KCC - Council Tax Help for Kent’s Most in Need

A further £6million of emergency COVID funding will be used to help Kent’s struggling households pay their Council Tax.

The move proposed by Kent County Council at last week’s annual Budget meeting, and now approved, means all existing Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS) working-age households will automatically have their 2021-22 Council Tax reduced by £50 - or by the total Council Tax due if this is less than £50.

There are over 65,000 families eligible for the CTRS scheme, compared to 56,000 a year ago.

New claimants eligible for CTRS throughout the year will also receive the additional reduction to their Council Tax bills.

On top of this extra help, one-off funding will also be given to every Kent district council to boost their Council Tax Hardship Fund. This will enable the districts to provide Council Tax relief to those who have been seriously impacted by the pandemic - suffering a loss in income, or a change in their financial circumstances, such as furlough or redundancy.

The Council Tax Hardship Relief Support Scheme is being rolled out as part of the Helping Hands Scheme announced by the County Council last week.

The latest cash injection means support available for individuals, families and businesses in Kent via the Helping Hands Scheme now stands at £16m. This wide-ranging initiative includes support for those most under pressure because of Coronavirus, including help with paying utility bills and tackling digital poverty.

The £16m comes from the final tranche of Emergency COVID-19 Grant funding awarded to KCC by government in recent months to help contain the outbreak. It also follows a 1.99% rise in general Council Tax increase (and 3% for adult social care) set in KCC’s 2021-22 Budget, as COVID continues to stretch public services and spending.

Kent Council Council Leader Roger Gough said:

“We know the pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on the finances of households who qualify for the Council Tax Reduction Scheme.

“The various lockdowns and restrictions, furlough, redundancy, or loss of self-employment, have also hit hard those who were just-about managing before the virus changed all our lives.

“We have lobbied hard for significant support from national government and continued to look at ways to support the county’s most vulnerable, particularly because of the unavoidable need to increase Council Tax for the next year.

“Directly targeting households under pressure now, and over the next 12 months, and boosting district hardship relief schemes, will make a difference.”

In total KCC has received £95m of COVID-19 Emergency Grant Funding from central government since March 2020.

Working with a range of partners, the Council has used the much-needed money to cover COVID-related costs on vital public services and to support Kent residents, families and businesses most in need. Initiatives supported include the setting up of a Business Recovery helpline, providing food packages for the clinically vulnerable and providing additional funding to voluntary organisations.

For more information about the Helping Hands Scheme and COVID emergency funding visit: https://kccmediahub.net/new-multi-million-fund-unveiled-to-help-most-in-need745

If you are vulnerable and have an urgent need that cannot be met through existing support networks, you can contact the Kent Together Helpline at: www.kent.gov.uk/KentTogether or by calling on: 03000 41 92 92. It is a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week service. You can read more about the helpline here and here

Kent County Council

Margaret Boakes

Margaret and husband Cyril, taken on their trip to Bruges. 

Margaret sadly passed away swiftly and unexpectedly

in the early hours of Christmas Day 2020.

A number of people have expressed an interest in seeing Mum off on her final journey.

Apparently in these 'new times', it has become quite common for people to pay their respects in this way, as only small funerals are permitted.

Mum (Margaret Boakes) will leave 103 Chaffes Lane, Upchurch on her final journey at 3:30pm on Tuesday 23rd February. Please remember to stay safe and observe current social distancing guidelines.

Thank you

Colin Boakes

Upchurch Parish Council Report - February 2021

Report of the Parish Council February 2021

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

i. Ref: 20/506123/FULL

Address: 8 Grenadier Close Upchurch Gillingham Kent ME8 8NQ

Proposal: Proposed single storey rear extension with rooflights.

Councillors considered the application and had no comment to make save that due weight be given to comments from neighbours.

 

ii. Ref: 21/500035/FULL

Address: 96 Chaffes Lane Upchurch Kent ME9 7BH

Proposal: Demolition of existing single storey extension and erection of part single and part two storey rear extension.

Councillors considered the application and had no comment to make save that due weight be given to comments from neighbours.

 

Upchurch Awards

Councillors considered the nominations received. All nominees were considered to be worthy of an award but only one adult award and one young person can be given. It is hoped to make the presentation at the Annual Parish Meeting, depending on any Government restrictions in place at the time.

 

Recreation Ground 

The Council has received positive feedback concerning the new fence at the Recreation Ground.

 

Burial Ground and Churchyard

Work has started to cut back overgrown bushes in the Burial Ground.

 

Street Lighting

UK Power Networks will start work to connect the new lights and will be finished by mid-March. The old lights will be removed.  

 

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 4^th March 2021 at 7:30pm.

The Planning Committee and General Purposes Committee - Wednesday 17^th March at 7:30pm. 

 

The Local Authorities (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority Meetings) Regulations 2020 now gives Local Councils the power to meet remotely during this COVID-19 pandemic and Upchurch Parish Council is now holding meetings virtually.  Please check the website for details of the meetings.

All residents are welcome to view the meetings and there is a time for members of the public to comment, raise concerns or ask questions.

Please contact the Clerk, clerkupc@outlook.com to obtain login details for the meeting.

Wendy Licence - Clerk to the Parish Council
Tel: 01622 739324
Email: clerkupc@outlook.com
Website: www.upchurchpc.kentparishes.gov.uk

Swale Borough Council Waste and Recycling Wheelie Bin Collections - Update

Crews have been working hard to catch up on delayed general waste collections following last week’s snow.

Despite this, it is looking unlikely that we will be able to catch up on collections enough to start on missed recycling collections.

We will continue to prioritise missed general waste and general waste and recycling bins that are due for collection this week. If your recycling was due for collection last week and you have left your bins out, please take them in for now.

We hope to start fresh on collections next week to the regular collection schedule. If you have excess recycling next week from the missed collections this can be left next to your bin in a cardboard box or in clear sacks.

We apologise for the inconvenience and thank you for your understanding and patience.

Swale Borough Council

Swale Borough Council - Op Assist

Waste Carriers were targeted on Friday (12th February) 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 to carry out enquiries, arrest people suspected of fly-tipping, seize vehicles and collate evidence with a view to prosecuting offenders for waste-related crimes.

Outcomes of the day are:

• 6 vehicles stopped and searched

• 2 Fixed Penalty Notices issued

• 1 vehicle seized

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

“We’ve been cracking down on fly-tipping across the borough.

“These crackdown days give us the opportunity to work with the Police Rural Task Force to prosecute offenders for waste-related crimes.

“Six vehicles were stopped and searched, two fixed penalty notices were issued, and one vehicle was seized by the police on Friday.

“We also spoke to drivers who had failed to keep a record of where they had collected their waste from and explained how important it is for waste carriers to not only be licensed properly but to retain a log of their collections and delivery waste transfer notes. Failing to do so can result in an on the spot fine of £400.

“We also issued two fixed penalty notices to drivers. One who failed to have a waste carrier license and one for not having waste transfer notes for the waste on the vehicle.

“One vehicle was seized by the police for traffic offences, including not having current tax, insurance or MOT for the vehicle.”

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 where ever 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

Winner of the Valentine's Breakfast in Bed Hamper at Upchurch’s Co-op - Raising Money for MIND

Congratulations to Helen Boakes, winner of the Valentine's Breakfast in Bed Hamper at Upchurch’s Co-op.

Thanks to everyone who bought tickets 🤗

You helped us raise £62 for our chosen charity this year, MIND - the mental health and support charity.

Please keep a lookout for future raffles and events to come.

Read more about MIND at: www.mind.org.uk

Sally - Upchurch’s Co-op