Wealden is a local government district in East Sussex, England. Its council is based in Hailsham, the district's largest town. The district also includes the towns of Crowborough, Polegate and Uckfield, along with numerous villages and surrounding rural areas. The district's name comes from the Weald, the landscape and ancient woodland which occupies much of the centre and north of the area.
Much of the district's landscape is recognised for its beauty; the south of the district includes part of the South Downs National Park, and the north of the district includes part of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The district has two sections of coastline, lying east and west of the neighbouring authority of Eastbourne, with the western section of coastline including the cliffs known as the Seven Sisters.
The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. It covered the area of two former districts, which were both abolished at the same time:[2]
Hailsham Rural District
Uckfield Rural District
The new district was named Wealden after the landscape and woodland.[3]
In the parts of the district within the South Downs National Park, town planning is the responsibility of the South Downs National Park Authority. The district council appoints one of its councillors to serve on the 27-person National Park Authority.[7]
The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements took effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:[9][10]
The Liberal Democrats and Greens sit together as the "Alliance for Wealden" group, which forms the council's administration. Of the independent councillors, six sit as the "Independent Group" and the other four form the "Independent Democrats".[13] The next election is due in 2027.
Premises
The council is based at the Council Offices on Vicarage Lane in Hailsham. The building was purpose-built for the council and opened in 1982.[14]
When created in 1974 the council inherited two main offices from its predecessors:
Cortlandt, 18 George Street, Hailsham, an eighteenth century house which had been bought by Hailsham Rural District Council in 1932.[15][16]
Starfield, Beacon Road, Crowborough, formerly the home and observatory of astronomer Isaac Roberts, which had been bought by Uckfield Rural District Council in 1928.[17]
Council's former Crowborough office at Pine Grove, built 1988.
The council's staff were initially divided between the two buildings.[18] The council moved its Hailsham office from Cortlandt to the new Council Offices on Vicarage Lane in 1982.[19] The Crowborough office moved to a new building on Pine Grove in 1988, with Starfield subsequently being redeveloped for housing.[20]
The council subsequently consolidated its offices at the Hailsham building and sold the Crowborough building to Crowborough Town Council in 2016.[21]
Since the last boundary changes in 2019 the council has comprised 45 councillors representing 41 wards, with each ward electing one or two councillors. Elections are held every four years.[22]
Ward
Population (2021 Census)
Arlington
2,963
Buxted
3,892
Chiddingly, East Hoathly and Waldron
3,309
Crowborough Central
4,125
Crowborough Jarvis Brook
4,305
Crowborough North
3,286
Crowborough South East
3,804
Crowborough South West
3,237
Crowborough St. Johns
2,935
Danehill & Fletching
3,886
Forest Row
4,135
Framfield & Cross-in-Hand
3,243
Frant & Wadhurst (2 seats)
6,941
Hadlow Down & Rotherfield
3,257
Hailsham Central
3,545
Hailsham East
4,785
Hailsham East
4,785
Hailsham North
2,914
Hailsham North West
3,738
Hailsham South
3,327
Hailsham West
4,232
Hartfield
3,284
Heathfield North
3,913
Heathfield South
4,163
Hellingly
5,011
Herstmonceux & Pevensey Levels (2 seats)
6,931
Horam & Punnetts Town (2 seats)
6,902
Lower Willingdon
3,314
Maresfield
3,659
Mayfield & Five Ashes
3,654
Pevensey Bay
2,890
Polegate Central
5,107
Polegate North
3,868
Polegate South & Willingdon Watermill
3,450
South Downs
2,977
Stone Cross
3,685
Uckfield East
3,225
Uckfield New Town (2 seats)
5,744
Uckfield North
3,131
Uckfield Ridgewood & Little Horsted
3,152
Upper Willingdon
3,266
Withyham
2,956
Total Wealden
160,151
Geography
Wealden District covers two main upland areas: the section of the High Weald within East Sussex; and the eastern end of the South Downs, between which lies the Vale of Sussex, the lowlands of which are named the Pevensey Levels. The River Ouse, some of the tributaries of which originate in the district, is the border with the Lewes District; and the River Cuckmere is wholly in Wealden. The district's coastline to the English Channel to the south is interrupted by Eastbourne. The River Rother rises on the Weald and flows easterly to the east of Rye Bay.
The Wealden basin contains significant reserves of shale oil, totalling 4.4 billion barrels of oil in Wealden and surrounding areas according to a 2014 study, which then Business and Energy Minister Michael Fallon said "will bring jobs and business opportunities" and significantly help with UK energy self-sufficiency. Fracking in the area is required to achieve these objectives, which has been opposed by environmental groups.[23]
At the 2011 census the district had the highest proportion of home ownership of the 37 local authorities in Surrey, Sussex and Kent.[24]
Towns and parishes
This district is entirely divided into civil parishes. The parish councils for Crowborough, Hailsham, Polegate and Uckfield take the style "town council". Some of the smaller parishes have a parish meeting rather than a parish council.[25][26][27]
The major trunk road is the A22, London to Eastbourne; it is crossed by the A26Maidstone–Lewes road at Uckfield; and the A267Tunbridge Wells to Eastbourne road. There are also three west–east roads: the A259 coastal route; next inland is the A27 Pevensey–Brighton trunk road; and further to the north the A272 cross-country route to Winchester.
The East Coastway Line, serving Eastbourne and Hastings, uses the Vale of Sussex and has two station serving different sides of Pevensey in the district, which forms a generally suburban conurbation with Westham and a largely rural holiday and visitor coastline, Pevensey Bay. The other railway line is the Uckfield Branch Line from London Bridge.
A late medieval castle construction, moated Herstmonceux Castle, was begun in 1440. It is open to visitors and there are organised tours on a few summer days.[28]
