DownsMail In touch with your parish
Bredhurst Council Police absence
THERE was nobody in atten- dance from the police. Cllr Bill Anderson reported that Inspec- tor Wyatt had suggested the Boxley PCSO attended in Bred- hurst for one hour per week. Cllr Anderson was to arrange a meetingwith him to discuss po- lice presence in the village. A resident of The Street re- ported a snooper in his garden. A decision needed to bemade
on the adoption of a new code of conduct. It was suggested that an extraordinary meeting be held to look at the options. The borough council had in- stalled a large litter bin on the motorway bridge in Forge Lane instead of replacing the broken bin in Blind Lane. It was agreed that the clerk would request the removal of the broken bin and ascertain who was responsible for the area, which was very overgrown. The council had received a £2,000 grant towards the refur- bishment of the playground, and a letter of thanks had been sent to Cllr Paul Carter at KCC. Cllr Vanessa Jones was to ask
a consultant to inspect the play- ground. A sub committee would be formed to discuss the project further. Cllr Jones contacted Natural England about funding from Paths for Communities and was advised to submit an expression of interest in respect of surfac- ing the new section of the KGH49 bridle path. A letter was received from
June Cox, who organised the Ju- bilee event, thanking the coun- cil for the financial support. Kent Fire and Rescue had sent
an invitation to visit a fire sta- tion to get a better understand- ing of the service they provide. Cllr Steve Bowring expressed an interest in this. The clerk was to ask Kent Highways to strim the left hand side of Forge Lane on the other side of the motorway bridge. A reflective strip was needed
on the retaining wall at the cor- ner of Lidsing Road so that it was more visible when turning left from Forge Lane. There had been some flooding
on the corner of Blind Lane and Forge Lane (outside the car sales garage). The clerk was to contact Kent Highways. The clerk was to request a meeting with Julian Cook from KCC – there were a number of new road layout signs that needed to be removed. Another working party was needed for a village tidy-up.
Heating oil thefts PCSO Richard Kirby said most
Broomfield and Kingswood Council
50 East
of the thefts reported were of heating oil. He said it was inappropriate
to carry out Speedwatch along Chartway and Lenham Road, but he would be able to carry out occasional speed checks. Thereisanew Neighbour-
hood Watch coordinator at Po- lice HQ, Suzanne Daniels, who is responsible for three areas. Acouncillor asked if the police
could carry out spot checks in Broomfield Road due to the con- tinued problems with HGVs. A revision of the website was required, subject to costs. There had been no input to the forum in the last month. The Neighbourhood Planning steering group had organised in- formation displays. Two mem- bers of the group attended the presentation by Feria-Urbanism at Harrietsham. A felling licence had been re- ceived for coppicing at the sports field. Councillors did not want the goal posts removed during the summer and re- quested that the reseeding of the goal mouths be delayed until autumn if possible. Repairs to the stile and fenc-
ing had been completed. There had been no response
to the advertisement for a re- placement editor for the Village News. Atwo-bedroom housewas be- coming available at Peter Pease Close. Councillors requested de- tails of the costs of renting the property. The clerk had spoken with Matthew Streatfield regarding his junior football proposal and had requested a progress report. Councillors resolved to allow Mr M Hendy to progress with his proposal for a junior football team and to notify both candidates. Information had been circu-
lated about the Kent Lane Rental Scheme consultation.
Detling Council Plaques plan
THE Village Hall Management Committee had agreed to have plaques placed at the village hall to commemorate the villagers of the year and parish chairmen. The clerkwas asked to seek cost- ings for wooden plaques. A resident raised concerns
about the parked car at the bot- tom of Hockers Lane. PCSO Quentin Moss and County Cllr JennyWhittle were looking into this matter. The hedges in Church Lane
were overgrown and needed cutting back. The 30mph sign outside the church was missing. The developer of the Mid
Kent Electrical site gave an up- date. The old bar had been de- molished and work on the foundations of plot six would be going ahead soon. He esti- mated the development would
be completed and occupied within 14 to 18 months. The chairman had received a cheque from the Village Design Statement Committee for £1,617 for unspent sums. It was the committee’s wish that this was spent on something for the parish.
Concerns were raised about
the traffic restrictions for the Garden Show at Detling show- ground. Right turns at Scragged Oak Road had been stopped from 7.30am to 6.30pm and the U-turns at Hucking were also closed. The police were not present for the event. John Monk had placed four benches in Horish Wood and still had two to put in place. CTRL had approached the parish council to offer various small parcels of land around Detling for a nominal sum. It was agreed to go ahead with the purchase.
Arrangements were agreed for
the parish council open day that would take place in Sep- tember/October. The Jubilee event held by the
WI had been a great success. Downswood Council Picnic tables
THREE picnic tables would be purchased, each costing £385 with £14 for fixing kits plus VAT. Maidstone Council would install the concrete bases at a cost of £550 each. Mr Richard Young was thanked for his voluntary litter picking. He was also thanked for his kind offer of a donation towards a motif for the Christ- mas lights, but it was explained that plans were in hand to ex- tend the lights to run along the length of Deringwood Drive some time in the future. The gap in the hedge at Mal-
lards Way play area would be reported again. Borough Cllr Gordon Newton expressed concerns about pro- posals for Junction 8 of the M20. He would be attending the Joint Parishes Group meeting when it would be discussed. Maidstone Council was trying
to push through nature reserve designation for Old Spot Lane/River Len. The Deringwood Drive CCTV camera is fully operational. There was a large hole in the centre of the road by Horton Downs. The bollard close to the Or-
chard Spot had been damaged by a car. Two trees had been van- dalised at the top of Grampian Way. Replacements would be considered during the planting season. The bus timetables on display
were thought to be out of date. A donation of £30 was agreed
for the Madginford’s Got Talent competition atMadginford Park
Junior School. Newly-erected fencing at Cotswold Gardens had been re- ported to Maidstone Council following a complaint from a resident. Free handgrips had been ob- tained from Caloo to replace the missing ones on the outdoor gym equipment. The Olympicnic celebrations
were called off because of the adverse weather and it is now hoped to hold the event on Sep- tember 15.
Events feedback
Hollingbourne Council
THE chairman thanked all who had contributed to the fete and Jubilee weekend events. He had received several positive com- ments from those who had at- tended. Some comments had been re- ceived from helpers who had been upset by the manner and attitude of a stallholder,and the chairman would be dealing with them, should they apply for a stall again next year. It was evident that investment
in equipment had been benefi- cial and should continue. More pop-up gazebos would be pur- chased for £2,000 and a storage container would be re-consid- ered. The kitchen window of the Cardwell pavilion was broken but not reported. The chairman asked the clerk for CCTV tape scrutiny and any findings to be reported to the police. An approach had been re- ceived about twinning Holling- bourne with a commune close to Lille in northern France. The parish council objected to proposals to alter the footpath which runs from the end of The Shaw to PilgrimsWay. Fete accounts were not yet complete, but good causes in the village were expected to have benefited by about £4,000 and an anticipated £1,500 would be available for the inter- active speed sign. The broken window at the Cardwellwas to be repaired, the broken village sign had been re- moved from Eyhorne Green, the gas meter has a new cupboard and keys and a maintenance contract for the CCTV equip- ment was being arranged. The parish council supported
the initiative of a summer ath- letics club and was prepared to make the Cardwell Pavilion and the Lance Memorial Field free in the first year. Two recent enquiries had
been received about the avail- ability of allotments. Anyone who can suggest possible land for this is asked to contact any member or the clerk.
Support YOUR local paper — and we can support YOU - advertise on 01622 630330
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56