Newsletter from Chairman of Maresfield Parish Council

Maresfield Parish Council

The planning application for 20 houses in Maresfield submitted by Asprey Homes was recently refused by Wealden District Council mainly because of its proximity to the Grade 2 listed Mill Cottage and the Mill House and Barn on the other side of School Hill. We await further developments as to how and where the balance of some 23 totally new homes will be built in Maresfield under the current WDC Core Strategy.

Each year we hold the Annual Parish Assembly and this year it will be held in the Nutley War Memorial Hall on Thursday 12th May at 7.30 pm. This is the meeting when the Parish Council invites the public to hear reports from The Chairman, District and County Councillors and organisations in the Parish (particularly if the Parish Council has contributed significant funding).

We usually arrange a speaker or nominate a theme for part of the Assembly; no speaker has been secured as I write this in early April. It is proposed to facilitate a discussion to try and identify areas of community need where the Parish Council could instigate or coordinate local initiatives particularly where District, County Council or other provision has been reduced or withdrawn. For example, we have just been advised that our 261 bus service on Saturdays is to be withdrawn.

There will also be the opportunity for parishioners to express their views on what the Parish Council has (or has not) been doing. No votes taken at this meeting are binding on the Council although it should consider them at its next meeting.

Also, for the Annual Assembly, we produce an Annual Parish Report in which we record the reports from local groups and organisations of their activities over the last year. Please email your reports to the Clerk by the 6th May.

Some parishioners may be aware that we have been without an Assistant Parish Clerk for the past 16 months and recently the Parish Council decided to recruit to fill the vacancy. Interviews took place in April and hopefully the successful candidate will be in post within the next few weeks.

Again, no apologies for urging you to occasionally look at the Council’s web site - www.maresfieldparish.org.uk and we still have a number of vacancies for Councillors on the Parish Council particularly to represent Maresfield Ward and the Clerk and I would welcome inquiries from anyone who would like to know more about how they might fulfil this worthwhile community role. Contact the Parish Clerk on 714555, [email protected].

Martin Craddock – Chairman of Maresfield Parish Council