Westham Local Parish Council

05/06/2026

05/06/2026

⚠️ UPDATE ⚠️ 4 June 2026
Works that were planned to go ahead on Monday 8 June at Golden Cross, have now been cancelled due to resource availability. A new date will be shared when this becomes available. Thank you for your patience.

05/06/2026

Wealden councillors are set to discuss government plans to create new councils.

On Thursday (June 11), Wealden District Council’s cabinet and scrutiny committee are due to hold meetings on the authority’s response to a consultation on Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).

Both discussions will revolve around a proposal by housing secretary Steve Reed which would involve the creation of a new council to replace Wealden and its neighbouring authorities in East Sussex.

Officers are asking cabinet members to sign off on a consultation response, which would see the council formally oppose this proposal.

In reports to both committees, a council spokesman said: “The proposal introduces additional complexity, cost and service risk through the disaggregation of existing arrangements, without demonstrating clear benefits for residents, stronger service outcomes or a credible case for long-term financial sustainability.”

LGR is a process through which some existing councils around the country are expected to be replaced with new unitary authorities.

Councils in East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton have been invited to come up with proposals.

Wealden District Council, East Sussex County Council and the county’s other four district and borough councils had been involved in developing the One East Sussex proposal.

This proposes a unitary authority based on current county boundaries replacing six existing councils with a single new body.

The county’s other councils endorsed this proposal in September last year. Hastings Borough Council also supported alternative proposals as well.

Wealden council leaders opted not to support the One East Sussex proposal.

Speaking at the time, then council leader James Partridge (now deputy leader) said the cabinet’s view was that the proposed council would be “too big, remote from citizens and not able to provide high quality services across the whole area.”

The Liberal Democrat councillor set out how cabinet members were concerned about the potential of having unequally-sized councils in a mayoral authority structure.

The creation of a mayoral authority is a separate but connected process to LGR. It involves the establishment a new region-wide authority, led by a directly-elected mayor, which would take on some powers currently held by the government.

The current councils and their replacements would be expected to have representatives on this regional authority.

While Wealden’s cabinet opted not to endorse the One East Sussex model, it also chose not to support any alternative proposals.

This included the proposal put forward by Brighton and Hove City Council, which argued for the creation of five unitary authorities across the whole region. This would have seen East Sussex divided into two unitary authorities, with a portion of Lewes district being subsumed by an expanded Brighton and Hove City Council.

Housing secretary Steve Reed wrote to council leaders in March saying he considered neither model to be entirely right.

The government is undertaking consultation on a “modified” proposal. This modified proposal would result in most of East Sussex being covered by one unitary authority, while also allowing for the expansion of Brighton.

It would see Peacehaven, East Saltdean, Telscombe Cliffs and part of Kingston ward — all currently part of Lewes District — absorbed into an expanded council for Brighton and Hove.

✍Original copy by Huw Oxburgh, Local Democracy Reporter

05/06/2026

The brighter days are here! Did you know Bikeability can give your child the skills, confidence, and knowledge to ride safely?

In just one week, they can learn essential road safety and gain independence on two wheels. 🚲

Find out more and get them started today!

05/06/2026

Join our Income and Welfare team!

We’re recruiting for a range of roles across Council Tax, Business Rates and Rents, offering the opportunity to make a real difference to our residents and communities.

Be part of a dynamic and supportive team that values your contributions and fosters professional growth.

You’ll also benefit from generous annual leave, membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme, and flexible hybrid working arrangements.

Find out more and apply using the link in the comments.

05/06/2026

📚Inspire a LOVE of books 📚

Langney Community Library are looking to bring back their popular Rhymetime for little ones. If you're interested, please pop in to register.

The library, here in the shopping centre, is open from 10 till 4 on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and from 10 till 1 on Saturdays.

18/05/2026

999 Weekend this May.

The 39th 999 Weekend will take place Saturday 30th May and Sunday 31st of May between 1030-1700 (opening ceremony Saturday 1100 only).

Organised by Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Sussex Police, East Sussex Fire and Rescue, South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, RNLI Eastbourne, and supported by Eastbourne Borough Council the event has become a favourite in the local calendar and gives the opportunity for visitors to meet members of their local emergency services, and get an up-close look at some of the 999 response vehicles used across Sussex.

Supported by partner agencies who work closely with emergency services all year-round.

Find out more about the, teams, stands, units and services on display over the weekend here: https://www.999display.co.uk/downloads/

18/05/2026

♻ There has been a major change to recycling across England, as common food waste items do not need to be collected anymore.

❌ Households have been urged not to be caught out by the new bin rules when it comes to disposing items.

If you ignore the latest guidelines, your bin might not be collected. The UK's Simpler Recycling reforms, under the Environment Act 2021, have enforced mandatory and consistent recycling for businesses and households in England.

There are now separate collections for food waste, paper and card, glass, metal and plastic. Local authorities need to provide clear information about what can and can't be recycled, with some councils exempt until at least 2040.

It is important to check to see if the new rules apply where you live. Under the new rules, authorities now do not have to recycle a range of common food items.

Laminated foil

Items such as pet food pouches and coffee pouches now do not have to be collected as recycling by local authorities. Instead, you can dispose of these items in general household waste bins.

If you want to recycle the likes of baby food, pet food and detergent pouches, these can be taken to selected retailers. Recycle Now added: "Some coffee pouches are currently recyclable at plastic bags and wrapping collection points. Check the packet for recycling guidance."

Small 'compostable' or 'biodegradable' items

Food that has come in plastic packaging that has been described as "compostable" and "biodegradable" do not need to be collected in recycling bins. These include coffee pods.

Recycle Now said: "Coffee, tea and hot chocolate pods are made of recyclable materials, but because they are too small for most sorting machinery and contain ‘organic’ material, they need to be collected separately to ensure they reach the correct recycling facility."

Podback is a non-for-profit recycling service that has drop-off points at local authority recycling centres, supermarkets and coffee shops to recycle these items.

Food and drink cartons

Food and drink cartons that contain more than 5% plastic should be recycled along with the plastic waste, not with paper and cardboard. While they do contain paperboard, there is plastic in them.

These cartons are typically used for milk, juice and soup products. Check the back of the packaging to ensure you are recycling them in the correct bins, or your bin might not be collected.

Tea bags or ground coffee

The new rules mean local authorities do not have to collect tea bags or ground coffee for recycling. Instead, you can put these in your food waste bin or in your own compost heap at home.

By Mia O'Hare

18/05/2026