A casual vacancy has arisen and Wivelsfield Parish Council is looking for more councillors to serve until the elections in May 2023. If you have lived in the Parish for at least a year and would like to know more about this worthwhile community role, please contact the Parish Clerk, Liz Gander, on 01444 471898 or via clerk@wivelsfield.org.uk
News
Death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
Wivelsfield Parish Council is saddened to hear of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Chair, Councillor Dawson, said: “Following the passing of HRH Queen Elizabeth II on 8th September 2022, Wivelsfield Parish expresses its deepest condolences to her Majesty’s children and their families.”
From Monday 12th September until the day of the State Funeral, a book of condolence will be available to sign at Wivelsfield Parish Church, every day between 10am and 2pm. There will also be one evening, Thursday 15th September, when the Church will be open from 5.30-7.30pm for people to sign the book. Anyone wishing to lay flowers, may do so in at an area set aside just inside the Church gate. Please see the Wivelsfield Church website for more information and details of special services.
An online book of condolence is available on the Royal Family website – www.royal.uk.
A minute’s silence is being held nationally at 8pm on Sunday 18th September, the Eve of the Queen’s funeral, to give a moment of reflection upon the life and service of Queen Elizabeth II. The Parish Council’s Chair, Ian Dawson, will be leading a short ceremony outside The Cock Inn, starting at 7.55pm, to allow anyone wishing to gather to mark the minute’s silence together, the opportunity to do so.
For those wishing to mark the 1 minute silence by congregating with friends or neighbours, Councils have been asked to share the following document, which gives a suggested form of words for the occasion:
Parish Council Meeting Cancelled
Just to advise that, the postponed Parish Council meeting from 4th July, which had been rescheduled for Monday 18th July, has been cancelled due to the Met Office’s red weather warnings of extreme heat. The next meeting will be held on Monday 1st August.
Notice of Casual Vacancy
Annual Parish Meeting – 12th May – 7pm at Wivelsfield Village Hall
Please come along to this year’s Annual Parish Meeting, a meeting hosted by the Parish Council, for the benefit of residents. This year we have a range of interesting speakers, including:
- A representative from the Ouse & Adur Rivers Trust, talking about work they are doing in Wivelsfield to reduce surface water flooding and how we can all help to do the same;
- someone from Edeal, an organisation working with Lewes District Council to offer free business advice and support for people in the district;
- Representatives from Sussex Police, our District/County Councillors and MP;
- And a real highlight…Wivelsfield’s very own Alex Orchin, on his epic John O’Groats to Land’s End journey in his Peel P50 to raise money for BBC Children in Need.
Doors open at 7pm for refreshments, with the meeting starting at 7.30pm. Come along and chat to friends, neighbours and our speakers, before settling down to enjoy a useful and informative evening. We’d love to see you there!
Please see the agenda attached to find out more: Annual Parish Meeting Agenda
Have a Say on South Easter Water’s Draft 25 Year Environment Plan
A unique draft 25-Year Environment Plan written by South East Water now needs feedback from local residents on its strengths and weaknesses before it is published.
South East Water is the first UK water company to produce such a plan, following an intensive period working with its customers, employees and other environmental organisations to shape it. The appeal for feedback from local communities is the final stage before it is published in summer-2022.
Not only does the plan set out how the company will limit its own impact on the environment, but more importantly, how it will improve the overall health of the environment and increase its resilience to the effects of drought, flooding and growing demand for tap water.
Supplying drinking water to 2.2 million customers across the south east, the company maintains 83 water treatment works and 9,000 miles of underground pipes, as well as 33 Sites of Special Scientific Interest, two local nature reserves, Lullington Heath National Nature Reserve and numerous Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The water supplier also works with farmers, landowners and other water users to protect the quality and quantity of the rivers and underground aquifers which are used to produce an average of 520 million litres of tap water each day.
The company is now looking to expand the work of its in-house team of environmental experts to work with other local companies and individuals to improve the environment within a generation.
The consultation runs from 1 to 30 April. Read the plan and have your say on South East Water’s website – southeastwater.co.uk/25YP.
Parish Link with Sierra Leone – March 2022
Take Part in the Wivelsfield Recycling Day on Saturday 19th March 2022
Wivelsfield Parish Council invites residents to take part in a Wivelsfield Recycling Day on Saturday 19th March, to coincide with Global Recycling Day.
The idea is based upon something that District Councillor, Nancy Bikson, saw work really effectively in Australia. Anyone with items that they no longer need, but that have plenty of life left in them, can leave them outside their home on the morning of Saturday 19th March, allowing others to come round and take anything that they’d find useful. In this way, residents will be helping to re-use and recycle items, without the hassle of taking them to a charity shop etc and in a way that can benefit others in the immediate community.
We ask you to ensure that everything made available is in good working order, that there aren’t any trip hazards for those walking past, and nothing is left obstructing roads or pavements. Anyone wishing to take part can download a ‘Wivelsfield Recycling Day’ poster below, to print and display in a window or on the items being given away, to indicate their participation in the event, or feel free to make your own!
Any items which have not been taken are to be removed again at the end of the day.
In return, perhaps anyone who finds things that they’d like to rehome, might like to pop a little ‘thank you’ note through the giver’s door, to let them know their pre-loved items are appreciated.
If you have any questions, please email Liz Gander, the Parish Clerk, via clerk@wivelsfield.org.uk or speak to District Councillor Bikson on 07795 188372 / Nancy.bikson@lewes.gov.uk .
‘We’re taking part in the Wivelsfield Recycling Day’ participant pack & poster download
(Hard copies of the poster are available from the Parish Council for anyone unable to print it. Please contact the Parish Clerk by Wednesday 16th March to arrange to collect a copy).
Boundary Commission for England Launches Consultation on Proposed Constituencies
The Boundary Commission for England is inviting people to comment during its secondary public consultation on constituency boundaries, which runs until April 4. The proposals made would impact the Parish of Wivelsfield, which, for the purposes of parliamentary representation, would cease to be covered by the MP of Lewes, but would instead become part of the East Grinstead and Uckfield constituency.
The review is being undertaken in order to make the number of electors in each constituency roughly the same. The Lewes constituency would become known as the Lewes County Constituency and have new areas added such as Jevington, Wannock, part of Willingdon, Stone Cross and Hankham and existing ones removed from the current make-up of the constituency including Chailey, Barcombe & Hamsey, Ditchling & Westmeston, Newick, Plumpton, Streat, East Chiltington & St John, Wivelsfield.
To find out more and have your say, please go to bcereviews.org.uk
Free Business Support and Advice from Edeal
Edeal
We are a not-for-profit organisation set up to offer free support and advice to anybody who is looking to start a new business or business owners in need of support/advice. We receive a small amount of funding from Eastbourne, Lewes and Wealden District Council to enable us to offer our services for free. We also offer 1-2-1 advice so any business of any size can contact us for help, as long as they are based in Eastbourne, Wealden or the Lewes District. Attached is a link to our events page https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/edeal-enterprise-agency-ltd-31165827281