Swale Borough Council - Local Plan Review Going to Consultation

Councillors have this week (Wednesday, 3rd February) agreed to go out to consultation on the draft Local Plan Review.

The review of the existing Local Plan Bearing Fruits will help guide the development of the borough until 2038 and, if adopted, will set the basis for future planning decisions.

The local plan creates a blueprint for when and where major developments can take place, and where they shouldn’t.

It takes account of the feedback from earlier consultations that have taken place since 2018, including the “Looking Ahead” consultation on proposals for garden communities, which had the largest response of any Local Plan consultation in the borough.

Cllr Mike Baldock, cabinet member for planning at the council, said:

“Many people - myself included - disagree with the excessive housing targets the Government continues to impose on us.

“Unfortunately, we have to make sure we have a local plan that can meet these targets, or we risk losing the ability to decide what is built in the borough for ourselves.

“Previous consultations raised concerns about new garden communities, traffic congestion, air quality, our town centres, the lack of infrastructure and affordable housing and the need for quality jobs.

“We’ve listened to these, removed the contentious garden communities, and worked to put together proposals that I believe makes the best out of the impositions made by government.

“This is a package of ambitious and innovative policies reflecting the priorities of this council towards climate change, bio-diversity, affordable housing and regenerating our town centres.

“We will now go to the public to get their views on the draft, take stock of the comments submitted and consider our submissions to the inspector. This will then become the focus of the independent examination, the next stage in the process, which is expected to take place in 2022.”

The plan will be available for public viewing on the council’s website from Monday 8th February until Tuesday 23rd March 2021.

With libraries and council offices closed due to the pandemic, it won’t be possible to provide physical copies of the plans at these locations. Hard copies, or extracts from documents, may be made available at cost on request from: LPcomments@swale.gov.uk or by calling: 01795 417 014.

The meeting agenda and full report including the proposed local plan can be viewed here

Swale Borough Council

Free Virtual Training For New Flood Wardens

For more information on being a Flood Warden, visit: www.kentprepared.org.uk/flood-wardens

To register for training, visit: https://bit.ly/2LohGar

The training will be delivered via Zoom and is free to access via smartphone, tablet or computer. Full guidance for easy access provided.

Kent Community Messaging

Swale Borough Council - Transport to Covid-19 Vaccinations for the Clinically Extremely Vulnerable

Swale Borough Council is working with local volunteers to provide free essential transport to covid-19 vaccination sites in the borough.

Working with Swale Community and Voluntary Services (Swale CVS), Swale council can help the clinically extremely vulnerable in the community to access their vital vaccinations.

Anyone who is clinically extremely vulnerable simply needs to call the council’s helpline and they will then make a referral on their behalf to Swale CVS. They will then match them up with a volunteer driver who will take them to and from their vaccination appointment for free.

Cllr Angela Harrison, cabinet member for health and wellbeing at the council, said:

“We know that many people in Swale are greatly anticipating their coronavirus vaccinations, but something as essential as transport can potentially be a barrier for some in the borough.

“That is why we are working with Swale CVS to provide free essential transportation to and from the vaccination sites so that we can help ensure as many people as possible are getting their vaccine.

“The NHS is working hard on the fast roll out of the vaccine, and we want to ensure that those who are unable to travel still have a way to get their vaccine safely. This vaccine is the first step towards us moving back to some form of normality.”

Transportation will be covid secure to ensure the safety of both the passenger and the driver. It is being fully funded by Swale council and is being supplied by volunteer drivers from Swale CVS.

To arrange transportation, please call the Swale council community support line on: 01795 417525, for a referral to Swale CVS.

Swale Borough Council

Gill Gay Will Be Collecting For Swale Foodbank Again

Hi everyone,

I would like to thank you all for the tremendous support we have received on behalf of Swale Foodbank so far.

My husband Ron and I will be collecting again in the bus stop lay-by opposite the Church in Horsham Lane on Wednesday the 10th of February between 10:30am and 11:30am.

Please come along with your donations (in carrier bags would be helpful) and put them into our open car boot while we remain at a safe distance.

We will then deliver your donations to the Swale Foodbank Warehouse, part of the Trussell Trust.

The items they are most in need of are:

Squash

Tinned Fruit

Tinned Fish

Tinned Meats

Tinned Potatoes

Instant Mash

Dry Cat Food

Nappies - specifically size 3, 6 and 7

They are also in desperate need of some “Bags for Life” type bags for the warehouse. They have been double-bagging every food parcel in much thinner bags, which is proving very time consuming and frustrating.

Thanks so much for every single donation we receive - we are deeply grateful!

Thank you

Gill Gay - Foodbank Co-ordinator

Email: gilliangay99@yahoo.co.uk

Who Do You Recognise - Do You Know the Year?

Click the photograph to enlarge.

Thanks to Elaine Hare for sharing this family photograph, believed to have been taken at Holywell School during the early 1900s.

Eliane believes it is her grandmother Ethel Wraight (nee Croucher) sitting at the front holding the board with “Upchurch No II” written on it.

Holywell School in Holywell Lane opened in 1847.

Who do you recognise?

Do you know the year?

Upchurch Matters

Vehicle Vandalised and Attempted Break in - Newington

Hartlip, Newington & Upchurch Ward

Crime Number: 46/13873/21

At 6:00pm on Wednesday the 27th of January, a suspect drove off in a white van after smashing the back window of a vehicle parked on Keycol Hill, Newington.

Crime Number: 46/15917/21

At 2:34am on Saturday the 30th of January, 2 suspects attempted to break into a truck in London Road, Newington. They ran off when they were disturbed by the householders.

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