RAYMOND SHING UPPER WILLINGDON SUSSEX INDEPENDENT COUNCILLORS IN WEALDEN DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS NOT BELONGING TO OR AFFILIATTED WITH ANY POLITICAL PARTY

MAY 2023 - The votes are in and the Conservatives are out. Now the victors need to take their seats out for a spin, and try to come up with reforms that might make a difference. Affordable homes and a rolling stock of land to be able to supply to self builds and flat packs. No services are required in the modern world. It is cheaper to stay off the grid, with water treatment units and boreholes for water supplies. Solar panels can supply all the energy you'll need. But renewable hydrogen could be a game changer. Supplied as green methanol, to pass through a fuel cell, via a reformer. The world is your oyster.

Contact Raymond - Correspondence address:
18 Coppice Avenue
Willingdon
Eastbourne
East Sussex
BN20 9PN

Phone: 07872 014028
Mobile: 07576 261898
Email: cllr.raymond.shing@wealden.gov.uk

You do not have to be a member of the big three political parties to stand as an Independent Councillor. Independent Councillors are Members of councils various belonging to no political group or party. You can stand for common sense and vote on any issue the way your ethics dictate, rather than tow a party line.

To become a councillor you will need to stand for elections, where most candidates are nominated through a political party, and are thus constrained not to question the agenda of that party. A candidate must be nominated by a separate nomination paper, signed by 10 registered electors of the ward in which you are to stand. You are then freed from the big 3, to pursue ethical and morally correct decisions, to make Wealden a better place for people to want to live in.

THE 2003 LOCAL ELECTIONS - WEALDEN IS NO LONGER CONTROLLED BY THE CONSERVATIVES

The Liberal Democrats were the overall winners with 13 seats, with the Green Party coming in second with 11.

The Conservatives saw the biggest drop, going from 28 seats to eight. There are only 8 Conservative members and now an incredible 10 Independents. With these results, Independent members have established themselves as a leading force on Wealden District Council.

Council officers will seek to train incoming candidates and brainwash them to the Pothole Party way of thinking. As a councillor you will be able to see papers not revealed to the public. And you may be in for a shock at the antics of Wealden, in pursuing (sometimes) illegal agenda's, such as defrauding one member of the public, to advantage another - in discrimination. When reading such documentary evidence, council executives will use character assassination and any other mechanism to try to persuade you that what they did was excusable. But was it. We advise to check the law for yourself, not to rely on what may be biased views, left over remnants of when such offences were committed.

In revealing their dirty laundry, you will be asked to sign a Confidentiality Agreement. That is to protect them from you when it is revealed how unlawfully/illegally a Conservative led council was conducted. Be careful not to be brainwashed. Look at what is presented against Statute, Common Law, and common sense morality. Did they or have they acted with integrity in the past? Doubtful. And what are they going to do about it to make amends? Or why the need for a Non-Disclosure Agreement : )

INHERITED QUAGMIRE - The problem for those newly elected, or newly taking power, is the mess the outgoing affiliated members have left you to clear up. And it is a huge pile of poop make no mistake. Potential cures to these ails might be a potion from the cauldron below.

Where councils are not providing land for low cost housing (just about all of them), Wealden might prevent consents for executive housing, until developers provide low cost housing up front. Requiring statutory reform, maybe, except that the 2021 National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) provides that there should be "Entry Level Exception Sites" (Section 65 (d)). And at Section 68 (a), where they have to identify Specific Deliverable Sites - for a five year period. Wealden District is just one geographical location taking advice from Local Government Association advisers, on how to avoid meeting their obligations.

The main reason for perpetuating the lack of affordable housing, is so as not to affect the value of councillors property portfolios. Those who have invested in, own and operate property rental companies, etc. Incoming stocks of sustainable homes are sure to affect the value of existing rental properties. Lowering their value, if it is cheaper for those coming to the property market to buy, rather than rent.

The simple act of retaining a register, with the get-out that they cannot provide land with services, is not a valid excuse for failing to provide the five year rolling stock of land, and identifying that land clearly. Simply because, once land is identified and made available by earmarking for low cost housing, flatpacks and other mobile units can be installed - Stand Alone, and Off Grid. With the latest technology, water, waste, electricity and Wifi can all be provided without connecting to conventional services. Further reducing the cost of living, and pushing sustainability.

So as not to push that land beyond the price of start-up homes, councils should purchase that land, and make plots available to people who have registered an interest.

Low income earners are forced to rent at market levels, pushing vulnerable families into unaffordable debt - the rents going to overseas investors. This is a loophole that needs to be closed. Councils have compulsory purchase powers to obtain land, such as once it has been identified in a local plan, to be used for affordable homes, that locals can afford to buy. Making those low wage earners more productive, and mentally healthier.

Money that goes to rental companies and wealthy landlords, frequently finds its way offshore, so that generated wealth (typically from housing benefits) is removed from the UK economy. Creating a loss of income, that would otherwise be spent on taxable goods in the UK. The council have purchased land, but not for affordable housing. Why not ask to see details of land purchases. And, while you are at it, ask where all the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) payments are going if not to provide an Infrastructure - as in Road Repairs and EV charging, etc.

And how about a policy that digging up roads several times a year must stop. It could be made law that permanent ducts have to be installed, either alongside new roads, or under existing roads, with easy access points. Or, the right to tap into installed (large diameter) pipes, and install new entry points, exiting onto pavements - with easy access hatches, that are flush fitting.

In Wealden, it is alleged that at least one senior councillor has registered property offshore. It is unclear if this was to avoid registering conflicts of interest, or for tax advantage. Either way, it bears looking at. It is also suggestive that to prevent corruption in voting, that members should have to register property interests in and outside of the UK.

PASSING THE BUCK - President Biden said a US default on its $31.4tn (£25tn) debt by Monday's deadline (5th June 2003) would have been "catastrophic". The ceiling was justified by a theoretical $1.5 trillion in savings. But what happens if spending creeps up again, or those savings cannot be made?

Suspending the debt limit through early 2025 takes the threat of default off the table until after next year’s presidential election. In addition to addressing the debt limit, the law caps non-defense spending, expands work requirements for some food stamp recipients and claws back some Covid-19 relief funds, among other policy provisions. The US Treasury Department had warned it would no longer be able to pay all of the nation’s obligations in full and on time – a scenario that could have triggered global economic catastrophe. What a state for any nation to get into. They are only "hoping" for fiscal stability. It is not guaranteed by any means - because they should have acted before $5.0 trillion. A Circular Economy, is where no borrowing is required. Not a country hanging out to dry.

To make better use of the free energy from offshore wind turbines, perhaps by generating hydrogen for fuel as gas for homes, and to generate electricity for fuel cell vehicles, and hydrogen for IC engines like that produced by JCB, or produce green methanol for other road cars, such as to use the existing service station infrastructure. Unfortunately, that presumes members are up to speed with such developments. It also presumes that funding development grants do not go to those already in fossil fuel businesses, with conflicts if interest. Such as investors in oil companies, or their subsidiaries.

There is no reason why Wealden might not endorse such technology, and even encourage the transition, with the right policies in place. To make it happen.

The UK could become a net exporter of energy and renewable technology. The energy cost 'crisis' would be averted. Energy companies that do not invest in renewables, could be fined, and/or lose their franchise. This might mean the enactment of urgent legislation, which the Conservative party might not support.

We need to encourage entrepreneurs in music, films and publishing in the Wealden area. One thing we are good at is creating original scripts and songs and producing very exportable actors, music is a valuable export. The pop group Abba, was once Sweden's second largest export, after Saab vehicles. Creative people should be encouraged, to write books and illustrate comics.

We are reliant on the import of cheap goods, and much of our food. We should encourage sustainable fishing along our coasts, and the growing of vegetables and grain, to reduce as much as possible, imports. Wealden has a number of vineyards.

It is cheaper in the long term to admit mistakes. Wealden used to make a habit of not immediately correcting errors. Then begins a long cover up, with one lie after another, compounding simple misfeasance, turning a civil offence into the criminal offence of malfeasance.

One of the longest running cover ups, concerns the historic Generating Station at Herstmonceux. Several council officials bandied together to defraud the then occupier of a grant he would have been entitled to from 1983. They shared information of the history to committees, as members might see if they look at the enforcement history, but then embarked on a campaign of denial. Basically, lying to the Secretary of State at appeals, the Magistrates Court and several High Court judges, in saying the building was not original, but a replacement built on a brownfield site. From where there was no turning back, because the building was subsequently confirmed by London University (Archaeology South East) as being original in construction in 1999/2000. Much egg on face for Wealden, but they soon recovered and continued living in denial.

From 1986 onwards, Wealden were actively seeking to appropriate the historic complex for Peter and June Townley, as a secret agenda - a matter of Article 14 discrimination illegality. As per the European Communities Act 1972, and of course the European Convention.

In 1997, a Petition saw evidence of such malfeasance in public office, referring the cases of 11 petitioners and one latecomer, to Sussex police. Though it appears the Sussex coppers in the mix at that time, were on the payroll. For they neglected to investigate, and then conspired to present a letter of exoneration to a full council meeting, read out by the Leader of the Council, as if the police had written the letter, when in fact it was drafted by officers, then printed on police headed paper - which the Old Bill very kindly supplied, as their part in the Conspiracy to Pervert the Course of Justice. Sadly, that crime remains to be investigated, there being no statutory limit in time on such crimes. Make no mistake, the fraud is ongoing, with the Parish Council in on it. That is why the Generating Station (GS) is not mentioned on their website, nor is the GS mentioned as an attraction by Wealden's or East Sussex tourism departments. We wonder if it is included on a/any Local List?

Each time these inconvenient facts were brought to the attention of your then Chief Executives, the newby resigned. Then your council tried to resolve in 2003/04, with a Consent Order, where your council would apply for permission to regularize the lack of beneficial use, but instead sought to discredit the protestor/dissident in 2006, to as it were eliminate his assertions from the copy book: bury him.

We are talking about a valuable historic building here. One of a kind, the earliest and only surviving electricity generating station from C. 1900 in England. With the potential for UNESCO listing as a World Heritage Site, because it used a battery store for load leveling. Over 120 years ahead of the systems now being used to load-level renewable, solar and wind energy.

This building is without a reasonable or beneficial use. Yet, your council owes the Trust trying to restore and maintain the building, a duty of care. That duty is to protect the historic built environment. Instead, Wealden's officers embarked on a war of attrition. Doing all they could to prevent any beneficial use. Why? Because the then occupier caught them red-handed with their hands in the cookie jar. It has been so since 1999-2000 when London University carried out a Survey, proving the occupier had been right in 1986, when he argued at appeal that the building was an early generating station.

So who is going to pay for the repairs and maintenance. Where is that money going to come from?

MARCH 2020 - Where there is no effective remedy in the United Kingdom, the affected person has a right of audience with the King (or Queen), to air their grievances. Her Majesty declined the application to her in 2019, taking some six months to respond, as part of the fending off process. See the 1689 Bill of Rights, and R V Sussex Justices ex parte McCarthy 1924. You may think it was unlawful for the Queen to do so. Time will tell.

All efforts to starve the occupier into submission have backfired, now the subject of an application being prepared for the International Court of Justice. With King Charles III as the head of state responsible, along with his mother Queen Elizabeth II. Who, as you can see from the above letter, washed her hands of the matter (Pontius Pilate). As patron of the Masons, guidance from the CCRC, CPS, Attorney General, Justice Minister, or whatever influences, we do not yet know for sure why Her Majesty ignored the 1689 Bill of Rights, but this is bound to come out in the wash.

It's not a pretty picture. The Gestapo were friendlier and more honest than Wealden have been. When they murdered their victims, it was quick. Not like the slow mental torture, Wealden have inflicted (and continue to inflict) on the man who saved this building. And all because, this Council will not admit mistakes. They'd rather the matter continue to dog them for the next twenty years - or until the Hague get to hear the case. Even so, we doubt they will apologise. Meaning that the matter will never go away. A shadow cast over Wealden, for all eternity. Perhaps. Dependent on the moral backbone of the Ethics/Oversight Committee. If such a thing exists.

KEVIN BENTON

HEATHFIELD SOUTH

DANIEL BROOKBANK

PEVENSEY BAY

MIKE GADD

HEATHFIELD NORTH

SPIKE MAYHEW

UCKFIELD NEW TOWN

BERNADETTE REED

UCKFIELD & LITTLE HORSTED

DANIEL SHING

POLEGATE SOUTH & WATERMILL

OI LIN SHING

POLEGATE NORTH

RAYMOND SHING

UPPER WILLINGDON

STEPHEN SHING

LOWER WILLINGDON

DAVID WHITE

HELLINGLY

We are concerned with how the make up of the above parties and (reasonably) popular policies affects the Wealden district, because we are all brothers on two islands in the Atlantic Ocean and what we do of fail to do is likely to rebound on ourselves and our fellow man in other nations around the world. How we act today influences policies in other countries in our global community. It is not just about us and our patch.