Meopham Mercury
The Meopham Parish Council Newsletter No 7 Summer 2013
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www.meopham.org
We would appreciate feedback on our newsletter (contact details on page 4).
Consultation on the proposed New Lower Thames Third Crossing
On 21st May 2013 the Department for Transport (DfT) issued a consultation on the options for a New Lower Thames Crosssing. The Dartford-Thurrock crossing is situated to the east of London and has been providing a vital north-south connection since the west tunnel opened back in 1963. Since then it has been redeveloped to accommodate increasing traffic flows with the east tunnel opening in 1980 and the bridge in 1991. It is a key link for many business travellers, haulage companies and holidaymakers travelling to and from Europe via the channel ports and the Channel Tunnel. It had been stated by DfT that with the current volumes of traffic the existing crossing had outgrown its capacity and congestion and delay were major problems which were expected to get worse in the future. The crossing is within the Thames Gateway area where major redevelopment is planned which means it has a much higher population growth forecast than other parts of the country and with this increase in population inevitably comes traffic.
The Government recognised the strategic importance of the Dartford-Thurrock crossing as part of the road network and that is why the anticipated need for additional crossing capacity in the lower Thames area was acknowledged in the 2010 comprehensive spending review announcement.
The options outlined by the DfT were:
· Option A: at the site of the existing Dartford crossing
· Option B: Swanscombe Peninsula (connecting the A2 with the A1089)
· Option C: East of Gravesend (connecting the M2 with the A13)
· Option C variant: connecting the M2 with the A13 and additional widening of the A229 between the M2 and the M20
In its response, the Parish Council did not agree that there was a strong case to increase road based river crossing capacity in the Lower Thames area. The preference for the Parish Council would have been not to take any action until the outcome of the freeflow system was known. However, after considering the four options, the Parish Council decided and voted unanimously for Option A as this would be the cheapest. Also, with a bridge it would benefit from being a 'known' quantity in terms of cost, infrastructure and construction time. It would also be the least disruptive to infrastructure and had the highest benefit cost ratio and without wider impact.
We await the decision from the DfT due in October 2013.
Annual Meetings
The Annual Parish meeting took place in May and despite the awful weather it was very well attended. Parishioners heard from the newly elected Mayor of Gravesham, Cllr Derek Sales, who outlined his role and his chosen charities for the year.
The Chairman opened his address by paying tribute to three people who had sadly passed away, Commander William Thomas Richardson RNR, RD (known as Bill), Air Commodore Daniel John Walliker CBE (known as John) and County Cllr and former Leader of Gravesham Borough Council and County Councillor Mike Snelling who would all be greatly missed in Meopham. A full tribute can be read in the Annual Report of the Parish Council.
The Chairman spoke briefly on the following topics:
· The submission of the Local Plan to the Planning Inspectorate;
· Congratulated the Jubilee Committee who organised the very enjoyable Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations;
· Gave an update on the proposed refurbishment of Judson’s Pavilion;
· Expressed the Council’s gratitude to the Acting Clerk for her excellent support to the Council over the past year.
The Chairman concluded his address by expressing the Parish Council’s gratitude to all the various local organisations within the parish for all their work and effort over the past year.
The Chairman, on behalf of the Parish Council, presented a memento to Colin Durham who retired after 25 years of carrying out “caretaker” duties in the parish. The Parish Council has engaged the services of a local contractor under a service agreement to carry out the maintenance works in the future.
The Parish meeting was followed by refreshments and the Annual Meeting of the Parish Council. The following were elected to the Parish Council:
Cllr Doug Powell (Chairman)
Cllr Barbara Wade (Vice-Chairman)
Cllr Harry Rayner (Treasurer)
The Parish Council was delighted to appoint Sarah Steven as Clerk to the Council in July 2013. Sarah is based in the Parish Office in the Windmill on Meopham Green, 9am-12 noon Monday to Friday.
Do you qualify for a grant from Meopham Parish Council?
The Parish Council awards grants, at its discretion, to organisations which are non-profit making or charitable within the parish that demonstrate a need for financial support to benefit the local community. Please note that grants cannot be made retrospectively and only one application for a grant will be considered from each organisation in any financial year. All applicants are required to complete the approved application form which can be found on our website. Organisations are requested to provide a copy of their written constitution and an up-to-date copy of the organisation’s latest audited accounts and balance sheet. Please submit all applications to the Parish Clerk, Sarah Steven, at the Parish Office no later than Monday 7th October 2013. Please do contact Sarah if you wish to discuss whether you would qualify to receive a grant.
Meopham Parish Council Annual Report 2012-2013
Copies are available to download from our website and also from the Parish Office.
Meopham Parish Council Accounts 2012-2013
The accounts were signed off on 28 May 2013 for External Audit. Copies are available from the Parish Office.
Harvel Fete
The Parish Council would like to congratulate the organisers of the Harvel Fete which was extremely well attended and a great success in June.
Southdown Shaw Allotments
The Parish Council would like to congratulate the Meopham and District Allotment Association for their very successful Open Day held in July.
Trees to Treasure Project
This scheme has 8,000 trees to give away to groups to plant on their open spaces and is open to community groups, schools, neighbourhood groups and all clubs and organisations. Applications must be sent to the Countryside Partnerships by the 31st October. Groups can apply for trees to create small and large planting schemes which benefit the local community and wildlife across north and mid-kent. Applications will be processed in November, ready for distribution of the trees in December. Individual trees and five different packs are available and they all include native species. For more details or to apply please go to the North West Kent Countryside Partnership website,
www.nwkcp.org, or call 01322 294727.
Neighbourhood Policing
As part of a new initiative, mobile Police Contact Points have been launched in the east of the county in July, and will come to West Kent in August and North Kent in September. Police Contact Points are held each day from Wednesday through to Sunday, mainly in rural locations, on a rolling two-week schedule. Our police vans stop at a prominent location for one and a half hours per visit, enabling residents to drop by and speak to a neighbourhood officer about any policing concerns or issues they may have. The new Contact Points are in addition to the existing surgeries, meetings and online question and answer sessions local officers hold each month. The contact points are currently available in Ashford, Canterbury, Dover, Shepway and Thanet and by the Autumn will be available across the county. Residents can follow their progress on dedicated Twitter accounts. For times and locations of the Police Contact Points, and to find out about other ways of contacting Kent Police in your area, please visit the Kent Police website (www.kent.police.uk) and follow the links from the home page.
Children Centre’s Consultation
Kent County Council are reviewing the way in which the Children’s Centres operate. They have put together a proposal for how Kent’s Children’s Centres can work sustainably in the future. A consultation on this proposal is taking place and the deadline for responses is 4th October 2013.
The priorities are to continue to deliver universal frontline services across the County, to provide targeted provision to those children and their families who need it most and to do this within the resources available. Significant savings of £1.5 million are needed because of a reduction in public funding.
The proposal that has been put together sets out how the available money can be focused more on actual services for children and their families, and less on running buildings and other overhead costs. It does this while maintaining the overall accessibility of services and support for those with the most need.
The consultation includes:
· Reducing the number of Children’s Centres;
· Linking Children’s Centres to reduce management and administrative costs; and
· Reducing hours at some Children’s Centres.
If you want to contribute to the consultation please go to www.kent.gov.uk/childrenscentres.
How to Contact Meopham Parish Council:
You can contact us in the following ways:
· Call into the Windmill - we are open 9am-12 noon Monday to Friday.
· Telephone - 01474 813779;
· E-mail at .
· Twitter - @meophamPC
· Facebook - “Meopham Parish Council”
Your Parish Council Members are:
Hook Green & Nurstead Ward:
Alison Aitken
Mark Everson
Ken Kemsley
Jo McTavish
Camer & Meopham Green Ward:
Sheila Buchanan
Peter Hasler
Douglas Powell (Chairman)
Barbara Wade (Vice Chairman)
Culverstone & Harvel Ward:
Max Bramer
James Ferrin
Hugh Marshall
Harry Rayner (Treasurer)
Parish Council Meetings
Parish Council meetings are due to take place as follows (in the Windmill unless stated otherwise):
3rd Sept FULL COUNCIL MEETING
(Cricket Pavilion)
17th Sept Planning & Projects
Committee (Budget)
15th Oct Environment & Amenities
Committee (Budget)
12th Nov Administration & Resources
Committee (Budget)
10th Dec FULL COUNCIL MEETING
(Budget) (Cricket Pavilion)
Agendas are published in advance on our website, social media and the noticeboards in the parish.
Other useful contacts
Neighbourhood Team:
PCSO Jo Hartley 07772 226070
[or 01474 366011)
E-mail:
Community Wardens:
Jacquie Fuller 07813 713036
Mandy Cason 07977 981931
Kent Police Crime Reporting 101 or
01622 690690
Crimestoppers (anonymous) 0800 555111
Victim Support 08453 899527
Antisocial behaviour 01474 337400
Community Safety Unit 01474 337528
Racial Equality Commission 01474 369329
Women's Aid 01322 384792
Samaritans 01634 730981
Consumer Direct 08454 040506
Trading Standards Hotline 08453 450210
Citizens’ Advice Bureau 01474 361239
Kent County Council 0300 3335540
Kent Highway Services 08458 247800
Gravesham Borough Council 01474 564422
Flytipping 0845 345 0210
Graffiti Hotline 01474 337328
Floodline 08459 881188
Noticeboards in the Parish
Please would residents not remove or cover meeting dates, agendas or other MPC information posters on our noticeboards. This information is published for the benefit of all residents. Thank you.
Please contact the Parish Office should you wish to place a poster on the noticeboards in the parish. All notices must be A5 size only and notices without an MPC number will be removed.
If you wish to make a contribution to this publication, then please contact the Parish Office.
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