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Report of the Parish Council July 2020
Cllr Tyrone Ripley (Chairman), Cllr John Arnold (Vice-Chairman), Cllr Pam Denny, Cllr Alan Horton, Cllr Gerry Lewin, Cllr Peter Masson, Cllr Janet Marshall, Cllr Gary Rosewell and Cllr Neil Sheppard. Clerk Mrs Wendy Licence.
Paddock and Recreation Ground
Adult Exercise Equipment
The Parish Council is going to install adult gym equipment in the village and Councillors are keen to hear the views of residents for the best site and layout. There will be five or six different items of adult fitness equipment and this will be installed either in a cluster in The Paddock or Recreation Ground or as a fitness trail around the Recreation Ground. The project will be funded by Section 106 money from the development at Kent Terrace and must be used in The Paddock or the Recreation Ground. A copy of the consultation document can be found on the Council’s website and paper copies are available in the Co-op and Post Office for those without internet access, to vote for your preferred location and layout. A copy is also attached to this report.
Two new bins have been ordered to replace the bins at the Recreation Ground, these will be dual purpose bins for litter and bagged dog waste.
Environment
The cascade planter has been sited at the centre of the village opposite the church and barrier baskets have been put along the Recreation Ground fence. Councillors thanked Cllr Rosewell for making the A frames for the barrier baskets.
Church Clock
The clock has been serviced, it is keeping good time and is working well. It was thought that a repair was needed for a rider on a cam but it appears to be a design fault and no action is required.
Planning
i. Ref: 20/501183/FULL
Address: Caravan Storage Area Otterham Quay Industrial Estate Otterham Quay Lane Upchurch ME8 7UX
Proposal: Change of use of land for the siting of up to 36no. specialist residential mobile homes with associated services, access, parking and turning area.
Councillors considered the application and were minded to accept the revised details and requested that the S106 contribution go towards the village lighting project.
ii. Ref: 20/501701/FULL
Address: 116 Oak Lane Upchurch Kent ME9 7AY
Proposal: Minor material amendment to 16/506986/FULL (Demolition of no. 116 Oak Lane and construction of 2 no. three bedroom houses and 1 no. four bedroom with associated garages and parking.) to allow amendments to the proposed road widening and traffic calming measures.
Councillors considered the revised traffic scheme and noted that comments posted on the planning portal were all objecting to access from Oak Lane.
iii. Ref: 20/502319/SUB Submission of details pursuant to conditions 3 (sustainable construction techniques), 4 (details of external finishing materials), 5 (landscaping details), and 9 (dust suppression), of application 16/506986/FULL.
Address: 116 Oak Lane Upchurch Kent ME9 7AY
Councillors considered the landscaping details and felt there should not be a tree on the corner of Wallbridge Lane. The proposed silver birch between 115 and 111 would not be suitable due to the height of the tree, shrubs might be more suitable than trees.
iv. Ref: 18/501667/FULL Address: New Acres Spade Lane Hartlip Kent ME9 7TT
Application to extend the time limit to submit a site development scheme required by condition 4 of the planning permission granted on a ground A appeal against notice ref 17/500054/CHANGE APP/V2255/W/20/3244340
Councillors considered the matter which has now gone to appeal. The impact of the development is much wider and has implications for Upchurch residents.
v. Ref: 19/502283/FULL Address: Land Adjacent to Crescent House Otterham Quay Lane Upchurch ME8 7UY
Proposal: Erection of a block of 7 no. dwellings with parking, refuse and cycle store
Application permitted.
This is a precis of Council business, full minutes of all meetings can be found on the website when ratified.
Date of next meetings:
The Planning Committee and General Purposes Committee - Wednesday 19th August at 7:30pm
Full Council - Thursday 3rd September 2020 at 7:30pm
The Local Authorities (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority Meetings) Regulations 2020 now gives Local Councils the power to meet remotely during this COVID-19 pandemic and Upchurch Parish Council is now holding meetings virtually. Please check the website for details of the meetings.
All residents are welcome to view the meetings and there is a time for members of the public to comment, raise concerns or ask questions.
Wendy Licence - Clerk to the Parish Council
Micro businesses who have been severely impacted by COVID-19 could now be eligible for a discretionary grant from Swale Borough Council.
After the first round of grants were given to businesses earlier this month, the council extended the criteria to include businesses that support the borough’s visitor economy, and although remaining funds are now very limited, micro businesses in commercial premises that haven’t been eligible for government funding yet may also apply.
Micro businesses include those who have a turnover of £632,000 or less, £316,000 or less on its balance sheet, 10 employees or less and who occupy commercial premises with a rateable value of up to £51,000.
Discretionary grants are designed to help specific types of micro and small businesses who were not eligible for the small business grant scheme or the retail, leisure and hospitality grant schemes offered by the government.
Cllr Monique Bonney, cabinet member for economy and property at Swale Borough Council, said:
“We’ve been doing everything we can to support our local businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The government guidelines on who should receive discretionary grants in the first instance were very strict, limited to businesses that had flexible workspaces, market trader’s, B&Bs and charities.
“We gave out more than £1 million to 130 businesses in this first round of grants, which then allowed us to expand the criteria to include businesses that specifically support our visitor economy and now micro businesses who haven’t yet received any government funding to help them get back on their feet.
“Local businesses are important to the community and we’re doing everything we can to support them. As well as the discretionary grants, we’ve also paid more than £27 million in small business and retail grants.
“The grant scheme opens today (31st Jul) for one week and funds are very limited, so we urge anybody requiring business support to sign up for our business emails to stay up to date on what’s available.”
Now that the first five categories have received support, a sixth and final category has been added:
1. Small businesses in shared premises or other flexible workspaces, e.g. industrial parks, science parks, incubators etc, which do not have their own business rates assessment.
2. Regular market traders who do not have their own business rates assessment.
3. B&B’s that pay council tax instead of business rates.
4. Charity properties in receipt of charitable business rates relief that could otherwise have been eligible for small business rates relief or rural rate relief.
5. Businesses that directly support Swale’s visitor economy; this can include tourism, hospitality & leisure service providers including supply chain businesses.
6. Micro entities who have been severely impacted by COVID-19 and occupy commercial premises with a rateable value of up to £51,000. Micro entities will have a turnover of £632,000 or less, £316,000 or less on its balance sheet, and 10 employees or less.
Swale Borough Council
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We are extending our food menu and service times from Monday 3rd August and will be participating in the Government's ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ discount scheme.
Jenny Giles - Upchurch River Valley Golf Course
Telephone: 01634 360626
Photos taken on Wednesday morning, 29th July 2020.
It appears someone sits on the Memorial Bench in the Recreation Ground, Oak Lane and grooms their dog (or dogs) which as you can see is very unpleasant for other residents who wish to sit here.
We feel this is unacceptable and the hair should be put in the bin beside the bench or preferably taken home and disposed of properly there.
The bench area is lovely with the new flower baskets to give pleasure to all residents.
It is not the first time this has happened, unfortunately.
Please leave the Recreation Ground tidy for others.
Thank you
Cllr Pam Denny
Upchurch Parish Council
During Lockdown, St Mary’s Church has suffered internal damage from birds and rodents and is in need of urgent repairs and deep cleaning.
As we have been unable to hold our Church Porch Sales for several months and are still not allowed to enter the Church, we propose to have a SALE.
Mary Stone
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We would like to thank you all for the wonderful support we have received on behalf of Swale Foodbank so far.
I and my husband Ron will be at a different collection point this month, on the driveway of Number 7 Church Farm Road on Wednesday 5th, August between 10:30am and 11.30am.
Please come along with your donations (in carrier bags would be helpful) and put them into our open car boot while we remain at a safe distance.
We will then deliver your donations to the Swale Foodbank Warehouse, part of the Trussell Trust.
The items most in need at the moment are:
Fish - Mackerel, Sardines etc (They have lots of Tuna so any other tinned Fish)
Rice Pudding
Custard
Sponge Puddings
Shampoo/Conditioner
Deodorants
Laundry Detergent
Please tell your friends and family.
Thank you
Gill Gay - Foodbank Co-ordinator
Eat Out to Help Out is a new government scheme encouraging people to eat in struggling restaurants, cafés, bars and pubs throughout August to help get them back on their feet after the Coronavirus lockdown.
The scheme gives customers a discount of up to 50% when eating or drinking soft drinks in participating establishments, and is only valid all day Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from the 3rd of August until the 31st.
Terms
• Food and drink will appear on the menu at full price.
• The establishment will deduct the money off the bill then claim it back from the government.
• You do not need a voucher to use the scheme.
• The maximum discount available is £10 per person when you eat or drink in.
• The discount is only available on food and drink that you intend to consume on the premises, and can be used as many times as you like.
• There is no limit on how many people can use the discount in one party, and includes children.
• There is no minimum spend, and you do not have to order food to be eligible, for example, a £3 coffee would cost £1.50 under the scheme.
• The offer can be used in combination with any other promotions and discounts currently being offered by the establishment.
• The discount cannot be used on alcoholic drinks, service charges or food for a private function or event. Businesses that are takeaway only are not eligible.
Enter your postcode at https://bit.ly/2X5jV4X to see the full list of establishments participating within a 5-mile radius.
Please support all our local advertisers taking part 👍🏼
Thank you
Libraries & hubs are open
Medway libraries & community hubs re-opened on Monday 27th July, with a reduced service.
The face to face service is open again in each library for council and library enquiries.
Library staff will sit behind perspex screens mounted on tables and will use sanitiser gel and wipes before and after handling equipment, furniture and books.
You'll be able to:
• Return books
• Use click and collect, and reservations services
• Collect recycling bags
• Collect caddy liners
You will be able to book slots to use computers from Monday, 3rd August.
Reduced service
• You can buy daily parking visitor vouchers by phoning 01634 332266
• You will not be able to browse books
You are encouraged to use contactless payment where possible.
Click and collect
The new click and collect service allows you to request a specific genre, style or type of book which library staff will select for you, for example westerns or books about photography. You can choose which community hub or library to collect the books from.
Online library
There is a large online library service of more than 71,000 eBooks, eMagazines and eNewspapers with a growing collection of children’s eBooks and a great selection of children’s books, which can be reserved, to help young people with this year’s Summer Reading Challenge and to enjoy during the school summer holidays.
Loans update
The library book loan period has now returned to 3 weeks. Books can be renewed online or by phoning 01634 337799
The mobile library will remain closed.
Upchurch Matters
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Picture: Spirit of Sittingbourne. |
An application for a 9-lane bowling alley in Sittingbourne has been submitted to Swale Borough Council.
The plans have been put forward by The Light, the firm behind the 8-screen cinema currently being fitted out in the new Bourne Place development between the high street and train station for opening in October.
The application proposes a change of use of one of the ground floor restaurant units that would share an entrance with the cinema above.
If approved, the bowling alley would join the 63 bed Travelodge hotel, the Light Cinema, restaurants such as Nando's, Pizza Express, and Loungers.
Cllr Roger Truelove, leader of the council, said:
“I really welcome this initiative by Light.
A bowling alley is something that many people have asked for over the years, and the more we can diversify the leisure offer at Bourne Place the better.
It will help give people more reasons to visit the town centre more often and for longer periods.
I would like to commend cabinet member Monique Bonney for the work she has put into this innovative plan”
Cllr Monique Bonney, cabinet member for economy and property at the council, said:
“This is really exciting news for Sittingbourne and, if approved, should be a major attraction for the borough.
We are working very hard with the tenants to deliver a more diverse offer for local people and visitors that will be less dependent on restaurants than the original scheme.
If we want our town centres to thrive, we need a broader offer to attract more visitors to support our local businesses and jobs.”
The application 20/503138/FULL is expected to be decided by the planning committee in the next few months.
Swale Borough Council
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KCC’s Adult Education service is holding a range of free taster sessions during a virtual open week to showcase some of the many course subjects on offer.
The courses take place in the first week of September and will give learners the opportunity to try a range of creative subjects for free, to see if they like the experience before deciding if they want to enrol and a longer course. There are about 30 subject choices as diverse as belly dancing, floristry, sculpture and watercolour painting.
Courses are delivered in a real-time, virtual environment, and are easy to access with a phone, laptop, tablet and an internet connection. They provide a collaborative learning experience and the option to interact with other learners, without having to leave the comfort of home.
Learners will be able to experiment with different materials, mediums and techniques with demonstrations from expert tutors. The open week tasters give learners the chance to see how courses are delivered virtually and may help to develop new, exciting hobbies and interests. Specialist tutors will be able to advise which courses are the next step up from the tasters. They not only teach the course but will guide the participants through it, to ensure a positive and enjoyable virtual learning experience.
The first taster courses start on Tuesday 1st September and the last ones take place on Friday 4th September.
The creative open week courses are free. For more details and to book a space please visit: kentadulteducation.co.uk/about-us/news/creative-open-week-courses or call: 03000 41 40 25.
Kent Adult Education provides an extensive range of vibrant, diverse and challenging courses. Courses are designed to enhance wellbeing and offer high-quality opportunities to discover and develop interests which enrich quality of life. The range covers arts, crafts, languages and much more. Courses take place virtually during the day, in the evening and at the weekend.
Murray Evans
Kent County Council
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Local news item - posted for information only.
Gold Property Development Ltd has lodged an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate against the decision of Swale Borough Council to refuse permission for outline planning application: 19/501773/OUT | For residential development of 41no. two, three and four bedroom houses. (all matters reserved except for access) at land off Jubilee Fields, Upchurch, Kent ME9 7AQ.
The planning Inspectorate/Secretary of State has decided that the appeal will be determined on the basis of written representations.
Any comments and/or representations received in relation to this application have already been forwarded to the Planning Inspectorate and will be considered by the inspector when deciding the appeal.
Anyone wishing to add to or modify or withdraw their previous representations can do so by contacting the Planning Inspectorate by Email at: RT1@planninginspectorate.gov.uk or in writing to: Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Bristol BS1 6PN quoting reference: APP/V2255/W/20/3246265.
Please note: The deadline to do this is by Wednesday 12th August 2020.
Link to planning application and appeal documents: http://bit.ly/2XBhll8
Upchurch Matters
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Dr Supriya Das & Dr Lakshmi Subbiah
Upchurch Surgery will be closed on the afternoon of Thursday 30th July but will be open between 10:00am until 1:00pm instead.
Sorry for any inconvenience.
Please call NHS 111 if you require urgent medical care.
Ray Kemsley
Chair - Surgery Patient Participation Group - Upchurch & Rainham
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WIN £5,000 for your school!
Please nominate Holywell School to win £5,000 in National Book Tokens to spend on their School Library - and if your entry is picked, you'll also get £100 of National Book Tokens to spend on yourself!
The prize draw closes at 11:59pm on Friday 31st July 2020. Winners will be contacted by Email.
Only one entry per person will be accepted. Entrants may not win more than one prize, but multiple entrants may nominate the same school.
About National Book Tokens
National Book Tokens have been inspiring book lovers since 1932. They work with their charity partners at World Book Day, Book Aid International and Read for Good - and through the thousands of people who give National Book Tokens as gifts and rewards to children and young adults each year - to encourage a lifelong love of reading among children everywhere.
Accepted in 1000s of bookshops, online and on eBooks, National Book Tokens are the perfect way to reward and inspire.
Thank you
Upchurch Matters
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Swale Borough Council has deep cleaned the roads and pavements in the borough’s five Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) to improve air quality.
As well as the usual level of cleansing to remove litter, leaves and debris and clear back the edges of weeds, council contractors Biffa worked to jet wash the tarmac in Newington, Ospringe, East Street and St Pauls Street in Sittingbourne, and Teynham to reduce the dangerous particulate matter deposited in the road from recirculating into the air.
Cllr Tim Valentine, cabinet member for the environment at the council, said:
“Deep cleaning the roads in our air quality management areas is important for eliminating the damaging particulate matter that is deposited into the road by traffic.
The dangerous matter can be deposited from vehicle brake pads, tyre wear, tail pipe exhaust emissions and various materials - mud, dust and other particles - attached to vehicle tyres.
When the deposits build up along the road, they can recirculate into the air every time a vehicle moves over them, which intensifies the pollution in an area already under a heavy burden.
We spend more than £1m each year on street cleansing services, street patrols to pick up litter and emptying more than 800 litter bins and 350 dog bins across the borough, and have now allocated additional funds to trial this extra service to reduce these dangerous particulates that can damage people’s health.”
Who would like the opportunity to sponsor Upchurch Colts FC Under 13s for just £20?
As we all know it’s been a tough few months and we appreciate money is tight, however we are trying to fundraise for our club.
For the price of £20 per go or £50 for three goes, the winner would have their business name printed on the team tracksuits.
Please give me two back-up teams in case your chosen one has already been taken.
Thank you
Katie Kemlo
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Local communities will now have greater involvement in council decisions after a date was set for the first round of area committee meetings at last week’s annual council meeting.
The four area committees - Eastern, Sittingbourne, Sheppey and Western - will help give local people their say on council matters.
The first meeting will be the Western committee on 1st September, followed by Sittingbourne on 8th September, Sheppey on 22nd September and Eastern on 29th September.
Cllr Mike Baldock, deputy leader of the council, said:
“Area committees give local councillors a chance to reconnect with the public and bring valuable local insight to council decision-making.
We plan for the first round of area committee meetings to take place in September, however we now need to consider how we get the committees off the ground while taking social distancing rules into account.
Once off the ground, committees will draw up work programmes to improve quality of life in their areas and enable local insight to be brought to bear on issues being decided by the cabinet or the whole council.
Following consultation with the public late last year, we’ve decided on four areas - Eastern, Sittingbourne, Sheppey and Western - to allow for the nuances of town, country and coast to be fairly represented.
Honest and open dialogue with the public is a key priority for us, and we’re excited to get the first round of committees up and running”
The four committees will be made up of all the councillors representing wards in the following areas:
• Eastern - Abbey, Boughton and Courtenay, East Downs, Priory, St Ann’s, Teynham and Lynsted and Watling wards.
• Sheppey – Minster Cliffs, Queenborough and Halfway, Sheerness, Sheppey Central and Sheppey East.
• Sittingbourne - Chalkwell, Homewood, Kemsley, Milton Regis, Murston and Roman.
• Western - Bobbing, Iwade and Lower Halstow, Borden and Grove Park, Hartlip Newington and Upchurch, the Meads, Woodstock and West Down.
Swale Borough Council
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Jenny Giles - Upchurch River Valley Golf Course
Telephone: 01634 360626
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Free Entry - Non Members Welcome
Jenny Giles - Upchurch River Valley Golf Course
Telephone: 01634 360626
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