The video may not be visible in your Email version. If not, you can watch it at the link here >> http://bit.ly/2ZoutiO
KCC Member for Swale West, Councillor Mike Whiting held a very well attended public meeting at Newington Village Hall on Thursday 22nd August, to discuss the proposed replacement of 4.46km of old iron gas main along the A2, from Oak Lane to Key Street.
At the meeting, Southern Gas Networks (SGN), their contractor, Kent Highways and Kent Police all addressed residents concerns over some of the things that went well, and those things that did not go so well (or went badly) during the recent emergency closure of the A2 - Newington High Street. It is proposed that engineers will start gas main replacement works on the A2 - London Road at its junction with Oak Lane and will progress eastwards towards Key Street Roundabout. At this stage to ensure everyone’s safety, SGN will need to have temporary traffic lights in place around their work area which will move with them as they progress along the A2 towards Key Street Roundabout. They have also agreed with Kent County Council to carry out specialist surveys over the coming week on all the utilities located in the road, which will help determine exactly which traffic management is required.
SGN Gas estimate that to replace the 4.46km of old iron gas main along the A2, from Oak Lane to Key Street will take them 42 weeks. They plan to carry out the works in 11 small phases. Some phases of the works may require the closure of side roads. More info on this will be advised nearer the time. Contractors will be working 6 days a week replacing the old gas main with reinstatement work being carried out on Sundays. They plan to carry out the works under temporary traffic lights this time, meaning no more full road closures of the A2 Newington - High Street are planned.
SGN, their contractor, KCC Highways and Kent Police all plan to work together to minimise any disruption to residents and business during these works. All have listened to residents concerns about the high number of HGVs using the A2 and the problems it causes, the unsuitability of some nearby country lanes as official diversion routes, improving signage next time round and extra police enforcement to deal with drivers who choose to ignore the road signs that have been put in place.
The proposed start date of Monday 16th September is now looking unlikely because of KCC Officers' concerns, many of which were raised by members of the public during the meeting.
For those that couldn't make the meeting, above is a video created from the slideshow presentation given by SGN Gas during the meeting.
Visitors to council leisure centres in Sheerness and Sittingbourne will once again be able to park for free when they workout, swim or play.
Swale Borough Council is reinstating the car park concession for users of the Sheppey Leisure Complex and Swallows Leisure Centre from Monday, 2nd September 2019.
The council’s new coalition administration has agreed to reinstate the concession, which was removed in September 2018.
Cllr Roger Truelove, leader of the council, said:
“Adding on the cost of a couple of hours parking can put people off visiting the centres, especially those on low incomes who could benefit from using them.
By reinstating the concession, we are taking away that barrier, and making every visit that bit cheaper.
Hopefully, this will encourage even more people to take advantage of what the centres have to offer and keep themselves fit and healthy without breaking the bank.”
Cllr Angela Harrison, the cabinet member for health and wellbeing at the council, said:
“A lot of people can’t afford expensive private monthly gym memberships, and our leisure centres are an ideal alternative for them - there’s a great choice of equipment and classes, at a reasonable price.
It’s not just gym-goers who use the sites. Families use the soft play and pools, and the new healthy lifestyle studio has specialist equipment for residents suffering from health-related problems such as mobility or obesity.”
The concession offers leisure centre users a refund for up to two hours parking at the council-owned sites (depending on activity/duration of visit), which have both benefitted from significant improvements in the last year.
The Sheppey Leisure Complex has a new healthy lifestyle studio, which includes power-assisted fitness equipment specifically created for residents suffering from health-related problems such as mobility or obesity.
The Sheerness site also has a new virtual spin room and improved gym facilities, with equipment upgrades and approximately 12 new stations.
Swallows have had significant repairs carried out to its roof, and now includes a new family adventure zone including new soft play and climbing, a new virtual spin studio and an extended gym, with equipment upgrades and approximately 10 new stations.
To find out more about what’s on offer at the centres, visit: www.swaleleisure.com
Medway Council has issued some top road safety tips as children across Medway prepare to go back to school.
Medway’s roads are expected to get busier as children head back to school and motorists are being encouraged to be extra vigilant and particularly aware of more vulnerable road users such as children walking and riding their bikes to school.
Top road safety tips include:
• Be alert - avoid distractions
•Take extra care - allow extra time for your commute
•Stop, look, listen and think when crossing the road and wear bright clothing and reflective or fluorescent items
•If cycling to school or work always wear a helmet
•If travelling by bus arrive at the bus stop five minutes early to avoid rushing
Medway Council’s Safer Journeys Team visits schools throughout the year to teach children pedestrian, cycling and scooter skills and to make them aware of the dangers of the road. The team also visits pre-schools and nurseries to teach children under five to stop, look, listen and think when crossing the road.
The council also offers road safety education to secondary schools for pedestrians, young drivers and passengers.
Cllr Phil Filmer, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Frontline Services, said:
“Everyone has a duty to behave responsibly when travelling on Medway’s roads. As children return to school we’re asking motorists, pedestrians and cyclists to take extra care when they travel. We work with schools all year round to promote road safety and I would encourage residents and visitors to follow our top tips.”
Book your place now and be part of the conversation at one of four events to help shape the five year plan for health and care in Kent and Medway. The NHS Long Term Plan, published in January, sets out the vision for the future of healthcare over the next 10 years. The Kent and Medway Sustainability and Transformation Partnership has the job of bringing the NHS Long Term Plan to life in Kent and Medway, by developing a local plan to cover the next five years. The Kent and Medway STP would like you to help them shape their plan at four evening events held during September 2019, where they will listen to your views on some of their priority areas.
You can book your place now using the links below or by phoning: 01622 211940. The events will run from 6:30pm to 9:30pm and take place on:
Their plan will also look at how they make sure that people get the care they need in a way that suits them - sometimes using technology better. They want to explore with people how they can make it easier and more convenient for them to access services and support - such as GP and outpatient appointments - by phone or online.
Cancer Faster and better diagnosis and improved treatment and care.
They want to improve early diagnosis and survival rates for cancer, particularly breast, bowel and cervical cancer. They want to know how they can make it easier for people to get help sooner and attend their routine screening, as well as what they can do to improve how they look after people diagnosed with cancer.
Local and Primary Care
Tell them how they can build vibrant communities to provide support for those issues which impact on people’s health and wellbeing, such as loneliness and social isolation. Some of the ideas they’d like to talk to you about include how you might feel about seeing someone other than your family doctor to help you with the health and care issues that matter to you.
Children’s Services
It’s important that local children, young people and their parents and carers help them design services which are fit for the future to give children and young people the best start in life. They’d like to get your ideas on how they can improve the uptake of childhood screening and vaccinations, improve care for children and long term conditions and complex needs and support children young people and their families with their mental health.
Mental Health
How can they make sure that everyone can get the wellbeing and mental health support that they need? They want to get your views on how people can get the support they need more easily - people of all ages who might be struggling with the mental impacts of social pressures and physical illness as well as those with a serious mental illness. As well as providing help, how can they support people to stay mentally well? Are there ways that technology and digital solutions can help improve the wellbeing and mental health of our communities? Find out more about the NHS Long Term Plan for Kent and Medway at: www.kentandmedway.nhs.uk/ltp Upchurch Matters
Trained Help to Claim Advisers are committed to clients with their Universal Credit applications and can be contacted on: 0800 144 8 444, or face to face at the venues detailed on the poster, from Monday 2nd September 2019.
Alan Horton
Swale Borough Councillor serving Hartlip, Newington and Upchurch Ward
Here is a brief summary of the crime information for the past 2 months:
June 2019
July 2019
All crime
42
42
Anti-social behaviour
4
6
Bicycle theft
0
0
Burglary
2
5
Criminal damage and arson
3
10
Drugs
0
0
Other crime
1
0
Other theft
5
1
Possession of weapons
0
0
Public order
0
1
Robbery
0
0
Shoplifting
0
0
Theft from the person
0
0
Vehicle crime
2
3
Violence and sexual offences
25
16
Please visit: www.police.uk for more information including outcomes for these crimes and contact information for your local policing team.
Lower Halstow and Iwade
Here is a brief summary of the crime information for the past 2 months:
June 2019
July 2019
All crime
42
49
Anti-social behaviour
15
18
Bicycle theft
0
0
Burglary
2
2
Criminal damage and arson
4
3
Drugs
0
1
Other crime
0
2
Other theft
1
2
Possession of weapons
0
0
Public order
1
3
Robbery
0
1
Shoplifting
2
1
Theft from the person
0
0
Vehicle crime
4
2
Violence and sexual offences
13
14
Please visit: www.police.uk for more information including outcomes for these crimes and contact information for your local policing team. Upchurch Matters
The Kent and Medway Sustainability and Transformation Partnership
The NHS, social care and public health in Kent and Medway are working together to plan how they will transform health and social care services to meet the changing needs of local people.
The Kent and Medway Sustainability and Transformation Partnership has been set up by local health and care leaders. They are focussed on how best to encourage and support better health and well-being, and provide improved and sustainable health and care services, for the population of Kent and Medway.
The Partnership is a collaboration of all NHS organisations across Kent and Medway, Kent County Council and Medway Council, all of whom are involved in the planning, provision and delivery of health and social care services in this area. The Partnership oversees the development of the health and care sustainability and transformation plan for Kent and Medway.
The plan aims for a radical transformation in the people of Kent and Medway’s health and wellbeing, the quality of the care they receive, and the sustainability of the system.
Their ambition is to put local people at the heart of services, helping people to stay well and independent in their own homes and communities and avoid being admitted to hospital.
What do you think of cancer care in Kent and Medway?
The NHS Long Term Plan, published in January 2019, made a commitment to improving cancer care, diagnosis and survival rates by 2028.
The Kent and Medway STP is working hard to improve cancer services in Kent and Medway. They also want to make sure the people helping someone through cancer diagnosis and treatment feel supported.
If you have had cancer, have cared for someone who has had cancer or have been invited to take a routine screening test for cancer, they would be grateful if you could complete their survey and tell them what you think of their plans to improve cancer care.
Local environmental projects could get a £5,000 boost from the proceeds of litter fines.
Swale Borough Council has reopened its environment grant scheme, to support community projects and organisations that help deliver on environmental objectives.
The £15,000 fund is paid for from the income from littering and fly-tipping fixed penalty notices.
This is the second time the fund has been open, and the previous scheme offered up to £1,000 per project from a pot of £5,000. This paid for projects such as beach cleans, wildlife surveys, litter bins, planters and supporting and waste education schemes for children.
Cllr Tim Valentine, cabinet member for environment at the council, said:
“Whilst we’d obviously prefer people not to drop litter or fly-tip waste, it’s satisfying that the extra money we receive from the fixed penalty notices is used to help improve the local environment.
I’m pleased that we are able to announce that the budget available for Environment Grants has been increased to £15,000, and the maximum application has been increased to £5,000.
In June the council declared a climate and ecological emergency. Making space for nature is priority of our action plan. We want the money to help local community groups or charities improve the local environment in some way, and I’m looking forward to seeing what projects we can support.”
The maximum grant for any one project is £5,000 and only one application can be submitted by an organisation in each financial year.
Mixed teams of locals from the village will be playing in a charity cricket match held at Upchurch Cricket Ground, Holywell Lane at 12:00pm on August bank holiday Sunday the 25th.
Entry is £3.00 per person - children FREE.
There will be a BBQ and a raffle, with prizes kindly donated by Annmarie from The Crown at Upchurch.
Please come along and support the match, in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.
Full Bar Menu Available Daily 12pm - 9pm Roast Dinners Available Sunday 12pm - 9pm Event Beer Glasses will be available with a £3.00 refundable deposit to encourage and support using less plastic in Lower Halstow or you can keep them as a souvenir. Please make use of the additional parking at the bottom of Lapwing Drive in the ‘Brickfields’ car park, kindly made available by the Parish Council. The Three Tuns The Street, Lower Halstow, Sittingbourne, Kent ME9 7DY
Medway Council has recently updated its programme for preparing the new Medway Local Plan.
They are now working to publish the draft plan later this year, so they can take account of the outcome of a major bid for infrastructure funding. You can see the updated timetable for the new local plan in the Medway Local Development Scheme here (Click on LDS document).
The council is working on a number of documents to support the local plan. This includes planning for town centres. They are publishing draft masterplans and delivery strategy documents for Chatham, Gillingham and Strood for comments.
Medway Council is consulting on these documents from 16th August to 30th September 2019. They welcome your comments and will take these into account in drawing up final versions of the plans. You can view the information online here.
You can also view copies of the documents at Chatham, Gillingham and Strood libraries and at the council's offices at Gun Wharf during normal opening hours. You can find details of the opening hours and locations of the libraries here.
The new local plan will set out how Medway Council seek to protect and strengthen the environment. They have prepared some early work on a draft Medway Green and Blue infrastructure Vision and welcome your comments and ideas from16th August to 30th September 2019. This will form part of a wider strategy document.
The council has also published a Housing Delivery Test Action Plan. This sets out how the council will help lo boost rates of housebuilding in Medway. You can view the plan here.
The council welcome any comments that you may have on the action plan.
If you have any queries, please Email the Planning Policy Team at: futuremedway@medway.gov.uk Telephone: 01634 331629
KCC Member for Swale West, Councillor Mike Whiting has arranged a public meeting to discuss the proposed replacement of the gas main along the A2 through Newington.
The meeting will take place on Thursday 22nd August 2019 at 7:00pm in Newington Village Hall. Southern Gas Networks, Kent Highways and Kent Police will be in attendance.
The meeting is so residents can hear about the plans for the works, which may require more road closures, and to listen to residents concerns over some of the things that went well, and those things that did not go so well (or went badly) during the recent emergency closure of the A2 - Newington High Street.
Remembering all those who lost their lives in the Second World War rail disaster at bridge 181, Oak Lane, Upchurch.
The Historical Research Group of Sittingbourne is currently researching into the lives that were lost and collating the stories of those who were involved in the derailment.
If you have any information or had a loved one involved in this disaster, please Email Richard Emmett >> richard@hrgs.co.uk
Creating a new website for adults with Type 2 diabetes.
You have something we want: your opinion. Take our five-minute survey and help us to improve the lives of those living with type 2 diabetes.
NHS England and Improvement, Public Health England and Diabetes UK are launching a new online self-management website for adults living with type 2 diabetes.
The website will:
• Provide education and information about type 2 diabetes and its treatments.
•Offer content on managing your mood and stress.
•Help with adopting and maintaining healthy behaviours (e.g. diet, exercise).
We’ve put together a short survey to gather the views of the people who matter - those living with type 2 diabetes, their carers and the healthcare professionals who help them.
The survey will take less than five minutes to complete and your answers will help to shape the new website.
Your responses will be completely anonymous and there are no right or wrong answers.
The survey will be open until Monday 2nd September 2019.
