Parish Council Profile
| General | |
|---|---|
| Number of Councillors | 7 |
| Meetings per year | 8 plus Annual Parish Assembly |
| Average period between meetings | 6 weeks |
| Usual venue for meetings | Brightling Village Hall |
| Chairman | Andrew Wedmore |
| Vice Chairman | Christopher French |
| Planning Committee | David Gasson, Christopher French and Andrew Wedmore |
| Councillors | Caroline Croft, David Gasson, Christopher French, Jane Oxenford, Bill Vorley, Andrew Wedmore, Roderick Wrenn |
| Statutory Functions | |
| Churchyards | Annual grant made to Brightling PCC towards maintenance of the churchyard. |
| Crime Prevention | The expenses of Neighbourhood Watch Chief Co-ordinator are reimbursed by Council. The council consults and reports incidents to Sussex Police and has regular contact with the local PCSO. |
| School Governors | School Governor Mrs Bobby Steel sends reports on Dallington School to Brightling Parish Council 3 times per year. |
| Rights of Way | In partnership with ESCC, the council regularly checks footpaths and bridleways for clearance, surface condition, signage and bridge maintenance and reports to ESCC for work to be carried out. Limited clearance work undertaken by council. |
| Trees and Verges | All councillors are registered as Tree Wardens, various training courses available. Overgrown hedgerows abutting highways are observed and landowners notified when cutting back of trees or hedges required, if no action taken reported to ESCC as Highways Authority have powers to serve notices for clearance. Reports damaged or missing furniture and signs to ESCC. Taken responsibility for maintenance and decoration (biannual programme) of traditional guideposts from ESCC who remain the ‘owners’. |
| Drainage | Road drainage is responsibility of ESCC Highways, council regularly checks for blockages etc and informs ESCC as necessary. |
| Post and Telecoms | Consulted by Post Office and BT regarding changes to services. |
| Buildings and Halls | Supports the independent Village Hall Committee, appoints representative to the Committee (currently Cllr Jane Oxenford) who reports back to council. Gives financial support annually. |
| Planning Proposals | Consulted by Rother District Council (RDC). Reports unauthorised work to RDC. Consulted by RDC/ESCC on planning strategies. |
| War Memorials | Partner with PCC for maintenance/restoration as and when necessary. |
| Emergency Planning | Responsible for drafting and maintaining Parish Emergency Plan and issuing to RDC/ESCC. |
| Community Benefit | The council gives annual donations to various charities that provide a tangible benefit to the residents of Brightling. Currently they include Sussex Air Ambulance, St Michael’s Hospice, the Rural Rother Trust, Bexhill and Rother Citizens Advice Bureau and Sussex Victim Support. |
| Administration | |
| Clerk | Dr Brian Holdstock |
| Council Office | Little Midge, Ashburnham, Battle, TN33 9PB. |
| Internal Auditor | Heidi Duffin, contact via Council Office |
| Subscribes to | Sussex Association of Local Councils (NALC through SALC) Rother Association of Local Councils Action in Rural Sussex |
| Key Relationships | Cllr Eleanor Kirby-Green, RDC Cllr John Barnes, ESCC Mr D Stevens, Chief Executive, RDC Sussex Police High Weald AONB |
| Last updated | 20 May 2016 |
