Staplecross

ROTHER DISTRICT COUNCIL: All residents, businesses and Council Tax payers throughout the region are being invited to ‘Have Your Say’ on the Rother District Council’s Revenue Budget for 2017/2018. This includes potential changes to Council Tax. With significant cuts in government funding since 2011, R.D.C. has worked hard to maintain the services that their residents have advised are important to them. They have filled funding gaps through savings, new partnerships and by reducing waste and inefficiency. Staff has been reduced by a third with their offices by a similar amount, since 2011 and this approach is intended to continue. RDC are also looking at generating new sources of income, at investing in technology, so people who can help themselves, have the right tools and look to others to help them deliver lower priority services. Income from Council Tax is essential to support the costs of delivering their day-to-day operations, such as waste collections, street cleaning, leisure facilities, planning and many more services. To protect services, Rother D.C. is considering whether to freeze or increase Council Tax for the financial year 2017/18. The options they will consider are: 1) Raise the Council Tax by £5:00 per year based on a Band D property- therefore RDC would receive £169:32 instead of £164:32. ~Option 2) Freeze the Council Tax at it’s current level. This would result in having to find other ways to make savings from the services they already deliver. ~Option 3) Raise the Council Tax by less than £5:00 per year and find any shortfall from somewhere else. Rother D.C. are asking you to tell them which options you would choose & why? How you think Council Tax monies should be spent ? Which services are the most important to you & why ? Which services the Council should stop - or cut back - in order to make savings and why? All of your responses will help R.D.C. make decisions about the 2017/18 Budget & Council Tax. Leave your answers on their online survey at www.surveyserver.net/?budget2017 You may also email any questions to: [email protected] or write to them at Council Budget Consultation, R.D.C. Town Hall, Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex TN39 3JX. If you want to be the first to take part in the consultations and hear about the results ‘join our residents panel’ This consultation began last week and will continue until the 6th January 2017.

EAST SUSSEX COUNTY COUNCIL: East Sussex County Council are asking ~ “Are you baffled about your benefits?. Do you know which benefit you are entitled to claim ?. Are you worried about your income and need sound advice ? If the answer is yes, the East Sussex Benefits Helpline can help you. Expert benefit advisors are on hand to answer your queries or put you in touch with an advisor who can give ‘face to face’ advice and support to resolve your benefit issues. Appointments can be made quickly so there are no long waiting times. You can get help with all benefits including Attendance Allowance; Pension Credit; State Pension; Child Benefit; Housing Benefit; Employment & Support Allowance; Income Support; Disability Living Allowance; Personal Independence Payment; Council Tax Reduction; Jobseeker’s Allowance; Tax Credits and Universal Credit. This is a confidential and independent FREE helpline which will be answered by experienced, trained staff. It was set up by the County Council to help you, your family, friends, or your neighbours. You can either call 0333~3440681 between 9.am & 5.pm Monday to Friday or go to eastsussex.gov.uk/benefits or, if you prefer, you can email your enquiries to the advisors on [email protected] You can get FREE access to the internet by going to your local library. Talking of libraries; ~~ The NEW OPENING TIMES for all East Sussex LIBRARIES comes into effect from Monday November 28th. All libraries will be open on a Saturday and many will stay open until 6.00pm on a Thursday. There may also be other libraries open at times convenient for you, where you work or live. You can check the opening times of all libraries in East Sussex via eastsussex.gov.uk/libraries; via our nearest main branch in Battle; or via our mobile library service when it comes visiting. You can also use their webpages at any time of the day - or night- to renew or reserve books; update your details; search the catalogue and access their e-books and e-audiobooks. You can also renew your books,24 hours a day, through their automated renewal line, simply by calling 0345~6080195.

ROTHER RAMBLERS: Still out and about, enjoying our countryside, the members of the local walking group, the Rother Ramblers have two (2) more walks for us to enjoy. Walk No: 1 is arranged for Sunday November 20th and is an 8.5 mile meander of Falmer and the ‘Lost Village of Balsdean’ - sounds intriguing! - The meeting point is ‘Falmer pond’ - off the A27. OS EXP122. TQ345087. (SatNav BN1 9PT) at 10.30am. The ‘walk notes’ suggest ~ ‘from the A27, take the slip road B2123 to Falmer and Rottingdean, drive left at mini roundabout, then left at traffic lights to Falmer South.’ This walk promises to be a stile-less, downland walk, passing the site of the lost village of Balsdean. As usual, a picnic lunch is recommended. Adrian is to be your ‘walk leader’ for today and you may contact him on: 01273~514336 or Mobile 07729~861854 for more details. Walk No: 2 is of a slightly shorter mileage of a mere 6.5 miles and is to be a circular of Catsfield, which is cleverly close by. Planned to take place on Wednesday November 23rd. the meeting place is to be the Catsfield village car park. OS EXP124. TQ725136. (SatNav TN33 9DS) at 10.00am. On this stroll, you have the option of a pub lunch at the end of the walk. - A reward for good behaviour perhaps ? Jane and Peter are your ‘walk leaders’ for this excursion and you may contact them on 01424~733300 or Mobile 07732~366090 for all further information.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARIES: EWHURST & STAPLECROSS BONFIRE SOCIETY would like to invite any resident of the parish ( & possibly beyond) to come along on Saturday December 3rd and join them for their annual Christmas Carol Service. This is always a wonderful evening which begins when we all meet up at the War Memorial in Staplecross, - (opposite the Cross Inn !) at 6.15pm. Many of the member’s will be dressed in the society’s well known ‘uniform’ and with the added excitement, nostalgia and wonder by way of dozens of flaming torches, lighting our way, will accompany the group on the very short distance along Northiam Road, to St. Mark’s church for the Carol Service. Following the beautiful service, the society will then present their donations to the local organisations and good causes that they have elected to support this year. This is such a lovely evening, guaranteed to bring a ‘feel-good’ feeling to all who attend, and with mulled wine, mince pies and other festive nibbles in abundance, you really will remember the story of Christmas. Everyone is welcome, - of all ages, so please come and join them.

CHURCH SERVICES: Church services for the parish of Ewhurst will commence at St, James the Great, Ewhurst Green on Sunday November 20th. Sunday before Advent. at 9.30am. This service will include Holy Communion. Sadly, there will be NO SERVICES at both St. Giles church, Bodiam and St Mark’s church, Staplecross today but if there is any church matter on which you feel you may need further assistance, or guidance,- baptisms, weddings or sadly funerals; - then do please get in touch. You may contact either of the churchwardens ~ Graham Peters -on [email protected] and telephone no: 01580~830203 for Bodiam church matters and for Ewhurst Parish church matters, please contact Jo Goodwin-on [email protected] and telephone no: 01580~830601. Help in some form or another, is always at hand, so do please contact them.

PLEASE CONTACT ME: If you are arranging an event in the near future, --- however large or small and you’d like some extra coverage for it, then please get in touch. If it’s of interest to you, - it’s of interest to us. It’s never too early to send in your details and to tell us what you are planning,- especially with Christmas edging ever closer, so please do contact me, as I’d love to hear from you and to help ‘spread the word’ on your behalf.........Thank You.

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