HORAM and VINES CROSS
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HORAM PARISH COUNCIL
Chairman’s message:- Explanation of the rise in Harams Parish precept for 2025 the rise in the Parish Council precept for the 2025-26 financial year.As Chairman I made a presentation on this topic at the Horam Annual Parish Assembly on Thursday 27th March at the Horam Village Hall. The Parish Council budget and precept must by law be Resolved (i.e. approved) by the Full Council. In the approved budget and Precept there are three items which together amount to 93% of the increase in the Precept:- Rental costs for the Parish Council office and meeting room. The office rent has increased by 41%. This was due to a new agreement between the Parish Council and the Horam Club Rooms Charity who own the building.The rental costs are still below commercial rental rates. The General Reserves budget. Due to changes in National Guidelines the Parish Council needed to increase the General Reserves. For a Council of our size, we should now have General Reserves of between 50 – 80% of the Precept. General Reserves can only be raised through the Precept, not from CIL. The Parish Council made the decision that it was necessary to be financially sound in order to be an active council and to avoid the risks of bankruptcy in the future. Therefore, an additional £25,000 had to be set aside to ensure the Parish Council complies with National Guidelines. Previously General Reserves had been used to part fund the Precept, at a time when National Guidelines allowed that. This had kept the precept down but had also reduced the General Reserves. A Landscape Sensitivity Assessment of the Coxlow area where the Wealden Draft Local Plan shows a proposed development of 750 dwellings. When Wealden’s Draft Local Plan was published the Parish Council noted the strength of residents’ concerns regarding the effect this development would have on the village and on the Cuckoo Trail. Also, during the Horam Neighbourhood Plan public consultations the Parish Council had noted residents’ desire to maintain the rural aspect and nature of the Cuckoo Trail within the Parish. Horam Parish Council had been given confidential sight of some early outline plans showing where dwellings might be built in Coxlow; some close to the Cuckoo Trail and would likely impact on some environmentally sensitive areas close to the Cuckoo Trail and Cinderghyll. As the Coxlow development would be the biggest thing to hit Horam since the arrival of the railway, the Parish Council believed it was in the interests of the whole community to have their own impartial Landscape Sensitivity Study covering the whole Coxlow area. This would be independent of the reports prepared for Wealden District Council which only covered Coxlow in a piecemeal fashion. There is a narrow window of opportunity to commission the report which as a council we believe would be vital in building an independent, evidence-based case for preserving the rural nature of the Cuckoo Trail; funds of £14,000 have been budgeted for this. As such this is a one-off item in the budget so would not be in the budget for next year. These 3 items account for 50.5% out of the 54.3% increase in the Precept. The remaining 3.8% is due to the national increase in employers’ NI contributions and marginal increases in other budget line-items and is still lower than each of East Sussex County Council, the Fire Authority and the Police & Crime Commissioner increases. None of these decisions were taken lightly. Parish Councillors are very aware that this is public money coming directly from the residents who pay the Precept. I can confidently state however, that Horam Parish Council sets a budget to only cover what is believed to be needed for the coming year.
WRONG IDENTIFICATION
An acre meadow with a pond shaded by trees has been 'mistakenly' identified as a potential housing site by Wealden District Council. That's the view of Horam parish councillors who say the allocation contradicts the April 2022 Wealden District Council Open Space Report. Among other statements, it says 'the parish lacks a substantial tract of both green and amenity greenspace based on its population' (which, they point out has since grown.) The site is a roughly rectangular, 0.4ha/1 acre site on the northern side of the access road to Discovery Way and Horam Village Hall. It fronts the A267 and was part of the old Merrydown cider factory site. Before Merrydown was redeveloped, it was a largely untended meadow with a pond and trees. It remains that way still. Parish councillors cite Wealden's Design and Access statement as saying: 'Existing meadow and pond at the southern boundary to be retained and enhanced as part of a habitat creation area.' A project involving local volunteers had already been proposed and planned to enhance the site. which was retained but neglected since the Merrydown building scheme. Project H (iii) in the Horam Neighbourhood Plan 'aims to improve this site by creating a tranquil area with seating, bins, bird feeders, replanting for shade and all-weather permeable footpaths made of some bark chip or compacted stone.'
Wealden District Council has allocated the site for a five-house development in its Draft Local Plan. And now Horam Parish Council has launched a fight to retain it as a habitat area and increase biodiversity. Parish Council chairman Andy Billings said: "We aim to make it somewhere for residents to visit, sit, chat with friends or as a shady respite from all the activity on the recreation ground." Members pointed out that until the Horam Neighbourhood Plan reached its Examination stage, this site had been included as a potential Local Green Space. And the Examiner agreed saying: "I am satisfied that the projects are both appropriate and locally distinctive; with lands at the corner of the A267 being designated: 'particularly noteworthy.'" But during the the examination Wealden District Council 'asserted its authority,' threatening not to approve the Neighbourhood Plan unless the site was removed. The examiner therefore had no choice but to remove it as a Local Green Space. However he intentionally kept the project to enhance the site in the 'Made' version of the Neighbourhood Plan. Developing it, members note, would reduce designated green space in Horam Parish by half, reducing it in a parish that is already considered deficient. The Parish now states: 'Wealden should support making the site available and accessible long term to Horam enabling it to be enhanced as a tranquil area in line with our Neighbourhood Plan.'
A267 ROAD SAFETY GROUP
On Saturday 19 April, the A267 Little London Road was closed at the Hanging Birch Lane junction to retrieve a van that had tipped over on to its side. Well done to Mick Gould, our local heavy vehicle rescue company, which turned up with one of his giant rescue vehicles and cleared the accident really quickly. The A267 from Cross in Hand to Horam is now becoming a regular blackspot for vehicle collisions. The road is narrow with numerous pinch spots where HGV’s cross into the oncoming carriageway. This road is a prime example for the installation of speed cameras.
HORAM TENNIS CLUB - NEW MEMBERS REQUIRED
Horam Tennis Club is a friendly village club which strongly follows and supports LTA Safeguarding & Welfare policies making sure Tennis is safe and inclusive for all members. We welcome players of all ages and abilities to become a member of the Club which gives access to the three floodlit hard courts set in a quiet location which are playable all year round. We also have a club house, kitchen. Membership runs from April to March. We have coaching facilities with our club coach Keith. We have kept our membership fees for this year the same as 2024/2025 to help a little with the cost of living. Membership fees for the 2025/2026 season are as follows: Full Time Membership £120 Monday to Friday Membership £100 Family Membership £240. Age up to 18yrs £50 We currently have social sessions on Tuesday, Thursday & Friday mornings from 10.00-12.00 We have a team in the Horam Tennis League, and always looking for players to join. For further information on membership or general enquiries, please email us at horamtennisclub@gmail.co.uk
CHIDDINGLY PARISH BONFIRE SOCIETY VE DAY 80 CELEBRATIONS MAY 11
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. 1- 5pmThere'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...