Latest POLICE.UK Crime Data for the Area - August 2019

Hartlip, Newington and Upchurch

Here is a brief summary of the crime information for the past 2 months:

	July 2019	August 2019
All crime	42	41
Anti-social behaviour	6	9
Bicycle theft	0	0
Burglary	5	4
Criminal damage and arson	10	4
Drugs	0	0
Other crime	0	0
Other theft	1	3
Possession of weapons	0	0
Public order	1	2
Robbery	0	2
Shoplifting	0	0
Theft from the person	0	0
Vehicle crime	3	4
Violence and sexual offences	16	13

	Please visit: www.police.uk for more information including outcomes for these crimes and contact information for your local policing team.

Lower Halstow and Iwade

Here is a brief summary of the crime information for the past 2 months:

	July 2019	August 2019
All crime	49	39
Anti-social behaviour	18	14
Bicycle theft	0	1
Burglary	2	1
Criminal damage and arson	3	3
Drugs	1	1
Other crime	2	0
Other theft	2	4
Possession of weapons	0	0
Public order	3	1
Robbery	1	0
Shoplifting	1	0
Theft from the person	0	0
Vehicle crime	2	6
Violence and sexual offences	14	8

Please visit: www.police.uk for more information including outcomes for these crimes and contact information for your local policing team.

Upchurch Matters

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Medway Council - Get Creative, Get Connected and Learn New Skills During Libraries Week

Medway Council is encouraging residents to get creative, get connected and to learn new skills during Libraries Week.

National Libraries Week, a celebration of the nation’s much-loved libraries, takes place from Monday, 7th to Saturday, 12th October. The week aims to celebrate how libraries are engaging communities through technology, building confidence in residents’ digital skills as well as supporting local people’s health and wellbeing.

Last year 1,021,816 people visited a Medway library - there are 15 to choose from including the five Community Hubs in Chatham, Gillingham, Rochester, Strood and Twydall and the Neighbourhood Community Hub in Hempstead. Residents can also visit Medway Archives Centre, the Community Mobile Library and Children’s Mobile Library. Residents can access council services such as planning, housing, benefits and environmental services and access computers and free Wi-Fi in all council libraries. In 2018, 7,937,352 minutes were spent on library computers.

A total of 951,565 books were borrowed from Medway’s libraries last year and a staggering 3,641 people, including 3,011 young people took part in this year’s Summer Reading Challenge which was inspired by the fiftieth anniversary of the first moon landings.

To mark Libraries Week a number of workshops, talks and author visits will be held in libraries across Medway.

Popular children’s author Sam Gayton will visit Strood and Gillingham libraries to speak to children from local primary schools. Sam’s books include His Royal Whiskers, The Last Zoo and Hercufleas.

On Wednesday, 9th October, Frances Beaumont will give a fascinating talk about John Oliver a tug man on ‘Hobbit’ along the River Medway for 40 years. John was born without hands and two short arms and was also a trained artist. The Extraordinary Life and Loves of Johnny No Hands - an illustrated talk will take place from 2:30pm to 4:00pm, the talk is free to attend but booking is required.

Hands-on family history workshops will also be held at Twydall Library and Rainham Library on Thursday, 10th and Friday, 11th October. Come along and do some digital digging into your family tree. The sessions are free but booking is required.

Journalist Christine Rayner will speak about her Life in Print at Chatham Library on Saturday, 12th October, from 3:00pm to 4:30pm. Christine started her career at Chatham News in 1974 and rose through the ranks to become editor of four local newspapers. The talk is free to attend but booking is required.

To book your place at a talk or workshop visit your local library or call: 01634 337799.

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

“Medway’s libraries are at the heart of our communities. They are not only places where residents can nurture their love of reading, but they have become hives of activity where residents can access a variety of council services and attend a number of clubs and sessions. I would encourage residents to visit their local library to find out more about the services they offer.”

Becoming a member of Medway Libraries is free and membership allows you to borrow books, download eBooks, eMagazines, eNewspapers and eComics, for free. It also enables you to search databases such as Ancestry, Encyclopaedia Britannica and Oxford Dictionaries, free of charge.

For more information about Medway’s library services, visit: www.medway.gov.uk/libraries

Medway Council

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An Invitation to The Friends of St Mary the Virgin AGM and History Talk

St Mary the Virgin, Upchurch.

The Friends of St Mary the Virgin Upchurch [FOSM] invite you to a talk in the church that will tell us a little more of the history of the church and its contents.

This year’s talk is entitled “Hugh Herland - Royal Carpenter?”

The church has within it a tomb containing the remains of Hugh Herland about whom little is known. Our speaker will tell us what he has found from his investigations, which will add to our knowledge of the history of the church.

The talk will be given by David Wood, who lives in Upchurch, and is well known for the articles and books he writes about the history of the local area.

The talk to be held on Thursday 17th October starts shortly after the 7:00pm Annual General Meeting of FOSM but please be in your seats by 7:00pm.

All are welcome, entry is free and wine and nibbles will be provided.

FOSM is a registered charitable trust established to support the maintenance and repair of the built environment of the church which historically dates back to 1311AD. 

Gerry Lewin - Chairman of the Trustees

Telephone: 01634 366113
Email: lewing135@btinternet.com

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UpARA - October 2019 Newsletter & Latest Schedule of Events

John Wishart - Chairman

Tel: 07971 511956

Email: john@togthedog.co.uk

Website: www.upara.club

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Swale Borough Council - Christmas Lights Grants Scheme Open

Towns and villages across Swale can get help to spread the Christmas cheer thanks to a £25,000 grant scheme.

Swale Borough Council is inviting local groups to apply to its festive display grant scheme, which has been set up to help local organisations provide Christmas displays in towns and villages across the borough.

Organisations are being invited to apply for funding to support Christmas display projects by Thursday 31st October, as the money will be allocated at the beginning of November.

Cllr Richard Palmer cabinet member for community at the council, said:

“Christmas lights and displays can really brighten up the December months and help spread the spirit of the season for both residents and visitors.

We want to encourage and support local organisations that might want to update or improve their displays, or to put on displays in areas that haven’t had one before.

I’m urging groups that might want some help with funding to get in touch as soon as possible so we can make a decision and help them light up the borough for Christmas!”

The closing date for applications is Thursday 31st October, with all applications being assessed in the week commencing Monday 4th November.

More information is available at: www.swale.gov.uk/festive-display-grant including guidance notes and the application form.

For more information contact: hayleykeefe@swale.gov.uk or call: 01795 417155.

Swale Borough Council

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UPDATE - Commencement of Gas Main Replacement Works on the A2 from Oak Lane to Key Street

Due to start TODAY

Here’s what we know so far about the current arrangements for the start of these works. Past experience has shown arrangements often change during the course of long roadworks as contractors and KCC react to unforeseen changes in circumstances.

If you see anything different happening to what's written here, please let us know. Thank you.

Beginning today, Monday 30th September, contractor Forefront Utilities, working on behalf of SGN Gas will begin the first of 11 phases of works to replace 4.5km of old gas main underneath the A2, starting at London Road at the junction with Oak Lane, and progressing eastwards to Key Street Roundabout. The works are scheduled to last approximately 42 weeks.

SGN Gas is prioritising the works because of the risk of further leaks and danger to workers, and residents, and to protect the supply to 40,000 households served by the main. The works involve the replacement of the old metal gas main with new plastic pipe to ensure a continued safe and reliable gas supply.

Temporary traffic lights will be in place around the work area. At times, there will be two sets of traffic lights on the A2 to allow Forefront Utilities to carry out the work more effectively.

The contractor will manually control the traffic lights while they are working to keep traffic flowing along the A2. They will operate these lights Monday to Friday between 7:30am and 7:30pm, and between 8:00am and 5:00pm on Saturdays.

HGVs

To help keep the traffic moving through the temporary traffic lights, SGN will have a signed diversion for HGVs throughout the project. HGVs will be diverted via the M2 to avoid the works completely. Local access for HGV deliveries will be managed by a local permit scheme.

PLEASE NOTE: We have been advised this morning that the HGV diversion mentioned above will not be in place due to Highways England not agreeing for the network to be used as a diversion. KCC will monitor the impact of this and use extra signage where possible.

All side roads off the A2 from Key Street to the Medway Council border at Upchurch now have a 7.5T weight limit. This means that lorries who are delivering to or are accessing properties in the lanes and villages can still use them. However, any lorry using them as a cut-through or shortcut is breaking the law.

Lorry SatNav systems should have been updated. If you think a lorry is breaking the law you should report it to Kent Police on 101. KCC has also put a temporary 30mph speed limit on the same stretch of the A2. This should show in SatNavs and help dissuade traffic from using the A2 as a through route during the works.

Oak Lane

SGN Gas and KCC are planning to partially close the junction of Oak Lane and the A2 London Road, making it one-way. Motorists will be able to enter Oak Lane from the A2 London Road, however, they will not be able to exit Oak Lane onto the A2 London Road, a signed diversion will be in place for approximately 4 weeks.

Buses

Chalkwell and TravelMasters buses will still service their regular stops, as usual, however, some arrival times for the buses that use Oak Lane may vary because they will need to operate part of their route in reverse due to the temporary one-way system that is to be put in place in Oak Lane.

Businesses

The BarnYard, Upchurch River Valley Golf Course and other local businesses will all be open as usual.

Bridge Inspection

Signs have been in place at the railway bridge in Oak Lane advising of an overnight road closure there today, Monday 30th September, from 10:00pm through until approximately 6:00am tomorrow morning, to enable Network Rail to carry out a detailed bridge inspection.

The one.network traffic website is now showing a bridge inspection on Tuesday 26th November, for when the gas main works have moved further along the A2.

Upchurch Matters

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