Roy Galley is the East Sussex County Councillor for Maresfield and Buxted, representing the parishes of Buxted; Danehill, Fletching; part of Forest Row; Isfield; and Maresfield.
Roy, and his wife Helen, have lived in Nutley since 1995 and have two married children. He has extensive experience in business and politics, having been the Member of Parliament for Halifax from 1983-1987, and the Chairman of a Health Authority for 10 years. He retired from a senior position in the Royal Mail in 2006.
Roy was first elected to represent the Maresfield and Buxted Division as a county councillor in 2013.
Since then he has held a number of committee roles, including chairing the East Sussex Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education; the Council’s Corporate Parenting Panel and the Children’s Scrutiny Committee.
Having joined the East Sussex Fire Authority in 2013, he was Chairman from 2019. He regards this as a vital role in keeping people safe and providing an efficient and effective Fire and rescue Service. As Chairman, Roy has overseen a number of major changes.
In 2021, he was elected as Vice-Chairman of the County Council and re-elected to that position in 2022.
Roy was an elected Commoner Conservator for the Ashdown Forest from 2008 to 2018 and Chairman of the Board from 2013 to 2016. He was keen to improve the way the Forest is managed and to ensure good relationships between the staff of the Board of Conservators and local residents.
Roy is also a founder member and Chairman of the Chelwood Gate and Danehill Village Markets committee who run quarterly markets as a community focus and to showcase local produce. This committee also now organises tea parties for elderly people in the two villages twice a year. This has continued for 15 years.
His involvement in local politics dates back to 2006 when he was elected a member of Maresfield Parish Council, and 2007 when he was elected to Wealden District Council; a position that he was re-elected to in 2011, 2015, and 2019. In that time he has held a number of key portfolios at District, including: Portfolio Holder for Planning and Development from 2008-2013; Economic Development and Regeneration, from 2013-2022, with the added responsibility for Climate Change and Human Resources from 2019.
At Planning and Development, Roy was responsible for managing the planning application process and for economic development. He oversaw the production of the Wealden Local Plan which was adopted in 2012, covering the 323 square miles administered by the Council, and which sought to ensure an adequate supply of housing and business opportunities whilst preserving the distinctive rural nature of the area.
Roy believes that the key principle in planning is to have the right development in the right place.
He also oversaw the successful Waste Collection contract with Biffa; introduced the Council’s biggest income generator, the paid garden waste collection service; and introduced a Climate Change Action plan with EV Charging points as a main focus.
At Economic Development and Regeneration, Roy aimed to make it easy for businesses to access the right advice, raise the profile of our unique area and ensure the delivery of new infrastructure projects such as those implemented in Uckfield and Hailsham.
