downsmail.co.uk BoughtonMalherbe
Lorry park CllrGalton updated themeeting onHighways England explorationwork relating to the lorry park proposal. Travellers CllrGalton updated themeeting on the progress of the Planning Inspectorate
appeals.NeitherAcres Place nor The Meadows had been resolved. CllrGalton also reported on ameetingwithMBC on gypsy and traveller issues and ameeting withMPHelenWhately on theGovernment consultation on gypsy and traveller sites. Highways Reportswere noted regarding ditches, gullies and pot holes at Liverton Hill. CllrAllumraised the issue of flooding problems atMillpond Co�ages and Woodcock Lane. Thesewere to be raised with KCCHighways. FinanceMembers heard £316 had been spent on a defibrillator ba�ery and pads, and £2,500 donated to Pla�sHeath School. Pub The clerk agreed to find out a timescale fromMBC for the registration of the Kings Head as a community asset. Commemorative stone The clerkwas to seek further information fromthe village fete commi�ee regarding its request for a donation towards a commemorative stone.
Bredhurst
App Itwas agreed the clerkwould add the Country Eye app details on the Facebook page andwould email residents. Play equipment Two quotes had been received to replace the zipwire and one included a design to refurbish thewhole area. Fundingmay be available from sources, includingMBC and the LEADER programme. The cost ofmaintenancewas noted. Itwas noted that therewas £3,000 in the budget for playground
repairs.TheMBC grant suggests itwould only amount to 50% of the cost. Itwas agreed to apply for £10,000 fromMBC to replace the zipwire, with the parish council pledging £1,000. AllotmentsMembers agreed towrite to the widowof a previous owner to ask if she wished to retain the double-size allotment plot. If not, itwould be shared between two otherswho had shown interest. Grass Cllr Carr had complained to Landscape Services about the poor grass cu�ing service. Itwas agreed to continue with Landscape Services for at least onemore cut and then
re-assess.Members heard Landscape Services do not have the equipment to strimthe playing field. Itwas agreed to contact Barge for a quote to cut and strimfor the rest of the year as theirwork on the parish footpaths had been satisfactory. Verges Itwas agreed towrite to Kent Wildlife Trust for advice about leaving verges aswildlife refuges. ComplaintAcode of conduct complaint wasmade by TimGough on behalf of the Bredhurst VillageHall Trustees. The complaintwas then sent to the borough council, but the complainantwas advised that complaintsmust bemade against named individuals. TrafficAresident raised issues regarding businesses in Blind Lane. Itwas agreed to write toMBC askingwhether all businesses had planning permission andwhether
34 Maidstone East August 2018
wastewas being disposed of legally. Playing fieldAn update had been received fromSavills and the lease had gone back to their solicitor for amendments. Savills would also contact BVHabout compost heaps along the boundary next to the gates.
Downswood
CrimeAresident said awindowhad been broken, and the parishwasmade aware of a fire in theOld Spot Lanewoods, believed to have been started by youths. Traffic Further to concerns raised by a member of the public, county CllrGary Cooke said the KCC survey showed speed was not a problem.Any further surveys would have to be funded by the parish. Cllr Cooke suggested a 20mph speed limit throughout the parish could be considered. Trial bikes Trial bikeswere heard in the field behind LonghamCopse on June 3. This was to bemonitored and a footpath restrictor considered. Notice board Itwas agreed for the land by the notice board, next to the shops, to be cleared and barkmulch spread over it at a cost of £130. Itwas also agreed to buy an oak noticeboard for £800.32. DrainsDrains in CheviotGardenswere checked by Cllr Butler and found to be fine. Garden competitionArepresentative from The Po�edGarden had agreed to judge the competition and provide additional prizes. Olympicnic The suggested catering companywas unable to helpwith a hot dog van. Itwas agreed to request a local donut vendor’s a�endance. Face painting had been organised by CllrWeeks at a cost of £100
Hollingbourne
Speeding trafficApetitionwas circulating asking for a speed restriction of 20mph along Eyhorne Street. CllrWard and Cllr Ardley said the parish council needed to go through the correct procedure to enable the speed to be reduced. Minutes Therewas a discussion at the parish assembly about the reintroduction of the councilminutes to the Church and
VillageNewsmagazine.However, dates of themeetings did not always coincidewith the publication dates,meaning that the minuteswere outdated by the time they could be read, and that they took up too many pages. Itwas agreed to leave copies of theminutes in Christopher’s Village Shop. Budget The 2018/19 budget showed that the parish council had requested a precept that just covered the expected costs and did not leave enoughmoney for unplanned expenditure or inflation. Donations Itwas agreed at the finance meeting that the parish council policy would be to not give donations to charities. However, requests by organisations directly linked to the villagewould be considered by the Parish Council, but the general policy would be not to support. Web training The clerkwould undergo training tomaintain the site in Cllr Cobbe�’s absence. No 13 bus The clerk reported thatNu- Venturewould still run the number 13 bus throughHollingbourne and current service
levelswere being retained. The clerkwas to write to directorNorman Kemp thanking himfor his reliable
service.However, Cllr Dr Bauerwas concerned that the bus driver sometimes sped through the village in the earlymornings and the clerkwould bring this toMr Kemps a�ention. Environment The hedge had been “hacked” on theGreatDanes roundabout, destroying two birds’ nests and their eggs. The clerk will report the complaint to KentHighways. Verges The contractorsmaintaining the verges had cut through li�er left on the grass rather than picking it up first. Traffic survey The Parish Councilwas to carry out a traffic survey to establish the extent of speeding in the village and produce a traffic reportwith proposals. Traffic calmingmeasureswith yellowbar markings fromthe slip road had been suggested by KentHighways. The parish council had previously talked about rumble strips to
KentHighways.Acentral visibility barrierwould also force road users to slow downwhen approaching the roundabout. CllrArdleywould draft a response to the Highways department. FootpathAn email had been received froma resident in theUpper Street area about challenging road conditions and the lack of a footpath. CllrArdleywould contact the residentwith regards to improving the area andmaking it safer for pedestrians.
Leeds
Relief road The following le�er has been sent to ClareHarvey,Data Intelligence Officer atMaidstone Borough Council from JohnGove�, chairman of Leeds Parish Council: “Leeds Parish Council (LPC) feels very
disappointed and totally let down byMBC that after numerous Joint Transportation Boardmeetings over the last 18months, where itwas clear that Kent County Council (KCC) repeatedly stated the need for road relief capacity to support the extra c.18,000 homes in theMBC local Plan i.e.well before MBC’sOct 2017 Local Planwas published. “KCC particularly sawthe need for a
Leeds-Langley relief road to support the road capacity for thewhole of South Maidstone and this has repeatedly been ignored byMBC as an immediate priority in the local plan,which is strange given KCC are responsible for roads and highways and notMBC. MBC also ignored over 1,600 local
signatures on a petition supporting a Leeds- Langley relief road thatwere formally presented to the JTB/MBC/KCC, thatwere generated by local residents. “MBC have effectively (in our LPC view)
put first their own housing pressures along with their own funding pressures and local politics, ahead of thewider communities in SouthMaidstone and in case they forget it, those they serve. “We at LPCwrote formally to theMBC
Leader inNov 2015 suggesting the use of Section 106 levy private sectormonies to help pay for the road and to ease the burden on the public purse (LPC did so a year before theMBC local planwas even published)wherewe stated “At £50mthat is
Parish Councils
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