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Highlights from the meeting on 23rd August, 2005
1. New member. The Chairman welcomed Cllr Angela Darling onto the Parish Council.
2. New Kent County Council representative. The Chairman also welcomed Cllr Andrew Bowles, as the KCC member, in place of Jean Newman, who had retired.
3. Resignation. The Chairman read a letter of resignation, due to pressure of work, from Cllr Lisa Candy. This was accepted, with regret. It was resolved that a letter thanking her for her contribution, would be sent.
4. Water mains pressure failure at Loyterton. Correspondence from the water authorities, and from H Robertson, MP indicted that there was little further the Parish Council could do to alleviate the problem that was probably due to a blockage in the ageing, private pipeline.
5. Village/Parish Design Statement. There was lack of clarity about how Swale Council plans to carry the supplementary planning guidance status of the VDS through into the emerging new strategic planning system. The VDS may need to be integrated with Lynsted with Kingsdown’s Parish Plan. Discussions will continue.
6. Local Plan. The Parish Council has made 11 submissions to the First Review of the Local Plan, mostly pushing for protection for our countryside. Details available from the Clerk.
7. Parish Plan. The questionnaires have been distributed to every household in the parish, and now collected. There was a gratifying 50% response. The results are being analysed.
8. Greenstreet in Bloom. Cllr Champion reported that the award ceremony on 10th August had been well attended. Winners: Business section – 1st The Fox, 2nd the Library, 3rd Belle Friday Centre.
Private house section: 1st 4, London Road, 2nd 9 London Road, 3rd 129F London Road and Highly Commended, 186 London Road. A new category, ‘properties without a garden’, was suggested for the future.
9. Bus lay-by at Lynsted and Norton School. The proposed lay-by has been incorporated in the engineering drawings. There is a problem with finance. Discussion continues.
10. Planning. The following applications were discussed at the Planning Committee meetings of 27th June and 4th July:
- SW/05/0819. Keeping of horses and new stable. Land opposite ‘The Cherries’, Cellar Hill. No objection.
- SW/05/0805. Loft conversion etc. ‘Sheerluck’, Lynsted Lane. No Objection.
- SW/05/0667. Listed Building consent for fire exit door etc., Old Stables, Aymers. No objection.
- TC/05/0037 Removal of 3 trees. Old Thatched Cottage, Cellar Hill. No objection.
- SW/05/0755. Double storey extension at Dadmans Cottage, St Christophers Row. No objection.
- SW/05/1574. Amendments to approved plans. Lynsted and Norton School. .No objection.
- SW/05/0730. Proposed 17 flats. ‘Comet’ site, London Road. (Teynham Parish, but LKPC asked for comment.) No comment submitted – inadequate plans available.
- SW/05/0933 Height extension (3m) to telecom mast, Teynham Exchange. Objection on the grounds of unacceptable visual intrusion.
Swale BC determinations:
- SW/05/823. New conditions, mineral extraction, Claxfield. Allowed.
- SW/05/0518. Reinstatement of internal walls, Heathfield House, Ludgate Lane. Allowed.
- SW/05/0667. Listed Building consent for fire door etc., Old Stables, Aymers. Allowed.
11. Joint Playing Fields. Cllr Champion reported that he had resigned as chairman of the Sports Association.
12. Dutch Elm disease. The Tree Warden had been asked about the best strategy for disease-affected saplings. He understood that there were stands of mature elm in Swale that had escaped the disease. Young trees almost inevitably die off with DED after a few years. A good strategy is to destroy such specimens. This disrupts the life-cycle of beetle that carries the fungal pathogen, and thus helps protect the surviving mature stands.
13. Blocked footway at Lynsted Lane. KCC Highways were requested to clear the stretch of footway between Bogle and the School, which has become narrowed by soil and vegetation.
14. Orchard Group. Cherry Day, on 16th July had been a great success, and a moth identification session on August 5th was very instructive. Details are available in the parish News Letter and on this website and the Community Orchard website, www.lynsted-orchard.org.uk. Next events:
- ‘Fungus Foray’ (Lynsted with Kingsdown Society) Sunday 9th October;
- Halloween Party, Sunday 30th October.
15. Telephone box at Erriott Wood corner. BT were proposing to make the box ‘card only’, not taking cash. The Parish Council would not object. The box would still take ‘999’ calls without card or cash.
16. Affordable Housing. English Rural Housing Association planned to hold a public meeting/display on this topic on Tuesday 20th September, in the Church Community Room, Lynsted, between 2 and 8pm. The Parish Council supports such housing in the parish, but not any particular site or site size, at this stage. Parish Councillors plan to be at the meeting.
NOTE. Full minutes, once signed and adopted, are available for inspection at Teynham Library, or, by appointment, via the Clerk (phone 522 653.
The next meetings will be on Tuesday 4th October at the Belle Friday Centre London Road and Tuesday 15th November at the Community Room, Lynsted Church. Meetings start at 7.30pm.
Parish Council meetings are open to the public, who are warmly welcome to attend. Parishioners may make a brief oral statement at the beginning of the meeting.
R Baxter.
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