Boxley Parish Mail
CHAIRMAN: Ivor Davies CLERK: Pauline Bowdery ASST CLERK: Melanie Fooks Parish Office, Beechen Hall,Wildfell Close,Walderslade, ME5 9RU
Tel: 01634 861237 email:
clerk@boxleyparishcouncil.org.uk Website:
www.boxleyparishcouncil.org.uk Contact details for parish councillors can be obtained from the parish office, the Useful Contact Details leaflet or the website Groups invited to apply for cash grants
RESIDENTS and local groups are invited to apply for grants from the parish council’s Community Chest for projects that meet certain criteria. A total of £10,000 has been released from
the parish council’s reserves to provide grants of between £30 and £1,000. Parish council chairman Ivor Davies said:
“We have tried to avoid putting too many restrictions on qualifying projects and it is hoped that by so doing, residents and groups will come upwith some good ideas - perhaps thinking outside the box. All that we ask is that the projects benefit the wider community.”
Health check BOXLEY Parish Council is starting its annual health check, whereby committees review the way theywork to try to identify areas that could be improved: Pauline Bowdery, parish
clerk, said: “Committees review what they do, what the office does and how well it manages things. This is a vital commit- ment to ensure the parish coun- cil doesn’t rest on its laurels”. In 2004, the parish council
was the first in Kent to be awardedQuality Status and has since re-qualified.
The criteria for grants under the scheme
is as follows: Preference will be given to projects that give the widest benefit to the community. Projects must be compliant with equal- ity and health and safety legislation. The schemewill not fund projects where there is a statutory duty for a body, such as a government agency, to provide or pay for the proposed activity. The scheme will not fund maintaining salaries, providing loans, meeting interest payments or utility costs or paying fines. Nor will it consider projects that exclude any group of persons, for whatever reason.
Applications will be accepted for be- tween £30 to £1,000 to help fund a specific project or activity, subject to the above. Application forms can be obtained from
the parish council’s website or the parish office. The deadline for applications will be Oc-
tober 30, 2013. If, after the first round of ap- plications, there is still money left in the budget, another deadline for applications will be set. Details will be sent out to community groups who are in regular contact with the parish council, but applications will be welcomed from residents or other groups.
Objection to church tree order
BOXLEYParish Council isobjecting toMBC’sapplication foratree preser- vation order on the yewtree south of thewarmemorial. The parish council had applied to
fell the 55-year-old tree, as its root system is undermining the listed churchwall, resulting ina number of cracks. The parish council is regularly
checking the wall, but it is feared that without the tree being removed, it will ultimately result in a health and safety issue for the public using the adjacent roadway. Due to the tree’s location between graves, it is not feasible to put in a
root guard. A nearby listed building is also being touched by branches from the tree.
Friends’ shed to be based at hall COUNTY Cllr Paul Carter has allocated some of his devolved budget to purchase a shed for the Friends of BoxleyWarren. The volunteers who work along Pilgrims Way
to maintain the area and SSSI will now have a base which will be located at Beechen Hall.
Motorbike barriers are agreed THE parish council has agreed to foot the bill for installing five barriers in Lordswood to slow downmotorbikes and quad bikes on the footpaths around the Timber Tops open space. MBC has agreed to pay for the structures as it was recog- nised that there was a danger to pedestrians.
Damaging woodlands ‘is a crime’
THE parish council is disturbed about reports of encroachment into the woods, dumping of gar- den waste over back fences and the removal of trees and branches. Cllr Ivor Davies, chairman of
the parish council, said: “The woodlands are now protected against development with vil- lage green status and the trees themselves by a blanket tree preservation order. “Even so, some residents fail
to appreciate that they can’t just move their fence to enlarge their garden nor can they cut down a tree or branch because it is
blocking their light. The local community asked the parish council to get village green sta- tus for the woods. It is now up to residents to protect what is a very special designated ancient woodland and report infringe- ments.” The parish council has re- ported a number of encroach- ments into the woods and KCC haswritten to the property own- ers to ensure the fences are moved back to the boundary. There have also been reports of inappropriate ground clearance and garden refuse being regu- larly thrown over fences.
Walderslade Woodlands Group, which undertakes a lot of work within the woods and whose volunteers keep the foot- paths clear, is being asked to re- port all incidences of fence movement and waste dumping. Now that the woods have vil- lage green status, criminal pro- ceedings could be taken against anyone causing damage. The TPO legislation also makes it a criminal offence to damage or fell protected trees. Further information on what a tree preservation order covers is available on the parish council’s website.
Road sign deal
with TV studios AN arrangement between The Maidstone Studios and the op- erators of the KCC electronic road signs has been brokered by the parish council. This will allow the studio to
notify residents and audience members if there is congestion at New Cut Road due to an event at the studios. It is also hoped that when the studio is full that people approaching hoping to get a seat can be ad- vised of this fact and will turn back, rather than park and go to the studio only to be turned away. Like all major studios, more tickets than available seats are sent out to ensure that the au- ditorium is full. This has caused problems for residents who are often faced with in- considerate parking and unnec- essary congestion. While the parish council can-
not control ticket allocation, it is hoped that giving residents advance warning of events and warning when the studios’ car park is full will go some way to mitigating the problem.
Next proposal BOXLEY Parish Council has ap- proached Maidstone Council planning committee to ask that some of the £140,000 S106 money from the Next develop- ment at Eclipse Park is reserved so that residents in the adjacent ward can be approached for their views about the need for car parking restrictions.
The parish council extends a heartywelcome to all newresidents of the parish andwould like to remind you thatwe are here to serve
YOU. Details of the role of a parish council and specifically what Boxley Parish Council does can be found on the council’swebsite. If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact the parish office. If you do not have access to a computer, our other contact details are at the top of this page.
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