Ringmer Parish Council

Home , Beddingham, Firle, Glynde, Glynde and Beddingham, Ringmer, South Heighton

Mrs Karen Crowhurst

Clerk to the Council www.ringmerparishcouncil.org.uk

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ELECTORAL REVIEW OF EAST SUSSEX COUNTY AND DISTRICTS: DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Ringmer parish council supports the principle of the sub-division of the large and inappropriate 3-member Ouse Valley & Ringmer ward, which links the large village of Ringmer, some small estate villages (Glynde/Beddingham & Firle) and the medium sized parish of South Heighton, now effectively a Newhaven suburb. The present system is unfair to South Heighton, as most of the ward's voters live in Ringmer, Ringmer residents invariably top the poll and no South Heighton resident has ever been elected to office.

2. Ringmer alone justifies two councillors on the multiplier used. It would actually be slightly under-represented with two councillors at its present population and Ringmer is planned to grow by 10-15% in the next 5 years, while no growth is planned for any other part of the present ward.

3. The new Boundary Commission proposals link Ringmer and Glynde into a new ward, but remove Beddingham, Firle and South Heighton into a new ward along the Ouse Valley. The separation of Glynde from Beddingham is illogical. The village commonly known as Glynde has at least half of its population, its only pub and its railway station in Beddingham parish. Glynde and Beddingham parishes share a single parish council. There is no modern or recent administrative or organisational structure that divides the two parishes. Glynde should be moved to join with Beddingham and Firle in the new Ouse Valley ward. This would be logical on the ground and the distribution of voters between the new wards would become more rather than less equal. Glynde has a much stronger social connection with Firle (e.g. they are broadly similar in size, they are both estate villages in the South Downs National Park, they share a vicar) than with Ringmer.

4. The new two-member Ringmer ward would have, even under the present proposals, about 95% of its electors in Ringmer. Ringmer is NOT considered to be in the Ouse Valley. The new ward should be called 'Ringmer'.

Considered by Ringmer Parish Council on 28th April 2016