DownsMail In touch with your parish Continued from page 23


ticipation Group. Southern Water was to inves-


tigate the sewer drains to locate source of the odour problem. The council agreed to increase


the pay to the village warden and administration assistant by 2% from April. An advert was to be placed seeking volunteerswith football coaching experience to help set up a new youth football team. Contact is to be made with Had- low Primary School to see if children would be interested in joining.


Leybourne Council Stimulants found


PC NICK Stevens reported that drug related items were found in the woods and established they were legal stimulants. However alcohol containers were found. PCSO Ed Moore said he had noticed three camps in the woods and would be keeping an eye on the area. The chairman reported that


one of the parish council’sCCTV cameras is fixed directly on the plane at the Bomb Hole so that police can identify individuals drinking alcohol and issuing fixed penalty notices could be useful in deterring youths. As Leybourne is an alcohol re- stricted zone, PCSOs have the power to seize alcohol andmove offenders on. Borough Cllr Brian Luker had reported a couple of incidents of “lamping” in the park and the police response had been very quick. He said that youths in the woodswere experimentingwith “legal highs” rather than illegal drugs. It was reported that £2,500


had been granted from the bor- ough’s community enhance- ment fund towards new tables and chairs at the village hall. The parish council had missed out on the first round of a grant from Sport England by only a couple of points and would have been successful ex- cept for the increased demand in 2011. Sport England had ad- vised that should the parish pro- vide proof of a lease for a site for the outdoor gym, it would be successful in the next round.It was agreed to investigate possi- ble land for this. It was agreed to implement the


dog control order. The clerk would investigate the legality of using CCTV to identify culprits and the enforcement of the order.


Standing orders would be amended to reduce the length of meetings to two hours for com- mittee and two hours, thirty minutes for full council. The council objected to a planning application for front and rear dormer windows at 30 CastleWay due to the impact on


privacy of neighbouring proper- ties.


Regarding the Diamond Ju-


bilee celebrations, Cllr Luker said the borough had been noti- fied that the hire of toilet facili- ties was virtually impossible due to the Olympics.


Mereworth Council Third in league


IT was reported that Mereworth school had gained third place in the school league tables for Kent and 12 pupils had passed the 11- plus exam. Headteacher Diane Moore had made a big difference and the governors were de- lighted. The new vicar would start in


April and itwas agreed to invite her to a parish council meeting. The toilet in the church would


cost £22,000 with a further £20,000 for the drainage. The parish council would require sight of three quotes, should a donation be requested. White lining wastobein- stalled in The Street as soon as possible. The parish council would be consulted on a “gateway” to the village.


Following reports of litter and


bad language on the football pitches, the clerk had written to the clubs and both problems had improved. It was reported that a local res-


ident had been picking up litter in the village. The play area was being well-


used and the new slide had transformed its usage. It was reported that the Air-


field Estate’s new play area was being well-used with an in- creased sense of community than there had been for some time. The junior warden scheme


was working well and Russet Homes was doing more for the community. The recent noise problem at


the Queens Head had stopped. The current lease on the prem- ises ran until March. A barbecue following the vil-


lage fete was suggested for the Jubilee celebrations.


Nettlestead Council Three crimes


THREE crimes were reported in the previous month - criminal damage to awindow atDiamond Printer Products, burglary at Mousehole Lakes and to an out- building at Green Farm. It was noted that the vegeta-


tion along the paths on the Maidstone Road had been cut back and that thiswas a vast im- provement. Cllr Alan Hill re- ported that there was litter scattered along Hampstead Lane. The chairman of the village


hall committee reported on long term plans. The roof had now been replaced and enquiries had


been made about funding for a disabled toilet. There was some funding available on a 50/50 basis but applications would be considered more favourably if they had the parish council’s support. The chairman also asked if the parish would con- sider having the CCTV moved and possibly consider helping towards funding the upgrading of the CCTV at the village hall. It was reported that the King GeorgeVField looked very good and the BMX track was in good order. However, the steps lead- inguptothe fieldfromMaid- stone Road did need some attention and to be kept clear of leaves.


Precept to rise REGARDING the budget for 2012-13, councillors were ad- vised that it would be difficult not to increase council tax by a small amount. Anumberof


Snodland Council street lights


needed repair or replacement. Government had announced a


small pay increase for public sector works, which would cost about £2,000-£3,000 in Snod- land, and it was also necessary to put money into the budget to pay for costs relating to Diamond Jubilee events. The grass cutting contract would increase because of the new playing pitches at Potyns, and this extra cost would be around £3,000 a year. Councillors were also told that


the grant from the borough council had gone down by about £5,000 and also that money needed to be put aside year-by- year to meet high bills, like the one expected for the local elec- tions in 2015. It was agreed to put aside £2,000 a year towards the cost of the elections in 2015 although the actual costmay be more than £8,000. Money was also put asidetohelptobuy new play equipment and to pay for new kerbstones at the cemetery. Some cost savings had been possible for insurance and it was hoped that the cost of repairs because of vandalism could be reduced. It was agreed that the precept, based on a Band D property, would need to increase by £1.44p a year whichisaround 3p per week. The meeting also agreed to go


ahead with a proposal to install solar panels at the Devonshire Rooms, provided that60%of the cost could be met by grant fund- ing and subject to checks on the roof structure of the building. It was hoped that the government feed-in tariff and the saving in electricity costs could keep the cost of hall hire from increasing.


Teston Council Memorial work


IT was agreed that work on the


warmemorial estimated at £400 plus VAT could go ahead if a grant could be obtained from theWarMemorials Trust. A request was made for fund-


ing help for maintenance of the churchyard,which had become difficult since the withdrawal of the probation service. There had been threeworking parties recently that were well- attended but the church did not have its own equipment It was suggested by the chair-


man that the church should ap- peal to the village as awhole for help. The matter was deferred for discussions on the council’s budget for the following year. Meanwhile the clerk would see whether Spadework could help. It was agreed that the Environ-


ment Agency’s proposed Teston Lock improvement scheme should be approved but the agency should be asked to ex- plain in full the intended future use for canoes as therewas con- cern that the changes could lead to unsuitable development at the country park. Kent Highway Services could


not pursue any solution to the problems at the North Pole pub, with drivers taking the slip road to enterMalling Road, and vehi- cles parking in the slip road. This was due to funding con- straints and low priority. It was agreed that the PCSO be


asked to assist with the parking issues. Teston had been placed in the


top10inthe Trees in theVillage competition and had been awarded a £15 voucher. A cop- per beech would be purchased to replace a failing tree at the western end of the B2163/A26 verge. The council would strongly oppose proposed boundary changes that would place Teston in the Tonbridge parliamentary constituency. The purchase of 72 Diamond Jubilee mugs was approved within a budget of £200.


Trottiscliffe Council Break-in attempt


IT was reported there had been an attempt to break into a wall safe and chest at the church. Overhanging branches in the recreation ground had been cut back and the new gate for the play area would be installed shortly. It was decided not to register


the recreation ground as a Queen Elizabeth Field as it was named after Canon Keys and was a registered charity. No objections were made to a planning application for alter- ations at Trosley Court, Church Lane. The financial arrangements


grant for 2012/13 from Ton- bridge and Malling Council would be reduced by 16% as the


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