For the 2007/8 year, expenditure by the Parish Council in its statutory capacity was as follows

Review of proposals for the 2007/8 year included in the last Annual Report.

a. Free use of tennis courts in accordance with request from young people living in Sedlescombe. Free use allowed since April 2007. No problems encountered. More use made for tennis and occasional football. Less damage to surrounding fencing. Small amount of damage to tennis net.

b. Application for Lottery funding through Rother District Council. Application made to Rother to turn the courts into a multi-play area; to provide equipment including swings suitable for over 12s with appropriate safety surfacing; to provide sports coaching at courts for three years. Unsuccessful application. No attempt made to find funding to undertake the work.

c. Improved inspection of playground by increasing to quarterly professional checks. Let down by professional company who had been appointed. No attempt made to find alternative company. Inspections being undertaken by parish councillors on a weekly basis.

d. Second year hogweed treatment. Completed satisfactorily. Danny Crocker of Languard Ltd. has kept me informed of the treatment he has carried out on the hogweed. In May he found one plant behind the play area, several along the bank by the sportsfield (downstream from Playing Field) and a large number on the far bank by the horses field and along the contributory streams in this area (upstream from the Playing Field). There were 2 plants in Powdermills garden (upstream from the Playing Field). In August, he reported that the treatment worked well on the river bank with very few plants appearing over the summer despite the ideal growing conditions. He said he had spoken to a man moving soil on the privately-owned side of the river at the horses field who assured him the soil was being spread back out in the same area so there should be no dispersal of seeds. It will however mean that more seeds may be given the opportunity to germinate this year (final year) in the same area.

e. Other general maintenance. The amount spent by the Parish Council in its statutory capacity can be seen listed at 3) above.
Playground equipment maintenance: Slide wash, Repair of Orbiter Roundabout after vandalism which broke the bearing (would have been more if this work had not been subsidised by a parish councillor); Tape; Replacement red bollard after theft. Padlock.
Litter collection: Undertaken by Roger Wood every other week. Hedge cut once by Roger Wood.
Mowing: Undertaken by Southern Counties Landscapes up to December 2007. One cut by Roger Wood in March 2008.
Tennis courts sweep: Undertaken by Roger Wood once in April 2007.
Tennis courts moss treatment: Undertaken by Languard Limited at no cost.
Replacement of spiles: Undertaken by parish councillor at no cost.
Repair of entrance gate: Gate needed substantial repair twice following vandalism. This work and replacement of the centre bolt of the gate (now padlocked) undertaken by Bridge Garage at no cost.

Additional 2007/8 work undertaken by Sedlescombe Parish Council in its statutory capacity.

Installation of seat and litter bin. Robert Dudman, the Chairman of the Sedlescombe Riverside Playground Refurbishment Group, moved from the Village in the summer of 2007. There was some money remaining in that Group's accounts (mainly from interest receipts) which was passed to SPC to purchase and install a seat and litter bin in the playground. The work was completed in the winter of 2007.

Work proposed for the 2008/9 year to be undertaken by Sedlescombe Parish Council in its statutory capacity.

Repair of fences at playground.
Lifting of ropes.
Mowing.
Litter collection.
Final year hogweed treatment.
Professional inspection by ROSPA.

Use by Sedlescombe Netball Club. In October 2007, the Playing Field Trust approved the use by the Netball Club of the courts for practice sessions. The Club intends to pay for adding netball court lines.

It was agreed in October 2007 by the Trust that the situation would be reviewed in six months but, other than killing the moss in one corner, no work has yet been undertaken and the Netball Club are not using the courts currently. Any use will be approved by the Secretary and advertised so that other users are aware when the courts are not available for use.