Upchurch Poppy Day Appeal - 2019

The Remembrance Sunday service led by Revd. Julian Staniforth and supported by Revd. Simeon Nevell was held in the church of St Mary the Virgin on November 10th. It was a moving occasion for the large congregation. At this time we remember all those who made the ultimate sacrifice in WWI and in subsequent conflicts for this Nation. Names of all those from Upchurch who made the ultimate sacrifice in WWI and WWII were readout. There then followed the laying of seven wreaths in the Lady Chapel, one of which was from the Mayor of our twin village Ferques in France (Upchurch Parish Council reciprocates by sending a wreath of poppies for laying at the service in Ferques on the 11th). After the service the Rector, Curate, church choir, uniformed Scout, Guide and Brownie organisations together with members of the congregation processed to the burial ground in the cool November sun. Remembrance crosses were laid at each of the War Graves Commission Graves by five past members of the Armed Services or Police and members of the youth organisations from the Parish.

The work of The Royal British Legion continues and it stands shoulder to shoulder with all who serve in our Armed Forces. It provides financial, social and emotional support to those who have served or are currently serving including their dependents.

The Poppy Appeal will benefit from donations for poppies and wreaths plus gift aid totalling £2,823 from the Upchurch Appeal in 2019.

My Royal British Legion thanks to the house-to-house collectors who raised £1,350 of the total. Thanks also to the businesses, retail outlets and others who provided static collection points raising £1,192. 

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

Gerry Lewin - Poppy Day Appeal Organiser 

Telephone: 01634 366113 - 07946 996789

Email: lewing135@btinternet.com

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Christmas Craft Fair at St. Margaret's Church, Lower Halstow

Liz Mouland - Friends of St. Margaret's Church

Website: www.thesix.org.uk

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Upchurch Scout Troop - Trip to Normandy 2019

Day 1 - Saturday, October 19th

Click photos to enlarge

We set off at 5:30am from the Scout Hut, on our way to the Channel Tunnel. Due to delays earlier on, we had to start our journey 2 hours later than expected. We arrived in Calais at 11:00am then set off. It was a long journey down to Normandy and due to the lateness of the train, we had to postpone our first visit to the Merville Germany Battery site so went straight on to the bridge at Ranville-Benouville. We arrived at the Bridge feeling very tired but glad to get out of the bus.

This bridge is called Pegasus after the 6th Airborne Division that liberated it on the night of the 5th/6th June 1944.

The bridges over the Canals were planned to be taken by men dropped into the area from Gliders. These Gliders were called Horsa Gliders and were designed to be used only once for this one action, so they were made from plywood and therefore not very strong. The Gliders were pulled along by planes and once they had released the Gliders, the planes flew back to Britain. The Gliders were able to carry men as well as vehicles and guns.

These Gliders, like all other aircraft flying on D-Day, were painted with three large white stripes in order for them to be recognised as Allies. This was to stop the many planes being hit by ‘friendly fire’. Unfortunately, on that night, a terrible storm blew up and many of the parachutists were blown well off course. The Gliders were attacked by enemy fire. The first phase went well and at 20 minutes past midnight, three Gliders landed within metres of their objective. Ten minutes later with bagpipes playing, the Bridge was secured.

Day 2 - Sunday, October 20th

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On our second day, we managed to get some time to look around the Gun Battery at Merville. The area had been unsuccessfully bombed so it had to be taken from the ground. This was where another Battalion of men, the 9th Battalion, should have landed but:

The 9th Battalion, however, was not so lucky.

A total of 700 men were due to land in the Ranville area, and some 500 of these had the objective of capturing the German Gun Battery at Merville. Only 150 were able to attack as the troops were scattered over a wide area or were shot before landing, with the heaviest weapon being one single machine gun and some hand grenades, they had to fight their way through shelling, barbed wire and land mines. Eventually, just 75 men were able to capture the Battery and survive.

From the Merville Battery, we carried on to the village of Aromonches les Bains. This is the site of the 360º Cinema which shows actual footage of D-Day. The Troops were deliberately not landed on this beach as it was to be left clear for an artificial harbour to be built. This was the Mulberry Harbour known as Port Winston.

The Harbour was intended to be used for only three months but lasted 5 and there are still some sections to be seen today. It was built by the Royal Engineers, who still have a base here in Chatham. They built floating roadways to allow tanks, vehicles and men to land on the Beaches.

This was an old soldier who told a tale of his experience on the Beach.

Our day turned out to be very busy as we now had to travel to Aromanches after lunch to the American Beach of Omaha, to the site of the American Cemetery. 

We arrived at Omaha Beach at 4:45pm just before the Cemetery was due to close at 5:00pm. They allowed us in and above is a portion of what we saw.

Day 3 - Monday, October 21st

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Day Three saw us move on to the Cemetery at Ranville. This is where a lot of British soldiers were buried. Including that of the youngest killed in D-Day (private R. Johns) and the first to lose his life on D- Day (Lt. Herbert Brotheridge).

This is where we laid a wreath and said a prayer of thanks to all those who bravely did what they had to, to allow us the freedom we have today, both those in the armed forces and civilians too.

Our next visit was to the Juno Beach, site of the Canadian landings.

Day 4 - Tuesday, October 22nd

Click photos to enlarge

On our fourth day we made one last visit to the British landing beach called Gold.

I really loved our trip to Normandy with the Scouts. It was really interesting finding out about so many amazing places, my favourite place was the Gold Beach where the British landed. It was so quiet and beautiful there.

I think the soldiers were very brave and some were so young - too young to die.

And then on to the Bayeaux Activity Park.

Thanks very much to Group Scout Leader, Julia Richardson for sending us this write up of their trip which was written and presented to parents by the Scouts themselves.

Upchurch Matters

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General Election 2019

Local residents will be voting in the Parliamentary Elections on Thursday 12th December 2019 to elect an MP to represent them in the constituencies of Sittingbourne and Sheppey and Gillingham and Rainham. Residents can only vote for one candidate in this election.

The Candidates

The candidates for Sittingbourne and Sheppey are:

Monique Bonney - Independent

Sam Collins - Green Party

Gordon Henderson - Conservative Party Candidate

Clive Johnson - Labour Party

Ben Martin - Liberal Democrats - To stop Brexit

Lee McCall - Independent

Mad Mike Young - The Official Monster Raving Loony Party

The candidates for Gillingham and Rainham are:

Alan Bullion - Liberal Democrats

Rehman Chishti - The Conservative Party Candidate

Peter Cook - Independent

Rob McCulloch Martin - UKIP Make Brexit Happen

Roger Peacock - Christian Peoples Alliance

George Salomon - Green Party

Andy Stamp - Labour Party

Voting 

Polling Stations will be open from 7:00am until 10:00pm on Thursday 12th December 2019.

Residents need to be on the electoral register to vote in elections and referendums.

You don’t need to register again if you’ve already registered.

You need to register again if you’ve changed address, name or nationality since you last registered or if you haven’t renewed your overseas registration.

You do not need to register separately for every election. If you have received a poll card at your address, then you are currently registered and can vote in the upcoming election stated on the poll card.

The deadline for registering to vote in this General Election is 11:59pm on Tuesday 26th November.

You can register to vote online at >> www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
It usually takes around 5 minutes.

Voting in person - Your council will send you a poll card just before an election telling you where and when to vote.

If you haven’t received a poll card but think you should contact your local Electoral Registration Office

You can still vote if you have lost your card.

Voting by post - If you want to vote by post in the General Election, apply by 5:00pm on Tuesday 26th November to receive your postal voting pack. Your postal vote must then arrive at your local Electoral Registration Office in the UK by 10:00pm on Thursday 12th December.

If you’re too late to post your postal vote ballot paper, you can take it to your local polling station until 10:00pm on December 12th or your local Electoral Registration Office before they close.

You can find more information on how to vote at the link here >> www.gov.uk/voting-in-the-uk

Whichever way you vote, make your vote count on Thursday 12th December.

Upchurch Matters
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Upchurch Parish Council Report - November 2019

Report of the Parish Council November 2019

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

i. Ref: 19/504222/FULL Address: 46 Wallbridge Lane Upchurch Kent ME8 7XH

Proposal: Proposed rear conservatory and insertion of first floor front and rear dormer windows.

Councillors considered the application and agreed unanimously that they had no observations to make save that views of neighbours must be taken into consideration.

ii. Ref: 19/504665/LAWPRO Address: 16 Oak Lane Upchurch Sittingbourne Kent ME9 7AT

Proposal: Cropped hip to gable plus flat roof dormer to rear and 2no. roof lights to front.

Councillors considered the application and agreed unanimously that they had no observations to make save that views of neighbours must be taken into consideration.

iii. Ref: 19/504657/FULL Address: Car Showroom London Road Upchurch ME9 7PD

Proposal: Change of use of auto showroom and workshop (Sui Generis) to a banqueting hall, including food processing and distribution (Class D2 and B2), including the creation of a mezzanine floor and alterations to fenestration. (Resubmission of 19/503293/FULL) 

Councillors considered the application which was the revision of a previous application that had been withdrawn. Councillors were concerned that there is insufficient parking; the venue would be for “invitation only” events and all guests would arrive and leave within a short timeframe causing significant congestion on the A2; the banqueting hall seats five hundred guests so the impact would be worse than expected; the opening times are excessive and this would adversely impact on the neighbouring cottages; the reasons for late opening are not valid reasons given the negative impact on neighbours; there will be environmental noise pollution and light pollution; the events would cause high volume traffic flow on the A2; the illuminated signage would adversely impact on the countryside; Councillors could see a benefit in regenerating the site for the local economy and local employment but agreed unanimously to object to this application because of the reasons given.

iv. Ref:19/504916/ADJ Address: Land North Of Moor Street London Road Upchurch ME8 8QF

Proposal: Adjoining Authority Consultation: (MC/19/2530) Construction of a secondary school with formation of new access from Otterham Quay Lane together with associated car parking and drop-off area, pedestrian access, drainage, landscaping, sports pitches and areas for formal and informal outdoor play.

Councillors considered the proposal which is almost exclusively being built to satisfy the school demand in Medway. There is insufficient information at this point to ascertain whether the academy would be accessible to students from Upchurch; there are highways issues associated with the A2 and the Lower Rainham Road, especially when the M2 is closed; the school traffic will immediately follow the morning rush hour and precede the evening rush hour thus increasing the hours of congestion on the overloaded highway infrastructure in this area; the school is being put in the countryside reducing the gap between urban and rural settlements; the roundabout will be close to the A2 junction causing gridlock; there are only six dropping off point and this would cause traffic to back up the road; there would be significant disruption in Otterham Quay Lane; the infrastructure is inadequate.

Councillors recognised the demand for schooling but agreed unanimously to object to the proposal in its current form because of the highway implications.

v. Ref: 19/504897/FULL Address: 14 Homefield Drive Upchurch Kent ME8 8RS

Proposal: Single storey rear extension.

Councillors considered the application and agreed unanimously that they had no observations to make save that views of neighbours must be taken into consideration.

vi. Ref: 19/504961/AGRIC Address: Gore Farm Chaffes Lane Upchurch Kent ME9 7BE

Proposal: Prior Notification for a creation of a concrete pad for the storage and distribution of apple bins.

Councillors considered the application and agreed unanimously that they had no objections to the proposal.

vii. Ref: 19/504936/FULL Address: 26 The Poles Upchurch Sittingbourne Kent ME9 7EX

Proposal: Single storey rear extension with conversion of existing garage to habitable room and store with part pitched part flat roof.

Councillors considered the application and agreed unanimously that they had no observations to make save that views of neighbours must be taken into consideration.

viii.Ref: 19/502283/FULL  Address: Land Adjacent To Crescent House Otterham Quay Lane 

Proposal: Erection of a block of 7 no. dwellings with parking, refuse and cycle store.

Cllr Rosewell had sat through a Swale Planning Committee meeting only for this application to be deferred. The Committee questioned the size of the gardens and the amenities but they still approved the application.

Highways

The Councillors are liaising with KCC and Swale Borough Council to resolve some of the issues raised by the Highways Consultation. The 30mph roundel before the apex to Horsham Hill has a moderate effect reminding drivers to check their speed. The Parish Council is having another 30mph roundel by the bus stop opposite the church and SLOW signs on either side of Crosier Court. There will be an additional roundel in Oak Lane near the Chaffes Lane junction.

Environment

Councillors will meet with the Swale in Bloom Co-ordinator to discuss an “in bloom” project for Upchurch.

Christmas in Upchurch

The Santa Sleigh will visit Upchurch on 15th December at 4pm for two hours, details of the route will be published in due course.

The Council has secured a Swale Festive Grant of £399 for decorations in the village.

This is a precis of Council business, full minutes of all meetings can be found on the website when ratified.

Date of next meetings:

Full Council - Thursday 5^th December 2019 at 7:30pm in Upchurch Scout Hut.

The Planning Committee and General Purposes Committee - Wednesday 18^th December at 7:30pm in the Committee Room of the Village Hall.

Full Council - Thursday 2^nd January 2020 at 7:30pm in Upchurch Village Hall.

The Planning Committee and General Purposes Committee - Wednesday 15^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: 01622 739324

Email: clerkupc@outlook.com

Website: www.upchurchpc.kentparishes.gov.uk

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Burglary - Hartlip

Hartlip, Newington & Upchurch Ward

Crime Number: 46/218174/19

Between 8:00am and 8:20pm on Wednesday the 13th of November, several items were stolen when a burglary occurred in Place Lane, Hartlip.

If you have any information that could help investigators please contact Kent Police on telephone number 101 and quote the relevant crime number above.

For more information on crime prevention visit: www.kent.police.uk

Kent Community Messaging

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