Fairlight Village Voice

If you’re interested in seeing local democracy in action, don’t forget that the PARISH COUNCIL meets next Tuesday evening, 27th October, at 7pm in the Village Hall. Everyone is welcome, although it’s worth remembering that this is a working meeting, not a social event. So, if you’re expecting tea, biscuits and a bit of village gossip, you may need to manage your expectations. Alternatively, if you’re a little on the shy side, or simply prefer your democracy served from the comfort of your own home, you can catch every thrilling episode on YouTube. The easiest way is to search for “Fairlight Matters” and take it from there. No need to dress up, find a parking space or even pretend to be paying attention!

Sticking with the internet, the village FACEBOOK pages have been particularly lively this week, with complaints about that perennial village problem: dog poo. It seems some of the language used has even managed to slip past our normally eagle-eyed, family-friendly moderators, which gives you some idea of the strength of feeling on the subject. Joking aside, it’s easy to understand the frustration felt by dog owners and non-dog owners alike when a small minority of people simply refuse to clear up after their four-legged friends. The Parish Council spends hundreds of pounds of villagers’ money trying to tackle the problem, but sadly, there’s no magic solution. You can provide bins, put up signs and issue reminders until you’re blue in the face, but you can’t legislate for those who apparently believe that picking up after their dog is somebody else’s job.

Whilst on the subject of Facebook, residents of LOWER WAITES LANE and its surrounding spur roads now have their very own group up and running, ready to share news, updates and concerns about the SOUTHERN WATER works when they resume in the New Year. Given the history of the project so far, I suspect they won’t be short of material! The idea is to keep the main village Facebook pages free for general village news, rather than having them disappear beneath a tidal wave of updates from Lower Waites Lane. If you live in the affected area, you can join the group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/4051698268467494.

If you happen to find yourself wandering across the FIREHILLS, near Coastguards Cottages, you may encounter some cattle enjoying a spot of grazing. And these aren’t just any old cows, you know. Oh no! These are high-tech, environmentally conscious, heathland-restoring, vegetation-controlling super-cows, equipped with the latest in 21st-century wizardry: the "No Fence" virtual fencing system. Rather than being confined by conventional fences, these bovine boffins operate within invisible boundaries. While the rest of us struggle to operate the television remote, these magnificent beasts are helping to manage a precious natural habitat using technology that some of us would probably need a three-day training course to understand. However, before you rush off to congratulate them on their environmental achievements, there are a few ground rules. Dogs must be kept on a secure lead, the cattle must not be approached or disturbed, and gates must be kept firmly closed. The cattle may be clever, but they haven’t yet mastered the art of shutting gates behind themselves, and we don’t want the whole herd heading off towards Fairlight village in search of a decent cup of tea and a slice of carrot cake. So, do enjoy the scenery, admire the cattle from a respectful distance, and remember that you’re sharing the Firehills with some very important environmental workers. Just don’t ask them for directions. They haven’t yet mastered mobile phones, and anyway, as we all know, reception up there can be absolutely dreadful.

Regular readers of this column, along with anyone following the saga through other forms of communication, could be forgiven for being thoroughly confused by the ongoing mystery surrounding the proposed development at WAKEHAM’S FARM. More specifically, when Rother District Council’s Planning Department might get around to considering the application, or whether it has been placed in a cupboard marked “We’ll get round to it eventually”. But just when you thought the whole affair couldn’t become any more confusing, along comes Rother’s “Local Plan for 2025–2042”, inviting us all to have our say on a variety of matters, including housing in Fairlight. And guess what? Among the proposals is provision for 35 houses in Fairlight. Whereabouts, you might ask? Go on, have a wild guess. Yes, Wakeham’s Farm! Now, I may be missing something here, but I was under the impression that we’d already had this conversation. Several times in fact. Hundreds of Fairlight residents have already made their views known over the past few years, yet here we are again, apparently being invited to comment on the same proposed development on the same site. Perhaps previous rounds of public comment have simply been mislaid somewhere between the filing cabinet and the stationery cupboard. Or perhaps this is another necessary stage in the planning process. Who knows? Either way, if you fancy another opportunity to tell Rother what you think about the exact same proposal, you have until 24th November to make your views known. Yes, that’s right. You’ve said it before, but now you can say it again. And if the current saga is anything to go by, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if we get another opportunity after that.

Moving on to something considerably less confusing: church matters. St. ANDREW’s will be holding its Morning Praise this Sunday at 11am. They will also be holding a “Light Party” on Saturday, 31st October, between 4pm and 6pm. This seems a good opportunity to mention that this year’s Remembrance Service will take place at 10:15am on 8th November. Meanwhile, PETT METHODIST CHURCH continues with its informal breakfast services this Sunday, starting at 10am, with Holy Communion led by Rev Ian Couchman.

On the pub scene, indie-folk singer-songwriter Marie Dance will be performing at THE COVE on Thursday, 29th October, between 7pm and 9pm, whilst local favourites The House Band return to THE ROYAL OAK this Sunday for their usual 4:30pm slot. However, if you’re planning to pop along to the “Oak” next week, take note, as it’s all change! The usual 4:30pm slot has been abandoned in favour of an 8:30pm start for Halloween karaoke and disco. So, instead of nursing a pint to the gentle sounds of Sunday afternoon music, you can look forward to spooky costumes, questionable singing and dancing that may well require medical attention the following morning. You have been warned!

Tickets are still available for THE FAIRLIGHT PLAYERS’ production of A Month of Sundays, running from 12th- 4th November. Bob Larbey, the man behind The Good Life and Ever Decreasing Circles, turns his attention to the joys of growing old, when the body starts letting you down and the mind occasionally pops out for the afternoon without leaving a note. Expect plenty of laughs, a little pathos and some thought-provoking moments. After all, we’re all getting older; it’s just that some of us prefer not to discuss it! Tickets are available online, at DISH, or by calling 07988 540757.

And finally this week, we finish on some good news. At the FAIRLIGHT PRESERVATION TRUST’s AGM last Sunday, it was confirmed that a specialist French company would be starting work on the servicing and maintenance of the pumps along the entire length of Rockmead Road this week. It’s a necessary but expensive undertaking, costing something in the region of £400,000, so a huge thank you to everyone involved with the Trust, both past and present, whose efforts have helped make this possible. It’s difficult to overstate the importance of the Trust to our village, and I would argue that it is one of, if not the most important, organisations in Fairlight. However, its continued work depends on the support of villagers, so if you’re not already a member, please consider joining. For more information or to sign up, visit: fcpt.org.uk/about-us or email [email protected]. Supporting the Trust is one way we can all help protect Fairlight for ourselves, our kids, and future generations.

Until next time, have a great week!

Bob Scattergood – [email protected]