Hernhill News April 2020
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HERNHILL NEWS APRIL 2020 PARISH COUNCIL posed development in Staple Street. As a result of Coronavirus, it is no long- This can be found online using the fol- er appropriate for the Parish Council to lowing link for those that wish to view hold meetings. However, the Parish the final proposals. Council has put into place powers pa.midkent.gov.uk/onlineapplications/a whereby Parish Council business will pplicationDetails.do?keyVal=Q60D6LT continue, albeit at a more restricted lev- YKL400&activeTab=summary el. All matters in the first instance will be dealt with by the Clerk. Please do con- Originally the Parish Council intended tact the Clerk should you have any que- to hold an Extraordinary Planning Meet- ries in these challenging times and the ing to discuss and vote on the planning Parish Council will endeavour to update application. Obviously, this can no long- the websites, notice boards and post in er go ahead given the exceptional cir- the Hernhill News when appropriate. cumstances that we find ourselves in The situation regarding Coronavirus but it is important that the Parish Coun- evolves quickly. For the latest advice cil retains a voice in this planning appli- and information please refer to the NHS cation. As a result, a new process has website been put into place which is detailed www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus- below, which will allow for public partic- covid-19/ ipation and allows the Councillors to see all the information from all parties Please note that Swale Borough Coun- before making a decision and taking a cil are in the process of coordinating vote. We are requesting parishioners support for people who are self-isolat- who wish to let the Parish Council know ing, this includes the elderly and/or vul- their views (positive or negative) con- nerable people due to medication. SBC cerning this planning application to re- is putting together a team of volunteers spond to the clerk preferably by e-mail to deliver prescriptions and groceries to ([email protected]) by the 7th their most vulnerable residents. More April. For those who do not have e-mail information will follow so please monitor access, please contact the clerk by post Swale Borough Council website. The to ‘Southland, Church Hill, Hernhill Parish Council website will also be up- ME13 9JX’, or as last resort by phone dated as more information becomes ‘07876221580’. These responses will available. then be circulated to the Councillors on For those not already aware. English the evening of the 7th April for the Rural have now submitted their plan- Councillors to digest. Councillors will ning application in respect of their pro- then respond to all councillors with their Chairman:Jill Geliot 01227 750974 [email protected] Clerk: Rebecca Parr 07876 221580 e-mail [email protected] KCC Representative: Andrew Bowles comments by the 10th April given all process has a good audit trail and is further time to digest. A vote by Coun- transparent. It allows for public partici- cillors will take place by e-mail on the pation and allows the Councillors to see evening of the 12th April copied to all all the information from all parties be- Councillors stipulating whether they fore making a decision and taking a support, do not support or abstain. The vote. Plus safeguarding the health of all results of the vote will be placed on no- parties by avoiding face to face contact, tice boards and the website as soon as as well as ensuring that the Parish possible after the event. The Parish Council has a voice in this planning ap- Council will then respond formally to plication. The process also allows suffi- Swale Borough Council by the required cient time between each step of the deadline of the 15th April uploading process in order to meet the Swale BC their comments to the planning website deadline. as per usual. It is considered that this Rebecca Parr YOUR COUNTY COUNCILLOR Election period. The good news is that, The first highlight of February was my led by pressure from rural Councillors, annual “You Decide” event to allow res- next year we shall have £20,000 to al- idents to vote on the allocation of Mem- locate to voluntary groups in our Divi- ber’s Grant monies. A good crowd at sions. Teynham Village saw ten local organi- February is Budget month and this year sations present their bids. Eight of the Kent County Council has, for the first ten shared £12,000 to deliver their time in 10 years, received an increase projects. Of those succeeding Hernhill in Central Government Grants. Parish Council received the highest Expenditure has gone up by £77 million vote with their project to provide a defi- (7.8%). The largest increases are in brillator in Dargate. They applied for Community and Residential care, es- and received £600. sentially for the elderly and those with Other “winners” included Teynham learning difficulties. Kent Highways has Book & Brunch Club tackling social iso- also received a significant increase in lation £1,564.50, Oare Parish Council funding; £88 million over three years. for play area refurbishment £2000, Di- The cost per household should show an versity House for young people’s work- average increase of £44 depending on shops to help combat knife and gang Council Tax Band plus, of course, any crime, SATEEDA for a support worker increase for Police, District (Borough) and drop in and counselling services for Council, Fire and Rescue, etc. I was victims of domestic abuse across especially pleased to play a part in get- Swale East, ‘Sittingbourne Over 55 Fel- ting £400,000 to fund dedicated youth lowship’ which organises community work for each District plus £100,000 for events for the elderly etc. Also, Swale equipment, etc. The rural areas have CVS towards a Film Club with transport been disadvantaged for too long. for the over 60’s. All applicants were On another, personal, note I have just limited to a maximum bid of £2,000 added membership of Kent County each. Council Planning Committee to my list Due to County Council Elections in May of duties. Must be a glutton for punish- 2021 this year’s event must be held pre- ment! I am working together with Sheld- Christmas 2020 to allow funds to be wich, Badlesmere and Leaveland allocated and spent before the pre Parish Council together with Parish 2 Council’s in Challock and Boughton follow up meeting which Kent Highways Aluph seeking to secure a review of Officers have agreed to attend. traffic speeds and other highway dan- Andrew Bowles gers on the A251. Following my initial e-mail: [email protected] meeting with representatives from the Mobile: 07778629879 three Parishes I have now facilitated a SWALE BOROUGH COUNCIL recommended pathway would leave “It may sound frightening but the scien- 20% of emissions to be offset to meet tific evidence is that, if we have not tak- our target of carbon neutrality by 2030. en dramatic action within the next At its heart the Swale action plan has decade, we could face irreversible key actions which include; a deep retro- damage to the natural world and the fit of the Council offices in Sittingbourne collapse of our societies.” to dramatically reduce carbon emis- Sir David Attenborough, Climate sions from the building; leasing electric Change: The Facts. BBC TV, transmit- vehicles (EVs) to replace most of the ted 18/04/2019 council’s own fleet of vehicles (summer When the coalition came into office at 2020); installation of EV charging points Swale Borough Council, one of our first in the town centres (look out for 4 EV actions was to declare a climate and chargers to be installed in the central ecological emergency. The declaration car park, Faversham this summer); im- sets very ambitious targets, in line with proved facilities for walking and cycling; the science described by Sir David At- and tree planting in the country parks tenborough. The target is to make the (2,500 trees already planted over the Council’s operations carbon neutral in winter). The plan lists other actions to five years’ time and the Borough carbon reduce emissions from buildings, trans- neutral by 2030. The Council undertook port and waste. Also, actions needed to to draw up an action plan with improve- adapt to the effects of climate change ment in energy efficiency and making already affecting us, such as flooding space for nature as key priorities in all and extreme heat. Many actions can strategies and plans. As the Cabinet only be taken in partnership with others Member for Environment, Tim present- including central government, Kent ed a draft of the action plan to the Policy County Council, business, and commu- Development and Review Committee nity groups. To succeed changes in (chaired by Alastair) on 4th March. The government policy are required, for ex- plan will be put before Council in April. ample, to insulate the existing houses Research from the world-leading Tyn- in Swale and replace gas boilers with dall Centre has found that, for Swale to highly efficient electric heating. It’s the make its fair contribution towards the beginning of a long, but very exciting Paris Climate Change Agreement, it journey that will bring many benefits, should emit no more than 7.7 million such as cleaner air, healthier lifestyles, tonnes of carbon dioxide before 2100. and a vibrant more locally-based econ- At 2017 emission levels, Swale omy. would use this entire budget within Alastair Gould seven years. The recommended path- ([email protected]) way requires: a 13% cut in carbon diox- Tim Valentine ide emissions each year from 2020; ([email protected]) 01227 80% reduction in annual emissions by 752802 2030 and 95% reduction by 2042.