We want to hear about your village news and events
The best way to tell us is through the contact form
here
If you would like to have a stand/stall, please contact: elspethbaecke@gmail.com
Please join us for this very worthy cause.
Meanwhile please donate whatever you can afford at the JustGiving fundraising page, which has been published to help towards the restoration.
Charity Registration No: 606311
Thank you
Elspeth Baecke
Upchurch Parish Council has been in contact with Swale Borough Council, asking why their household waste and recycling collection service has not been adequate since the new contractor took over.
Upchurch residents are understandably frustrated and would like an update and an explanation of how Swale will remedy the situation.
Please see their response below:
“Good afternoon,
We have had an uncertain start to the contract however feeling a little more positive this week.
Suez has 4 new drivers starting Thursday and 6 crews working over this weekend to catch up with outstanding bins.
Please help us to spread the message to all the residents affected by missed collections in your ward to continue to leave their wheelie bins and/or food waste caddies out for collection.
We apologise for the inconvenience with the delay in collections. We understand how frustrating this has been. We continue to work hard daily with Suez to resolve the issues.
Kind Regards
Contracts and Resources
Swale Borough Council”
Nina Henley
Clerk and Proper Officer to Upchurch Parish Council
Tel: 07798 600696
There is currently a mechanical problem with the motor on the Church Clock, which means there are no chimes.
Upchurch Parish Council is aware and has called the engineer to resolve the fault ASAP so the village will hear the chimes again in due course.
Upchurch Parish Council
We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Upchurch Matters.
Thanks for all the support you have given the website throughout the year.
This year's lovely village Christmas tree was again kindly donated by Bob Friend and his family.
Thank you, Bob.
Upchurch Parish Councillors have added 'SANTA STOP HERE' to the village sign so he knows where to stop and deliver all the children's presents.
The sparkling Santa's sleigh with reindeer and twinkling lights with the star on top of the Christmas tree all look lovely.
The knitting group has done another wonderful job of decorating the centre of the village with knitted Christmas characters. The added colour they bring really brightens up our winter days.
Why not go and check them out during the holidays?
The lit Nativity Scene, beautifully built by the late Frank Osborne, has also returned to the Churchyard.
Thanks to everyone for all their hard work and generosity, once again.
To more peaceful and affordable times in 2024 🥂
Upchurch Matters
Because Christmas and New Year's Day both fall on a Monday this year, changes to normal household bin collection dates over Christmas and New Year will last longer than usual.
Check the graphic for details on your revised collection dates.
Regularly scheduled bin collections will resume in Swale on Monday the 8th of January 2024.
The age-old nuisance of dog fouling around the village has been raised with the parish council by residents angry at irresponsible dog owners for not cleaning up after their pets.
Dog waste poses a significant health risk to humans, particularly young children, as their immune systems are not fully developed.
Children are also more likely to come into contact with soil or sand that contains dog waste whilst playing in parks, gardens and playgrounds.
All waste contains bacteria that can cause stomach upsets, but the greatest risk is from Toxocariasis, which can pass from dog waste to humans through contaminated soil or sand. Children are at particular risk. It is rare, but it can sometimes cause serious health problems and even blindness.
Would you really want that on your conscience?
It is an offence to allow a dog under your control to foul a public place, and Swale Borough Council has the power to fine dog owners who do not clean up after their dogs.
You can receive an on-the-spot fine (FPN) of up to £100 if you do not clean up after your dog.
If you refuse to pay the fine, you could be taken to court and fined up to £1000.
There really is no excuse for not cleaning up after your dog.
The parish council has provided litter & dog waste bins at locations around the village where owners can dispose of bagged dog waste, as well as TiksPac dispensers at the Recreation Ground and near the Paddock in Chaffes Lane.
Please bag your dog waste and put it in any public litter bin or take it home to your household green wheelie bin.
Allowing your dog to foul in a public place and not clean it up is antisocial and totally unacceptable to all residents.
Please leave our village spaces clean, tidy and safe for others to enjoy.
Thank you
Upchurch Matters
Click the map to enlarge.
Dear Upchurch Residents,
We are writing to invite you to participate in a crucial decision-making process that will directly impact our community - the improvement of our local highways.
The Parish Council would like to invite you to participate in a public consultation and help the council to make informed decisions that align with the needs and preferences of the community.
Background:
KCC Highways has committed to look at one project for improvement from each parish per year.
We have a number of options UPC are considering.
The Parish Council has narrowed the options to just 3:
Option 1
Progressing the already approved plan for the narrowing of Oak Lane and giving priority to vehicles coming out of the village, north of the junction with Wallbridge Lane.
Option 2
Horsham Lane junction with The Street.
Option 3
Forge Lane junction with Holywell Lane.
Objectives of the Consultation:
To gather input from residents on what you feel in the most important highways issue that needs addressing.
This allows residents to have your say in the areas we request KCC to prioritise on your behalf.
Please let us know your top 2 priorities of the 3 options.
How You Can Participate
We value your input and encourage you to participate in this consultation.
There are several ways you can get involved:
• Write to the clerk at: 2 Alfriston Grove, West Malling ME19 4SR
• Attend our next Parish Council meeting on Thursday, November 2nd, held at Upchurch Village
Hall at 19:30pm
Timeline:
Consultation Period: 11-10-23 - 05-11-23
Next Steps:
Once the Parish Council has analysed all the feedback, we will work closely with KCC Highways to develop a plan for the future of our roads. We will ensure transparency throughout the process and keep you informed about any developments or decisions.
Thank you for your participation.
Nina Henley
Clerk and Proper Officer to Upchurch Parish Council
Your Medway: Your Future: Your Say
Everyone with an interest in Medway’s future is being encouraged to have their say on a document which will help guide how Medway develops up to 2040.
This is the public’s opportunity to have their say on Medway’s future by commenting on the emerging Local Plan.
Medway Council’s vision is to establish Medway as a significant place for high quality urban regeneration with strong connections to its surrounding coast and countryside; with a thriving economy, where residents enjoy a good quality of life and health, and there is a clear strategy for addressing climate change and strengthening natural assets.
The government has set mandatory house building targets for all councils in the country to meet national housing demand. Medway is currently required to deliver 1,667 new homes each year between now and 2040 - a total of nearly 28,500 homes.
Through the Local Plan, Medway Council will be ensuring that it delivers sustainable communities for the future.
Local authorities are required, by law, to have a Local Plan in place. Without one, it is difficult for councils to challenge planning applications that may not be in the best interests for their area, or residents, and result in unsustainable, unsuitable piecemeal development without supporting facilities or infrastructure.
But Medway’s Local Plan is about much more than just building houses. It also ensures the council has a plan which focuses on ensuring appropriate infrastructure is in place and protecting the environment. The plan, when adopted, will identify areas where development could take place and where it should be restricted. It also includes employment and considers better access to green spaces, including parks and play areas.
Leader of Medway Council, Cllr Vince Maple, said:
“We are encouraging Medway’s residents, businesses, people who work in the area, young people, voluntary sector organisations and anyone with an interest in Medway’s future to have their say on our emerging Local Plan. We want Medway’s residents to help shape this important blueprint which will ensure Medway grows sustainably.
“The Local Plan covers a wide range of topics including employment, the environment, communities, infrastructure and homes and this is your opportunity to have your say on the blueprint for Medway’s future up to 2040.
“I would encourage residents to find out more about the emerging Local Plan and have their say by visiting our website, attending one of the consultation events in October or by visiting your local library.”
Medway Council is committed to getting a new Local Plan in place for autumn 2025.
Have Your Say
Everyone is invited to come along and find out more about the emerging Local Plan at a series of consultation events which will be held throughout October, details will be announced soon.
Members of the public can have their say until 11:59pm on Tuesday, 31st October. The consultation document is available on the council’s website and printed copies are available to view at Medway libraries.
To find out more, and have your say, visit: www.medway.gov.uk/FutureMedway
Medway Council
Swale Borough Council has published an action plan setting out how it will work to improve air quality across the borough.
The new Air Quality Action Plan outlines what the council will deliver between 2023 and 2028 to reduce concentrations of air pollutants and people’s exposure to air pollution.
The council takes the issue of air pollution very seriously as it causes health issues such as being a factor in the onset of cancer and heart disease.
The plan will have a positive impact on the quality of life and the health of residents and visitors to Swale.
Some new measures include:
• More car clubs and bike hire schemes
• Installation of more electric vehicle charging points
• Anti-idling campaigns
• Campaigns to educate the public about air pollution
• Improving walking and cycling infrastructure
The council will also work with Kent County Council to improve bus services and public transport infrastructure and improve traffic flow through Swale’s Air Quality Management Areas (AQMA).
Air Quality Management Areas in East Street and Teynham have seen marked improvements in air quality, with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs recommending their AQMA statuses be revoked.
East Street and Teynham have been compliant with the minimum readings for air pollutants for four and five years respectively but will continue to be monitored closely when their AQMA statuses are revoked.
The Action Plan offers a look into the evidence used and explains the decision-making process behind measures being implemented within their powers.
Cllr Rich Lehmann, chair of the Environment Committee, said:
“The health of our residents is of utmost importance to us,
“And this Air Quality Action Plan outlines the efforts we are going to take to improve the air quality of Swale.
“We are pleased to see some improvements but will remain vigilant and continue to monitor air pollution levels across the borough, including the areas which DEFRA have insisted we revoke the Air Quality Management Area status for.
“There is still work to be done, and this action plan shows how we will reach our important health targets.”
Swale Borough Council
When Cllr Pan Denny met children from Holywell School last year, they gave her plenty of good ideas for the new woodland trail in the Paddock, including a wooden trim trail and boxes to encourage more wildlife to take up residence in the area.
Upchurch Parish Council installed the trim trail balance equipment the children requested in December 2022, funded by a collective grant from Queenborough Fishery Trust and Swale Borough Council.
And more recently, bat boxes were hung high from the large trees around the perimeter of the Paddock, adding to the bird boxes and bug hotels that have already been fitted in the wooded area.
The new boxes will hopefully encourage children to use this area to play and explore more, which will be educational.
Thanks to Phil Newbery for building the boxes for the parish council and to Les Oxley for climbing high to fit the bat boxes.
We are fortunate to have the Paddock as a lovely green space in the heart of our village, so why not take the children to go and explore there during the school summer holiday?
Please supervise them while they play safely and ask them not to disturb the birds, the bugs and the bats - Thank you.
Upchurch Matters
SJM Planning Ltd has submitted outline planning application 23/503028/OUT to Swale Borough Council with some matters reserved (access, layout, and scale sought) for the erection of up to 48 new dwellings, including new access onto Canterbury Lane and associated road widening, provision of open space, and hard and soft landscaping on land on the northern side of Canterbury Lane, Upchurch, Kent, ME8 8QW.
Comments can also be made in writing to:
Mid Kent Planning Support
Maidstone House
King Street
Maidstone
ME15 6JQ
Quoting reference number: 23/503028/OUT
Upchurch Parish Council has been granted an extension to the deadline for submitting comments so they can consider the application at their full council meeting on Thursday the 7th of September 2023.
Upchurch Matters
Do you know a building or green space that makes a positive contribution to the character of the borough?
Swale Borough Council is asking people to nominate local buildings, structures and green spaces to be added to a new local heritage list.
This will help promote the borough’s local heritage assets and highlight their importance to the local community.
If a building, structure or green space is designated as being of local interest, it will be given the status of heritage asset. This makes its conservation a material consideration in any planning applications.
Cllr Mike Baldock, deputy leader of the council and heritage champion, said:
“There’s a rich and diverse range of heritage assets across the borough, much of which most of us are unaware of, and which may be known to just a few people.
“But these assets are important to those local groups and communities that are aware of them, and we want to formally recognise their importance to the borough.
“They might not reach the nationally set benchmark for grade I or II listing, but they do have special interest or value to the local area.
“Being on the list will not only be taken into account when considering planning applications but will also - for the first time - create an accurate record of our local heritage assets.”
To decide if an asset can be added to the local heritage list, it will be assessed to make sure it meets specific criteria on age and integrity, historic and architectural interest, with a particular local emphasis.
All candidate buildings would need to be considered against these criteria which would be consistently applied across the borough.
Swale Borough Council
Waste carriers were targeted last week as part of a day of action to crackdown on fly-tipping.
Swale Borough Council teamed up with Kent Police’s Rural Task Force to carry out enquiries and collate evidence with a view to prosecuting offenders for waste related crimes.
Outcomes of the day were:
• 4 vehicles stopped and searched
• 3 Fixed Penalty Notices issued
Cllr Rich Lehmann, chair of the Environment Committee at the council, said:
“Fly-tipping is something that affects us all. Dumping waste in our towns and across our countryside is irresponsible and thoughtless.
“Although the low rates being offered by some carriers may seem like a cheap and easy way to clear your waste, it could land you with a large fine.
“Remember, if using a waste carrier, it’s your responsibility to make sure they’re licensed. If any illegally carried or dumped waste leads back to you, you could receive a £400 FPN.
“Always ask to see a waste carriers license before using them.”
More and more of these action days are taking place across the county. A tremendous amount of preparation takes place ahead of these days, including the gathering of vital intelligence to support the Council’s Enforcement team with their duties.
What can you do to dispose of your waste responsibly?
Fly-tippers often target households via social media or local advertising, luring customers in with cheap rates to dispose of unwanted furniture, building rubble or garden waste. However, these unlicensed waste carriers often simply dump the waste wherever they can get away with it, including in Kent’s country lanes.
Householders or small businesses found to be using criminals to dispose of their waste can and are being prosecuted by local authorities in Kent with fixed penalty notices that go up to £400 per offence. Failure to pay such an FPN may result in court action where fines can be significantly larger.
To prevent this, householders should check whether someone is licenced to carry waste by visiting the Environment Agency website below, or alternatively call: 03708 506506.
It also helps if householders receive a written receipt or transfer note, including contact details, description of waste removed and details of where the waste is being taken to.
The 13 Kent councils, along with Kent Police, are working in partnership to Keep Kent Clean.
To keep updated with the council’s efforts to tackle fly-tipping and littering, follow #KeepKentClean
Swale Borough Council
Click map to enlarge.
C&M Capital Ltd has submitted outline planning application 23/502056/OUT to Swale Borough Council for consideration for the erection of 4no. detached and 4no. semi-detached residential dwellings (access and layout sought) at land adjacent to 113 Chaffes Lane, Upchurch, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 7BB.
Access to the development would be from Chaffes Lane with a new footpath to the front of the properties.
You can find out more about the application and make representations by visiting: https://pa.midkent.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=RTS4OHTYKJV00&activeTab=summary
Comments can also be made in writing to:
Mid Kent Planning Support
Maidstone House
King Street
Maidstone
ME15 6JQ
Comments on this application should reach Mid Kent Planning Support by Thursday the 8th of June 2023, as advertised on the planning site notice. Upchurch Parish Council requested an extension to the original deadline date for comments so they can evaluate the application at a future meeting.
Upchurch Matters
The Secretary of State and Planning Inspectorate has allowed (subject to a schedule of conditions) an appeal by Gladman Developments Limited challenging Swale Borough Council's refusal to grant permission for outline planning application: 21/501839/OUT for up to 74 dwellings at land off Otterham Quay Lane, Upchurch, with public open space, landscaping, sustainable drainage system and vehicular access point - all matters reserved except for means of access.
The site is part of a commercial pear orchard located in Otterham Quay Lane at the junction with Lower Rainham Road.
Click plan to enlarge.
Swale Borough Council refused the planning application in May 2022, and the developer subsequently lodged an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate in October 2022 and requested a public inquiry. The Inspector's hearing for the appeal took place over 2 days at Swale House on Wednesday the 11th and Thursday the 12th of January 2023.
The Swale Borough Council planning decision notice and Medway Council consultee comment letters of objection along with the appeal and hearing documents can be viewed at >> https://bit.ly/3wJ9Ahx
Southern Water wastewater pumped main
Lower Halstow to Motney Hill
Tankers running 24 hours a day were required in 2021 to transport sewerage from the wastewater pumping station at Lower Halstow to the treatment works at Motney Hill, Rainham, while Southern Water carried out temporary repairs and then ultimately replaced large sections of their wastewater pumped main pipework that crosses the marsh between their treatment works at Motney Hill, Rainham and Poot Lane, Upchurch.
Temporary compounds were established in Poot Lane while contractors worked to install approximately 900m of new pipe there before eventually returning Lower Halstow Wastewater Pumping Station to normal operations.
Another burst means more tankers
A further burst in the main, which is a pressurised sewer, has now been discovered close to the original works in Poot Lane in 2021.
To repair the pipe, Southern Water needs to empty it. They will do this by pumping the wastewater into tankers parked at Lower Halstow Pumping Station and then taking it to Motney Hill for treatment. A fleet of around 20 tankers is required.
Tankers have to run 24 hours a day during this period to make sure Southern Water can keep customers' toilets and other wastewater facilities working.
The tankers intend to wait in a layby in Raspberry Hill Lane and will only be called to the pumping station in The Street when needed, so there should be no lines of tankers waiting in Lower Halstow village. The routes the tankers will travel between Lower Halstow and Motney Hill, Rainham, are not yet known.
Southern Water hopes its contractor can repair the burst in the main over a weekend, beginning work on Saturday the 25th of February 2023 and plans to finish on the evening of Monday the 27th.
Temporary partial road closures
The Street, Lower Halstow and Poot Lane, Upchurch
A temporary partial road closure of The Street, Lower Haltow, will be in place while tankers are working at Lower Halstow Pumping Station, with access to the village maintained.
Businesses will be open as usual.
It will also be necessary to temporarily close part of Poot Lane, Upchurch, from Saturday the 25th of February 2023, with access to properties maintained.
Details of both KCC road closures can be found below or under the 'Roads' category on our Notice Board page.
Upchurch Matters
