Introduction – Chairman Andy Burton
Welcome to the Parish Council’s review of 2021-22. Whilst the pandemic hasn’t gone away, it’s a relief to be able to resume some normality to community life and events in the village. This includes our first Village Roadshow, originally planned for 2020 and incorporating our first Annual Parish Meeting since 2019. We welcome Mims Davies MP as our guest, together with members of various local organisations who have made such a contribution to our community, especially over the past couple of years. It’s these groups that make Cuckfield such a special place to live and work. Despite further lockdowns and restrictions, the Parish Council has continued to be flexible in delivering its Business Plan as we enter the final year before the elections in May 2023 (see www.cuckfield.gov.uk/administration/business-plan).
I am pleased to report that much of the Plan that we set out in 2019 has been completed, with other activities and projects on-going. Of particular note, this year has seen the distribution of food parcels for Cuckfield families in need at Easter, summer and Christmas holidays, consultation on ideas for further traffic calming, continuing development of the Angela Fox Nature Garden behind the Queen’s Hall, increased recycling facilities, and plans to help promote the village economy and events. The Christmas Street Festival was our biggest ever, and our thanks go to Frances Laing, who has recently retired as a Councillor, for organising the event in recent years. I look forward to celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in the next few months with the street party on Friday 3rd June. We are also planning a Jubilee plaque for the front of the Queen’s Hall, and a new metal Jubilee bench for the village centre, to remember this monumental occasion. As the first tier of local government, our primary focus remains to serve the interests of the Cuckfield area and community and, as ever, we are keen to receive feedback on anything the council does. See www.cuckfield.gov.uk for contact details. Of course, the biggest threat to our community concerns Mid Sussex District Council’s recent plans to allocate ‘Cuck-stye’, a settlement of 1,600 new houses.
By doubling its size, Cuckfield will effectively become a congested town, a short distance from Bolnore where the developer’s paint has only just dried on 1,200 houses, and a mile from the newly commenced ‘Northern Arc’ where at 3,500 new houses one of the country’s biggest ever developments is being created – so big it’s being managed by the Government. Nobody can say that Mid Sussex isn’t already doing its bit (and Cuckfield’s Neighbourhood Plan allocates sites not yet developed), but the Westminster algorithm and cries of “more” by developers with political connections and deep pockets have doubled MSDC targets in recent years, which means locations once presumed sacrosanct are now up for grabs.
Both Cuckfield and Ansty & Staplefield Parish Councils have resolved to fight the ludicrous proposal and will be supporting the Stop Cuckstye Action Group (SCAG) over the coming weeks and months as it quickly builds momentum. Don’t be fooled by MSDC’s much publicised “pause” – their work is continuing in the background and if the Government doesn’t change its housing strategy, the plans will be rapidly reinstated. I’d urge everyone to keep up to date with events and the SCAG website as it develops (www.saynotocuckstye.co.uk). Thank you for your support.
For the whole annual report, grab a copy of May’s Cuckfield Life and turn to page 36.