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Highlights from the Annual General Meeting on 2nd May, 2006.
1. Election of officers. Tom English was elected as Chairman, unopposed. Bob Baxter was elected as Vice-chairman, unopposed.
2. Nomination to committees. Under a new system, all councillors had given their preferences to the Chairman, who had born them in mind when making the allocation, assisted by the Clerk. The following schedule was confirmed at this meeting:
- Planning: Cllrs. Barrett, Bowling, Jones, Baxter, Champion and English.
- Standards: Cllrs. Barrett, Bowling, Darling, Disney and English.
- Finance: Cllrs. Darling, Dawes, Champion, Disney and English.
- KAPC delegates: Cllrs. Darling and Bowling.
- Publicity and Website liaison: Cllrs. Baxter and Barrett.
- Street lights: Cllr. Champion.
- Orchard Committee: Cllrs. Barrett, Baxter and Disney.
- Joint Playing Fields: Cllrs, Bowling and Champion.
- Parish Plan Coordinator: Cllr. Disney.
- Properties: Cllrs. Dawes, Jones, Champion.
- Footpaths: Cllrs. Dawes and Jones.
- Tree Warden: Bob Baxter.
The Council was up to strength, with no vacancies.
3. Salt bin at Berkeley House corner. Would be filled in the autumn.
4. The interactive speed sign on London Road near the Cellar Hill junction was now operational.
5. Parking at St Peters Place. The promised parking space for residents, and visitors to the church, at the rear of St Peters Place, will be made available at the end of the building phase at St Paul’s Court.
6. Parish Plan. Three Working Groups had been set up at a meeting on 18th April: Road safety, Chair, Sheila Buttle; Physical Facilities, Chair, Bid Trim and Environment, Chair, Bob Baxter. Anyone interested in helping should contact one of the above, or John Disney.
7. Affordable Housing. Members of the Parish Council, along with members of Teynham Parish Council, Swale Borough Council and Action for Communities in Rural Kent (formerly Kent Rural Community Council) met on 29th March to consider possible sites, in both parishes, for low-cost housing to meet the needs confirmed by the Parish Plan and other surveys. A short list was drawn up, and the relevant landowners are being approached.
8. Planning. The Parish Council considered TC/06/0042. Proposed removal of a silver birch at Japonica Cottage, Ludgate Lane. It had no objection. A native species replacement specimen was suggested.
9. Local Plan. The Public Inquiry on objections to the draft Swale Local Plan is under way. The Parish Council has learnt that Swale B C would not recommend a change to the Plan in response to our bid to have the term ‘Parish Design Statement’ explained in the Glossary, nor to our view that the Eastern boundary of the Thames Gateway should be drawn just east of Sittingbourne, so that our rural parish would lie outside this development area. The final decisions lie with the Inquiry Inspector, however, not with SBC.
It was decided to submit our ‘boundary’ objection also to the South East Plan, which is out for consultation.
10. Blossom Day at the Community Orchard. Sadly, this had been cancelled due to rain. Cherry Day would be re-instated, on July 23rd, to compensate. Cllr Disney (phone 521 580) appealed for the loan any photographs of cherry picking in the area in past years. These are wanted to illustrate a book on cherries to be published as part of the Park Farm Cherry Orchard Project.
11. Footpaths. The Parish Council has a duty to ensure that all rights of way were clearly marked and passable, and report those that were not. Footpaths ZR261, 260 and 277 were not clear, and would be reported to the KCC Footpaths Officer. ZR 263 and 269 had been ploughed out, but not yet re-marked. These would be monitored.
12. Parish Tour. SBC ward councillor Ricky Barnicott reported that he had taken SBC’s new Chief Executive around the Parish. He had been impressed.
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 meeting will be on Tuesday 13th June at the Belle Friday Centre, London Road. The meeting starts 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.
Publicity Representative.
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