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Covid-19 vaccine update
Covid-19 vaccines services are running across Kent and Medway with more than 50 locations where people are being vaccinated.
As of 24th January 2021, 195,252 vaccines had been given in the county and thousands more are being delivered each day.
We are adding a weekly update to our website on Thursday afternoons. Read the latest
You’ll find links to our main vaccination page and frequently asked questions.
Please remember, you will be contacted when it is your time to get the vaccine.
Please do not phone GP surgeries, the CCG, or other NHS services with queries about when you will be able to get the vaccine.
Covid-19 vaccine scam alerts
Please watch out for fraudulent calls and text messages offering the Covid-19 vaccinationThe fake text message (pictured above) takes you through to a bogus website that does appear to look like a genuine NHS site which asks for your banking details.
We would like to remind everyone the vaccine is only available from the NHS, there is no cost and eligible people will be contacted directly when it is their turn.
Please let friends and family know.
Could you be a plasma donor?
NHS Blood and Transplant is looking for anyone aged 17 years and older who has had Covid-19, particularly those who have been seriously ill and recovered, to donate blood plasma.
People from Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities are particularly encouraged to donate.
New patient belongings drop off service at Medway Maritime Hospital
Medway Foundation Trust has launched a new service to enable patients to receive belongings from their loved ones while they are staying at Medway Maritime Hospital. Find out more
NHS Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group
Upchurch’s Co-op is fundraising again for their chosen charity partner this year, MIND - the mental health and support charity.
Win a Valentine's Breakfast in Bed Hamper
To be collected upon winning.
Enter in store for £1 per raffle strip - Please ask a member of staff at the till.
Good luck 🤞🏼
Read more about MIND at: www.mind.org.uk
Thank you
Sally - Upchurch’s Co-op
One hundred and ninety-seven families impacted by covid have received pre-packaged essential food boxes through Swale Borough Council’s covid winter support scheme.
The scheme is a partnership between the council, West Faversham Community Centre and Diversity House, who have processed and delivered a total of 398 food boxes to residents’ doors, supporting 707 people across the borough since its launch last month.
The boxes have been a helping hand to those who have had a change in their financial situation, received a positive covid test, are self-isolating following contact from the NHS Test and Trace system or experiencing a change of personal circumstances because of the pandemic.
Nine different pre-packaged essential food boxes including essentials such as pasta, soup, fruit, cereal, toilet roll and handwash, alongside vegetarian, Free-From, Afro-Caribbean, Eastern European, and Asian boxes to meet the various dietary, cultural and religious needs of local residents are available, and each box provides enough food for seven days.
Cllr Richard Palmer, cabinet member for community at the council, said:
“The winter support scheme is a new service that is in direct response to those who are suffering hardship because of the covid pandemic.
“So far we’ve delivered 355 pre-packaged essential food boxes to people who are struggling to feed their families.
“West Faversham Community Centre and Diversity House have been working hard to process applications and deliver boxes to people’s doors.
“We’re aiming to deliver a minimum of 2,000 boxes this winter, so I encourage anyone who has received a reduction in income, loss of employment, positive covid test result or other change in personal circumstance due to the pandemic to get in touch.
“Once your application is submitted, our community support team will carry out an assessment. If successful, an essential food box will be delivered to you within a couple of days.
“We know this has been a difficult year for people and we’re doing everything we can to help support families experiencing exceptional hardship this winter.”
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible people must:
• have recently been made unemployed within the last two months and are still out of work
• have been furloughed and receiving less income
• have lost income because you cannot work from home
• are not already receiving support from Kent Support and Assistance Service (KSAS), local foodbanks or food support services
• are currently self-isolating because of a positive Covid-19 test or you’ve been contacted by NHS Test and Trace
• are currently receiving support from the Swale Borough Council self-isolation payments
• are leaving your home because of domestic abuse
• are currently living in temporary accommodation
• have recently been discharged from hospital.
Those not eligible include people who:
• are quarantining after travelling abroad (unless you test positive during the 14-day quarantine period)
• continue to receive full wages
• are self-isolating without a positive Covid-19 test result or without being contacted by NHS Test and Trace
• are already regularly receiving support from KSAS, local foodbanks or food support services.
Swale Borough Council
After reading about the 750 sets of scrubs sewn for Medway Maritime Hospital last year by over 120 volunteers from Hartlip, my partner and I are conducting a national survey of PPE and voluntary action. We would very much like to hear about people's experience of making scrubs during the critical time in the Coronavirus pandemic when PPE was in very short supply.
We believe that the huge effort made by so many people at that time of crisis should not be forgotten and we want to record people’s involvement as widely as possible and we would like to contact those who took part in the work in Hartlip to take part in our survey.
Please take part in our ground-breaking survey of PPE and voluntary action
We think that this research is important and necessary to understand, appreciate and remember what happened and how the activities of ordinary people changed the game and saved people’s lives. While government dithered, thousands did what was necessary.
Share your experiences with us
We are interested in hearing about your experiences. Are you willing to take part in our survey?
If so, please click on this link: https://kent.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/ppe-and-voluntary-action
We would appreciate receipt of completed surveys by Sunday 28th February 2021.
Ask your friends and colleagues to share their experiences too
Please circulate our invitation by whatever means is convenient - by Email or social media so that they have the opportunity to participate. We want to recognise all contributions and to make sure that no one is left out.
What else?
Your participation is entirely voluntary, and we will look after the information gathered safely and securely in accordance with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Your contributions will be aggregated with those of other participants and anonymised (so that what you say will not be attributed to you by name).
If you have any other questions, please Email Colin or Meta at: pperesearchno2@macace.net or: pperesearchno1@btinternet.com
Thank you
Colin Rochester and Meta Zimmeck
Making Miracles is the baby trauma and family bereavement care charity.
💙 Supporting local charities 💗
❣️ Free specialist counselling (for the whole family)
❣️ Baby Memorial Garden
❣️ Memorial Bear
❣️ ‘The Baby’ our children's book
Website: www.makingmiracles.org.uk
After a tough year of fundraising our MM team - Kelly, Becci and Hayley have decided to try to raise some money and keep ourselves and our children active (and sane!) at the same time during the next few months.
So we have come up with 60 miles in 60 days
1st February to 1st April - 6 DAYS TO GO!
You can do this in memory of a baby or loved one, you can do this in celebration of a rainbow, you can do this because you appreciate what the charity does - or simply because you want to be more active! Anything goes with this and you can appeal to friends and family to do it too or sponsor your family.
Every day we will follow each other’s journies share pictures and progress on Facebook and Instagram and every family will get a certificate of participation.
Please please do get involved and SHARE far and wide so we can raise awareness of our services and some money towards them. Thank you so much!
For anyone that wants to sponsor the team our page is set up, you can set one up too or join us on ours if you’d like to at: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/KellyWells8
Who’s in? 1. You can either join us
Councillors are being asked to approve Swale Borough Council’s draft local plan for 2022-2038.
The draft plan will be discussed at the upcoming cabinet meeting on Tuesday 26th January, and if approved, will go to a special council meeting on Wednesday 3rd February before being made available for public viewing next month.
The new local plan outlines how the council will meet the borough’s housing need, implement ambitious, energy-efficient housing policies and secure 30 per cent affordable housing in Swale.
Updated every five years, the draft local plan provides the clarity and certainty needed to protect Swale’s natural and historic assets and secure much needed funding for improved infrastructure.
Included in the draft plan is a transport strategy that outlines how the council plans to deliver a sustainable transport network for Swale that creates an attractive, green and vibrant borough. It will enable and encourage people to travel sustainably and actively, nurture healthy lifestyles, create less polluted places and upgrade the transport network to meet the borough’s needs.
Cllr Mike Baldock, cabinet member for planning at the council, said:
“This is an ambitious plan for us.
“We know that many people feel that local development of the borough is already excessive, however we are required to try to meet these government-imposed targets.
“Despite the current inadequacy of local infrastructure, low GP levels and under-investment in our communities, we hope that the proposed review of the local plan enables us to meet government targets as well as local demand.
“Our aim is to provide more affordable housing, housing for the elderly and the disabled, and greener, more environmentally friendly housing.
“Developers will be expected to deliver 30 per cent affordable housing on new developments on greenfield sites.
“We’ll be pushing for zero-carbon, energy-efficient housing options to meet the targets set out in our climate and ecological emergency action plan.
“We also plan to double the required 10 per cent biodiversity gain to 20 per cent which will ensure that any new developments will improve the biodiversity of our natural landscape.
“The transport strategy included in the plan will provide the clarity we need to reduce congestion along the A2 and A249 and apply for government funding to upgrade Brenley Corner.
“If the proposed draft plan is agreed, people will then have an opportunity to express their views on the soundness of the plan.”
The plan will be available for public viewing on the council’s website from Monday 8th February until Tuesday 23rd March 2021.
The meeting agenda and full report including proposed local plan can be viewed here
Dr Supriya Das & Dr Lakshmi Subbiah
The majority of patients over 80 have now received their first vaccination.
There are still a few patients who are ‘house-bound’ who have yet to be vaccinated.
The practice will now concentrate initially on patients over 75, followed by those over 70.
This month's Surgery Patient Participation Group meeting has been cancelled because of the COVID-19 vaccination programme. Our next meeting will be on Thursday 15th April at 12:00pm.Chair - Surgery Patient Participation Group - Upchurch & Rainham
The wall of 1-ton bags of stone currently protecting the railway line near Newington.
The railway line between Sittingbourne and Gillingham will be closed for 15 days while Network Rail engineers tackle a 40 Metre landslip near Newington.
Network Rail engineers are preparing to tackle a 40 Metre long landslip that blocked the line at Newington, near Sittingbourne, earlier this week, with work set to begin on Sunday 24th January.
The slip closed the railway on Wednesday and Thursday, while a temporary fix was put in place to allow the line to open for two days. However, the scale of the problem meant a permanent solution had to be put in place as soon as possible, with design work, staff and equipment mobilisation already underway from Friday 22nd January 2021.
The line will close from the last train on Saturday night, 23rd January until the first train on Monday 8th February. This will mean no Southeastern trains will be able to run between Gillingham and Sittingbourne and Thameslink trains from London to Rainham will terminate one station early, at Gillingham.
A bus replacement service will be provided.
The slip occurred on a section of railway built in 1858, where the line is cut 13M deep into the surrounding hill. After days of heavy rain, the top section of the cutting side gave way and slowly slipped downhill towards the track. Over 300 tons of spoil was removed before the line could be reopened and there’s still more to go.
The line is currently protected with a series of 1-ton bags of stone, which will be replaced with a 60 Metre wall of 12M steel sheet piles, sunk into the ground.
Although the landslip is between Rainham and Sittingbourne, shutting the power to the live rail off through the area is not possible without including Rainham, so Thameslink trains will be unable to draw power and will be turning around at Gillingham. If it becomes possible to change this later in the week, Network Rail will do so.
Upchurch Matters
Report of the Parish Council January 2021
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.
Bus Shelter
It has been brought to the Council’s attention that some people are leaving books and bric-a-brac at the bus shelter in Horsham Lane. While Councillors appreciate the gesture is well-meaning especially during this current pandemic, the Council cannot guarantee that this is not contributing to the spread of the virus. Residents are requested not to leave items at the bus stop.
Planning
i. Ref: 20/505172/FULL Address: Brown Jug 76 Horsham Lane Upchurch ME9 7AP
Proposal: Change of use of Public House with residential accommodation and rear pub garden into 1 no. two bedroom dwelling and 1 no. three bedroom dwelling with associated residential gardens and alterations to windows and doors.
There were no objections to the proposal and that the views of neighbours be taken into consideration.
ii. Ref: 20/505298/FULL Address: Land Rear Of 91 & 93 Chaffes Lane Upchurch ME9 7BG
Proposal: Demolition of existing garage and erection of a three/four-bedroom dwelling with associated access, parking and landscaping.
Councillors considered the application and noted that the proposal is outside the built boundary and in the open countryside. Councillors agreed to object to the proposal.
iii. Ref: 20/505437/FULL Address: 75 Forge Lane Upchurch Sittingbourne Kent ME9 7AD
Proposal: Erection of a two storey rear extension.
There were no objections to the proposal and that the views of neighbours be taken into consideration.
Ref: 19/501773/OUT Address: Land Off Jubilee Fields Upchurch Kent ME9 7AQ
Proposal: Outline application for residential development of 41no. two, three and four bedroom houses. (All matters reserved except for access)
The appeal has been turned down by the Planning Inspector as it is not within the Local Plan and for the size of the development, it brings little benefit to the village.
Ref: 19/504657/FULL Address: Car Showroom London Road Upchurch ME9 7PD
Proposal: Change of use of auto showroom and workshop (Sui Generis) to a banqueting hall, including food processing and distribution (Class D2 and B2), including the creation of a mezzanine floor and alterations to fenestration. (Resubmission of 19/503293/FULL)
PINS Ref: APP/V2255/W/20/3254725
The matter has gone to appeal and the Council has reiterated its objections to the proposal.
Recreation Ground
There is a small section in the new fence to be completed, the contractor was short of two posts which have now arrived and the mesh has also arrived. The work is due to be completed soon.
Finance
The Parish Council has agreed the precept at £46,294 making the additional Council Tax for Band D properties £44.93.
This is a precis of Council business; full minutes of all meetings can be found on the website when ratified.
Date of next meetings:
Full Council - Thursday 4th February 2021 at 7:30pm
The Planning Committee and General Purposes Committee - Wednesday 17th February 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.
Please contact the Clerk, clerkupc@outlook.com to obtain login details for the meeting.
Due to ongoing Coronavirus lockdown measures and low usage, Chalkwell Coach Hire will be temporarily suspending some local bus journeys from Monday 25th January 2021.
Customers can still travel on all other journeys in order to access essential facilities.
The temporary suspensions are:
326 / 327 Monday to Friday
The 1100 and 1620 departures from Sittingbourne are suspended.
The 1155 departure from Chatham is suspended.
326 / 327 Saturday
The 0900, 1115 and 1620 departures from Sittingbourne are suspended.
The 1020, 1215, 1505 and 1710 departures from Chatham are suspended.
Alterations and suspensions are also in place for some school buses.
View of proposed improvements to the slip roads and junction
approaches at the M2 Junction 5 / A249 Stockbury Roundabout.
The public inquiry into Highways England's proposals to make improvements to the M2 Junction 5 / A249 Stockbury Roundabout has finished.
A report is now being prepared by the Planning Inspector for the Secretary of State and Highways England expect a decision on the project at the start of summer 2021.
The public inquiry was held as a virtual event in November 2020, and you can view the documents and information gathered during the review on the programme officer’s website at: https://programmeofficers.co.uk/m2j5
Highways England will share more information about the final designs later this year.
Upchurch Matters
It will be necessary to close Horsham Lane, Upchurch from Wednesday 20th January 2021 for up to 1 day.
The road will be closed at outside 23 to 27 Horsham Lane.
The alternative route is via Oak Lane, Wallbridge Lane and Horsham Lane.
This is to enable urgent pole replacement works to be carried out by Avidety.
Kent County Council 24hr Contact Centre:
03000 418181 (9:00am - 5:00pm)
03000 419191 (5:00pm - 9:00am)
Kent County Council - Highways, Transportation & Waste
Hi All,
During our walk the other day, our family made a little walking quiz about Upchurch village, aimed at primary school-aged children.
Have fun, and we hope you enjoy the challenge!
Frankie Cogger
VERY IMPORTANT 🔽
Please answer the quiz safely at home.
If you need to leave your home for any of the permitted reasons, please stay safe and always stick to the current government rules around exercising and being outdoors which you can read here >> http://bit.ly/2XYOjhn
Upchurch Parish Council would like to present an award to a young person who has made an outstanding contribution to their local community.
If you know of a young person living in Upchurch who deserves an award then please nominate them.
There is still time to nominate someone for the Kent Association of Local Councils - Community Award 2021 which acknowledges and gives recognition to those that have made a significant contribution to their local community.
Please send your nominations to:
Mrs Wendy Licence - Clerk to the Parish Council
14 Trapfield Close
Bearsted
Maidstone
Kent
ME14 4HT
Thank you
The closing date for nominations is Sunday the 31st of January 2021.
Upchurch Matters
Sadly, Kenneth Baldock of Ham Green, Upchurch passed away at home on Friday the 15th of January. He had recently celebrated his 95th birthday.
He Leaves behind four children Rita, Robert, Linda and Kevin. Seven grandchildren, thirteen great grandchildren and three great great grandchildren!
Ken was a keen fisherman and gardener and was a member of Upchurch Horticultural Society for many years.
He will be greatly missed by all.
Thank you
Hayley
Ken’s granddaughter
Village Halls Week 2021 will recognise the contribution England’s 10,000+ halls have made to rural communities since the 1920s.
The campaign week, now in its 4th year, is set to take place from Monday 25th to Friday 29th January and will feature online events, videos, podcasts, and blogs showcasing the history of village halls and the benefits they have derived over the years. It is a national celebration of all halls and the difference the volunteers who run them make to the rural communities they serve.
ACRE's 2021 campaign will be a celebration of how village halls are survivors. Many have been bringing people together in rural communities since the 1920s. And in the past year, the volunteers who manage these buildings have shown great determination and resilience in the face of Coronavirus, negotiating lockdowns and putting in place Covid Secure measures so they could continue supporting their local community.
As social gatherings are currently off-limits, Village Halls Week will look at bit different in 2021. In the past ACRE network members have hosted various events across the country but this year they will be moving this activity online in the spirit of the times.
ACRE encourage all village halls to join them in this national celebration:
• Register to take part in online events - links below.
• Follow ACRE on social media.
• Sign ACRE's Village Halls Centenary ‘Doomsday’ Book to tell MPs about the good work you’ve been doing - coming soon!
• Contact your ACRE Network member to find out what’s going on locally and check this listing
Managed by volunteers, village and community halls support a diverse range of community activities from exercise classes to coffee mornings and are routinely hired out for private parties and weddings. Some host community shops and post offices.
In a survey undertaken by ACRE last year, it was found that 60% of village halls provide the only meeting space in the local community. An estimated 50,000 individuals to are reliant on the use of village halls to make a living.
Information about Village Halls Week 2021, including a programme, is available on the ACRE website at >> www.acre.org.uk
Upchurch Matters
Councillor Alan Jarrett, Leader of Medway Council, has spoken out about his disappointment of the government increasing Medway’s housing target.
In September, Medway Council supported the government’s proposal to change the methodology to calculate the number of new homes each area across the country is required to deliver. The proposal would have reduced Medway’s housing target by more than 8,000, from 28,300 homes to 20,000.
However, last month Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick confirmed the government has not adopted September’s proposal. Medway now faces the challenge of delivering 1,662 new homes each year during the Local Plan period: 2020-2037.
Cllr Alan Jarrett, Leader of Medway Council, said:
“The council is working hard to achieve sustainable and realistic growth for Medway’s residents, providing additional facilities with new builds, so the government’s announcement that Medway now faces a higher housing target than we had hoped is certainly extremely disappointing news.
“If the proposed methodology put forward in September had been brought in, Medway could have potentially met its housing targets. However, we now face an uphill struggle to reach the target we’ve been given by government of building 28,300 new homes by 2037. What’s even more disconcerting is that we potentially face repercussions from the government if we fail to squeeze 1,662 new homes into Medway each year.
“Medway is committed to delivering new homes to meet its residents’ needs, as well as much needed new amenities such as schools, but we will do this within a sustainable way that’s best for Medway’s future. While drafting Medway’s Local Plan we have carefully considered how the area could evolve including providing sufficient jobs and infrastructure for a growing population, as well as maintaining Medway’s parks and historic sites. We remain committed to protecting Medway’s bright future and not adding to the pressures our services and health care providers already face.
“We will do all we can to protect Medway and ensure it remains an excellent place to live, work, learn and visit for now and in the future.”
Medway Council
Click letter to enlarge.
Although we helped organise, collect and deliver your presents, it was 'The Six' villages who all gave so generously again.
By giving a gift, you made a real difference to someone's life at Christmas.
