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News Council plans £1m budget cuts
TONBRIDGE and Malling councillors have approved a plan to cut more than £1 million from the budget to bridge a potential funding gap.
The cutbacks come on top of the
£2.8 million savings achieved by the council in the last four or five years, and could be even more severe, de- pending what happens nationally, memberswerewarned. In a report presented to members, council bosses outlined a draft sav- ings and transformation strategy that would address the significant financial challenges faced by the council in the coming years. Cabinet members discussedways
Nature plan
for retail park APATCH of overgrown woodland fringing South Aylesford Retail Park at Quarry Wood could be transformed into a wildlife haven with a nature trail and a bug hotel. The Crown Estate, owner of the shopping centre, says the land is an unkempt wooded area between the Homebase and Harveys units. The site, covered by a woodland tree preservation order, is said to have limited value to protected species and to need enhancement. The scheme, which has been sub- mitted to Tonbridge and Malling Council, includes the clearance of scrub around the trees, as well as new woodchip and cycle paths and a bike store next to Harveys. An ecology report says the na-
ture trail has the potential to in- crease the bio-diversity of the site. “By clearing some of the under- storey, more light will reach the ground layer providing opportuni- ties for the native woodland and hedgerow wild flowers to spread.”
to make the required £1.4 million savings to bridge the funding gap identified in the council’s 10-year medium-term financial strategy. It was agreed that the latest cuts be spread in tranches over the next three years. The strategy report said: “It is im- portant to recognise that there is no one simple solution to address the challenges the council faces. It would be misleading to say the council will be able to maintain high
standards of service across all that it does. Our priorities should focus on our customer and community serv- ice activity, doing all we can to maintain the council’s reputation of good frontline service provision. In some areas there will need to be de- cisions as to the level of service we provide, and in some other cases whetherwe should stop doing some of the things we have traditionally done.” The council said thiswas the case
for the majority of public services and Tonbridge and Mallingwas not in a unique position. Its new strat- egy aims to deliver the first tranche of savings of £200,000 by the begin- ning of 2016/17, followed by £700,000 by the start of 2017/18 and £500,000 by the start of 2018/19. The report said specific savings
could not be identified at this stage but there would be a key focus on in-service efficiencies and organisa- tional structural change.
New minibus helps patients
get to hospice THE Heart of Kent Hospice has launched a new patient transport service to enable more local patients with a life-limiting illness to benefit from the services provided. Thanks to the arrival of a minibus,
Three generations of Beavers
SNODLAND Beavers have welcomed a third generation of the same family for the first time since it was formed 31 years ago. Lyn Pilkington was the Beaver leader and Helen Comber the assistant
when Chris Byrne started the colony, which is now called the Christie Beavers. Helen said: "My son Paul was one of the first Beavers to join. It was wonderful investing his daughter, Phoebe." Phoebe Nickson is six and lives in Taylor Road, Snodland. She is pictured with her grandmother Helen, father Paul and Beaver leader Lyn.
Long-awaited allotments open
A LONG-running project to pro- vide allotments at Kings Hill has officially opened. Negotiations began in 2007 after residents suggested the scheme. The land was donated by Liberty Property Trust and its develop- ment partner KCC in 2014. Con- struction started in March, but was delayed by wetweather. The 75 allotmentswere finished
in July and the first tenants took over their plots. The site has secu- rity fencing, self-closing water standpipes, access for emergency vehicles, disabled parking and a loading bay. Gardening expert Jim Buttress,
a judge on the TV series “The Big Allotment Challenge” cut the rib- bon and spoke to allotment hold-
Gardening expert Jim Buttress (fourth left) with the mayor and guests
ers. Among the guests were the Mayor and Mayoress of Ton- bridge and Malling, Cllr Owen Baldock and his wife Christine; borough and parish councillors. Kings Hill Parish Council chair-
man Cllr David Waller said: “It was a moment of intense pride for
us to host Jim Buttress and nu- merous local dignitaries and resi- dents at our opening ceremony.” After the ceremony, guests re- treated from the bad weather to the sports pavilion at Kings Hill Sports Park, where they enjoyed mulled wine and carrot cake.
the hospice can now provide free transport for patients needing to visit the hospice for outpatient ap- pointments, day therapy and drop- in sessions and the dementia cafe. The minibus has been adapted to accommodate patients with disabil- ities or mobility problems, includ- ing wheelchair access and specialised equipment such as breathing apparatus. Available five days a week, the service will complement the team of volunteer drivers who give up their time on a regular basis to take pa- tients to and from the hospice in Aylesford. This new patient transport service
has been funded by Coxheath- based Westerhill Homes and The Big Lottery Fund, with contribu- tions from other trusts and founda- tions, as well as local parish councils. Kerry Harrison, acting patient services director, said: “Many of our patients have difficulty getting to the hospice as they may live on their own with no access to public trans- port or are dependent on family and friends to help them out. “This can cause unnecessary ad- ditional stress and anxiety for our patients and their families, during what is already a difficult and chal- lenging time.” The hospice has recently ap- pointed a transport coordinator to manage the new service, to ensure it meets the needs of local patients. It is also looking to recruit more volunteer escorts to ensure that pa- tients have a comfortable journey. For more details visit the hos-
pice’s website at
www.hokh.org or call 01622 792200.
Malling December 2015 33
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