Parish council going on the record
BEARSTED Parish Council has voted to make voice recordings of its meetings, after disagreements between members about the content of the council’s minutes. At the May meeting, Cllr Geoff Licence challenged parish clerk Helen Elstone over the latest set of minutes and said the coun- cil had not agreed to advertise for a new handyman, following the resignation of the previous incumbent – her husband David. However, the minutes said they had. Cllr Barbara Dunford said her recollection
was that members agreed that the job de- scription and recruitment process would be discussed in detail by the council’s envi- ronment committee – but it was agreed in principle that the job would be advertised. It was just the latest in a long line of dis-
putes over the content of council minutes. Now, the council has agreed to buy a voice recorder so that meetings can be recorded and checked in the event of queries.
West division CHIEF Superintendent Steve Corbishley has returned for his third stint at Maidstone police sta- tion, taking up the role of divisional commander for West Kent. The divi-
sion covers Maidstone, Tun- bridge Wells, Sevenoaks and Tonbridge andMalling. He succeeds acting Chief Su- perintendent Andy Rabey who held the position on a tempo- rary basis, following the depar- ture to force headquarters of Chief Superintendent Matthew Nix.
After joining Kent Police in
1993, Chief Supt Corbishley has performed a variety of roles, with much of his early career in the criminal investi- gation department. He under- took his first command role in 2004 at Maidstone, returning again in 2006. He was ap- pointed area commander at Medway in 2008. During his command, signifi-
cant reductions in crime were achieved and long-standing problems addressed, notably the virtual removal of street prostitution in Chatham. Since July 2011, he has taken charge of the partnership direc- torate at force HQ, with re- sponsibility for strategic crime reduction activity, partnership and community engagement. He said: “I am pleased to be
given the opportunity of leading the police team atWest division and look forward to seeing many familiar faces. The key for us will be to continue reducing crime and anti-social behaviour and making sure that we pro- vide the best possible service to all those who contact us.”
32 East
Officer returns to take over
If you like bowling, join the club! Members of Bearsted and Thurnham Bowling Club
ANYONE who would like to have a go at bowls is invited to free taster sessions at the Bearsted and Thurnham Bowling Club in Church Land- way, Bearsted. All you need to bring with you is a pair of flat shoes or trainers. The club also offers regular coaching and casual bowling on Thursday
evenings. The sport is suited to all ages, and all skill levels are invited. Apart from the bowling, the club offers a variety of social events such
as barbecues and quiz nights throughout the year, and has a clubhouse, kitchen, bar, pool table and boules court. For more information, call either Gill or Rob Lunn on 01622 632533.
Station crossing on the agenda COUNCILLORS have been considering a request for a pedestrian crossing at Bearsted and Thurnham railway station inWare Street. However, the idea is not without its problems. The road outside
the station approaches the brow of a hill, and pedestrians heading west tend to walk out of the vehicle exit, while many of those head- ing east use the path leading to Thurnham Lane, members heard. Members agreed to pass the request to KCC highways for their opinion. If a location was chosen close to the footpath to the sta- tion, it would mean taking out some of the on-street parking.
MAIDSTONE has a new mayor. Councillors elected Cllr Clive English to represent the bor- ough for the coming year, taking over the chain of office from Cllr Rodd Nelson-Gracie. A LibDem member for High
Street Ward since 1994, Cllr English was nominated for the position by fellow Cllr Ian Chit- tenden (Lib Dem) who said he was “well known in council cir- cles to have an encyclopaedic knowledge of local and national government”. However, as a councillor, he is probably best known for his knowledge of planning issues. Seconding the motion, Con- servative Cllr Stephen Paine said: “He has given a lifetime to public service and for that we should all respect him. I think
he will make a superb mayor.” Cllr Fay Gooch, on behalf of
the Independ- ents, sup- ported the motion, say- ing: “Having loyally served this borough and its com- munities for so many years, Cllr English (pictured) has rightly earned the honour and pride of being Mayor of Maidstone.” Accepting the role, the new
mayor said: “There is much to be proud of in the community that we all, in different ways, serve. Thank you very much, mem- bers, for your support, and I will tryveryhardtoliveuptoit!”
Chairman Cllr Richard Ash said it was common practice for councils and other publicly-accountable bodies to record their meetings, and cited Maidstone Council, where almost all council and committee meetings are recorded and webcast. Cllr Licence said recording equipment
was not totally reliable, but Cllr Alan Rowe said: “We are in the 21st century. Everyone records meetings!” Members – with the exception of Cllr Li-
cence – agreed to purchase a voice recorder for use at future meetings. Cllr Licence went on to disagree with a proposal that all votes for the evening should be named votes. Cllr Barbara Dunford, who made the re-
quest, said: “The people of Bearsted are en- titled to know who is for andwho is against a motion. When we take a vote, we should be prepared to put our name to it.” Continuing with her quest for trans-
parency, Cllr Dunford proposed that a sec- tion of minutes recorded under the “in cam- era” section, be brought into the public domain, as the item had incorrectly been discussed in private, at the suggestion of Cllr Licence’s wife Wendy, who was at the meeting in a personal capacity. Matters should only be discussed “in camera”, or behind closed doors,when they were prejudicial to the public interest or re- ferred to sensitive financial matters or con- ditions of employment, said the clerk. In this instance, the debatewas about a ten-
der awarded by an insurance company, and there was no reason for it to have been taken in private, she said, particularly at the behest of a member of the public. Cllr Licence said: “We did not receive that advice from the clerk at the time. If we make remarks in camera, I do not expect to see them published. ”
Woodturners
mark 25 years KENTWoodturners Club is cel- ebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Formed in 1989, it was known as the Kent Chapter of theAssociation ofWoodturners of Great. Then, it had just a few members, but today it boasts a membership of over 100. Club meetings and demon- strations by well known profes- sional woodturners, are held at Aylesford Priory on the first Tuesday evening and the third Saturday of each month. Any- one interested is welcome to come along, or they can call John Ellender on 01622 735637 for more information. Every year the club holds two exhibitions, where some items are on sale. This year they are from July 6-14 and November 2- 17. Generally, 25 woodturners exhibit over 1,500 items such as bowls, vases, candlesticks, pen- dants, pens and clocks. The ex- hibition is held in the oak-framed barn at the entrance to the Priory. Entry is free.
New mayor proud to take on role Cllr English was born in
Walthamstow, London, before moving to Maidstone in 1961. He gainedaBA(Hons)inhis- tory and politics at Lancaster University and became a Methodist Church accredited preacher in 1990. He started his working career at Canterbury City Council planning depart- ment, before moving to the RoyalMail where he worked in data management and logistics. He became a borough council-
lor in 1994 and has served on a number of committees, notably planning and transportation, and leisure overview and scrutiny. He also held the post of cabinet member for regeneration. His interests include chess,
being an officer with the Boys Brigade and charity work.
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