Malling.org.uk Where I live... West Malling Parish Council


West Malling Parish Council's first meeting after the summer break was on Monday September 5. The lengthy agenda covered a whole range of issues from allotment rents and yellow lines to Christmas lights and electoral review.


Kent Police reported on the crime figures for July and August. These covered a variety of events including several thefts of pedal cycles and hanging baskets and the destruction of scarecrows from the allotments. These were entries in a best scarecrow competition, which had been judged the previous day.


The public toilets in King Street were subjected to petty vandalism and anti social behaviour at the beginning of the summer and the police, with Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, arranged for the block to be locked overnight to reduce these incidents. Although this is for a trial period, the parish council expressed concern that closing the toilets at night does not address the root of the problem and penalises the community by removing access to the toilets. There will be further discussion at the next full parish council meeting in October, when the trial period finishes.


The annual rent for an allotment has been agreed at £22 from 2012. Although this figure is in line with several other parishes, the annual water bill has risen considerably since the allotments have been fully let. The council will fund the installation of a water meter in the allotments so that consumption and cost can be more closely monitored.


There has been discussion at several highways committee meetings about the bollards and yellow lines at the top end of Town Hill. The bollards that front Pennsylvania Terrace have already been replaced several times and the original wide yellow prohibition lines have been replaced with thinner lines in-keeping with the Conservation Area status. It was decided to make a request for Kent Highway Services to repair and


overhaul this stretch of pavement before discussing this further.


The borough council has sited two new litter bins in West Malling High Street. The bins are plain black and the parish council expressed concern that they are not in-keeping with the rest of the street furniture in the conservation area. It was agreed that the council should consider replacing them with appropriate style bins.


While the parish council recognises the exceptional contribution made every year by the Christmas lights committee, it does feel that local traders, who can more readily measure the trading and financial boost they bring, may not be aware of how essential their support is. Councillors considered how closer links between all parties could be achieved, particularly as the lights are scheduled for installation in approximately ten weeks.


The amenities committee has been approached by Medway Valley Countryside Partnership, which is submitting a bid to fund a project on heritage orchards. It has selected Macey's Meadow as an example of a traditional orchard demonstrating a good natural biodiversity of flora and fauna as well as supportive community interest and involvement. MVCP intends to submit a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund and the money will fund a programme of improvement and replacement in the orchard.


The parish council has been notified that a review of the ward boundaries within the Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council area will commence in January 2012. The Local Government Boundary Commission will begin the process informally in November 2011 as realigning any of the boundaries will have a far-reaching effect on both councillors and their electorate.


The next full parish council meeting is scheduled for Monday October 3. It will start at 7.30pm in the village hall and members of the public are welcome to attend.


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