Upchurch Twinning Group News

Upchurch is twinned with Ferques-Elinghen in Pas de Calais, France.

Try the Holywell School website  www.holywell.kent.sch.uk  for our news as well. In addition, visit  www.ferques.fr  for interesting stuff!  

Sunday 1st July – come and find our stall at Holywell School Fête – we will be running some games this year.  Fun for all!  We hope to have “garden” type games – giant Connect 4 and giant Snakes and Ladders!  Also we will have boules for you to have a go at. The Fête begins at 11am and goes on until about 2 or 3pm.

Saturday 14th July – Bastille Day in Ferques – We’ll be having a stall at the street fair in Ferques as usual this year.  We will be plying everyone with English food and beverages, plus we will sell good quality, donated items to raise some funds.  This event is well worth a visit as part of a day out and to see if you can pick up any bargains on the other stalls!   If you have any items that would be suitable for our stall, do let us know – we can collect if required.  See you there, hopefully!

Saturday 25th August. 2012 – Sports Day – The annual Sports Day will be in Ferques this year.   We will be arranging a coach so think about a day out with lots of sporty fun in France that day, plus food will be available. Cost of a seat on the coach will only be £10.  This is always most enjoyable and well supported so register your interest as soon as possible – seats have been booked already!  We hope that both individuals and Upchurch organisations will take an active part, or just come along to observe and cheer on!

7th October – Anniversary Event – We hope to have an outing to Chatham Historic Dockyard, to include a meal at their restaurant.  A coach load of Ferques residents will be coming over the water to join us. Watch this space!

Jim Harman (Chairman) tel: 01634 235420 & Sue Rossiter (Secretary) Tel: 01634 234780.

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Local Needs Housing - Postponement of Drop In

Members of the Council regret having to postpone this event which was due to be held on 11th June 2012 and apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Please note that the Local Needs Housing Sub-Group have advised the following:

• • The ‘drop-in’ event will be rescheduled for a date in September. Further details will be advertised shortly.
• • If you have already voted, this will remain valid and opened at the Public Count.
• • f you have not already voted, you can still use the voting form that was delivered to you, even though the dates shown are now incorrect.
• • If you wish to change your vote, please attend the rescheduled ‘drop-in’ or contact the Clerk to obtain a new voting form.
• • The closing date for the return of voting forms will be extended to ten days after the rescheduled ‘drop-in’.
• • The date of the Public Count will be rearranged for fourteen days after the rescheduled ‘drop-in’.

Claire Attaway

Clerk to the Parish Council

Tel: 01634 363906 Email:  clerk@upchurchpc.kentparishes.gov.uk

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Upchurch Village Centre in the 1840s

Dominated by the church which served the community and was used as a navigation point for boats sailing up the River Medway, Upchurch was much smaller and quieter than today with hop gardens, orchards and thatched cottages. Motor vehicles did not exist and horses and carts were used as transport. People also walked greater distances to get from one place to another as a public transport service did not pass through the village. 

Between Forge Lane and the vicarage there were not any houses, only fields and orchards. A large orchard with a pond, owned by farmer Thomas Dodd stretched from behind the Street at Church Farm to about halfway down Forge Lane. Contemporary maps show that a large house known as Church Farm Cottages, a barn and yard existed on the top right of Forge Lane and another farm building a little further down on the right. On the top left was a blacksmith's forge and garden. Behind this was Forge Field owned by farmer Richard Mitchell. All other houses were situated opposite and on the same side as the Crown Inn. Beyond these, on the right, was a cottage owned by George Seager then fields and orchards until Poot House on the corner of Poot Lane. 

David Wood.

The vicarage, formerly known as Parsonage Farm, was situated in six acres of ground including the paddock. According to the 1841 National Census 25 inhabitants lived there. These included the vicar John Woodruff, his elderly mother, farmer Richard Hubbard, and an assortment of maids and agricultural labourers. 

A school did not exist on the Infants School site or at Holywell until Holywell School opened in 1847. Until then the village children were educated in the church within the framework of a basic Christian education paid for out of local charitable donations. 

The people who lived in the centre of Upchurch were mainly agricultural labourers, 39 lived in The Street. Of these were familiar recent names like Wildish, Boakes, Smitherman and Bishenden. Most worked for local farmers like Thomas Dodd from Rainham, Richard Mitchell from Holywell then Ham Green, John Walter from Gore Farm and John Green from Horsham Farm. Other residents included Thomas Taylor, publican of the Crown Inn and village grocer, William Friday a corn miller, John Chapman, a butcher, John Castle, a shoemaker, William Mudge, a carpenter and James Kerslake, a blacksmith. 

Most male inhabitants worked on the land and those without work had spells in the Milton Union workhouse. Women went into domestic service with others doing seasonal work on local farms. People were generally poor and were backed up with bread handouts from the vicar every year. The oldest inhabitant of The Street was 70 year old Thomas Holland while the biggest families were those of John and Linda Coveney and William and Mary Friday, both families supported seven children. Farmer John Green supported a wife and fifteen children just down the road at Horsham Farm in a small village where most residents lived out their entire lives.

About David:
David Wood was born and raised in Upchurch and is able to write from personal experience about many people and aspects of the village and of changes that have taken place over the years making ‘Memories of Upchurch’ a very readable book and a detailed historical study of the village. David's book ‘Memories of Upchurch’ is available direct from David on:  david3702001@yahoo.co.uk  price £12 + p+p £2.

David Wood
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Jubilee Celebrations - Thank you

On behalf of Upchurch Parish Council, the Jubilee subcommittee would like to pass on a big thank you to all the volunteers and helpers that made our Jubilee Celebrations a successful and memorable weekend.

   • The Village Hall Committee for allowing us free use of the village hall all weekend.
   • Holywell school & the children who performed in the Saturday evening’s entertainment

     (and their parents!)
   • The brigade, scouts, guides and brownies for the Sunday parade.
   • The Parish Church Committee for the Sunday service and memorabilia displays.
   • All local organisation volunteers for manning stalls and providing refreshments at all

     events.
   • The backstage volunteers at the Saturday evening performance.
   • Riverside Fire and Rescue for their volunteer services at the Jolly and especially for the.

     safety controls at the bonfire on Monday.
   • The scout fire crew for building the bonfire and clearing away afterwards.
   • All the other volunteers that made this weekend a special one to remember.

Finally we would like to thank everyone who turned out for the events – that makes it all worthwhile!!

THANK YOU

Upchurch Parish Council
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Hillbilly Hoedown - CANCELLED !

The Hillbilly Hoedown, planned for this Saturday, has been CANCELLED ! Apologies to all who were intending to support the event.

Dave Candy

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Upchurch Parish Council Report - July 2012

The Parish Council met on Thursday 7th June in the Hall of Holywell Primary School where 9 Councillors were present and 22 members of the public including PCSO John Cork.

Public Time – Hedge on boundary of Paddock – A resident explained that this needed cutting back. The Clerk will arrange this.Police Community Support Officer – PCSO John Cork explained that he had taken over from PCSO McCall. He could be contacted on: 07772 226217 or  john.cork@kent.pnn.police.uk

 Local Needs Housing – It was explained that the sub group had met to discuss the concern raised by opposition groups that they would not be able to have a stand at the ‘drop-in’. They were advised that members would be discussing this shortly and it would be proposed to allow this request. Several residents commented that this was far too late as they would not have enough time to prepare display material/leaflets.

Other comments made by the public were as follows:

• • The voting system was flawed as there was no sealed ballot box. 
• • The housing needs survey undertaken in May 2009 was out of date. 
• • 6 houses below the average house price were being advertised by Right Move. If this search was extended to Rainham, over 50 homes could be found. Therefore if we live in a mobile world, why does the scheme not consider sites at least 2 miles away
•  • The assessments of 10 sites suggested for this scheme were being selected on the basis of the availability of the land, i.e. they would be selected if the landowner was willing to sell. 
•  • The letter that accompanied the voting form indicated that ERHA would be taking details at the ‘drop-in’ from those wishing to register an interest in one of the properties, but this would be an unofficial survey.
• • The ‘drop-in’ was a promotional event for ERHA paid for by the Parish Council.

Suggestions were made by the public to postpone the ‘drop-in event’ planned for 11th June 2012. They were advised that this would be discussed later in the meeting.

Administration – Co-option of one member – Mrs Pamela Denny has been co-opted to fill this vacancy.

Planning - The following applications were considered:

SW/12/0330 Tanzor Riding School, Poot Lane – Retention of existing timber building in support of livery use of land – No objections.

 SW/12/0510 35 Forge Lane – Two storey side extension and single storey garage – No objections.

KCC/SW/0104/2012 Holywell Primary School, Forge Lane – erect a new palisade fence 1.8 metre high powdered green (58 metres long) to east side of schools main entrance – No objections.

 SW/12/0450 Bobbing & Lower Halstow Cricket Club, Halstow Lane – demolish existing cricket net and replace with new two bay cricket net practice facility – No objections.

APP/V2255/A/12/2175047/NWF & APP/V2255/E/2175043 The Cart Lodge, Chaffes Lane – appeal against refusal to permit provision of oak timber doors to enclose parking area and 3 no. conservation style roof lights – No objections.

SW/12/0675 97 Chaffes Lane – rear conservatory – No objections.

SW/12/0418 Land at Breach Lane – Change of use for the mixed use of agriculture and keeping of horses with the provision of three new stables, tack rooms, haystore and sand school – No objections.

SW/12/0393 Land r/o 24 Wallbridge Lane – demolition and replacement of existing, agricultural building only for use as a tractor and implement store – No objections.

SW/12/0511 Dingles Field, Chaffes Lane – Side extension to existing workshop – No objections.

Permissions and refusals – The following decisions by Swale BC were reported:

Proposal Acceptable:

TC/12/0040 St Marys Church, Horsham Lane – Remove 2 x Leyland Cypress, 1 x Sycamore and 2 x Ash trees

Permission Refused: 

SW/12/0334 Oastfield Stud and Livery, Track off Holywell Lane – Change of use from private stables to stud and livery farm including erection of 3 foaling boxes, static mobile unit and provision of parking and turning

Certificate of Lawfulness of Existing Use or Development  

Court Lodge, Breach Lane – Lawful Development Certificate for occupation property without complying with the terms of condition VI (agricultural occupancy) appended to planning permission SW/78/1283 (existing)

Other Planning matters – Local Needs Housing - It was proposed that opposition groups be allowed to represent their views at the ‘drop- in’, provided that they wear name tags and did not disrupt proceedings. Each member was given an opportunity to comment. Members were then asked if they wished to postpone the ‘drop-in’. With 8 Councillors for and 1 against, it was agreed to postpone the ‘drop-in’. The Clerk would advertise this and it was hoped it could be rearranged for 2 months time. 

Paddock – Footballs being kicked into Oak Lane – A resident had raised concerned that the goal posts in the Recreation Ground had not solved this problem. It was suggested that more time be given and the Clerk will reply to this effect. The Clerk was asked to put up a notice in the Paddock encouraging footballers to use the goal posts in the Recreation Ground.

Burial Ground and Churchyard – Tree Related subsidence at 2 Horsham Lane – It was reported that the trees behind the garage had now been removed. Also, permission had been given by Swale BC for the removal of the remaining trees alongside the property that were situated within the Conservation Area. The Clerk will obtain quotes for this work. Grass Cuttings and clearance – Members discussed the concerns raised about the state of the Burial Ground when the grass is cut. Cllr Rossiter and the Clerk will discuss the issues raised with the grass cutting contractor.

Environment – Cllr Tucker reported that the celebrations went very well. The Committee had set aside some funds for the planting of the commemorative tree and it was hoped to arrange this later in the year. Also, a small supply of mugs was still available. Please contact Cllr Rossiter if you wish to purchase one. 

Highways -Parking Problems – A copy of the proposed waiting restrictions had been circulated at the Annual Parish Meeting and residents were given the opportunity to comment on this. The Clerk was advised to inform Brett O’Connell from Swale BC that there was no support for this proposal, with 8 to 9 objections. Speed Watch – Potential locations for monitoring vehicle speed were identified as Crosier Court, Horsham Lane, Oak Lane by Grannys Green and Wallbridge Lane. Visit by Highways Representative – Cllr Arnold reported on a visit by Ian Young, the Highways Steward for Upchurch, on 24^th May 2012. 

Next meetings – These will be held on 5th  July and 6th September in the Hall of Holywell School at 7.30pm.

 Claire Attaway, Parish Clerk, 33 Church Farm Road  Tel: 01634 363906

(Mon-Thurs 9.00am-midday)

Email: clerk@upchurchpc.kentparishes.gov.uk


Upchurch Parish Council
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