Saturday 26th October 2024

The Procession starts outside The Ram at 7pm

The Bonfire is lit in the Playing Fields at about 9pm

The Firework displays normally start around 9:30pm

Buy tickets here

What the King’s Speech means for renters, first-time buyers and leaseholders

Extract from todays article in the i newspaper

ANALYSIS

Inflation may now be down at 2 per cent, but house prices remain at near-historic highs

Britain’s new Labour Government has put the housing crisis at the top of the agenda in today’s King’s Speech as they outlined the legislation they intend to pass over the next parliamentary session.

In his introduction, Sir Keir Starmer lamented that “too many people currently live with the threat of insecurity and injustice” and said that Labour would “make sure everyone can grow up in the secure house they deserve”.

How do they plan to achieve this? Given that the last 14 years of Conservative government played out against a backdrop of rising homelessness, rising house prices, rising private rents and growing problems with affordability, it will be no mean feat.

Inflation may now be down at 2 per cent but house prices remain at near-historic highs, average mortgage rates are double what they were before the pandemic and private rents increased by an average of 8.6 per cent across the UK over the last year.

Labour’s solution to this seemingly intractable mess takes a 360 approach to the housing market. Their proposals address the leasehold/freehold system, private renting and, crucially, Britain’s sclerotic planning system which, the Prime Minister’s team hopes, will increase the supply of new housing by 1.5 million homes over the next five years.

The burning question is, how many of them will be affordable?

It is time to get familiar with planning reform if you aren’t already. Whether you’re a long-term private renter, a homeowner looking to move or a hopeful first-time buyer, today’s announcements will impact you.

Private renting

More than 11 million people rely on a private landlord to provide them with a home. That’s greater than the number of people who live in social housing.

In 2019, the Conservatives pledged to end Section 21 “no fault” evictions and reform private renting to “rebalance” the power between renters and landlords. That promise was broken when the former prime minister called a general election, and the Renters’ Reform Bill which would have delivered it was tossed aside after being delayed for months due to arguments with pro-landlord backbenchers.

Today Labour announced that the Renters’ Reform Bill will be renamed the Renters’ Rights Bill. It will be brought forward so that changes can be made to protect private renters from eviction quickly. It will also apply the Decent Homes Standard to privately rented homes in a bid to drive up standards and do away with damp, mouldy housing and seek to make it easier for renters to resolve disputes with their landlords.

Ben Twomey, the chief executive of Generation Rent – a group that advocates for private renters – told i that the return of Renters’ Rights was welcome.

However, he noted that the reforms need to go even further. Particularly when it comes to rent inflation.

“Similarly, empowering tenants to challenge rent increases won’t work if we still end up with rents rising faster than our incomes,” Twomey said.

The Government currently has no plans to regulate or stabilise rents to stop them rising. For instance, by capping how much landlords can charge.

However, regional mayors such as Sadiq Khan in London and Andy Burnham in Greater Manchester have openly called for the power to do this. Today, Labour announced the English Devolution Bill which will give combined authorities, like the one Burnham heads up, more power. Whether that could include rent regulation remains to be seen.

Last week, Burnham told i of his plans to make private renting safer and fairer in Greater Manchester and appeared to signal that he wanted to take action on rents.

Twomey added that the English Devolution Bill could be “an opportunity to give metro mayors powers to slam the brakes on soaring rents, and allow breathing space for those areas hardest hit by the renting crisis”.

The National Residential Landlords’ Association (NRLA) also appeared to welcome the Renters’ Rights Bill and said they “will work constructively with the Government as it continues to work on the detail of its plans”.

You can read the full article from the i newspaper here

Bank Holiday Monday August 26 2024

from 1 PM to 4 PM

Firle Village Fete is back !

Come on down to Firle Village Playing Fields and Cricket Ground!

Entry is £1 per adult with free entry to Raffle 1st Prize draw

Our official programme costs £2.00

Our Events include:

• DOG SHOW
• SHEEP RACING
• UKELELE BAND
• ARCHERY
• BBQ
• Bar
• Tombola
• Raffle (Lots of good prizes)
• Wellie-throwing
• Coconut Shy
• Bowling
• Whack the Rat
• Bric-a-brac
• Clothing Stall
• Produce stalls
• CD’s for sale
• Tea and Cake stand

Programme Times (Approximate

1:00pm ~ Firle Fete opened by Lord Gage

2:00pm ~ Firle Dog Show starts

3:00pm ~ Sheep Racing start

4:00pm ~ Raffle Prize Draw and close

Firle Fete Official Programme

Download the full programme here

HOW TO GET TO FIRLE FETE:

On the A27 between Lewes and Alfriston. There are new pedestrian crossing lights at the junction to Firle. Take the Firle exit off the A27 and look for the park gates on your left

PARKING AT FIRLE FETE:

Enter the Park gates and the parking area will be on your right, next to the playground

We had 42 responses to our survey on Cost of Living and Road Safety. That’s about one in three households in the parish

Here’s a quick summary of the findings:

• Many people were willing to support a Warm Space event in Firle, but very few would use it
• There was a lot of interest in better information regarding financial help and money-saving tips
• Most households would support community purchases of firewood, fuel oil, and a local energy generation scheme
• People were keen to lift-share, with preference for a Lift-sharing Whatsapp group
• Most people (68% ) were concerned that the local roads were on the ‘dangerous’ side of the scale
• Most people (68%) felt the areas between the A27 and the School/Bostal was the biggest concern, with a footpath being the preferred option

Here are the full findings and unedited comments

The FCA committee will be meeting in early March to decide what action to take on the findings

Many thanks to all who participated

Tuesday 20th December at 6pm

Friday May 27th @ 6pm

We’re please to announce a LOCALS ONLY event at the RAM. Its been arranged by the FCA and Hayley (our pub landlady) to get everyone together and open the newly refurbished RAM garden.

Hayley is offering welcome drinks and Pizza. If you’ve recently moved to Firle, it will be a great opportunity to meet your community neighbours. We’ll take the opportunity to make a few community announcements (Maximum 5 minutes!) about the upcoming Jubilee weekend celebrations, the launch of Firle Community Land Trust, and other local stuff

Looking forward to seeing you there!

VILLAGE MEETING – 10th MARCH at 7pm – FIRLE MEMORIAL HALL

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee 2nd-5th June 2022 

Firle Parish Council is seeking to engage with all village organisations, societies, businesses and parishioners with regard to the upcoming celebrations for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Her Majesty The Queen will become the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth.

Previous events like this have been celebrated in various ways in Firle Village and have been an opportunity for all groups and individuals to get involved for the benefit of the Parish and Community.

This year there will be a four day UK bank Holiday starting Thursday 2nd June and finishing on Sunday 5th June.  

Firle Bonfire Society have already agreed to “Light” the Beacon as part of a chain of over 1,500 beacons that will be lit throughout the United Kingdom, Channel Islands and UK Overseas Territories. This will be on the evening of Thursday 2nd June. (subject to the appropriate permissions as always)

It would be great to mark the occasion of the Queen’s amazing act of service and duty in this village as we have before.

Firle Parish Council has approached all organisations and societies for their input as to their possible involvement and we are awaiting their responses.

To get the ball rolling Firle Parish Council has arranged a meeting in Firle village Hall for all those wishing to get involved for the 10th March 2022 starting at 7pm. 

The Council would like to hear from anyone who would like to be involved in supporting or helping organise these celebrations, whether that be via their organisation or as a member of the community.

If you would like to be involved but cannot attend the meeting, please contact our new Parish Clerk Lorna Thwaites in the first instance on firleclerk@outlook.com or myself on 07974 125567

We very much look forward to seeing you or hearing from you and thank you in advance for your support. 

Kind regards

Richard Gravett

Chairman (on behalf of) Firle Parish Council