Wealden District

Wealden is a local government district in East Sussex, England. Its council is based in Hailsham. The district's name comes from the Weald, the remnant forest which was once unbroken and occupies much of the centre and north of the area.

Wealden District
Wealden shown within East Sussex
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
RegionSouth East England
Non-metropolitan countyEast Sussex
StatusNon-metropolitan district
Admin HQHailsham
Incorporated1 April 1974
Government
  TypeNon-metropolitan district council
  BodyWealden District Council
  LeadershipLeader & Cabinet (Conservative)
  MPsCaroline Ansell (Cons)
Maria Caulfield (Cons)
Nusrat Ghani (Cons)
Huw Merriman (Cons)
Area
  Total322.4 sq mi (835.0 km2)
Area rank44th (of 317)
Population
 (mid-2019 est.)
  Total161,475
  Rank120th (of 317)
  Density500/sq mi (190/km2)
  Ethnicity
98.3% White
Time zoneUTC0 (GMT)
  Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)
ONS code21UH (ONS)
E07000065 (GSS)
OS grid referenceTQ5519524567
Websitewww.wealden.gov.uk

History

Wealden District was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, by the merger of the Hailsham and Uckfield Rural District Councils (RDCs), both set up under the Local Government Act 1894, which also revived the parish councils.

Governance

Wealden District Council is elected every 4 years, with the Conservative party having had a majority on the council since the first election in 1973, apart from a couple of years after 1995 when no party had a majority. As of the last election in 2019 the council is composed of the following councillors:- [1]

Wealden District Council after the 2019 election.
  Conservative: 34 seats
  Independent Democrat: 4 seats
  Liberal Democrat: 4 seats
  Green Party of England and Wales: 2 seats
  Independent: 1 seat

The district is second-level in local government, responsible for town and country planning and domestic rubbish and recycling collections, for example. There are 45 members of the Council, representing 41 wards.[2][3] The towns have more than one ward: Crowborough has six; Hailsham, seven; Heathfield and Waldron, five; Uckfield, five; and Polegate, three.[4] The ward boundaries are regularly redrawn in an attempt to maintain a standard number of electors per councillor. They are at 2007:

WardPopulation (2007)CouncillorsElectors per councillor
Alfriston248112481
Buxted and Maresfield505222526
Chiddingly and East Hoathly293412934
Cross in Hand/Five Ashes229112291
Crowborough East520222601
Crowborough Jarvis Brook269812698
Crowborough North503522517
Crowborough St. Johns226212262
Crowborough West479122395
Danehill/Fletching/Nutley500322501
East Dean218612186
Forest Row535622678
Framfield261112611
Frant/Withyham476722383
Hailsham Central and North559122795
Hailsham East276912769
Hailsham South and West840132800
Hartfield260612606
Heathfield East234912349
Heathfield North and Central783232610
Hellingly511722558
Herstmonceux282612826
Horam258312583
Mayfield261512615
Ninfield and Hooe with Wartling236212362
Pevensey and Westham898132993
Polegate North481122405
Polegate South224512245
Rotherfield240212402
Uckfield Central298412984
Uckfield New Town260412604
Uckfield North531722658
Uckfield Ridgewood296812968
Wadhurst508522542
Willingdon712132373
Total Wealden142238552586

This district is entirely civil parished, enabling all farms and outlying homes to have an established community and influencing civic body, into:[5][6]

ParishTypeArea (sq mi)Population (2007)Pop Density /sq mi
AlcistonParish Meeting2.714653.7
AlfristonParish Council3.6774214.2
ArlingtonParish Council7.149069.2
BerwickParish Council1.9289149.4
BuxtedParish Council8.43145376.4
Chalvington with RipeParish Council4.31082252.0
ChiddinglyParish Council6.81006147.9
CrowboroughTown Council5.2199883812.1
Cuckmere ValleyParish Council6.819728.9
DanehillParish Council8.71927220.3
East Dean and FristonParish Council3.31577474.9
East Hoathly with HallandParish Council5.81343229.9
FletchingParish Council9.91041104.7
Forest RowParish Council12.65054402.4
FramfieldParish Council7.61855243.3
FrantParish Council12.31367110.9
Hadlow DownParish Council6.6715109.1
HailshamTown Council7.5198362652.3
HartfieldParish Council16.22157132.9
Heathfield and WaldronParish Council20.411514564.5
HellinglyParish Council7.61552205.1
HerstmonceuxParish Council9.52598272.8
HooeParish Council3.9446115.4
HoramParish Council4.02583643.3
IsfieldParish Council3.0564190.7
LaughtonParish Council7.358579.7
Little HorstedParish Meeting4.116840.8
Long ManParish Council6.241266.2
MaresfieldParish Council10.13246319.9
Mayfield and Five AshesParish Council16.43562217.6
NinfieldParish Council4.11520371.7
PevenseyParish Council6.83152463.8
PolegateTown Council2.880212853.6
RotherfieldParish Council17.83151177.0
SelmestonParish Meeting2.619073.1
UckfieldTown Council2.9138734810.0
WadhurstParish Council15.54818311.0
WarbletonParish Council11.21262112.3
WartlingParish Council4.339692.7
WesthamParish Council5.558291066.9
Willingdon and JevingtonParish Council4.161561511.3
WithyhamParish Council14.22651186.7
Total Wealden321.7142238442.2

Geography

Wealden District covers two main upland areas: the section of the High Weald within East Sussex; and the eastern end of the South Downs, between which lies the Vale of Sussex, the lowlands of which are named the Pevensey Levels. The River Ouse, some of the tributaries of which originate in the district, is the border with the Lewes District; and the River Cuckmere is wholly in Wealden. The English Channel to the south is interrupted by Eastbourne. The River Rother rises on the Weald and flows easterly to the east of Rye Bay. The Wealden basin contains significant reserves of shale oil, totalling 4.4 billion barrels of oil in Wealden and surrounding areas according to a 2014 study, which then Business and Energy Minister Michael Fallon said "will bring jobs and business opportunities" and significantly help with UK energy self-sufficiency. Fracking in the area is required to achieve these objectives, which has been opposed by environmental groups.[7]

It is the central of the three East Sussex non-borough (low density) districts: the others being Lewes to the west, and Rother to the east.

Home ownership

The district has the highest proportion of home ownership of the 37 local authorities in Surrey, Sussex and Kent: combining the social (housing association and local authority provided) and private rented sectors, Brighton and Hove's returns recorded in 2011 that its rented sector comprised 44.4% of its housing, whereas 18.8% of Wealden's residents rented their homes. Neighbouring Rother has a marginally higher proportion of homes owned outright, 3.1% greater and a greater rented sector.

Form of home ownership in Surrey, Sussex and Kent compared[8]
Local AuthorityOwnedOwned with a loanSocially rentedPrivately rentedOtherShared ownership
Wealden42.336.57.711.10.81.7
Epsom and Ewell36.840.28.113.30.90.8
Surrey Heath34.8429.212.10.81
Tandridge36.239.710.8110.91.4
Horsham37.337.211.511.80.71.5
Mid Sussex35.538.810.612.811.4
Arun42.8318.815.30.81.2
Adur37.8361311.40.61.2
Waverley37.73612.411.311.7
Mole Valley39.134.512.211.90.91.4
Rother45.428.110.314.10.51.5
Reigate and Banstead33.239.911.912.91.20.9
Elmbridge34.238.89.815.10.71.2
Sevenoaks37.535.213.210.81.71.6
Lewes39.832.810.914.50.71.3
Spelthorne33.938.612.412.61.41
Tonbridge and Malling32.638.616.110.11.51.1
Woking31.638.911.915.70.91
Maidstone32.937.512.814.61.11.2
Runnymede33.136.412.915.211.4
Worthing34.834.51019.30.50.9
Guildford33.735.112.815.81.31.3
Ashford31.836.614.414.31.31.5
Swale31.436.914.315.211.2
Medway28.938.813.217.111
Chichester40.526.614.914.90.92.2
Dartford27.539.414.8161.31
Dover35.331.314.317.10.51.7
Canterbury35.530.512.219.50.81.4
Tunbridge Wells3233.715.216.90.81.4
Folkestone and Hythe35.329.511.222.20.51.3
Gravesham30.733.917.316.10.81.2
Thanet33.428.612.723.80.31.2
Eastbourne33.528.313.223.40.71.1
Crawley22.236.923.814.51.41.2
Hastings26.928.314.628.80.51
Brighton and Hove23.429.914.929.50.91.3

Transport

The major trunk road is the A22, London to Eastbourne; it is crossed by the A26 MaidstoneLewes road at Uckfield; and the A267 Tunbridge Wells to Eastbourne road. There are also three west-east roads: the A259 coastal route; next inland is the A27 Pevensey–Brighton trunk road; and further to the north the A272 cross-country route to Winchester.

The East Coastway Line, serving Eastbourne and Hastings, uses the Vale of Sussex and has two station serving different sides of Pevensey in the district, which forms a generally suburban conurbation with Westham and a largely rural holiday and visitor coastline, Pevensey Bay. The other railway line is the Uckfield Branch Line from London Bridge.

Long-distance footpaths include the:

Landmarks

Major landmarks include the Seven Sisters and Cuckmere Haven along the coast; and the Long Man of Wilmington together with all of the paths over the South Downs National Park. Roman fortified hills can be found in the north of the area and Uckfield has a large architectural conservation area.

Sheffield Park Garden is an informal landscape garden now owned by the National Trust but laid out by Capability Brown. Near to this is the terminus of the Bluebell Railway, a heritage, steam railway line.

A late medieval castle construction, moated Herstmonceux Castle, was begun in 1440. It is open to visitors and there are organised tours on a few summer days.[9]

Ashdown Forest is to the north of the Weald and is the home of Winnie the Pooh.

See also

References

  1. "Wealden Council: Your Councillers".
  2. "Council - Wealden District Council". www.wealden.gov.uk. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  3. "The Wealden (Electoral Changes) Order 2016". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  4. "The Wealden (Electoral Changes) Order 2016". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  5. "East Sussex in Figures". East Sussex County Council. Retrieved 26 April 2008.
  6. Interactive map showing locations of parishes
  7. Prynn, Jonathan (23 May 2014). "Massive oil reserves lie under commuter belt in South, says report". London Evening Standard. p. 8.
  8. Office for National Statistics 2011 Census Key Statistics: Tenure. Shared ownership forms the small remainder of each proportion.
  9. Scheduled ancient monument: Herstmonceux Castle. Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1002298)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 28 January 2015.

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