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Continued from page 43 alsobeen damaged. Cllr Bowie suggested that the parish council should write to the resident and seek an update on their plans to replace the trees. Yellow lines A request had been submitted to MBC to reinstate the double yellow lines in the bus stop to prevent parking. Vacancy An application had been received for the parish councillor vacancy. The applicant, Honey Zammit, was invited to address the meeting. She was then co- opted on to the council. Resources committee The chairman spoke of the benefits of setting up a resources committee to meet on a quarterly basis to discuss the resources. This would help the council comply with the transparency requirements. After a discussion it was agreed to go ahead. Police report PCSO Matt Adlington spoke about Detling NeighbourhoodWatch scheme and said he was liaising with the coordinator regarding the scheme in Detling. He said he could assist with the scheme but not lead it. Beacons of Light It was agreed to register the council’s interest in the scheme to mark the centenary of the end of WWI, which would involve 1,000 beacons being lit across the country. Grant application Cllr Kennard reported on theAwards for All grant application for play equipment for the Old School Playing Field. She said the application was being processed and she was looking into other funding options. She spoke about match-funding and asked if the council would consider putting some money towards the play equipment, which would cost from £15-21,000. Cllr Clayton said he might be able to source some flooring which would keep the cost down. The council agreed to put up to £10,000 towards the cost of play equipment if a match-funding grant was successful. Cllr Kennard was thanked for her work on this project. Highways The village entrance had been altered by Kent Highways. Residents were concerned that the village was still being used as a rat run and that the signs were quite small. It was agreed that Cllr Jenny Whittle would be invited to a site meeting with PCSO Adlington. A member of the public suggested a 20mph limit in The Street, but Cllr Clayton had said this had been considered in the past but could not be enforced. View point The fencing at Scragged Oak Viewpoint was still broken, despite being reported to KCC. It was agreed to report it again. The charman raised concerns about the Scragged Oak junction and asked the clerk to ascertain the findings of the safety audit. Tudor Gateway Cllr Evernden had cleared the ivy along PilgrimsWay next to the Tudor Gateway, but it was still growing on the wall. Cllr Evernden suggested this was monitored as it could damage the wall. This was agreed. Horish Wood Mr Monk asked why contractors working in the wood had left so many habitat piles, and said these would encourage the growth of brambles. He said the contractors also left logs in the woodland and they needed removing as they would inhibit the growth of the bluebells. Cllr Evernden said the logs
54 Maidstone East April 2017
would be removed in spring, when the ground was dry. It was agreed to invite the contractor to the next meeting. Environmental improvements Cllr Kennard said the pre-school shed had been offered to the Detling Players who were considering where it could be stored. She asked if the parish council wanted payment for it and it was agreed it should be donated. Should the Detling Players not want it, it would be advertised for free in the Detling News. Fly-tipping Cllr Clayton said gates had been installed at the field next to the burial ground by Rochester Bridge Trust to prevent fly-tipping. It was agreed that a letter of thanks should be sent to Tim Cathcart for arranging this. Village shop Cllr Kennard had spoken to the landlords of the Cock Horse regarding the village shop and had asked them to respond to the letter sent by the parish council in December. Noticeboards The parish clerk was to seek a quotation for a new noticeboard outside the village hall and liaise with the village hall management committee for permission to site it outside the village hall. The existing noticeboards would be refurbished by Tony Taylor. Village maintenance Tony Taylor was introduced to the meeting – he had volunteered to undertake parish maintenance. He did need some equipment and it was agreed that he should seek quotations for this. A list of maintenance items had been agreed and any further work should be forwarded to the clerk. Mr Taylor reported on work already undertaken, which included cleaning street signs and the war memorial, the defibrillator and village seats. He said there was a dangerous tree obstruction the speed camera gate on the A249 at East Court. The clerk would report this to KCC. Old School playing field Mr Monk said he would continue to maintain the Old School Playing Field for the next year. The chairman thanked him for this. Detling Players Cllr Kennard said that the next production by the Detling Players would take place on April 27-29 and tickets were now on sale. Manhole cover Cllr Evernden said there was a loose manhole cover on the A249 between Detling village and Scragged Oak Road.
Downswood
Bus changes Stephen Pay outlined the Arriva proposals which involve replacing the No 8 service with a new No 4 route. He agreed to confirm the route with Arriva and the arrangement for getting students to school. He would support the request for the new service to operate closer to Shepway shops and the GP surgery, seek an assurance about reliability and relay comments about poor levels of customer service. Spires Medical Centre The CGE had said the building was not fit for purpose and future funding would not be made available. Plans to close the centre would proceed. Cllr Newton wished it to be known he felt not enough avenues had been explored. KCC Cllr Cooke had arranged for a new minibus service to be launched on March 7 for those unable to
access the services easily. It would run every Tuesday and Thursday from The Spires to Grove Green surgery. The service would be reviewed after a period of two months. There were concerns for the future of the pharmacy. Police report There had been criminal damage to a vehicle in PennineWay and a window had been broken in Longham Copse. Cllr Newton said there had been a head-on collision near the junction of Church Road and Deringwood Drive. Website The new proposal had been circulated for comment. It was agreed that the site is a great improvement and a switchover was to take place. Donations It was agreed to make donations to Otham with Langley PCC of £150 and Downswood Under 5s Parent and Toddler group (£208). Cllr Cooke offered to add £500 to the You Decide grant for Downswood Community Association for materials for the garden shed. David Nuttall memorial The Stone Shop had sourced a suitable piece of granite. Costs had been estimated at £150. The completed work would be unveiled during the refreshment break at the July Olympicnic.
Harrietsham
Community warden The warden reported several scams and reminded all present to never click on links in emails. Any suspicious emails should be deleted immediately. Martin reported on a BT service which scans for suspicious callers and adds them to a blacklist. New homes A resident asked who was monitoring the number of homes being built in Pilgrims Retreat. Cllr J Sams said the number of homes was still the same, but that larger homes were being built. It was confirmed that there were 18 homes and the rest of the dwellings had a 12- month licence. It was confirmed that the residents were registered with the doctor’s surgery. Shop site A resident asked whether flats would be built on the CTRL shop site if a buyer was not found to build the shop. The clerk said she would contact Barratts about this. It was noted that the area would be better as open space if a shop could not be built. KIG site Cllr Dean said a planning application for the old KIG site by Junction 8 was going to appeal. She urged all residents to submit a comment to the inspectorate as the traffic issues along the A20 would increase if approval was given. Lake algae Cllr Dean said there were concerns about algae on the lake. An expert has said aqua plankton might be better than grass carp. This would be discussed at a future meeting. Dog bins Cllr Dean said two dog walkers in the village had been helping with locations that needed a dog bin, following MBC’s decision to remove all but one. The clerk suggested bins were needed at the footpath behind the church, one on the Booth Field and one in Hook Lane. The bins cost between £86 and £160 each, dependent on style, and that installation would be a further cost. There were currently four bins on the green, one by the stream and two more by the shop. The clerk added that a dog bin was probably
Parish Councils
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