Wealden.html



Wealden District
Shown within East Sussex
Geography
Status:	District
Region:	South East England
Historic County:	Sussex
Admin. County:	East Sussex
Area: - Total	Ranked 43rd 835.00 km²
Admin. HQ:	Crowborough/Hailsham
Largest Town:	Hailsham
ONS code:	21UH
Demographics
Population: - Total 140,021 - Density	Ranked 119th 143,800 172 / km²
Ethnicity:	98.3% White
Politics
Wealden District Council http://www.wealden.gov.uk
Leadership:	Leader & Cabinet
Executive:	Conservative
MPs:	Norman Baker, Gregory Barker, Charles Hendry, Nigel Waterson

Wealden is a local government district in East Sussex, England: its name comes from the Weald, the area of high land which occupies the centre of its area.

History

Wealden District was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, by the merger of the Hailsham and Uckfield Rural District Councils (RDCs), both set up under the Local Government Act 1894, which also revived the parish councils. It is one of three Districts within the county and is the central one: the other two being Lewes to the west, and Rother to the east.

Governance

Wealden District Council offices are based in Hailsham and Crowborough, although the two offices are to be merged.

The District is second-level in local government. There are 55 members of the Council, representing 35 wards.¹² The towns have more than one ward: Crowborough has five; Hailsham, three; Heathfield, two; Polegate, two; and Uckfield, four. The ward boundaries are regularly redrawn in an attempt to maintain a standard elector per councillor ratio throughout the district. The ward boundaries as at 2007 are:

The lowest level of local government is the civil parish. The parishes are formed on a geographical basis.

Those within the Wealden District are: ³²

Geography

Wealden District covers two main upland areas: the section of the High Weald within East Sussex; and the eastern end of the South Downs, between which lies the Vale of Sussex. The River Ouse, some of the tributaries of which originate in the District, forms the border with the Lewes District; and the River Cuckmere is entirely within its boundaries. The south-western border is on the Pevensey Levels. Both flow into the English Channel. The River Rother rises on the Weald and flows easterly towards Rye Bay.

Transport

There are several main roads crossing the District. The major trunk road is the A22, London to Eastbourne; it is crossed by the A26 Maidstone - Lewes road at Uckfield; and the A267 Tunbridge Wells to Eastbourne road. There are also three west-east roads: the A259 coastal route; next inland is the A27 Pevensey - Brighton trunk road; and further to the north the A272 cross-country route to Winchester.

The East Coastway Line, serving Eastbourne and Hastings, uses the Vale of Sussex; whilst only other railway line in the District is the Oxted Line branch terminating at Uckfield.

Long-distance footpaths include the South Downs Way; the Monarch's Way; the Sussex Border Path; and the Wealdway

Landmarks

Major landmarks include Beachy Head, the Seven Sisters and Cuckmere Haven along the coast; and the Long Man of Wilmington together with various high points along the South Downs.

References

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