My politics: Councillor Rupert Simmons

County Council

I have listed my priorities this year as bringing the young and elderly people of our community to greater harmony and respect; supporting the commercial economy; and to specifically support the music service and all its endeavors.

I also have a responsibility for supporting the many voluntary organisations in our County and the invaluable service towards our wellbeing they provide.

I am also responsible for two projects that I will continue with:

• representing the county in Europe, especially regarding INTERREG funding.
• chairing the ‘Flying High' gifted and talented teaching project in conjunction with private & state schools.

Since being elected in 2001, I have had the honour of being the cabinet member for first Education and then Learning & School Effectiveness. It is a matter of personal pride that – during that term of office – the standards of education performance improved beyond all recognition at all key stages, and this year the highest ever recorded at all key stages.

The investment in our school buildings, equipment and facilities has also been dramatic; and last but not least, the recruitment of outstanding head teachers and high quality teachers has gone from strength to strength.

In my last year I also did a spell as Vice-Chairman.

Local member

Heathfield Partnership

For the last few years, I have had the honour of chairing the board of the Heathfield Partnership Trust Co. Ltd. Since 1997 the Heathfield Partnership has evolved from a steering group into a limited company, which is now recognised as a charity trust. Over that time an enormous amount of work has been done to regenerate the town and improve its amenities.

Over £1 million in grant funding has been raised to execute a number of projects across the Heathfield & Waldron Parish.

• Town centre improvements, including disabled access to all properties in the high street and station road.
• The introduction of smarter paving and new street furniture.
• A much warmer appearance with trees and hanging baskets in the summer and Christmas lights in the winter.
• The many and varied mechanisms introduced to promote Heathfield businesses and services.
• The new heathfield.net website and its service to the whole community.
• Public information points in a variety of locations throughout the parish with free access to the Internet.
• Ongoing work towards building an indoor swimming pool and extending the national cycle route 21 north to Mayfield.
• The very successful farmer's market.

All of this and much more has been done in harmony and partnership with the Heathfield & Waldron Parish Council, The Heathfield Area Chamber of Trade & Commerce and the Heathfield & Waldron Rotary Club.

Policing

When I was elected in 2001, Heathfield was policed from Hailsham. The old police station was being used as a special branch operations office, without any service to the local community. I campaigned to the chief constable for the re-introduction of the local police station, a local police team and an arrest station within Wealden.

The local police team now use the station. Police Sergeant Ruth Hammerton manages the local Heathfield team with P.C. Cathy Codling and 6 police community support officers. Uckfield police station is now available for police officers to take citizens who are being arrested, rather than the extended journey and waiting time in Eastbourne. In the last year, eight anti-social orders have been placed and an innumerable number of crimes have been dealt with. The end result is a safer community for everyone.

Youth

With my education portfolio, I had the privilege of seeing young people throughout the county achieving many great things. It was also my pleasure to have regular dealings with the Youth Council in the youth centre. They are a fine group of people, eager to do their best for the town and the community. Their charming relations with Mary Burfield Court residents are exemplary, as are their endeavours with tidying litter in the town.

We have also introduced a new youth website on heathfield.net created by the students themselves, and I am working with the manager of the youth centre to bring more investment and services in to ensure the maximum opportunities for young people.

The transport project described below has been a magnificent success over the last year enabling us to give access to more positive programmes for young people in the community – at the youth centre or expeditions beyond.

Road safety

I have spent much of the last eight years trying to introduce increased safety measures within my ward. Establishing the Heathfield local transport plan – one of the earliest in the entire county – has been a major success. Nine projects were identified and only the A265/Lewes Road Junction scheduled for 2010/2011 is yet to be concluded.

The Halley Road safe crossing and 40mph speed limit is now installed and should be a major help to students gaining access to the school. In addition, speed controls in Broad Oak, Horam and Cross in Hand were implemented early in my term of Office. Further reductions in Broad Oak, Rushlake Green and Three Cups are now scheduled for the next financial year.

Rights of way

I have worked closely with the Rights of Way team to improve access to pathways throughout my patch. The greatest success has been rebuilding six bridges in the Warbleton Parish. There is much more work to be done, especially in areas where there has been vandalism or abuse. This is a great sadness when trying to protect access to the glorious Sussex countryside.

Transport

Over recent times there has been a gradual reduction in bus services connecting Heathfield and its surrounds. I met with the managing director of Eastbourne buses to save the 52 service leaving Eastbourne at 6pm, which helped those with work or student courses in Eastbourne.

I am now chairing a partnership project that has established a local service. This would be complimentary to Age Concern, but also available to other people in the community, particularly groups.

The Youth Express scheme has already completed its first year. It has been a wonderful success in enabling young people – especially from the rural hinterland of Heathfield – to get into the Youth Centre for positive programmes and activities. It has also given them access to the extended Schools programme. Expeditions to outside events have also been put on and these should continue to grow. Funding has now been secured for both for the next year.

Hailsham road post office

Much of my representation work has been very successful but I am very sad that I failed to protect against the closure of the Hailsham Road post office. Ian Johns, the postmaster for the last 20 years, had served his local community – particularly the elderly in Alexandra Road – wonderfully well. His business was successful and had no reason to be closed. No matter how hard I (or the local MP, Charles Hendry) tried, our arguments fell on deaf ears. We were left with the inevitable conclusion that it was a fait accompli from the start.

I did manage to campaign successfully to maintain the 6pm post collection from Heathfield central, so important for local business and the rebuild of the post box in Old Heathfield.

Other associations

• Governor of Heathfield Community College.
• Governor of Broad Oak and Punnet's Town Primary Schools.
• Member of the Parochial Church Council of All Saints Church, Waldron.
• Trustee of the Waldron 800 Trust.
• Chairman of the Cattam Committee.

A website I recommend

East Sussex County Council is not responsible for the content of external websites.

Heathfield.net

Website for Heathfield and surrounding villages in the Parish of Heathfield and Waldron.