Swale Borough Council Deep Cleans Roads to Improve Air Quality

Swale Borough Council has deep cleaned the roads and pavements in the borough’s five Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) to improve air quality.

As well as the usual level of cleansing to remove litter, leaves and debris and clear back the edges of weeds, council contractors Biffa worked to jet wash the tarmac in Newington, Ospringe, East Street and St Pauls Street in Sittingbourne, and Teynham to reduce the dangerous particulate matter deposited in the road from recirculating into the air.

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

“Deep cleaning the roads in our air quality management areas is important for eliminating the damaging particulate matter that is deposited into the road by traffic.

The dangerous matter can be deposited from vehicle brake pads, tyre wear, tail pipe exhaust emissions and various materials - mud, dust and other particles - attached to vehicle tyres.

When the deposits build up along the road, they can recirculate into the air every time a vehicle moves over them, which intensifies the pollution in an area already under a heavy burden.

We spend more than £1m each year on street cleansing services, street patrols to pick up litter and emptying more than 800 litter bins and 350 dog bins across the borough, and have now allocated additional funds to trial this extra service to reduce these dangerous particulates that can damage people’s health.”

For more information about air quality visit: www.swale.gov.uk/air-quality

Swale Borough Council

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Please Sponsor Upchurch Colts FC Under 13s

Who would like the opportunity to sponsor Upchurch Colts FC Under 13s for just £20?

As we all know it’s been a tough few months and we appreciate money is tight, however we are trying to fundraise for our club.

For the price of £20 per go or £50 for three goes, the winner would have their business name printed on the team tracksuits.

Pick a team and Email me: katiemfc@hotmail.com

Please give me two back-up teams in case your chosen one has already been taken.

To be paid by cash or PayPal: katiemfc@hotmail.com

Thank you

Katie Kemlo

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Swale Borough Council Asks Local People for Their Input on Council Matters

Local communities will now have greater involvement in council decisions after a date was set for the first round of area committee meetings at last week’s annual council meeting.

The four area committees - Eastern, Sittingbourne, Sheppey and Western - will help give local people their say on council matters.

The first meeting will be the Western committee on 1st September, followed by Sittingbourne on 8th September, Sheppey on 22nd September and Eastern on 29th September.

Cllr Mike Baldock, deputy leader of the council, said:

“Area committees give local councillors a chance to reconnect with the public and bring valuable local insight to council decision-making.

We plan for the first round of area committee meetings to take place in September, however we now need to consider how we get the committees off the ground while taking social distancing rules into account.

Once off the ground, committees will draw up work programmes to improve quality of life in their areas and enable local insight to be brought to bear on issues being decided by the cabinet or the whole council.

Following consultation with the public late last year, we’ve decided on four areas - Eastern, Sittingbourne, Sheppey and Western - to allow for the nuances of town, country and coast to be fairly represented.

Honest and open dialogue with the public is a key priority for us, and we’re excited to get the first round of committees up and running”

The four committees will be made up of all the councillors representing wards in the following areas:

• Eastern - Abbey, Boughton and Courtenay, East Downs, Priory, St Ann’s, Teynham and Lynsted and Watling wards.

• Sheppey – Minster Cliffs, Queenborough and Halfway, Sheerness, Sheppey Central and Sheppey East.

• Sittingbourne - Chalkwell, Homewood, Kemsley, Milton Regis, Murston and Roman.

• Western - Bobbing, Iwade and Lower Halstow, Borden and Grove Park, Hartlip Newington and Upchurch, the Meads, Woodstock and West Down.

Swale Borough Council

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Saturday Night Mussels Special at Upchurch River Valley Golf Course

Jenny Giles - Upchurch River Valley Golf Course

Telephone: 01634 360626

Website: www.rivervalleygolf.co.uk

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Poolside Bar Courtyard Presents The Mel Harris 60’s Show at Upchurch River Valley Golf Course

Free Entry - Non Members Welcome

Jenny Giles - Upchurch River Valley Golf Course

Telephone: 01634 360626

Website: www.rivervalleygolf.co.uk

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Changes at Upchurch's Co-op

After 5 years away, Nik Clements has returned to Upchurch's Co-op this week as the new store manager. Nik is delighted to be back working in the village and looking forward to becoming more involved with community life and seeing all your familiar faces again in store.

As the store manager, Nik is keen to hear what customers would like to see in our local Co-op. She will read all your feedback and where possible will make improvements based on your comments while continuing the good work her team already does.

Please continue to complete the 'your store your say' surveys using store number 7889 at >> www.yourstoreyoursay.com for your chance to win 1 of 10 £250 vouchers each month.

Thank you

Good luck Nik 🤞🏼

David would like to thank you all. Upchurch is the best store he has worked in, he says, with the best team and the loveliest customers. He will be back in August covering holidays, so you haven't seen the last of him just yet!

We wish David well in his new role and would like to thank him for all his hard work in Upchurch, particularly during the Coronavirus lockdown when the village really needed its local Co-op.

Thank you, David 👏🏼

Upchurch Matters

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