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that the work on the extension would start in early January and take around 26 weeks. The meeting also considered a draft plan for some additional park- ing proposals from the borough and made recommendations.


Teston Council Vacancy filled


NINA Wheat was co-opted to fill the vacanct seat on the parish council. Cllr Robin Owens reported


that the portable cabin village store was coming on well and trading had been good. The sit- uation would continue to be monitored carefully and it was hoped that everyone would continue to use it. The wording proposed by Maidstone borough Cllr Fay Gooch for a plaque on the bench she had donated was ap- proved. The damaged village gate-


way on the A26 still required attention. It was noted that during the


Teston and Wateringbury nurs- ery group sports day, parents had parked on the village green. It was agreed the clerk should contact the group asking that they avoid doing this in future. Discussion followed regarding possible long-term solutions other than conservation kerb- ing. It was suggested that, on the basis that parking issues in the village were only likely to get worse, it would be worth- while removing the trees along the edge of the village green and creating a space, about 6ft wide, where vehicles could park legitimately. Cells could be put down, allowing the grass to grow through and posts could be placed behind this space to prevent access to other parts of the green. Planning is- sues would need to be checked with Maidstone Council and the clerk would make some general enquiries. The Speedwatch team had carried out five watches near the post office, checking vehi- cles heading south. An average of five or six vehicles were found to be speeding during each watch compared to 20-30 during each watch at the Livesey Street junction. The clerk would ask the po-


lice to carry out a speed check on Malling Road and Ton- bridge Road, given the high level of speeding that was still being recorded. The possibility of Christmas


lights at the village hall was discussed. Costings would be brought to the next meeting. Thanks had been received


from Teston Cricket Club for the grant.


Trottiscliffe Council Smell reported


PARISH chairman Ann Kemp


had reported the sewage smell at the top of Vigo Hill to the en- vironmental health officer and asked that members did like- wise if they noticed it. PCSO Laura Bullen said there


had been a report of an assault at The George and a dog had at- tacked someone out walking. She agreed to look in at the recreation ground when possi- ble as some youths had been seen climbing on equipment. Cllr Peter Laite had attended


the Countryside Day held by Kent Downs AONB and re- ported that its management plan was on the website and comments were sought. It was felt that footpath clear-


ance was not satisfactory and some paths had become im- passable. The chairman was to speak to County Cllr Matthew Balfour with a view to finding a way forward. The clerk was in contactwith


the drainage people in Kent Highways regarding a gully out- side Rosedene which had been removed and residents were concerned that flooding might re-occur. Cllr Trevor Ledamun would


set up a meeting with John Vigor of Kent Highways to dis- cuss various matters including overgrown hedges, potholes and subsidence in Taylors Lane. Cllr Laite reported on large service vehicles which were having problems in parts of Pil- grims Way because of their size. A monkey bar at the recre-


ation ground had been broken and was awaiting repair. In the meantime it had been taped off, although the tape had been re- moved, as it had from the bro- ken bench. The chairman would arrange removal of the bench. A contractor had been found


to cut the grass in the recre- ation ground until October. This would then be renegoti- ated and the clerk was asked to see if it could be done on an an- nual contract. It was agreed to look at the grant to the school, which had partly been for grass cutting, when setting the budget. The rent for sheep grazing for


2013 had not been received. Donations of £50 to Ton- bridge and Malling Citizens Advice and £25 to Victim Sup- port were agreed. There was no objection to the proposal by KCC for the Safe and Sensible Street Lighting policy.


Wateringbury Council Planning views


THE planning committee would appreciate the opinions of parishioners in relation to plan- ning applications prior to its meetings to help formulate the


response to Tonbridge and Malling Council. Please send comments to the parish clerk or come along to the planning sub- committee meeting which fol- lows the monthly general meeting. ChrisWheal, a volunteerwith


Kent Fire and Rescue Service, gave a presentation to the coun- cil. He said that fires in rural areas were different from urban ones. In rural areas the proper- ties were often larger and older and therefore burned easier and inevitably it took the fire serv- ice longer to respond to a rural fire than an urban one. Time was important since a fire likes time and doubles itself every two minutes. The location of fire hydrants


and the ease of finding them was important. The service was looking for volunteers who would be willing to inspect the hydrants twice a year and re- port any problems. Mr Wheal agreed to send the clerk copies of the locations of the village fire hydrants so that residents could be aware of the nearest ones to individual properties. It was also important that


other sources of water such as swimming pools and lakes were known. After being checked they could be put on the KFRS database to help in times of emergencies. Regarding


Drayhorse


Meadow, councillors agreed to draw down a further £10,000 from the Public Works Loan Board to repair the track to the fields and renew fencing. They also agreed to meet the cost of spraying ragwort this autumn. A further spray would be needed next spring to eradicate the plant as its presence was discouraging possible tenants. A site meeting with the Ton- bridge and Malling Council tree officer had taken place and she had advised on the type of trees to be planted and given details of a charity who would provide them with stakes free of charge. Councillors agreed to make a formal application for change of use on a small piece of the meadow for an overflow park- ing area.


Marquees agreed


West Peckham Council


TWO individual requests for marquees on The Green were agreed. The first was from M Siggers for awake inmemory of former resident Dave Smart. The second was from G Milli- gan of The Swan on The Green for a beer festival. All persons were asked to ensure that all items and any litter were re- moved following each event. Martin Smith and John Lees presented to the council on the community warden scheme. They were thanked for their


help and invited to the village fete next year to help raise their profile within the parish. A report of the theft of stable


doors from Swanton Road had been reported and suspicious men had been trying to sell Tar- mac to a resident. County Cllr Matthew Balfour confirmed that he would sup- port the application for funding towards the taxi voucher scheme. The clerk was to com- plete the funding application form requesting £750. The traffic calming gates had


been damaged again. KHS wouldbecontactedatthe end of the winter period. Members agreed there were


no objections in principle to the removal and cutting back of trees at Wealden Hall, 5 Gover View, West Peckham, but to refer to the tree officer for guid- ance. KCC had advised that there


was an additional six-month delay on footpath maintenance. Concerns were raised about sev- eral footpaths in the parish that had now become severely over- grown and the cutting of these would be pursued with the rel- evant department. Concerns were expressed that hedging in Forge Lane was nar- rowing the road and making traffic visibility more difficult. The chairman would speak to KHS/the landowner. Discussions had taken place


with the village hall and Paul Spensley regarding the pro- ceeds of the village fete.Itwas agreed that this year’s funds should be split between West Peckham Village Hall and the church but that this should be reviewed on an annual basis. This would allow special proj- ects to possibly receive essen- tial funding when financial assistance from the borough and KCC is decreasing. It was agreed the firework display would take place in the same location as last year and would be a small community event for residents. Thanks went to Mr and Mrs Edwards for their continued support. Welcome packs had been de- livered to new residents of Wealden Hall and Court Lodge. The company in Matfield was happy to supply the same size Christmas tree as before and it was agreed this should be de- livered to The Green to be erected on December 14 and switched the next day. The council supported the placing of a Diamond Jubilee and memorial circular bench on The Green. It was hoped that the £1,500 to £2,000 required for this project could be raised from residents. An email had been received


from the Rev Pat Dickins re- garding a potential scam about burial plots.


You can e-mail the Downs Mail — info@downsmail.co.uk Malling 43


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