Emergency Road Closure - Horsham Lane, Upchurch

It will be necessary to close Horsham Lane, Upchurch from Wednesday 20th January 2021 for up to 1 day.

The road will be closed at outside 23 to 27 Horsham Lane.

The alternative route is via Oak Lane, Wallbridge Lane and Horsham Lane.

This is to enable urgent pole replacement works to be carried out by Avidety.

Kent County Council 24hr Contact Centre:

03000 418181 (9:00am - 5:00pm)

03000 419191 (5:00pm - 9:00am)

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

Kent County Council - Highways, Transportation & Waste

Upchurch Village Challenge

Hi All, 

During our walk the other day, our family made a little walking quiz about Upchurch village, aimed at primary school-aged children.

You can download and print out the 20 questions here >> https://bit.ly/3iBPDk0

See how many you answered correctly with the answers here >> https://bit.ly/3p1t2Qa

Have fun, and we hope you enjoy the challenge!

Frankie Cogger

VERY IMPORTANT 🔽

Please answer the quiz safely at home.

If you need to leave your home for any of the permitted reasons, please stay safe and always stick to the current government rules around exercising and being outdoors which you can read here >> http://bit.ly/2XYOjhn

Upchurch Young Person Award

Upchurch Parish Council would like to present an award to a young person who has made an outstanding contribution to their local community.

If you know of a young person living in Upchurch who deserves an award then please nominate them.

There is still time to nominate someone for the Kent Association of Local Councils - Community Award 2021 which acknowledges and gives recognition to those that have made a significant contribution to their local community.

More details at >> http://bit.ly/35mNqDw

Please send your nominations to:

Mrs Wendy Licence - Clerk to the Parish Council

14 Trapfield Close

Bearsted

Maidstone

Kent

ME14 4HT

Or Email it to: clerkupc@outlook.com

Thank you

The closing date for nominations is Sunday the 31st of January 2021.

Upchurch Matters

Kenneth Sidney Baldock 1926 - 2021

Ken Baldock.

Sadly, Kenneth Baldock of Ham Green, Upchurch passed away at home on Friday the 15th of January. He had recently celebrated his 95th birthday.

He Leaves behind four children Rita, Robert, Linda and Kevin. Seven grandchildren, thirteen great grandchildren and three great great grandchildren!

Ken was a keen fisherman and gardener and was a member of Upchurch Horticultural Society for many years.

He will be greatly missed by all.

Thank you

Hayley
Ken’s granddaughter

Village Halls Week 2021 - Celebrating 100 Years Together

Village Halls Week 2021 will recognise the contribution England’s 10,000+ halls have made to rural communities since the 1920s.

The campaign week, now in its 4th year, is set to take place from Monday 25th to Friday 29th January and will feature online events, videos, podcasts, and blogs showcasing the history of village halls and the benefits they have derived over the years. It is a national celebration of all halls and the difference the volunteers who run them make to the rural communities they serve.

ACRE's 2021 campaign will be a celebration of how village halls are survivors. Many have been bringing people together in rural communities since the 1920s. And in the past year, the volunteers who manage these buildings have shown great determination and resilience in the face of Coronavirus, negotiating lockdowns and putting in place Covid Secure measures so they could continue supporting their local community.

As social gatherings are currently off-limits, Village Halls Week will look at bit different in 2021. In the past ACRE network members have hosted various events across the country but this year they will be moving this activity online in the spirit of the times.

ACRE encourage all village halls to join them in this national celebration:

• Register to take part in online events - links below.

• Follow ACRE on social media.

• Sign ACRE's Village Halls Centenary ‘Doomsday’ Book to tell MPs about the good work you’ve been doing - coming soon! 
• Contact your ACRE Network member to find out what’s going on locally and check this listing

Managed by volunteers, village and community halls support a diverse range of community activities from exercise classes to coffee mornings and are routinely hired out for private parties and weddings. Some host community shops and post offices.

In a survey undertaken by ACRE last year, it was found that 60% of village halls provide the only meeting space in the local community. An estimated 50,000 individuals to are reliant on the use of village halls to make a living.

Information about Village Halls Week 2021, including a programme, is available on the ACRE website at >> www.acre.org.uk

#VillageHallsWeek

Upchurch Matters

Medway Council - Medway’s Housing Target ‘Extremely Disappointing’

Councillor Alan Jarrett.

Councillor Alan Jarrett, Leader of Medway Council, has spoken out about his disappointment of the government increasing Medway’s housing target.

In September, Medway Council supported the government’s proposal to change the methodology to calculate the number of new homes each area across the country is required to deliver. The proposal would have reduced Medway’s housing target by more than 8,000, from 28,300 homes to 20,000.

However, last month Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick confirmed the government has not adopted September’s proposal. Medway now faces the challenge of delivering 1,662 new homes each year during the Local Plan period: 2020-2037.

Cllr Alan Jarrett, Leader of Medway Council, said:

“The council is working hard to achieve sustainable and realistic growth for Medway’s residents, providing additional facilities with new builds, so the government’s announcement that Medway now faces a higher housing target than we had hoped is certainly extremely disappointing news.

“If the proposed methodology put forward in September had been brought in, Medway could have potentially met its housing targets. However, we now face an uphill struggle to reach the target we’ve been given by government of building 28,300 new homes by 2037. What’s even more disconcerting is that we potentially face repercussions from the government if we fail to squeeze 1,662 new homes into Medway each year.

“Medway is committed to delivering new homes to meet its residents’ needs, as well as much needed new amenities such as schools, but we will do this within a sustainable way that’s best for Medway’s future. While drafting Medway’s Local Plan we have carefully considered how the area could evolve including providing sufficient jobs and infrastructure for a growing population, as well as maintaining Medway’s parks and historic sites. We remain committed to protecting Medway’s bright future and not adding to the pressures our services and health care providers already face.

“We will do all we can to protect Medway and ensure it remains an excellent place to live, work, learn and visit for now and in the future.”

Medway Council