Notice Board

Monday, 7 October 2019

CANCELLED: Road Closure - Station Road, Rainham

UK Power Solutions will be completing utility works on Station Road. These works will be taking place from Monday 21st October until Friday 25th October 2019.

To carry out these works there will be a road closure in place between Lower Rainham Road and Ellison Way.

Please pay particular attention to the temporary signage in place. There may also be parking suspensions throughout the duration of the operation.

The diversion route for through traffic is via Lower Rainham Road, Otterham Quay Lane, A2 - High Street and Station Road.

The Nationwide Traffic Solutions phone number is: 01652 640996 Ext 308

The Medway Council phone number is: 01634 333333

For details of roadworks, see: https://one.network

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Sunday, 6 October 2019

The Great British Hedgerow Survey

UK hedgerows

The hedgerows of the UK criss-cross our countryside providing an invaluable home to many of our native animals and corridors to travel along for others. Both of these are important to the maintenance of many species.

Hedgerows are so teeming with life that one study counted 2070 species in one 85 metre stretch. But how healthy are our hedgerows?

The survey

People's Trust for Endangered Species is looking for landowners and volunteers to help them build a national picture of hedgerows in the UK. The Great British Hedgerow Survey provides a health check for our hedgerows and gives tailored management advice to help ensure this precious habitat can thrive in the future.

Although the rates of direct hedge removal have been reduced, People's Trust for Endangered Species is still seeing the loss of hedges through the way they are managed. With many farmland species now marginalised to hedgerows, they believe it's time to look at the features of our hedges we can use to protect them.

The battle against the outright loss of hedgerows is being won, but evidence points to a worrying decline in hedgerow condition through poor management. If this persists, these hedges too will perish, dealing a further blow to the chances of survival for all the animals that currently call them home.

This survey is comparatively simple to do, but collects enough vital information to give a good assessment of hedgerow health, as well as robust advice for future management. It has been designed for both land mangers that may want to improve the structural condition of their own hedgerows, but also for interested wildlife groups that want to assess the quality of habitat in any particular area. The data will be collected in order to give a good overview of the condition of our hedgerows nationally.

What are the aims of this survey?

The 2 main aims of the Great British Hedgerow Survey are:

1. A health-check to assess the condition of each hedgerow surveyed. The results offer instant feedback and tailored management advice for each hedge to ensure the hedge thrives for the benefit of our wildlife in the future.

2. To collect data to get a national view of the condition of our hedgerows. Understanding the condition of our hedges gives us the best chances of helping restore them.

How will this help hedgerows?

There are 3 main ways this health-check aims to help improve the health of hedgerows:

1. The survey provides instant feedback on the health of each hedge surveyed, as well as placing it in the hedge management cycle and providing tailored management advice. This advice will help land managers keep their hedge in, or return their hedge to the healthy region of the hedge management cycle, ensuring it thrives and provides for our wildlife in the future.

2. The survey will collate data on a national scale that will reveal trends about hedge health. This will help focus a conservation effort and messaging on these trends in the future.

3. As part of this survey People's Trust for Endangered Species aim to raise the profile of hedgerows and their value both to our native wildlife and to us. They will showcase hedgerows as an asset, discussing how and why landowners should manage them to produce a bigger, better and more joined up network.

Before you start the Great British Hedgerow Survey

Get permission - whether you are surveying hedges as part of a wildlife group, a hedge group or contributing as an individual, if you do not own the land you will need to check with the landowner that they are happy for you to survey and send the survey data.

Please do not upload any data for which you have not got permission to share.

If you would like to take part, please visit the link and read the survey guidlines first >> https://hedgerowsurvey.ptes.org

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Saturday, 5 October 2019

FareShare Food Collection at Tesco Metro - Rainham

Registration is now open for this year's Tesco Food Collection on Thursday 21st, Friday 22nd, and Saturday 23rd November.

FareShare needs volunteers to help them collect food donations from customers in Tesco Metro - Rainham - part of the UK's largest food collection.

As a volunteer, you will be in store handing out FareShare "shopping lists" with suggestions of what to donate and collecting donations from customers whilst spreading some Christmas cheer.

The food you collect will then be redistributed to nearly 11,000 charities across the country.

You can make a big difference to the 8.4 million people currently living in food poverty in the UK, as donating just 3 hours to help collect food on any of the days above, could collect enough food for 600 meals!

Want to know how it works? Watch the short video here.

The video may not be visible in your Email.

Watch it at the link here >> http://bit.ly/353uhEZ

Sign up to volunteer as an individual or bring your colleagues, family and friends with you.

Sign up at the link here >> http://bit.ly/2LP1P27

Want to sign up as a group? Shift already full?
Email FareShare >> tescofoodcollection@fareshare.org.uk and they will book you in.

Upchurch Matters

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Swale Borough Council - Nominations Now Open for Volunteer Swale Awards 2020

It’s time to celebrate the hardworking hidden heroes within our community at the annual Volunteer Swale Awards. The nominations for the 2020 awards are now open.

The annual awards, once again being organised by Swale Borough Council, recognise the hard work of those special individuals who give their time to put something back into their community.

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

“There are so many people across the borough who give up their time to support others and their community to make Swale special. These people often go unnoticed in their hard work, so the Volunteer Swale Awards are a chance for us to give them the recognition and thanks that they deserve.

If you know someone who goes out of their way to help others or give up their time to make the community a better place, then you can help us say thank you by nominating them for an award.”

Nominations are open until Midnight Sunday 22nd December 2019.

To nominate that special individual or team simply download a nomination form to complete at: www.swale.gov.uk/volunteer-swale This can be scanned and emailed to: volunteer@swale.gov.uk or Freepost to:

RTJT-RZTJ-KYZK

Volunteer Swale
Swale Borough Council
Swale House
East Street
Sittingbourne
Kent
ME10 3HT

The Volunteer Swale Awards ceremony will take place in March 2020.

Swale Borough Council

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UPDATE - Notification of Major Gas Works: A2 - High Street, Newington

I am writing to provide you with an update regarding our gas network upgrade in the A2, Newington.

Our engineers continue to upgrade our gas pipe in London Road at its junction with Oak Lane, Hartlip Hill. For everyone’s safety around our site, temporary traffic lights remain in place around our work area.

In agreement with Kent County Council to keep everyone safe, a temporary 30mph speed limit is in place and traffic will be able to enter Oak Lane from London Road. Canterbury Lane will be closed and Wallbridge Lane made one way with a signed diversion in place. Vehicles heavier than 7.5 tons will not be permitted to use side roads.

Following consultation with Highways England and Medway, an alternative route will not be in place for HGVs and no permit scheme will be used at this stage. Please be assured that we will continue to update local residents on the development of our work.

We appreciation your understanding and patience while we carry out essential gas mains replacement work in the area. Latest updates on our project can be found on our dedicated website page here.

If you have any further questions, please let me know

Kind regards

Paige Roberts

Stakeholder and Community Manager

SGN Gas

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