DownsMail In touch with your parish  Continued from page 30


was taken further. It was agreed that Amos should be honoured for his long service to the parish in connection with this role. The council had heard from Maidstone Council about proce- dures for dealing with work on protected trees and councillors asked which trees in the parish were the subject of tree preser- vation orders.


Egerton Council Clerk welcomed


THE chairman Cllr Tim Lee welcomed the new clerk Claire Finley to the meeting. The dog warden had been contacted regarding the ongoing dog fouling problem. The own- ers of the Labrador which wan- ders frequently on the rec had been given warnings by the dog wardens. A list of potholes and patch-


ing had been sent to Kent High- ways. Field Mill Road was a separate priority and a site visit would be arranged. The vice-chairman Cllr Richard King would have fur- ther discussions with KCC re- garding bus route 523.Ithad been established that some schoolchildren needed to use the service between Biddenden and Ashford and that priority for the service would be given to those going towork or school, therefore the Headcorn addition would not continue after June. Cllr King noted that the Satur- day service may be under threat of being cut after December and he would work to prevent this. A councillor commented that


the 523 currently leaves the vil- lage at 9.27am but over 60s bus passes in Kent are not valid until 9.30am. However, it was unlikely the timetable could be changed in the face of the cuts. Ideas for usage of the redun-


dant telephone kiosk at Stone- bridge Green were still being considered. Cllr Pat Parr was thanked for


her footpaths and stiles report. Everyonewho took part in the village spring clean were thanked. Considerable amounts of rubbish had been cleared. It was agreed to donate £100


to floodlighting at St James’s Church. A roaming dog was caught by


Cllr Richard Hopkins and re- homed by the dog warden. Cllr King was to raise the


issue of litter with the school governors. Therewas a substan- tial amount of litter on the path at the side of the school, which was more than could have blownout of thebinsinthe playground. It was reported that residents


from Sisted Way were trying to get the old diesel oil in the com- munal tank removed. The prop- erties switched to gas in the mid-90s, leaving around 2,000


42 South


litres in the tank, which was 45 years old and showing signs of corrosion. The owners of the land were in receivership and the oil was not reusable. The clerk would obtain details.


Headcorn Council Tree tribute


THE council thanked the Dungey family and the Gilhams for all their hard work on the Lord Sandy Bruce-Lockhart tree project. The remaining money from the fundraising would go towards a litter bin for Parsonage Meadow. Cllr Timothy Thomas was elected as chairman with Cllr Lyn Selby as vice-chairman. A meeting had been arranged


with Courtely Consultants to discuss expansion plans for Barradale Farm. A list has been compiled to- talling 146 new homes that have gained planning permission in the parish since 2006. It was agreed that two coun- cillors should attend a KCC event on superfast broadband in rural areas. It wasagreedtoobtainfrom


RIP Cleaning Services a quote to maintain dog bins which were due to be removed by Maidstone Council on June 20. It was resolved that charges


for the summer playscheme this year for a child, in advance, would be £3 per day, £14 per week and £41 for three weeks. On the day the cost would be £4. Family concessions were also agreed. The youth forum meetings at


the Green Room would be from 5.30pm to 8pm and would use Parsonage Meadow for outdoor games and events. Regarding car parking,most of


the road markings had been laid and all the signs erected.Itwas noted that the area between the warmemorial and the church in theHigh Street had a no loading restriction on it and so could notbeusedbybluebadge dis- abled holders. A meeting would be held by


the working group shortly to fi- nalise the traders’ parking per- mits.


Hunton Council Oil theft arrests


PCSO Richard Chainey reported that two men had been arrested for oil thefts at East Farleigh and this had now ceased. Two men had also been arrested for rural arson attacks. Residents were warned to en-


sure outbuildings were secure and use SmartWater on house- hold items. The PCSOs agreed to attend


the Hunton village fete on June 25 to put on a display and talk to residents. Regarding the footpath from Bensted Close to the village


hall, it was hoped that by the fete, subject to legal agreements with the landowners, work on the hedging would have pro- gressed. The bridges would be in place and a strip would be mown for the path. It was agreed that not all of the hedge work would be carried out this year due to birds nesting. The village gateways project


had been signed off by KCC and construction was due to start soon. The chairman had invited


Kent Highways representatives to Hunton to consider issues af- fecting West Street, including the hedge dipping into the ditch, lack of white lines and a 20mph speed limit outside the school. Michael Heath said the road had becomewider through erosion and the correct width should be established. He did not wish to paint white lines over potholes and noted the gully was blocked. The chairman had subse- quently dug out the gully and water was now flowing. Members agreed on remedial measures to recommend to Mr Heath.The 20mph limit outside the school had not been re- solved.Members heard KHS di- rector John Burr was against such speed limits if there had been no accident. Residents of Hunton Hill had


raised concerns about the vol- ume of HGV traffic travelling to and from Amsbury Farm and the floodlights there at night. The increased traffic had been reported to KHS, which could not act. The clerk would check the original planning ap- plication for any lighting re- strictions. A letter was received from


David Hubble outlining possi- ble uses for his land at West Street, such as affordable hous- ing. He had applied to Maid- stone Council for planning permission a number of times and been turned down. It was agreed that nothing should be done until the Parish Plan had been launched. A cheque was received from Mr Hubble for £75 to go towards paying for some of the hedging plants, for which he was thanked. A resident had complained


about the mess made by MBC operatives when collecting food waste.


Members agreed that Hunton should be nominated for the Parents For Playgrounds na- tional project that would give five local play areas the chance to win a renovation bursary of £15,000. A £1,000 loan to the fete com- mittee was agreed as a float, re- payable from the proceeds of the event.


Langley Council Same team


AT the annual council meeting, Cllr David Burton was re- elected chairman with Cllr Sue Knowles as vice-chairman. The council had been in- formed that PC BrianWaghorne would be moving to the police firearms team and the vacancy would be filled as soon as pos- sible. SgtMatt Chapman would ensure that the parishwould re- ceive cover until then. PCSO Richard Kirby would act as a point of contact. Further signs and banners


were needed for the farmers’ market and quotes would be provided. Ameeting had been held with


KCC to discuss village signs. It had been confirmed that a 40mph interactive sign would now be installed on the Sutton Road as technical specifications had been relaxed. At the anti-dog fouling event organised by Maidstone Coun- cil, just five deposits of mess had been found. Officers felt there was more of a litter prob- lem than a dog mess issue. At a previous meeting, Cllr


Hans Reichert confirmed he would not be standing for re- election to the parish council. Members made no comment


on planning applications for change of use of land to resi- dential and erection of a garage at Lacey Farm, Avery Lane, Otham, and to extension and loft conversion at 16 Copper- field Drive, Langley. It was agreed to allocate up to


£500 towards the purchase of computer equipment for use by the Computer Club and the parish council. Sutton Valence Parish Coun-


cil would like to investigate the possibility of sharing a commu- nity warden with Langley. Members had no objections in principle.


Low crime area Linton Council


IT was noted that Lintonwas re- ported to be an area of low crime. A councillor reported that the


white stones outside the prop- erty on Linton Hill had been re- moved under his personal supervision. He had met Kent Highway of-


ficers about the refurbishment and extension of the double yel- low lines on the corner of Wheelers Lane and the A229. Work would be done in the near future. It was reported that the upper section of Westerhill,inCox- heath parish, was still a cause for concern. Most of the potholes in the parish had now been repaired. The situation would be moni-


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