Please note. This column will now include Chiddingly in its copy. Any organisation wishing to promote their event please contact: melbutch160@gmail.com
A267 ROAD SAFETY GROUP
New scheme aims to reduce roadwork disruption. Contractors and utility companies will be charged more to work on East Sussex’s busiest roads in a bid to reduce disruption across the county. East Sussex County Council is among the first local authorities to implement a Lane Rental Scheme, which will see companies pay more to carry out work on the busiest 5.9 per cent of the county’s road network during peak times. The aim of the scheme is to encourage work to be carried out outside of peak hours and for those working on the roads to find more efficient ways of working, such as using new technology or working in collaboration with others. Cllr Claire Dowling, East Sussex County Council’s lead member for transport and environment said: “Roadworks can be disruptive and frustrating for motorists, not to mention the impact they can have on the local economy. As well as reducing roadworks during peak hours and the inconvenience they cause, the Lane Rental Scheme will encourage shorter durations of work on the roads, help improve planning and co-ordination and encourage companies to get it right first time.” She added: “The additional cost utility companies, developers, and the highway authority faces will encourage them to work at less busy times, in collaboration with other companies and avoid closing lanes to traffic.” The scheme will run alongside the East Sussex Permit Scheme but will only apply to selected roads, with a maximum charge of £2,500 a day for anyone working during peak hours. Normal permit charges will apply outside of the set hours, leaving companies to decide between paying the additional money or changing ways of working to avoid the higher charge. Genuine emergency work that has to be carried out during peak times will not be charged under the Lane Rental Scheme for 48 hours from when it begins. Once the costs of running the Lane Rental Scheme are covered, surplus Lane Rental money will be available for highway improvements, innovation and measures to improve disruption & congestion-caused by projects across the county. Cllr Dowling said: “As with any scheme of this kind, it has to be self-funding, but any surplus money will bring further benefits for road users, residents and businesses.” The roads included in the Lane Rental Scheme will be reviewed annually to ensure that it addresses disruption on the busiest roads. More information on the scheme can be found at [East Sussex lane rental scheme | live.eastsussexhighways.com](https://live.eastsussexhighways.com/.../east-sussex-lane...)
CHIDDINGLY PARISH BONFIRE SOCIETY VE DAY 80 CELEBRATIONS
VE Day 80 celebrations are just around the corner! Please join us at the Chiddingly Village 1940s Tea Dance. Entertainment by the fabulous Moxie Dolls. There's also a traditional afternoon tea and lots of games and activities for everyone. Tickets on sale from: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/chiddingly-parish-bonfire...
DOWNWOOD VETERINARY CENTRE
Date for your diaries! Open morning at our Ringmer branch. Sunday Funday! Sunday 4 May 10-1pm Join us for a paws-itively fantastic time at our open morning. Explore behind the scenes, meet our friendly team, and enjoy fun activities for the whole family. Perfect for animal lovers of all ages!
LOCAL ATTRACTIONS
Horam Manor Country Park: Peaceful family-run park on the manor estate, with fishing and horse riding, cuckoo trail, walking and cycling, two minutes’ drive away, additional toilet block with disabled room and underfloor heating. Telephone: 01435 813662 Visit www.sellersleisure.com/our-parks/horam-manor/ Horam Park Golf Club This is an excellent nine-hole golf course with water hazards, a driving range, a short game area and a putting green. You can also enjoy a bar, restaurant, pro-shop and lessons from a PGA club professional. www.horamparkgolfclub.co.uk/about. Wellshurst Golf Club This is a good 18-hole course just south of Horam on the A267. It is open to non-members, and hosts other events such as wedding fairs. Please visit: www.wellhurst.com for more information. Horam Recreation Ground Situated on the southern edge of the village, the recreation ground was given to the village by the late Constance Scott. It now hosts the village hall, bowls club (including an indoor rink), tennis club (floodlit when necessary), junior football club and an allotment area, and many local events. The Scout group have their own hut there, and there is off-road parking. Horam Church The local church is in Horebeech lane, and is a delightful building where many activities take place. Telephone: 01435 813 372 or visit www.christchurchhoram.org Horam Chapel In the centre of the village, this modern building is very active. Visitors are very welcome to any of its services. Visit :www.horamchapel.org.uk Hidden Spring Vineyard Hidden Spring Vineyard is the home of Hidden Spring wine and is located on a 23 acre smallholding in Vines Cross Road, Horam. They offer wine tastings, tours, gifts and gift vouchers please visit the site at: www.hiddenspring.co.uk
GRASS VERGES
Highway Grass and Wildlife Verges: Our grass cutting maps for 2025/26 have now been finalised and can be accessed using the following link - Highway Grass and Wildlife Verges on the Horam Parish Council Website. Please note a new verge classification has been created this year called “Hybrid Urban”. This verge type has reclassified some of the rural verges so they can be managed as urban verges (two cuts per year). The changes will be made on rural verges with footways that risk becoming overgrown or large verges near urban areas prone to overgrowth. Hybrid urban verges will remain under the ESCC cutting contract and will not be included in self-delivery agreements. The Senior Asset Engineer for soft estate will review the verges at the start of each cutting season and designate more Hybrid Urban verges if necessary.
SUSSEX WILDLIFE TRUST
Bluebell Hues: Like many people, bluebells are a blast of nostalgia for me. I remember woodland days out as a kid; clambering up trees and scrawling thrilling finds like ‘Woodpigeon’ in biro in soggy exercise books. Bluebell season always required a visit. There’s not much like the all-encompassing violet thwack of Bluebells in ancient woodland. Sickly-sweet scent in your nostrils, the hues of the rich indigo carpet somehow also hanging in the air, and the understory buzzing with busy pollinators, who, just like you, are making the most of this abundant explosion. We love a limited edition, a special experience that we must make the most of. Like one off characters in your cereal box, like happy hour, Bluebell fever is no different. Every April and May, Sussex woodlands erupt with millions of these vivid beauties, announcing that spring truly, finally, fabulously, has sprung. This early flowering provides a welcome bounty for struggling wildlife and allows Bluebells to make the most of the sunlight before the woodland canopy becomes too dense. Like many of our native wildflowers, the British Bluebell is up against it. At risk from habitat loss of precious ancient woodland, and threatened by a changing climate, the plant is also in competition with an interloper, the Spanish Bluebell. A non-native species, the Spanish Bluebell tends to outcompete its native counterpart for resources such as light and space. It can also hybridise with our native species, diluting the native Bluebells characteristics. So how can you tell these two species apart? The native Bluebell, Hyacinthoides nonscripta, has narrow leaves and tubular-bell shaped flowers of deep-violet blue which curl back at the edges. The flowers are generally, down one side of the stem, which has a distinctive droop to it. The Spanish species, Hyacinthoides hispanica, has broader leaves and a paler blue, conical shaped flower. The stem is upright and covered with flowers on all sides. Big difference between the two is the Spanish one has no scent, whilst the native Bluebell smells sweet. The idea of plants ‘escaping’ your garden invokes notions of under-the-cover-of darkness creeping, but it’s easier than you think for non-native species to go astray. Uncovered cuttings and garden waste can easily blow into communal areas or can be carried by animals, to proliferate in new, wild areas. If choosing to plant Bluebells in your garden, it’s best to choose the UK species for this reason. In a small way you could be supporting our native species to recolonise our wild woodlands, and to keep them smelling sweet. Kerry Williams: Communications Officer – Conservation