I hope January is going well. Local running superstar, James Cooper, is an absolute inspiration and it was an honour to celebrate with him and residents in East Grinstead at the end of his immense challenge -known as ‘Smilinggg 366 ‘-where he’s raised over £123,000! What an incredible, outstanding and enduring legacy this will have for the Samaritans. Hats off to James and all those who have helped him in his efforts. I had the chance to chat to his very proud Dad at this richly deserved welcome by the town and people were donating very generously -lovely to be there with Town Mayor, Cllr Steve Ody. Congratulations James and thank you to all who’ve supported you -a proud day for you all - if you'd like to donate, please find the link on my website.
I'd encourage all my constituents in East Grinstead, Uckfield and the local villages to share their views in the latest Transport for the South East's Consultation. This key consultation closes 7th March and will help inform them on the new draft Transport Strategy. The link can be found on my website under news.
I’ve been eagerly involved in the planning situation happening in Wivelsfield as I know this is a large concern to the residents. I couldn’t attend the meeting in December, so the Thursday before Christmas I asked for a meeting with the No To Wivelstown team and this will take place later this month. I have been blessed to grow up, live and serve in a county with some of the most quintessentially British landscapes; our beautiful rolling countryside, our coastline just a short journey away, our woods and rivers alongside our Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) and National Parks are a crucial part of what makes our county so special. We must protect these from unwarranted development and bulldozing and I will continue to fight to protect our green spaces with new homes in the right places. I look forward to working together on this and other initiatives for the sake of all our communities.
