Fairlight

Pews News: This Sunday, November 4, there will be Morning Praise at St Andrew's at 10.30 am. The Crèche and Junior Church will both be available. This is also Food Bank focus week. Every six weeks St Andrew's has a Sunday when people can bring foodstuff along to the church to be given away to those who need it. It goes to the central collection point at Kings Church, so you are able to take food there directly if you are visiting the hospital, or crossing the Ridge for whatever reason! At Pett Methodist Chapel, the 10.45 am service on Sunday will be led by the Revd Neville Burnett.

MOPPs today and next Friday: Today, Friday, November 2, singer Jim Saphin will be entertaining the members, as he has done many times before! And after this, lunch will consist of cottage pie and then fruit salad. Next Friday, November 9, there will be flower arranging with Sylvia plus a session of tombola. Lunch next week will be roast pork plus all the bits, followed by apple crumble.

The Fairlight Centenary Celebration at St Andrew’s: please don’t forget the Centenary Celebration of the end of World War One, entitled ‘Voices of Victory’. This will be in St Andrew’s church a week today, Friday, November 9, starting at 7 pm. This will not be a service, but rather an evening of music, entertainment and remembering to which everyone is invited.

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Bowls Club coffee morning: Tomorrow, Saturday, November 3, it’s the Bowls Club’s very popular coffee morning, which runs from 10 am to 12 noon in the village hall. There’ll be the usual collection of interesting stalls, tea, coffee and cakes, and mulled wine. And the renowned bingo to conclude the entertainment!

Gardening Club: The Club’s November meeting is next Monday, November 5, when Haydon Luke will be telling the history of Hastings Country Park. The afternoon begins at 2.30 pm. Visitors are welcome.

At the Post Office: The keenly anticipated Players’ production of The Vicar of Dibley part Two, runs next week from Wednesday to Saturday, November 7 to 10, nightly at 7.30 pm and with a Saturday Matinee at 2.30 pm. Tickets are £7 each, and there are some, but not a lot, remaining. Graeme and Leonie have them at the Post Office.

Sad news: The Royal British Legion does so much good in the aftermath of an endless supply of wars and conflicts, and much of the good is supported by revenue obtained from the annual sale of poppies. Imagine how one of our door-to-door collectors felt when a local resident said ‘What do you want? Don’t you know this is a no cold calling zone?’ This was not some teenager who, through a fault in our education system, has no idea of our recent history, but a much older moronic ingrate exercising the Freedom of Speech, just one of the countless Freedoms earned by the thousands who died or suffered on our behalf.

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The Parish Council: A smooth-running meeting last week, with Vice-Chairman Cllr Mier standing, or sitting, in for Cllr David Shortman. Among a multiplicity of detailed points was the discussion and decision to cancel, for a trial period, the designate wildlife verge on the west side of the first big bend in Broadway. This has looked lately more like a missed grass cutting opportunity than a serious, well-managed plot.

The Brighter Fairlight Exterior Christmas Lighting competition will be continued this year, and a good thing, too.

A new grit bin has been obtained for Meadow Way, though it does seem to be on the small side. It looks rather like a cat litter tray, but with a lid, and suitable only for a smallish cat. Our Parish Clerk, Pauline Collins, has a reserve supply of refill material with which to replenish the bins, However, she cannot be expected to mastermind topping up twice a day.

Rother local plan – Consultation: Cllr Stephen Leadbetter, the assiduous Chairman of our Planning Committee, has circulated some important information about Rother’s local plan, and we repeat it, in essence, here.

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He says that Rother District Council, in common with all Planning Authorities, is required to have an up-to-date Local Plan, without which unwelcome planning applications have an increased chance of being successful. Their proposed plan has now been published and consultation is open until Friday, December 7. The plan has then to be formally approved and submitted to the government by January 7 2019.

The key points for Fairlight are: Strategic Gap, pp 76 - 79 – The proposal is to severely restrict development in Fairlight between Fairlight Cove and the top of the hill. Extensions, conversions and one for one replacements would still be permitted. Sustainable Drainage, pp 88 - 89 – The intention is to manage surface water drainage to minimise the impact on the cliff and downstream at Pett Level which is at risk from flooding. Land Stability, pp 90 - 94 – It is proposed to restrict development close to the cliff edge in Fairlight unless it can be shown that it will not add to instability. Soakaways will not be allowed within 50 metres of the cliff. Site Allocations – It is proposed that an area of Wakehams Farm to the east of the village be allocated to accommodate around 30 dwellings. It is suggested that half should be age restricted and designed as smaller houses, bungalows or housing with care. 40% would be affordable. There may also be a doctor’s surgery (nice to see that old canard raising its head once more!) The plan is available for your perusal on the village website. Please do so, for it comes in the week that it is announced that planning permission has been sought for 150 properties to be erected on East Field. This application is outside of the Rother plan. As the plan is a very long document, page numbers are quoted above where relevant and they reflect Fairlight interests in each area.

Nest week, this column will include the details of how and where you can make representations to Rother DC on their local plan.