Transcript Historical Minute Book 1977 to 1993 - Ashdown Forest

and that he would request meetings of the General Purposes Committee to consider detailed plans before they
were put to the Conservators on the 11th January.
5. PROJECT OFFICER'S REPORT: Mr. Wright made a brief verbal report of his activities in the past two
months. He had been employed largely in familiarising himself with the Forest, visiting other areas with similar
management problems, such as the New Forest, and establishing contacts with all departments in the County
Council and with many other advisory services. He had been surveying the Forest car parks and carrying out counts
of visitors every weekend.
6. RIDING REGULATIONS AND CHARGES FOR 1978: It was agreed that the General Purposes
Committee should consider this matter and report back to the Conservators at their next meeting.
7. TRAFFIC HAZARD, PRIORY ROAD: The Clerk reported a letter from the East Sussex County Council
requesting that an area of loose filling, such as sand, be made at the bends at the lower end of Priory Road so that
any motor cars failing to negotiate these dangerous bends would be prevented from hitting trees and repeating one
fatal accident that had already taken place. It was decided that the County Council be asked to look further into the
question of warning signs, which appeared to be inadequate, before taking this defeatist step. The Conservators
would consider the matter further on receiving the County Council's observations.
8. ROADWAY TO MISBOURNE FARM TREKKING CENTRE: The Clerk reported that the access road to
Misbourne Trekking Centre was in a deplorable state and was unlikely to be passable during winter. This road
served three other properties en route and the owners of these properties were anxious to make up the road to an
acceptable and usable standard. In view of the fact that some 90% of the traffic on the road was directly in
connection with the Trekking Centre, these other residents were unwilling to spend large sums of money without
support from the owner of the Trekking Centre. Mr. Osborne, of Misbourne Farm, had been warned in writing on
several occasions that the Conservators would have to consider the renewal of his trekking licence for next year in
the light of the accessibility of his establishment by road across the Forest. Despite warnings Mr. Osborne had
failed to take any action. Miss Willard reported that she had been informed at 12.00 this day that positive action
had now been agreed and that work would start within two days. It was agreed that a committee consisting of Miss
Willard, Mr. Miller, Mr. Kavanagh, and the Chairman and Vice-Chairman as ex officio members, should be set up
to consider the matter should the work not be proceeding as reported.
9. CLERK'S REPORT:
(a) Secretary. Mrs. Berry was absent from the present meeting due to sickness. She ' had suffered certain eye troubles
and had been off duty for three weeks and it was not yet known when she would again be fit. The Clerk was
employing temporary help as and when necessary and the Chairman was being kept informed of Mrs. Berry's
progress.
(b) Forest Way Ranger. Mr. Royal, the Ranger shared for the past two years with the Forest Way Linear Park, had
tendered his resignation and left on the 1st August. No relief had yet been appointed but the East Sussex County
Council had advertised the position and it was hoped a new man would be working within a few weeks.
(c) Plant a tree week. A week was being set aside nationally for the planting of trees to replace some of those lost in
last year's drought and fires. The Clerk suggested that donations should be invited from visitors to the caravan
towards the purchase of trees for selective planting of hard woods in wooded areas. Miss Willard suggested that it
would be advantageous to involve donors themselves in the planting of trees and that greater support was likely in
this event. It was agreed that this should be investigated but there were certain difficulties in organising, advertising,
etc., which might make this difficult.
(d) Morris Men. The Ashdown Forest Morris Men had been given permission to hold displays on the Forest one
Sunday afternoon. This had proved a popular attraction and the Morris Men were considering putting the Forest
on their programme of events for next year, in which case any collection they made would be handed over to the
Conservators for tree planting purposes. It was agreed that permission should be given.
(e) Fairwarp Village Green. A dispute had arisen within the Village of Fairwarp concerning the parking of cars on
the edge of the area now being transformed into a Village Green as a Jubilee Commemoration. The posts being
erected to stop cars driving and parking on the edge of the Green had annoyed some local residents who stated
that they had nowhere else to park. Mrs. Maudsley reported on the situation and suggested that should these three