council
• To provide local guidance and guidance to other
  authorities and services in case of emergency
• Made possible by volunteer
• George Clayden
• Plan includes lists of volunteers with specialist
  skills /or equipment
• More welcomed

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Buxted Residents Action Group

• Wealden District Council Tenants initiative
• Parish Council attended first 2 meetings
• Will attend further
• Agreed collaboration on key initiatives
• Disabled access audit
• Rural bus review

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Wealden Design Guide

• Soon to be formally adopted
• Invaluable tool to help inform householders and
  larger developers
• Importance of considering design
• Impact on locality
• Impact on neighbours
• Rural versus Suburban/urban development
• A sense of place
• A belonging

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Wealden Design Guide
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Wealden Design Guide
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Wealden Design Guide
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Correspondence

• 507 items cf 445 in previous year
• Uckfield station car parking
• NHS 'Fit for the Future' consultation/Uckfield
  Hospitals rally
• Revised Code of Conduct
• Buxted Football Club events
• Planning White Paper consultation
• affordable housing
• Fairtrade proposal
• Police Street meeting/local parking issues
• Wealden Parish conferences
• WDC consultation- planning procedures delegation
  budgets etc
• Sussex Association of Local Councils
• Blue Tongue

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Policing

• PCSO Karen Juniper
• PC Paul Stephens
• Closer community engagement and respectful
  working relations

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Your community needs you

• Become a Parish Councillor
• Get involved with the Parish Youth Council - Next
  Step
• Become a Community SpeedWatch volunteer
• Get involved as a volunteer in other Parish
  Council initiatives

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Planning and Development
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Planning applications

• 150 compared to 84 in previous year
• Some thorny issue remained quiet
• Some new ones emerged
• Parish Planning Committee and Wealden more often
  at one
• Not always
• Not always understandable

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Planning issues

• In no particular order
• Mascalls Farm, Buxted
• High Hurstwood Lodge
• Old Hall Farm, High Hurstwood
• Oast View, Five Ash Down
• Hollymount, High Hurstwood
• Little Potters, Buxted

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Five Ash Down

• Land West Of Oakleigh
• Planning Inspectorate rejected application for
  development
• Temple Grove
• Multiple applications / variations on a theme
• WDC conservation Design
• No sign of care home

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Grampian

• Parish Council supported and WDC approved 100
  home application
• Plus care home and business units
• Developers went to appeal
• Parish Council participated in Appeal
• Planning Inspectorate upheld the appeal
• Approval for 120-140 houses in accordance with
  submitted appeal layout

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Grampian

• Ward Homes (part of Barrett Homes)
• Purchased residential site
• Barchester HealthCare
• Have options on care home/business unit element
  of site
• Parish Council in dialogue with both

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Barchester Proposals

• 60 bed care home
• 10 x 2 bedroom independent sheltered living
• Landscaped gardens
• Business units
• Quality development
• Informed by 4 years community consultation
• Informed by close discussions with Parish Council
  and WDC

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Barchester Proposals

• Initial meeting highly constructive
• Parish Councillors
• District Cllr Norman Buck
• Dr David Wright
• Discussed concept
• And conceptual plans
• 2nd meeting on 8th May
• To discuss informed and more detailed plans
• Prior to meeting WDC
• Prior to public review

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Conceptual plans

• Initial ideas only
• Parish Council encouraged by
• The forethought
• The respect of the locality
• Respect of the environment

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Ward Homes development at Grampian

• 2 meetings thus far
• Parish Councillors
• County Cllr Reid
• Close dialogue with WDC planners
• District Cllr Norman Buck
• After 4 years dialogue on the development the
  current discussions are not wholly encouraging

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Ward Homes

• Ambitious timelines
• Open show homes by end of year!
• Planning application imminent
• Parish Council have requested advance community
  exhibition
• To directly inform Ward Homes

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Ward Homes

• Are determined to accommodate maximum number of
  houses
• Have listened in part to issues re Housing design
• Have not yet wholly listened to issues regarding
  layout and landscaping

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The Village Green

• What did the community want?

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FAD Village Green

• Direct link from existing village to new
  extension
• An area of green space for safe recreational use
• Owned by the Parish Council in perpetuity
• Not
• Backing on to the A26
• Covered in trees

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Village Green
Main Road
Numbers apart layout as agreed by community
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Village Green
FAD
Main Road
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Ward Homes

• Our hoped defence in Planning Inspectorate Report
• Unless otherwise agreed in writing by the local
  planning authority, the details of reserved
  matters submitted in compliance with conditions
  1) and 2) of this permission shall be in general
  conformity with the scheme shown on drawing
  Pl.02. The development hereby permitted shall not
  exceed 140 dwellings in total and shall provide
  at least 2.2 ha of open space which shall include
  a village green, landscape buffers and
  childrens play spaces.

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Ward Homes

• Other concerns
• Few sustainable features
• No water harvesting
• False chimneys
• UPVC finishes

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Ward Homes

• Good news
• They have heard what we have to say
• We hope they have listened
• We will continue discussions
• We are pushing for a public exhibition with
  revised and more detailed plans
• County Highways are working towards enabling a
  turning area at entrance for buses!!

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Land West of Church Rd, Buxted

• Non Statutory Local Plan permits 40 houses plus
  doctors surgery, business units, station car park
  extension, new road access to A272
• Rydon Homes have agreed an option with the three
  landowners concerned
• Ryhurst is working with the PCT and Doctors

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Land West of Church Rd NSLP History

• In plan development 90 houses initially proposed
• Reduced to 70 plus surgery etc on consultation
• Councillors reduced to 40 plus surgery etc
• On strength of extent of development in Buxted in
  preceding 20 years

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Land West of Church Rd Considerations today

• 40 houses does not meet prescribed national (and
  local) density requirements
• An application for 40 would be called in by
  Planning Inspectorate
• Locality would lose control

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Land West of Church Rd Considerations today

• We are in a limbo period
• NSLP and its status
• Housing targets not being met at all
• LDF process plans development in next 20 years in
  progress
• Need to work smart for the long term benefit of
  the community

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Parish Council agreed 2 motions

• Move the planned doctors surgery
• Discussion to focus development in next 20 years
  on allocated land out to footpath to sewage farm
• WHY???

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Moving the Doctors Surgery

• Joint development with new Parish Community Hall
• Economies of scale, build and costs
• Early new facilities to rejuvenate services for
  the community
• Potential use of Ionides land as focus for
  communities health, recreation and social
  interaction

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Moving the Doctors Surgery

• Early stages
• Doctors preferred site
• Parish Councils preferred option
• Ionides Trust receptive to progressing discussions

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Moving the Doctors Surgery

• In 4-6 weeks
• PCT getting valuation for land they require to
  progress discussions with Ionides Trust
• How a lease may be developed
• What funds the Ionides Trust would receive
• Conceptual plans as to how it might work will be
  seen by PC and Ionides
• Public consultation will then occur
• Parish Council will engage in further
  discussions with Rydon Homes as well as Ryhurst

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Housing Development on Land West of Church Rd

• Negotiate with WDC and ESCC in relation to the
  LDF process
• Any increase in numbers now contributes to LDF
  allocation in future 20 years
• NOT a windfall like Grampian
• Phase 1 will fill requirements of NSLP allocation
• With increased housing density
• Probably 70-80
• Development will be required to fit with Wealden
  Design Guide
• Sense of Place
• Overcome any concerns re landscaping, flooding
  etc
• Parish Council re-engaging in discussions

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Housing Development on Land West of Church Rd

• Excellent three tier workings with WDC Planning
  Policy and County Highways
• Agreed to signalled junction with pedestrian
  crossing
• Recognising focus of development on the site
• Potential community focussed services on
  Ionides site

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Land West of Church Rd

• Long way yet to go
• But good start
• The Parish Council is working to achieve the best
  for the community
• Infrastructure
• Services
• Opportunities for a rejuvenated and vibrant
  village community

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Affordable Homes

• 2 to happen in Gordon Rd!
• 2 x 2 bedroom houses with priority for local
  people!
• Anyone local needing a home to rent needs to be
  on the WDC Housing Register
• Speak to the Clerk in confidence or contact WDC
  Housing direct

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Planning Enforcement

• The planning system is there to prevent
  development anarchy
• It is a simple system
• But some people dont realise or wont follow it
• Enforcement is a vital but undervalued service in
  Wealden
• We need it to get better

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Planning aims of the Parish Council

• To retain a sense of place
• To ensure developments dont negatively impact on
  neighbours
• That developments sit well in their locality
• That new developments provide benefit for
  existing as well as new villagers
• That they integrate into the heart of a vibrant
  and still largely rural village community
• That the Council is at the heart of driving
  matters for the benefit of the locality

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Planning and the Parish Council

• Not everyone likes what the Council may decide
• Not all the Council may like it
• But its a collective decision for the community
• To respect planning law and national and local
  policies
• To minimise impact on existing buildings
• To limit over-development
• To respect the villages and rural environment