Tools Stolen From Vehicle - Newington

Hartlip, Newington & Upchurch Ward

Crime Number: 6/4408/20

Between Friday the 3rd and Monday the 6th of January, tools were stolen from a van belonging to Chord Engineering, while it was parked in Merton Drive, Newington.

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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Picture Medway Exhibition

Talented young people in Medway have created photographic work as part of the Picture Medway Project.

Teenagers from across the area have taken the time to capture their perspective of Medway and what the area means to them.

A public exhibition of their work will be held:

Between Saturday 14th December and Saturday 11th January at Gillingham Library 

Between Thursday 16th January and Wednesday 19th February at Medway Archives Centre
Between Saturday 22th February and Saturday 21st March at University of Kent
Between Saturday 28th March and Saturday 25th April at Strood Library

FREE to attend - No need to book

More information at >> www.medway.gov.uk/news/article/505/picture_medway_exhibition

Upchurch Matters

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Jim Harman 1936 - 2020

Jim Harman sadly passed away on Sunday 5th January 2020. Jim lived with his wife Ann in the village for over 50 years and was well known by many after years of serving the local community.

He was a founder member of the One O’clock club. A group of villagers who used to meet at the Brown Jug and later The Crown at 1 O’ Clock on a Sunday. This group raised significant money for the village over many years and ran the annual Upchurch Fireworks display in The Paddock.

Jim was probably known most for his work in the Scouts as Akela and in later years as Group Scout Leader , Chairman and Caretaker of the Scout Hut. He was instrumental with several others in helping to secure funds for the current Scout Hut and was actively involved in the construction. He was a regular fundraiser for the Scouts and co-ordinated the monthly waste paper collection in the village. He was also a key figure in securing Upchurch Fireworks for the Scouts when the One O’ Clock club could no longer run the event.

Jim was often involved in the organisation of village events from Remembrance Sunday to Upchurch Carnival and was a founder member of the Upchurch Twinning Group. He would regularly support other good causes in the village. He was a long serving member of The Parish Council, caretaker of Holywell School and Governor and PTA chairman of Highsted School in Sittingbourne.

Parkinson’s and Leukaemia curtailed Jim’s activities in the community in later years but he and Ann celebrated 58 years of marriage last year. He loved the village he lived in and spent much of his life working to make it a better place for all of us.

Jim had three children Jonathan, Clare and Rachel, 8 Grandchildren and 2 Great Grandchildren.

The Family will announce funeral arrangements in due course.

Jim suffered from Parkinson’s disease and Leukaemia both of which have no cure. Significant work is ongoing in both fields to find a cure and enhance the lives of those suffering. If you would care to leave a tribute to Jim and donate to one of the chosen charities, please visit the just giving page below.

www.justgiving.com/team/RememberJimHarman

Thank you

Mike Powell

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Swale Borough Council - Spirit of Sittingbourne Development Agreement Ending Early

Swale Borough Council and The Spirit of Sittingbourne have agreed to bring their partnership to a close upon successful completion of the Leisure quarter in the Town Centre next year.

The works were delivered as part of a wider two-phase agreement with the Spirit of Sittingbourne in 2012.

The ending of the agreement means that plans to develop high rise housing on three sites will now not proceed. These had been assigned to Spirit under the development agreement and will now be returned to the council.

The end of the development agreement will also mean that the second phase of the development will not go ahead. This was based around a new civic centre, with residential development at the council’s existing home Swale House.

Cllr Roger Truelove, leader of the council, said:

“I appreciate the way Spirit has engaged with us since the administration changed in May.

They understood in a constructive way that we did not wish to proceed to phase 2 of the development and that we wished to determine the future of the car park sites that were allocated to Spirit in the Development Agreement made by our predecessors.

In the meantime, we look forward to the completion of the rest of phase 1. This is a major investment in a town that has been starved of investment for decades and the coalition is determined that it should prove to be an asset to all the people of Swale.”

The retail park, delivered as part of phase 1, was opened fully let in 2018, and the multi-storey car park is now partially operational whilst works to build the hotel, cinema and restaurants are being completed.

The hotel is scheduled to be operational in the next few months, and the cinema should be handed over to The Light shortly afterwards. The internal works for the cinema are expected to take five months, during which time the signed-up restaurants – Nandos, Lounges, Pizza Express and Creams – will be preparing to open.

Richard Upton of U+I, one of the partners in the Spirit of Sittingbourne, said:

“We are obviously very disappointed not to be able to move ahead with Phase 2 of the scheme, but completely understand the Council’s wish to think again about their development strategy for the remaining sites.

We are very proud of the work we have done in Sittingbourne to date and we look forward very much to complete the Leisure Quarter which will make a significant positive impact on life in the centre of this great town.”

Huw Evans, from Quinn Estates, also part of the Spirit of Sittingbourne said:

“The delivery of the Leisure Quarter in Sittingbourne Town Centre has been a pivotal part of the process of transforming Sittingbourne into a welcoming, destination.

We are naturally disappointed at Swale Borough Council’s decision and understand their reconsideration of phase two; we look forward to being able to work positively with them on future projects.”

Swale Borough Council
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The Rivers Restaurant - Valentine's Dinner Dance at Upchurch River Valley Golf Course

Tickets available from the Poolside Bar

Jenny Giles - Upchurch River Valley Golf Course

Telephone: 01634 360626

Website: www.rivervalleygolf.co.uk

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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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