Ask the Leader
The leader of Wealden District Council is Councillor James Partridge. He will be pleased to answer any question you may have about Wealden District Council's policies, or other matters involving the council, which you think are of interest to people living, working or visiting Wealden.
To ask your question, please see our Ask the Leader page on our Let's Talk Wealden website.
Councillor Partridge is the Liberal Democrat leader of the Cabinet of Wealden District Council and represents Crowborough North.
Specific inquiries about particular services such as planning applications, licensing or accommodation can be reported online. Please use our directory of tasks on online services' to find the appropriate form. You can also email info@wealden.gov.uk
We will try to respond within 10 working days of receiving your question and your question and the leader's reply will then be posted on the website. Please provide your name, we don't need your address. If we think the question is inappropriate for publication we will contact you by email to say why.
For information on any of the Ask the Leader questions listed please contact our Communications officer on pr@wealden.gov.uk
Parking issues in Uckfield
26 September 2023
Question: Dear Councillor Partridge, I would like to know why when there is such an issue with parking in Uckfield that this is not on Wealden’s program to discuss. I have had meetings with police, Wealden and East Sussex. Know one wants to deal with the issue. Parking on the pavements, double yellows, why will it...
Answer: Dear Mr Kelly, Thank you for your Ask the Leader question with regards to Anti-Social Parking within your area. I am sorry this is causing an issue but currently Wealden District Council do not deal with any ‘On Street’ parking issues or enforce on the highways. You would need to contact East Sussex County Council...
Hybrid working
25 September 2023
Question: Dear Councillor Partridge, Like thousands of others I do not find it easy to pay £329 per month council tax which is an obscene amount and in my opinion represents poor service and value for money. It has long been known that public service employees do very nicely with their salaries and pensions especially management...
Answer: Dear Mr Raggett Thank you for your note about working from home. I cannot speak for East Sussex County Council. Please contact your local county councillor, if you want to know what it is doing about this. You will appreciate that the majority of your council tax goes to ESCC and other authorities. Only 9%...
Car park enforcement
16 August 2023
Question: Dear Councillor Partridge, In the past I have been in communication with the ex leader of the Council about car parking enforcement (CPE) being introduced to Wealden. At the time the Chief Constable for Sussex was adamant that Sussex Police would not be used for any enforcement action as it was down to Wealden Council…..Wealden...
Answer: Dear Mr Richings, Thank you for this question, Wealden District Council reviewed the options for On Street Car Parking Enforcement in 2017/18. A full and detailed reported was written and presented to Wealden District Council Cabinet for consideration and direction. This is not currently under review and I have attached the link for you to...
Hosepipe ban and housing targets
25 July 2023
Question: Dear Mr Partridge, I accept your comments on the hosepipe ban regarding South East Water and SEW certainly should get their act together. However they have said the water shortage is also due to the amount of water being consumed. There can be little doubt that the amount of house building that has been taking...
Answer: Dear Mr Raggett, Thank you for your questions about new housing and its impact on demand for water. The Alliance Group for Wealden’s number one priority is to deliver the right houses in the right places, with the right infrastructure. As you say, this is not completely within the control of the Council and is...
Continual disruptions to water supplies
24 July 2023
Question: Dear Councillor Partridge, Please can you let me know, if in light of the continual disruptions to water supplies, Plus the almost impossible task of trying to get a doctor’s appointment in Buxted, there is a possibility that fewer applications to build yet more and more houses will be granted? I only ask, as the...
Answer: Dear Mr Taylor, Thank you for your questions about new housing and its impact on demand for water and doctors’ appointments. The Alliance Group for Wealden’s number one priority is to deliver the right houses in the right places. Unfortunately, this is not completely within the control of the Council and is not going to be...
Questions for the Alliance
14 July 2023
Question: Dear Leader, I have asked these questions at the last two Crowborough Town Council meetings and despite promises of responses from alliance members I am yet to receive a reply. Does the alliance plan to introduce car parking charges across the district? Does the alliance plan to increase the charge for collection of garden waste?...
Answer: Dear Neil, Thank you for your questions. I note that, until May, you were the Finance Portfolio Holder at this council. The Alliance does not have any current plans to introduce car parking charges across the District. The garden waste service year starts on 1 August 2023, when the current charge of £55 per bin...
Certificate of Life
12 July 2023
Question: Dear Mr Pharoah, Thank you for your question. I am not totally clear about the service you need from us or how often you need it but I believe you may need a Certificate of Life, for which our standard fee is £12.00 in a simple case or £31 in a complex case. Most cases...
Answer: Dear Councillor Partridge, Your decision to charge Wealden residents who have worked in Europe £25.00 each to sign and stamp a document verifying their existence, is utterly outrageous. Having worked in Belgium and Luxembourg (my wife NOT having worked), we will have to pay The Council £100.00 per year in order to continue receiving our...
Council Tax enforcement
11 July 2023
Question: Dear Councillor Partridge, Regarding your collection enforcement officers that collect council tax bill payments / late payments, are your officers allowed to continually hound someone who has mental health problems, one being PTSD, even after being made aware of their mental health problems continuously ( one instance in which Dr wrote a letter explaining that...
Answer: Dear Mr Whitmore, Thank you for your question. I am sorry that you are not well. Out of fairness to all council taxpayers, we must collect all council tax which is due. If you think you may be exempt from paying, please let us know why. Our enforcement agents will take into account your circumstances...
When is Wealden going to implement Civil Parking Enforcement?
10 July 2023
Question: Dear Councillor Partridge, As the only council in East Sussex not to have done so when is WDC going to implement Civil Parking Enforcement? On my daily walks it is obvious that there is little regard taken of parking restrictions whether that be disregard of double yellow lines, bus stop parking and even, the other...
Answer: Dear John Hamblin, Thank you for this question and the interesting points which you make. Wealden District Council reviewed the options for On Street Car Parking Enforcement in 2017/18. A full and detailed reported was written and presented to Wealden District Council Cabinet for consideration and direction. Below is the link to the decision made....
Garden waste payments
10 July 2023
Question: Dear Councillor Partridge, I have been trying for days to pay the forthcoming year’s charge for the emptying of brown bins. I don’t do online banking or conduct online financial transactions, so have always given my card details over the phone. I had tried to ring your ONE published phone number and had never got...
Answer: Dear Mr Morris, Thank you for your question. I am very sorry you have experienced some difficulty in contacting us by telephone to make the payment for the garden waste collection service. Customers who either cannot or wish not to pay online can do so by telephone. However, at the peak of the renewal period...