Swale Borough Council Grants £20,000 Towards The Play Area at Newington Recreation Ground

Children of all ages will be able to enjoy the refurbished play area at Newington Recreation Ground later this year thanks to a £20,000 grant from Swale Borough Council.

The council’s contribution could help install a wheelchair friendly roundabout, a new trim trail and climbing frame, and create a picnic area for families to enjoy during the warmer months.

The play area already has a floodlit ball court with basketball hoops, teen shelter, slide, see-saw, climbing frame, zip wire, basket swing and four flat-seat swings, plus a sputnik roundabout and two cradle-seat swings for toddlers.

A survey of residents, carried out by the Friends of Newington Recreation Ground, showed people frequently used the popular park but would like to see it modernised with more options for disabled children and wheelchair users.

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

“The Friends of Newington Recreation Ground have been tirelessly raising money to carry out the improvements for the new play area and we are pleased to provide this £20,000 to help them reach their goal.

We make £1 million available every year for special projects around the borough, and important projects like this are a great example of how these grants can make a big difference.

We’re pleased to support the efforts of local people to deliver this project alongside Kent County Council, Newington Parish Council and Friends of Newington Recreation Ground.

This is a wonderful example of what we can achieve when working together as a team.”

Judy Haynes, secretary for the Friends of Newington Recreation Ground, said:

“We are delighted with the support from the council. We’ve raised £40,000 since the process began in 2018 and this additional £20,000 has given us a real boost towards our goal of achieving an exciting, modern and inclusive playground for the residents of Newington.

We asked people what they wanted to see in the play area, and they were clear with us - benches, an accessible roundabout and sensory items were a priority, and more than 50 per cent of survey respondents requested a zip wire.

The parish council installed the zip wire last summer, so we’ll use this money to go to tender and seek bids that can offer us the best solution for the whole village.

We hope the play area will be completed before the end of the year.”

For more information about applying for a grant visit: www.swale.gov.uk/grants

Swale Borough Council

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Neville Wildish 1932 - 2020

Neville sadly passed away on Wednesday the 29th of January 2020.

His funeral will be held at 3:00pm on Tuesday the 3rd of March at Garden of England Crematorium, Sheppey Way, Bobbing, Sittingbourne ME9 8GZ.

Thank you

Susan Wildish

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Adrian Leppenwell at Church Lane Art Studio

Adrian at Church Lane Art Studio in Newington with
his stunning acrylic painting entitled “ View from the M2”.

Local artist Adrian Leppenwell was born in Upchurch and later moved to Newington where he spent his childhood. It was here that Adrian's love for our countryside and painting landscapes developed.

After studying art at school, Adrian has continued to paint ever since; working mainly in watercolour, and sometimes with acrylics. After a long career serving the motor trade, he decided to become a professional artist and opened his own art studio around 3 years ago.

Some lovely landscapes in watercolour painted at
Adrian's workshop for Malling Art Club.

Now an established and in-demand demonstrater, Adrian teaches and guides others through the techniques needed to create a landscape in watercolour at his classes for clubs and art societies all over Kent.

In addition, Adrian runs workshops from his art studio in Newington where you can enjoy a full day painting under his expert instruction. These allow for highly-personalised tuition, not usually found at art classes and are open to artists of all abilities.

Click the picture collage to enlarge.
Adrian's passion for capturing local landscapes in case some disappear forever
has led him to paint many of our local beauty spots. Pictured above:
Horsham Lane, Upchurch - Barges at Funton Bottom, Lower Halstow
St. Margaret's Church, Lower Halstow - Riverside, Rainham
St. Mary's Church, Upchurch - Near St. Mary's Church, Newington.

All Adrian's paintings are original, one-off pieces, sold unframed and are watercolours unless stated otherwise. If you would like to commission a painting or are interested in exhibiting Adrian's work, please contact him directly.

Viewings of Adrian's work, at Church Lane Art Studio, are available by appointment.

Adrian's website has details of his art classes and workshops with galleries of his own paintings to browse, including those available to buy.

Find out more at: www.adrianleppenwellsart.co.uk

'Like' Adrian on Facebook to be the first to see his latest work as it arrives and to find out about upcoming classes and exhibitions.

Follow Adrian on Twitter: @Adrianleppenwe1

Telephone: 07771 362177 or Email: adrian@adrianleppenwellsart.co.uk

Upchurch Matters

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Temporary Road Closure - Callaways Lane, Newington

Kent County Council has made an order to temporarily prohibit through traffic on Callaways Lane, Newington from Monday 9th March 2020 for up to 3 days between the hours of 09:00 and 17:00.

The road will be closed in the general vicinity of Cromac, to the extent indicated by signs and barriers on site.

The alternative route for through traffic is via Callaways Lane, Bull Lane and High Street.

Access for emergency service vehicles and pedestrians will be maintained at all times during the closure.

Traffic management operations will be on-site, to allow for residential access during the closure, using metal plates when it is safe to do so.

The closure is required for the safety of the public and workforce while water main connection works are undertaken by Southern Water.

For information regarding this closure please contact Southern Water on: 0330 303 0368, who will be able to assist with the scope of the works.

The KCC Highways 24hr Contact Centre helpline is: 03000 418181

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

Kent County Council - Highways, Transportation & Waste
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UpARA Valentine's Party 2020

Over 100 members enjoyed live band, Rebound at UpARA's Valentine's Party in the Village Hall on Friday 14th February 2020.

The band packed the dance floor from 7:30pm until they finished playing.

The fantastic amount of £1,000 was raised towards the Village Hall Restoration Fund.

Bryn Howells

UpARA

Email: uparaupchurch@gmail.com

Website: www.upara.club

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Upchurch Parish Council Report - February 2020

Report of the Parish Council February 2020

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

Ref: 19/506093/FULL Address: Ebenezer Chapel Halstow Lane Upchurch ME9 7AA

Proposal: Conversion of existing vacant building to 4no. two bedroom and 1no. one bedroom flats over three floors, including car parking for 6no. cars, bike and bin stores. Demolition of existing boiler room and stores. 

Councillors considered the application and the objections of the neighbours. Concerns were raised as to whether there were sufficient parking spaces and also with regards to the visibility splay as the information from KCC Highways was insufficient. The concerns of the neighbours need to be addressed. 

Councillors agreed to support the application subject to neighbours’ views being taken into account and that KCC Highways looks at the access and egress point which is on a bend on a narrow road.

Ref: 19/506127/FULL Address: Starborne Oak Lane Upchurch ME9 7BB

Proposal: Demolition of the existing bungalow and 2no. outbuildings, and erection of a replacement four bedroom family home with attached garage.

Councillors considered the application and agreed to support the proposal.

Ref: 19/506175/LAWPRO Address: 10 Woodruff Close Upchurch ME8 7XQ

Proposal: Lawful Development Certificate for proposed loft conversion.

Councillors noted the application.

Ref: 19/506300/FULL Address: 96 Chaffes Lane Upchurch ME9 7BH

Proposal: Demolition of existing outbuilding and construction of single storey single person annexe for use ancillary to main house.

Councillors considered the application and in the absence of any justification for need for this dwelling, agreed to object in principle to the proposal.

Ref: 20/500014/FULL Address: Former Greens Garage Site London Road Upchurch ME9 8PT

Proposal: Change of use of the vacant car sales premises to a Sui Generis use as an office and yard for a gas mains engineering contractor and the hard surfacing of a currently open part of the site as yard space.

Councillors considered the proposal and noted that there are two dwellings near the site.  The business operates twenty-four hours a day and there may need to be restrictions regarding the operation. The Parish Council has asked if the hours of operation will take into account the two residential dwellings near the site.

Paddock and Recreation Ground 

The No Dog Fouling sign is missing from The Paddock and the Community Warden is obtaining another sign from Swale Borough Council. 

The Paddock and Recreation Ground hedges have been cut back and the bush on the Oak Lane side of the Recreation Ground has been removed.

Councillors have agreed to a request for a memorial bench in The Paddock.

Street Lighting

The contractor has agreed to honour the tender submitted a year ago and work is expected to start on the upgrade to the lights soon.

Footpaths 

Following the issues with bottles being smashed on the footpath ZR21, the Golf Course has moved the recycling bin to nearer the clubhouse. The Council is grateful to the Golf Course for its prompt action.

Footpath ZR10 has been blocked and this has been reported to KCC Public Right of Way.

Environment

Dog fouling continues to be a problem in the village. Dog fouling can lead to an increased risk in and toxocara canis can pass from dog waste to humans as Toxocariasis through contaminated sand or soil, and children are at particular risk. The Parish Council asks all dog owners to be responsible and clean up after their dogs.

VE Day 75^th Anniversary 8^th May 2020

Preparations continue for the event to celebrate the 75^th anniversary of VE Day. The Council has booked a Captain Mainwaring impersonator and a gramophone DJ with two vintage gramophones for the event.

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 March 2020 at 7:30pm in Upchurch Village Hall.

The Planning Committee and General Purposes Committee - Wednesday 18^th March. 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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