Councils fall out

WEALDEN S senior councillors have been slammed by Uckfield Town Council for 'ignoring residents on the issue of the proposed town centre development.

Members this week accused the district council s executive of 'rail-roading Uckfield on future discussions about the ambitious proposals, which would effectively 'move the town centre up the High Street.

Guide

Wealden s top brass last week met to consider a 'strategic management of major development proposals such as the Uckfield plan. Members had considered the idea of a working party consisting of district and town councillors to 'guide the project as a whole through issues such as the impact of the proposed development on traders and the future of the Luxford playing field.

However, their decision to reject the idea and instead 'drive the proposal through the executive this week left Uckfield town councillors seething.

Cllr Martha Whittle said: 'I m absolutely appalled. They have effectively started negotiating at district level by abandoning the working party.

'No Uckfield-resident district councillors or town councillors will be involved in the initial development planning process. The executive is a partisan body that rarely consults with those outside of the magic circle. Uckfield is being excluded from decision-making in its own town centre. Wealden are behaving as though the town council does not exist.

Cllr Hilary Cary said: 'Consultation should come in very early with the people of Uckfield. This is not going to go down very well. Do we want a leisure ground in the middle of a traffic island? It should be up to the townspeople to decide.

Cllr Duncan Bennett added: 'It s down to the people of this town to decide what they want, not a small bank of people , while Cllr Michael Hakiel said: 'The wishes of the Uckfield people must not be ignored on this critical issue. As the major landowner in the proposed development, Uckfield Town Council has a critical role in these proposals. I am appalled that Wealden wants to rail-road the town council in this way.

'Disgust

Members at Monday s full council meeting voted to write to Wealden to express their 'disgust on behalf of the town , and also to invite leader Cllr Thornely-Taylor to a future meeting of the town council for him to 'explain the thinking behind the decision.

Tesco s developers, St James Investments, last year announced plans to build a giant superstore on the existing Luxford Field site.

The proposal also included a Greenland site near the river and a gyratory traffic system which would involve a second road bridge over the Uck.