Next round of Swale Borough Council Area Committee Meetings in March

Local communities can have their say on council decision making for their community at the next round of area committee meetings in March.

The first meeting will be the Western committee on 2nd March, followed by Sittingbourne on 9th March, Sheppey on 16th March and Eastern on 18th March.

Currently, each meeting is held virtually and has a dedicated 20-minute public forum to give local people the opportunity to have greater involvement in council decision making.

This round of meetings will discuss walking and cycling routes around villages, town centre regenerations and improving parish and town travel connections.

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

“This is our third round of area committee meetings since they began last summer.

“The meetings are held virtually and give local people the opportunity to be involved with council decision making.

“At the western meeting, we’ll be discussing how we can improve walking and cycle routes around villages.

“An update on the town centre regeneration will be discussed at the Sittingbourne meeting.

“The Sheerness town centre regeneration and a proposal for new toilets at Beachfields will be discussed at the Sheppey meeting.

“We’ll also be discussing how we can improve the travel connections between villages and the town centre to make it easier for people to visit the high street at the eastern meeting.”

To submit a question to an area committee meeting, Email: areacommittees@swale.gov.uk or call: 01795 417438 up to two working days before the meeting takes place.

To take part in the next round of area committee meetings (the skype link will be available 24 hours before the meeting begins) visit:

• Western 2nd March at 7:00pm
• Sittingbourne 9th March at 7:00pm
• Sheppey 16th March at 7:00pm
• Eastern 18th March at 7:00pm

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

Swale Borough Council - Council Tax and Budget Agreed for 2021/22

Band D households in Swale will be asked to pay just £3.54 per week for Swale Borough Council services in the coming financial year.

The proposals for Swale’s share of the council tax were agreed at a full council meeting this week (Wednesday, 24th February).

The rise will see band D households pay £184.32 a year for Swale Borough Council services, a rise of £4.95.

Most properties in Swale are in bands A-C, which means they will pay less than this.

Cllr Roger Truelove, leader of the council, said:

“The budget for the coming financial year is under severe pressure.

“We’ve managed to resist these pressures with regular support from Government through Covid related grants and with good internal financial management, but we still have a long road ahead as the local economy starts to recover.

“With the budget set for 2021-22, we can manage the challenges for the next year through the same combination of Government grants and sound control of expenditure we’ve demonstrated this year.

“We will only be asking for a council tax increase of 9p a week for band D properties, though I am aware that people’s overall charge will be affected by a larger Kent County Council precept which accounts for almost three-quarters of the total council tax bill for residents.

“The budget for the coming year outlines how we will carefully manage internal spending as well as drawing on our reserves to ensure we are delivering our core services and making improvements to the borough.

“We’ll be setting up the Rainbow Housing Company to provide more affordable housing, a project which is financially stable and allocating funds from our reserves to encourage growth and recovery in the borough.

“We’ll make it our priority to stimulate the local economy, our visitor economy, our heritage, our environment and public realm and our local community groups.”

Charges for Swale Borough Council services are only one element of the final council tax bill residents receive.

Householders’ council tax bills also include charges for Kent County Council, Kent Police and Crime Commissioner, Kent & Medway Fire and Rescue Service, and parish or town councils where these exist. These are set by the respective organisations and are collected on their behalf by Swale.

The council tax bill for a band D household for 2021/22 will be made up of:

• £1,418.79 - Kent County Council

• £218.15 - Kent Police
• £184.32 - Swale Borough Council
• £80.82 - Kent & Medway Fire and Rescue Authority

Along with any town or parish council precepts in areas where these exist.

The full report from the full council meeting can be found here

For more information about council tax, visit www.swale.gov.uk/council-tax

Swale Borough Council

Swale Borough Council - Local Plan Consultation Extended Until the 30th of April

Councillors have agreed to extend Swale Borough Council’s local plan review consultation to Friday, 30th April.

The extension was discussed at last night’s full council meeting (Wednesday, 25th February 2021).

Cllr Mike Baldock, deputy leader and cabinet member for planning, said:

“We are pleased the local plan consultation has been extended by an additional 38 days, increasing the total consultation period to almost 12 weeks - twice the length of the previous consultation for the Local Plan Review in 2018.

“We’ve worked hard during a difficult year to finalise a local plan with innovative policies that we are proud of, and we want people to have the time they need to submit their representations

“With libraries and council offices closed due to the pandemic, we’re unable to provide physical copies of the plans at these locations as we normally would, but the plan can be viewed on our website, and hard copies can be mailed out to those who need them.

“To make sure as many people as possible have the chance to respond, we’ll be writing to all households to let them know how they can share their views.”

The consultation started on Monday, 8th February and the local plan review can be viewed on the council’s website here

To request hard copies, or extracts from documents, Email: LPcomments@swale.gov.uk or call 01795 417 014.

Swale Borough Council

Everyone Counts in Census 2021

Kent residents are being reminded the 2021 Census is coming and that it is important to take part because the information it collects helps plan the services, like new hospitals, schools and GP surgeries, we need.

The unique survey happens once a decade, providing a snapshot of every person and household in England and Wales. It also gives us valuable insights into how our society is changing - further helping to ensure public money funds the facilities communities require, now and in the future.

As usual, Census 2021 will include standard questions about people’s sex, age, work, health, education, household size and ethnicity. But for the first time in its 220-year history, the census will also ask if people have served in the armed forces, as well as voluntary questions for those aged 16-and-over about sexual orientation and gender identity.

Everyone will be asked to take part online using any digital device, including mobile phone or tablet. Census Day is Sunday 21st March, but the form can be completed as soon as people receive their access code in the post. If household circumstances change on Census Day, the Office for National Statistics (ONS), who runs the survey, just need to know.

The ONS will also be providing support to anyone who wants it. This includes a free contact centre that can advise how to fill out the form, give guidance in a range of languages and accessible formats, including braille, and provide paper questionnaires to people unable to use, or access, the internet.

Kent County Council Leader Roger Gough said:

“The census is the biggest data-gathering exercise in the country and it tells us lots about ourselves - from the size of our population to how we heat our homes to our faith and education

“Given the changes created by the pandemic, and by leaving the EU, the 2021 Census is a particularly significant one and everyone counts.

“Numerous organisations, including local authorities like Kent County Council, emergency responders and charities, use census information to help to inform decisions on key services such as healthcare, education and transport. Given these things matter to us all, and are the foundations on which our communities function, we urge everyone to complete the questionnaire.”

Because it is such an important fact-finding project, taking part in the census is a legal requirement and, following Census Day, ONS field officers will visit homes that have not submitted the survey to ensure they get the support needed to finish it. The field officers will be supplied with PPE, will socially distance, not enter properties and will work in line with all government guidance - the same way as post or food is currently delivered.

The census form should take about 10 minutes to complete the household questions and 10 minutes per person. Everyone’s details are protected by law and results, published within 12 months, are anonymous. Census records are kept secure for 100 years and only then can they be seen by future generations.

You can find out more, including where to get help, and how Census 2021 will be carried out safely, via www.census.gov.uk

You can also follow @Census2021 on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram

Kent County Council

Allotment Storage Broken Into - Newington

Hartlip, Newington & Upchurch Ward

Crime Number: 46/30389/21

Between Monday the 22nd and Tuesday the 23rd of February, the storage shed at Newington Allotments, Orchard Drive, Newington was broken into, however, nothing was reported stolen.

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

Win a Fairtrade Hamper at Upchurch’s Co-op - Raising Money for MIND

It's Fairtrade Fortnight and to celebrate Upchurch’s Co-op is fundraising again for their chosen charity partner this year, MIND - the mental health and support charity.

Win a Fairtrade Hamper

Full of Fairtrade goodies including wine and chocolates!

Enter in store for £2 per strip - Please ask a member of staff at the till.

To be collected upon winning. The winner will be drawn on Monday the 8th of March.

Good luck 🤞🏼

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

Thank you 

Sally - Upchurch’s Co-op