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When visiting one of Medway’s Household Waste and Recycling Centres (HWRCs), residents can now donate reusable items to a charity.
Residents can donate good quality, clean items including furniture, fridges, freezers, washing machines, small electrical items, books, homeware, tools and toys at Medway Council’s three HWRCs in Capstone, Cuxton and Hoath Way, Gillingham, thanks to a new partnership between Medway Norse and Gillingham Street Angels.
Medway Norse manages the recycling centres on behalf of Medway Council.
Gillingham Street Angels supports people across Medway during difficult times and has charity shops in Rochester, Chatham and Gillingham.
The charity was awarded the overall Pride in Medway award at last year’s awards.
Cllr Phil Filmer, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Frontline Services, said:
“I am pleased that we are working with Gillingham Street Angels. By donating quality second-hand items to charity instead of throwing them away, residents will be helping the environment, contributing to a more sustainable future and supporting a Medway charity which helps some of Medway’s most vulnerable residents. We are extremely grateful to all of the charitable organisations and community groups who support residents.”
Neil Charlick, CEO of Gillingham Street Angels, said:
“Gillingham Street Angels is delighted to be working in partnership with Medway Norse and Medway Council. Our ethos is to repair, reuse, recycle and repurpose where possible. This contract will provide the opportunity for us to offer community groups where people can come together to learn and share new skills by up-cycling unwanted items.”
This exciting project also supports Medway Council’s climate change ambitions.
For more information, visit: medway.gov.uk/DonateReusableItems
Medway Council
With Spring on its way, we start to think about getting out to walk in the beautiful English countryside again, but where to find new and interesting walks?
www.walkinginengland.co.uk/kent has lots of walks to download and print, free. It also has books of walks, details of walking groups in the county and much more.
Whether you want to walk on your own or with a group, all the information is there in one place.
John Harris (who maintains the website) said:
“There is so much walking information on the web, but it is difficult to find. Walking in Kent (part of the Walking in England website) has brought it together in one place, so whether you are walking from home or away on holiday, you will be able to find a walk suitable for you.”
With walks from half a mile to twelve miles plus long, and a note of suitability for pushchairs and wheelchairs, everyone can find a walk to enjoy.
So home or away, check out the websites and get walking!
John Harris
APPLY NOW - MORE INFOContact Nina HenleyClerk and Proper Officer to Upchurch Parish Council
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Upchurch Parish Council has installed new wooden trim trail balance equipment in The Paddock funded by a collective grant from Queenborough Fishery Trust and Swale Borough Council.
Cllr Pam Denny hopes to eventually create a woodland trail in the wooded area of The Paddock. Pam met with children from Holywell School earlier this year. They gave her lots of good ideas, which included adding bug hotels, bird boxes, bat boxes and the new trim trail.
If anyone has some of these items they can donate, they will be very gratefully received - thank you.
A trim trail is balance equipment of varying forms. In The Paddock, there are now balance beams, a wobble beam and a wobble bridge leading to the wooded area, which will hopefully encourage children to use this area more to play and explore, which could be educational.
The latest equipment in The Paddock is in addition to the swings, rocker, space saucer and new benches, which the Parish Council installed along with the adult exercise equipment on the Recreation Ground, also funded by grants.
Thanks to Pam for the information.
Why not take the children to go and explore The Paddock this holiday?
Upchurch Matters
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The ladies of the knitting group, with their partners, have once again decorated the railings at St Mary's Church with lots of eye-catching new knitted chains, wreaths and Christmas characters, adding even more colour to the centre of Upchurch village this festive season.
A lovely new knitted post box topper, complete with Father Christmas and reindeer, has been added, along with snowmen and stockings on the post office railings.
More stockings with tiny bells and hats above them hang on the wooden posts on the corner of Horsham Lane.
New reindeer, robin red breast and nativity scene wreaths have all been added to the bus shelter.
They look superb again - thank you.
Go and take a good look for yourself...
Upchurch Matters
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Upchurch Parish Councillors Tyrone Ripley, Neil Sheppard, Gary Rosewell, and Ernie Berntsen, with Bob Friend, have all helped put the village Christmas tree up today.
'SANTA STOP HERE' has been added to the village sign along with sparkling Santa's sleigh and reindeer lights.
This year's lovely village tree has been kindly donated by Bob Friend and his family again.
Thank you, Bob.
The lit Nativity Scene, beautifully built by the late Frank Osborne, has also returned to the Churchyard at St Mary’s, Upchurch.
Upchurch Matters
Gladman Developments Limited is challenging Swale Borough Council's refusal in May 2022 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 developer subsequently lodged an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate in October 2022 and requested a public inquiry.
In a letter to residents living near the site, dated Thursday the 24th of November 2022 (below), Swale Borough Council has advised that the Inspector's hearing for the appeal will begin at 10:00am on Wednesday the 11th of January 2023 at Swale House. Along with details of how residents can attend, either in person or virtually and give their views regarding the outline planning application.
Click letter to enlarge.
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
Swale Borough Council has been recognised by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) as one of 123 districts across the globe that is taking bold leadership on environmental action.
CDP’s A-List is designed to encourage and support districts to ramp up their climate action and ambition and is based on the environmental data they disclose. This year just over one in ten districts (12% of such cities) received an A.
To score an A, districts must publicly disclose through the CDP’s reporting platform, have a renewable energy target for the future, and have a published climate action plan. They must also complete a climate risk and vulnerability assessment and have a climate adaptation plan to demonstrate how they plan to tackle climate hazards.
Cllr Julian Saunders, chair of the environment committee and the council, said:
“We’ve made it a priority to understand the impacts of climate change in Swale and reporting our progress to the carbon disclosure project is just one way we commit to becoming a net zero borough.
“We approach tackling climate change as a whole council, sharing best practice and results across departments and embedding climate change action into our decision-making and procurement contracts.”
Cllr Tim Valentine, vice chair of the environment committee and the council, said:
“We’re delighted to be rated A by the carbon disclosure project.
“The recognition highlights our commitment to science-based targets to tackle global heating, by planting trees, insulating council buildings, and decarbonising our fleet of vehicles to name just a few actions we have taken.”
• Swale is one of 123 districts to receive top score on climate action from Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP)
• A-List districts build climate momentum, taking twice as many climate mitigation and adaptation measures as non-A Listers
• Only 12 per cent of districts received an A score in 2022
• Swale is the only authority in Kent to receive an A rating
Swale Borough Council
Today is part of National Safe Speed Awareness Week, officers from Swale Community Safety Unit are conducting an operation targeting irresponsible and dangerous drivers committing speeding offences around Swale.
We will be attending various hot spots within the district. However, if you have any reports of bad driving, please feel free to report this to Kent Police via 101 or our online reporting system and we will take appropriate action.
Volunteers from various wards within Swale will be running speed watch sessions throughout the day. If you would like to volunteer, please visit: https://communityspeedwatch.org
Kind regards
Ryan Chase
Police, Police Sergeant, Swale Community Safety Unit
Click plan to enlarge.
Gladman Developments Limited is challenging Swale Borough Council's refusal in May 2022 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, and has now lodged an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate and requested a public inquiry.
The Swale Borough Council planning decision notice, and Medway Council consultee comment, letters of objection along with appeal documents can be viewed at >> https://bit.ly/3wJ9Ahx
Upchurch Matters' post regarding the original planning application can be viewed at >> https://bit.ly/32CKIrU and the developer's pre-application consultation at >> https://bit.ly/3v7X4oL
WE ARE HIRING - VILLAGE CARETAKER
■ Litter Picking
■ Emptying Bins
■ Keeping Upchurch Tidy
■ No Experience Required
■ Communicative
■ Self Motivated
APPLY NOW - MORE INFO
Upchurch Parish Council
Click plans to enlarge.
Members of Medway Council’s Planning Committee have voted against granting planning permission for 2 housing developments in neighbouring Rainham South ward, with 11 against and 4 in favour.
1.
Esquire Developments submitted outline planning application: MC/21/2225 to Medway Council in July 2021 with all matters reserved (except access) for a residential development of up to 48 dwellings, including associated access, parking, landscaping and open space on land to the East of Seymour Road and North of London Road, Rainham.
The proposed development would be accessed from a new entrance created on the A2 - London Road, Rainham, almost opposite the junction with South Bush Lane.
2.
Bellway Homes Ltd submitted full planning application: MC/21/3125 to Medway Council in October 2021 for the development of 74 (later amended to 66) dwellings (including 25% affordable housing) together with open space, landscaping, drainage, access, parking and associated works on land North of Moor Street, Rainham.
The proposed development would be accessed from the new roundabout junction on Otterham Quay Lane, which serves the Leigh Academy Rainham.
Upchurch Matters
Visualisation of the M2 junction 5 - A249 Stockbury interchange once improvements are complete. Click image to enlarge.
Stockbury roundabout line painting
Sunday 11th September
Following feedback from stakeholders and the local community, National Highways will be refreshing the white lines on the Stockbury roundabout ahead of the M2 junction 5 coastbound carriageway slip road closures, which begin officially on Monday the 12th of September.
To do this, they will be closing all links to and from the Stockbury roundabout overnight on Sunday the 11th of September. This is to reduce the need for further closures in the future. The closures will be staggered, starting from 8:00pm.
When the roundabout reopens at 5:00am on Monday the 12th of September, the M2 junction 5 coastbound carriageway entry and exit slip roads will remain closed as originally planned.
M2 slip road closures
September 2022 to January 2023
National Highways is to close 2 busy slip roads on the coastbound carriageway of the M2 at Sittingbourne for 4 months as part of their major upgrade and improvement works to the M2 junction 5 - A249 Stockbury interchange.
The coastbound carriageway entry and exit slip roads between the M2 and A249 will be closed from 8:00pm on Sunday the 11th of September 2022 (to set up traffic management) until Friday the 13th of January 2023.
The closures mean you will not be able to access Stockbury roundabout from the M2 coastbound or join the M2 coastbound from Stockbury roundabout at junction 5 during the closures. Please use signed diversions to join or leave the M2 at junction 5.
In January 2023, both slip roads will reopen. Access from the M2 coastbound to the A249 towards Sittingbourne will temporarily be via the Stockbury roundabout until the dedicated slip road opens in spring 2023.
Diversion routes
M2 junction 5 coastbound entry and exit slip road diversions. Click image to enlarge.
To join the M2 coastbound during the closures, National Highways recommends vehicles use the M2 Londonbound from Stockbury roundabout to travel to junction 4 and return, which National Highways say will add approximately 10 to 12 minutes onto the journey time.
Drivers travelling coastbound will need to leave the M2 at junction 3 and use the A229, M20 and A249 to reach the Stockbury roundabout, which National Highways say will add approximately 15 minutes onto the journey time.
If you miss junction 3, you can travel to junction 6 and return to junction 5 using the Londonbound carriageway, adding a further 25 minutes onto the journey time.
Delays on the A2 - London Road are predicted during the closures due to heavier than usual traffic between Bowaters roundabout at the junction with A278 - Hoath Way, Gillingham and Brenley Corner roundabout at the junction with A2 - Boughton Bypass, M2 and A299, Faversham.
Further information
Upchurch Matters
Natasha's winning design for the Rainham town sign competition.
A colourful sign designed by a resident will soon be installed in Rainham.
Natasha Springett, from Gillingham, has been crowned the winner of Medway Council’s Rainham town sign competition.
Residents were invited to celebrate their town by submitting designs for the new sign in this Platinum Jubilee year.
Natasha is a mechanical engineer and is also a leader with the 2nd Parkwood Brownies. Young members of the group also submitted designs for the sign as part of their jubilee activities.
The new sign is due to be installed outside NatWest, opposite the shopping centre, later this year and residents are able to see all the entries at an exhibition at Rainham Library in Birling Avenue from Monday, 12th September until Saturday, 29th October.
Cllr Phil Filmer, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Frontline Services, said:
“I would like to say congratulations to Natasha for her great design. We received some fantastic entries and the new sign is a great way to mark the Platinum Jubilee in Rainham and welcome residents to the town for years to come. I look forward to seeing the sign once it has been installed.”
Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Education and Schools, and Child-Friendly Medway Champion, Cllr Martin Potter, said:
“I am delighted that many young people entered our Rainham town sign competition and I would encourage residents to go and look at the fantastic designs in Rainham library. As a member of the judging panel, we had a hard task choosing between entries, but Natasha’s design was a worthy winner and all the entries highlight the creative talent amongst our community.”
Natasha said:
“As a Brownie leader, I created my sign with the Brownies because I thought they’d enjoy it too. Then my fiancé jokingly said you’ll probably win, but I didn’t believe him as I’ve only ever won design competitions at school, never as an adult. I am super proud of myself and glad I entered. Maybe one day my future great grandchildren will see the sign and know their great nan designed it. How awesome is that?”
The judging panel included local community members and council representatives including the Mayor of Medway Cllr Jan Aldous, local businessman and former High Sheriff of Kent, John Weir JP and founder of the Rainham Bereavement Group and winner of The Queen’s Award for voluntary service, Julie Sharp.
Medway Council
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Young people in Swale with a project idea that improves the environment, or encourages others to help the environment, are being offered £500 as part of Swale’s Great Big Green Week activities, funded by the Climate Coalition.
The youth climate competition gives young people aged 11-16 years old the opportunity to get together in small groups to develop a project that benefits the environment and the local community.
Cllr Julian Saunders, chair of the environment committee at the council, said:
“We want to hear from young people about what they think we can do to improve our local environment, so we’re offering them the opportunity to turn their idea into a reality.
“In groups of four to six people, anyone aged 11-16 years old can take part in the competition, with the winning team being awarded £500 to carry out their plan.”
Cllr Tim Valentine, vice chair of the environment committee at the council, said:
“We’ll be looking for how the project improves the environment, what benefits there’ll be for the local community, and how they plan to deliver the project, including where the materials and resources come from and how they’ll market it.
“We encourage applicants to be as creative as possible, using presentation slides, word documents, videos and photos to outline their ideas.
“You have until Thursday, 15th September to enter your idea, with the top entrants going on to present their project to a panel of judges two weeks later on Thursday, 29th September.”
Applicants must submit their ideas by Thursday, 15th September, and be available to present their project on Thursday, 29th September at Swale House in Sittingbourne.
Medway Council has confirmed its plans to re-evaluate sites as part of its Local Plan.
Local authorities are required by the government to set a Local Plan to identify how an area could evolve and provide enough homes, jobs and infrastructure for a growing population.
In April 2022, central government increased Medway's housing target from 26,962 to developing 28,475 new homes by 2040. The new Local Plan must detail how the government target will be reached.
Medway Council’s Cabinet is anticipated to meet on Tuesday, 18th October to discuss preparing consultation papers for a key stage of the Local Plan process which provides for more options - Reg 18. If agreed, Medway Council will be able to look at new sites which could be suitable for housing. The council would conduct a ‘call for sites’ giving landowners opportunities to come forward with sites which may be sustainable for future housing.
The Reg 18 process would give residents and stakeholders, as well as councillors, the opportunity to review and feedback on proposed development sites once again.
The Local Plan process involves a number of different stages which are set out in legislation, including consultations at various stages of the process to provide residents and stakeholders the opportunity to have their say before a draft Local Plan is put together.
If councillors approve the plans to go to the Reg 18 stage, a public consultation could be held in summer 2023. The responses would then be taken into account to draft a new Local Plan. A further consultation would then be held on the draft Local Plan - known as Reg 19 - before it is submitted to the Planning Inspector for independent examination.
The Local Plan is not just about providing new housing, it also considers ensuring sustainable growth, employment opportunities, maintaining parks and historic sites, and providing community services and facilities for people to enjoy. Councils need to achieve all of this while also protecting and enhancing the natural, built and historic environment.
When adopted, Local Plans are legally required to cover how areas are due to be developed over a 15-year period, extending the timeline for Medway’s local plan from 2037 to 2040.
Medway Council
Specialist teams will offer advice and eco goodies at Medway Council’s Community Showcase Event at Rainham Shopping Centre between 11:00am and 3:00pm on Thursday the 4th of August.
Stock up on Medway recycling bags, talk to Medway Task Force about seasonal personal safety, chat to Climate Change Champions about sustainability and check out the FREE dog microchipping service.
Medway Council
The restoration of Ethel Maud took place at Shoregate Creek, Upchurch
until recently, when the barge was moved to Lower Halstow Creek.
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Congratulations to Gary Diddams and parents, Jean and George, on moving another step closer to completing their near 22-year restoration of Thames Sailing Barge Ethel Maud.
With the new rigging still to be added, the barge was moved to her new home at Lower Halstow Creek on Wednesday 13th July 2022, with the assistance of fellow local Thames Sailing Barge Edith May and her crew.
Regular walkers along the Saxon Shore Way will have glimpsed the incredible transformation of Ethel Maud in her previous dry berth home at Shoregate Creek, Upchurch, where the barge spent many years undercover.
Ethel Maud, a stack barge, was built of pitch pine on oak in 1889 by John Howard's barge building company in Maldon, Essex and carried hay and straw from east coast farms to London to use as horse feed and bedding.
The barge went on to achieve success as the race winner in the Blackwater Match in 1921, 1922 and 1934 and was one of the 'Little Ships' at Dunkirk in 1940, where she was loaded with stores for the British Expeditionary Forces.
In December 1951, the barge gained an engine but kept her mainsail and foresail until 1961. Ethel Maud was laid up in 1963 because of new regulations and re-rigged before moving to race and sail in Medway until the late 1970s. In the 1980s, she was sold and converted to a static house barge at Sheerness but retained her masts. In 1996, Ethel Maud moved to the Dolphin Barge Museum, Sittingbourne, where she became derelict.
With only the original bottom of the hull remaining and thought to be beyond repair, Gary purchased the 80ft barge for a complete rebuild in 2001.
Carpenter Gary's original vision when he took on the restoration was to bring back to life the sight of historical maritime beauty, once again sailing in the waters of the River Medway, Thames and East Coast. Through years of skilful hard work and dedication, he has undoubtedly achieved his vision.
We look forward to one day stepping aboard Ethel Maud and seeing her sailing gracefully around our coastline once again.
Upchurch Matters
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The beautiful seasonal cascading planter at the corner of Horsham Lane and the barrier baskets on the Recreation Ground fence are once again brightening up the centre of Upchurch village.
Last season's planters gave weeks of beautiful colour, and so Upchurch Parish Council ensured their return again this year.
Thank you 👏🏼
Upchurch Matters
