Dear resident,
We are finally through January and it has been a very long and busy month, which brought yet another series of South East Water incidents and flooding across our constituency. We have also had major developments on several local campaigns - please see them below.
Update on Crowborough Training Camp
Like many Sussex Weald residents, I have been fighting the Home Office on its plans to house asylum seekers at Crowborough Training Camp. However, despite all our best efforts, the deal is now done and the Home Office have moved asylum seekers in earlier this month. My statement is available 👉🏽 here.
I was asked by Crowborough women and Cadet families to come and join them on the march last Sunday to highlight the impact on our community and Air & Army Cadets. The majority of people attending the march are locals who are feeling blindsided and ignored by Wealden District Council and the Home Office, who are yet to evidence how has the site been made safe, legal and compliant.
I have stood up for the Crowborough community since the outset and have been fighting the Home Office every single day since the story broke in October last year. Amongst many other things, I have:
- Challenged the Minister multiple times in meetings and held the Home Office to account on over 50 occasions. Read my letters to Ministers 👉🏽 here and Parliamentary questions raised 👉🏽 here.
- Convened a community meeting in January between the Defence Minister and nearly 100 local representatives of the Crowborough Army and Air Cadets to ensure that the MOD's temporary alternative sites are suitable for their exercises and parades. Read more 👉🏽 here.
- Stood up for Crowborough during interviews with several media outlets. Watch & listen 👉🏽 here.
- Written to Wealden District Council leadership on multiple occasions, advocating for Crowborough residents. Read my letters 👉🏽 here.
All updates on my work regarding this matter, are available on my website 👉🏽 HERE 👈🏽
Now that the Home Office have occupied the site, it is for Wealden District Council, as the local planning authority and the Home Office’s lead partner, to step up and take legal action. Since October last year, the community have pleaded with them to take legal action on the grounds of planning, environmental concerns, and health and safety. Other planning authorities across the country have taken action against the Home Office which is why I have been repeatedly asking WDC to stand up and advocate for local residents. To date, WDC leaders have still not met with myself or my neighbouring MPs and they are yet to evidence what legal action they will be taking.
👶🏻 Update on Crowborough Birthing Centre 👶🏻
A meeting was held in January, which brought together the Friends of Crowborough Hospital, representatives of local maternity services and midwifery-led services, the Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells Trust Chief Executive Miles Scott, Chief Executive of NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board Adam Doyle, and Chief Executive of NHS Surrey Heartlands & NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board Karen McDowell. At the meeting, I demanded answers as to when decisions will be made about the Centre’s future, and how will the data that was collected be used as part of the assessment for reopening.
Read my full update 👉🏽 here.
💧 Update on water outages 💧
In early January, there was yet another series of incidents and disruptions to water supply across Sussex Weald, especially in Frant, Eridge, Hellingly, Lower Horsebridge and Crowborough.
Throughout the incident, I have been in continuous communication with SEW CEO and attended daily Strategic Response Group meetings chaired by the DEFRA Minister. I raised issues in all impacted villages and stressed to SEW leaders the importance of having the vulnerable customer registers up to date and unified across stakeholders to ensure that nobody is left behind and water is delivered to them as a priority.
As I may not have been made aware at the time of other locations where issues took place, I have set up a platform on my website where you can let me know whether you were impacted; whether SEW did their job and communicated with you; and whether you think you are owed compensation.
Share you views 👉🏽 HERE 👈🏽
🚜 Update on changes to inheritance tax plan for farmers 🚜
Since my December update - and after months of campaigning from farmers in Sussex Weald and across the UK - we've had some good news for the farming community. Just before Christmas, the Government announced changes to the Family Farm and Family Business Tax, increasing the threshold from £1m to £2.5m. This means many family farms will either be exempt from the tax altogether or will have their bill substantially reduced.
It was made very clear to me during my annual farmers forum last summer, that the original proposals would cause damage to many farms across the constituency and the country. These changes are welcome news for our farming community in Sussex Weald, but I will continue to campaign to ensure that the Government understands what our farming community in East Sussex needs.
✍🏽 Have a say on local campaigns - my petitions & surveys ✍🏽
💧 South East Water survey 💧
Following many disruptions to supply locally, let me know whether you were impacted; whether SEW did their job and communicated with you; and whether you think you are owed compensation.
Share your views 👉🏽 HERE 👈🏽
❌ No to asylum seeker housing at Crowborough Training Camp ❌
8,700 signatures and counting! The site has already been rejected as being wholly inappropriate. I continue to do everything I can to challenge the Home Office.
Sign my petition 👉🏽 HERE 👈🏽
👶🏻 The fight to save the Crowborugh Birthing Centre continues! 👶🏻
We have 3,800 signatures, but we need more data to put even more pressure on the NHS Trust. Mums deserve a choice!
Sign my petition 👉🏽 HERE 👈🏽
💷 Access to banking services 💷
My survey is still open! Are local banking services working for you? Let me know via a short survey on my website, so I can be better informed when campaigning for additional facilities such as those secured for 📍Hailsham.
Share your views 👉🏽 HERE 👈🏽
A look back on just some of the highlights across Sussex Weald in 2025
☎️ Contact ☎️
Please note that this is a regular update on my activities in Sussex Weald and in Parliament, and any correspondence received in direct reply to this email will not be responded to.
📞 Casework is undertaken daily and surgery appointments continue taking place in person, over the phone, or virtually. If you need my assistance regarding a particular issue, please email me at [email protected] and provide as much information as possible about your query.
Yours sincerely,
Nusrat