DownsMail In touch with your parish


Whitmarsh as vice-chairman. The parish council meeting


dates until November 12 were confirmed and would be circu- lated and placed on the council noticeboards and website. It was reported that the yellow


lines at the corner of Wheelers Lane and theA229 had not been repainted. Action would be taken to follow this up. The chairman drew members’ attention to an article in the Downs Mail on the traffic calm- ing in Coxheath and was trying to discover if neighbouring parishes would be consulted on any new proposal. Contact had been made with Coxheath Parish Council on this matter and an answer was awaited. Attention was drawn to the


blue car covered in adverts parked at the top of Linton Hill. It was not displaying road tax and needed to be removed. Dr David Avery commented


about the acoustics in the vil- lage hall and asked if any action had been taken following the concerns previously expressed. Two vacant allotment plots


had been filled and there was still a waiting list. A successful seed swap/plant exchange had been held. It was agreed to purchase a


round picnic table with seats at- tached for the playground at a cost of £250.


Marden Council Car damage


REGARDING the crime report, a councillor asked whether crim- inal damage to cars in Howland Road had been reported and a resident queried why break-ins at Merchant Place had not been included. The community war- den and clerk would speak to the PCSO to clarify. Flytipping at the car park and


Plain Road had been reported. Maidstone Council had asked


for the parish council’s sugges- tion for a name for the develop- ment off Roundel Way. It was agreed it should be Rookery Court. Marden had been unsuccess-


ful in the first round of bids for faster broadband. There would be a further chance to bid later in the year and it was suggested that a broadband survey would be circulated to all houses with the affordable housing survey. It was reported that the lights


on the outside of the public toi- lets were still on when locked. Residents of Stanley Road had contacted the parish council who had arranged a meeting with Marden Cricket and Hockey Club regarding anti-so- cial behaviour and hockey balls being hit into neighbouring properties. PC Marc Pennicott had trans-


ferred to Lenham and was thanked for his assistance over the past few years. His replace-


ment is PC Tom Mepstead who also covers Yalding, Nettlestead, Coxheath and Hunton. Restructuring of neighbour-


hood policing was due in Octo- ber. A resident had spoken to the


clerk regarding HGVs speeding along the A229. The police had been contacted but informed the resident that it was not possible to police. The only alternative would be for Kent Police to work with VOSA to check the tachometers. The booking office atMarden station did not always appear to be open on Saturdays. Several residents had asked whether there would be impli- cations to the train line during 2012 Olympics. At the moment it seemed that Marden would not be affected.


Staplehurst Council Garden group


IT was proposed that a new group be set up to create a gar- den in memory of Peter Day at the front of the youth club. Cllr John Perry was elected chairman with Cllrs Tom Burn- ham and Paul Kelly as vice- chairmen. It was agreed to re-name the


Toilet Team the Village En- hancement Group, or VEG. Vil- lage Green registrationwould be renamed the Church Green Group.


Councillors discussed the size


of the carnival and fete stall and agreed to purchase two addi- tional gazebos. It was noted that community warden Chris Lomax would be moving on.Aletter of thanks for his excellent work in the parish would be sent. It was under- stood that cover would be pro- vided by the Marden warden Mira Martin. Councillors agreed the chair-


man should write objecting to the reduction in service regard- ing community wardens and ask questions regarding future communications links and whether the warden’s base in the library would be main- tained. The new warden would be invited to speak to council- lors.


Final details of the summer update were awaited and the annual report was in its final stages of editing. It was agreed that an additional £70 be spent on four-colour printing of the cover design for the annual re- port. Ex Cllr Jenny Fairfax was thanked for her brilliant work on these publications. An application for a certifi-


cate of lawfulness was consid- ered for change of use at Trinity Court, Station Road, from resi- dential care unit for the elderly to residential care home for adults with learning difficulties. After much discussion, council- lors agreed to write to Maid-


stone Council for clarification and to register concerns due to close proximity of neighbours and operational issues. Councillors noted without comment an application for a certificate of lawfulness for the erection of an extension at Kin- tail, Station Road. Members recommended ap-


proval of planning applications involving properties at New- stead Farm, Couchman Green lane; Crowthers, High Street; Mill House, Couchman Green Lane and Clarke’s Farm, Five Oak Lane. The council recommended re-


fusal of renewal of permission for residential development at Staplehurst Service Station, High Street.


Homes objection


Sutton Valence Council


A PLANNING application was considered for the demolition of a garage at Charthurst, Chart Road, and erection of two five- bedroom detached houses with double garages and access drive. Members recommended refusal but not to go to committee. The pavilion roof had been re- paired by Alan Swift. Plane and Simple had do-


nated a picnic bench to be in- stalled inside the gate at the war memorial play area. The container had been re- moved from the overgrown area at the south end of the village hall. It was agreed to ask the village


hall committee if it would be in- terested in using and maintain- ing this piece of land. A quote of £175 had been re- ceived to replace fencing at the end of the garages at the Har- bour Allotments. A sign would be put up at the Bowhalls Allotments asking holders to keep the gates shut at all times. It was agreed to purchase a portable spray unit for £48.99 to spray out Spanish bluebells on an ongoing basis at Bowhalls, and a mattock for £28 to chop out rampant cherry suckers. Aquote had been accepted for


£745 for the cleaning of the war memorial. Cllr Eileen Riden was elected chairman for the forthcoming year with Cllr Barry Armstrong as vice-chairman.


Yalding Council Village sign


A WORKING party was being formed to produce a new village sign. Two Yalding residents from the WI would be asked to join and a member of the public. It was hoped that this would be- come a jubilee project. In the public session, Steve Faulkner gave an update on the football club. It had sorted out


Visit Downs Mail’s website — downsmail.co.uk


the administration with the West Kent League and come to an agreement with the cricket club over the use of the pavil- ion. Sponsorship was in place and there were already seven players from within the parish. The chairman had met Kent Highways to discuss the possi- bility of reinstating the verges in the High Street. A working party had been set


up to complete the church wel- come pack. Any new noticeboards would


be considered in the 2012/13 budget. It was agreed that all the boards should be painted. The clerk was struggling to


find suitable places for the anti- dog fouling signs at Kintons footpath. Boards may be needed and this would be investigated. The cattle were settling in


well on the Fen. A portable toilet had been in- stalled until the end of Septem- ber. The work to replace the cop-


ing stones, repoint and clean the war memorial was now com- plete and a request for payment of the grant would be sent to the War Memorials Trust. It was agreed that the stones would weather in time. The bronze plaque was on


order. It was agreed to change the electricity supplier for the street lighting from EDF to E.ONwith an expected annual saving of around £1,000. The parish picnic would be organised for Sunday, Septem- ber 11. The parish council strongly


supported the erection of signs for the Camping and Caravan- ning Club’s 90th birthday week- end and suggested the organisers take advice from the police as turning right into the site could be a dangerous ma- noeuvre. There was an accident two years ago. Despite the parish council’s concerns, the owner of Hatch- gate had been granted retro- spective change of use from agriculture to mixed use for agriculture, storage and mainte- nance of British heritage vehi- cles. He was, however, keen to dispel the council’s concerns and it was felt that a site visit would be beneficial to both par- ties.


Regarding parish clean-up


day, Kent Reptile and Amphib- ian Group had been consulted about slow worm habitat and would prefer that nothing was cut to less than six inches from the ground. The summer playscheme will


be held at Yalding School from August 1 to 19, from 11am to 3pm. Cost is £4.50 a day for the first child, and £3.50 a day each for two or more siblings. Con- tact clerk@yaldingparishcoun- cil.gov.uk or 01622 814134.


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