FOCUSFROM PAUL COLESHILL AND YOUR LIB DEM TEAM PARKING WEALDEN Focus on your new ward and the Levels Good Local Democracy Liberal Democrats support Neighbourhood Plans (NPs). They help local people take the lead on how their own communities are planned, and provide more money to Parishes from development. However a NP takes local time and public money and isn’t effective until it has gone through legal hoops and consultation. Some local authorities like Arun and Mid-Sussex, have encouraged Parishes helping through this process. As a result, in these Focus editor Paul Coleshill in Herstmonceux High Street Districts, almost every parish has its own Neighbourhood Plan. Dangerous and inconsiderate (over burglaries muggings Those District Councils have parking in villages on pavements and theft...) they have civil prioritised local democracy, and and on the narrow lanes of enforcement for parking have made the necessary staff Wealden is supposed to be problems with fines. resources available to Parishes. controlled by the police. Decriminalising parking offences By contrast, so far, in the whole Other local authorities don’t actually enables something of Wealden, only Herstmonceux rely on understaffed overworked to be done, and Wealden has a completed plan. police to prioritise parking should do the same.

Your new Wealden Council Ward includes the villages of Pevensey Hooe Windmill Hill and Herstmonceux Pot hole of the week Countyp Cuts • Cuts are coming to the travel scheme, reducing the amount spent on elderly and disabled people’s bus passes. Bus route subsidy cuts will also reduce transport options.

• The County is set to cut its entire meals on wheels subsidy this year, leaving all vulnerable residents getting meals paying the full cost of the service no matter how poor they are.

• A quarter of a million pounds is being cut from nursing and Will this plan work? residential services, some Under Government rules, in a district it was withdrawn. residents are likely to have with no “five year land supply” council have finally submitted a their care reduced or even there is a presumption in favour of development plan suggesting they removed completely. development. For the past several will have “a five year land supply” years the council hadn’t identified to the Government inspector. • Hundreds of thousands of enough housing land so had to pounds are being cut from accept developers could build Housing is flooding the Pevensey support to “problem” schools, (almost) wherever they wanted. levels. Both Rother and Wealden despite pupils Wealden granted some very odd councils have given, or are considering already suffering below planning permissions the council giving, planning permission to large national average attainment. could have refused if they had got housing estates that surround the This comes with a cut to school their planning act together! . Flood risk and wild governor budgets, and cuts to life seem unimportant in these deals. travel support for FE students. After “discovering” they didn’t have No sustainable drainage solutions a “five year land supply” Wealden have yet been figured out – says • The Liberal Democrats have declared they had “a cunning plan” the drainage authority. In addition opposed these cuts at County three years ago, then realised the the increased coastal traffic will and District level. plan wouldn’t survive inspection, and impact residents.

We need an advocate for the area not an apologist for the council, a district councillor who will hold authority to account and put decisions under proper scrutiny.

Paul lives in Ninfield and is a retired university teacher, professional economist and former councillor in a rural and then an urban authority, he has delivered budgets, and guided development plans. Paul is a member of the Ninfield Parish council and chair of NAG a local action group to resist unsustainable development.

CAN YOU HELP OUR CAMPAIGN? DELIVER LEAFLETS IN YOUR AREA? E-MAIL [email protected] OR [email protected] OR CALL HIM ON 01424 893138 OR THE LOCAL PARTY OFFICE ON 01797 230324

Published and promoted by Jennifer Als on behalf of Paul Coleshill and Liberal Democratcs all at Millwood, Peasmarsh TN31 6TB. Printed by Fastprint & Design, 4-6 Gensing Road, St Leonards on Sea TN38 0ER.