Category: Notices/Information

Ultrafast broadband – Dallington and Mountfield

This is an update to my post (yesterday) about Ultrafast broadband in Dallington and Mountfield.

I jumped the gun somewhat after getting the flyer yesterday when the parishes of Netherfield, Ninfield, Brightling, Ashburnham, Penhurst, Catsfield, Dallington and Mountfield were mentioned.  However, Openreach work on telephone exchanges and not parish boundaries, all these parishes were noted on the flyer (only delivered to certain post codes) as some residents of the parishes are connected to the Brightling and Ashburnham telephone exchanges.

I have spoken to Andrew Wedmore (Chair of Brightling PC) today – who has worked tirelessly over the past few years on this project – please click on the link below to see an email from Andrew which shows the post codes that can be connected, through the voucher scheme, at the present time.

  • Brightling telephone exchange – Brightling + Netherfield Village + Dallington Woods Corner area.
  • Ashburnham telephone exchange – Ashburnham + Penhurst + Ninfield.

There is also a link from Andrew’s email showing FAQs.

1 Broadband in Netherfield and Brightling and Dallington Woods Corner

Ultrafast broadband voucher scheme FAQs

I believe that we cannot have a two tier system for broadband and every resident of Dallington and Mountfield must have the opportunity to apply for this voucher scheme.  I intend to pursue this matter with Openreach – “the next hill that I die on.”

Just as an aside, you can find out which telephone exchange you are connected to by going to the following site – just put your post code in.

Find out which telephone exchange you are connected to

Irene – Parish Clerk

Ultrafast broadband is coming to our area for all!

Very excited about this.  There has been tremendous work by Brightling and Ashburnham & Penhurst Parish Councils on this issue for a long time and they deserve a massive shout out.

There are many of us in our parishes who get what is not exactly Ultrafast Broadband, although it may well be called that.  I have just tested my broadband (on my laptop) and I get 35.29Mbps download and 6.54Mbps download – not what I would call Ultrafast!

You can check your broadband speed by going to the site below

BT Wholesale Broadband Speed Checker

This offer guarantees Ultrafast and FIBRE TO PREMISES, most of us have fibre to cabinet.  I’ve just pooled my voucher into the scheme and have classed myself as a business (parish clerk to two councils).

I know for a fact that there are graphic designers, architects, draughtspersons etc., who have real problems working from home without Ultrafast broadband (fibre to premises).

Please do read the document below, it will give you full details on how to pool your voucher and IT WON’T COST YOU A PENNY!

Ultrafast broadband full details

To pool your voucher, go to the link below

Click on this link to pool your voucher

Even if you don’t see the benefit of Ultrafast broadband for your particular circumstances – please do pool your voucher into the scheme, it will benefit so many others.

Irene – Parish Clerk

Additional Compensation for recent power outages

Please see the statement below from Basil Scarsella, CEO of UK Power Networks, more details on the link below.

Statement from UK Power Networks CEO Basil Scarsella

I appreciate what a difficult time this is, for our many customers who have experienced a power cut caused by Storm Eunice which saw record wind speeds and damage across the South East and East of England.

While we work hard to get everybody back on supply, we have decided to make goodwill payments to our customers who were worst affected by power cuts caused by Storm Eunice and have been without power for 24 hours.

We recognise that being without power for this extended period affects your daily life so we have decided to make an extra £50 payment, earlier than payments would normally apply which would be after 48 hours.  This means that if you were impacted by Storm Eunice you will be eligible to receive £50 after 24 hours without electricity, an additional £70 when you reach 48 hours, and an additional £70 thereafter for every 12 hours without power. 

There is no need for you to call us – we’ll contact everyone who is entitled to a payment by text message, email or letter in the coming days. If you prefer you can fill in our online claim form.

I hope you and your families are safe and well. Please rest assured it’s our top priority to get your power back on as quickly as we can.

Basil Scarsella

ESCC – Launch of Household Support Fund across East Sussex

East Sussex County Council have launched their Household Support Fund across East Sussex to help residents who will be most in need this winter.  Please see below the details from Councillor Carl Maynard.

From: Councillor Carl Maynard <Cllr.Carl.Maynard@eastsussex.gov.uk>
Date: 19 November 2021 at 15:34:33 GMT
To: ~D All Councillors <~DAllCouncillors@eastsussex.gov.uk>
Subject: Our launch of £3.9m Household Support Fund for East Sussex

Dear colleague,

Today we’re launching the Household Support Fund across East Sussex to help residents who will be most in need this winter.

The fund assigns £3.9m of extra support to our county and we’ve allocated it so as to give a hand to families and individuals who are struggling with basic living costs at the moment. We are also working with all our partners in borough and district councils and with the county’s excellent voluntary services to ensure we use these resources effectively in every part of East Sussex.

More than half of the fund will be directed to families with children. It will pay for free school meals for those who are eligible in the two-week Christmas school holiday, in the week of half-term in February and the two-week Easter holiday in April. Schools will work with families who qualify to help them take up the offer.

We will also target some of the money at families with whom Children’s Services are already working, because they have particular needs.

Elsewhere, households who are struggling to meet the cost of food, energy or water bills will be apply to apply to their borough or district council for support. They’ll be considered for this support if they’re 18 or over and receive a means-tested benefit (including universal credit, pension credit or working tax credit among others).

They should contact their borough or district council as follows:

Eastbourne Household Support Grants – Lewes and Eastbourne Councils (lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk) 01273 471600

Hastings  Household Support Fund | Hastings Borough Council 01424 451066

Lewes Household Support Grants – Lewes and Eastbourne Councils (lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk) 01273 471600

Rother Household Support Fund – Rother District Council  01424 787000

Wealden Household Support Fund (HSF) – Wealden District Council – Wealden District Council 01323 443322

Resources for this element of the fund have been divided among boroughs and districts according to their relative number of recipients of universal credit and pension credit.

We’re also allocating some of the fund to strengthen the existing good work done by the Keep Warm and Well service in East Sussex. They can offer a free warm homes check for people struggling to heat their homes and can offer advice and sometimes grants for extra works like insulation, window replacement and boiler replacement.

There’s also more funding for Citizens Advice who operate from several sites in East Sussex and can direct people to the best sources of help.

And we’re adding more than £1 million to foodbanks and other volunteer-led organisations across East Sussex to help meet the rising needs the county will see this winter, along with the rest of the country.

The government grant, which largely replaces the previous Winter Covid Fund Support Grant and the Covid Local Support Fund Grant, is most welcome and I believe we’ve planned to use it as effectively as we can. Officer working groups from both the county council and district and borough councils will ensure delivery of the Household Support Fund by March.

We wanted to ensure you had the latest information about how the scheme will work. There is more information on the ESCC website: Household Support Fund – extra help for those most in need | East Sussex County Council

We’ll be happy to answer any further questions you might have.

Yours sincerely,

Cllr Carl Maynard and Cllr Bob Bowdler

Mountfield Family Fireworks and Bonfire Night 05.11.21

The fabulous Mountfield Family Fireworks and Bonfire Night will take place on 5th November 2021 at the Bonfire Field in Solomon’s Lane.
The gates will open at 6pm, donations at the gate, burgers/hot dogs and refreshments available.
This is a community event, organised by Mountfield Village Hall, and all are welcome.
MOUNTFIELD BONFIRE NIGHT 5-11-21

Coppice work in Darwell Wood

Forestry England are starting coppice work in September in Darwell Wood.  The details, from Forestry England, are below

I am writing to inform you of the coppice work that will be starting in September at Darwell and should run through until December.

Here’s a summary of what we are doing and what we are trying to achieve.

The coppice rotations are based on small coupes (< 2ha) being felled each year, using a ‘little and often’ system designed to create rotational open space which will benefit a number of species of butterfly and other invertebrates across the woodland. Birds which benefit include nightjar in the open stage, and once the natural regeneration matures to thicket stage, it will provide quality habitat for Schedule 41 species such as nightingale, turtle dove, cuckoo and willow warbler.

Brash will be cleared (raked and put into neat dead hedges or chipped and removed from site) to allow light to the forest floor and reduce the nutrient content encouraging the growth of wildflowers amongst the sapling stage natural regeneration.

Veteran trees and standing deadwood identified within the operational area will be retained for their conservation value. The ride management rotation will start to bring connectivity to the woodland which will be particularly beneficial for butterflies.

The areas selected for this year’s work have been prioritised as they are populated with dead or dying Ash as a result of Hymen scyphus Fraxinus (Ash dieback). It is important to remove the trees in the interest of safety as well as ensuring they still remain a marketable crop.

The intention is to stack the timber at roadside in small quantities – 30 m3 or 60m3. This will allow for greater competition in the market, enabling offers from buyers who may only be able to purchase in small quantities. Sales will take place as and when adequate quantities have been put to roadside.

Due to the site being Ancient Semi-Natural Woodland the approach to restocking will be natural regeneration.

In regard to safety. I have informed the Rights of Way team about the work and the footpaths likely to be affected. Warning signs will be at entrances to the site. Site users are asked to follow the safety instructions and to keep well clear of harvesting machinery.

If you would like any more information, please get in touch with jadie.baker@forestryengland.uk

Location Darwell Coppice 2021

Operation Map Darwell Coppice 2021