Flooding question BOROUGH Cllr Ian Chitten- den was to bring up the issue of regular flooding at Albert Reed Gardens with KCC, where he is also a member. Inspection works have taken
place using an underground camera but the necessary re- medial work is yet to be scheduled.
Chris takes on role as parish chair CANON Chris Morgan-Jones was voted in as the new parish council chairman. Cllr Morgan-Jones, the vicar for Maidstone All Saints with St
Philip and St Stephen Tovil, has been on the parish council for 17 years and had a previous four-year stint as chairman. At the parish council meeting he succeeded Cllr Clive English, who chaired the council for the past year. Cllr Glyn Charlton remains vice-chairman, and Cllr Barry Beardwell keeps his role as chairman of the planning committee.
Thank you, John A LETTER of thanks was to be sent to former borough Cllr JohnWilson to show the council’s appreciations for his help in the previous four years. MrWilson was voted out
of South ward in last month’s local elections.
Loan idea for community centre
THE council is sizing up whether to apply for a public works loan to help fund the purchase of Archbishop Courtenay Primary School in Church Road. The building will become defunct when the new school in Ec- cleston Road is established, and the parish council is seeking fund- ing to turn it into a community centre. One of the options would be to apply for a £50,000 public works
loan, which could be payable over time by adding approximately £3 to the council tax contribution to the parish precept. The council is still seeking grants, but they are becoming harder
to secure in the current economic climate. It was resolved to discuss the issue at the next meeting and then decide whether to apply for a loan.
Attendance cash for councillors
PARISH councillors who were elected in May will be able to claim a £10 attendance allowance from this month. It is a voluntary scheme and is open only to those councillors
who were elected, not to those who are co-opted on to the parish council.
Council defends new allowance
Help us keep this footpath THE council has called on local people to help safeguard the riverside footpath between Millers Wharf and Tovil Footbridge. A landowner has erected a fence with two gates at each end
that cuts along this stretch of the Medway. It is thought the in- tention is to use the footpath in association with mooring boats. Though the gates have been left unlocked and there has been
no evidence to suggest that people will be forbidden from using the footpath, it is not legally registered as a public right of way, meaning this could happen. To safeguard the footpath and make it an official right ofway,
the council needs witness statements from 20 residents who have used the footpath for the past 20 or more years. So far, 14 people have come forward so another six are needed. If you would like to help, contact the parish council clerk.
Scientist co-opted to council KANAN Purkayastha was co-opted on to the parish council. The Allnutt Mill Close resident is a retired former employee in
Tonbridge and Malling Council’s environmental health department. “I want to help people and I believe I can contribute to planning
and environmental health issues,” said Mr Purkavastha, who is a chartered scientist.
THE parish council defended its decision to allow each elected member a £10 atten- dance allowance. New borough Cllr Michael
Hogg called for the council to have a rethink. “It would be a goodwill gesture to the com- munity for this to be revisited and taken away.” But Cllr Derek Mortimer to-
tally disagreed. “Many parish councils already pay atten- dance allowances to their councillors and at a far higher rate than we do in Tovil,” he said.
Council chairman Cllr Chris Morgan-Jones said: “If a parish councillor wants it to go on the agenda they can bring it up and we can discuss it.”
Footpath to be improved THE parish council was given an assurance from KCC about im- provements to the footpath on the Fant side of the River Medway footbridge. A boundary fence had left a six-inch gap between the side edge
of the narrow footpath and the fence. The route is popular with school children and residents, and
there was fear that users could be injured by slipping into the gap, which is often covered by vegetation. The area had been left un- adopted, but that has now changed after developer Barratt Homes completed required work. According to Cllr Derek Mortimer, the work is now “in hand”.
Confusion over sign
A SIGN has been erected in Beaconsfield Road stating the end of a cycle track – yet the track has not even been in- stalled yet!
18 Town
To contact Downs Mail just phone 01622 630330
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