Minutes of the Meeting of Eastling Parish Council
held in Eastling Village Hall on
Wednesday 10th January 2007 at 6.00pm.

1. To note attendance and receive apologies for absence

Present: Cllrs Peter E. Cheeseman (Chairman), James G. West, Nigel Bickerdike, Helen Higgs, Dr Julia B. Bailey, Alan W. Willson (Village Warden) and Michael R. J. Thomas (Parish Clerk).
Apologies for Absence: There were no apologies for absence

2. To consider and if deemed to be correct, accept and sign the Minutes of the Meeting of the Parish Council held on Wednesday 8th November 2006

The minutes of the meeting of the Parish Council held on Wednesday 8th November 2006, having already been distributed to Councillors, were taken as read, confirmed as a correct record, adopted and signed by the Chairman.

3. Matters Arising

There were no matters arising.

4. To receive the Village Warden's Report

The Warden reported that the Neighbourhood Watch was now operating effectively. Meetings have been planned with the other representatives in an attempt to make the operation more efficient. He said that he felt he was beginning to get a favourable level of support from the community. There were still a few who could be regarded as "anti," but although they were vociferous they were comparatively few in number. He had attended the Senior Citizens' Christmas lunch and had explained his role to them.

He reported that he had advised Swale Borough Council of an incidence of "fly-tipping" and would be passing those details to the barrister who was handling these matters for KCC.

Rev. A. Cheeseman had some personal stolen from her car while it was parked outside the church and there had been a couple of instances of lost or stolen dogs.

He gave the Council details of the patrols that he had undertaken through the village.

5. To receive the Chairman's Report

The Chairman reported that he had spoken to Swale Borough Council regarding the Village Warden's job description and its implications for financial assistance. Swale had made one or two suggestions and the Clerk would liaise with Cllr. Bailey to make the necessary modifications. Cllr Bailey had attended a meeting of the Mid Kent Downs Advisory Committee on behalf of the council and reported that a lawyer from Crown Prosecution Service and Sgt Small of the Environmental Crime Squad were working together to prosecute fly-tippers. Any instances should be reported to the Warden who would pass the details to the appropriate authority.

6. To receive the Treasurer's Report

The Treasurer reported that there was £856.00 in the Current Account and £1540.00 on deposit. After much discussion the Council decided to set a precept of 14p. It was emphasised that the increase was, in part, due to the Capital Expenditure in setting up the Office and also the possible expenses that could be incurred by the Warden. The precept for Eastling, however, was well below the average in Swale. The Council reiterated that the facilities of the computer and the internet access were available to all members of the community at agreed times.

7. Village Sign

The Clerk reported that he had submitted an application for funding to the Kent County Council and had supplied a copy of the application to Cllr Andrew Bowles. During a consequent telephone conversation, Cllr Bowles had indicated that he was very impressed with the design and pledged his support. He has since telephoned to confirm that our application for funding has been successful and that decisions needed to be made quickly as the necessary paperwork needed to be completed by the end of January. The Council approved and decided to proceed with the project

8. Planning

A further Planning Application relating to the Eastling Primary School had been approved. An application had been received from Cllr Bickerdike at Manor Cottage, details of which had been circulated to Councillors. They had expressed no concerns or objections and Swale Borough Council had been advised accordingly. This application has subsequently been approved.

9. Church Path, Footpaths and Roads

The Clerk reported that Alan Willson had now planted some 100 daffodil bulbs along the Church path, which would enhance the character of the edges. Cllr Bowles has also been trying to organise the police to come to Eastling for a site visit to discuss the Council's request for 30 mph speed limit. He has been in contact with C. I. Chambers who admitted that there has been no one in place to do the job. This apparently has, or is in the process of being rectified, and the Council will be advised when the meeting is likely to take place. The Clerk was asked to bring to the attention of KCC the poor state of the road in Newnham Lane and North Eastling Hill.

10. Correspondence

A letter had been received from Goodnestone and Graveney Parish Council requesting support for their fight against the proposed Power Station on the Marshes at Seasalter. The Council regretted that due to prior commitments and budgetary constraints it would unable to assist in this instance. The clerk would advise Goodnestone and Graveney accordingly.

The Clerk reported that he had received an e-mail from Mr Fullajmes of Hatchwood House complaining that the 2001 Parish Appraisal stated that the Water Pumping Station was described as the "ugliest building in the village." He was concerned that, being situated next door to the building in question, such as description could have an adverse effect on the value of his property. He, therefore, requested that such subjective opinions should not in made public in future documents.

The Clerk had also had an e-mail from Harold Wyld, the Village Webmaster, suggesting that Councillors photographs should appear on the web-site. The Councillors decided to decline the invitation.

11. Any other business

Cllr Bickerdike raised the question of whether the paper bins and bottle banks were being regularly emptied. Cllr Bailey advised him that the Village Hall Trustees had been aware of the problem with regard to the paper bins before Christmas and had contacted Swale Borough Council without success. Under normal circumstances the service was extremely reliable and generated a reasonable amount of income for the Village Hall. As far as the bottle banks were concerned this was the first time that they were becoming due to be emptied and consequently they were being monitored closely. She urged all residents to use the facilities thus helping to provide funds for the Village Hall. Cllr Bickerdike also expressed his concern that lights were left on at the school for the duration of the Christmas holiday.

There being no further business the meeting closed at 7.20pm.

13. To confirm the date of the next meeting

It was agreed that the next meeting will be held on Wednesday 14th March 2007 at 6.00pm.

Minutes of the Meeting of Eastling Parish Council
held in Eastling Village Hall on
Wednesday 14th March 2007 at 6.00pm.

1. To note attendance and receive apologies for absence

Present: Cllrs Peter E. Cheeseman (Chairman), James G. West, Nigel Bickerdike, Helen Higgs, Dr Julia B. Bailey, Alan W. Willson (Village Warden) and Michael R. J. Thomas (Parish Clerk)
Apologies for Absence: There were no apologies for absence.

2. To consider and if deemed to be correct, accept and sign the Minutes of the Meeting of the Parish Council held on Wednesday 10th January 2007

The minutes of the meeting of the Parish Council held on Wednesday 10th January 2007, having already been distributed to Councillors, were taken as read, confirmed as a correct record, adopted and signed by the Chairman.

3. Matters Arising

There were no matters arising.

4. To receive the Village Warden's Report

The first couple of weeks into the New Year were reasonably quiet within the Parish Area. During this period only routine checks were needed.

He reported that there had been problems with power cables in Stalisfield and Painter's Forstal as a result of the adverse weather conditions.

He advised the Council that he had received a call from a resident of Glebe Cottages to say that a "Jack Russell" dog had been stolen from their back garden. The Police were advised but unfortunately, to date, the dog has not been found. There had been, he reported, a number of incidents involving lost or stolen dogs and another when two men had been noted making enquiries about "Jack Russell" terriers.

There had been reports of sheep roaming the village and he had advised Arnold's Oak Farm accordingly.

On 25th January he reported that he had attended a meeting with Swale Housing and the Police.

On 29th January there was a report of a blood-stained person at North Eastling Corner. The Police were informed and a patrol car arrived quickly to investigate. At the end of the month there was an arrest in the village when the Police were alerted that someone had been seen acting strangely. It transpired that the person arrested was wanted by the Police.

Finally he reported that one of the residents of Glebe Cottages had been knocked off his bicycle by a car towing a wheelie bin. He suffered a broken arm and other injuries which have resulted in him being off work for many weeks. He had had the details published in the "Good News" in the hope that someone could supply some further information. The Police were advised at the time of the accident.

5. To receive the Chairman's Report

The Chairman stated that, on this occasion, he had nothing to report.

6. To receive the Treasurer's Report

The Treasurer reported that he had received a payment of £1500.00 from Kent County Council which represented the first instalment to meet the cost of the Village Sign. He wished to emphasise that the total cost of the sign had been covered by external funding and would in no way impinge upon the Parish Precept. He said that the Parish Council had £3047.00 on deposit and £153.00 in the current account. He requested that the Clerk and the Warden submitted their expenses before the end of the month. The Council agreed to renew its subscription to the Kent Association of Parish Council at a cost of £139.00.

7. Village Design Statement

Cllr Bailey reported that the text of the statement was beginning to fall into place and that she felt that at the moment it just needed fine tuning. As Councillors will have noted the document circulated by the Kent Downs AONB Unit indicated that a number of Borough Councils were considering design statements to be obsolete with effect from 2007. Swale, as present, states that it will continue to consider a village design statement but will require an additional sustainability appraisal before it can be accepted as a supplementary planning document. With this in mind she felt that there was little point in spending a great deal of effort, time and money in what could become a totally academic exercise, but would also like to see the task brought to fruition. She had asked the Clerk to contact Harold Wyld to assist in putting pictures to the words and to produce it on disc for submission to the Parish Council for its approval, prior to publishing it on the village web-site. This would greatly enhance what has already been achieved and also have the advantage of putting the document into the public domain making it accessible and, therefore, fulfilling the criterion relating to consultation with the electorate.

8. Planning

A Planning Application had been received relating to the pruning of trees at the Old Rectory, details of which had been circulated to Councillors. They had expressed no concerns or objections and Swale Borough Council had been advised accordingly. This application has subsequently been approved.

9. Church Path, Footpaths and Roads

The Chairman congratulated Alan Willson on the condition of the Church Path and suggested that more daffodils be planted for next year.

The Chairman requested that the Clerk contact the Belmont Estate with regard to the footpath which extends from Cheriton on the Otterden Road to the woods and from Mill Cottages to Wineycot. Cllr Bailey reported details of the Syndale Valley Walk which extends for about 11 miles throughout the area. Copies of the map will be posted on the village notice boards.

Cllr Bickerdike reported that he is due to meet with PC Mahon to discuss the suggested 30mph speed limit through the length of the Village Street. He said that he would also be contacting Ian Lewis with reference to the traffic calming measures proposed in a recent document to ascertain why Eastling had been excluded.

10. Correspondence

The Clerk reported that he had written to Mid Kent Water suggesting that a lifting of the hose-pipe ban might be appropriate under the circumstances. As the Council will be aware the ban was lifted within days, although the Clerk regretted that it was doubtful that he had any influence whatsoever in the outcome. .

As a result of Cllr Bickerdikes' comments regarding the bottle banks and paper bins the Clerk had written to Swale Borough Council expressing concern at its failure to empty the receptacles sufficiently regularly. Unfortunately the reply was not desperately helpful and was passed to the Chairman of the Village Hall Trustees for the information of the Board.

The Clerk reported that he had received confirmation from the Belmont Estate that it was prepared to allow the Village Sign to be sited on the piece of land opposite the Carpenters' Arms. The Estate, however, reserved the right to decree the exact location.

11. Any other business

There being no further business the meeting closed at 7.20pm.

13. To confirm the date of the next meeting

Councillors were reminded that the Annual Parish Meeting will take place on Monday 16th April 2007 at 8.00pm. It will follow the AGM of the Village Hall Trustees which is due to begin at 7.30pm. It was agreed that the next regular meeting of the Parish Council will be held on Wednesday 9th May 2007 at 6.00pm.

Present: Cllr P. E. Cheeseman (Chairman), Cllr J. G. West, Cllr N. Bickerdike, Cllr H. Higgs Cllr Julia B. Bailey, Alan Willson (Village Warden) and M. R. J. Thomas (Parish Clerk).
Also present: Cllr Andrew Bowles (KCC), Cllr Colin Prescott (Swale BC), Rev Caroline Pinchbeck, Anne Partington-Omar, Ben Binder (Belmont Estate), Sgt Robinson (Kent Police) and 15 members of the public.

The Chairman welcomed the invited guests and members of the public to the meeting

The Parish Council Meeting began immediately after the meeting of The Village Hall Trustees

1. Apologies for Absence:

Apologies for absence were received from H. Robertson MP,

2. Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting held on 10th April 2006:

The minutes of the last meeting, having been distributed to the meeting, were taken as read, accepted and signed by the Chairman.

3. Chairman's Report:

The Chairman's Report had already been distributed to the meeting and he explained his thoughts on each item. In it he stated that the Council has maintained its pattern of bi-monthly meetings throughout the year, and there had been a good attendance record by all 5 councillors. The Council had benefited greatly from the efficient organisation of the Clerk, Mike Thomas, and the Chairman thanked him on behalf of the Parish for his unpaid service to the community.

Here is a brief summary of the issues considered over the last year:

Planning: The Council has had to consider relatively few applications during the year, and all have been approved. The Council continues to give encouragement to the group producing the Design Statement for the Village, co-ordinated by Cllr. Julia Bailey. The aim is to complete their work by the end of the summer, with a definitive draft of what is, and hence what is not, appropriate in terms of design and materials used in development in the Village. It will also deal with the overall issues of the community's views on growth and development. It is hoped to circulate the draft for public comment in the autumn, for final submission to Swale Borough Council before the end of the calendar year. This document then forms a statement of Eastling's views to be taken into account by SBC in making planning decisions.

Roads: This is an area of frustration for the Council, but Cllr. Nigel Bickerdike continues to pursue matters on its behalf with energy. There are two ongoing issues. The prime one is to achieve a lower speed limit along The Street, Eastling Road, and Kettle Hill Road - a reduction from 40mph to 30 mph - as they are all used extensively by families and children. The Council has clear statistical evidence that in The Street between a quarter and a third of motorists exceed 30mph. As residents have no alternative but to park on the highway, it could be argued that even 30 mph there is too high. We continue to pursue the matter with the Police, who are a key agency in achieving a change. It is particularly galling to see that KCC is prepared to spend money on traffic calming in Doddington, and has future plans for Newnham and Oare, but leaves Eastling out of the equation.

The other concern is the general state of the roads in the Parish. The Chairman stated that he had lived here for 25 years, during which time no significant investment in re-surfacing has been made. Newnham Lane and North Eastling Lane are in particularly poor condition .The current KCC policy of putting a dab of asphalt on each pothole is merely a "band-aid" solution of purely short term benefit, and the Council continues to ask when something more substantial will be done.

Footpaths: The Council wishes to thank the Belmont Estate, and Ben Binder the Farm Manager, for re-instating speedily the majority of footpaths after ploughing and sowing. It is also grateful for the investment going into re-instating or creating hedges, as well as keeping those on the highways in trim.

The Council is also seeking to put resources into the cutting back and maintenance of the Church Path, which is a focal point of the Village and is much used.

Village Sign: The Council has debated this since the Millennium, which was a time when many villages erected such symbols. A key factor was the cost of such a project, as the Council wished to do full justice to the excellent design produced by our local artist, John Darlington. It has been on widespread display in the Carpenter's Arms and the Village Hall. Towards the end of the year the Council was delighted to hear that the total costs can be met from grants available from KCC, and work can therefore be undertaken later this year, subject to the final details of siting opposite the Carpenter's Arms being agreed with the Estate. Our warmest thanks go to our local Councillor, Andrew Bowles, for his help in securing funding, including the use of his discretionary fund.

Village Warden: The Council decided to appoint Alan Willson as Village Warden in the autumn of last year. This followed numerous comments from parishioners, particularly the elderly, that they felt they had no channel to report concerns or comments onto the relevant authorities like the Police, the Borough Council, and the Housing Associations.

Unfortunately the Village has experienced repeated examples of anti-social behaviour, so the Council agreed these concerns were real. Alan's remit is to act as the eyes and ears of the Village, and to act as an adviser on how to contact, or make contact himself with the relevant public bodies. He does not have the powers of the late lamented institution of the village bobby, or the right to get involved directly in disputes. So please understand and respect Alan's remit when contacting him with any specific concerns. A copy of Alan's report has been provided.

Village Office: The office was established in the meeting room in this Hall to act as an administrative centre for the Council and other Parish Bodies. But it has always been intended that it should be a community resource, rather like an internet café, where parishioners can use computing facilities, with Broadband connection, for their own use. There is, however, the unresolved problem of access because the equipment cannot be left unsupervised, and the currently available supervisors have limited availability. The Council is anxious that this should be considered to be a community resource, so suggestions as to how the access issue can be overcome would be gratefully received.

4. Treasurer's Report:

The Treasurer provided the meeting with copies of the accounts which set out in detail the income and expenditure of the Parish Council. He then explained how these figures were reached and their significance. The precept had been reduced from £1,400.00 to £803.00. There were opening and closing balances of £3064.00 and £2735.00 respectively.

5. Village Warden's Report

The Warden's Report was also made available to the members of the public who attended the meeting. In it he confirmed that he commenced his duties on 12th September 2006 and immediately met with Cllr Bickerdike to arrange to take over the responsibilities of the Neighbourhood Watch in Eastling. Having completed the formalities with him he forwarded the necessary documentation to the NHW Office in Swale.

He had a meeting with the Faversham Rural Police Team to discuss how they envisaged the development of his role. He felt that the meeting was very fruitful and look forward to liaising with our local police in future. During the discussions it was suggested that a fluorescent jacket marked "Village Warden" should be worn so that the community, especially the children, would know who he was if he needed to speak with them. This has been purchased, together with a marked vest at a cost of £45.55. A dedicated mobile phone has also been purchased at a cost of £39.99 together with a pre-paid phone card for £10.00.

Initially the appointment met with some resistance from local people but after a couple of weeks with a great deal of assistance from the Rural Team confidence in the role has been established and now appears to receive total support from the community.

These are some the incidents which have required attention:-

There was some damage caused at the Church which was reported to the Police. A crime number was obtained and passed to Cllr West. Later Rev Angela Cheeseman had her car broken into outside the Church.

A resident claimed to have been forced off the road by one of the lorries delivering to Southern Water in Kettle Hill Road. As one of the lorries had been involved in an accident on the way to Eastling that day, a call was made the next morning to speak to the site foreman requesting that the drivers be told that they should slow down entering Eastling and especially going past the School. He was very co-operative and said that he would definitely advise the drivers. This information was passed to the Rural Team who also had a word and were monitoring the speeds of the vehicles.

Assistance was required in Tong Lane when one of the containers there had been broken into and a considerable amount of equipment stolen. The necessary information was provided to enable them to report the matter to the proper authority.

There were a number of incidents at the Pheasantry in November which Jessie Stevens reported and the police were informed and called to see Jessie very quickly to sort the problem out.

There have been a number of incidents involving lost, stolen or stray dogs. As a result a series of contacts have been built up, which have proved invaluable.

There was a problem with sheep wandering through the village. Having found them and having made certain that there was no danger to traffic Arnold's Oak Farm was advised of the situation.

One of the residents of Glebe Cottages was knocked off his bicycle at Painter's Forstal by a car towing a wheelie bin. He suffered a broken arm and other injuries which have resulted in him being off work for many weeks. The details were published in the "Good News" in the hope that someone could supply some further information. The Police were advised at the time of the accident.

Public Comments and Questions relating to items 3, 4and 5: There were no comments from the floor.

6. Reports by Invited Guests and Representatives of Local Organisations:

The Reverend Caroline Pinchbeck stated she had now been in the village for 7 months and explained her duties within the parish. She is rural advisor to the Rochester diocese and priest-in-charge at Eastling and Stalisfield. She expressed her gratitude to the Parish Council for its donation of £1000 towards the costs of providing a youth worker. She said that they were anxious to be able to fund someone for 3 years which would cost £9000 per annum. The Youth Club is very successful on Sunday nights, being attended by up to 25 people from Eastling and Stalisfield.

The "Good News" has changed its format since January and she felt that it should be used by everyone and not just for religious notices etc. She asked that the Parish Council make use of it as it was delivered free to every house in the Parish and people did read it. The Chairman stated that the Parish Council considered it to be a very valuable means for keeping the residents of the village informed of what was currently taking place.

She reported that work was still being carried out on the West end of the church, and that finance was needed.

Cllr Andrew Bowles paid tribute to the Parish Council, although it was one of the smallest Councils in his area of responsibility, it was hard working and successful.

He will support the Council's campaign for a 30 mph and interactive signs on the highway.

Cllr Colin Prescott thought that everyone would benefit from the new wheelie bin system - once they had got used to it. He had nothing else to add to Andrew Bowles statements but said that he hoped to be able to attend our Parish meetings in the future when possible.

Sgt Robinson of Kent Police told the meeting that Alan Willson, the Village Warden, was doing a superb job working in conjunction with the police on the many and varied aspects of community policing.

Anne Partington-Omar, the Belmont Administrator, told the meeting that the gardens were now open from 10am to 6pm every day. For £15.00 per year access to the gardens could be obtained at any time. She said that the cricket ground had been re-instated and that an opening match between the "Band of Brothers" and a "Trustees" XI was scheduled to take place at the end of May

Ben Binder, the Farm Manager, said that the Estate had planted some 5 miles of hedgerows and it was anticipated there would be more before the task was completed. He requested that the public keep to the designated footpaths as wandering indiscriminately through the woodland was prejudicial to wildlife.

7. Public Comments and Questions relating to Item 6:

Mrs Freed said that many of the vehicles rushing through the village came from the development at Bunce Court and were consequently outside the jurisdiction of the Parish.

8. Any Other Matters of Local Interest or Concern:

No matters of local interest or concern were raised.

Minutes of the Annual General Meeting
of Eastling Parish Council held in Eastling Village Hall
on Wednesday 9th May 2007 at 6.00pm

1. To note attendance and receive apologies for absence

Present: Cllrs Peter E. Cheeseman (Chairman), James G. West (Treasurer), Nigel Bickerdike, Helen Higgs, Alan Willson (Village Warden) and Michael R. J. Thomas (Parish Clerk).
Apologies for Absence: Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Andrew Bowles.

2. Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on Monday 8th May 2006

The minutes of the meeting were read, confirmed as a correct record, adopted and signed by the Chairman.

3. Appointments

a) Chairman of the Parish Council
The Clerk took the Chair, and invited proposals from the assembled Council for a nomination for a Councillor to serve as Chairman of the Council. Cllr P. Cheeseman was proposed by Cllr West and seconded by Cllr Bickerdike. There were no other nominations. Cllr Cheeseman accepted the nomination and resumed his seat in the chair.

b) Treasurer
Cllr West proposed that the Chairman act as Treasurer. The proposal was seconded by Cllr Bickerdike and carried. Cllr Cheeseman accepted the nomination.

c) Neighbourhood Watch Representative
Alan Willson, the Village Warden, indicated that he was happy to continue in the position.

d) Eastling Village Hall Trustees Representative
Cllr Higgs had offered to continue in this position and the Village Hall Trustees had been advised accordingly. The Council conveyed their thanks to Councillor Higgs.

e) Tree Warden
Cllr Bickerdike offered to continue as Tree Warden. The offer was accepted by the Council.

4. Banking and Insurance arrangements

All arrangements remain the same -

a) Bankers:- Lloyds TSB Faversham

b) Signatories:- Cllrs Cheeseman, and Bickerdike

c) Insurance and Cover:- Cornhill Insurance

5. Dates of future meetings Jan - Dec 2008

Members agreed that meetings should continue to be held on the second Wednesday of alternate months (except for the APM) - 9th January, 12th March, 14th May (AGM), 9th July, 10th September and 12th November. The Date of the Annual Parish Meeting was provisionally set for Monday 7th April 2007.

6. Any other business

Minutes of the Meeting of Eastling Parish Council
held in Eastling Village Hall, Kettle Hill Lane, Eastling
on Wednesday 9th May 2007 at 6.15pm.

1. To note attendance and receive apologies for absence

Present: Cllrs Peter E. Cheeseman (Chairman), James G. West, Nigel Bickerdike, Helen Higgs, Dr Julia B. Bailey, Alan W. Willson (Village Warden) and Michael R. J. Thomas (Parish Clerk).
Apologies for Absence: Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Andrew Bowles.

2. To consider and if deemed to be correct, accept and sign the Minutes of the Meeting of the Parish Council held on Wednesday 14th March 2007

The minutes of the meeting of the Parish Council held on Wednesday 14th March 2007, having already been distributed to Councillors, were taken as read, confirmed as a correct record, adopted and signed by the Chairman.

3. Matters Arising

There were no matters arising.

4. To receive the Village Warden's Report

In early March as a result of storm damage along Kettle Hill Road, it was necessary to remove a collapsed tree and make the area safe. Later in the month there was a road traffic accident in Kettle Hill Road. There were no injuries but the vehicles were damaged.

There were a couple of incidents involving suspicious cars being parked in the village. In both cases the cars were subsequently collected.

A call was received from Mrs P. Neaves at Arnold Oak to say that one of her horses was missing. Contact was made with a number of people by phone and in person. As a result the horse was traced two days later at Throwley.

There was an incident at Glebe Cottages when sheep had been reported around the houses.

Time was spent with Ben Binder, the Farm Manager, checking on a car that had been seen driving on Belmont land. It transpired that it was an unmarked Police car pursuing some suspects.

Mr Deeprose of Romany Rest called to say that he had lost his dog. A search was made of the area and information posted on the web-site. The dog returned two days later.

A relative of Mrs Dodds at No 3 Manor Lees called to say that the old lady had had an accident. The emergency ambulance arrived and she was taken to hospital.

A lady called to say that she had seen someone fly tipping within the Parish boundaries. I checked but could find no-one

John Darlington called with details of a lost dog that had been found. The owner arrived as the dog was about to be taken to the local kennels.

During the period a number of routine patrols throughout the Parish were made which were incident free.

5. To receive the Chairman's Report

The Chairman stated that he had received an invitation to attend the launch of the Ospringe Design Statement and indicated that he would be happy to represent the Council at the event. Cllr Bailey and the Clerk offered to accompany him. He also said that he proposed attending the forthcoming meeting of the Kent Association of Parish Councils.

6. To receive the Treasurer's Report

The Council approved the accounts which were presented to the Village at the Annual Parish Meeting. The Annual Return needed to reach the Audit Commission by the end of June, having first been audited internally. There was £280.00 in the current account and £3,560.00 on deposit.

7. Village Youth Worker

A request for a further donation towards the cost of providing a Youth Worker had been received. The Council agreed to donate a £1,000.00 for 2007 - 2008, but although it would be prepared to look favourably on making contributions in the future, it felt that it would be wrong to make a firm commitment which it might find impossible to fulfil at a later date. During the discussions relating to this item Cllrs West and Bickerdike declared an interest.

8. Planning

A Planning Application had been received relating to the rebuilding and maintenance of existing overhead power lines in the territory. Details were circulated to Councillors for their comments. An advisory notice had been received relating to work to be carried out at Frith Farm, Otterden.

9. Church Path, Footpaths, Notice boards and Roads

A letter had been received from the Kent Police relating to the Council's request for a 30 mph speed limit along The Street. Achieving this goal is conditional to the Council agreeing to take part in the Speed Watch programme. With this in mind the Council is proposing to accept the offer from the Police of a presentation showing what this programme entails. It is intended that this meeting should be open to the public so that everybody will have the opportunity to voice their opinion.

10. Correspondence

The Clerk advised the Council had he had received a letter from Swale Borough Council relating to the new Code of Conduct for Council Members. Apparently the Council would need to adopt this Code once it had been decided exactly what interests needed to be registered. He reminded them of the need to sign the appropriate forms in the meantime, which he would circulate shortly.

11. To confirm the date of the next meeting

12. Any other business

Minutes of the Meeting of Eastling Parish Council held on Wednesday 11th July 2007 in Eastling Village Hall, Kettle Hill Lane, Eastling at 6.00 pm

1. To note attendance and receive apologies for absence

Present: Cllrs Peter E. Cheeseman, James G. West, Nigel Bickerdike, Helen Higgs, Dr Julia B. Bailey, Alan W. Willson (Village Warden) and Michael R. J. Thomas (Parish Clerk).
Apologies for Absence: Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Andrew Bowles

2. To consider and if deemed to be correct, accept and sign the Minutes of the Meeting of the Parish Council held on Wednesday 9th May 2007

The minutes of the meeting of the Parish Council held on Wednesday 9th May 2007, having already been distributed to Councillors, were taken as read, confirmed as a correct record, adopted and signed by the Chairman.

3. Matters Arising

There were no matters arising.

4. To receive the Village Warden's Report

The beginning of May was a relatively quiet time during which nothing of significance occurred.

On 15th May there was an assault on a lady from the village. The Police were informed and a statement made. The following day several patrols were made around the village looking for the culprits.

On three occasions during the latter part of May visits were made to a location within the Parish boundary where it was purported that an illegal drug was being grown commercially. The Police were advised accordingly.

The beginning of June was also quiet. Information was received relating to incidents which had happened outside the village and this was passed onto the Police.

There was a "break-in" at a property in Kettle Hill Road. Later it was discovered that there had been another "break-in" in the village. On this occasion the incident occurred at a property situated in The Street. At this stage the Faversham Rural Team was informed.

On 30th June a telephone call was received from a resident of Meeson's Close relating to a group of individuals knocking on doors ostensibly looking for "odd jobs." As it was 9.30 pm this was obviously not right. All details were subsequently passed to the Police.

5. To receive the Chairman's Report

The Chairman reported that, with Cllr Bailey, he had attended the presentation of the Ospringe Parish Council's Design Statement. They both felt that it was a very impressive document and offered their congratulations to all those involved in its production

6. To receive the Treasurer's Report

The Treasurer reported that at the end of June the Council had £1,300.00 in its current account. There was, however, a cheque for £1,000.00 outstanding, being the Council's contribution to the Youth Worker for the coming year. Cllr West expressed his thanks on behalf of the Parochial Church Council. There was £4,179.00 on deposit. He reported that the Annual Return had been submitted and that he had, as yet, received no adverse comments.

7. Village Design Statement/Parish Plan

Cllr Bailey reported that she had attended a meeting relating to the production of Parish Plans and advised the Council that it was totally different from the Village Design Statement which was effectively being phased out and would have less and less influence on the outcome of planning applications. It was emphasised that there was no further finance available for such projects and that private printing costs could prove to be prohibitive. It was suggested that the Design Statement be completed in its present form, be submitted to the Council for its approval, and then published on the Village Web-site. If as a result there was a perceived need for a Parish Plan the matter could be reconsidered at a later date having first considered the potential ramifications of so doing.

8. Planning

A Planning Application had been received relating to the rebuilding and maintenance of existing overhead power lines in the territory. Details were circulated to Councillors for their comments. The application relating to Box Cottage, Kettle Hill Road had been approved and the application relating to 6, Meeson's Close had been refused.

9. Church Path, Footpaths and Roads

Cllr Bickerdike advised the Council that the Police Officer in charge of the Speed Watch presentations had been changed. He had, therefore, had to resubmit his file of correspondence and once again awaited a reply.

The Clerk advised the Council that the Church Path had been cut. He also drew the attention of the Council to the increased amount of fouling by dogs that had taken place after the path had been tidied. He pointed out that the Church Path was less than 200 yards long and that there were literally miles of footpaths within the parish boundaries. He requested that owners could be persuaded to ensure that their animals left their donations elsewhere.

He also stated that he had been asked to draw the Council's attention to the fact that many private hedges were restricting the width of the road because they were not cut back as far as they should be. Parts of Newnham Lane and the footpath along by Prospect Place were particularly restricted. Also the sight line from the Church car park was in need of attention. The council asked the Clerk to advise Kent Highways accordingly.

10. Correspondence

The Clerk advised the Council that he had written to Mrs E. Bell enclosing the Council's cheque for £1,000.00. He had received an acknowledgement and an acceptance of the terms and conditions laid down by the Council.

11. Any other business

There being no further business the meeting closed at 7.25 pm.

12. To confirm the date of the next meeting

Minutes of the Meeting of Eastling Parish Council
held in Eastling Village Hall, Kettle Hill Lane, Eastling
on Friday 7th September 2007 at 6.00 pm

1. To note attendance and receive apologies for absence

Present: Cllrs Peter E. Cheeseman, James G. West, Nigel Bickerdike, Dr Julia B. Bailey, Alan W. Willson (Village Warden) and Michael R. J. Thomas (Parish Clerk)
Apologies for Absence: Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Helen Higgs and Cllr Andrew Bowles (K. C. C.). Cllr Peter Cheeseman had telephoned to say that he could be late as he was delayed in heavy traffic on the M25. Cllr West took the chair in his absence and opened the meeting. Cllr Cheeseman arrived at 6.20 pm and took the chair.

2. To consider and if deemed to be correct, accept and sign the Minutes of the Meeting of the Parish Council held on Wednesday 11th July 2007

The minutes of the meeting of the Parish Council held on Wednesday 11th July 2007, having already been distributed to Councillors, were taken as read, confirmed as a correct record, adopted and signed by the Chairman.

3. Matters Arising

There were no matters arising.

4. To receive the Village Warden's Report

In early July it was reported that there was a vandalised car on the Otterden Road opposite Churchfields. The car was investigated and indeed was damaged. The owner was tracked down and the Police advised.

Later that morning it was reported that an illegal drinking party had been held in the school grounds. On visiting the site it was apparent that this had been the case and the Police were advised.

In the latter part of July and early August, persons known to the Police had been visiting the area, particularly in the location of the Carpenters Arms. Details of these visits, along with car numbers etc, were passed on to the Police.

In early August several calls were made regarding sighting of a person wanted by the Police. The Police were informed which resulted in a Police raid on a property in the area.

Several calls were received regarding suspicious cars in the area. When the information was passed on, it proved to be of significant importance.

All details of a car seen in the village and being driven erratically were passed to the Police and the car was stopped in Sittingbourne. The driver had no licence and had been banned.

The sound of "off road motor bikes" was heard coming from Newnham Lane. On investigation there were two youths, who were not from Eastling, riding up and down the road. After a few words with them, they agreed to dismount and walk their bikes. Perchance the Rural team Land Rover arrived on the scene, the lads were passed onto them.

A call was received regarding another suspicious car in the village which was passed onto the Police

A call was received from a Lady in Otterden relating to a serious incident, details of which were passed to the police.

The Council commended the Warden on his efforts.

4. To receive the Chairman's Report

The chairman said that on this occasion he had nothing to report.

6. To receive the Treasurer's Report

The Treasurer reported that the accounts had been accepted without comment by the audit commission. There was £20.00 in the current Account and £4,000.00 on deposit of which £2,600.00 was for the Village Sign and could be returnable.

7. Adoption of the Code of Conduct

The Clerk recommended to the Council that the Model Code of Conduct decreed by the Government be adopted. He explained that there were non-mandatory elements but suggested that these be adopted as well. The Council resolved to adopt the Model Code of Conduct in its entirety.

8. Shaping the Future of Swale - Corporate Plan

The Council considered the matter but felt that it did not wish to comment.

9. Village Design Statement/Parish Plan/Village Study

Copies of the Village Study had been submitted to the members of the Council, both electronically and in paper form for their approval. In commending the document, Cllr Bailey said that she felt that it represented rather more than a design statement which dealt solely with planning matters. It was intended as a sociological study, which detailed the current state of life in the village - its advantages and its drawbacks. It was decided to print 20 copies, which would be available from Councillors, the Committee responsible for producing the document and from key points around the village. The draft would be published on the Village Website. The Clerk was instructed to ascertain the cost of producing discs which could be circulated to each household in conjunction with the "Good News." The Council wished to thank those individuals who had served on the original committee for a job well done.

10. Planning

There had been no planning applications received for the Council to consider, but the Clerk reported that the application for The Old Rectory had been approved.

11. Church Path, Footpaths, Roads

Cllrs Cheeseman, Bickerdike and the Clerk met with officials from Kent Highways to discuss matters of concern on Wednesday 22nd August 2007. Matters discussed included 30mph Speed Limit, the General Condition of the Local Roads and the prevalence of missing or damaged signage. It was agreed that Miss Smith-Palomesque of KCC would advise the Parish Council of KCC's opinion of Eastling's perceived grievances and advise what action, if any, would be taken. As a result of the meeting a Mr Neil Tree contacted the Clerk to say that North Eastling Hill is scheduled to be prepared and patched this winter and will receive a surface dressing during the summer of 2008. He reported that he had, as yet, heard nothing from Miss Smith-Palomesque, but advised the Council that she is on holiday until the middle of September. Cllr Bickerdike reported that he had apprised Miss Smith-Palomesque with the contents of his file relating to the 30 mph speed limit, which seemed to contradict many of the assertions made by the KCC at the meeting.

12. Correspondence

The Clerk advised the Council that he had received a response from the Kent Peoples' Trust relating to its application for funding to assist with the financing of the Village Warden. The Council was congratulated on the project but was denied resources as it was deemed that the concept was outside the Trust's remit. He also reported that a request had been received from Swale Borough Council to assist in upgrading its web-site for tourism related activities. He had completed the form and returned it.

13. Any other business

The Chairman asked about the latest position with regard to the Village Sign. The Clerk was unable to provide any firm information. Councillors expressed concerns at the condition of the verge outside Manor Orchard.

There being no further business the meeting closed at 7.25 pm.

14. To confirm the date of the next meeting

It was agreed that the next regular meeting of the Parish Council will be held on Wednesday 14th November 2007 at 6.00pm.