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NOTICE OF VACANCY IN OFFICE OF COUNCILLOR

PARISH OF CHAILEY

 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN

Pursuant to section 87(2) of the Local Government Act 1972, that due to the resignation of Robin Penfold, a vacancy has arisen in the Office of Councillor for the Parish Council.

If by 18 Augusts 2025 (14* days after the date of this notice) a request for an election to fill said vacancy is made in writing to the Returning Officer , Ian Fitzpatrick, Lewes District Council, Town Hall, Grove Road, Eastbourne, BN21 4UG,  by TEN electors for the said Chailey Parish, an election will be held to fill the said vacancy, otherwise the vacancy will be filled by co-option.

If an election is called, it will take place not later than 21 October 2025

 

Dated: 29 July 2025

 

Bettina Newell

Clerk to Chailey Parish Council

 

 

 

 

* In computing any period of time for this purpose, a Saturday, Sunday,  day of the Christmas Eve and ending the with the first week day after Christmas Day which is not a bank holiday, the “Easter Break” means the period beginning with the Thursday before and ending with the Tuesday after Easter Day, and “a bank holiday break” means any bank holiday not included in the Christmas break or the Easter break and the period beginning with the last week day before that bank holiday and ending with next week day which is not a bank holiday are excluded.

 

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Consultation on boundary – Lewes district

Local Government Reorganisation (a central government policy) will see new unitary councils established across East and West Sussex, including Brighton & Hove. A unitary council provides all the public services that are currently split between district/borough councils and the county council.

East Sussex is responding to the government policy in September 2025 with a desire to create one single unitary council, covering the existing East Sussex footprint.

Brighton & Hove City Council has announced that as part of local government reorganisation it is looking to potentially grow the city boundaries and is looking at options to expand into parts of Lewes district, specifically Kingston ward, East Saltdean, Telscombe, Peacehaven and Newhaven.

Lewes District Council and East Sussex County Council have launched a public consultation to understand how residents feel about these proposals.

 

This is in addition to the previous county-wide consultation to seek views on the changes that will happen because of the reorganisation process.

For those of you that contributed to that survey – thank you. We appreciate an additional survey is a bigger ask on your time and we thank you in advance for contributing.

Have your say

Your feedback will be fed into the East Sussex proposal, which will be considered by government when they decide the size and boundaries of the new unitary councils.


The survey will be stay open until 5pm on Monday 25 August 2025.

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Chaiiley Factory Clay Stockpile Building

Clay Winning and Stockpiling at the Chailey Ibstock Factory will commence today, 21st July 2025 and last for approximately three working weeks. The exact starting date will depend upon weather conditions and contractor’s availability. The work associated with the clay winning within the factory area will be limited to between 0800 hours and 1700 hours Monday to Friday. Two half hour breaks will be taken during the day.

A number of measures will be put in place to keep disruptions to nearby neighbours a minimum and in return Ibstock ask for your understanding while this work is carried out. The stockpile in the factory that they are building in the factory area is being limited to 6 metres in height as in previous years; this will result in the majority of the work taking place below the height of the existing bund around the area. The reduction in the height of the stockpile has reduced the noise carry over. The mobile plant being used on the stockpile has been chosen for their minimum noise levels.

If Ibstock can be of any assistance, (please do not visit the site) but contact Nathan Johnson, Technical Deputy Quarry Manager by phone at the factory on 01273 400212.

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South East Water – Hosepipe & Sprinkler restrictions

What’s happened?

Record-breaking demand for drinking water has put significant pressure on drinking water supplies, as the region grapples with a prolonged dry period and an approaching third heatwave this summer. Met Office reports indicate this spring was the driest since 1893 in our region, with dry conditions expected to persist throughout the warmer months.

The situation

The combination of heat and sunshine, coupled with very low rainfall, has created challenging conditions across much of the region for agriculture and water resources.

Demand for water has increased to the highest levels we have ever seen for this time of year, reaching 680 million litres on 30 June 2025. This is 105 million litres of water a day more than the average for summer. On days like this, we’re pumping enough water to supply an additional four towns the size of Maidstone or Eastbourne.

Stocks of raw water, the water that we store, treat and pump to taps, in both our groundwater and surface reservoirs are now falling more quickly and earlier than normal.

What have we been doing?

In preparation for this summer, we have increased the number of storage tanks for clean water and replaced valves, flow meters and installed new pipes so we can move water around more easily.

We’re aware there are a number of leaks on the network, we’re working hard to fix these, and are prioritising the most urgent leaks. In the last year we’ve found and fixed over 18,000 leaks on our network and a further 6,000 customer side leaks. This is more than 12 per cent than in the previous year.

Hot weather causes the ground to crack so pipes move and burst causing leaks. We have increased our efforts this summer, and we have more gangs finding and fixing leaks than ever before.

We have asked our customers to only use water for essential purposes, and we would like to thank all who have taken steps to try and reduce overall water use. Unfortunately, it has not been enough to reduce demand to a typical level.

What this means for you and your communities

This means we have been left with no choice but to restrict the use of hosepipes and sprinklers in Kent and Sussex until further notice – this is also referred to as a Temporary Use Ban or TUBs.

We are taking this action to ensure we have enough water for both essential uses and to protect the environment.

All domestic household customers, unless exempt, are not authorised to use a hosepipe or sprinkler at their homes. If customers are exempt, they will receive an email or letter to confirm this.

These restrictions will be reviewed every seven days to determine when we can remove them.

I am sure you will understand this decision has not been taken lightly.

How you can help

We’re undertaking a widespread campaign to notify all our customers, however I would be grateful if you could share this information amongst your communities too.

You can also keep up with the latest on the situation using the links below:

 

Find out all you need to know about the hosepipe ban here
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Record road improvement programme planned

The following report comes from Councillor Matthew Milligan, ESCC

A record number of East Sussex roads will be given a new lease of life with this year’s programme of pothole-preventing work.

More than 40 miles of roads have been included in East Sussex Highways’ surface dressing programme which began in June, more than double previous years.

It follows a significant investment in the county’s road patching last year to ensure those most in need of repair were ready for surface dressing. After surface dressing, the road is reopened to traffic which helps the chippings to bed in. The road is then swept after 24 hours and seven days, before road markings are reapplied.

This year, an additional surface seal will be applied to 25 sites in residential and high traffic areas. This will help the dressing bed in and will help to prevent loose chippings.

Roads will be closed while the work is carried out with signed diversion routes in place. A temporary speed limit on 20mph will be in place following works for the safety of motorists.

A total of 421,413 metres squared of road has been included in the 2025/26 surface dressing programme, compared to 246,583 in 2023/24 and 256,346 in 2022/23.

More information is available here.

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East Sussex Local Government Reorganisation survey

The Government wants all two-tier authorities (areas where there is a county council, as well as district and boroughs) to be replaced by a single unitary authority. They believe this will bring about efficiencies and make it easier for residents, only needing to deal with one council who deliver their services. Councils in East Sussex are asking residents what they think about this plan, ahead of submitting a final proposal to government in the autumn.

There is still time for residents to have their say before the survey closes on 23 June, by visiting www.eastsussexcouncils.org

Survey is also attached below if required.

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Chailey Parish Councillor Vacancy

Chailey Parish Council is looking for enthusiastic and dedicated individuals to join our Council and help shape the future of our village. As a Parish Councillor, you will be involved in making decisions that affect the community, representing residents’ interests, and working with other local organizations. No formal qualifications are required, but a passion for the community and good communication skills are essential. We offer full training and support.

What’s involved?

Attending monthly council meetings, representing residents’ concerns, working on local issues, and collaborating with other organizations.

How to apply:

Please submit your application by sending a CV with covering letter explaining your interest in becoming a Parish Councillor to Bettina Newell, Parish Council Clerk  at clerk@chaileyparishcouncil.gov.uk or by post to Chailey Parish Council, The Reading Room, Chailey Green, East Sussex, BN8 4DA by Friday 25th July. For more information, visit the Parish Council Website, www.chailey.org  or contact us at 01825 722388.

We look forward to hearing from you.

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Message from Highways – Chapel Lane, East Chiltington Surface Dressing 9th & 26th June

Balfour Beatty will be owrking between Novigton Lane and East Chiltington Parish Church to improve the condition of the road. A layer of bitumen will be sprayed onto the road to seal it and stone chippings are then spread on top. The road surface is then rolled to embed the chippings.

Monday 9th June: Targeted patch repairs 7am – 7pm

Thursday 26th June: Surface Dressing treatment 7am – 7pm

During the above times, the road will be closed with no vehicle access.

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Message from Cllr Matthew Milligan, ESCC

Record road improvement programme planned


A record number of East Sussex roads will be given a new lease of life with this year’s programme of pothole-preventing work.

More than 40 miles of roads have been included in East Sussex Highways’ surface dressing programme which begins in June, more than double previous years.

It follows a significant investment in the county’s road patching last year to ensure those most in need of repair were ready for surface dressing.

The process, which sees roads coated with a thin layer of bitumen and stone chippings, protects the carriageway from water and frost which can lead to potholes forming.

Full details can be found on the East Sussex Highways website at www.eastsussexhighways.com

A total of 421,413 metres squared of road has been included in the 2025/26 surface dressing programme, compared to 246,583 in 2023/24 and 256,346 in 2022/23.

As ever please do get in touch with my at cllr.matthew.milligan@eastsussex.gov.uk with any issues that I can support you with.

 

 

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Residents urged to take action over energy meter switch

Residents are being urged to check their energy meters to avoid losing their heating or facing higher energy bills.

At the end of June, the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS), a system that uses radio signals to switch electricity meters between different tariff rates, will stop working.
Energy companies should be contacting affected customers about changing their meter, and East Sussex County Council is encouraging residents to take immediate action when they do.

Residents may have an RTS meter if;

  • their home has a separate switch box near the electricity meter with a Radio Teleswitch label on it
  • their home is heated using electricity or storage heaters
  • there is no gas supply to their area (usually households in rural areas and high-rise flats)
  • they get cheaper energy at different times of day (Economy 7, Economy 10, or Total Heat Total Control tariffs)
    Residents should beware if someone contacts them asking for payment to change a meter as it is likely to be a scam.  Anyone suspecting a scam should contact their energy supplier or Citizens Advice.