LINDFIELD RURAL PARISH COUNCIL Walstead Chapel, East Mascalls Lane Lindfield West , RH16 2QJ Tel: 01444 831499 Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.lindfieldrural -pc.org.uk PRESS RELEASE

For immediate use 16 November 2020 Lindfield Rural Parish Office Move Completed Lindfield Rural Parish Council has now completed its office move to the Walstead Chapel (which was built in 1854) in East Mascalls Lane (full address above) from its previous location in the Millenium Centre in .

The new office is now fully operational and members of the public can make contact by telephone on 01444 831499 or by email clerk@lindfieldrural -pc.org.uk . Unfortunately, the opening times for personal visits to the offices are suspended at the moment due to Covid 19 so therefore members of the public are encouraged to phone or email when i nitially making contact with the Council.

Trevor Webster, Chair of the Council said “The new office is a vast improvement on our previous accommodation as we now have our own meeting accommodation, where previously we had to hire rooms. There are also exc ellent facilities for having confidential conversations with our residents and we have much improved office accommodation for our staff.

The completion of the move now means that once the pandemic restrictions are relaxed, we can welcome visitors to the Chapel Offices, and also implement our engagement strategy which recognises the important role of the Council has in maintaining public face to face contact on a regular basis.

In future we intend to be proactive by making ourselves more accessible by at tending existing events, at places where our residents already meet (such as church groups, coffee mornings, residents’ groups etc).

Also, in the future, where appropriate, we will respond to queries and requests for help by making personal visits.

This m ove puts the Council in a much stronger position to deliver the future services to our residents and visitors” ENDS NOTE 1. Please contact Santi Gil, Clerk to the Council (see contact details above) in connection with this press release 2. Walstead Chapel (see attached photo) is owned by the Council and has been previously let as offices by the Council. The Chapel is 156 years old and retains many of its original features with tiled roofs in tradition ecclesiastical style with wood lined tun nel vaulted ceilings and tall stone framed three light arched windows

3. Lindfield Rural Parish is located in the central eastern portion of in . The parish is located immediately to the north, east and south east of Lindfield Parish and encapsulates most of the countryside along the eastern edge of , stretching as far as the East Sussex County boundary. It is mainly rural in nature, comprising a number of small hamlets such as Walstead and East Mascalls. There are, however, two larger population centres within the parish: the area adjacent to the Lindfield Village boundary between Scrase Brook and Gravelye Lane and the larger village settlement at Scaynes Hill