East Malling Parish Council


Leybourne Lakes Country Park Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, as part of its efforts to reduce overall spending, has been looking at the future management arrangements for the country park which despite its name is mostly in Larkfield with the rest in Snodland parish. The park currently costs about £120,000 net to run. The borough also holds around £700,000 from the funds deposited by the former developers Berkley Homes towards a possible visitor centre, education room and cafe. These funds have been held since the park opened in 2003.


TMBC has obtained reports on the possible provision of a visitor centre and also on the possible business potential of the park, in- cluding the income potential of such a centre. Ideally the Borough would like to eliminate the cost of running the site but recognises its status as a country park.


Just before Christmas parish councillors Pam Ayrton and David Thornewell met borough representatives to discuss the position. They have stressed they would like to see a well-designed cafe and visitor centre to replace the current cabins by the Ocean Lake and mobile snack bar. Such a facility if well run could reduce the overall costs. But they also stressed they would not wish to see the commercialisation of the site and that its wild-


life and quiet recreational use should be kept. This includes the fishing lakes. They would oppose for example power boats on the lake. The borough promised further consultations with the parish.


Local Plan Review The parish council has lobbied the area’s two MPs about Govern- ment plans to change the way the number of houses each district must provide which borough officers say would mean finding land for another 2,000 homes on top of the 6,500 that has already been estimated. This would mean pressure to release even more greenfield sites in the eastern end of the bor- ough including East Malling and Larkfield as the rest of the district is in the Green Belt.The Government’s decision is awaited.


Winterfield Farm, East Malling Plans have been submitted for the conversion of the barn at this site to a house. This follows the planning rules being relaxed to allow in some cases barns to be converted without the need for planning permission. The parish felt the conversion met the rules but it will be for borough planning officers to legally decide.


M20 vegetation Notification has been received that Highways England contractors will be cut- ting back bushes, trees, and other vegetation on the M20 banks where it runs through Lark-


West Malling Parish Council


Council Tax rate The Parish Council agreed to levy a 2% increase in the Parish Council Tax rate for 2018/19. The increase is to pay for £8,500 for re-engraving of names on the War Memorial, salary increases, urgent street lighting repairs and playing field fencing repairs.


Churchyard Topple testing will be carried out on the churchyard graves. This testing takes place every ten years to ensure that stones are stable, and will not injure anyone as a result of falling.


GP Practice Councillors are to write to the High Street GP Practice, Clinical Commissioning Group, and local MPs, raising their concerns about distress caused by the potential closure of the surgery. The practice is selling the High Street surgery which they say is no longer fit for purpose.


Patients will have to travel to Kings Hill, and some have already been advised to use taxis. The practice says that it intends to ‘retain a presence’ in West Malling, but this is not guaranteed. The council is to stress that it is vital to retain a surgery in the town where appointments can be combined with visits to other shops and services. The council will urge that if doctor appointments in West Malling do become more limited, they should be used for patients who have young children or who are elderly, have mobility problems, or need regular clinic visits.


Christmas Festival Profits raised at the Christmas Festival have enabled the Chamber of Commerce to give a donation of £500 to the day care centre at Rotary House, Norman Road.


Village Hall Playing Fields Repairs to the fencing are to be made, followed by planting of new mixed hedges to attract wildlife.


Affordable Housing The Council’s Planning Committee will receive a presentation on Jan 23rd from an affordable housing provider. Members of the public are welcome to attend.


The Malling Society The Society members are planning to carry out maintenance work on ‘St Leonard’s Well’ pond on St Leonard’s Street.


The Malling School The Council was pleased to hear that pupil admissions now show The Malling School at East Malling is the most popular non Grammar School in Tonbridge and Malling Borough.


field. This is a preliminary step in readiness to convert the hard shoulders into an additional lane. That work is due to start later in the year.


Bus Services Kent County Council are considering the issue of the support they give to some bus services in Kent as part of its efforts to reduce the county council budget. One of the services that might be affected is Service 58 that serves East Malling and goes via Maidstone Hospital. The Parish Council continues to press for the return of service 71 along the northern section of Lunsford Lane. A consultation is promised if KCC makes a budget reduction.


Walk Parish chairman David Thornewell is leading a morning walk for the local Ramblers on Wednesday February 21 from Watering- bury Station at 10.30am. The riverside walk is due to end at about 12.45pm and anyone is welcome to come. Parts could be muddy.


East Malling War Memorial Costs are to be sought to re-engrave the names on the War Memorial on the village green opposite the King and Queen Public house. It may be possible to obtain a grant for the work to this listed memorial. It includes the names for both Larkfield and East Malling casualties of the two wars.


WEST Malling Parish Council has recently relaunched its Speedwatch scheme. The first training session took place back in November and it is anticipated that further training sessions will take place from February onwards. If you would like to volunteer, please contact the Clerk on 01732 870872 or sign up via the website, www.westmalling- pc.org


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THE Little Owl population has suffered a decline in its popula-


Malling January 2018


tion of 65% in the last 25 years. West Malling Parish Council is delighted therefore, to be taking part in this project which will see nest boxes being placed around Macey’s Meadow. The project aims to assist and support the breeding population of Little Owls in Kent, provid- ing them with suitable nesting boxes and working alongside landowners to survey their habitats.As part of this four-year scheme, the nest boxes will be monitored and ecological surveys undertaken.


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 Pothole reporting – T: 08458 247800 Travel Enquiries Nu-Venture Buses – T: 01622 882288 Trains – T: 08457 484950 Arriva Buses – T: 0871 200 22 33


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