I have written to Bridge Ward County Council and Lewes District Councillors asking their support in opposing the car parking proposals for Malling, it will be interesting to see their responses.

If you agree with my views I would be grateful if you could email / complete the ESCC online questionnaire

"I was told at the surgery held at St Thomas a Becket Church Hall that the only  reason for the proposal was because of the problems caused by on street parking by people employed by the Sussex Police Authority based at their headquarters in Church Lane.  The proposed parking zone covers the area to the south of Church Lane. 

If this (controlled Parking Zone) CPZ were introduced then  the majority if not all the police employees will simply relocate to the adjacent parts of the Malling Estate.  The proposal clearly does not solve the problem as stated – it will just shift it and it seems lamentable that money has been paid to Atkins for what seems to me a completely flawed poposal. 

The ESCC Highways Department and our County Councillors must also bear responsibility for allowing this proposal to be put forward.

The only way CPZ will address the police parking would be to create a CPZ covering the whole of Malling.  However I would also strongly oppose this as the total cost to local residents (in excess of £100,000 per year) would be scandalous just to solve a problem caused by the police who themselves should pay to resolve the issue.  Surely ESCC and the Police Authority as public bodies should negotiate to provide a solution that does not financially penalise residents and cause other inconvenience eg parking for visitors and contractors

Another reason I oppose the proposed parking scheme on the Malling is that as I park in Spences Field and there are no parking problems at any time of the week.  I have taken photos to support this.

I cannot see why I should have to pay £100 + per year (after tax) to park and for visitors to park just to implement a "non"-solution or even a solution  to police parking in Malling.  I was told at the surgery that the parking bays shown on the plans are purely "indicative".  However the paper questionnaire invites people to indicate their support or otherwise to the proposals.  This seems to be at odds with what I was told and a waste of time. 

However for the record I oppose the proposals as they stand. One result of implementing the CPZ would  be that more residents of Spences Field will turn their front gardens into parking bays destroying the pleasing landscape and and increasing the run off of water onto the brooks land which you know has flooded in the past. Spences Field should not be in any CPZ.

Talking to residents of Malling Street, looks like many of them have never seen a councillor , never mind actually get any of them to support them.  As our campaigner Jonathan Spencer and his colleagues talked to people on the doorsteps canvassing for votes in the byelection, the same story gets told:

Traffic speeding at 40 50 and 60 mph in a 30mph zone, at times the road is almost impossible to cross.  One resident said he felt that something would not be done until someone is killed.  Jonathan Spencer is asking for you to join with our campaign and with local residents

Check this part of east sussex county council web site on traffic calming

contact Jonathan Spencer our local Labour Campaigner

The Tory County Council want to hear your views on the Lewes Parking scheme, so they have set up a review procedure, you can access this via their website, the link is below.

So now is your chance to have your say, why not click on the link and tell them waht you really think.

The Lewes Parking review at ESCC

Talking to residents of Malling Street, looks like many of them have never seen a councillor , never mind actually get any of them to support them.  As our campaigner Jonathan Spencer and his colleagues talked to people on the doorsteps canvassing for votes in the byelection, the same story gets told:

Traffic speeding at 40 50 and 60 mph in a 30mph zone, at times the road is almost impossible to cross.  One resident said he felt that something would not be done until someone is killed.  Jonathan Spencer is asking for you to join with our campaign and with local residents

Check this part of east sussex county council web site on traffic calming

contact Jonathan Spencer our local Labour Campaigner

Labour’s free local bus for over-60s goes national
If you’re over 60 or disabled, you’ve probably taken advantage of the local off-peak free bus travel and the excellent bus service, to go into Brighton (or to Tunbridge Wells!). Introduced last year by the Labour Government, this benefit will be extended next April to allow all those who are eligible to travel locally in any area of England.
This means if you are over 60 you can travel on a local bus service, wherever you are FOR FREE!
Perhaps the more adventurous of the older generation may from next Easter try to emulate our fellow Britons in Wales by seeing how long it will take them to travel by local buses the length of the country!