Dear Wealden resident,
I hope you had a great start to 2024! Although December feels like a distant memory now, I very much enjoyed visiting our towns and villages in the run up to Christmas to catch up with residents and support our high streets.
Looking back over the past year, it was certainly a busy one! My office has responded to over 11,000 casework and policy emails, and provided assistance with over 5,000 cases including securing visas, chasing DVLA, potholes, parking, council housing, access to GPs/dentists and education SEN funding. We’ve also had some fantastic successes and secured more support for Wealden, including:
- Nearly £3m for Beacon Academy in Crowborough.
- Over £500,000 for Uplands Academy in Wadhurst.
- £4.7m accessibility upgrades at Crowborough train station, following the success of similar improvements worth £1.9m at Eridge train station in 2022.
- Over £297,000 for the new for the new Community and Health Centre in Mayfield.
- Delivery of the Get Active Pathway in Horam to boost accessible exercising opportunities in Wealden.
- Over £11.5m to support various project across the district, including improvements to the Cuckoo Trail.
I continue campaigning for more investment to improve our infrastructure and services, and I’m delighted that we’ve had more great news since the start of the year. I have also been supporting our local businesses, caught up with local farmers, and held follow up meetings with Royal Mail over delivery delays in Hailsham and with Southern Water over flooding and sewage overspills in Hellingly to push for urgent improvements to infrastructure.
Discover more of what I've been up to recently 👇🏽
🌳 Changing Places facility at Ashdown Forest Centre 🌳
I’m pleased to have opened Ashdown Forest Centre’s first Changing Places toilet, complete with specialist equipment ensuring that the Forest continues to be a welcoming destination and accessible for all. It is fantastic to see Wealden locations including the Ashdown Forest benefit from the Government’s Changing Places scheme, helping to make the country more inclusive for people with disabilities. All new and returning visitors can now enjoy this beautiful part of Wealden to its fullest. 👉🏽 Read more here.
🤝🏽 297k for Mayfield’s new Community Centre 🤝🏽
I’m thrilled to have secured over £297,000 Government funding towards the delivery of the new combined community hall and health centre in Mayfield. This much-needed asset will make a huge difference in the provision of medical services in Wealden and ensure GP practice teams can deliver a higher quality of healthcare for local residents, as well as with increased opportunities for fitness and social activities. 👉🏽 Read more here.
💧Progress of £30m Southern Water Upgrades at Bewl Water 💦
I visited Bewl Water in January 2024 to view the latest progress of the £30 million upgrades that Southern Water is currently undertaking. The reservoir is a critical local and national asset and I welcome the £30 million investment which will not only ensure its longevity, but also that the reservoir’s water levels can be controlled more closely, enhancing flood prevention systems in the area and the security of the residents of neighbouring villages. 👉🏽 Read more here.
✉️ Pushing Royal Mail for improvements to postal services in Hailsham 📬
I recognise the impact that delays in postal deliveries are having on local residents, and it was disappointing to see the improvements made to the service before Christmas stall in the new year. Following my conversations with senior representatives of Royal Mail to discuss serious delays in postal deliveries in Wealden, and especially in Hailsham, I welcome the additional resources and delivery days that have been put in place to resolve the situation and I was pleased to learn that earlier this month, all backlog of mail was cleared to restore consistent service. 👉🏽 Read more here.
💦 Holding Southern Water to account over flooding in Hellingly💧
Wealden residents have been failed too often by water supply and flooding incidents, and the levels of disruption they continue to face are unacceptable. Work continues with Hellingly Parish Council & Southern Water over Hellingly flooding & prevention, and I am pleased that progress has been made by National Highways: South-East to clear drainage on Park Road. I continue to meet with representatives of water companies and local councils, to push for better performance and hold them to account. 👉🏽 Read more here.
🚔 Celebrating news that Wealden is ranked 2nd safest place to live 🚔
I welcomed the news that Wealden is considered the second safest place to live in England and Wales, with only 15.4 violent crimes per 10,000 residents, according to security experts Get Licensed. Wealden was also highlighted in a previous study by Hiatt Hardware, where it was ranked fourth safest area in the country for robberies, break-ins and vehicle offences. 👉🏽 Read more here.
🤝🏼 Backing local farmers and promoting Wealden produce🤝🏼
Farmers are the lifeblood of Wealden’s economy and I hold regular meetings with local members of the NFU at farms across the constituency to discuss their concerns and offer support. It was great to speak to a group of our young farmers who are representing the local industry, and learn more about their visions for the future of the sector and issues impacting their work locally. I continue to advocate for Wealden supermarkets to focus on offering customers more of our quality, sustainably sourced local produce. 👉🏽 Read more here.
🧵 Supporting Withyham-based Sussex Tweed 🧵
I was pleased to visit the Sussex Tweed workshop in Withyham to witness first-hand the transformation of local wool into fantastic products. I commend the goal to establish the business as a low-carbon supplier of high-quality sustainable cloth for the UK fashion industry and I welcome the plans to expand job opportunities for local weavers. To learn more, visit www.sussextweed.co.uk or click here to help with the fundraiser.
🍺 Championing Uckfield’s Three Acre Brewery in Parliament 🍻
We are incredibly lucky to have so many unique, delicious products made by local people from the best of Wealden produce on our doorstep, and Three Acre Brewery is no exception. I take every opportunity to champion Wealden businesses and products, and I was delighted to support Chester, Jamie and Peter in getting their Session Pale served in Westminster and expose their craft to new customers. I look forward to seeing them continue to thrive and seeing their exciting new Brew Café come to life soon. 👉🏽 Read more here.
🚗 Wealden Residents to have a say in new Transport Plan 🚉
Regular, reliable, and affordable public transport is key to our lives in Wealden and I’m constantly pushing for more funding to ensure better infrastructure, reliable services and to improve transport accessibility. Your views are key to ensuring that the needs of Wealden are considered, so please do consider contributing to the County Council’s transport strategy consultation before it closes on 25th February 2024.
For more information and to contribute, go to 👉🏽 www.eastsussex.gov.uk/localtransportplan.
If you would like to share any additional comments with regards to improving our transport network, please feel free to do so via my survey available here.
☎️ Contact ☎️
If you need my assistance regarding a particular issue, please email me at nusrat.ghani.mp@parliament.uk and provide as much information as possible about your query.
Casework is undertaken daily and surgery appointments are currently taking place in person, over the phone, or virtually.
Yours sincerely,
Nus