Leader’s blog – Sept 2025

As far as people are concerned, we believe everyone should improve their health and well-being.  It’s vital for them and their neighbours.   We have and are supporting several initiatives to enable people to take exercise and to get out into the countryside.  The health and well-being page on our website is a mine of information about all this and everything else which is available for doing this in Wealden, whether provided by us or someone else – and it’s great to see that numbers are up at all three of our leisure centres.

On the same theme, Cabinet heard that we have used community infrastructure levy and grant money to pay for improvements to open spaces, village halls and sports facilities owned by town and village organisations across the district.  We have launched the councillor ward budget scheme so that each councillor can get money right to the grassroots of their wards. I hear that applications are coming in at a steady rate.

As far as jobs are concerned, due to its size, the council is a major player in the local economy and we heard about our success in ensuring that we spend as much as possible with local businesses. We are ranked first out of 63 councils in the southeast for spending with small and medium enterprises and second out of 63 for local spending.  It is really important that the Wealden pound is spent locally.  We want to get better at this and take advantage of recent changes in procurement regulations which should make this easier.

Whilst on that subject, we urge all local retailers and hospitality businesses to sign up to the Sussex 6 project, which the Council supports,  and buy as much local produce for their own businesses as they can.

Finally on the subject of people, to note that, despite the convoluted way in which we have to provide them, 113 affordable homes were completed in the first quarter of this year and that is many more than in the same period last year.

As far as nature is concerned, we heard about Wilder Wealden – a major project for the long term restoration of the natural environment in Wealden and another project supporting what will hopefully be an international effort to secure the future of the Ashdown Forest as a specially protected area, the home of several rare species and a very precious expanse of heathland in its own right.  Wealden holds it in trust for future generations and that means strongly supporting the people who have taken on the task of preserving it.

We heard that, although there are clouds on the horizon as ever, the council remains in a robust financial position, well placed to invest in local people, businesses and places in order to make things better for people and nature alike.

Thanks to all the Council officers who are working so hard and creatively to make that so.