Generally, green issues are under national guidelines. All Rother can do is try to enforce/encourage them. To reach lower emissions, which means using electricity more, we need to address a problem particular to Brightling, .i.e. reliability of electricity supply. This is proving to be very poor indeed and many of us now run emission busting generators.

Retrofitting of insulation is only as good as the people doing the work. So far, the record has not been good. However, an important step (together with the right rules on new properties) so this needs to be addressed in a professional manner. Where is the funding coming from?

Re-use of existing properties by changing to suit modern needs is good. At the moment it is easy to say a property is no longer fit for the purpose. There should be set criteria by which it is judged. Re-using not only saves on materials costs and energy, but also on demolition, clearing site and then re-delivering of new material all with its energy consumption. Local residents should be able to compile a description of what they see as "local style". A Bank for local building materials acquired through re-claim is an excellent idea. Would it be Council controlled or private as this could be open to unscrupulous acquisitions. (some will remember all our manhole covers being stolen not that many years ago!)

Water storage is something we need to look at, but how? Underground tanks? Then it is important to educate people in health and safety on re-use of this water.

Education should also play an important part in the conservation of nature. Many people do not see the huge variety we have around us, particularly in Brightling. (see Messenger articles on What to Look out for my contribution.)

Potential employment growth of 1861people (how do they know?) has been identified at Coldharbour Farm Estate. Will this be to the detriment of locals and other road users, with traffic movement, noise and unsightly commercial builders? What would the position be with other farms in the Parish where farming is clearly not a profitable enterprise and most having a back-up plan.

Residential development potential has been spotted in surrounding villages. This needs to be watched as there is a risk of increased traffic through Brightling as it is used as a rat run to get to other main roads, stations, etc.

Good luck with the 30 years vision for the A21!

To answer question 92/93 - Brightling is a very social village which communicates well, as proved during Covid. The internet is very important here and, thanks to Andrew, we now have super fast connection. This then leads back to the question of power supply....

Please see attached comments on draft Local Plan, including Brede Valley Landscape Assessment and East Sussex Landscape Assessment.

I would prefer to see Rother developing its own approach to retrofitting homes in conservation areas or those with EH Grade II listings, as English Heritage prioritises appearance and adherence to historical architectural standards above the need to mitigate climate change and protect communities now and in the future. Many residents with older homes would welcome more, and less expensive, options for insulating their properties and making them more energy efficient, options that HER1 rule out. For instance, solar panels should be allowed within the curtilage of Grade 11 listed properties as long as they are not visible from public roads or footpaths (cf recent policy adoption by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea)

No burning of construction waste on site.

The council needs its own well trained advisors and inspectors who can give confidence to home owners that retrofit will be carried out competently and not cause further problems such as condensation caused by badly installed or planned insulation.

I would like to see Rother setting up a retrofit training programme, to provide 21st century employment opportunities for local people, and to train all existing local builders, so that we can be sure that work is carried out to a high standard of skill and expertise.

Please see attached comments from Burwash Parish Council.

Please see attached submission.

See attached.

Please see attached document for the full submission from Westfield Parish Council.