Medway Council - Free Parking Mondays in Selected Car Parks Across Medway

Free Monday parking in 10 car parks

From Monday the 3rd of April 2023, there will be free parking every Monday from 9:00am in 10 car parks across Medway.

You do not need to do anything, just park and enjoy the benefits that your local high street has to offer.

Be aware that if your vehicle is still in the car park when the next charging period starts, you will have to ensure that payment is then made to cover your continued stay.

Times vary, please see below for details:

Chatham

• The Brook car park - free from 9:00am on Monday until 12.01am on Tuesday

• St Johns car park - free from 9:00am on Monday until 7:00am on Tuesday

Rochester

• Blue Boar Lane car park - free from 9:00am on Monday until 7:00am on Tuesday

• Cathedral car park - free from 9:00am on Monday until 7:00am on Tuesday

Gillingham

• Littlewoods car park - free from 9:00am on Monday until 7:00am on Tuesday

• Balmoral Gardens car park - free from 9:00am on Monday until 7:00am on Tuesday

Rainham

• Longley Road car park - free from 9:00am on Monday until 7:00am on Tuesday

• Cricketers car park - free from 9:00am on Monday until 7:00am on Tuesday

Strood

• Temple Street car park - free from 9:00am on Monday until 7:00am on Tuesday

• Commercial Road car park - free from 9:00am on Monday until 7:00am on Tuesday

Encouraging more people to visit our high streets

Leader of Medway Council, Cllr Alan Jarrett, said:

“We are committed to supporting local businesses and this free parking initiative aims to encourage more people to visit our high streets. Motorists do not need to do anything to use the free parking, simply park and enjoy the wide variety of shops on offer in our town centres.”

Helping small businesses

Tim Aker, Development Manager for the Federation of Small Businesses in Kent and Medway, said:

“Introducing these periods of free parking will help small businesses on the high street. Footfall matters to independent retailers and those businesses struggling with the increasing cost of doing business. We are aware of the financial pressures councils are under, and this move demonstrates Medway Council’s commitment to its high streets and small businesses.”

Medway Council

Holywell Primary School - School Council | Afternoon Tea and Discussion

You are invited to an Afternoon Tea (tea and cakes) for the children to interact with people from the local community and discuss how Upchurch has changed over the years, what the best things about living in Upchurch are and what problems people in Upchurch may face, such as litter, overpopulation etc.

These conversations will then inform our decision on what we will focus our young citizens' action project on.

Please RSVP by Monday the 20th of March.

Email: office@holywell.kent.sch.uk

Telephone: 01634 388416

Holywell Primary School

Appeal to Build up to 74 New Homes on Land off Otterham Quay Lane, Upchurch, Allowed

The Secretary of State and Planning Inspectorate has allowed (subject to a schedule of conditions) an appeal by Gladman Developments Limited challenging Swale Borough Council's refusal to grant permission for outline planning application: 21/501839/OUT for up to 74 dwellings at land off Otterham Quay Lane, Upchurch, with public open space, landscaping, sustainable drainage system and vehicular access point - all matters reserved except for means of access.

The site is part of a commercial pear orchard located in Otterham Quay Lane at the junction with Lower Rainham Road.

Click plan to enlarge.

Swale Borough Council refused the planning application in May 2022, and the developer subsequently lodged an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate in October 2022 and requested a public inquiry. The Inspector's hearing for the appeal took place over 2 days at Swale House on Wednesday the 11th and Thursday the 12th of January 2023.

The Planning Inspectorate appeal decision document can be viewed at >> http://bit.ly/3TqNIRO

The Swale Borough Council planning decision notice and Medway Council consultee comment letters of objection along with the appeal and hearing documents can be viewed at >> https://bit.ly/3wJ9Ahx

Upchurch Matters' post regarding the original planning application can be viewed at >> https://bit.ly/32CKIrU and the developer's pre-application consultation at >> https://bit.ly/3v7X4oL

Upchurch Matters

Become a Local Cause - Register Your Interest Now for the Co-op Local Community Fund

The Co-op Local Community Fund

The Co-op Local Community Fund supports projects across the UK that its members care about.

Every time Co-op members buy selected Co-op branded products and services, 2p for every pound spent goes to them, and the Co-op gives the same to support community organisations and local causes.

Co-op members have helped raise £101.08 million for UK causes and £43,847 for causes near Upchurch.

Register your interest now

To apply to be a local cause, you must be part of a not-for-profit group and run a project that will benefit your local community.

To find out if you can apply to become a local cause in t

he Co-op Local Community Fund and to read the fund terms and conditions, visit: www.coop.co.uk/membership/lcf-who-can-apply

Applications are currently closed and will open again in spring 2023, 

but you can register your interest now at: www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/LCFRegsiterInterest, and the Co-op will contact you when they are open for applications.

If successful, you will be part of the Local Community Fund, usually for 12 months.

You can encourage Co-op members to support your local cause, and the more members that shop at the Co-op, the more money your project will receive.

Co-op membership

To become a Co-op member and choose a local cause to support, visit: coop.co.uk/membership

Our current 3 local causes are:

1st Upchurch Brownies and Guides

Upchurch Village Hall

SATEDA

Sally Butcher - Member Pioneer

Email: sally.butcher@coop.co.uk

Upchurch Fifty Years Ago in March 1973 by David Wood

A siege with hostages in Chaffes Lane, pigeons bombing residents and arguments raging about the Maplin Development plan, March 1973 turned into a month of action in Upchurch.

Two criminals had broken into a Chatham gun shop and had stolen a shotgun and cartridges. One of the men had later sprayed ammonia into the face of a police constable leading to a police chase for the two criminals. The police caught and arrested one of the men, but the other escaped, which led to a manhunt.

The armed criminal trying to evade the police reached and wandered the streets of Upchurch during the night, then posing as a policeman, managed to get entry into the Rahman household at 90 Chaffes Lane, where Mr and Mrs Rahman, their three children and mother of Mrs Rahman, Mrs Clemons resided. The criminal forced the family from their bedrooms and into the living room, where they were held hostage. Mr Rahman was later allowed to use the outside toilet when he was able to escape and alert a policeman living nearby, believed to have been part-time constable Fred Wilson who lived at Gore Bank in Chaffes Lane. More police then arrived, and an armed police cordon was set up around the house, and the neighbours were evacuated. The Deputy Chief Constable of Kent named Mr Haslam, not in uniform and posing as a Council Welfare Officer, then negotiated with the criminal. During the negotiations, Mrs Clemons was sent out to bring a car for the criminal’s escape and the youngest child freed. When Mr Haslam persuaded the criminal to let him enter the house to check the children, the police moved in, and after a scuffle, they arrested the criminal, which ended the siege.

When the criminal appeared in court with his partner, the judge sentenced both men to fourteen years imprisonment for a wide variety of crimes and described them as the ‘enemies of society.’

The proposed plan for the Maplin development, which would mean an airport and a seaport on the banks of the River Medway and would take the islands in the river and the lower part of Upchurch on the Ham Green peninsular, was discussed at a select committee in the Houses of Parliament and a decision for or against the development, was expected in the Spring. For farmers in the Ham Green and Poot Lane areas, it would mean the sale of their land or the compulsory purchase of it. People interested attended an open meeting chaired by TV presenter Raymond Baxter in Chatham Town Hall. Mr Baxter outlined the proposal, and then a representative of Maplin answered questions from the audience that included Bayford and Ham Green farmers Charles and Philip Barling and Jack Wood.

Complaints from Upchurch residents were made to Swale Rural Council about pigeons bombing them with droppings. Mr G Gilbert, clerk to the parish council, said, ‘I don’t think anything will happen to the pigeons. They may well get destroyed, but although the villagers may want to get rid of the pigeons, I don’t think they want them to be killed.’

In village sporting affairs, Derek Hales was selected to play his second First Team game for Luton Town against Sunderland in the F A Cup quarter-finals. Meanwhile, scouts from Luton Town and Gillingham watched his younger brother Ray, who was scoring lots of goals for Sittingbourne. But Ray had misgivings about becoming a professional footballer because he felt that unless he was offered a big salary, he would prefer to continue working in his present job and play for Sittingbourne at weekends.

In other sporting affairs, Upchurch Table Tennis Club First Team continued to top Division Three of the Sittingbourne and District Table Tennis League even after suffering defeat against Wyvern. The other teams were holding their own in their respective divisions, and the Monday evening practice sessions organised by Rich Boakes were well attended.

In a fairly busy month for the village, the Chaffes Lane siege became the main talking point, the council dealt with the bombing pigeons and the Maplin development was finally shelved and did not take place, meaning that Ham Green and Bayford farmers would not lose their land to compulsory purchase and could continue farming.

David Wood

About David

David was born and raised at Ham Green and still lives there today.

He writes from personal experience about Upchurch village life and the changes that have taken place over the years.

David's book, Memories of Upchurch, is a very readable and detailed historical study of the village and is available direct from David at: david3702001@yahoo.co.uk price £12 + postage and packing.

Rainham Poetry Festival

St Margaret’s Church, Rainham, will be the venue for a brand new FREE poetry festival coming to Medway in April 2023.

The two-day festival on Friday the 28th and Saturday the 29th of April 2023, is headlined by poet John Agard whose poems have been on the GCSE syllabus since 2002 with support from renowned poets Jessica Mookherjee, Charlotte Ansell, Bill Lewis, Maggie Harris, Barry Fentiman Hall, Sarah Hehir, Jane Burn and Rosemary McLeish.

Further information is available on the CREATIVE MEDWAY website at: https://bit.ly/422wJYX

Upchurch Matters