Meopham Mercury The Meopham Parish Council Newsletter No.17 Autumn 2019 COMMUNITY LITTER PICK Public Meeting In Meopham – COME AND JOIN US! On the proposed changes to local NHS urgent care Come and join the litter services pick on Saturday 26th October 2019. Meet outside the Windmill at The Parish Council has organised a 10am and collect your meeting for you to find out more about the high visibility jacket, above proposed changes. This will be rubbish bags/holders and on: pickers. We would ask all parishioners to take more responsibility with their litter. Thursday 31st October 2019 at 8.15pm Don’t drop it in the first place and if at Meopham Village Hall possible, take a bag with you to collect rubbish etc whilst out and about. A big Dr Sarah MacDermott, GP at Meopham thank you to all those residents who do Medical Centre and Chairman of the take their litter home and especially to Clinical Commissioning Group, is to those who regularly carry out litter picks speak on the proposed changes. in the parish. Your efforts have been noted! Lower Thames Crossing Public Consultation about the Highways England have now published proposed changes to urgent an update on their latest plans and the care services in Dartford, responses that they received during the Gravesham and Swanley ten week statutory consultation held at the end of 2018. Please visit https://highwaysengland.co.uk/lower- A new Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) is thames-crossing-project-update-summer- being proposed at either Gravesham 2019/ for further details. Community Hospital or Darent Valley Hospital by Autumn 2020. Both proposed What have we been doing in the options will bring together the existing urgent care services provided by the Parish? Minor Injuries Unit at Gravesham Community Hospital and the White Horse Picnic on the Green:- Thank you to walk-in centre at Fleet Health Campus everyone who came along to the recent under one roof. There is a 12 week public Picnic on the Green and helped make it consultation from 12 August to 4 such a great success. It was the fourth November 2019. You can find further year we have held the Picnic and it was information on how to have your say at the best yet! We were blessed with good www.dartfordgraveshamswanleyccg.nhs. weather which meant that lots of people uk. came with their picnics and enjoyed 1 www.meopham.org music from Dr Jazz and the children that the work will be going out to tender. enjoyed our magician Mr Muddles and We continue to report any fly-tipping other entertainment. The WI sold out of information we receive and have recently lovely homemade cakes, Meopham Colts reported fly-tipping in Copthall Road and sold out of burgers and the Pimms Bar Whitehill Road which resulted in the did well. Many thanks to everyone who rubbish being removed quickly. ran a stall or helped in any way on the day. Proceeds from the raffle have been Parking and Traffic Issues:- The council donated to Meopham Windmill Trust. is continuing liaising with KCC Highways and the Gravesham Parking Enforcement We are already discussing next year’s team regarding issues in the parish. event so if you have any ideas about Currently we are looking into parking what you would like to see at this annual issues, speeding, road surfacing issues community event please let us know. around Meopham Green, speed restriction signs in Melliker Lane and Tree Survey:- These are speeding in Norwood Lane as well as the now carried out every two usual vegetation cut back, pot holes and years on parish council salt bin damage in the parish. land. Following the last one in November 2018, Speed Watch Volunteers:- Speeding on we carried out an the A227 is an ongoing issue that is extensive program of tree reported to the council so we are looking maintenance work earlier into the possibility of setting up Speed this year. The next tree survey is due in Watch in the parish. November 2020. https://www.communityspeedwatch.org/ This scheme requires volunteers. If you Vegetation cuts:- This has been are interested in volunteering please organised for vegetation surrounding the contact the parish office. perimeter at Judson’s Recreation ground and on Culverstone Green plus removing Judson’s Recreation Ground:- We are some small trees that have recently come renewing signage on the gates to the down on various greens in the parish. fenced in play area and are looking into installing a new piece of play equipment Routine Maintenance Work:- Our here. We are also looking to repair the Service Contractor is currently working on vandalised spring rocker which is a maintenance program of furniture on currently going through our insurance our greens including the notice board on company as a claim. Meopham Green and some of the benches here. He also continues to litter Pitfield Green Public Toilets:- These pick Judson’s recreation ground five days continue to be open 7 days a week and a week and to sweep out and tidy the bus are opened and cleaned by a parish shelters fortnightly. council contractor. We had an extensive invisible leak underground at the toilets New Parish Guide for Meopham:- and the repair had to be carried out under Members of council have been working the council’s insurance back in the spring. on the new parish guide over the last few We are now looking into installing an months. This will be delivered to every automatically flush system for the men’s household in Meopham shortly. urinals which will help to save on water. We would like to thank all the volunteers Issues in the Parish:- We are continuing who maintained the rose garden here in to report issues in the parish to the front of the building during the summer appropriate agencies. We have reported months. an issue to KCC Public Rights of Way on part of footpath NS285 for work to the New Defibrillator in the Parish:- The surface here following the torrential rain council have been successful in securing back in June. We have been informed grant funding from Gravesham Borough 2 www.meopham.org Council for a new defibrillator and cabinet Vigo has a recycling point at Erskine for the parish. Following talks with BT we Road which accepts glass, textiles, shoes have been looking into purchasing the old and books as well as Trosley Country telephone kiosk box at the station for £1 Park which accepts glass only. to house this. BT will be carrying out the repairs to box and we are now waiting for Get a Ten from Len!! BT to carry out a consultation so they can remove the telephone and allow the council to adopt the kiosk. Police Matters:- We have liaised with the police regarding the many silver canisters found in the parish, particularly at Judson’s recreation ground, School Close Car Park and Meopham Green. The police will continue to patrol these areas plus other areas in the parish. If Picture courstery of Kent Fire & Rescue Service you do find any canisters, then please Did you know you can get a visit from the contact the parish council to give us Kent and Fire Rescue Service? This details of the location or attend one of the service offers friendly advice to help police surgeries to report. reduce the risk of fire in your home, helps you to make your own escape plan and Police Surgery: Your new local PCSO is have a FREE Smoke Alarm fitted if you Rob Meader. He will be holding regular have a long- term health condition, are parish surgeries with the first ones on: over 70, are a family with young children or are expectant parents. To book a visit nd 2 Nov 16:30 – 17:30 Judson’s Rec either call 0800 923 7000 or search th 8 Nov 10:00 – 11:00 Camer Park Café KFRS Safe and Well. What is going on in the Country Eye App Parish? Country Eye is an Information Reporting App for people living and Pop- Up Café – Harvel Village Hall working in rural Kent. The new app is Come and get together with old friends being promoted by Kent Police and it and new. Have a free cuppa (donations allows people to report suspicious welcome) and a delicious slice of cake, behavior, incidents, fly tipping and other everyone welcome, 10.30am to 12.30pm crimes by uploading photos and capturing Thursday 7th November 2019 your exact GPS location. For information Thursday 5th December 2019 visit https://countryeye.co.uk/ Community Café at St Johns Centre Please drop in for a chat and a cup of tea/coffee, Fridays from 2pm Building Blocks at St John’s Centre (term time only) Recycling Points Monday 9.30am – 11.30am Babies, toddlers and pre-school children with parents/carers welcome. There is one recycling point in Meopham Contact Ann (01474 813960) for more located at Camer Park, Camer Park Road information. which accepts glass, textiles and shoes. 3 www.meopham.org R.N.L.I.’s Autumn Event Carols On The Green Saturday 19th October 2019 at Carol singing and the turning on of the The Cricket Pavilion, Meopham Green Christmas tree lights is on Meopham Come for Christmas Cards, calendars Green on Wednesday 18th December and other gifts, home-made food and from 8pm preserves for sale and light lunches served from Midday. Entrance £1 Your Parish Council Members including coffee. Fun In The Dark Hook Green & Nurstead Ward Kent Fire & Rescue Service are running a Sue Gofton, Michael Mulheran Fun In The Dark campaign for children.