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Sponsored parish council | News Boxley Parish Mail
CHAIRMAN: Ivor Davies CLERK: Pauline BowderyASST 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 fromthe parish office, the Useful Contact Details leaflet or the website Memories of
orchard sought THE Mid-Kent Downs Country- side Partnership has obtained a grant to run a three-year project called “Kent Orchards for every- one” and has expressed interest in the Weavering Diamond Jubilee Orchard and the area in general. This orchard was developed by
the parish council specifically to link modern Grove Green and Weavering to its historic past. Chairman Ivor Davies said: “I
don’t think residents really under- stand how unusual it is to have a community orchard within a large residential development but hope- fully by becoming involved in this project, more memories can be pre- served and the uniqueness of the area will be celebrated.” The parish council therefore wishes to be part of the partner- ship’s project and is trying to con- tact residents who have memories of the time when Weavering and Grove Green were covered in or- chards. It is also trying to trace res- idents who took part in a 1993–95 project to gather memories pub- lished in a book by Moira Hyde called “Ancient Roots, New Shoots – stories and prints of a changing landscape”. If you know of anyone either in-
volved in that publication or inter- ested in the project, please contact the parish office.
Next meeting THE next meeting of the parish council is at the European School of Osteopathy, Boxley village, at 7.30pm on November 3. Members of the public arewelcome.
WAYS of improving shrub mainte- nance beside footpaths and high- ways in Walderslade were discussed by parish councillors. The parish council had contacted
KCC Cllr Paul Carter about the need for more than the current sin- gle annual shrub maintenance cut. Walderslade’s high proportion of
shrub verges had previously made it a special case so had received three cuts a year, but this was later reduced to two and now to just one. But other areas of the parish where grass verges predominate
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Anti-social truckers caught on camera
A councillor is using a new tactic in her campaign to stop anti-social be- haviour by lorry drivers parking in Old Chatham Road, Sandling.
After receiving photographs of
vehicles from residents, borough and Boxley parish CllrWendy Hin- der has been telephoning the haulage companies whose drivers have been disregarding a new traf- fic order making part of the road a clearway. She said that all the transport managers she spoke to had been very understanding and had agreed to instruct their drivers not to park within the designated area. However, she expressed concern at the lack of enforcement of the traf- fic order by police. Afurther meetingwas scheduled with KCC Cllr David Brazier, cab-
THE parish council is piloting a scheme to target local communities with local news. Community alerts is an email
based system where residents who supply contact details will be in- formed of issues that might affect them, such as planning applica- tions; local trading standards or po- lice alerts; community meetings or consultations planned by the parish council and Maidstone Council local plan issues. The parish council has a Face-
running, which is keeping resi- dents awake all night. Some people are unable to sleep in the back of their houses because of the noise, so have had to move their bed- rooms to the front. Lorries should not park there. “The drivers have also been
inet member for environment and transport. Cllr Hinder said: “Lorries are
being parked outside houses with their refrigerators on and engines
Community news scheme
book presence but recognises that not every resident uses Facebook so is offering this alternative. The pilot scheme will be run for six months, after which it will be reviewed. Anyone interested in receiving
alerts should contact the parish of- fice at enquiry@boxleyparishcoun-
cil.org.uk with their email address and which of the following areas they would like alerts for: Grove Green and Weavering; Boxley vil- lage; Sandling and Forstal or Lordswood andWalderslade.
Shrub maintenance back on agenda
continue to have more frequent vegetation maintenance. In response to the parish coun-
cil’s concerns, Cllr Carter said he had asked for the annual shrub maintenance in Walderslade, usu- ally carried out from November to January, to be brought forward to October, but due to economic pres- sures it was impossible to increase the frequency. He said residents themselves
might be able/willing to maintain the shrubs, subject to guidelines, or that the parish could consider tak-
Maidstone East November 2014
ing over maintenance against reim- bursement by KCC at the bench- marked rate. This would allow the parish to determine the timing and frequency of cuts. Councillors discussed having a
pilot scheme with the parish coun- cil paying for an additional cut in one area to see if it received resi- dents’ support. Before proceeding further, members asked for a cost- ing for such a pilot scheme and also the current overall cost of the main- tenance of the shrub beds in the Walderslade residential areas.
going to the toilet along people’s fences and some have even been going to the toilet along the pave- ment. I will keep battling on, as I do not think residents should have to live like this.” Borough Cllr Derek Butler will
raise the issue of the lack of en- forcement with the Kent Police and Crime Commissioner Ann Barnes.
New PCSO
PCSO Trevor Knowles has taken over the parish in a caretaker role after the departure of Quentin Car- rington-Moss who has been sec- onded to another post. Members expressed concerns
about cover after hearing that PCSO Knowles also covers two other large wards and it was un- likely he would be able to attend parish council meetings. Borough Cllr Derek Butler agreed to take the issue to a meet- ing with Kent Police and Crime Commissioner Ann Barnes. The parish council chairman Ivor Davies would also raise the issue at the Maidstone rural parishes’ po- lice forum.
Warren funding
PARISH councillorswelcomed con- firmation that their original grant of £1,000 for the Celebrating Boxley Warren project had resulted in addi- tional external funding of more than £55,000, mainly from the lottery- funded local heritage initiative. A final financial report had been
received from Mid Kent Downs Partnership’s Mike Phillips, who was appointed scheme manager.
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