Poolside Bar - Traditional Christmas Dinner at Upchurch River Valley Golf Course

Jenny Giles - Upchurch River Valley Golf Course

Telephone: 01634 360626

Website: www.rivervalleygolf.co.uk

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Upchurch Parish Council Report - December 2018

Report of the Parish Council December 2018

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

Planning 

Ref: 18/505139/FULL

Address: Breach Farm Bungalow Breach Lane Upchurch Sittingbourne Kent ME9 7PE

Proposal: Erection of a replacement dwelling and enlarged curtilage.

Councillors considered the application and agreed to support the proposal subject to any neighbours’ comments being taken into consideration.

Ref: 18/505524/FULL

Address: 16 Oak Lane Upchurch Sittingbourne Kent ME9 7AT

Proposal: Erection of a first floor side and rear extension. Loft conversion into habitable space with rear dormer and 2no. rooflights to front elevation. Internal and external alterations including alterations to fenestration.

Councillors considered the application and raised no objections and that neighbours comments should be taken into consideration.

Ref: 18/502771/FULL

Address: Jack Russell Place Halstow Lane Upchurch Sittingbourne Kent ME9 7AB

Prposal: Installation of a brick wall and gates to front entrance (part retrospective).

The Parish Council objected to the proposal, the Swale Planning Officer recommended refusal and the application was rejected by Swale Borough Council. The applicant has now lodged an appeal. Councillors agreed that their objections still stood.

The date of the next Planning Committee meeting has been brought forward to Tuesday 18^th December at 8:00pm in the Committee Room in the Village Hall.

Battle’s Over Commemorations

There has been a very positive response from a significant number of residents regarding the Battle’s Over event which had an excellent community feel to it. £262.30 was collected on the evening and will be shared between The Royal Naval Association, The Army’s National Charity, The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund and The Merchant Navy Association.

The Parish Council extends its grateful thanks to Mr Dave Neal for providing the fire tenders; the Scouts and Brownies for the refreshments Boakes Joinery for their generous gift of the oak post for the beacon; Mr Andy Corbett and EAPL for making the beacon basket at cost; Mr Elliott Fenn for playing the bugle; Mr Louis Newbery for promoting the event on Upchurch Matters; Mr Stuart Betts the sign writer and also the resident who took the wreath to Ferques on behalf of the Parish Council.

Church Clock 

There has been an amazing response to the appeal for upgrading the clock and £6185 has been raised, the cost of the upgrade was £8540. The community has responded superbly to the call for donations in remembrance of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the First World War and this echoes the response from villagers one hundred years ago.

The Paddock and Recreation Ground

The installation of the new play equipment has been delayed due to inclement weather.

There has been tree work carried out at the Paddock and Recreation Ground.

It has been agreed that there will be no increase in car parking fees for 2019.

Street Lighting

Detailed preliminary costings have been drawn up and the cost to replace all the lights and columns will be approximately £78,000, considerably more than was previously anticipated. It is hoped to achieve a better deal by replacing all the lights. As the Parish Council has insufficient reserves, the Council hopes to be able to take out a loan and it would also need to increase the Parish precept to ensure the project is completed. The project has turned out to be more expensive than first thought because many of the lamp posts, as well as the lights, are also in need of replacement. There will be a public consultation meeting prior to the Council meeting on 3^rdJanuary 2019.

Allotments

Councillors have considered the income and expenditure for the allotment gardens and have agreed the fees should be increased by 10%. There are a few vacant plots and anyone interested in having an allotment should contact the Clerk.

Burial Ground

The Council has agreed that, over a period of time as denoted by demand, the rose beds be released to provide burial plots. The Burial Ground Policy is in the process of being revised.

Dog Fouling

Dog fouling continues to be an issue within the Parish and the Council has agreed to rent TiksPac dispensers to help address the problem. The dispensers will have bags for dog waste available if required. The dispensers will be for a two-year trial period.

Date of next meetings:

Planning Committee - 18^th December at 8:00pm in the Committee Room of the Village Hall

Full Council - Thursday 3^rd January 2019 at 7:30pm in Upchurch Village Hall

The Planning Committee and General Purposes Committee - Wednesday 16^th January at 7:30pm in the Committee Room of the Village Hall.

All residents are welcome to attend the meetings and there is a time for members of the public to comment, raise concerns or ask questions.

Wendy Licence - Clerk to the Parish Council

Tel: 01634 363906

Email: clerkupc@outlook.com

Website: www.upchurchpc.kentparishes.gov.uk

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New Santa's Sleigh and Reindeer Lights

Parish Councillors Tyrone Ripley, Neil Sheppard and John Arnold hung new Santa's sleigh and reindeer lights on the corner of Horsham Lane today, Thursday 13th December 2018.

The new lights were paid for with a Festive Display Grant secured from Swale Borough Council.

Upchurch is 1 of 19 local organisations sharing almost £28,000 in grant money to help provide Christmas displays in towns and villages across the borough.

Upchurch Matters

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Medway Council - Walking in a Wader Wonderland

The coastline of Medway is made up of a variety of valuable marsh and estuarine habitats that support an abundance of wildlife species.

Every year, around 250,000 birds arrive in north Kent, having travelled from as far afield as the Arctic, to spend the winter months resting and feeding on this food-rich haven.

We are committed to protecting our wildlife and keeping our greenspaces an enjoyable place for people to visit.

We have joined forces with the RSPB, Kent Wildlife Trust, Natural England and other north Kent councils to set up the Bird Wise project to help protect our feathered friends.

The coast is understandably a popular destination for many different recreational activities, both on the land and the water, but some activities can disturb our wildlife.

These fragile habitats and the birdlife they support are all part of what makes Medway so special, so be Bird Wise and help us to preserve them for future generations to enjoy.

Cllr Howard Doe, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Community Services, said:

“Hundreds of thousands of birds travel to Medway each year and it’s incredibly important that we continue to protect the estuaries and marshes to ensure they keep coming back. We’re encouraging residents and visitors to visit the coast and enjoy the wildlife they find there but we’re asking them to consider making small changes to reduce their impact on the environment.”

Top tips to protect our birds include:

• Keep your dog under close control and on a lead if necessary.

• Stay back from birds that are feeding or resting.
• Always follow signs and keep to designated paths.
• Always pick up after your dog and take any litter home with you.

For more information visit >> www.birdwise.org.uk

Medway Council

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Swale Borough Council - Have Your Say on Plans to Tackle Air Pollution

People are being asked for their views on Swale Borough Council’s plans to improve air quality across the borough by 2022.

A consultation on the council’s draft Air Quality Action Plan is running to help get views from residents, parish and town councils and community groups.

The draft plans were put together following extensive research and monitoring of air quality, including latest traffic modelling to account for developments currently planned across the borough.

Swale currently has five air quality management areas (AQMAs) - East Street, St Pauls, Newington, Teynham and Ospringe - where levels of nitrogen dioxide are above the annual mean objective of 40ug/m3.

The plans contain 12 measures to help the council focus resources to deliver improvements in air quality - seven borough-wide strategic measures, and five local measures focussed within each AQMA.

The latest modelling predicts all except East Street and Ospringe will be compliant by 2022, but the council is proposing taking action that will benefit the whole borough.

Proposals include:

• Reducing emissions from HGV’s
• Reducing the volume of HGV's using the A2, especially through East Street and Ospringe
• Encouraging smoother traffic flows through the AQMAs
• Developing policies to encourage lower emission developments
• Encouraging alternatives to car use

To deliver these, the council is proposing a new clean air zone/corridor along the A2 and revising planning guidance on air quality.

Cllr David Simmons, cabinet member for environment and rural affairs at the council, said:

“We have some ambitious plans to tackle air pollution, not just in the action zones, but across the wider borough.

The proposed clean air zone along the A2 - which could use automatic number plate recognition, similar to London’s Low Emissions Zone - could have a significant impact, so we want to know what people think of this, and other ideas to address the problem.

Whilst we are ambitious in our plans, partners such as Kent County Council are crucial to improving air quality locally, so I’m pleased that they have been engaging well with the drafting of these plans.

This is vital, as whilst we might be the ones responsible for preparing the plan, the bigger picture response to the issues lies beyond our control - with central government and County Hall.”

The consultation is running until Tuesday 29th January 2019 and can be completed at >> www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/AQAPSwale2018

For further information on air quality in the borough >> www.swale.gov.uk/air-quality

Swale Borough Council
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Christmas Tree and Nativity Scene Festival at St. Mary’s Church

This year's Christmas Tree and Nativity Scene Festival will be on display between Sunday the 9th and Saturday the 15th of December in St. Mary’s Church.

Open from 2:00pm until 4:30pm.

FREE entry - all donations to St. Mary's Church.

A list is available in the church of everybody who has contributed a decorated Christmas tree or nativity scene this year. All 35 can be enjoyed on display in either The Nave or The Lady Chapel.

Upchurch Matters

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