East Hoathly

Planning surgeries: Parish residents are invited to surgeries to provide, advice and help with their objections regarding the planning applications submitted by Hesmond’s Stud. These three surgeries will be held on the following dates and times: Sunday, December 18th from 12-2pm Saturday, December 31st from 11-1pm. Saturday, January 7th from 11-1pm all in the small side room at the Kings Head

There will be another Village Concerns meeting in the new year. At the moment, objections to the applications must be submitted to Wealden DC by January 13th 2017, but the Concerns group have applied to an extension of this deadline.

Post Office Christmas opening times: The Village Post Office will be opening additional hours on this Wednesday afternoon (the 21st) from 2 to 4pm for all services, not just posting.

Development proposals: ‘Village Concerns’ is an East Hoathly with Halland Action Group. It will monitor new housing proposals for our parish and will seek information to endorse or challenge the plans, so as to ensure that sustainable housing development is upheld without undue over-development.

Wealden District Council is considering plans for the parish to double in size over the next 5 years. There is concern that housing development in the parish is being led by developers rather than being considered within the context of a strategic plan that carefully evaluates local needs; the capacity of the infrastructure; and prevents the loss of the distinctive village character and the destruction of the local landscape and wildlife.

The Action Group is independent of the East Hoathly with Halland Parish Council. It was started by a few residents who were deeply worried about the real threat of overdevelopment. A Steering Committee coordinates its activities and a Constitution sets out the fundamental principles of Village Concerns governance. Villagers have been encouraged to join an email group ([email protected]) and a blog has been created (www.villageconcerns2016.co.uk) in order to help disseminate planning information. They are 186 strong.

It is understood that the first of these developments for a proposed 211 homes on Hesmonds Stud land on the London and Waldron Roads of East Hoathly was submitted on the 11th of November to Wealden District Council. When it appears on the Planning section of the WDC website, there will be only have 4 weeks to object to the plans if that if that is what residents want to do.

If residents do wish to object to this amount of new homes in the village please be diligent and understand that this could be the first of at least three, if not more, developments in the village, so it is important for you to raise your voice and be heard loud and clear in the Wealden District Council planning committees.

Christmas Shop: Hidden below the Village Stores is the bricked and arched Georgian cellars is an extraordinary collection of festive goods not normally found in any supermarket at competitive prices. As well as confectionary, biscuits, cheeses condiments and gifts you can order local free-range venison turkeys and traditional hams. Hampers can also be made up to order. The shop is open from 8am to 6pm and there will be a late night shopping event on Thursday 15th December.

Preservation Society: This SUNDAY,(18th DECEMBER), the society will be leading their last walk of 2016. It will be a street walk of Historic East Grinstead and will be starting at 2.00pm from The Railway Tavern (best to book for lunch). Further details, car sharing etc., please call Jenny on 872830.

As well as a tremendous amount of surviving but easily missed architecture from the late middle ages, there’s loads of trivia to impress your friends with, such as; Did you know that Good King Wenceslas was written in East Grinstead?

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