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STEPHEN HARMS
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Councillor Stephen Harms
Councillor Party: Conservative
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The site plan for a planning application at Herstmonceux that will be practically another village in size. Ignoring for now the access and drainage problems, and the lack of local school (infrastructure) places for so many, the con is that the so-called "affordable" housing, will not be affordable. To qualify as affordable, a working man should be able to afford to buy the house on a mortgage not more than 4 times his salary. The "affordable" tag is thus reliant on local wages, if the object is to cater for locals who work locally. That is a sustainable practice. What we do not want is houses that are affordable for Londoners who commute to the City to earn salaries many times that it is possible to achieve within a sensible travel radius.
Let us hope that the officers of this council are able to stay on track, without introducing discrimination or character issues into the fray. The matter should be decided on National Planning policies and the adopted plans that have held sway for years, with exceptions only in respect of agriculture or genuine social issues. Tourism and heritage issues must be dealt with, also as part of the National Planning Framework. Conservation and economic experts should have their say, especially concerning long-term conservation as it benefits the nation as a whole in the long term.
WANTED: A SENSIBLE POLITICAL PARTY WITH THE GUTS TO CLAMP DOWN ON FINANCIAL SLAVERY - Average house prices in London are now far beyond even bankers and others on £100,000-a-year salaries. This is a pattern that is being repeated in the countryside - and is sure to lead to political unrest, where the needs of the people are not being addressed. Put simply, successive governments that were mainly concerned to get re-elected, have been borrowing to maintain the illusion that under their leadership things were better, than with the competition. It's political fraud - plain and simple.
OPEN
LETTER
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Dear Councillor,
As a member of a council responsible for a great many historic towns and villages, and also caretaker of the public purse, could we ask you to be especially vigilant against maladministration within the Wealden District Council.
Maladministration is where a local authority fails to carry out the function that it was created to perform. The reason we mention this is because of the appalling history of planning enforcement appeals that were forced on members of the public - and never should have been sanctioned in the first place. That was the reason for the creation of this website and formation of the Wealden Action Group.
Obviously, we want to do our best to keep your council on the straight and narrow - and the way to do this is to monitor your progress and where applicable, lobby the members.
One of the most important functions that a council is charged with, is to provide a rolling stock of land for affordable housing. The fact that most councils are not doing so, is a major problem that is making the next generations financial slaves. The UK has an unenviable history of human rights abuses, beginning with the invention of concentration camps.
While (empire) building mansions might make a lot of bankers and landlords very happy; it is fair? We were under the impression that Britain was aiming to be zero carbon by 2050. That goal relies on sustainable practices and sustainability equals affordability. Huge profits for some and slavery for others is not zero carbon friendly.
Building expensive homes, where we cannot house low wage earners, is economic lunacy. This is elitist politics, rather than an equal opportunities bedrock - that should prevail in the interests of democracy.
These are particularly difficult times, where public funding is under scrutiny against international issues, such as global warming, that should be targeted for spending. We would then expect grants of planning permission for houses that are both affordable and zero carbon - to reduce global warming - and that means smaller houses with a proportionally smaller carbon footprint.
A workable formula for such housing is clear. Sweden and Germany lead with flatpack and other low energy housing - that is affordable, being in the £25-70,000 range. Young families could afford to buy such houses, provided that councils earmark land for affordable development.
What we don't want is agricultural land suddenly going from £5,000 an acre to £1,000,000 - simply because a council failed to identify land for affordable housing. The moment land is allowed to escalate in value, houses are no longer affordable.
Could we suggest that land that is identified as suitable (necessary) for affordable housing, should only be granted consent for genuinely affordable homes. That might put a stop to the Klondike planning stampede that has opened up as a result of council sloth.
Alternatively, Community Land Trust could build those houses for letting at sensible rents - but once again, they need land that is identified as being for affordable housing.
Thank you for taking the time to read this message and we look forward to seeing many sustainable decisions in the future and perhaps hearing your views on such proposals, when you have a spare moment.
Yours sincerely
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LINKS
COUNCILLORS SERVING IN 2017 INTO 2018
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Heathfield Nth & Cenrl - Cons
Pevensey and Westham - Cons
Hailsham South and West - Cons
Heathfield East - Cons
Pevensey and Westham - Cons Deputy Chairman Standards
Hailsham Central & North - Cons Portfolio Community Leadership Human Resources
Hailsham Central and North - Cons Chairman of Licensing
Pevensey and Westham - Cons Dep Chair of Planning South
Rotherfield - Conservative Dep Chair of Audit Finance
Ninfield & Hooe with Wartling Conservative - Vice-Chairman
Uckfield Central - Cons Dep Ldr Public Health Safety
Heathfield North & Central - Conservative
Alfriston - Conservative
Uckfield New Town - Cons
Cross-in-Hand/ Five Ashes - Conservative
Danehill/ Fletching/ Nutley - Cons Portfolio Economic Dev & Waste Man
Hailsham South and West - Cons
Hartfield - Cons- Chairman
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Crowborough West - Cons
Forest Row - Conservative
Frant/ Withyham - Cons Ch Planning North
Buxted & Maresfield - Cons
Crowborough Jarvis Brook - Independent
Herstmonceux - Cons
Buxted & Maresfield - Cons
Crowborough East - Cons
Uckfield Ridgewood - Cons Dep Ch Licensing
Forest Row - Conservative
Crowborough St Johns - Cons Dep Chair Overview & Scrutiny
Willingdon - Conservative
Framfield - Cons Portfolio Planning & Dev
Hailsham East - Conservative
Hellingly - Conservative
Mayfield - Conservative Chairman of Standards Committee
Crowborough North - Conservative
Uckfield North - Cons
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Crowborough East - Cons Chair Overview & Scrutiny
Danehill/ Fletching/ Nutley - Cons Chairman Audit Finance
Frant/ Withyham - Cons
Polegate South - Ind Democrat
Polegate North - Ind Democrat
Willingdon - Independent Democrat
Willingdon - Independent Democrat
Polegate North - Conservative
Wadhurst - Conservative Leader of the Council
Horam - Conservative Chair Planning South
Heathfield North & Central - Cons
Crowborough West - Cons
Hailsham South and West - Cons
Uckfield North - Cons
Crowborough North - Cons Dep Chair Planning North
Chiddingly & East Hoathly - Cons
Wadhurst - Cons Portfolio Housing & Benefits
Hellingly - Independent
East Dean - Conservative |
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