Local Elections - May 2021

Swale Borough Council is preparing to oversee the elections taking place on May 6th 2021.

The Government delayed some elections scheduled to take place last year due to the pandemic but have confirmed they will take place in May this year.

Swale is responsible for administering elections in the borough and has been working on plans to ensure the elections can take place safely.

The elections taking place in the borough are:

• Kent County Council - there are six electoral divisions for county council elections in the borough, which will return seven county councillors. For more information, visit the Kent County Council website, where you can also view public notices about the election. 

• Kent Police and Crime Commissioner - the person responsible for overseeing how crime is tackled across the county. For more information, visit the Kent Police & Crime Commissioner website or call 0808 196 2170.

• Swale Borough Council by-election: Sheerness Ward
• Warden Parish Council by-election

• Faversham Town Council by-elections:
- Abbey Ward
- Priory Ward
- Watling Ward

To vote in elections in your areas, you need to be on the electoral register and Swale wrote to 62,850 homes last month to remind people to check their details were correct.

If you’ve recently moved house you may not be on the register, but you can easily register by visiting www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

The deadline for registering to vote is midnight on Monday, 19th April. You do not need to re-apply if you are already on the register - if you're unsure, call the helpline on 01795 417 316.

The recent postcard mailing to households also included advice about safe voting during the pandemic and encouraged anyone concerned to register for a postal or proxy vote.

The deadline to apply to vote by post, is 5:00pm on Tuesday, 20th April, and the deadline to apply for a proxy vote is 5:00pm on Tuesday, 27th April.

For more information visit www.swale.gov.uk/elections

Swale Borough Council

Maidstone Road and Upchurch Surgery - Second Covid-19 Vaccination Roll Out

Dr Supriya Das & Dr Lakshmi Subbiah

1. If you booked your first jab via your GP surgery, then:

Surgeries will be contacting patients approximately 10 - 11 weeks after their first vaccination with an appointment to receive their second jab, including the location, i.e. at Parkwood Health Centre.

2. If you booked your first jab online, then:

You should have been notified already of the appointment to receive your second jab. 

Ray Kemsley

Chair - Surgery Patient Participation Group - Upchurch & Rainham

POSTPONED: Urgent Road Closure - Breach Lane, Upchurch

It will be necessary to close Breach Lane, Upchurch from Tuesday 23rd March 2021 for up to 3 days.

The road will be closed opposite Auto Evolution, to the extent indicated by signs and barriers on site.

The alternative route is via Breach Lane, The Street, Horsham Lane, Otterham Quay Lane, Moor Street and A2.

This is to enable water pipe repairs to be carried out by Southern Water.

For information regarding the closure please contact Southern Water on: 0330 303 0368, who will be able to assist with the scope of the works.

Kent County Council 24hr Contact Centre: 03000 418181

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

Kent County Council - Highways, Transportation & Waste

Swale Borough Council’s Winter Support Scheme Extended to Help Families This Easter

Community organisations that support Swale’s most vulnerable residents will receive a share of £55,000 from Swale Borough Council’s winter support scheme.

The council received £108,000 from Kent County Council (KCC) to deliver food boxes to people who had been impacted by the pandemic back in December.

The remaining money will now be distributed to community organisations in Swale to help support families who could be struggling through the Easter holidays.

Cllr Richard Palmer, cabinet member for community, said:

“We’ve distributed £55,000 between the key community organisations we’ve been working with through our winter support scheme.

“Swale Foodbank and Diversity House in Sittingbourne, Faversham Foodbank and West Faversham Community Association, and Family Foodbank and Oasis Academy in Sheerness, as well as our Staying Put service have all received money to help people keep their families warm and fed this Easter.

“The winter support scheme was initially set up to help to deliver food boxes to people who had been hit hard by the pandemic.

“We’ve delivered 815 boxes and supported 1,421 residents so far and will continue to deliver food boxes until 31st March.

“By handing the remaining money directly to the organisations who are on the ground talking to people and understanding the challenges they are facing, we can really help to provide people with what they need most. 

“We know that families are under strain and might be worried about how they will feed their families and keep them warm during the Easter school holidays, and we encourage anybody who may be struggling to reach out to their local foodbank or community group for help.

“KCC will also be handing out benefit-related meal vouchers to families who received free school meals.” 

For more information visit: www.swale.gov.uk/news-and-your-council/coronavirus/covid-winter-grant-scheme

Swale Borough Council

Council Leader Warns Not to be Complacent as Infection Rate Falls - With Information on Taking Regular Covid Tests

Councillor Roger Truelove.

The leader of Swale Borough Council is calling on local people not to be complacent about the number of new coronavirus cases.

Though Swale’s infection rate has come down dramatically it is still slightly above the Kent average and could bounce back if people begin to ignore public health guidelines.

The vaccination programme is encouraging but until everyone has had two vaccines the risk remains. The news that supplies of vaccine for those under 50 will be delayed is further cause for care.

Cllr Roger Truelove, leader of the council, said:

“It took a national lockdown for our figures to come down to this level, and whilst the vaccine rollout is going well, we simply can’t afford to be complacent.

“We all need to carry on following the national directions, and keep ourselves and others safe, if we want to gradually enjoy the relaxations the government has set out in its roadmap.

“We’ve recently seen schools reopen, and we will soon be allowed to meet up outside with others, albeit with restrictions. The effect of these changes won’t be seen for up to a month later, and we don’t want to risk the dates being delayed because we are stretching the rules.

“Our public health colleagues are encouraging everyone to take regular symptom-free tests, twice a week, so we can try to prevent cases spiralling upwards again.

“Households where there are children in school can pick up home testing kits, and local businesses have been invited to carry out workplace testing to keep their workforce, and their families, safe.”

To book a symptom-free test, visit: www.kent.gov.uk/symptomfreetest

If you are experiencing any of the COVID-19 symptoms – high temperature, a new or continuous cough, a loss or change in taste or smell – you should NOT visit a symptom free testing site and you should continue to self-isolate. You can book a symptomatic test by visiting: www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or by calling 119.

If you live in a household, or are in a support or childcare bubble with children attending school that includes primary, secondary or college pupils or staff, you can get twice-weekly tests by:

• booking a test via: www.kent.gov.uk/symptomfreetest
• collecting home test kits from a collection point
• ordering home test kits online

There is more information, including where your nearest collection point is, at: www.gov.uk/guidance/rapid-lateral-flow-testing-for-households-and-bubbles-of-school-pupils-and-staff

Businesses can order rapid tests for employees at: www.gov.uk/get-workplace-coronavirus-tests

Swale Borough Council

School Roof Damaged - Hartlip

Hartlip, Newington & Upchurch Ward

Crime Number: 46/43296/21

Between Monday the 15th and Tuesday the 16th of March, intruders damaged several roof tiles at Hartlip Endowed CE Primary School, The Street, Hartlip.

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