Newsboard

Public toilets in Winchelsea
Rother District Council has decided to rebuild the toilets in Monks Walk within the next 4-5 years but within the next 12 months. In November, police issued warnings to two men behaving suspiciously in the public toilets and placed markets agsinst their names and vehicles in the police national computer.
11 January 2012

Southern Railways' "shanty town" in Winchelsea
More on winchelseanews.blogspot.com.
10 January 2012

Southern Railways' "shanty town" in Winchelsea
Apologies to Network Rail. It's all down to Southern Railway.
According to Southern Railways, the shanty town is in fact not for ticket staff or rail workers! It is purely for Southern Railway staff who will be there only to answer questions from bus passengers about the timetable (not even to sell tickets). It will be open 24 hours a day! The generator and two portaloos are therefore for the staff. There will also be security guards.
Giant portacabins, portaloos, generators, fuel tanks, security fences and security staff have also been installed at Doleham Halt, Three Oaks and Ham Street.
6 January 2012

Network Rail's "shanty town" in Winchelsea
Residents will have noticed the sudden arrival in German Street of a huge windowless metal portacabin, two portaloos, a very sizeable diesel generator and an equally sizeable fuel tank, soon to be surrounded by a security fence, all parked on the verge between the Town Sign and Wesley's Tree, in the centre of historic Winchelsea. This is all courtesy of Network Rail and Southern Railways, who plan to keep, what one resident has already called a "shanty town", here for 9 weeks during the closure of the Marshlink between Hastings and Ashford.
We are told that the portacabin is intended to provide an office for Southern Railway staff to sell tickets to people getting on the occasional buses which will call at Winchelsea as a replacement for trains while the Marshlink is closed. It is also intended to be a waiting room for bus passengers. And there is a separate section for the rail workers to take breaks and to provide a "prayer room" for Moslem rail workers. As the ticket office/waiting room/rest room/prayer room and attached toilets will be open 24 hours a day, Network Rail are employing security guards! And all this is being repeated at Doleham Halt and other stations!
But is it likely that rail workers will bother to use their restroom, given that the railway is almost half a mile away, down a hill and along a winding lane (by the time you got from the railway to Winchelsea, your break would be over). And toilets up in Winchelsea are hardly very convenient (pardon the pun) for rail workers taken short on the railway line. Why not give rail workers a rest room and toilets near to where they are working? To place portaloos in Winchelsea is anyway ridiculous, given that there are 24-hour public toilets 100 yards or so down the road. Moreover, why not let bus passengers getting on at Winchelsea wait at the existing bus shelter? And instead of employing extra ticket staff and security guards to get bored at Winchelsea, selling perhaps a dozen tickets a day, why not have someone at Rye Station to come out with a ticket machine when the bus arrives there or have someone selling tickets on the bus (like they do on the train)?
As Daffy Duck said, What a way to run a railway! If anyone wonders how British railways can cost 30% more to run than elsewhere in Europe, look no further than the gold-plated, over-the-top and nonsensical arrangements at Winchelsea!
If you like to discuss how all this came about, call Roger Orpin of Network Rail on 020-8920-8959 or 07891-525496. Or call Graeme Lake at East Sussex County Council, who signed the required licence but forgot to give any public notice. Let's hope he has at least arranged for the verge to be repaired and re-seeded.
6 January 2012

Press release from Southern Railway on Marshlink disruption
"Work starts on 9 January 2012 on a major upgrade of the railway between Hastings and Ashford which will provide more reliable journeys for passengers and be the first step in potentially reducing journey times in the future.
The nine-week programme centres on essential maintenance work in Ore tunnel to improve the drainage and repair lining to the inside of the structure to prevent water seeping through. In order to take full advantage of the track closure, Network Rail engineers have re-scheduled a wide range of other improvement works to avoid further disruption in the future and allow better services for passengers in the years to come. These include:
- Renewing the track through the tunnel and around the Ore area; ¾ mile of track between Rye and Winchelsea; and around one mile of track between Ashford and Ham Street. This will result in old, noisy jointed track being replaced with smooth continuous rails.
- Refurbishment of three sets of points to improve reliability
- Replacement of rail-over-road bridges at Doleham and Three Oaks
- Surveys and maintenance of an embankment between Ashford and Ham Street
- Maintenance of 18 bridges and culverts between Ashford and Hastings
- Track improvements (tamping) to enable the line speed to be increased in the future between Rye and Hastings
Fiona Taylor, Network Rail’s route managing director for Kent, said: “The maintenance work in Ore tunnel is vital for us to continue running a safe and reliable railway. We appreciate the impact this will have on passengers’ journeys which is why we have programmed so much other work to be done at the same time to reduce the amount of potential disruption in the future.
There is never an ideal time to carry out this scale of work and after seeking the views of community and business representatives we were keen to avoid the summer months which are so important for the local economy. We thank passengers in advance for their patience while we carry out this important work and are confident the improvements we are making are the first step towards cutting journey times which is great news for passengers in the long term.
During the work there will be no trains running between Ashford and Hastings. Southern has been working with Network Rail, highways and local authorities to put a rail replacement bus and taxi service in place.
Work is scheduled for completion on 9 March 2012."
4 January 2012

Winchelsea councillors win appeal in victory for freedom of speech
"We've been rather quiet in 2011. This blog explains what has been occupying us.
In February 2010, Cllr Bronsdon of Rye Harbour, supported by the other councillors from Icklesham, Rye Harbour and Winchelsea Beach wards --- Cllrs Bates, Drew, Horsman, Lyward, Merricks, Moore, Stanford, Sutton and Thompson --- lodged a complaint against the three ward councillors from Winchelsea -- Cllrs Chishick, Comotto and Terry --- for criticisng the adequacy of the Local Action Plan (LAP) questionnaire provided by Rother District Council and adopted by Icklesham Parish Council, protesting about the way in which Icklesham Parish Council had forced the questionnaire on Winchelsea, and calling on residents to boycott the questionnaire. He claimed that their actions had brought Icklesham Parish Council into disrepute, contrary to the Councillors' Code of Conduct.
A separate and very lengthy complaint was also made by Cllr Stansford of Rye Habour ward against Cllr Comotto alleging bullying of other councillors and the parish clerk, and failure to declare an interest at a meeting in August 2009.
All Winchelsea councillors were accused of making misleading and untruthful statements.
It is worth noting here that the August 2009 parish council meeting was held to discuss (in secret) a proposal to sue the Wincheslea website www.winchelsea.net for defaming Icklesham Parish Council by referring to "a history of incompetent chairmen" and "a dysfunctional council". The curious circumstances surrounding this meeting will be reviewed in another blog. Suffice it to say here that councils do not have the right to sue for defamation, as judges have felt that the threat of such action (even where it was unlikely to succeed) would intimidate critics and have a "chilling effect on democracy"! So, the whole discussion was pointless. However, under the Code of Conduct, Cllr Comotto should have declared a prejudicial interest, rather than just a personal interest, and left the meeting, as he is involved with the Winchelsea website. Cllr Comotto apologised for this error but argued that the breach was immaterial, given the pointlessness of the debate and the fact that he would have been aware of the resolution, whether or not he had attended, which meant he could have derived no material advantage.
Rother District Council commissioned a firm of solicitors to investigate the complaints. During this investigation, further complaints were made against Cllr Comotto. It is not possible to reveal these complaints as Standards Committees operate largely in secret but it is possible to say that the additional allegations made by Cllr Merricks would, if they had been made publicly, have been libellous. In the event, all the complaints bar two were dismissed by the investigator but she did conclude that the three Winchelsea councillors had brought Icklesham Parish Council into disrepute by making untruthful statements about the parish council's handling of the LAP. She also judged the language used by the councillors to have been intemperate.
At the hearing held by the Rother Standards Committee, the evidence provided to the investigator, by Cllr Stanford, purporting to show that Icklesham Parish Council had been preparing a LAP since 2005 --- and that Winchelsea councillors had therefore made untruthful and misleading statements about the suspicious suddenness of the council's proposals and demands --- was shown to be utterly incorrect. At this point, the Standards Committee decided that the issue was not the untruthful of statements but the intemperate language. The words that appeared to cause concern were "ambush" and "sham". On this basis, the Standards Committee concluded that the Winchelsea councillors had breached the Code of Conduct. The sanction imposed was a censure.
Winchelsea councillors appealed against the Standard Committee's decision on the grounds that the judge infringed their right to freedom of speech and obstructed their duty to defend their electorate against poor council decisions, and that they had not made untruthful or misleading statements and had not used intemperate language. On 12 December, an appeals tribunal chaired by a High Court Judge agreed with the Winchelsea councillors, citing a long list of legal precedents, and quashed the judgment of the Rother Standards Committee. The judgement is worth reading:
"The Tribunal has determined that the three Appellants did not fail to follow the provisions of the Code because:
1 They were legitimately exercising their right to free speech.
2 The language employed by them had not been hostile, intemperate, ill-judged or misleading.
3 They were entitled to write to local residents informing them of matters they considered of particular relevance. The councillors’ actions were within the legitimate boundary of a local councillor defending local interests.
4 Residents had not been instructed to do anything unlawful and it was open to recipients to accept or reject the guidance issued by the councillors as to how to show their opposition to adoption of a parish-wide questionnaire.
5 The Code does not preclude a councillor from opposing council policy provided he uses legitimate and reasonable means. Local councillors are often involved in, or indeed lead, local opposition to locally sensitive issues. For instance, a planning matter which has a far greater impact on a defined locality than the rest of the district. This will, of necessity, bring councillors into opposition with local or party policy."
The tribunal could not have been clearer. The judgement is also forthright about the right of councillors to freedom of speech and the nature of the democratic political acitivity. It also made crystal clear that Winchelsea councillors had not been untruthful or misleading.
In addition, the tribunal dismissed, as inappropriate, the censure imposed on Cllr Comotto for failing to declare a prejudicial conflict of interest.
The question that need to be asked, in view of this judgement, is why did Rother, despite employing two solicitors and spending well over £10,000 of tax-payers' money, not see this one coming and allowed the complaint to proceed? As the tribunal made clear, there is a well-developed case law on the underlying issues.
And Rother's blunder is a serious one because, if they had won, it is difficult to see how genuine political activity could have continued in local government or how it could ever have been held to account. How did this happen? Perhaps, Rother has been a virtual one-party state for so long that it has just lost the hang of democracy. Some of the statements made by the legal adviser to the Standards Committee revealed a very restrictive view of elective democracy and the role of councillors. In effect, Rother's lawyer implied a collective responsibility on councillors that meant they could not seek to reverse decisions of their council, even where they considered these decisions to be utterly wrong, and could not campaign against unacceptable policies even in an election.
Rother also needs to reflect on its own undeclared conflict of interest. The first complaint centred on crticism of the questionnaire which Rother produced! This makes them something of an interested party.
And what about Icklesham Parish Council? Who can dispute its dysfunctional behaviour now? There have now been three complaints to the Standards Committee against Cllr Comotto. In response to the first (by 11 other councillors), Cllr Comotto was merely asked to send fewer e-mails to the then parish clerk. In response to the second complaint (by Cllr Merricks), it was explained that Cllr Comotto had been conducting normal political activity. And now, despite throwing a huge quantity of mud at all three Winchelsea councillors, a third vexatious complaint has also failed. The net result has been to waste everybody's time and provide employment to lawyers. No wonder, Eric Pickles is junking Standards Committees!"
You can read the full decision.
Cllr Comotto
22 December 2011

Winchelsea Town Sign
This elegant oak sign, designed by resident John Haddock, was erected to commemorate the Millennium. Unfortunately, against advice, the base of the oak column was simply sunk straight into wet concrete, with no waterproofing and water running off the adjacent pavement soaking the ground around the base. Consequently and predictably, the base has rotted and become dangerous. John Haddock prevailed on the Millennium Artefacts Committee, who are responsible for the sign, to bring in the man who carved the sign, Pat Ballard, who knows all there is to know about oak. Pat has stripped away the rot, impregnated the base with preservative, coated the exposed section with waterproofing and installed four galvanised steel props (stainless steel would rot the wood further). He will be refitting a plinth facade around the base to protect it from the weather and hide the props, and is digging a drainage channel around the sign to divert the run-off from the pavement.
27 November 2011

Council budget and precept meeting
This will take place at 6:30pm on Wednesday, 30 November, at Rye Harbour.
26 November 2011

New tenants at the New Inn
New tenants, Declan Clancy and John Towler, take over the New Inn tonight (20 November). The pub will be closed from Sunday night until Friday, when Declan and John are inviting residents to a welcome drink from 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Can the New Inn be saved? This will be the fifth landlords in as many years, but everybody is hoping for the best.
Thanks are due to young Jay Hare, who has run the New Inn for the last few weeks and who made a real difference in the time he has been there.
20 November 2011

Icklesham Parish Council breaks the rules again
At its meeting on 14 November, Icklesham PC made a grant of £360 to the unelected Winchelsea Corporation for repairs to one of its properties (the Lookout by the Strand Gate). Contrary to legal requirements on expenditures by parish councils, there was no proper resolution and, contrary to the Council's own policy on grants, the Corporation was not required to fill out the standard grant form and provide supporting documentation, notably a set of audited annual accounts. The latter would have shown the Corporation to have about £60-70,000 in its bank account and about £20,000 available from its fund-raising arm. The council was so keen to give money to the Corporation that the Parish Clerk secured an estimate for the work to the Corporation's properties. All other grant applicants have to get their own estimates. Two members of the council are members of the Corporation.
20 November 2011

Damaged wall near the Strand Gate in Winchelsea
One sensible decision of Icklesham Parish Council at their last meeting was to agree to a proposal from Winchelsea ward councillors to repair this section of wall, provided that the insurance company of the driver who damaged it will pay and on the basis of accepting no future liability.
20 November 2011

Footlights in Winchelsea
At the Icklesham Parish Council meeting on 14 November, councillors from the wards of Icklesham, Rye Harbour and Winchelsea Beach voted to defer a decision on turning off the footlights in Winchelsea at midnight until the Annual Parish Assembly in May 2012, despite a clear majority (64%) in favour in the recent council consultation. One argument appears to have been that the response from 66 households was too low. However, 66 households represent 24% of Winchelsea, much larger than the response rates received from the wards of Icklesham, Rye Harbour and Winchelsea Beach to the Icklesham Parish Council Local Action Plan questionnaire (to which no more than 13% responded) on the basis of which the council is making major expenditure decisions. It would also appear that some councillors have decided to give more weight to an objection voiced by an individual at a council meeting than to the majority of residents who responded to the so-called consultation.
20 November 2011

Highway maintenance
From 14 November, 12 "Community Highway Stewards" will be patrolling areas in East Sussex to find any problems with the roads and help solve any issues local people have with the highways maintained by East Sussex County Council. Each steward will patrol their patch in their van which has a “Community Highway Steward” logo. Not only will they report any potholes or other problems with the road, but they will get to know their patch and keep an eye on its condition so that can keep highways engineers informed and they can deal with any issues before they become defects in the road. For more information about the Highways Stewards or to talk about a problem in your area contact our Highways Contact centre on 0345 60 80 193 or you can register a fault in the road online at www.eastsussex.gov.uk/reportafault. The Highway Steward for Winchelsea and Rye is Paula Warne, who can be contacted on 07712-841438.
20 November 2011

Bridge Inn
This has just gone on the market at £335,000.
3 November 2011

Halloween
If you do not want Trick-or-Treaters calling on you on Halloween (Monday 31 October), you can download and print a notice produced by Sussex Police asking them not to knock. This can be downloaded from the Winchelsea Neighbourhood Watch webpage. There are also printed copies in the Post Office.
29 October 2011

Complaint about Rother Planning Committee's decision on the Sainsbury and Tesco planning applications
This is a note from Christopher Strangeways.
"My correspondence continues with Rother. I have had a reply to my original complaint about the conduct of the planning meeting to consider the Sainsbury and Tesco application. It does answer one of the points made and they have agreed to review they manage Planning meetings in respect of breaks in the meeting. However in some other important respects their answers are unsatisfactory and I have sent another letter to explain why this is the case.
"If the reply to this letter still leaves me with a sense that they have not addressed my original complaint I will be taking the matter up with the Local Government Ombudsman.
"The key issues remaining are treatment of Councillor Souster, Conduct of the Chairman, failure to consider the request from a Rye Town Councillor to address the meeting, and the legality of the Sainsbury decision.
"Rather surprisingly Rother are asking the committee to examine again the Tesco decision at the next planning meeting. The Tesco decision was perfectly sound legally - it is the approval of Sainsbury that is extraordinary in the light of the earlier refusal of Tesco as the same relevant planning objections applied to both.
"If you would like to read the full text of my complaints and the replies from Rother I have posted them on a blog at this address, www.ryepig.wordpress.com.
"PS There is an excellent letter in today's Rye Observer from Biddy and Tarquin Cole about the poor design of the Sainsbury store. I fear it might be too late, but if this application is eventually refused Rye should make sure that the design criteria are included in the planner's requirements for any new application."
 14 October 2011

New Inn
The new tenant is Jay Hare. 30 September 2011

Parish Council questionnaire on footlights
This is being circulated by ward councillors. If you have not received one yet, do not worry, as there is no immediate deadline. However, you are welcome to contact one of your ward councillors. 30 September 2011

New Inn
The tenant has moved out and the lease appears to have been taken over by someone new. This expected change follows the strange events earlier in the year, when the company that owned the lease (Freedom Inns) went into administration, after having transferred the lease and the assets of the pub to the manager. 17 September 2011

Winchelsea Summer Fete
The Winchelsea Garden Society has given up the organisation of the Summer Fete that takes place in August each year. The garden show part of the event has already been moved to September. It was thought that the New Hall Management Committee would take over, but this is in doubt. Two secret meetings have been held the last one on 8 September, between the Garden Society and selected other groups in the village to try to persuade one of them to take over the event. 16 September 2011

Winchelsea Archaeological Society
WAS became a registered charity today (no.1143524). 24 August 2011

Rother Neighbourhood Watch update, 5-16 August

Eastern Rother – (Camber, East Guldeford, RyeHarbour, Winchelsea, Beach, Icklesham, Playden, Iden)

• 18:30-22:00 on 7 August 2011 in Pett Level Road. A report of a theft from a motor vehicle. The front passenger window was smashed and a purse and mobile telephone stolen. Sussex police serial 1622 07/08/11 refers.
• 11 August 2011 in Smeatons Lane, Winchelsea Beach. A report of youths throwing stones at peoples houses. Sussex police serial 1422 11/08/11 refers.
• 15:30- 16:00 on 12 August 2011 in Harbour Road, Rye. A report of two thefts. Two unattended pedal cycles were targeted, one had a quick release seat switch stolen and the other had its saddle stolen. Sussex police serial 1496 12/08/11 refers.
• 22:43- 09:45 on 16 August 2011 in Sea Road, Winchelsea Beach. A report of criminal damage. A car was sprayed with gold graffiti. Sussex police serial 0451 16/08/11 refers.

Rye

• 03:30 - 09:30 on 7 August 2011 in Ailsworth Lane, Rye. A report of criminal damage. A stone was thrown at a window. Sussex police serial 0589 07/08/11 refers.

Rother Levels - (Peasmarsh, Beckley, Northiam & Rye Foreign)

• 8 August 2011 in Kitchenour Lane, Peasmarsh. A report of a burglary. A shed was broken into after the padlock was cut off. It is not known yet what, if anything has been taken. Sussex police serial 1357 08/08/11 refers.

BredeValley - (Udimore, Brede, Broad Oak & Westfield)

• 16:00 on 11 August 2011 in Udimore. A report of a burglary. A wooden tea caddy, a wooden sewing box and a wooden clock were amongst the items stolen. Sussex police serial 1323 11/08/11 refers.
• 7 August 2011 in Stablefields, Westfield. A report of a burglary. A silver PC tower, a Technika TV + DVD combo and a Weihrauch97K 22 air rifle were amongst the items stolen. Sussex police serial 1918 07/08/11 refers.

Marsham – (Pett, Fairlight, Guestling & Three Oaks)

• 15:00- 15:30 on 10 August 2011 in Knowle Road, Fairlight. A report of criminal damage. A male youth was seen to cause damage to a parish council notice board. Sussex police serial 1458 10/08/11 refers.

If you have any information to pass to Sussex Police regarding the incidents detailed above, please contact us on our non-emergency number 0845 60 70 999 or alternatively Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

Winchelsea medieval silver coin recovered
Following a request by Winchelsea Archaeological Society, Rye Police have recovered a mint-condition silver livre tournois coin found last year in the Cricket Field allotment in Winchelsea but not handed in to the owner of the land, which is the National Trust. The coin is dated to around 1270, close to the date of the foundation of Winchelsea and a hugely important piece of archaeology. WAS approached the police after Icklesham Parish Council, who lease the land from the National Trust, refused to take any action. 12 August 2011

Message from Chief Constable Martin Richards
Along with all other Chief Constables in the UK, earlier today I took part in a telephone conference with the Home Secretary to discuss the incidents of disorder which are taking place in some parts of the UK. Here in Sussex we have been working hard to increase our presence in local communities and have been actively engaging with the public to reassure them about the steps we are taking to keep them safe. I have been heartened to see how everyone is pulling together to help prevent the sad scenes witnessed elsewhere in the country. I'm pleased to report that we have had, with the exception of two arrests in Hastings, a trouble free 24 hours. Please be assured that we are prepared for any deterioration of the situation but at the moment there is no intelligence to indicate there is any risk of disorder in Sussex. We will continue to monitor intelligence and are stepping up our preparation for a number of high profile events taking place across the county this weekend, including Pride and Airbourne. We have also provided mutual aid to our colleagues in the Metropolitan Police, however we are very conscious of the need to ensure that local needs must continue to be met. You are probably aware that there have been numerous rumours circulating across Sussex. It is clear that the public are genuinely concerned about current events and we have been working hard to ensure that inaccurate information does not cause unnecessary concern or worry to residents. We have been using our website and social media accounts to keep the public updated and are working directly with groups who need specific advice. On a personal level it has been heartening to receive so many positive messages in appreciation of the work we are doing and support from the public in dispelling rumours. I will continue to keep you updated about the picture in Sussex as events unfold but would like to extend my thanks for your vital ongoing support at this time. Martin Richards, Chief Constable. 11 August 2011

Town Sign
Serious wood rot has been discovered at the base of the post of the Town Sign. This is due to the use of green oak rather than the seasoned oak specified in the original design and sinking the post straight into wet concrete. The designer believes the structure is now unsafe and that the entire post should be replaced but an alternative proposal is being investigated to prop the post up with a special metal brace. 5 August 2011

Winchelsea Speed Watch
Speed Watch this morning clocked 35 vehicles travelling between 35 and 50mph within the 30mph speed limit in Monks Walk and German Street in just one hour. The Speed Watch team reckon they missed another dozen or more. 5 August 2011

New non-emergency police number
If you need to contact Sussex Police for anything other than an emergency (eg reporting suspicious behaviour or a crime that has already taken place), instead of calling 0845-6070-999, you can now use 101. 17 July 2011

Winchelsea Post Office
Winchelsea Post Office opening hours were changed today, following departure of Roger. They are now Monday to Friday 9:00am to 1:00pm and Saturday 9:00am to 12:30pm. 13 July 2011

Neighbourhood Watch alert
On Monday, 11 July, a rucksack containing valuables was snatched from an unlocked car in Castle Street sometime between 17:00 and 17:45. 12 July 2011

Imminent road closure in Winchelsea
Friars Road, St Thomas's Street, Castle Street, Mill Road, Barrack Square, Rookery Lane and Back Lane are to be closed 2:00pm to 3:30pm on Thursday, 14 July, for a school procession. 11 July 2011

The Ship Inn at Winchelsea Beach
The Ship Inn, refurbished as a restaurant/cafe/bar/deli/wineshop has announced that it will be opening on Sunday, 10 July. The new venture boasts former nationally-renowned Winchelsea butcher, Jamie Wickens. 5 July 2011

Butchery at Winchelsea Farm Foods
Ashbees, the butchers in Rye was closed last week. Ashbees is owned by Winchelsea Farm Foods, the trading subsidiary of the Wetland Trust, set up by Mr and Mrs Rumsey of Icklesham as a nature conservation charity. Ostensibly, the closure was for "refurbishment". However, the shop was refurbished when it was purchased by Winchelsea Farm Foods in 2009. And the latest "refurbishment" has seen two butchers sacked. There are also reports of a culling of staff at Winchelsea Farm Food's butchery unit at Suttons Industrial Estate in Winchelsea Beach.
But the highest profile sacking at Winchelsea Farm Foods this week has been Jimmy Scott, the butcher hired only six weeks ago, with much fanfare, to run Ashbees and the butcher's shop in Winchelsea, and to replace nationally-renowned butcher, Jamie Wickens, who was sacked/suspended by Winchelsea Farm Foods in January (see below). Jimmy was due to move his family down from Scotland to Winchelsea, where they were to have occupied the flat above Winchelsea Farm Kitchen.
Jimmy is now working for Orkney Gold in Scotland. Meanwhile, Jamie has been busy at The Ship Inn in Winchelsea Beach, which is due to re-open in early July as a restaurant/bar/cafe/gallery/deli/wine shop.
The reason for Ashbees' sudden closure is not clear. If it was due to competition from the new butcher opening in Cinque Port Street in Rye in June, then the business must have been on the edge already.
Winchelsea Farm Foods appear to be keeping open the one-room deli next to Ashbees, originally to have been part of a "Neals Yard-style" development the butcher's shop. And the Winchelsea Garden Shop, closed last year, after opening for just a couple of months, has been refurbished to add an "overflow" tearoom and re-opened for two days over the weekend of the Winchelsea Open Gardens Day (it is now closed again). Winchelsea Farm Foods plans to add another tearoom to the Windmill Farm Orchard "farm shop" on the road to Icklesham, which it has been promoting as a "corner shop" for Icklesham (nothwithstanding its distance from Icklesham). This may face competition from a shop located in Icklesham, for which planning permission is being sought.
Finally, Roger is leaving Winchelsea Post Office, also owned by Winchelsea Farm Foods, to join Jamie Wickens at The Ship Inn. 2 July 2011

Neighbourhood Watch news.
It was reported on 5 June that almost one-third of the roof lead has been stolen from St Thomas's Church. However, upon enquiry, it turns out that the theft was of one-third of the lead on the single-storey vestry roof. The theft was discovered on 5 June, only after the heavy rain of the day before. The theft is likely to be linked to the theft of lead at Trojans Plat (see below) and may therefore have occurred at the same time. The thieves appear to be happy with small hauls. The thieves are believed to have climbed a drain pipe coated in anti-climb paint and would have triggered a motion-activated security light.  8 June 2011

Neighbourhood Watch news.
Lead was stolen from the porch roof of 3 Trojans Plat, some time between the night of Wednesday 25 May and the morning of Friday 27 May. According to police, there have been a series of lead thefts in the area.
Damage was caused to a chicken coop in the Back Lane allotments between 18:30 on Sunday 30 May and 09:00 on Monday 31 May. This is the latest in a series of acts of vandalism at the allotments. 2 June 2011

Icklesham Parish Council meeting, 16 May 2011.
This was the first meeting of the council following the election of 5 May 2011. Members were co-opted for Icklesham and Winchelsea Beach, where seats had not been contested in the election. Nick Warren, a resident of Icklesham, who had stood in the District Council election, was co-opted for Icklesham ward. Peter Turner, a resident of Winchelsea, who was defeated in the Winchelsea parish ward election, was co-opted for the Beach. Mr Turner stood for election in Winchelsea in 1999. He was also defeated on that occasion but was co-opted for another ward and was also made chairman at the same time. There are now five Winchelsea residents on the council, although Cllr Moore actually lives in Guestling. The main business of the night was a proposal by the new clerk, Steve Foreman, to carve £44,647 out of the budget of £111,386 (40%) and place it in reserve. Winchelsea councillors Chishick and Comotto opposed the proposal on the grounds that 40% was too high. They noted that, in the previous financial year, only five budget items were overspent to the tune of some £3,500, and that over the previous four years, such overspends ranged between about £1,100 and £6,000. They also argued that there is no risk at all of overspending on budget items which are fixed in advance (eg salaries, insurance, electricity bills for the footlights), while annual revenue has been greater or lower than budget by no more than about £70. The councillors noted that Icklesham Parish Council has underspent its budget by 20-53% in recent years, so the council already effectively carried massive reserves. Cllr Chishick reminded the council that it already stood out from the other 32 parishes of Rother this year by imposing a 21% tax increase, while 21 of the others had either frozen or cut taxes, and the remaining 11 had asked for small increases (£143 to £2,100). The Chairman (Cllr Horsman) justified the 21% tax hike by claiming that Icklesham Parish was more expensive to run than other parishes because it was composed of four villages. However, there are four other parishes in the district which are warded, three of which froze their tax, while one cut by some £14,000. Cllrs Chishick and Comotto supported the clerk’s proposal to do an assessment of the risk of overspending. They strongly commended his plan to construct a medium-term financial framework, an initiative which they have supported in the past and which they noted was envisaged in the council’s Financial Regulations. 18 May 2011

Ward elections in Winchelsea, 5 May 2011.
Cllrs Chishick and Comotto were re-elected: Cllr Terry was not. In his place, Stephen Turner, a former councillor, was elected. The fifth candidate, Peter Turner, a former councillor and chairman, was not elected, but has apparently been assured by councillors from other wards that he will be co-opted as a councillor for either Icklesham ward (both Icklesham and Beach ward vacancies as insufficient candidates stood for election). This is reminiscent of the last time Mr (P) Turner stood for election in Winchelsea in 1999. He also lost that election but was co-opted for another ward and made chairman, all on the same night. After failing to be re-elected as chairman in 2001, he resigned from the council. For further details, click here. 8 May 2011

Royal Wedding reception in Winchelsea, 29 April 2011.
This informal gathering was a huge success. Some 150 residents and guests attended. It was somewhat cramped in the Court Hall but the bar was drunk dry and everyone had a convivial time, rounding off a wonderful day. The organising committee wishes to offer thanks to Tina Alexander, Lorna Challand, Catherine Comotto, Alison Davies, Sandra MacKenzie-Smith and Jan Mears for providing food, to Tina Alexander for donating wine, to Paul Anderson for supplying the champagne at cost, to Tina Alexander, Lorna Challand and Monica Janssens for their poetic observations on weddings and to all those who made generous donations. Thanks to those donations and the Royal Wedding Quiz, the event covered its costs and made a small surplus, which will go towards the Diamond Jubilee. 1 May 2011

Winchelsea Corporation, 25 April 2011.
For those interested in such things, there is news from the "mayoring" in Winchelsea. This ceremony, which takes place on Easter Monday, sees the 13 or so "freemen" of Winchelsea elect a "mayor" from among their number. It celebrates Winchelsea's long tradition as a "rotten borough". From the 15th century, most residents were disenfranchised by local laws which required new freemen/voters to be co-opted by existing freemen (whereas in medieval times any male over the age of 12 who paid his taxes automatically became a freeman). Winchelsea Corporation therefore differs from Rye and other Cinque Port corporations in not being democratically elected. This year, saw the incumbent "mayor" re-appointed, R Beecroft replaced as a "jurat" by M de Smith, J Rodley appointed as a new "freeman" and S Rumsey appointed as an "honorary freeman" (honorary, as he is not a resident of Winchelsea).  26 April 2011

Winchelsea Little Shop Association AGM, 9 April 2011.
The AGM re-elected B Chishick, Mrs C Comotto, D Morris and M Terry to the Management Committee. There were no other candidates. The report of the Chairman noted that only £22 in interest had been earned on the WLSA's funds during 2009/10. This was due to the failure of the former Treasurer (Mr S Bevan) to open a deposit account as instructed. The Treasurer had subsequently co-authored a proposal to dissolve the WLSA and disburse its funds, partly on the grounds that so little interest was being earned on the money! The meeting was also informed that the New Hall Management Committee had refused an offer of a loan from the WLSA. This had been proposed at the recent EGM. The idea had been that the loan would provide seed money for grant applications to fund major improvements to the New Hall. At the EGM, a member of the New Hall committee had argued that the hall urgently needed insulating and major upgrading of its facilities. At the end of the meeting, Mr R Comotto noted that, after the previous AGM, a notice had been posted on the Little Shop noticeboard by the Greyfriars Opera Committee claiming that, in a letter to WLSA shareholders, he had accused the Opera of trying to get hold of the WLSA's funds. Mr Comotto quoted from the poster and from his letter to make clear that he had in fact not made any such claim. The Opera Committee has been asked to apologize for their misleading statement. 9 April 2011

Parish Council elections, 5 May 2011.
In contrast to Winchelsea, there will be no contested elections in the other wards of Icklesham Parish. Indeed, in Icklesham and Winchelsea Beach ward, they cannot find enough candidates, and no residents of Rye Harbour are willing to stand at all: they will continue to be represented by residents of Rye Town and Winchelsea Beach. 8 April 2011

Parish Council elections, 5 May 2011.
Once again, there will be a contested election for the three seats for Winchelsea ward on Icklesham Parish Council. The three incumbent ward councillors are standing for re-election --- B Chishick, R Comotto and M Terry. They are being challenged by P and S Turner. The basic issues remains the proposal for a separate parish for Winchelsea.  7 April 2011

Icklesham Parish Council tax hike.
Council tax bills have landed on door mats. The County and District Councils, as well as the Police and Fire authorities, have frozen their tax demands, in line with government guidance. Of the 33 parish and town councils in Rother, 21 have also followed the government by freezing or reducing their tax. Another 11 parish councils in Rother have increased tax by between £145 and £2,130. Icklesham Parish Council stands out by having imposed a hike of £16,133, considerably more than all the other councils put together (the 11 other councils which have increased tax have done so by a total of about £11,000)! Only Winchelsea ward councillors voted against this increase but were outvoted by councillors from Icklesham, Winchelsea Beach and Rye Harbour. Since 2003, Icklesham Parish Council's tax has quadrupled. However, it has always significantly underspent its budget.

New Inn lease back on the market.
To buy the lease, you will need to pay "approximately" £59,000 upfront for fixtures and fittings, legal fees, annual licence fee, broker's and stocktaking fees, training fee, security deposit and working capital. The annual rent is £30,000 (£576.92 per week), down from £52,000. The rent is subject to an annual RPI increase, capped at a maximum of 4.75%. The landord, Greene King, is advertising an "exciting opportunity to transform 'Village Inn' into...a total destination venue", suggesting that you might need "good working capital..." The Regional Manager observes that, "Working with the local commuiity is essential to the success of the pub" and that "during the winter, you'll need to work hard to keep the locals happy". Interestingly, he claims that "local residents appreciate the quality of the ales on offer" and warns "the locals talk!" "Barrelage" figures were 44 barrels per year in 2010/11, down from 78 in 2009/10 and 94 in 2008/09.
13-Mar-11

Fly-tipping at Pear Tree Marsh allotment.
Bags of rubble and an old wardrobe have been dumped on the derelict patch of land in the allotment on Tanyard Lane. Last year, the Council finally cleared most of the rubbish from this area, including a car, trailer and a whole skipload of other rubbish. However, the Council has refused to complete the clearance project and reneged on plans to clear the area of undergrowth and self-seeded trees. It also refused to instal an expensive lock and chain on the gate into the allotment, following the unexplained removal of the previous one and despite being warned of the risk of leaving the site open.
11-Mar-11

Jamie Wickens is back.
The Ship Inn in Winchelsea Beach is due to be launched at Easter, as a bar/ bistro/cafe/gallery, with Jamie advising on the best food, meat and wine. See www.shipwinchelseabeach.com.
11-Mar-11

Winchelsea Film Night.
21 March --- The Infidel starring Omid Djalili
2 May --- Of Gods and Men
30 May --- The King's Speech starring Colin Firth and Helena Bonham-Carter
All films are at the New Hall at 7:00pm for 7:30pm.
7-Mar-11

Wanted: new clerk to Winchelsea Corporation. Winchelsea Corporation is seeking a new clerk to take over in December 2012 from the current clerk, Malcolm Pratt, who will retire after 25 years in the post. The job is unpaid but you do get a lawyer's wig and gown. The Winchelsea Corporation ceased to have any civic powers in 1886, when Winchelsea was absorbed (under protest) into the new Parish of Icklesham. It was however preserved as a charity in order to maintain the membership of the equally defunct Cinque Port Confederation, of which Winchelsea was a Head Port with the special title of Ancient Town. The members of the Corporation elect themselves every Easter Monday. This is in contrast to the other Ancient Town, Rye, where the Corporation became the elected Town Council. 26-Feb-11

Winchelsea-Rye road repairs. The Highways Agency has confirmed that the road repairs advertised as due to start on 7 February by notices placed by Strand Bridge were put up in the wrong place. The road which was scheduled for repair was Winchelsea Road at Guestling Green. The road over the Strand Bridge is actually the Royal Military Road (A259(T)). Repairs to this road are provisionally scheduled for January or February 2012. 25-Feb-11

The Ship Inn, Winchelsea Beach. The Ship Inn is to retain its name after refurbishment and will not be renamed Sea Road House. It is due to open at Easter. 17-Feb-11

Key words from events in early February.

Winchelsea Little Shop Association EGM. A full report is available on the Winchelsea News blog. Read more about the history of the WLSA. 13-Feb-11

Winchelsea Little Shop Association EGM. The resolution to dissolve the WLSA and give away its money, proposed by Mrs Anne Rumsey, was defeated by 49 votes to 24. The WLSA has been asked to consider making a commercial loan to the New Hall to help fund insulation and other improvements. 12-Feb-11

Jamie Wickens. The shocking news has been received that Jamie and Sally Wickens have been suspended by Winchelsea Farm Foods. Jamie has been a butcher in Winchelsea since 1983 and is regarded by the community here as a "living treasure". His butcher's shop attracted customers from across the county and beyond. Jamie is famous nationally as one of the best butchers in the country and was recently included in The Times' list of the top ten butchers in the UK. It is believed that Jamie and Sally will be moving to the Sea Road House, a new restaurant/bar/cafe with attached butcher/deli/wine shop being set up in Winchelsea Beach at the former Ship Inn. 30-Jan-11

Royal celebrations. A well-attended meeting convened by ward councillors in the New Hall agreed to set up a co-ordinating committee for celebrations of the Royal wedding on 29 April and for the Diamond Jubilee in 2012. The core of the committee was formed. Others will be invited to join. The first meeting will be announded shortly. 22-Jan-11

New butchers in Winchelsea Beach. A new venture is being set up to replace the Ship Inn in Winchelsea Beach by Tom Watkins, former manager of the Pet Shop Boys, with an all-day restaurant/bar/cafe with attached butcher/deli/wine shop. A planning application (RR/2010/2659/P) is currently before Rother District Council. The promotional material for the Sea Road House said the venture would be run by well-established local professionals, including one of the top 10 butchers in the country. 17-Jan-11 corrected 17-Feb-11 

Bridge Inn closed. Winchelsea's second pub appears to have closed, although it is not clear whether this is temporary or permanent. 13-Dec-10

Railway crossing in Station Road to be temporarily closed to traffic. The replacement of rails will close the crossing from 22:00 on 14 January to 08:00 on 17 January and then overnight from 22:00 to 06:00 on 17 to 21 January. 07-Jan-11

Public meeting to discuss royal celebrations in April 2011 and 2012. On 22 January, at 10:30am, there will be a meeting in the New Hall, convened by Winchelsea councillors, for Winchelsea residents, clubs, societies and businesses to discuss a possible programme of celebrations for the royal wedding on 29 April 2011 and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012.  28-Dec-10

Winchelsea on TV. On 10 January, at 7:30pm, the BBC South TV series "Inside Out" will be about Kentish medieval hero, Wilikin of the Weald. Wilikin and his force of Wealden archers ambushed the French army sent to support the barons against King John at Lewes and chased them to Old Winchelsea, where he besieged them until they escaped by ship. 20-Dec-10

Barling House oak certain to be condemned. According to District Councillor Nick Ramus, a second surveyor's opinion has attributed subsidence to the mature oak in the garden of Barling House, Hiham Green, and it is virtually certain that the Rother Planning Committee will approve its removal, despite widespread opposition from Winchelsea residents. 14-Dec-10

Icklesham Parish Council to increase tax by 20.6% next year. At its meeting on 13 December, the council voted to hike the "precept" or parish council tax for 2011/12 from £78,500 to £94,633. Only Winchelsea ward councillors voted against the increase. The budget includes no new projects in Winchelsea. 14-Dec-10

Former MP loses legal fight over MP Expenses Scandal article. Jacqui Lait has just lost her second attempt to sue the Evening Standard for defamation. Mr Justice Eady said that any jury would be bound to decide that it was fair comment for the newspaper to say that her letter to The Times in 2009, the subject of the suit, may risk the ire of some. The High Court struck out elements of Ms Lait's initial claim in March 2009 and ordered her to pay £10,400 legal costs, but gave her permission to submit an amended document. Commenting on the second submission. Mr Justice Eady said it was 'unreal to suggest that readers of the Evening Standard would not think the worse of an MP who had taken advantage of (or 'milked') the expenses system simply because he or she had stayed within the letter of the law.' In the light of that, it was felt that no jury could award her damages, even if it concluded that the article also suggested her letter was hypocritical. Ms Lait was forced to pay back £7,000 in interest but had claimed five figures and expenses to help furnish her second home. She has also made a six-figure capital gain on the taxpayer-funded mortage on her second home. 10-Dec-10

Crash at Strand Gate. The wall next to the Strand Gate was smashed yesterday by a car coming down from the High Street. This is not the first impact with the wall but it is the first breach. Residents have complained about vehicles racing down the High Street to get to the Gate before traffic appears from the other side. Ironically, when a photograph was being taken today of the damage, the problem was neatly illustrated when a van driven by the chairman of Icklesham Parish Council almost hit a car coming up through the arch, leading to an altercation between drivers. 10-Dec-10

Canterville Ghost re-arranged. The performance will now take place on Friday, 7th January. 10-Dec-10

Oil leak on the High Street. A refuse lorry collecting from the Little Shop yesterday morning sprang a leak in its hydraulic system. Oil was split around the junction with St Thomas's Street and Castle Street. While waiting for assistance, one of the drivers, wearing a high-visibility jacket, tried to slow traffic to warn other drivers of the risk. Inevitably, there were problems with the usual muppets, who refused to slow or got angry that someone was trying to help them. The spill was treated with sand. 10-Dec-10

Canterville Ghost postponed. Due to the bad weather, the play has had to be postponed. It will now take place on either 7th or 12th January. 03-Dec-10

New parish clerk resigns. The new parish clerk, in post for only six months, has resigned. No reasons have been given to councillors. 22-Nov-10

Parish council proposes to increase tax by 21%. Icklesham Parish Council is proposing an increase of 20.6% in its tax demand on residents for 2011/12, despite calls from government for no increases. 22-Nov-10

New PCSO for Winchelsea. James Armstrong has taken over from Lee Miles. See the announcement. 1-Oct-10

Sainsbury to open in Rye. East Sussex County Council have announced that the Lower School site in Rye has been sold to Sainbsury's. See the announcement. 8-Jun-10

Election of the WLSA management committee for 2010/11  At the AGM of the WLSA on 24 April 2010, the following votes were cast for the 12 candidates who stood for the eight seats on the committee. The votes recorded below were corrected following a check which revealed a mistake on one of the tally sheets. 28-Apr-10

Mayoring. On Easter Monday, the unelected Winchelsea Corporation will choose, from among themselves, a mayor for the Corporation for the next year. The result of the secret ballot will be Michael Melvin. 5-Apr-10

Films in Winchelsea. The village films project is to be extended to Winchelsea from this month. The first film to be shown will be "Creation", the acclaimed recently-released film about Charles Darwin, which will be screened on Monday, 15 March, in the New Hall in Winchelsea, at 7:00pm for 7:30pm start. This will be followed by the new "Sherlock Holmes" film on 26 April and "Bright Star", about the love affair between John Keats and Fanny Brawne, on 24 May. Entry is £4.50 for adults and £3 for under-16s. There will be a bar. 1-Mar-10

New consultation questionnaire from the Winchelsea Town Plan. The new questionnaire covers a wide range of general issues not already consulted on. Residents should have received copies at home. The completed questionnaire should be returned by 28 February 2010. 12-Feb-10

Barrier to be installed at Winchelsea Station level crossing. Network Rail have agreed to a request made by Winchelsea councillors through the County Council for a barrier at this crossing, which has a very high accident rate. It will be installed by April 2010, possibly earlier. 10-Feb-10

War Memorial given Grade II listing. English Heritage has accepted a request by Winchelsea councillors for the War Memorial in the churchyard to be listed. See the Listing. 9-Feb-10

Parish Council precept to rise by over 12% from April 2010. In December, the budget and precept were set at £99,843 and £77,500, respectively. However, at its meeting on 11 January, Icklesham Parish Council added another £1,000, increasing the budget and precept to £100,843 and £8,500, respectively. 15-Jan-10

Footpaths across National Trust land in Winchelsea. The Trust has issued a map of the footpaths that cross their land in and around Winchelsea, and guidance to walkers about crossing fields being grazed by animals. Walkers, casual and serious, need to read this information.

Proposed new timetable for Winchelsea Station. Southern Rail have published a draft timetable that includes the line between Ore and Rye, through Winchelsea Station, that would come into effect in December 2010. They are looking for comments by 10 January 2010. See the covering document, Monday-Friday timetable, Saturday timetable and Sunday timetable.

Names commemorated on the War Memorial in Winchelsea. Do you have any information? Winchelsea ward councillors would be grateful for any background, including photographs. What is known about the names can be seen on this website. Ward councillors can be contacted here or via the Winchelsea Community Answerphone on 01797 225333.

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