WEALDEN DISTRICT COUNCIL

The rolling downland of Sussex seen here in a December sunset in 2017. This was the heart of the iron industry in years gone by. Copyright photograph © Cleaner Ocean Foundation Ltd, all rights reserved.

The above are members (councillors) of the Wealden District Council in 2017. They are entrusted to provide an effective administration, taking in taxes from the residents and businesses and doing their best to provide social and other services efficiently. The introduction of the Climate Change Act 2008 and the requirement to provide affordable land for sustainable development is a challenge that most councils in the United Kingdom are finding hard to adapt to, since directed to do so from 2012 in the National Planning Policy Framework Document.

Life in England is much harder now for young families who cannot afford to buy their own house, where the cost of living and the high cost of property leaves them unable to aspire to home ownership. This means a life of renting and constant moving as landlords seek to get the highest possible rents for their properties in a market that is geared up to allow them to exploit the next generation, and the next and the next - unless something is done to break the cycle.

One of the problems might be that many councillors in the UK are either landlords or have close ties with land and property owners. If that is so, this is a clear conflict on interest that should be addressed. Councillors who do not have any residual interests will be more likely to want both affordable and sustainable housing for their constituents as they aim for a truly circular economy. The same rule applies to planning officers, some of which are known to have ties with the exploitative renting community. It is human nature to take advantage of a trusted position in public office and at the moment there are no outside safety nets to police the planning police - where we know from our investigations that the serious (organized) crime office will not get involved.

The fact is that affordable land has not been identified in Wealden land and at the time of writing, there are very few energy sustainable houses being built such as to get anywhere near the UN targets. We fear that Brexit may take England further away from the European lead targets as research funding will be near impossible to find once Horizon 2020 grants dry up.

This is the old generating station at Herstmonceux in Sussex dating from C.1900. It is being upgraded with micro-generation to become energy self-sufficient such as to comply with the United Nations agenda to reduce greenhouse gases to 80% of 1990 levels before 2050 - as embodied in the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006. The current occupiers even drive an electric BMW i3 car that they hope to be able to charge on wind generated electricity in the near future. Copyright photograph © Cleaner Ocean Foundation Ltd, all rights reserved.

Councillor Lord Abergavenny

Frant/Withyham Conservative

Councillor Raymond Cade

Councillor Mrs Christina Berry

Polegate North

Liberal Democrat

Cllr Bruce Broughton-Tompkins

Crowborough St Johns Cons

Councillor Frank Brown

Danehill/Fletching/Nutley Cons

Councillor Norman Buck

Buxted & Maresfield

Cons Deputy Leader Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Change Management

Councillor Mrs Jane Clark

Crowborough East

Liberal Democrat

Chairman Select Committee

Councillor Ronald Cussons

Councillor Nick Ellwood

Hailsham South and West

Wealden Independent

Leader, Wealden Independent Group

Councillor Dr Ian Haffenden

Hailsham South and West

Wealden Independent

Councillor Steve Harms

Councillor Paul Holbrook

Hailsham Central and North

Liberal Democrat

Councillor Jim Hollins

Hartfield Conservative

Deputy Chairman, Environment Scrutiny Committee; Chairman Liquor & Entertainments Licensing Committee

Councillor Mrs Pat Kennedy

Buxted & Maresfield

Conservative Chairman of the Council

Cllr Mrs Margaret Kirkpatrick

Heathfield North & Central

Conservative

Cab Port Holder Housing

& Community Development

Councillor David Logan

Rotherfield

Conservative

Cabinet Portfolio Holder Finance & Assets

Councillor Mrs Sylvia Martin

Danehill/Fletching/Nutley

Conservative Dep Chairman

Select Committee

Councillor Roy Martin

Polegate North Liberal Democrat

Deputy Chairman Dev Ctrl

South Sub-Committee

Councillor Nigel McKeeman

Councillor Mrs Linda McKeever

Pevensey and Westham

Conservative

Councillor Ian McKirgan

Crowborough Jarvis Brook

Wealden Independent

Councillor Ian Mein

Crowborough East

Lib Dem Vice Chairman and

Deputy Chair Dev Nth Sub-Com

Councillor Mrs Anna Monaghan

Wadhurst

Conservative

Councillor Mrs Laura Murphy

Hailsham Central and North

Leader of the Liberal

Democrat Group

Councillor Mrs Lynda Myers

Frant/Withyham

Conservative

Deputy Chairman

Regulatory Committee

Councillor Ian Nottage

Uckfield Liberal Democrat

Dep Chair Liquor and

Entertainments Licensing

Councillor Mrs Niki Oakes

Heathfield North & Central

Conservative

Councillor Raymond Parsons

Forest Row

Conservative

Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Corporate Services and Chair Personnel Committee

Councillor Mrs Diane Phillips

Crowborough West

Conservative

Chairman Community Scrutiny Committee

Councillor Geoff Rowe

Hailsham South and West

Wealden Independent

Councillor Mrs Ivy Scarborough

Polegate South

Wealden Independent

Councillor Tony Seabrook

Willingdon

Liberal Democrat

Deputy Chairman Community Scrutiny Committee

Councillor Paul Sparks

Uckfield North

Liberal Democrat

Deputy Chairman Internal Scrutiny Committee

Councillor Robert Sweetland

Uckfield Ridgewood

Liberal Democrat

Councillor Mrs Sylvia Tidy

Chiddingly & East Hoathly

Conservative

Councillor Stuart Towner

Councillor Brian West

East Dean

Conservative

Councillor Keith Whitehead

Alfriston

Conservative

Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Development &

Councillor Rupert Taylor

Uckfield Leader Conservative