Swale Borough Council

Moving Forward

Section 2: Council Members, Executive, Management Team and Service Standards

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Members of the Council and Their Wards

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At the Borough Council elections on the Names of Electoral Wards 1st May 2008 the political make up of the 1. Abbey 14. Muston Council was: 2. Borden 15. & 3. Boughton & Courtney Halfway 4. Chalkwell 16. Roman 27 Conservative members 5. Davington Priory 17. St Ann’s 9 Labour members 6. East Downs 18. St Michaels 5 Liberal Democrat members and 7. Grove 19. East 8. Hartlip, Newington & 20. Sheerness West 6 Independent Group members, Upchurch 21. Sheppey Central (5 of which are members of Sheppey First.) 9. Iwade & Lower Halstow 22. Teynham & 10. Kemsley 23. Watling 11. Leysdown & Warden 24. West Downs 12. Milton Regis 25. Woodstock 13. Minster Cliffs

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Abbey

Councillor Bryan Mulhern Conservative Photo Phone: 01795 538498

Councillor Anita Walker Conservative Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 01795 531192

Borden

Councillor Nicholas Hampshire Conservative Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 01795 477560

Boughton and Courtenay

Councillor George Bobbin Conservative Photo Phone: 01227 751388

Councillor Andrew Bowles Conservative Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 01227 767423

Chalkwell

Councillor Roger Truelove Labour Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 01795 425445

Councillor Ghlin Welan Labour Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 01795 475629

Davington Priory

Councillor Mike Henderson Liberal Democrats Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 01795 534368

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East Downs

Councillor Colin Prescott Conservative Photo Email:[email protected] Phone: 01795 590054

Grove

Councillor Gareth Randall Conservative Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 01795 474802

Councillor Duncan Dewar-Whalley Conservative Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 07889808871

Hartlip, Newington and Upchurch

Councillor John Wright Conservative Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 01795 842852

Councillor Gerry Lewin Conservative Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 01634 366113

Iwade and Lower Halstow

Councillor Ben Stokes Conservative Photo Phone: 01795 476979

Kemsley

Councillor Brenda Simpson Conservative Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 01795 599603

Councillor Sue Gent Conservative Photo Phone: 01795 553900

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Leysdown and Warden

Councillor Patricia Sandle Independent Group Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 01795 510400

Milton Regis

Councillor Elvina Lowe Liberal Democrats Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 01795 471792

Councillor Adam Tolhurst Labour Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 01795 475888

Minster Cliffs

Councillor Chris Boden Independent Group Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 07919411796

Councillor Adrian Crowther Conservative Photo Email: adrian.crowther@.gov.uk Phone: 01795 874418

Councillor Kenneth Pugh Conservative Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 01795 871388

Murston

Councillor Dave Banks Liberal Democrats Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 01795 422552

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Councillor Manuella Tomes Liberal Democrats Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 01795 559693

Queenborough and Halfway

Councillor Paul Hayes Conservative Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 01795 875673

Councillor Mick Constable Labour Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 01795 665238

Councillor David Garside Conservative Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 01732 824323

Roman

Councillor Simon Clark Labour Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 01795 553908

Councillor Mike Haywood Labour Photo Phone: 07960173264

Sheerness East

Councillor Mark Ellen Labour Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 01795 667027

Councillor Gemma Wray Independent Group Photo Email: [email protected]

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Sheerness West

Councillor Angela Harrison Labour Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 01795 665029

Councillor Stephen Worrall Labour Photo Phone: 01795 665589

Sheppey Central

Councillor Paul Sturdgess Independent Group Photo Phone: 01795 872617

Councillor Lesley Ingham Independent Group Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 07719255064

Councillor John Morris Conservative Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 01795 881102

St Ann’s

Councillor Mark Baldock Conservative Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 01795 530192

Councillor Mike Cosgrove Conservative Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 01795 591790

St Michael’s

Councillor Derek Conway Conservative Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 01795 424865

Councillor Nick Williams Liberal Democrats Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 01795 479835

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Teynham and Lynsted

Councillor Richard Barnicott Conservative Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 01795 536177

Councillor John Disney Conservative Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 01795 521580

Watling

Councillor Cindy Davis Conservative Photo Phone: 01795 534570

Councillor David Simmons Conservative Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 01795 532100

West Downs

Councillor Monique Bonney Independent Group Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 07973443527

Woodstock

Councillor Alan Willicombe Conservative Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 01795 439680

Councillor Jean Willicombe Conservative Photo Email: [email protected] Phone: 01795 439680

For more details visit the council website at www.swale.gov.uk/dso or phone Democratic Services on (01795) 417330.

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Executive

The main role of the Executive is to lead the formulation of the policy framework and preparation of the budget, including the setting of fees and charges. The Executive also takes in year decisions on resources and priorities to deliver and implement the budget and policies decided by Council.

Council Leader Deputy Leader and Executive Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Planning and Culture

Councillor Andrew Bowles Councillor Gerry Lewin

Main Portfolio Responsibilities Main Portfolio Responsibilities

• Issues of regional and national importance including • The South Thames Gateway Building Control relations with Whitehall, Government Office South Partnership and policy regarding Building East, , Kent Districts, and Regulations Parishes etc • Town Planning including overall enforcement, the • Community leadership role in relation to Local Plan, the Local Development framework partnerships with other local public, private, and Land charges voluntary and community sector organisations to • The regeneration of Queenborough and address local needs Rushenden including harbours and quays for the • Developing the Community Plan and delivery of area the Council’s Corporate Plan • The Borough’s Gypsy and Travellers Area • Local elections, electoral registration, electoral Assessment boundaries and matters relating to Borough or • Developing the Council’s cultural offer and Parish Councils overseeing delivery of the cultural strategy • Members and Officers code of conduct for • Optimise the positive impacts of the 2012 Olympics standards and ethical behaviour and Paralympics for Swale • The regeneration of Town Centre • Management of markets on Council owned sites, • The economic opportunities of Kent Science Park and the provision of entertainment, arts and arts facilities • Public halls, leisure, sport and recreation facilities and sports development

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Executive Portfolio Holder Executive Portfolio Holder for Community Services for Environment

Councillor John Morris Councillor John Disney

Main Portfolio Responsibilities Main Portfolio Responsibilities

• Voluntary sector liaison and community • Ensuring regeneration projects consider development, including the Youth Forum and environmental impacts on the local community young people’s liaison • The Council’s urban parks, open spaces, • The well-being of local communities and the countryside, country parks and play areas, including provision of services to them those arising from Section 106 agreements • Liaison with Health Authorities and Adult Services • Rural issues and the management of climate • Development and implementation of the community change safety strategy • Recycling, rubbish collection, pollution control/ • Promoting high Community Safety Standards monitoring, noise & pest control and council and Emergency Planning issues on behalf of the wardens Council • Enforcement of food hygiene, health and safety at • Crime prevention and liaison with the local police work and animal welfare legislation and law and order generally • Promoting high environmental standards • Licensing issues and policies and procedures • Provision of allotments concerning community engagement • Sea defences, coastal protection, sea fronts, coastal resorts, harbours and quays • Cemeteries and crematoria

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Executive Portfolio Holder Executive Portfolio Holder for Housing for Regeneration

Councillor David Simmons Councillor John Wright

Main Portfolio Responsibilities Main Portfolio Responsibilities

• The assessment of the Borough’s housing needs • The regeneration of Sheerness and conditions and to formulate and monitor • The development and promotion of the tourism strategies potential of the Borough for both residents and • The administration of all housing legislation and visitors in a sustainable manner the preparation of related strategies, including the • Economic development, community development, Housing Investment Programme and promoting a regeneration and related matters, including high housing standard matters related to Swale Forward and business • Advances and authorised loans for house purchase engagement/partnership working and improvement to property • Trading within town centre areas • Action required against gypsies or travellers illegally • Highway and transportation matters which are the camped on Council owned land or whose acts or Council’s responsibility including concessionary behaviour impede the proper management of any fares Council site, Decisions whether any subsequent • The negotiation of all Section 106 agreements with judgements resulting from eviction or otherwise specific involvement in all preliminary discussions should be enforced to ensure alignment with corporate priorities • Issues of deprivation, development and social • Community infrastructure including the provision of housing and relationships with amenity groups services and matters related to public and private sector utilities and services • Off and on-street parking facilities

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Executive Portfolio Holder for Learning and Skills and for Performance and FinanceExecutive Portfolio Holder for Learning and Skills and for Performance and Finance

Councillor Mike Cosgrove Councillor Mike Cosgrove

Main Portfolio Responsibilities • Customer relations, communications and support to partnership/joint back office • Linkages with learning providers and the local initiatives business community • The performance management cycle • Developing and delivery of the local learning and related matters including corporate strategy planning, data quality, risk management • Extending the number and range of local and health and safety opportunities through which people can access • External Inspection and Assessment learning processes • Creating a learning culture, through early years, • The Council’s commitment to deliver family and community learning the Corporate Equality Strategy and to • Liasing with Kent County Council, Children’s consider the equality and diversity in the Services and for ensuring the Council fulfils its provision of services statutory duties under the Children Act 2004 • Grant aid and external and European section 11 including safeguarding of children, the funding development and implementation of the Child • The Annual Budget Cycle for all resources Protection Policy and the Medium Term Financial Strategy • Members and Officers learning and development • The economic use of council owned assets • Development of shared services • The employment relations, welfare and human resources of the Council

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Swale Borough Council Management Team

The leadership and management of the authority is undertaken by the Corporate Management Team (CMT) working with Heads of Service. The CMT consists of the Chief Executive, and the three Directors who work with the Heads of Service to translate the elected councillors’ vision into high level strategies to ensure achievement in a cost effective way. The high level strategies are then translated into workable service delivery plans. The achievement of the targets within the service plans will ensure, over time, the delivery of the Councils vision.

Corporate Management Team Heads of Service Service Areas Head of Development • Development Control Services • Planning Policy and Administration See page 46 Head of Economic • Cultural Development • Regeneration Development and Cultural Leisure Services Services • Sustainable Development Director See page 48 • Voluntary and Community Sector Barbara • Homelessness and Housing Development Head of Housing Services Thompson • Private Housing See page 52 • Staying Put • Local Regeneration Partnership Swale Forward Partnership • Thames Gateway Capital Investment See page 54 Programme • Parking and Highways Management • Emergency Planning Head of Environment and • Facilities Amenities • Waste See page 56 • Environmental Health, Environmental Operations Response and Environmental Protection Director • Safety & Security Ian Russell • Chief Executive (Interim) IT Head of IT and Customer • Customer Service Centre Mike Fisher Service • District Offices See page 59 • Council Tax • Revenues and Benefits • Legal Services • Licensing Head of Legal • Democratic Services See page 62 Corporate • Printing Services Services • Estates Director Head of Audit • Internal Audit and Inspection Mark Radford See page 64 • Accountancy Head of Finance • Payroll See page 66 • Cashiers • Human Resources and Training Head of Organisational Development • Organisational Development See page 68 • Equal Opportunities • Policy and Performance • Corporate and Service Planning Head of Policy and Communications • Communications, Graphics and Website See page 69 • LSP/LAA and Corporate Inspection • External Funding and Climate Change

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Service Standards

The following is a summary of the service standards which set out what the Council is striving to achieve, it is our intention that they should apply wherever possible. For further details please refer to the Serving Swale Better. Swale Borough Council’s Corporate Service Standards. Corporate Standards

Contacting the Council We aim to:

• answer telephone calls promptly (normally within 20 seconds) and make sure that you can speak to someone who can help you as quickly as possible • reply within 10 working days (if you write to or email the Council) either providing you with a full response; or where this is not possible, informing you of the steps we are taking to provide you with a more detailed response • use language that is easy to understand in all our written correspondence and will include a contact name and telephone number

Visiting the Council We aim to:

• display opening times at the entrance to all Council offices and facilities (where there are standard opening hours) • tell you if these times are to change by displaying a notice at the building at least 1 week in advance; or placing notification on our website at least 1 week in advance • aim to make all our buildings accessible to everyone. If you have special needs we will do everything we can to meet these. (If possible, please let us know before your visit to help us to help you.) • ensure that all our buildings are clean and meet both Health and Safety and Public Health requirements

When We Visit You We aim to:

• present identification (when we visit you at home) which you will be able to inspect before allowing us into your home • ask all Council staff to drive in a safe and responsible manner treating other road users and pedestrians with courtesy and respect at all times

Making A Complaint or Comment We aim to:

• acknowledge your complaint (if you submit a complaint in writing including email/online form) by return • investigate your complaint and send you a detailed reply within 10 working days. If we are not able to do so we will inform you when you can expect an answer

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Equality and Diversity

We aim to: • provide services of a high quality which meet the needs of the local community • consult regularly with different groups and communities to find out if services are appropriate and accessible • treat all members of the public fairly and without discrimination • treat all complaints seriously and develop a clear and accessible complaints procedure • regularly review and improve services to ensure that they meet equality standards • share information and good practice amongst those we work in partnership with to help eliminate discrimination • ensure that the Council’s policy on equality is understood by organisations, groups and those seeking contracts • encourage all organisations funded by the Council to develop an equal opportunities policy

Paying Invoices We aim to: • Pay undisputed invoices within 30 days

Working with Children and Vulnerable People We aim to: • ensure that all staff working with children and vulnerable people are satisfactorily CRB (criminal records bureau) police checked

If you wish to contact the Council telephone (01795) 417850, email [email protected] or write to Swale Borough Council, Swale House, East Street, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 3HT. Service Based Standards

Benefits Service Phone 01795 417555 or email [email protected]

• Treat you as our customer with • Seek to prevent, detect and • Check regularly that the “way we the respect you deserve investigate fraud and take work” suits you, our customer • Pay your completed claim within appropriate action where fraud is • Recover any overpaid benefit 30 days proven effectively but with consideration • Deal with any changes in your • Provide convenient access for to your circumstances circumstance which may affect you to make a claim and receive • Deal with any appeals within 4 your benefit, once you report a advice, e.g. at District Offices, weeks change to us, within 10 days through our dedicated call centre • Provide a service to our • Treat any claim and claim and through home visits stakeholders, giving information information with confidentiality • Where practical, provide a on regulations, ways of claiming, and within data protection rules service that is available at a time ways to tell us of a potential fraud • Provide a free, confidential hot- to suit you etc. line for reporting possible fraud • Continually look to improve our • Provide an appointment service service – for example, by using for you mobile technology and electronic claims

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Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Phone 01795 417197 or email [email protected]

• Record CCTV footage and • Establish and maintain • Work with due regard to provide this information to the relationships with key people the Data Protection Act and police on request in a timely in other organisations for the Approved CCTV Code of manner purpose of maximising the Practice • Provide appropriate advice and effectiveness and efficiency of • Ensure staff within the CCTV guidance on CCTV camera CCTV cameras in the prevention service are competent to issues to key stakeholders, and detection of crime perform their duties; and are including council departments, • Review CCTV evidence Security Industry Accredited emergency services and when requested in writing by members of the public on customers to investigate a civil request; and available within the incident. Provided the incident CCTV operational protocol did not occur more than 21 days before the time of request

Community Halls Phone 01795 417850 or email [email protected]

• Provide community facilities at • Provide a straightforward • Work with voluntary and a cost, which is as competitive booking system community sector where as possible • Ensure that our halls are kept opportunities arise for the • Provide community halls that are safe and to the required health community to take over customer friendly, clean, warm and safety standards responsibility for running local and inviting • Provide a caretaker to be on community facilities • Provide written confirmation duty throughout functions of your booking within three working days

Community Safety & Anti-Social Phone 01795 417197 or email [email protected] Behaviour

• Where appropriate, seek to • Engage with local communities • Maintain a close working control individuals responsible on community safety issues relationship with Police and for anti-social behaviour in line and work with partners to tackle other agencies, through local with the Swale Community priority crime areas arrangements and through Safety Partnership Anti-Social • Ensure council representation at the Swale Community Safety Behaviour Process Community PACT meetings in Partnership, to ensure • Fulfil, as a minimum, our neighbourhoods appropriate responses to statutory obligations directly, community safety issues and as a statutory partner in the Swale Community Safety Partnership

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Phone 01795 417272 or email [email protected] Council Tax and Business Rates Service or [email protected]

• Provide you with a bill at least • Ensure all relevant documents • Comply with prescribed 14 days prior to your first are informative and easy to legislation when instigating payment due date understand recovery action for non-payment • Provide a fair and consistent • Provide assistance for those • Treat every customer with approach to collection, in having difficulty meeting their respect and courtesy accordance with prescribed financial obligations through legislation and procedures a personalised payment arrangement

Development Control Phone 01795 417373 or email [email protected] ­ • Provide a high quality service • enabling representations on • Undertake consultations on focused on meeting the needs planning policy documents to planning policy documents of all our customers, and aim to be made on-line and applications with Parish continuously improve the service • enabling planning Councils, local residents we offer applications to be submitted and other stakeholders in • Prepare planning policy on-line, including the accordance with the Statement documents in accordance with payment of the appropriate of Community Involvement the proposals in the agreed fee; and agreed by the Council, always Local Development Scheme, • ensuring that all new giving clear timescales within and explain any variation from applications can be viewed which representations can be this in the published Annual and commented on online made Monitoring Report • Aim to make swift decisions on • Inform the applicant and those • Provide advice on all aspects of all applications in accordance making representations on an the planning service in a polite, with Government targets, application of the date that it will courteous and prompt manner without prejudicing the need for be considered by the Planning with a planning officer always views to be heard, or the quality Committee, and provide available to give informal advice of the end result. In so doing them with the opportunity to during working hours we will assign a case officer to speak when the application is • Make maximum use of the each application and will aim considered by the Planning Council’s web-site to provide to negotiate around issues with Committee access to the planning applications rather than refuse • Seek to ensure that approved service by them applications are delivered in • providing up-to-date compliance with approved information on the service plans and conditions, and we provide posting all will investigate allegations of published planning policy unauthorised development documents on the website quickly and take the appropriate enforcement action

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Environmental Services Phone 01795 417850 or email [email protected]

• Respond to all complaints where • To investigate, and remove fly • Respond to urgent cases of there is a serious risk to public tipping on public land within 10 littering within 24 hours health or safety within 1 working working days day • Clear graffiti from public • Respond to all confirmed structures within 28 days outbreaks of food poisoning and clean explicit graffiti from within 1 working day structures within 24 hours

Economic Development & Phone 01795 417059 or email [email protected] Infrastructure

• Liaise closely with Locate in • Input to the development of • Collate, monitor and disseminate Kent and others to support coastal protection management relevant information and the attraction of new inward • Develop programmes of work to intelligence that supports investment deliver management polices development of policies, projects • Promote the Borough and its • Bid for studies and projects and services offer to investors and occupiers within sections of our managed • Develop the transport strategy • Secure external funding to coastline for the Borough (for both new deliver projects that support • Support and advise developers and existing developments) local economic need and realise • Liaise with external and secure buy-in from partner local opportunities. organisations to champion the organisations • Develop the fledgling Swale needs of the Borough • Facilitate and assist delivery of Business Forum and support • Provide input to studies and key projects and programmes and work with existing business strategies to manage flood risk • Lobby external organisations to representative groups, to within the borough secure delivery of the strategy engage and work with private • Develop the Councils economic and key projects sector across a range of issues, development policies and • Seek development of non-car including community safety, strategies that help us meet modes of transport learning and skills our aims and objectives for • Assist business support economic improvement providers to engage and work with local residents and businesses to foster economic growth

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Events/Festivals and the Arts Phone 01795 417262 or email [email protected]

• Liaise with local residents, • Collate, print and distribute • Provide means of promoting community and voluntary programmes for the Swale local events by way of posting organisations to collate a Festival and Hop details to the Swale Borough programme of events and Festival and promotional flyers Council events website projects to run during the month for the Sittingbourne Spectacular • Support the initiation of creative of July and Sheppey Show activity projects and events that • Liaise with local residents, • Provide support and resources are open and accessible to all community and voluntary for cultural activities • Work in partnership with regional organisations to create a varied • Provide advice and contact art groups – Arts Council, programme of street events in details to groups interested in England, North Kent Local each of the three towns in the organising and promoting their Authority Arts Partnership and Borough own events the local Swale Arts Forum • Enable community and voluntary organisations to organise and promote their own events by means of support funding for the use of council-owned venues

Phone 01795 417538 or email [email protected] Home Improvement and Staying Put Services Phone 01795 417131 or email [email protected]

• Visit you in your home to assess • Advise and support you to • Provide a Handyperson service your needs within 3 weeks of secure repairs, improvements for essential small repairs and your enquiry and related funding health and safety advice • Refer you to appropriate • Maintain a list of reliable building agencies should your needs contractors require this

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Housing Register Phone 01795 417538 or email [email protected]

• Respond to all correspondence • Input and assess an application • Respond to external agency within 10 working days form within 10 working days of correspondence within 10 • Send a letter to each applicant receiving it providing all required working days confirming their application information is available • Respond to all appropriate reference number and the • Notify the applicant, in writing, of external correspondence with an band the application has been any changes to their application acknowledgement letter (card/ placed in within 10 working days with 10 working days standard letter) within 2 working of receiving the application, • Respond to internal days providing all required information correspondence e.g. • Respond to complaints within 10 is available Environmental Health Officers, working days and to have a final Housing Benefit, Housing decision within 28 working days Options Team within 5 working • Respond to reviews within 10 days working days and have a final decision within 56 working days

Housing Register Reviews/ Appeals Phone 01795 417538 or email [email protected]

• If the applicant feels there is a • If the applicant considers the • The request will be dealt with by mistake in the band they have offers of accommodation made an independent officer, although been placed in a review can to them to have been unsuitable this may be someone from be requested within 21 days of they have the right to request within the same Team. Having receiving the notification from a review. This review must be received the final information, us. They must provide evidence made in writing within 21 days that the applicant has provided to support their request of the date of receiving the to support their request for • We will respond to this within 28 offer. We will request supporting review, we will reply to them working days information and evidence from within 56 working days (same as • If the applicant remains unhappy the applicant within 7 days of Homelessness reviews) with our decision they may receiving their request for a progress their concerns via the review Council’s formal complaints procedure

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Phone 01795 417538 or email [email protected] Housing Services Phone 01795 417666 or Email [email protected]

• Respond to emergency drainage • Maintain a private sector • Visit you at home to discuss service requests within 1 landlord forum for discussion homelessness prevention working day and cooperation measures and support • Respond to service requests • Maintain a staffed reception • Investigate and determine about housing conditions within facility at Swale House for face homeless applications within 33 7 working days to face housing advice working days

Leisure Facilities Phone 01795 417109 or email [email protected]

• Provide a continued commitment • Provide a concessionary • Provide two leisure centres that to GP referral scheme and other Membership scheme to reduce maintain a Highly Commended related health equality schemes costs at the leisure centre Quest Quality Standard score.

Museums and Heritage Phone 01795 417262 or email [email protected]

• Encourage museums/heritage • Promote and advertise • Support the Flying Start heritage centres to raise their standards museums and heritage centres project and for museums to become by way of inclusion on the Swale • Inform and assist museums with registered Borough Council website regards to any available funding • Encourage and assist museums • Encourage museums to network opportunities to increase their visitor numbers via regular meetings of the • Provide/maintain premises – Swale Museums Group subject to budget constraints.

Natural Environment Phone 01795 417420 or email [email protected]

• Work with individuals, • Ensure that our outstanding • Raise environmental quality organisations and agencies landscapes (coast, country and through a high level Green Grid to develop an Open Spaces marshland) with its abundant Partnership that will enhance Strategy which will establish a flora, fauna and wildlife are the wildlife of the Borough, help shared vision which seeks to increasingly recognised as key to retain and attract business, promote and endorses provision components of sustainable increase visitors and tourism of high quality, distinct urban communities contributing to and, through engagement, and rural landscapes, accessible people’s quality of life thereby promote local pride and and diverse open spaces for supporting economic and social provide opportunities for social the health and well being of its programmes interaction and education residents and visitors • Support you in understanding and celebrating the richness and distinctiveness of our natural environment

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Open Space, Seafront and Harbour Phone 01795 417529 or email [email protected]

• Remove all litter from major parks and recreation grounds, a • Provide safe moorings for yearly, • Check and clean all designated minimum of twice a week seasonal and visiting craft beaches and adjoining • Remove all litter from grass • Carry out a daily patrol, checking promenades daily before cutting (urban) all moorings and vessels and • Empty all litter bins on a regular • Remove broken glass within 3 a collection service for visiting basis and at least twice daily hours upon notification moorings and mooring holders throughout the summer season • Undertake written safety • Provide secure storage for on seafronts inspections in play areas every mooring holders dinghys three weeks

Parking Phone 01795 417204 or email [email protected]

• Train all members of staff to deal • Respond to appeals within 10 • Issue a variety of permits within with all your enquiries working days. 7 working days

Sports Development Phone 01795 417388 or email [email protected]

• Provide at least one school • Provide a regularly updated holiday activity programme sports club directory online • Work in partnership with for young people per area • Work in partnership with all community groups to increase (Sittingbourne, Isle of Sheppey sports club to encourage sporting opportunities for 50+ and Faversham) every summer progression towards Club Mark and disability populations and easter holiday and Charter Standard

Tourism Phone 01795 417420 or email [email protected] • Attend regular meetings of • Support the nationally networked • Respond to general visitor the strategic partnerships and Tourist Information Centre in enquiries within 24 hours of disseminate information where Faversham in their endeavour to receipt (email, telephone and necessary for the benefit of the deliver a comprehensive visitor letter) and within seven working industry service through their voluntary days where more detailed • Identify and engage with effort research is required partnerships for the benefit of • Maintain an effective reciprocal • Provide an initial verbal the tourism service in respect of partnership arrangement with response to business support effective delivery of information local libraries for dissemination enquiries within 48 hours and services, marketing and of information agree a site meeting within 7 development • Engage with other Kent working days • Support the Swale Tourism authorities in the development • Represent the industry’s Association through regular and maintenance of a interests on the Kent Tourism industry updates at Executive countywide database Quality Programme Steering Committee meetings and (Destination Management Group and disseminate Marketing Sub-Groups System) and take responsibility information principally through for all Swale visitor information the Swale Tourism Association

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Voluntary & Community Sector Development Phone 01795 417457 or email [email protected]

• Work with Council departments • Inform you of when your • Facilitate 3 meetings of Swale and partners to ensure that application will be considered Youth Forum each year all community engagement • Confirm decisions on • Encourage all secondary and consultation is fair and applications within five working schools in Swale to be involved appropriate making effective use days of them being made with Swale Youth Forum of local community structures • Pay awards within three weeks • Communicate information • Work with our communities of being requested to do so to young people across the and partners to promote and • Provide advice to community Borough including activities and encourage volunteering groups and projects to enable events through the website, text • Acknowledge requests for independence and sustainability messaging and Inside Swale funding, advice and assistance • Work within local and county • Work with partners to address within 24 hours compact agreements identified gaps and needs • Attend to requests for service within five working days • Provide targeted support to those projects that deliver Council priorities

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