Swale Heritage Forum & Conference

Swale Heritage Forum & Conference at the Appleyard in Sittingbourne on Saturday 21st March 2020 will examine all aspects of Swale's fascinating past, including landscape, environment, occupation and the industries that shaped our heritage up to the present day.

There will be stalls advertising local heritage groups & organisations and attendees will discuss Swale Borough Council's Heritage Strategy.

Tickets £5 are on sale at:

The Heritage Hub, The Forum, Sittingbourne ME10 3DL
Fleur de Lis Heritage Centre, 12 Preston Street, Faversham ME13 8NS
Blue Town Heritage Centre, 69 High Street, Blue Town, Isle of Sheppey ME12 1RW

Or from Eventbrite at: http://bit.ly/36sFhLp

Price includes morning and afternoon refreshments and a buffet lunch.

Please Email: events@historicswale.org.uk if you have any special dietary requirements.

Historic Swale is a volunteer group set up as an organisation to help meet the needs of its member organisations, as identified in consultation with current members. The overall aim is to aid members to collectively promote Swale as a Tourist destination.

For more information visit: www.historicswale.org.uk

Upchurch Matters

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Swale Borough Council - Op Assist January

Waste carriers were targeted this week as part of a day of action to crack down on fly-tipping.

Swale Borough Council teamed up with Kent Police’s Rural Task Force this week to carry out enquiries, arrest people suspected of fly-tipping, seize vehicles and collate evidence to prosecute offenders for waste-related crimes.

Outcomes of the day are:

8 vehicles stopped and searched;
3 Fixed Penalty Notices issued; and
1 vehicle seized.

Cllr Tim Valentine, cabinet member for environment at the council, said:

“We are pleased to be part of this cross-organisation effort to crack down on fly-tipping across the borough.

We urge anybody disposing of household items to think carefully about who you use to dispose of the goods.

Unlicensed waste carriers are criminals that are likely to dump rubbish on the side of the road, and as the person engaging the unlicensed carrier, you could face an unlimited fine.

Not only is the person who engaged the unlicensed carrier at risk of receiving a fine, but we also have the power to issue on the spot fines of up to £400 to anyone who is caught fly-tipping.”

More and more of these action days are taking place across the County. A tremendous amount of preparation takes place ahead of these days, including the gathering of vital intelligence to support the Council’s Enforcement team with their duties.

What can you do to dispose of your waste responsibly?

Fly-tippers often target households via social media or local advertising, luring customers in with cheap rates to dispose of unwanted furniture, building rubble or garden waste. However, these unlicensed waste carriers often simply dump the waste wherever they can get away with it, including in Kent’s country lanes.

Householders or small businesses found to be using criminals to dispose of their waste can and are being prosecuted by local authorities in Kent with fixed penalty notices that go up to £400 per offence.

Failure to pay such an FPN may result in court action where fines can be significantly larger.

To prevent this, householders should check whether someone is licenced to carry waste by visiting the Environment Agency website below, or alternatively call 03708 506506. It also helps if householders receive a written receipt or transfer note, including contact details, description of waste removed and details of where the waste is being taken to.

https://environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/search-waste-carriers-brokers

The 13 Kent councils, along with Kent Police, are working in partnership to Keep Kent Clean.

To keep updated with the councils’ efforts to tackle fly-tipping and littering, follow #KeepKentClean

Swale Borough Council 

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

Hartlip, Newington and Upchurch

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

	November 2019	December 2019
All crime	40	34
Anti-social behaviour	4	5
Bicycle theft	0	0
Burglary	4	1
Criminal damage and arson	5	7
Drugs	0	0
Other crime	1	2
Other theft	2	3
Possession of weapons	0	0
Public order	5	0
Robbery	0	0
Shoplifting	0	0
Theft from the person	0	1
Vehicle crime	0	1
Violence and sexual offences	19	14

	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: November 2019 December 2019 All crime 37 33 Anti-social behaviour 3 8 Bicycle theft 0 0 Burglary 1 1 Criminal damage and arson 2 4 Drugs 0 0 Other crime 3 0 Other theft 0 1 Possession of weapons 0 0 Public order 3 0 Robbery 0 0 Shoplifting 2 0 Theft from the person 0 0 Vehicle crime 3 2 Violence and sexual offences 20 17 Please visit: www.police.uk for more information including outcomes for these crimes and contact information for your local policing team. Upchurch Matters

Planning Exhibition for 78 New Homes Planned for Station Road, Rainham

78 new homes are planned for land west of Station Road, Rainham.

Click plan to enlarge. 

Rainham North Councillors Martin Potter and Kirstine Carr have arranged a planning exhibition at St. Margaret's Church, Rainham on Tuesday 28th January from 6:30pm to 7:30pm.

The exhibition will be an opportunity for residents to ask questions about and discuss outline planning application: MC/19/2898 submitted by McCullcoh Homes to build 78 new homes on land west of Station Road, Rainham - opposite Bakersfield.

Medway Council's Head of Planning Dave Harris will be there.

Details of the planning application were posted on Upchurch Matters in November 2019.

Link >> http://bit.ly/2XpLRzA

Upchurch Matters

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Upchurch Short Mat Bowls Club 60's Charity Night

Tickets from Brenda & Malc Groves on: 01634 388425

and from UpARA and USMBC meetings

Malcolm Groves

Upchurch Short Mat Bowls Club

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Swale Borough Council Opens Foodbank Grants For The Very First Time

Swale Borough Council opens Foodbank Grants for the very first time to help support those who provide for the borough’s most in need.

Local organisations are being encouraged to apply for funding from Swale Borough Council’s brand-new Foodbank Grant.

The council are offering a total of £15,000 to support community projects and organisations achieve the objectives of the Supporting Foodbanks Project.

The project helps foodbanks support people in severe need, promote healthier eating and tackle the causes of foodbank usage by working with others to offer specialist support and advice.

The applications process is open for four weeks, starting Monday (20th Jan) and closing on 17th February, and each organisation can apply for a maximum of £6,000.

Cllr Julian Saunders, deputy cabinet member for community at the council, said:

“Foodbanks provide a vital service in the community and it’s imperative that we support them in any way we can.

Too many people have had to use foodbanks to feed their families, and without them many wouldn’t have known where their next meal was coming from.

The grants will not only support the great work of the foodbanks but also those services that tackle the problems that force residents to use foodbanks in the first place.

The foodbank grant is open for four weeks and we encourage any service that works with foodbanks to get in touch and make an application.”

For more information about the grant, including an application form and guidance on how to apply, visit: www.swale.gov.uk/grants

Swale Borough Council 

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