Swale Borough Council - Truck Stop Plans Parked

Swale Borough Council will not pursue proposals to identify a site for lorry parking close to Brenley Corner.

The previous administration had expressed an interest in working with Kent County Council and neighbouring authorities to find a site for formal lorry parking near Brenley Corner. This was part of efforts to reduce unofficial lorry parking at a number of locations across Swale.

In March 2019 the cabinet gave officers the authority to explore potential options for lorry parking with Canterbury City Council, Kent County Council and Highways England.

The council’s cabinet have now confirmed this will not continue, but pledged to maintain dialogue with Kent County Council and Highways England about addressing lorry parking in the borough as part of a wider strategy for Kent.

Cllr Monique Bonney, cabinet member for economy and property at the council, said:

“Swale suffers from more unofficial lorry parking than any other district in Kent. This has a massive impact on local people who are living with the air pollution, noise, litter and dangerous parking.

But this is a problem not just across Kent but also nationwide and as a minimum it needs Kent-wide solutions.

The local road network is already stretched and there is uncertainty over the proposed improvements to M2 J5.

Despite lobbying from ourselves and Kent County Council, there are still no plans to improve M2 J7 Brenley Corner which is already operating at capacity.

Until these issues are resolved, and a proper strategy is in place, we can’t support new lorry parks in the area.”

The report on lorry parking in the borough was discussed at the council’s cabinet meeting on Wednesday 18th December.

Swale Borough Council
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Poolside Bar - Valentine's Day Music Special with Matt Brooks at Upchurch River Valley Golf Course

From 7:00pm

Free Entry - Non-Members Welcome

Jenny Giles - Upchurch River Valley Golf Course

Telephone: 01634 360626

Website: www.rivervalleygolf.co.uk

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Kent Fire & Rescue Service - Annual Safety and Wellbeing Plan

Kent Fire & Rescue Service is asking residents to comment on their Annual Safety and Wellbeing Plan, which provides an update on the work of the Service and their future plans for 2020/21.

The Plan covers some investments for the future they are making, where they want to set the Council Tax for 2020/21.

All responses will be treated confidentially and it should only take around 20 minutes to read the full Plan and complete the questionnaire.

You can take part in the survey, here >> http://bit.ly/2QTWd7Z

Upchurch Matters

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Poolside Bar Music with Lewis Ross at Upchurch River Valley Golf Course

From 7:30pm

Free Entry - Non-Members Welcome

Jenny Giles - Upchurch River Valley Golf Course

Telephone: 01634 360626

Website: www.rivervalleygolf.co.uk

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Swale Borough Councillors Give Money to Local Communities From The Member Grants Scheme

People have until the end of February to get a grant from their councillor to help improve their local community.

Each of Swale’s 47 councillors has £2,400 available every year to support small-scale, local community projects through the council’s member grants scheme.

The scheme supports projects that benefit areas such as culture, sport, recreation, health, environment and community safety.

Cllr Roger Truelove, leader of the council, said:

“We make more than £136,000 available every year for local people and organisations to use on what’s important in their community.

They are the ones who know what their area needs, and these grants are a way for them help to make things happen.

So far this year we’ve allocated almost £49,000 to 61 different organisations and, there’s another £14,000 going through the system that will soon be allocated.

Organisations can apply for as little or as much as they need by completing an application form and submitting it to the council or their local councillor.

This scheme has already helped a local project addressing knife crime and youth violence by Diversity House, replaced the batteries and pads in the defibrillator at the Alexander Centre, and paid for the roundabout at the Newington Recreation Ground.

Eleven councillors got together to contribute £2,950, the largest amount so far this year, to The Harmony Therapy Trust in Sheerness who provide free therapy to those in need.

Alongside the bigger grants, we’ve also provided for smaller organisations including £134.28 for Rodmersham School’s litter picking equipment and £232.44 for the 8th Sheppey Scout Group’s new gas water boiler.

No request is too big or small, and sometimes the smallest grant can make a big difference to a local area.

This year’s scheme will run until the end of February and we encourage all local community groups to apply.”

For more information on how to apply for a member grant visit: www.swale.gov.uk/member-grants

List of grants made locally to date:

Upchurch Parish Council

Install roundels and slow signs around the village

£405

Cllr Alan Horton

Hartlip Community Hub

Annual ''Hartlip Sings Christmas'' event

£150

Cllrs Alan Horton and Richard Palmer

Lower Halstow Parish Council

Celebration for VE Day 75

£150

Cllr Corrie Woodford

Upchurch Cricket Club

New disabled access lift

£400

Cllrs Alan Horton and Richard Palmer

Lower Halstow Over 60s

Christmas party

£200

Cllrs Roger Clark and Corrie Woodford

Friends of Newington Recreation Ground

New roundabout for playground

£200

Cllrs Alan Horton and Richard Palmer

1^st Upchurch Guides

Costs of resources

£300

Cllr Richard Palmer

1^st Upchurch Brownies

Costs of resources

£270

Cllr Alan Horton

Newington Parish Council

Fence around the perimeter of the zipwire

£800

Cllrs Alan Horton and Richard Palmer

Swale Borough Council

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Window Smashed and Vehicle Damaged - Newington

Hartlip, Newington & Upchurch Ward

Crime Number: 46/1708/20; 46/1727/20

Between 12:56pm and 1:10pm on Friday 3rd of January, an unknown person fired 2 shots with a catapult as they drove past the car wash in Newington High Street, Sittingbourne, which smashed the waiting room window and damaged a vehicle.

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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