News | Sponsored parish council Boxley Parish Mail
CHAIRMAN:Bob Hinder 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 Civic regalia
THE PARISH council has agreed to buy a badge of office to be worn by the chairman when representing the parish at civic functions and events. After lengthy consideration, it
was decided to purchase regalia at a maximum cost of £400, excluding VAT. The council badge will be on a dark green collar with an enam- elled metal bar for the chairman and a second bar which can be sub- stituted for the vice-chairman. Borough ward Cllr Derek Butler,
who is Mayor of Maidstone said: “Some of the mayors I meet are from towns that have smaller pop- ulations than Boxley. I think it’s a nice idea that you recognise it.”
Quiz night
AQUIZ night is being organised by Vinters Valley Nature Reserve at Grove Green Community Hall (next to Tesco car park) on Satur- day, December 3 . Doors open at 7pm for 7.30 start
and there will be a raffle. Tickets are £6 each person for
teams of up to eight – email chair-
man@vpt.co.uk, with name, tele- phone number and number of tickets required. Participants can bring their own snacks and drinks. Proceeds will go towards the up- keep and running of the reserve.
Body camera THE parish council was thanked for its offer to sponsor a bodycam for PCSO Matt Adlington. The PCSO reported that Kent Police would be providing him with one, but were impressed by the coun- cil’s suggestion and expressed thanks.
Pat’s bouquet
MEMBERS were sorry to hear that Cllr Pat Brooks was unwell and agreed to send her a bouquet of flowers with best wishes for a speedy recovery.
Meeting date
THE next meeting of the parish council will be on December 5 at St John’s School, Provender Way, Grove Green, starting at 7.30pm.
Hall extension agreed as report shows need
AFTER receiving more informa- tion, the parish council agreed to reconsider the case for extending the small meeting room at Beechen Hall. The hall, which was opened in
1944, is extensively used by com- munity groups and is available for hire for parties, weddings and other functions. However, the small room is no longer used for parish council meetings due to noise issues, and is underused in comparison to the main hall, be- cause of its size and shape. Members thanked Cllr Vic Davies, chairman of the estates committee, for his hard work in providing a very detailed report which enabled them to review their earlier decision not to go ahead
with the extension. In its latest decision, the council agreed to enlarge and update the small meeting room, to make it soundproof, create an air gap and replace the main doors. Cllr Davies said the estimated
cost of the scheme 12 months ago was between £80,000 to £100,000, which should now be increased by about £10,000 to allow for inflation and building costs. A working group will progress the early stages of the project which is expected to be planned for 2017/18. Cllr Davies said in his report: “Beechen Hall is meeting the cur- rent need, but without adding to or improving its facilities it is very much stuck in the now, with no fu- ture flexibility for expansion of
hires. With the smaller room ex- panded, there would be provision to meet some current and likely fu- ture needs.” The proposed extension could be
used by the council and other groups. It would include a screen, possibly a projector and hot drinks facilities, which would make it more marketable for meetings. The parish office is also at Beechen Hall and the extended room could also provide a suitable space for staff to use for meetings, lunch or a few quiet moments. The report said: “It should be
noted that Beechen Hall does gen- erate a good profitable income and so any money spent on improve- ments does not come entirely from the taxpayer.”
MP supports
parking ban BOXLEY Parish Council has long been campaigning about the need to get dangerous, illegal and incon- siderate HGV parking onto the government’s list of things to tackle list.
Parking at Grove Green
NUMEROUS complaints have been received about inconsiderate parking on Grove Green. The commuter parking at Grovewood Drive South and parking at junc-
tions on ProvenderWay is causing problems for pedestrians, especially chil- dren and theWalk to School Bus. The parish council has asked KCC andMBCto investigate but would like
to hear from individuals who have experienced problems. Comments can be sent to the parish office at the address at the top of this page.
KCC funding for cycle path
BOROUGH and parish Cllr Wendy Hinder reported that KCC funding had been granted for work on the cycle track and footpath at Old Chatham Road, Sandling. However, she was disappointed that funding had been with-
drawn for improvements, including angled parkings spaces at the end of the road adjoining Tyland Lane.
Having involved MP Helen Whately, she reports that she is “delighted that the Government has made a clear commitment to tackle fly-parking”. Roads minister John Hayes has held a round-table meeting with representatives of the haulage industry, local govern- ment, Helen Whately and others to hammer out some solutions. Mr Hayes pledged to look at
where more parking spaces can be made available and to make sure lorry parking is included in new in- frastructure projects. Along with more parking spaces, stricter rules are needed to make sure drivers use them. Ultimately, the parish council and Helen Whately want to see a complete ban on fly-parking. Illegal lorries, page 18
The chairman and staff ofBoxley ParishCouncil extend Season’s Greetings to residents of the parish. 28 Maidstone East December 2016
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