Tunbridge Wells Road change of parking restrictions

Residents need to be aware that a temporary parking restriction has been imposed in Tunbridge Wells Road – from the junction with St Leonards Lane northwards for 105 metres. The Order commences 15 June 2026 and lasts for a period of 18 months, or until development works at Court Meadow are completed, whichever is earlier. However, it is anticipated works will be undertaken between 15 June 2026 & 2 July 2027 depending upon the weather conditions. There will be no waiting at any time imposed and double yellow lines will be installed to allow for safe access and egress to the new community centre development site.

Annual Parish Assembly

As informed in last month’s Newsletter article, a summary of what was discussed follows:

East Sussex Highways

The Head of East Sussex Highways kindly attended the meeting and provided a presentation on the structure, responsibilities and funding to provide and maintain 2,097 miles of road in the county. (The presentation is available on the community website with the meeting papers.) Their policies are published on the East Sussex Highways website.

£14M per annum is received from government but £25M is required to bring the condition of the road network up to an appropriate standard. Additional gangs have been deployed to fill the backlog of potholes

The irritation that gangs fill marked up potholes and not unreported potholes immediately adjacent was raised: On occasions potholes that are not reported can be filled however repairing non-safety defects cannot be prioritised due to safety issues and it would impact the daily work schedule.  

There is a failure rate of 22% on the reinstatement of the roads provided by utility companies after their work has been completed. If the repair fails within two years the utility company must repair at its own expense. The majority however fail after three or four years.

The closure of the A267 for gas main replacement earlier in the year was raised and the question of why only light traffic was permitted to use the A272 as a diversion route during the closure.

Community Speed Watch

Community Speed Watch (CSW) is a citizen-based organisation and a national scheme adopted by 50% of police forces. There are 360 groups across the county and 3.5k volunteers. Training is provided as is equipment when required such as speed guns, body worn cameras and high vis

Sessions can take place in approved locations in areas with 20, 30 and 40mph speed limits and last for roughly one hour. There are currently nine trained volunteers in the parish that carry out one session per week. Two volunteers are needed for a session but three for sessions in Five Ashes due to the volume of traffic – on average 8,000 vehicles each day.

Residents interested in joining the group should contact the Parish Council office.

MAYFACS

Their vision is to ensure there is no isolation, vulnerability or hardship in the parish and it is celebrating its tenth year. It provides a vital lifeline for residents, has 150 volunteers, provides 18 regular activity groups as well as visits and experiences. A summary of their achievements and activities provided for the community was received.

East Sussex County Councillors

Cllr Woolley (Mayfield and Five Ashes division) was introduced. Cllr Woolley is now also the lead of ESCC and will be scrutinising operations and will look at how things can be changed to spend funding better with more effect. 

Cllr Lunn (Wadhurst, Frant, Hadlow Down, Rotherfield and Rushers Cross division) was introduced and will be a strong voice for residents to make sure they are heard at county council level.

Wealden District Council (WDC) Ward Member

Cllr Redman informed:

• The Local Plan is progressing with no identified large housing developments in the Parish as it is protected by the National Landscape and Conservation Areas. 
• The performance of South East Water continues to be scrutinised.
• The Home Office continues to be held to account on how the asylum seeker accommodation at Crowborough is operating and progressing.
• A further £10k of grant funding for local community initiatives open for applications.

Open forum

A complaint on vehicles parking on double yellow lines and causing hazards by blocking sightlines and endangering lives was raised. Residents were informed that parking violations are a police matter but are not enforced by Sussex Police unless they are endangering human life. The County and District Councils considered Civil Parking Enforcement over 10 years ago but there was unanimous opposition to the installation of Civil Parking Enforcement due to the negative economic impact of parking charges in towns and villages. In addition, the installation of parking meters in the High Street Conservation Area was not favourable.  

The question on whether car insurance would be null and void if there is a collision with a vehicle parked on a double yellow line was raised. 

Meeting with East Sussex Highways

Every six months the Council has a ‘ Strengthening Local Relationships’ (SLR) meeting with East Sussex Highways. It was emphasized how imperative it is to report problems or issues with the roads, pavements, gullies and verges to them – preferably using their online ‘report a problem’ page at https://live.eastsussexhighways.com/report-problem. Residents can also phone 0345 60 80 193 if they do not wish to use their website. Our Highways Steward informed of the importance of also uploading a photograph of the problem – for example an overflowing drain may not be a problem the next day when the location is visited.

The meeting was also informed of a new resource on their website – the East Sussex Highways Information Hub that can be accessed on their homepage. Once opened, a map provides information on their reactive and planned maintenance service all in one place. You will be able to track issues from report to repair across the county for potholes and gullies, as well as view their programmed works. The information is refreshed hourly and the filters on the right-hand side of the map control which information is displayed. You will be able to see:

• Reports awaiting inspection
• Repair awaiting completion
• Repairs completed within the last 30 days
• Planned layers show upcoming works

South East Water

Representatives from South East Water were invited to the June 2026 Parish Council meeting to provide an overview of the Parish’s fresh water supply and information on how their resilience for water interruptions has been addressed and improved. (The slides are available on the Council website with the meeting papers.)

In Sussex there is an adequate water supply and good water storage, however problems arise due to the connectivity of historical pipework infrastructure after the merger of smaller water suppliers in the South East of England into a single regional supplier in 2007. The new pipeline from Bewl Water treatment works to Cottage Hill reservoir near Rotherfield has been completed and has increased the flexibility of water supply.

Smart metering is going to be rolled out over the next five to six years that they informed will encourage residents to use less water. Water leaks will be able to be detected more quickly too rather than currently when the meter is only read every six months.

Community safety in East Sussex

East Sussex County Council has launched a survey for residents to have their say on community safety in East Sussex. If you are concerned about anti-social behaviour, violence against women and girls, or serious violence, please share your views. You can tell them about issues affecting the area and help shape local priorities. Visit: eastsussex.gov.uk/safety. The survey closes on 15 July 2026.