Quiet Lanes, East Malling
When the lanes between East and West Malling were designated in 2002, they should have been formally registered by KCC. This is so people, such as those doing work in the lanes, know the status as countryside lanes used for walking, horse riding and cycling. It underlines the importance of their character. The parish council was amazed when researching things following the proposals to develop Broadwater Farm to discover the registration had not been done. KCC said it could not find the papers but luckily parish councillor Christine Woodger had kept them all including one showing KCC getting an award. With the help of our county councillor Trudy Dean this is now being rectified.
Parish Walk.
The annual East Malling Parish Walk has been arranged to take place on Sunday, April 9 at 2.15pm from St James’s Church. Circular route, all welcome, Put in your diary now! We aim to get back about 4.30pm.
Parish loses £50,000 funding
Due to government reductions in the money paid to local district councils, Tonbridge and Malling Council is completely changing the way local services are paid for in the borough.
Since 1974 when the council came into being, the costs of Tonbridge for such items as local open spaces and churchyards considered to be "parish type expenses" have been paid for by the borough council as Tonbridge did not
get a town council when the former urban district authority was abolished. This meant "Malling" residents were paying towards those costs and also for their own parish councils. To mitigate this "double rating" a sum was paid to each parish equivalent to those spent in Tonbridge.
From April 1, all money payable to the parish councils including our own, will permanently end and Tonbridge will have a "special rate" levied on it for its "parish expenses". The borough accepts this will mean the parishes will have to increase their council tax levies to offset the loss but the borough sum will be reduced in the Malling area. In our case, we will have to increase the parish tax to offset our annual loss of £50,000.
A complicating factor will also be, the borough has decided to charge a special rate to those parishes where they maintain amenty areas in their ownership such as the two play areas at Lunsford Park and the woodland strip separating Step Stile estate from the A20. This will be shown as a separate item.
This all means the council tax bill be very different in April and it is understood the borough will be including an explanation of the changes.
No doubt though, as usual,
the Kent County Council bit will be the largest item and we expect they will all increase by just under the government’s capping limit.
David Thornewell Parish Council Chairman
What’s On Malling & district clubs, societies & activities
IT IS never too late to make a fresh start by taking up new activities or making new friends. The many clubs and organisations in the Malling Action Partnership area cater for a wide range of interests and offer a warm welcome to newcomers, so why not give them a try? Details of regular meetings are listed on this page.
Mary Rayner collates our community diary with details of various groups and is also compiling a list of special events
Wednesday January 18 Wateringbury Local History Society talk by Roy Ingleton on “Kent Disasters”. Meeting starts at 8pm at the village hall. Visitors very welcome.
Sunday January 22 West Malling Farmers’ Market, held in the High Street, West Malling, from 9.30am – 1.30pm. One of the busiest and best markets in Kent with around 40 stalls selling a wide range of locally produced fruit, vegetables, fish, meat, cheeses and bread.
Tuesday January 24 Malling District U3A. Ten Brave Men and True by Richard Snow. This month’s speaker comes from Pembury and was for 10 years fundraising director at Hospice in the Weald. Richard will be speaking about his recently published book, “Ten Brave Men and True”, which tells the stories of the 10 Victoria Cross holders who are all remembered in the Victoria Cross Grove in Dunorlan Park,
in the area in 2016. So if you would like your group or event to be included, please send her all the information, including your contact details.
Please let her know as far in advance as possible so that it may be possible to avoid clashes and maximise the attendances at each event.
Details should be emailed to
maryrayner@btinternet.com or call 07772 318330.
Tunbridge Wells. Richard will also speak about the medal and its background. Monthly meetings are held at Ryarsh Village Hall on the fourth Tuesday of the month throughout the year. The meetings start at 2pm.
Wednesday January 25 St James the Great, East Malling, warmly invites you all to a Baby and Toddler Group at 1.30pm, in the church. Lots of fun for all children and babies to school age. Come along and catch up with parents, carers and guardians. Singing and dancing with musical instruments, refreshments and parties, stories and puppets, presents, outings and lots more! The group meets every Wednesday.
Thursday January 26 Play and Stay Toddler Group meets every Thursday at the East Malling Centre, 10.30am -12.30pm.
Saturday February 4 Malling Rotary fundraising event- Bob Drury
as Neil Diamond at Borough Green Village Hall. Doors open at 7pm. Tickets £18 each or £120 for a table of eight. Call 01732 882187 or email:
rcmalling@hotmail.co.uk.
Sunday February 26 West Malling Farmers’ Market, held in the High Street, West Malling, 9.30am – 1.30pm.
Saturday March 11 Offham Farmers’ Market at Spadework Nursery, Teston Road, West Malling. Around 30 stalls selling home grown and local produce.10am – 1pm.
Saturday March 25
East Malling Singers will be joined by the Vigo Singers in the Church of St James the Great, East Malling, for a celebration of English music, including anthems from the 19th and 20th centuries. The concert begins at 7.30pm. Tickets are available in advance from Sue Greenham, Tel: 01622 750943 or on the door subject to availability.
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