DownsMail In touch with your parish The CCTV contract was due


for renewal. It was agreed to ac- cept an offer from TJW Electri- cal for a three-year contractwith no charge for the first year and the second and third years at £200 plus VAT. It was reported that the grass


on the King George V field was extremely long and therewere a lot of large molehills. There had been quite a lot of fly-tipping at the KingGeorge V field, especially near the gate. The clerk had reported this to Maidstone Council who had sent an environmental health officer to take a look. The officer had collected some items and would be investigating further, The clerk had obtained a


quote to remove the fly-tipping and also tidy up the field which would involve removing bram- bles from the boundaries. The tunnels in the field also needed filling in and there were some weeds growing up through the BMX track, which would need spraying. The clerk would ob- tain another quote to get each area individually priced andd nd report back. Cllr Collis resigned at the end


of themeeting due to family and work commitments.


Offham Council Odour problems


MP SIR John Stanley had for- warded copies of the parish council correspondence about Blaise Farm. The council had received correspondence from the Secretary of State to say it was too late for further repre- sentations to be taken into ac- count. County Cllr Hohler said she was part of a small working group set up to consider and deal with the odour problems. A number of trees had been


cut down and removed without the permission of


the


landowner. Regarding a request for better broadband in the village, the clerk was asked to pass details on to the village hall committee as the development of facilities could link to the development of the village hall. CllrWendyWilliams said she


had carried out her regular monthly inspection of the play area and had given a list of work to Bill, the handyman. It was suggested he be given a hi- vis jacket for his safety. The plaque for the Jubilee


Trust had arrived and would be glued in to place. Broken panes of glass in the phone box had been reported and a request had been made for it to be painted. Abig pothole had been re- ported in Hayes Lane and it was being filled in. Kent Highway Services had


been asked to repaint white lines through the village. Caroline Dyer was to request


coppicing around the pond. Delivery drivers to a property


on The Green had driven across the village green and it had be- come very muddy. The clerk was asked to draft a letter to all properties bordering the Green, stating that vehicles should not drive on the Green. Spadework was to work on


the entrance at the village gate- way when the weather im- proved. Cllr Williams would ask the probation service to help with the Aldon Lane en- trance at an appropriate time. KCC had planted two white flowering cherry trees at each gateway, but a hedge cutter had destroyed them. Cllr Williams was to ask KCC if they would be replaced. The new dog bin had been in- stalled and the clerk was to con- tact Tonbridge and Malling Council to ask for a dog bin sticker to be put on it. Offham PCC had asked for a payment of £1,000 towards the churchyard gardening.Itwas agreed this could now be paid. Cllr David Frankling had met


with Ian Barwick, who had agreed to let the parish council have any surplus lining for the pond. The road past the pond was undermined and not supported. John Vigor was to find out if KHS would shore up the road and put in a retaining wall. Cllr Frankling had met tree warden Liz Guthrie. The pond was in a conservation area but the coppicing work should be approved as long as it was not carried out in nesting season. Caroline Dyer was putting in an application which would be valid for three years. Speedwatch had a new coor- dinator. There were continuing problems with cars travelling up Church Road and turning right atNorth Meadow to access the field car park. North Meadow had no footpath so pedestrians walked in the road, and parked cars obscured visi- bility. There was concern there would be an accident at this junction. The long term solution was


for the school to provide an ex- tended car park and for use of the field as a car park to be stopped. The clerkwas asked to email PCSO Bullen to take more action and to write to the head of the school about the problem.


Snodland Council Festive lights


IT was agreed that the Christ- mas lights should be upgraded to stop them from failing during the festiveseason. New LED bulbs would be ordered as well as new connections that would be more resistant to rain pene- tration. This would cost more than £5,000 and would need to be met from the repairs and re-


newals reserve. The skylights and front door


at the cricket pavilion needed to be repaired. It was agreed that the council should decide which street lights should be upgraded in the year ahead, the budget of about £7,000 would replace seven or eight lights and it was suggested that these should be in the High Street from Waghorn Road and then into Birling Road. This would leave £4,000 for any urgent repairs.


Trottiscliffe Council Notice board


THE new parish council notice board, to go outside Millers Farm, Taylors Lane, had been made and was due to be in- stalled. Kent Highways had replied to


the request for a single track warning sign on Pilgrims Way, saying that the crash data for that road did not justify the cost. It was agreed to ask County Cllr Sarah Hohler if this could be done from her member’s grant.


Several potholes in the village


had been filled, including ones outside the school and at the en- trance to the village hall car park. Further potholes would be reported, as had the damaged post on the village green. There was a waiting list of


two for allotments. It was agreed not to enter the


Kent Men of Trees village com- petition. Cllr John Wickham said he


had heard reports of dogs being stolen while being walked with their owners in Trosley Country Park. The clerk would contact PCSO Laura Bullen for informa- tion.


First responders


Wateringbury Council


HARRY Hallows reported to the council on his involvement with the first responder scheme. So far, he had attended six calls, arriving five to 10 minutes be- fore the ambulance. The calls included two cardiac arrests, a fall downstairs and asthma at- tacks. He was fundraising to buy his equipment and Cllr Jean Smith confirmed she was happy to continue to help with local fundraising. He hoped that oth- ers in the village would contact him so a local group could be formed. Six volunteers were needed. PCSO Phillip Harrison re- ported on a number of incidents including a parking issue in Glebe Meadow where vehicles were regularly parking on the pavement. Warning letters had been issued to drivers. Councillors voted to appoint contractors to fence off the pro- posed parking area at Dray-


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horse Meadow and to carry out the essential electrical repairs. They will obtain quotes to up- grade the track between the first and second dog-leg. The Scouts had contacted the council for a location to plant about 30 sapling trees or hedg- ing plants. Councillors sug- gested planting hedging along the proposed new fence at the meadow. The sports and recreational association had applied to Ton- bridge and Malling Council for special dispensation to reduce the rates on the sports pavilion to zero. There had been an increase in


the number of dog owners who were not picking up after their pets at the fields. The condition of the village welcome signs at the gateways was raised by a parishioner who offered to clean and renovate them. Councillors were happy to accept this offer to enhance the village environment.


Cannabis mystery


West Peckham Council


A LARGE number of cannabis plants had been dumped along The Hurst and Swanton Road over the Easter period. Residents had contacted the police and concerns were expressed that it took the police more than two hours to deal with the matter. Work on the traffic calming


gates had been completed and it was agreed that KHS had done a very good job. Potholes had been reported in Oxenhoath Road and Pillar Box Lane. There was an underlying water issue which needed to be resolved before they were re- paired. Three potholes had also been reported in Forge Lane. TheWest Peckham sign along


Seven Mile Lane was said to be pointing at an odd angle as was the direction sign at the junc- tion of High House lane andOx- enhoath Road. There had been an incident regarding a jack-knifed lorry outside Forge Cottage, where the truck driver’s sat nav had di- rected him through the village from Plaxtol. Cllr Mark Freed expressed concern over the protector sur- rounding the young oak tree by the kissing gates on the Green. The tree had now matured and this needed to be removed. Cllr Clive Talbutt was concerned by the condition of the wood on the bench. It was agreed that a working party be set up to fix these problems. The village green by-law


signs were waiting to be in- stalled. The South East Water meter-


ing programme was to begin in the parish in August.


Malling 43


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