Work will begin this summer on the long awaited

redevelopment of Haywards Heath station after

planning permission was granted by the District

Council. The proposals had won strong community

support during consultation last year.

The plans include a new multi-story car park,

improved station facilities and better pick up and

drop off points to tackle congestion. A new

Waitrose supermarket will be built on the site,

creating hundreds of jobs and ending the town’s

supermarket monopoly once and for all.

Train operator Southern has just carried out an

internal refurbishment of the booking hall to

complement the redevelopment, which developer

Solum Regeneration aims to complete the work by

Christmas 2014.

Heath Ward Councillor Jonathan Ash-Edwards

said: “For decades, it has been beyond the ability

of the private and public sectors to redevelop this

site, but we now have an achievable plan which will

deliver many benefits. In tough economic times,

this investment is a welcome boost for the town”.

intouch GREEN LIGHT FOR NEW STATION & WAITROSE

WE NEED A STRONGER VOICE AT COUNTY HALL

With the election

of a new County

Councillor just

weeks away,

residents are

saying that it’s

time to choose

someone who

gets things done

locally.

Heath Ward’s current County Councillor, who

was elected as a Liberal Democrat, and is

now Labour, let residents down by living in

Canada while he was supposed to be

representing Haywards Heath.

The Conservatives have chosen hard-working

local campaigner Sujan Wickremaratchi to

stand in the County Council elections on

Thursday 2nd May. Sujan has lived in the

town with his family for over 20 years and

works in IT.

He is already working with Councillors

Jonathan Ash-Edwards, Natalie March and

Sandy Ellis and, if elected, will ensure Heath

Ward is properly represented at the County

Council.

TOWN PLAN TO PROTECT GREEN SPACES

The Haywards Heath Neighbourhood Plan

will focus on brownfield development and

protecting green spaces, following last year’s

public consultation and lobbying by Heath

Ward Councillors.

Cllr Sandy Ellis says: “Haywards Heath

does need some new homes, but there are

still many brownfield sites which should be

used before greenfield sites are considered”.

News from Jonathan Ash-Edwards, Natalie March, Sandy Ellis & Sujan Wickremaratchi

FUNDING SECURED FOR BALCOMBE ROAD CHANGES

COUNCIL TAX FROZEN FOR THIRD YEAR

■ The Conservative-run District & County Councils have ensured that Council Tax will not increase for the third year running to help families with the cost of living.

The move means families have saved £100 compared to a typical increase. At the same time, the Councils have saved millions of pounds by axing management and back office costs. Conservatives know that Council Tax represents a large monthly bill for many residents and want to see it kept down.

Road safety improvements on the Balcombe Road

will go ahead next year after Heath Ward’s

Councillors secured funding from West Sussex

County Council.

Plans to reduce traffic speeds and improve

pedestrian safety will be drawn up in consultation

with local residents during the course of this year.

At least £50,000 will be made available for the

works.

Cllr Natalie March says: “It has taken a lot of work

from residents and Councillors to prove the need

for improvements, but we now have the opportunity

to make the road safer for the many people who

use it every day”.

HEATH WARD’S CONSERVATIVE TEAM Working hard for you

Please give us your contact details so we can keep in touch with you about the issues you have raised:

Name

How we use your information The data you provide will be retained by the Conservative Party in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998 and related legislation. By providing your data to us, you are consenting to the data holders making contact with you in the future by telephone, text or other means, even though you may be registered with the Telephone Preference Service. Your data will not be sold or given to anyone not connected to the Conservative Party. If you do not want the information you give to us to be used in this way, or for us to contact you, please indicate by ticking the relevant boxes: Post � Email � SMS � Phone �

Email

Phone

Address

Let us know if you have any issues of concern:

Display a poster at election time

Deliver a few leaflets in your road

Join the local Conservative Party

Help with stuffing envelopes

Attend social events

Register for a postal vote

Stand as a candidate in local elections

HOW CAN YOU HELP US?

Please return to: Conservative Party, 5 Hazelgrove

Road, Haywards Heath, RH16 3PH

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK

Published, printed and promoted by Ginny Heard on behalf of Mid Sussex Conservatives, 5 Hazelgrove Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 3PH intouch

HEATH WARD NEWS

■ Call for Heath Road gritting Concerns that Heath Road hasn’t been

gritted in the recent snow, despite it

providing access to the health centre, have

been taken up by Sujan Wickremaratchi. The

County Council is now looking at the issue.

■ Somewhere to meet Residents in Mill Hill Close and Barnard Gate

are working on a project to provide a

community room to give elderly residents

somewhere to meet. Jonathan Ash-Edwards

has helped the group secure grant funding.

■ Queens Road speeding Sandy Ellis has welcomed news that possible

works to reduce traffic speeds in Queens

Road will be considered by WSCC in June.

Community Corner SPOTLIGHT ON FURNIHELP

As a new feature, inTouch is putting the

spotlight on a local community group to

highlight the work they do locally and show

how you can help.

Furnihelp is a local charity which recycles

furniture and household goods to families

and individuals in need, to help provide the

basics needed to furnish a home. The service

also helps to reduce the amount of furniture

and goods sent to landfill.

Demand for Furnihelp’s support is always

strong and more donated furniture is always

needed. To find out more about donating

your unwanted furniture or household items

to someone in need, phone 01342 811755

or email admin@furnihelp.co.uk

■ If you are involved in a community group

who would like to be featured in inTouch,

please contact us on 01444 452590.

TACKLING BRIDGE PIGEONS For months, pedestrians and commuters have had

to dodge pigeon droppings while walking under the

railway bridge to the station after pigeons broke

through netting designed to stop them accessing

the underside of the bridge.

After lobbying from Cllr Jonathan Ash-Edwards

and Sujan Wickremaratchi, Network Rail are now

undertaking work to ‘pigeon proof’ the bridge once

more, with the final stage of the work to be

completed in April. Sujan says: “I’m pleased that

Network Rail are now tackling this problem which

has made this part of town look run down”.

Sujan Wickremaratchi, Jonathan Ash-Edwards, Natalie March and Sandy Ellis and are here to help

Phone: 01444 452590 Email: contact@heathward.net Online: www.midsussexconservatives.com Twitter: @Mid_Sussex or @jashedwards

TOWN TO DO HIGHWAYS WORKS Small highways works in Haywards Heath will be

carried out by the Town Council from May after

Councillors signed an agreement to take on the

work from the County Council. The deal means that

work such as pothole repairs, twitten maintenance

and cleaning road signs will be quicker and more

responsive, building on the work the Town Council

does to improve the local environment, such as the

new grassed area at the corner of Heath Road.

Cllr Sandy Ellis says: “This is one of those

initiatives that has been talked about for ages so

it’s good that we’re finally making it happen”.

NEW PARK CAFE AND TOILETS The pavilion in Victoria Park located behind the

skate park will reopen shortly with new public

toilets and a new indoor café facility.

The works have been funded by additional savings

the District Council made in its budget this year and

are part of a £200,000 investment in community

buildings throughout Mid Sussex.

Cllr Natalie March says: “As a result of these

works, the pavilion will now be operational all year

round and will be a big help for families using

Victoria Park this summer”.