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West Malling Parish Council May’s parish council meeting began with the annual parish meeting. The chairman and committees were re-elected unopposed with several committees welcoming new members. Councillors received brief summaries of activities and achievements over the last 12 months which included:
Amenities. This committee has a wide sphere of activity as it covers the management of the parish’s amenity areas, including the allotments and the churchyard. Committee membership increased during the year and successfully reduced the number of inquorate meetings. Both the allotments and the churchyard have draft management plans and councillors wanted to extend their thanks to the outgoing chair, Jim Galloway, for his hard work in setting up and steering these projects.
Highways, Transportation & Street Lighting. Councillors wished to extend their thanks to Ron Parker, the outgoing committee chairman, for his sterling work over the last year. They noted that he had been instrumental in reviewing parish street lighting and acting promptly on the results of the contractor’s structure and integrity survey. Also noted was that the parish council is unsatisfied with T&MBC’s parking review proposals and the new committee will pursue outstanding points.
Maceys Meadow. Despite the prolonged cold weather over the first five months of this year, the ongoing maintenance programme continues to deliver excellent results. This year’s tasks include bidding for the final stage of the Community Orchard project and introducing more herbs and wild flowers, including yellow rattle. The beehives continue to be productive; if you suffer from hay fever, local honey may be helpful so look out for it at local events and shops.
Malling Action Partnership. The highlight for the year has to be winning the Kent Rural Community of the Year award. West Malling won by scoring the overall highest mark across the four sections, gaining highly commended for its sustainability and social & community submissions; while its business and communications entries won their sections outright.
The meeting continued as the first of the 2013/14 cycle of meetings. Both the parish council chairman and vice-chairman were re-elected as were the tree wardens. It was agreed that representatives for many of the existing groups would remain unchanged although this will be reviewed when the Council returns to full membership.
A selection of items from the May & June meetings:
Community Speed Watch is supported by WMPC and carried out by residents to actively reduce excessive vehicle speeds on local roads. CSW is an educational scheme so volunteers do not ticket offenders. It is Kent police who send out warning letters, using the details logged by CSW groups countywide and they will seriously consider enforcement in areas where speeding is shown to be persistent. May to October is CSW season and volunteers are always welcome; please check Kent Police website for more information or contact the local co-ordinator via the parish clerk. Incidentally, there were four very successful CSW sessions in West Malling in May.
The Malling Society reported that next year’s photographic exhibition will mark the 100th anniversary of the start of the Great War. Information and photos of soldiers in service at that time can be handed in on the Heritage Days in September or contact the society through their newly upgraded website
www.themallingsociety.org.uk.
Ryarsh Lane car park: a reminder that this car park is available for general parking from 15.00 daily and at weekends.
West Malling Chamber of Commerce Membership numbers continue to rise and the AGM re-elected Jane Marshall as chairman. From this year, WMPC will run a Christmas Window trophy, to be presented at the Christmas lights switch-on in recognition of the vital part that WMCC plays in supporting the community.
Contact the parish clerk: 01732 870872 or by e-mail
carole.wmpc@btconnect.com.
"Music in Malling just got bigger"
"No one alive has seen what we can see here today," said KCC Cllr Trudy Dean introducing the Coronation Celebration Concert at St Mary's Church, West Malling on June 2. A grant of £1,000 from KCC had funded the moving of pews installed in 1903 to create sufficient space for the 54-strong Eynsford Concert Band to perform together with 40 singers of the Malling
Community Choir and 20 singers from More Park Primary School Choir – the largest number of performers in the church in over 110 years. Local residents and volunteers from the band had moved the pews using crow bars and steel rollers on the night before the concert.
"We have now created a large enough space for a full orchestra, or ballet, or
LOCAL CONTACTS
Trudy Dean, Malling Action Partnership Chairman E:
trudy.dean@
kent.gov.uk T: 01732 843 119
Citizens Advice Bureau – T: 01732 440488
Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council main switchboard – T: 01732 844522
Travel Enquiries
Trains – T: 08457 484950
Nu-Venture Buses – T: 01622 882288
Arriva Buses – T: 0871 200 22 33
Pothole reporting – T: 08458 247800
Police - non-emergency T: 101
www.malling.org.uk
other events for our community.” said Cllr Dean.
The church was packed for the performance which finished in rousing prom style with "Land of Hope and Glory" and much flag waving. The concert raised £1,400 to fund the installation of an indoor toilet in the church-another improvement to increase the comfort of residents.
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