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Upchurch Parish Council is thrilled to announce that it has secured grants from The National Lottery Community Fund and Swale Borough Council Prosperity Fund to install an exciting new piece of play equipment at The Paddock, designed specifically for children aged 5-12 years old (Key Stage 2).
The grants, which marks significant investment in the local community, will enable the council to expand The Paddock's play area with an engaging and adventurous play structure tailored to the needs of slightly older children. This new equipment aims to offer a fun, active, and inclusive space for children to play, explore, and develop essential physical and social skills.
Vice Chair of Upchurch Parish Council, Pam Denny, expressed their gratitude for the funding, saying:
"We are incredibly grateful to the National Lottery Community Fund and Swale Borough Council for their generous support. The addition of this new equipment will provide a much-needed resource for older children in our community, offering them a place to challenge themselves, stay active, and enjoy the outdoors."
The Paddock, already a popular destination for families, is set to become even more inclusive with the new addition, offering something for all age groups in the village. The design for the new equipment will be discussed at the next meeting of Upchurch Parish Council on Thursday 3rd October at 19:30 at Upchurch Village Hall, all members of the public are welcome. We hope to have the new equipment installed late 2024 / early 2025.
Nina Henley
Clerk and Proper Officer to Upchurch Parish Council
Tel: 07798 600696
Recycling and waste collection rounds across Swale are being updated to provide a more reliable service.
Around 1 in 8 households will have a change in the day their waste is collected and will receive a letter confirming their new days.
The council’s contract with SUEZ has been running for almost six months, and while improvements have been made, the service is not yet performing as well as expected.
To address this, a thorough review has been carried out to identify the remaining areas for improvement. This looked at factors such as the number of properties on a round, vehicle access issues, and the types of vehicles being used on rounds.
Changes are being made to address these issues with some rebalancing of collections throughout the week, along with some changes to routes, and the types of vehicles used.
Cllr Rich Lehmann, chair of the council’s Environment and Climate Change Committee, said:
“We know the contract has got off to a rocky start, and we sincerely apologise for the disruption and frustration people have suffered.
“We have spent a considerable amount of time and effort working to improve collections, but it’s clear that to make the final push to reach the level of service we want, we must make some changes to the rounds.
“The majority of people will continue to have the same collections on the same day as now, but it may be at an earlier or later time in the day.
“Around 1 in 8 will have a change to either their day of collection, the week for each type of collection, or both.
“We know this isn’t ideal, and the changes are likely to cause some short-term disruption, but we believe this will help us move the service towards where we need it to be.
“We are writing to those households affected to let them know their new days, and what the arrangements are during the transition. If you haven’t received a letter, then there will be no changes to your collection.”
The day changes may mean some households will receive the same type of collection two weeks in a row during the transition period.
It is important to note that the garden waste and clinical waste services will remain unaffected by these changes.
The council's website will continue to display the current collection schedule until after the last scheduled collection before the changes take effect.
Swale Borough Council
Swale Borough Council wants local people to share their views about the rollout of the new waste and street cleansing contract.
The council is carrying out a review into the contract with Suez, which began in March, and is looking at a range of issues related to the start of the new contract, including resources, staffing, data, rounds, contract management, and communications.
To make sure people can give their experiences of the move to a new contract, a survey has been launched to get insights into the preparations for the change and experiences following of the rollout.
Councillor Rich Lehmann, chair of the Environment and Climate Change committee at the council, said:
"We know that the move to the new waste contract has not gone as well as we wanted, and we’re still working hard to get Suez to deliver the level of performance we expect.
“We want to hear people’s experiences about how it went: what went wrong, where did you look for help, what happened when you reported it.
“This will help us carry out the review by making sure people’s experiences are central to what we’re looking at. These responses will help identify areas for improvement to make sure the service is operating effectively for everyone."
In addition to the survey, the council is carrying out workshops with council officers and Suez representatives, as well as consulting with parish councils and the upcoming round of area committee meetings.
The public survey will close at 11:59pm on Wednesday the 2nd of October and is available at: www.swale.gov.uk/waste-contract-surveyHard copies are also available on request.
Swale Borough Council
Projects in Swale can receive funding from their local councillor to help them make a difference in their community.
Swale Borough Council has reopened the member grant scheme with £47,000 being available to support small-scale, local community projects.
Swale’s 47 councillors have £1,000 each available to fund projects that provide benefits in areas such as culture, sport, recreation, health, environment, community safety, crime reduction and education.
Cllr Richard Palmer, chair of the community committee at the council, said:
“The people who really understand what their area needs are those who live there, and member grants enable us to help these local people’s work to improve their community.
“We put aside this money every year so we can support as many important local community projects that we can.
“A small amount of money can make a huge difference for community groups and projects, so we want to make sure we’re doing what we can to support them.”
Cllr Elliott Jayes, vice chair of the community committee, said:
“You can apply for anything that will provide benefit to your community in areas such as culture, sport, recreation, health, environment and community safety, no matter how small it may seem.
“We as councillors are looking forward to hearing from, and offering support to, the people and organisations who are working incredibly hard to make Swale a better place.”
Last year over 200 grants were made to local groups to support projects, including:
• Iwade Parish Council receiving £1,100 to purchase a defibrillator for the village.
• Child’s Vision Charity receiving £150 to purchase storage boxes for their clothes bank.
• Children and Families charity receiving £2,250 to support their food bank and to run slow cooker cooking courses.
The application process simply needs the person or group to discuss the project with their local councillor to get their support.
They will then complete the relevant form and submit the application for approval to the council.
Interested parties can apply to one or more councillors for funding and could have all, or part, of their project funded.
Swale Borough Council
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
As part of the Safer Streets Project for Folkestone and Swale, online bystander training has been organised to help equip residents with the skills to intervene and prevent harmful situations.
If you would like to join one of the free interactive online coaching sessions, please scan the Eventbrite QR code links in the poster to register.
Funding for the campaign came after Swale, through the Community Safety Partnership, worked with the Kent Police and Crime Commissioner to successfully bid for the additional resources.
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.
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
A new pot of funding to support rural communities and businesses has been launched by Swale Borough Council.
Eligible organisations are being encouraged to put forward small capital investment projects that support growth and carbon reduction measures, or which help develop the local visitor economy.
Cllr Monique Bonney, chair of the council’s regeneration and property committee, said:
“We want to support schemes that improve the environmental and financial sustainability of rural businesses through carbon reduction measures or, that help safeguard or increase rural employment.
“These grants can help give a boost to our distinctive rural communities, offering new funding opportunities for projects that specifically address rural needs.”
Using money from the Rural England Prosperity Fund, the Rural Swale Small Business Grants scheme is focussed on projects in the wards:
• Bobbing, Iwade & Lower Halstow
• Borden & Grove Park
• Boughton and Courtenay
• East Downs
• Hartlip, Newington & Upchurch
• Sheppey Central
• Sheppey East
• Teynham and Lynsted
• West Downs
Projects outside these areas may be considered if they can show they will support local rural businesses.
Examples of schemes that can apply for funding of between £1,000 and £7,000 include:
• Investments which support carbon reduction and support the future financial and environmental sustainability of the business.
• Improving or creating business or visitor accommodation, venues and facilities that support the rural economy.
• Purchasing new equipment that supports business growth and productivity, for non-farmer owned businesses.
Applications for the Rural Swale Small Business Grants are open now with a closing date of 13th October 2023.
To find out more about the scheme, and to apply for a grant, visit: www.swale.gov.uk/rssbg
Swale Borough Council
Swale Borough Council has launched the Community Infrastructure Grant (CIG) scheme to support projects to improve the viability and encourage the use of important community assets.
Grants of between £1,000 and £7,000 are available to cover up to 75% of the capital cost of projects that improve community infrastructure across the borough.
The CIG scheme will provide funding to projects supporting specific themes, and the type of projects that could be eligible for a grant include:
• Warm and sustainable - insulation, green power, LED lighting.
• Fit for purpose - alterations, improvements, and new facilities.
• Digitally connected - fast broadband and Wi-Fi.
• Welcome and work - café development, creating or improving meeting and workspace.
• Mobility - EV charging points, bike storage.
Cllr Monique Bonney, chair of the council’s regeneration and property committee, said:
“The Community Infrastructure Grant scheme has been set up to support a range of projects that benefit the community.
“This could be things like increasing the use of community buildings, through things like enabling improved or expanded activities or services.
“We’ll also support projects that can help improve the environmental and financial sustainability of community facilities through carbon reduction measures, or encourage walking, cycling or use of electric vehicles.”
Successful projects should be able to be completed by the 31st March 2024 and applicants will need to set out what outcomes are expected from the investment. This could be increased visitor numbers to a facility, a new service being delivered because of the investment, or a reduction in carbon footprint.
For any organisation considering investing in reducing their Carbon footprint and increasing energy efficiency, a bespoke advisory service is also available, free of charge.
Contact prosperityfund@swale.gov.uk for more information.
The CIG is funded through the Rural England Prosperity Fund and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The greater part of the funding available will be used in rural areas, but some funding remains available to the whole borough.
Applications for the CIG scheme are open now with a closing date of 21st August 2023. However, given the total fund is limited, if the fund becomes over-subscribed, applications may have to close early.
To find out more about the criteria for the CIG, and to apply for a grant, visit www.swale.gov.uk/cig
Swale Borough Council
Projects could get help with funding from their local councillor to help make a difference in their community.
Each of Swale’s 47 councillors has £1,000 available to support small-scale, local community projects through the council’s member grants scheme.
Community groups can bid for funding for projects that provide benefits in areas such as culture, sport, recreation, health, environment, and community safety.
Cllr Richard Palmer, chair of the community committee at the council, said:
“The people who really know what their area needs are those who live there, and member grants are part of our work to help local people work to improve their community.
“To neighbourhood projects, even a small amount of money can make a huge difference, so we want to make sure we’re doing what we can to support them.
“It’s a simple process - you just need to discuss the project with your local councillor to get their support and fill in the application form.”
Previous schemes that received funding from the member grants scheme include:
• Contribution towards redecorating Leysdown Village Hall.
• Funding for technology for projects at Old Forge Wartime House.
• Replacement lockers at Faversham Pools.
Swale Borough Council
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
A programme to support people struggling to feed their families and pay their bills has reopened across the borough.
Swale Borough Council has received more than £500,000 from Kent County Council’s (KCC) Household Support Fund to help households access food boxes, get vouchers to pay their electric, gas and water bills, and buy items needed to keep warm until March 2024.
The money is being used to support organisations within the local community who have been on the ground helping people navigate the cost-of-living crisis.
Swale Foodbank, Children and Families, Faversham Food Bank and Diversity House will be providing emergency food parcels.
West Faversham Community Association will be providing meals to the young people visiting their youth hub and Age UK will be delivering hot meals and shopping to pensioners.
The council’s fuel and water home advisor and Citizens Advice Swale will be providing Fuel Bank Foundation fuel vouchers to people with pre-paid meters as well as advice and support. Children and Families will be providing Mastercard vouchers for people with billed utility accounts.
Cllr Richard Palmer, chair of the community committee at the council, said:
“We were able to support almost 6,000 local households with the previous round of funding over winter.
“Unfortunately, just because the weather has improved it doesn’t mean people are finding it any easier to make ends meet.
“We’ll be continuing to work with our partners in the voluntary and community sector who have been doing a tremendous job of reaching those who need the help most.”
Cllr Elliott Jayes, vice chair of the community committee at the council, said:
“The local organisations have done an amazing job reaching out to find and support people who are struggling with the cost of living.
“We can’t thank them enough for the work they’re doing, and we’re lucky to be working with such committed and hardworking partners.
“We’re committed to continuing the great work that has already taken place and supporting those most in need.”
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
Local elections are taking place on Thursday the 4th of May 2023
All 47 Swale Borough Council seats are being contested, along with town and parish councils.
There will also be a by-election for the Sheppey division of Kent County Council.
To vote in the elections, residents must be on the electoral register. If you are not already registered to vote, you must register by 11:59pm on Monday the 17th of April 2023.
You normally only need to register once - not for every election. You will need to register again if you have changed your name, address or nationality.
If you are intending to vote by post or by proxy, you must apply by 5:00pm on:
• Tuesday the 18th of April if you're intending to vote by post
• Tuesday the 25th of April if you're intending to vote by proxy
• Thursday the 4th of May if you're using an emergency proxy vote
You can find more information, including who the candidates are in each election, on the Swale Borough Council Elections and Referendums page >> www.swale.gov.uk/elections
Election of Swale Borough Councillors to Hartlip, Newington and Upchurch Ward
Upchurch Village Hall is our Polling Station and will be open from 7:00am until 10:00pm. The count will take place on Friday the 5th of May at Swallows Leisure Centre, Sittingbourne, and the results will be announced the same day.
The number of Borough Councillors to be elected is 2.Residents can vote for no more than 2 candidates in this election.
The candidates and results were:
Margaret Anne Cooper - Labour Party 279 votes
Alan Campbell Horton - Conservative Party Candidate 513 votes
Chris Palmer - Swale Independents Putting our community first 879 votes
Richard Palmer - Swale Independents Putting local people first 943 votes
Asha Saroy - Conservative Party Candidate 336 votes
Chris Palmer (Swale Independents) and Richard Palmer (Swale Independents) were elected.
New voter ID requirement
New government legislation means voters in England will need to bring an accepted photo ID to vote at a polling station.
If you do not have an accepted photo ID, you can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate no later than 5:00pm on Tuesday the 25th of April 2023.
Upchurch Matters
Local borough, parish and town council elections are taking place across England on Thursday the 4th of May 2023.
New voter ID requirement
New government legislation means voters in England will need to bring an accepted photo ID to vote at a polling station.
If you don't have an accepted photo ID, you can apply for a free voter ID document, which is known as a Voter Authority Certificate.
Upchurch Matters
Councillors have agreed to a savings package of more than £2.8 million in the next financial year through a restructure of services and a review of fees and charges.
The savings proposals were approved at the full council meeting on Wednesday 22nd February where the budget for 2023/24 was set.
The meeting also agreed that the Swale element of the council tax for the next financial year would increase by 2.99% - a rise of less than 11p a week for a typical band D property.
Cllr Mike Baldock, leader of the council, said:
“We’ve seen a significant increase in our costs in the last year, and there has been a rise in demand for our help with things like housing as local people struggle with the cost of living.
“After years of cuts to our funding from central Government, we have been left to make some incredibly difficult decisions.
“Despite this, we have worked to agree a balanced budget that still looks to protect vital services that local people value.
“Our share of the council tax bill will cost a typical band D household just £3.75 a week, though most people in Swale will be paying less as most households are in the lower bands.
“I still think this represents real value given the range of services we provide, and maintains our position as one of the lowest council taxes in Kent.”
The final council tax bill people receive is made up of several charges from local services.
For 2023/24 the council tax bill for a typical band D property will include charges for:
• Kent County Council: £1,534.23 (4.995% increase)
• Kent Police & Crime Commissioner: £243.15 (6.57% increase)
• Swale Borough Council: £194.94 (2.99% increase)
• Kent & Medway Fire and Rescue Authority: £87.30 (6.01% increase)
• Parish or town councils in areas where they exist.
Swale Borough Council
