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West Malling Parish Council These are some of the items discussed at West Malling Parish Council meetings in January and February.


Street lighting While the majority of street lighting in Kent is supplied by KCC, the parish council owns and operates more than 100 street lights in and around West Malling. Of these, about 60 are mercury vapour units which need to be replaced in line with European Union legislation due to come into force this year.


The lighting columns will be surveyed to assess their general condition before the replacement LED light units are fitted and the parish council is expecting to start this work by the autumn. KCC has already started to upgrade street lighting in a number of areas in the county, the nearest to West Malling being the new lights in New Hythe Lane, Larkfield.


Traffic and parking in West Malling continues to cause problems, particularly from vehicles driving too fast on Town Hill, and poor parking blocking the taxi rank and bus stop areas in the High Street. The amount of traffic in the High Street can make crossing it hazardous, particularly at peak times. Residents are encouraged to report any near misses to the police by using 101 or to the mobile police station when it visits West Malling High Street on April 10 and 24, or May 8 and 22.


Parking review Parish councillors have expressed their dismay to Tonbridge and Malling Council at the length of time it is taking to finalise the West Malling parking review. While they recognise that a number of issues, including staff shortages and relocation as well as the upcoming elections, will impact on the review’s progress, they are unhappy that the process seems to be taking an inordinate amount of time to complete, particularly as West Malling residents made every effort to respond promptly to the borough council’s Christmas 2014 questionnaire.


West Malling Library Do you use the High Street library? Kent County Council is looking to transfer its library, registration and archive (LRA) services to a charitable trust to continue delivering these services. Its consultation document includes a questionnaire and residents are invited to complete it so that their views can be taken into consideration before a final decision is made. All responses must be received by KCC by April 8.


West Malling Village Hall proudly celebrated its 40th anniversary on February 25. The committee is keen to continue updating and upgrading the facilities to ensure the village hall’s


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


continued success and is currently looking to recruit more committee members. If you would like to join this award winning team, please contact them via their website www.westmalling-villagehall.co.uk


Blue plaque scheme Councillors received a report on the formation of a group to set up a local scheme to install a version of these distinctive commemorative signs. A list of people who lived locally and have been judged to be eminent in a particular profession or calling or have made an outstanding contribution to human welfare or happiness will be compiled and submitted for consideration in due course.


Kent Police have reported a number of incidents across the county involving bogus callers and rogue traders in recent months. If someone knocks on your door, unannounced, offering to do work to your property or tries to trick their way in by pretending to be an official workman, don’t hesitate to shut the door and ring the police on 101 to check them out. Remember – if in doubt, keep them out.


Finally Please note that parish councillors can be contacted via the parish clerk on 01732 870872 during office hours. Or why not come to the next monthly meeting on Monday, April 13 at 7.30pm in the Village Hall, Norman Road, West Malling?


West Malling


parking review West Malling Parish Council has offered to organise and pay for a public exhibition of new parking proposals by Tonbridge and Malling Council. The offer was made after the borough council’s consultation document achieved a very low response, perhaps due to the Christmas deadline.


The consultation involves the restrictiction of existing resident permit holders to defined parking zones and the extension of resident


permits to Offham and Norman Road as well as a small section of London Road outside the


Wheatsheaf pub. Smaller projects to lay double yellow lines at the junction of Fartherwell Avenue and Offham Road, and along an Offham Road layby at the entrance to Manor Farm, will go ahead together with extending hours of parking outside Tesco, and a disabled bay in Swan Street.


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