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Buxted Parish Council

Buxted Parish Council came into being in 1894 when the present system of Parish Councils was instituted to give rural communities a voice. Buxted Parish covers some 7,000 acres with an electorate of about 2,500 out of a population of 3,200. It encompasses the villages of Buxted, High Hurstwood and Five Ash Down.

The parish is divided into two wards – Buxted/Five Ash Down (10 councillors) and High Hurstwood (5 councillors). Councils are elected for a term of 4 years. Council meetings are held on the second Tuesday in every month (except August), alternating between Buxted Reading Room, High Hurstwood Village Hall and Five Ash Down Village Hall, at 19.30. Meetings agendas are displayed one week in advance on the Parish notice boards in Buxted (on the Ionides Trust site), High Hurstwood (near The Hurstwood pub) and in Five Ash Down (outside the Village Hall) and on the website. The agenda includes a list of any planning applications received from Wealden District Council for consultation. All meetings of the Council and its committees are open to the public, who are welcome to ask questions or raise issues with the Council before the meetings formally begin.

An early requirement was to provide allotments, which we do. Councils can also support arts and crafts; contribute to maintenance of churchyards; protect commons, provide buildings for public meetings, functions and entertainment, maintain public footpaths and bridleways (jointly with ESCC), provide footway lighting (we don’t), provide and maintain public open spaces, and comment on planning applications.

We also take an active interest in highways matters, policy and our environment (e.g. trees and hedgerows). More and more we have to comment on government policies for local government and voice our electors’ concerns.

Parish assets include Buxted Reading Room, two recreation grounds (Buxted and High Hurstwood), two allotment areas in Buxted (recently re-generated) and High Hurstwood, children’s play areas in Buxted and High Hurstwood, and two bus shelters. The budget is set annually over the period October to December. Planned expenditure less income forms the ‘Parish Precept’ which is levied as part of annual Council Tax. Apart from meeting general running expenses of the council – specifically employing our Parish Clerk – the council makes grants to local organisations and contributes to local projects e.g. Buxted Traffic calming.

The Parish Council recognises the burden of Council Tax but is also conscious of local needs for improvements in the Parish that increasingly are not being covered by either County or District as they seek to keep within national government budgets. Before increasing Precept to cover costs of local improvements such as the recent traffic calming, the Parish Council ensures that such improvements are what our electorate want and are prepared to pay for.

Councillors sit on various committees (e.g. Finance, Planning, Communications) and outside bodies (e.g. Ionides Trust, Buxted Community Hall Trust). Each keeps an eye on different parts of the Parish, e.g. for planning purposes and trees.

Our Parish Clerks, Beccy Macklen & Claudine Feltham (01435 515219) clerk@buxted-pc.gov.uk, who act as the Council’s ‘proper officers’ on the Council’s behalf and under its direction. 

09 September 2025

Planning Committee

Five Ash Down Village Hall Tuesday 7:00 pm View Details
09 September 2025

Parish Council Meeting

Five Ash Down Village Hall Tuesday View Details

Latest Parish News

Winnie-the-Pooh's 100th birthday to be celebrated by long-lasting legacy programme for the Ashdown Forest

08

September 2025
Winnie-the-Pooh's 100th birthday to be celebrated by long-lasting legacy programme for the Ashdown Forest

A commitment of up to £450,000 has been made by Wealden District Council to support the protection and preservation of Ashdown Forest ensuring it remains a place of learning, imagination, and natural beauty for future generations.

This investment will help deliver a wide-reaching educational and cultural programme, designed to celebrate the centenary of Winnie-the-Pooh in 2026, while safeguarding the landscape that inspired the story.

The Ashdown Forest Foundation (TAFF) is leading a major cultural programme which will focus on three key areas: protecting nature, encouraging reading and storytelling, and bringing people of all ages together.

The investment will also support a refreshed volunteer programme, conservation efforts, and creative training and community projects—ensuring more people can connect with both the Forest and the arts.

Councillor Rachel Millward, Alliance for Wealden (Green Party) and lead councillor for Community, Culture and Communications and deputy leader of the council, said, “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to celebrate a story cherished across the globe, while protecting the extraordinary landscape that inspired it. We’re proud to support a programme that honours our cultural heritage, brings communities together, and builds a lasting legacy for Ashdown Forest.

“Our investment is not just about marking a centenary—it’s about ensuring the Forest remains a place of wonder and learning for generations to come. With careful planning, strong partnerships, and local engagement, this project will create real and lasting benefits—environmentally, socially, and economically—for the whole region.”

Please get involved

08

September 2025
Please get involved

East Sussex Fire Authority is encouraging those who live, work and visit East Sussex and Brighton and Hove to have their say about plans for the future.

A consultation will run from 5 September 2025 until 31 October 2025 asking for view on its draft Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP).

This CRMP sets out how East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service will achieve our refreshed Core Purpose: Reducing Risks, Saving Lives – Together.

The plan is focused on improving public safety, reducing the number of incidents, and saving lives, ensuring the Service meets the evolving needs of our communities.

The CRMP identifies and assesses all foreseeable risks which our communities may face. The better the Service understands the risks, the more effectively it can target resources towards reducing them.

Please see further information and survey at this link: https://www.esfrs.org/savinglives

The CRMP is five-year plan, with a detailed work plan for years 1 and 2.

It is split into three key areas:

Responding effectively to fire and other emergencies – ensuring help is available when people face life-threatening emergencies.

Protecting the public through fire regulation - reducing the impact of fire in the built environment, keeping our community and firefighters safe.

Preventing fires and other emergencies - building safer, healthier, stronger and more resilient communities reducing the harm from fire and other emergencies.

The results will be presented at the Fire Authority meeting held on 12 February 2026.

Got a question? Please email us at: mailto:consult@esfrs.org?subject=CRMP%20&body=

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