Town Council Committees and Community Representation

Following on from proposals made at the Annual Meeting of Hailsham Town Council held on Wednesday 18th May, the Town Council’s Committee structure for the next year has been put in place.

Seven Standing Committees have been appointed for the 2022/23 municipal year, these being the:

ASSETS MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Responsibilities include: Cemetery and Cemetery Buildings; Burial Records; James West Community Centre; Cortlandt Former Stable Block and Public Toilet Facility; Fleur de Lys Meeting Room; Union Corner Hall; Maurice Thornton Pavilion; Street Lighting; Youth Services (Square Youth Cafe/Friday Night Project/Monday Youth Hub/Hellingly Youth Hub/Eastside Youth Hub/Safehub); Play Areas; Public Open Spaces; Hailsham Country Park; Common Pond; Orchard Park; Maurice Thornton Playing Field; Western Road Recreation Ground; Allotments (Battle Road/Station Road/Harold Avenue)

COMMUNITIES COMMITTEE

Responsibilities include: Business, Retail and Town Centre Development; Town Revitalisation, Coordination of Hailsham Street Market; Christmas Market and Lights Switch-on Events; Community Events

FINANCE, BUDGET & RESOURCES COMMITTEE

Responsibilities include: Precept (recommending the Town Council’s budget); Insurance; Policy & Policy Reviews; Health & Safety; Contracted Services; Leases; Banking & Investment; Grants; Joint Funded Projects; Subsidies; Section 137 Payments

PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

Delegated powers include: Commenting on Planning Applications; Enforcement Notices; Notices of Appeal (against planning decisions); Justices Licences; Tree Preservation Orders; Conservation Areas & Listed Buildings; Local Development Proposals; any other planning related matters; Street Closures; Street Naming; Footpath Diversions

NEIGHBOURHOOD PLANNING COMMITTEE

The Town Council established a Neighbourhood Planning Committee in 2015 to oversee a process that resulted in the preparation of a Plan for Hailsham, which was put to a public referendum on 6th May 2021, of which a majority voted in favour of adopting the Plan. The Plan will be amended and updated to reflect the latest Wealden Local Plan.

STAFFING COMMITTEE

Responsibilities include: Staffing matters and personnel issues; review of staffing structure; policies for staff; health and safety at work; staff recruitment

STRATEGY COMMITTEE

Responsibilities include: Making recommendation to the Council in drawing up a business plan of priorities for the Town Council, working in partnership with other organisations, members of the Town Council or other Town Council committees or sub-committees to achieve these objectives.

At the Annual Meeting, members also considered and agreed to councillor representation on external bodies as proposed:

• Wealden District Association of Local Councils: Cllr Paul Holbrook and John Puttick
• Hailsham Aspires (Board): Cllr Paul Holbrook
• Halsham Active (formerly Hailsham & District Sports Alliance): Cllr Ross Newark
• Hailsham Aspires Board: Cllr Paul Holbrook
• Hailsham Forward (Executive): Cllr Christopher Bryant
• Cuckmere Buses Stakeholder Group: Cllr Gavin Blake-Coggins
• Environment Hailsham (Board): Cllr Richard Grocock
• Wealden & District Citizens’ Advice Bureau (Board): Cllr Karen Nicholls
• Wealden Dementia Action Alliance: Cllr Anne Marie Ricketts
• Movement & Access Strategy for Hailsham and Hellingly Steering Group: Cllrs Paul Holbrook and Nigel Coltman
• Hailsham Community Safety Action Group: Cllr Paul Holbrook
• PCC Focus Group: Cllrs Nigel Coltman, Anne Marie Ricketts and Richard Grocock