School buses in Bell Road
Date: Wednesday 4, May 2022
Name: Mr W
Firstly I believe Cllr Mike Baldock is now the leader so you need to update your Ask the Leader web page ( tut tut Comms). My question is, is there anything that the council can do about the chaos that the school buses cause on Bell road? My concerns are specifically- *The buses are mostly parked on double yellow lines and park over the junction with Highsted Rd. My understanding is that double yellow lines mean that parking and waiting isn't allowed at any time. * The buses parked over the junction means any car turning across the junction onto Highsted Rd can hold up the flow of traffic for considerable time leading to cars idling unnecessarily adding to poor local air quality. *At this same junction the buses greatly reduce visibility right at one of the main crossing points the school children use. *The buses at times are badly parked, jutting into the road, reducing further the very little room available to pass them. * School children can appear from between the buses to cross the road ( I nearly run a Highsted Girl over yesterday which is my motivation for writing this) again increasing risk for both school children and drivers. Will it take an injured or dead child before something is done?
Show/hideDear Mr W,
Thank you for your recent question.
I have followed up with officers on your comment about the Ask the Leader web page not yet being updated with my details, due to officer absence there was a delay with this, but I have been assured the web page is now showing the correct details.
With reference to your concerns about buses parking Bell Road, the installation of waiting restrictions to address highway safety and obstruction issues comes under Kent County Council (KCC) as the highway authority. We understand that KCC’s Traffic Schemes Team have previously investigated this issue on site, and I also believe that some local Members have raised concerns with the schools. The issue appears to be the volume of buses that are waiting on site to collect pupils from several schools, and an alternative solution needs to be found with the schools and KCC to alleviate the current problems in and around Bell Road.
Kind regards
Cllr Mike Baldock
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Planning
E-scooters
Date: Tuesday 29, March 2022
Name: H
Hello Roger I have had 2 incidents recently which have been worrying. Firstly a person riding an E scooter on the pavement expected me to move out of his way and when I did not he passed very close to me. When I challenged him about riding on the pavement he said \\" I am not allowed on the road\\". As I understand it he is not allowed to ride the scooter anywhere. The second incident happened near Minster Lees on a track used heavily by pedestrians. Two cyclists on E bikes again expected me to move out of the way and claimed they were riding legally. I am very concerned about the lack of legislation regarding E scooters and bikes and the danger this poses to pedestrians. There was also a total disregard of the new highway code which says that motorised vehicles should give way to pedestrians. If this issue is beyond the remit of the council please could you pass it on the the relevant department.
Show/hideDear H,
Swale Borough Council has flagged your
concerns regarding e-scooters and e-bikes to Kent Police, as the Council does
not have any enforcement powers against these. Kent Police have undertaken
operations in relation to e-scooters during the last 12 months, when a
particular location of concern has been highlighted to them, however this has
to be weighed up against their other priority concerns. I would encourage you
to report any ongoing concerns regarding the use of either vehicle type to Kent
Police either on their non-emergency number 101 or through their website - https://www.kent.police.uk/ro/report/asb/asb/report-antisocial-behaviour/
Kind regards
Cllr Roger
Truelove
Council
Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Traffic disruption Dunkirk and Boughton
Date: Tuesday 8, March 2022
Name: Mr B
I live in the village of Dunkirk and Boughton, I would like to know why the council is wilfully neglecting its obligation to prevent large hgv’s from causing havoc driving through the small village roads when a 7.5 ton weight limit is enforce. This is causing serious damage to roads and the infastructure not mention the the sleepless night with lorries passing all hours of the night and day crashing into trees and damaging property. This is a blatant breach of the road traffic act 1984, we have had police attend blocked roads several time without prosecuting the offending drivers. On the other hand I get a warning notice from the council if my flora and fauna get to large. It appears that the exorbitantly overcharged council tax payer is a soft target whilst law breaking lorry drivers are untouchable. Please could you convince me this is not true by taking strict enforcement of the legal restrictions.
Show/hideDear Mr B,
Thank you for your question and I am sorry to hear about the problems you are experiencing.
The responsibility for HGVs and roads comes under Kent County Council (KCC) as does the issuing of notices against property owners when trees etc overhang the highway.
You may wish to contact KCC Councillor Rich Lehmann, Divisional Member for Swale East rich.lehmann@kent.gov.uk
You can also report a problem on a road via this link https://www.kent.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/report-a-problem
Kind regards
Councillor Roger Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Recycling bin on the promenade at Sheerness
Date: Monday 7, March 2022
Name: Mr T
Prior to the pandemic the council erected a recycling bin on the promenade at Sheerness sponsored by GreenSeas Trust. The occasion was attended by the Mayor and Bobby Khan the founder of the Trust amongst others. The event was featured quite recently in the 'Inside Swale' circular. The bin was vandalised being set on fire. Has the Council any plans for replacement - Sheppey's reputation certainly took a knock and it would be a welcome gesture as we look towards a better future. It would also encourage the Trust to press on with its message towards a more sustainable future.
Show/hideOur Contracts and Resources team worked with the GreenSeas Trust to arrange for the bins to be installed in 3 locations along Swales beaches. As you have mentioned below, one of the locations had been severely vandalised and the bin had to be disposed of due to the extent of the damage caused. The bins are a good way of encouraging visitors to the area to do the right thing with their waste and avoid plastic bottles ending up in the sea, however the bins are costly and consideration must be taken over whether it is likely that the bin will be damaged again should we replace it.
We have taken the decision to replace the bin on this occasion and will monitor the situation in the hope that such vandalism does not reoccur. The team are liaising with the GreenSeas Trust and we are hopeful that the bin will be reinstated before the summer period.
If you have any further queries regarding this, please do not hesitate to contact kellyupson@swale.gov.uk.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Levelling Up Funding for the Isle of Sheppey
Date: Saturday 12, February 2022
Name: S
Hello! I have a question regarding the 20 million that is planed to be spent on revamping the island. Roughly seven years ago I was apart of a project that was run by Dave Harcourt, Chief Executive Officer at Swale Community Leisure. This project was called “ Beachfeilds project.” The aim of this was to get students of the local community to come up with many inspiring ideas that could be used for upgrading the seafront, leisure centre, high street and sandpit areas and making dreams a reality. With these current discussions and plans I wanted to ask is this project being revisited and do the members who are involved intend to expand this project further? By speaking to the voices youths of today and the community I believe it’s in the public’s interest to have all ages participate in coming up with ideas that can be voted or discussed in open panels to the local community and possible investors. I await a response from yourself or a member of staff who is involved in the revamping the island tourism.
Show/hideDear S,
Thank you very much for your question.
Swale Community Leisure, including the Chief Executive Officer and trustees, have been directly consulted as part of the development of the Leveling-Up Fund bid, and have in addition submitted written proposals for the leisure centre and wider Beachfields area. Swale Borough Council are keen to hear a wide range of views from people of all ages on the emerging Levelling-Up Fund proposals, and our on-line consultation survey – available at SurveyMonkey.com until 25 February - has to date been completed by over 200 people. Please be aware that the receipt of funding relies on our Levelling-Up Fund bid being successful, and we expect to hear of our success, or otherwise, later this year.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove,
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance.
Roadside littering
Date: Tuesday 1, February 2022
Name: Ms F
I would like to know if there are any groups or if there is any team looking after general roadside littering in Swale. I am horrified by the amount of rubbish and litter in the hedgerows lanes and along the A249 which is just scattered around and has obviously been left this way for some time. I have just returned to the UK from living in New Zealand for some years and am so saddened to see the state of the surrounding countryside. Cycle trails such as the Saxon Shore way links from the Eurolink Way and outskirts of town are particularly bad. I see no information on the council website identifying this and suspect cleanups of this sort are not considered a priority if at all. It concerns me greatly that our countryside is so neglected and I have communicated with the Keep Britain Tiday group but would appreciate if the council could support myself and other individuals with a litter picking kit and advice on disposal or collection of the clean up I am intending to embark upon or perhaps acknowledge the problem and engage community service participants or involve school programmes and education.
Show/hideDear Ms F,
Thank you for your question. The street cleansing in Swale is undertaken by our contractor, this is an output-based contract and requires the contractor to visit and inspect the roads in Swale and cleanse as and when necessary. There are ongoing issues with some of the more rural roads as most can only be cleansed under Traffic Management due to the absence of a clear 1.2m gap between the operative and live traffic, permits must be obtained for any traffic management through Kent Highways before the cleansing can be undertaken which can delay the process further.
The contractor carries out one week of cleansing under traffic management per month, roads to be cleansed each month are decided following the inspections undertaken by the contractor as well as inspections that are undertaken by the Contract Monitoring team at Swale Borough Council and will be prioritised accordingly. If there are any roads that you feel are in particular need, please do contact cleansing@swale.gov.uk and the team will ensure they are on the next round of cleansing. The team will look into the cycle routes you have mentioned and arrange for cleansing as quickly as possible.
With regards to the A249, this road is the responsibility of Sheppey Route Ltd, we work closely with Sheppey Route Ltd to tackle the litter issues on the road and our contractors cleanse the laybys and empty the litter bins on the route daily in the hope that this will prevent any litter from the laybys blowing onto the verges further along the road. Again, this road cannot be cleansed without a full lane closure which can be extremely costly and difficult to plan in due to the effects any Traffic Management can have on traffic further along the route. Sheppey Route Ltd have committed to cleansing the verges on the A249 in Swale 4 x per year, unfortunately very often the road can become littered immediately after cleansing and enforcement options are being looked into to help tackle this issue.
We do have a number of volunteer litter picking groups that we support by loaning equipment and arranging for waste to be collected following the clean up, if this is something you would like to get involved with, please contact cleansing@swale.gov.uk and one of the team will be happy to assist with this.
If you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact the Cleansing team on the above email address.
Kind regards,
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
EV Charging Points
Date: Tuesday 25, January 2022
Name: Mr B
Currently, there are not enough public EV charging points in our area. As I don't have a driveway, this is critical for me. As it stands, it's not practical to own an EV as the public charging infrastructure is not mature enough. UK government have a scheme for on-street public EV charging. https/www.gov.uk/government/publications/grants-for-local-authorities-to-provide-residential-on-street-chargepoints/grants-to-provide-residential-on-street-chargepoints-for-plug-in-electric-vehicles-guidance-for-local-authorities This feels like a perfect solution to the problem as simply having public EV charging points only in town-centre car parks will not be enough. There are a few councils across the UK, who have already started installing such (on-street) chargers. What is your view of on-street chargers in our area? Many thanks and regards, O
Show/hideDear Mr B,
Thank you for your question on an important topic. We are very aware that electric vehicles are going to be essential in the reaching our target of net-zero across the borough by 2030, and therefore public charging infrastructure will be necessary.
We will shortly be publishing our Electric Vehicle Strategy for consultation, which addresses many of the areas you have identified. We recognise that public charging will be the only option for some residents and have undertaken extensive analysis, with support from the Energy Saving Trust, of the areas with the highest level of on-street charging demand. Due to this, we have shortlisted the council-owned car parks in which we will prioritise installing additional public charging infrastructure – our EV strategy identifies the On-Street Residential Charge Point Scheme as the main mechanism for undertaking this work.
Our Electric Vehicle Strategy also sets out our position regarding on-street charging. The debate between on and off-street charging provision is a complex one and continues as technology develops. On-street charging also poses difficulties such as balancing existing non-EV demand, disabled and other permitted parking. At present, on-street charging on the highway falls predominantly to Kent County Council as the Highways Authority, with their position set out in their ‘Electric Vehicle Charging on the Highway’ guidance document.
As more innovative on-street charging develops, our Electric Vehicle Strategy sets out the intention to consider these on-street solutions alongside KCC, where required in future years. However, at present, the current pathway endeavours to use council owned car parks to meet charging demand in areas with low levels of off-street parking in the short-term, with charging hubs as the central feature. This will lower costs, ensure easy access to charge points and reduce risks associated with roadside charging, whilst understanding the existing demand for non-EVs, particularly in resident parking scheme areas and lower income areas.
We hope to be able to publish our plans for the next phase of EV charge points within the next few months, in which there may be a suitable charge point near your place of residence.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Housing development opportunities
Date: Tuesday 18, January 2022
Name: Mr B
Roger good evening Hearing that there’s a suggested 2400 homes development at faversham by the Duchy of Cornwall I appreciate the site isn’t that big BUT a great development for this quality developer could possibly be the Waterfront site possibilities at Rushenden / Queenborough in substitution This specific site would uplift the “ quality “ of the area immensely with the Duchy foresight and known quality prior UK developments I have no idea if this thought has even been considered by the Duchy or Swale Council. Perhaps it could be now ? Please let me know your views and maybe aspirations for Queenborough and Rushenden This potential Waterfront site deserves great development potential, nothing less Looking forward to your thoughtful reply. Thank you, M.
Show/hideDear Mr B,
Thank you for your question and suggestions about using land on the Isle of Sheppey as an alternative to the Duchy site in Faversham. The waterfront sites at Rushenden and Queenborough are already being considered for development. The land to the west of Rushenden Road in Queenborough is already allocated in the adopted local plan, Bearing Fruits (2017). Land to the south of Rushenden is currently under consideration for mixed use development including 850 dwellings and was included in an earlier version of the draft plan. The quantum of development required for Swale means that we would need to include both of these sites to meet the numbers required of us by the government.
Kind regards,
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Funding for Pier at Queenborough
Date: Tuesday 4, January 2022
Name: Mr C
Dear Mr Truelove, As you have probably seen, I am working on a proposal for a new pier to be built on the site of the old Wildfire and Flushing Pier at Queenborough. The pier, being both a promenading and working leisure and commercial pier would benefit Queenborough, Bluetown and Sheerness and act as a major attraction for the island with excellent road links . It would provide facilities for the RNLI, coastguard,fishing vessels and offshore wind service vessels amongst others . I believe it would be an excellent use of the funds allocated to Sheppey by the government , being beneficial on a commercial, leisure , health and mental well being benefit. How can I get Swale council to back it ? Regards C.
Show/hideDear Mr C
Thank you for your email regarding the plans for a new pier at Queenborough. You query the best way to obtain Council support for the project. We would be interested to see any plans or documents you currently hold in relation to the feasibility of the project and these can be passed onto the relevant officers within the Council.
You also refer to the Government financial support. I should clarify that, as a result of being made a Priority 1 area within the Levelling Up scheme, the Council has received a small amount of funding to help us generate detailed plans for any future bid. However, no allocation of the major funding that any sizable scheme would require has yet been made. The Levelling up programme allows each individual area to bid for up to £20m as a maximum but this will be required to go through a competitive evaluation process against other area’s bids. Each Council also needs to fund 10% of the total project cost from its own budget.
Given the short deadlines for submission of bids, Cabinet members looked at a range of potential options and have chosen to focus on regeneration of the Beachfields area of Sheerness. We believe this will bring a range of benefits for residents and visitors alike.
I hope that clarifies our position but reiterate that we would be interested in seeing any plans to see how we might support you in different ways.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Laws Against Archery in a Public Space
Date: Wednesday 8, December 2021
Name: Mr J
I am a hobbyist and currently I have taken an interest in archery. What I would like the know is if there are any laws about practicing in an open public place? i.e. the park. I have read that it is legal in most places, but that I should check with my local council. Also are there any written rules about practicing in my own garden? Thank you.
Show/hideDear J,
Thank you for your recent question.
Thank you for your recent enquiry
regarding Archery in public spaces and your garden. This activity is covered
and unfortunately prohibited by our Open Space Byelaws in relation to our land.
For your reference this is covered in
Part 2 Byelaw 10 Missiles – No person may throw or use any device to propel or
discharge in the ground any object which is liable to cause injury to any other
person.
In relation to a private garden, we do
not have any rules with regard activities within private gardens but would
suggest you may wish to check with the Police.
Kind regards,
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Parking Survey
Date: Monday 1, November 2021
Name: Ms O
I would respectfully ask why Swale Borough Council has denied the results of a democratic parking survey. The Council conducted a survey regarding parking in Edith Road. 19 responses out of 32 received. 10 objections - 9 supporters. The council has ignored the 10 objections and recommends action regardless. Swale Borough Council has made a decision in direct contravention of democracy. Please explain to me why our democratic rights are being ignored in favour of a minority
Show/hideDear O,
Thank you for your recent question.
I would like to refer you to the minutes of the Joint Transportation Board (JTB) meeting where this was discussed (Link here: Agenda for Swale Joint Transportation Board on Monday, 6 September 2021, 5.30 pm). The JTB is not a Swale Borough Council Board but an advisory Board to Kent County Council. Every County Councillor in Swale is on the Board as well as Parish representatives. The report highlights all of the objections and support. Members of the Panel take this into consideration prior to voting. Without questioning the detail of each individual panel member, it is hard to understand motives for why the scheme was passed but they did have the relevant information to hand.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Restoration of a Well
Date: Friday 8, October 2021
Name: K
Hello I've recently found out about the Minster Abbey Wells, aka Holy Sacred Healing Well. I wished to take my elderly father to benefit from the healing waters. However, upon a bit of research, I found out the Well is closed off to the public due to danger as people were falling inside it! This was a gift from nature which is now wasted & surely the council could find a way of making it secure, & perhaps some simple pipe work to extract the water. This is a much needed resource especially at the time we're living in, with many people being sick & suffering with covid & many cancer patients. I wish to emphasise that this gift of mother nature is being wasted due to overlook & lack of enthusiasm & appreciation from Swale council. Please can you look into this matter as I feel it'd benefit a lot of people. Thank you kindly for your consideration.
Show/hideDear K,
Thank you for your email concerning a healing well at Minster Abbey, and please accept my sincere apologies for the delay in replying. Based on the information you have provided, I am unclear as to the well to which you refer to. There are two wells referenced in the list description for the scheduled remains of the former Nunnery at Minster Abbey (see: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1012674) The well referenced on the Megalithic Portal website (see: https://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=10604) would seem likely to be the second well referred to in the list description for the scheduled monument.
Swale Borough Council is proud of its built and natural heritage and keen to promote and make the most of it as far as our limited resources allow. If the well to which you refer is the one referenced on the Megalithic Portal website, then I hope you will appreciate that the issue of access to and promotion of the well is outside the Council’s control, although the Council may be willing to provide some promotion and/or related interpretation subject to the agreement of the guest house. If the well in question is the first one referenced in the list description, then that would be on land within the Council’s control, and the Council would be willing to give consideration to your request as a possible discrete future heritage project/cultural project subject to no in-principle objections to this from relevant authorities/parties including Historic England, the Environment Agency, the Diocese of Canterbury and the Sheppey Local History Society which the Council leases the Minster Abbey Gatehouse to.
Please note, however, that the Council would be unable to take your request forward as a project at the present time due to the existing heavy workloads and project commitments which the Council’s officers are already dealing with. It is possible that the Gatehouse Museum volunteers might be interested in taking on such a project, but this would still need officer support. I hope you can also appreciate that the whole question of using water in the manner suggested is likely to be complicated by the need for water safety testing for public health reasons.
Please send your reply and clarification to the Council’s Conservation & Design Manager who will be able to look into this further for you.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Five year land supply
Date: Monday 21, June 2021
Name: Mr G
Faversham remains very vulnerable to speculative applications from developers as long as it does not have a five-year housing land supply. Because of failures under the previous administration, there is an additional 5% buffer. I understand that the housing land supply figure was miscalculated in the planning department. The Secretary of State’s decision on Wise’s Lane refers to this error. “On 12 January 2021 the Council wrote to the Secretary of State stating that it could now demonstrate a Housing Land Supply of 5.02 years. On 12 February 2021 the Council wrote again, stating that it was not yet in a position to be able to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply. The Secretary of State has proceeded on that basis.” Can you assure residents that this will not occur again? Are detailed planning applications being processed at an acceptable rate or are delays contributing to our failure to maintain delivery of a five-year land supply?
Show/hideDear Mr G
Firstly please accept my apologies for the delay in responding.
Government guidance on how to calculate the supply of housing land is set out in the national planning practice guidance. It addresses the issues that should be covered but is not specific in terms of providing a methodology or set approach to how housing land supply should be calculated. However, when calculating the Housing Land Supply, a buffer should always be applied to ensure flexibility and choice. In normal circumstances, the buffer is set at 5%.
In 2019, the government introduced the Housing Delivery Test. Local planning authorities that deliver below 85% of their target have to apply a 20% to their housing supply calculation. Swale failed the Housing Delivery Test for 2019 and 2020 and was required to apply a 20% in both of these cases. It is unfortunate that there were miscalculations and the Council onerously thought it had achieved a 5 year housing land supply. The statement for the monitoring year 2020/21 is currently being prepared and measures are in place to safeguard against miscalculation in this and future statements.
The reasons for the Council not having a 5 year housing land supply are many and varied. Many of the factors are beyond the control of the Council. These includes infrastructure capacity issues such as the delays to the improvements at M2(J5), the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and Brexit (i.e. the supply of labour and materials) and the general state of the economy. The Council believes it is doing all it can to ensure that a 5 year housing land supply is achieved. This includes progressing with the local plan review to identify the sites needed to meet our housing needs that will increase to 1048 per annum from 2022 and progressing with new policies that support SME housebuilders and homes for older people. Planning applications are being processed in accordance with the required/agreed timescale.
Securing a 5 year housing land supply is a priority and the Council has looked at ways housing delivery in the Borough can be improved. This is set out in the Council’s Housing Delivery Test Action Plan that will be published shortly. It sets out more detail on the challenges faced and on the actions the Council is undertaking to increase supply and secure a 5 year HLS position.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Consultation on building plans
Date: Sunday 6, June 2021
Name: Mr B
Please explain why residents next to a large proposal to build new homes ARE NOT sent letters informing local residents of such by SBC Once again there is a large planning application that affects every house in Nelson Ave , minster. We have not been informed by SBC ,yes an advertisement published in a local paper,but who buys those these days? We residents pay Council tax of £250k a year, so a letter to everyone would be small. I read SBC has a proactive approach to new home building in the correct places such as brown field sites. The application is on very green field. Please reply directly to me with the reason we residents are not being informed by SBC. Residents in Scocles,Drake, Back lane haven't been informed either. I would like to know exactly why not and who has made the decision. I do hope it is a councilor not a civil servant. Please advise so I may wish to inform local residents who the responsible for lack of action and lack of caring about the residents in the area.
Show/hideDear Mr B
Thank you for our recent question.
The Council has been using a guide of notifying properties within a 50m distance of a red line on major housing schemes of 50 dwellings or more. The 50 metre distance from the red line boundary of the Nelson Road site only includes one side of Nelson Avenue and Scocles Road. The properties on the other side of both these roads are in excess of 65metres from the red edge. However, in response to this issue, the Council has arranged for all resident households in Nelson Avenue and Scocles Road plus those in Back Street on this application to be notified and the consultation period to be extended to enable the full 21 days for any comments to be submitted. The letters should be sent out by 11 June.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Cost of alterations to A2 and A257
Date: Friday 21, May 2021
Name: Ms B
Can you please confirm the amount of money the council is paying for the alterations to the road junction A2 AND A257 in Faversham.I believe the amount is 7.5 million,outrages if true and should be audited.
Show/hideDear Ms B
Thank you for your question and many apologies for the delay in responding.
The responsibility for bringing forward the junction improvements lie with Kent County Council as the Highways and Transportation Authority for the area. With regard to the A2 / A251 Junction, the Council as the Local Planning Authority has secured and will be securing additional funds from new housing development through S.106 developer contributions towards the cost of the junction improvements being promoted by the County Council. These monies are passed onto KCC accordingly. To date we secured a commitment of approximately £750,000.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Congestion in Faversham
Date: Sunday 9, May 2021
Name: Mr D
We deliver to farms in Ospringe and other places in Faverham. and my drivers have told me that the are hold up in the roads in and around Faversham with lost of the small roads being closed seemly for no reason than to make every can lorry and van use the A2 to grt in and out. so Friday I took the trip with one of my drivers and yes roads are closed so I took a walk along the first while my driver had to drive almost to Leaveland then through to Throwley then north to Painters Forstal to come back to a mile south of Ospringe. This took my driver a bit longer than it took me to walk the length of Partners Lane and across Brogdale road and wait at the start of Vicarage lane where I waited about 5 minutes for my driver. I could see no reason for the blockage in Partners Lane of 6 or so cones and a one ton bag of sand. With the new traffic lights at Brenley corner round a bout and the road works on the A2 it is adding over an hour and one half to each run to any of our Customers in your towns and villagers around Faversham. In this modem timer of making things Smoove-er and travel less, it would look to me that this is just a way of doing the oppose set and making a big traffic jam. ... So my question is how long is this going to continue and who do I sent the overtime bill to as this is costing us a lot of extra money.
Show/hideHouse building around Faversham
Date: Tuesday 4, May 2021
Name: Mr A
Why are you allowing thousands of houses to be built around Faversham with no solar panels and no grey water usage …. While at the same time you plan to obliterate Graveney Marshes with huge solar arrays … Can you not see that this is insane ( and I do not use this word lightly). How can this vandalism make any sense whatsoever to an intelligent person?
Show/hideDear Mr A,
Thank you for your recent question.
Requiring new houses to be built with solar panels seems like an obvious way of delivering renewable energy and negating the need to have solar farms. However, solar panels are not effective on all buildings. For optimum performance, panels need to be south facing. Shading is another consideration. Other buildings or trees, even chimneys, can impact on the effectiveness of solar panels if they cast a shadow. All new developments need to meet building regulations around energy efficiency and water efficiency and there are other technologies that could be more appropriate for a particular dwelling type or location so those requirements are met in other ways.
The houses currently being built around Faversham and elsewhere in the Borough were granted planning permission under the policies in the current adopted Local Plan, Bearing Fruits. The Council’s Local Plan Review seeks to secure more stringent renewable energy requirements including the use of solar panels and more sustainable design and construction with a greater emphasis on water efficiency and use of sustainable drainage systems.
The solar farm proposal at Graveney Marshes was determined and granted permission by the Secretary of State as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP). Swale Borough Council did not support these proposals.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Funding for road infrastructure
Date: Tuesday 4, May 2021
Name: Mr K
To whom it may concern, There is a lot of new housing estates being built in the Sittingbourne area, for example the estate on the A2 main road on the way to Bapchild. Can you please tell me if there is funding coming from these new housing estates to improve the road infrastructure due to increased road users because of these new estates. A249 is notorious for having very bad traffic and most people that cause that traffic are the people joining the M2 as soon as you pass that roundabout, the road to Maidstone is fine to drive to. I am sure that these new housing estates will bring in a lot of new civilians from the London borough who are going to still commute to London from Sittingbourne, which is only going to put more stress on that road and create even more traffic. My google maps is currently saying 38 minutes to Maidstone 15.8 miles, If I try for dover it is 40 minutes for 29 miles. This is at 3pm in the afternoon on a weekday.
Show/hideDear K
Thank you for recent question regarding new development within the Sittingbourne area and associated highways and transportation infrastructure.
The Council is very concerned that the highways and transportation network should have the capacity to handle future growth including that generated through new development expected by Central Government, As a Council we are continually applying pressure to ensure that sufficient funding and support is provided.
With regard to the M2 Junction 5 with the A249, Highways England have brought forward proposals for a major improvement to the capacity of the junction and these have been subject to a public inquiry. The outcome of this should be announced in the next few weeks and once confirmed would expect the works to be completed in 18 months. It should be noted that the Council has restricted the amount of development that can take place in advance of the junction works given the current capacity issues. Additionally, funding has been made available for A249 junctions with A2 London Road and the Grovehurst roundabout at Iwade. These schemes should follow on shortly after the M2J5 improvements.
The Council has also secured significant funding to support public transport and alternative access initiatives through developer agreements upon granting of planning permissions. These initiatives should secure some reduction in anticipated growth of vehicular traffic over the coming years.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Land ownership
Date: Wednesday 21, April 2021
Name: Mr A
How do I find out who owns particular bits of land or how do I go about getting council owned land Really want to to make a a safe legal place for people to come ride there off road bikes which in turn would stop people becoming a nuisance to police and land owners for riding illegal I've contacted many farmers local but nobody is interested I really think this is a great opportunity for a piece of waste land to be put to good use if its decent enough people will pay to ride aswell as they know they are safe from getting section 59 and risking loosing there bikes You've only got to go rushenden marshes or under sheppy bridge and riddham docks on a Sunday to see actually how many people would benefit from a place like this and that's just local to me Bartons point is another place that could be reopened with minimal work could make money on a weekend Please consider something please as there is nowhere to go
Show/hideDear Mr A
Thank you for your recent question.
With regards to ownership of land, Swale Borough Council only holds records of the land that it owns and any enquiries related to availability should be directed to the Property Services Team at propertyservices@swale.gov.uk HM Land Registry holds records of all the registered land and searches are available online.
Unfortunately identifying a suitable and appropriate area of land for off road bikes is very difficult due to the various ecological designations on the Isle of Sheppey, such as the marshland and finding somewhere that does not cause statutory noise nuisance to neighbours. Any proposal for a track would need planning permission and the effect on neighbouring properties from noise and dust etc would play a major factor in gaining permission. As such we have not been able to identify any suitable land and this includes that formerly used at Barton’s Point Coastal Park which was subject of noise complaints from local properties.
I sorry it has not been possible to identify a suitable piece of land to use for off road biking but I wish you well in your endeavours to find somewhere.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Road safety and pollution along A2 at Ospringe
Date: Monday 15, March 2021
Name: Mr W
I have been communicating with Kent County Council about issues of road safety and pollution along the A2 at Ospringe. They tell me Swale BC is responsible for acting on pollution levels. The AQMA 6 along the road records such data. Unfortunately, according to my sources in the area, it is difficult to access the data for periods of peak use only, when pollution is most probably way above legal limits. I am happy to correspond with you directly on this, so you can see the chain of correspondence.Whatever, i would be grateful if you could either publish the data requested or explain why you are not focussing on cleaning up the air quality along this very narrow stretch of road. I have asked ClientEarth to investigate the culpability of councillors who fail to act.
Show/hideDear Mr W
Thank you for your recent question. I have consulted with officers and can advise as follows:
The AQMA (no 6) at Ospringe was originally declared in 2011 and extended in 2016 to include The Mount. The AQMA was declared for exceedances of the annual average Air Quality Objective (AQO) for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) which is 40ug/m3. There is also an hourly AQO for NO2 of 200ug/m3 not to be exceeded more than 18 times a year. This hourly objective is not being breached at Ospringe or in any of the other AQMA’s within the borough.
Monitoring is undertaken in Ospringe by way of continuous monitoring equipment (site name ZW3) and also Nitrogen Dioxide Diffusion Tubes (Tube Numbers SW22, 28,29, 30, 31, 32, 95 and 96). All monitoring data can be accessed via the Kent & Medway Air Quality Partnerships website www.kent.org.uk On the website, the latest data for the Ospringe continuous monitoring site can be accessed as can hour by hour data for any chosen period using the ‘Download monitoring data’ tab.
Levels of NO2 have fallen in the Ospringe AQMA over the past few years with a number of the Diffusion Tubes sites and also the continuous monitoring site being below the annual average AQO. Swale Borough Council has a Strategic Air Quality Action Plan which considers more wider measures to improve air quality across the whole district as well as measures specific to individual AQMAs.
I hope this answers your question.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Parking on Borden Lane
Date: Thursday 26, November 2020
Name: S
When has Borden Lane become a double-decker bus route? They are school buses and are causing chaos. The road is not built for double-decker buses especially at the junction with London Road. Also the school gate onto Borden Lane is now open and cars are parking on the corner of Borden Lane with Homework Avenue making it impossible to get a clear line of site to turn right out of Homewood Avenue. It is really dangerous. Quality of life in Borden Lane had gone really downhill. There are no speed restrictions in Borden Lane. Look forward to hearing from you soon with your comments.
Show/hideDear S
Thank you for your recent question, I have consulted with the Public Transport Unit at Kent County Council and they have advised me as follows:
Homewood Avenue and Borden Lane are both bus routes and have been for many years, although there are a couple of recent changes to schools services that may have prompted such an enquiry.
Up until last year school services were allowed onto Westland School grounds where there was a drop off and pick up area designated for buses. Unfortunately the decision was made by the school to close this facility and buses are now forced to stop on Adelaide Drive. I suspect that some of these services continue to Borden Lane as they are unable to turn around in Adelaide Drive, or it may be that they are coming into Adelaide from Homewood Avenue having also served Fulston/Borden and Highsted.
In addition recent developments with respect to the Covid pandemic have meant that a number of duplicate vehicles are now operating on these services to ensure social distancing can be maintained while providing extra capacity to get all children to school safely. This has meant an increase in buses. We have also seen a drop in the uptake of Kent Travel Saver and we believe that many parents are choosing to drive their children contributing to an increase in congestion around school sites. The districts parking enforcement team may be able to confirm this and may be able to provide some targeted enforcement in this area?
I hope this provides some useful information. Of course the majority of these public school buses are provided by operators on a commercial basis and it is they who are responsible for timetables, routing and vehicles used. I am not aware that Borden Lane has any width or weight restriction placed on it so operators would be free to use this road.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Caravan Parks on the Isle of Sheppey
Date: Tuesday 24, November 2020
Name: Ms H
With regard to recent dramatic rise in Covid cases in Swale. Is it true that holiday caravan parks on the island have remained open and people have travelled from far away to stay there.
Show/hideDear Ms H,
Thank you for your enquiry regarding Caravan Park Homes remaining open during the closed winter season 2020/21.
In accordance with Government guidelines set out by the Minister for Rough Sleeping and Housing, Caravan Parks have been permitted to remain open during Corona Virus restrictions to protect vulnerable groups such as those who would have otherwise been made homeless as a result of closures, and key workers who need to stay in a particular local area to carry out their work. Caravan Park Homes have been instructed to remain closed to all other occupants who do not fall within these categories.
The Government has also issued guidance to support the culture and tourism sectors, with local planning authorities being encouraged to exercise discretion to enable holiday sites to remain open over the winter season. In response to this, Swale BC has invited holiday parks to either apply for temporary planning permission covering the period up to the 1st March 2021, or submit a Planning Contravention Notice detailing their intention to stay open throughout winter 2020/21. Park homes that remain open beyond their usual summer season will be required to follow the governments national Covid-19 secure guidelines and adhere to Tier 3 restrictions to protect customers, visitors and staff.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Disabled parking in the Forum car park, Sittingbourne
Date: Thursday 10, September 2020
Name: Ms P
I am a disabled person and use the Forum car park on a regular basis . It's location means I can access several shops with minimum walking distance . Are we going to loose this facility now the multi storey is open . It will be further to walk and as a disabled person I take quite a bit longer to do my shopping , and I have to return to the car to off load shopping as I cannot carry much in any one trip. Also because of this extra time I would be penalised on cost as I understand that there are no concessions.
Show/hideDear Ms P
I am pleased to confirm that there is no intention of closing the Forum car park, even with the opening of the MSCP. It is important that we offer residents a variety of options and recognise that different groups use car parks for different reasons. With the opening of the cinema, bowling and restaurants soon and with the hotel, we need to have these extra spaces.
You are correct that the MSCP cannot offer disabled parking concessions due to the fact it is a barrier entry car park and not staffed all the time. Therefore, there is no way of allowing free entry and exit. For this reason we increased the number of disabled spaces when the Forum car park was redesigned as part of the regeneration works.
I hope this answers your query.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Repairs to Swallows Leisure Centre roof
Date: Monday 17, August 2020
Name: Mr S
According to the Sittingbourne News, Swale Council's Cabinet has approved £800,000 to repair The Swallows Leisure Centre's roof. Why is this? Wasn't the building covered by insurance? And, as it was about the only building in Sittingbourne to be damaged by the Storm doesn't this suggest sub-standard work by contractors?
Show/hideDear Mr S
Thank you for your question.
I can advise that the building was insured. The insurer’s position is that much of the damage was caused by wear and tear. This is not an unreasonable position for the insurer.
There were a number of options and we choose to replace both roofs (sports hall/pool hall and the one over the reception café), separate roofs but same design which are 30 years old and had a life expectancy of 25 years.
The pool hall roof was damaged in the storm and the insurance have agreed to fund an element for repair, but the wider roof was not covered by the insurance as it was not damaged by the storm.
The works last year decorated the internal space frame and patched repaired some areas that were leaking.
The works have commenced and are due for completion in November. There will be some additional disruption when the smaller (café) roof is done. The pool hall and sports hall remain closed and will not open until the whole project is completed.
Kind regards
Cllr Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Camping and Monitoring
Date: Monday 17, August 2020
Name: Ms G
Why are people appearing to be camping in this area by shellness near beach huts. Can the council not set up a system to charge and monitor this giving extra revenue to the council as other Holiday areas do. Question 2. On taking our visitors to this area sadly the bottom of the steps to the beach stank of urine which sadly is a bad reflection on the Island especially when you take visitors to the area to show them the what is here. I felt really embarrassed. Do the council monitor this.
Show/hideDear Ms G
Thank you for your recent question and
the points you have brought to my attention.
I can advise that the Sea Front Team have
been updated and they will be keeping an extra eye out over the coming weeks.
We do clean the area in question and the
Beach Cleaning team will ensure that any issues are addressed as and when they
find them.
We have experienced an uplift in issues
of litter, fly tipping and anti-social behaviour over the recent months and are
working with a range of partners and authorities to try and address as many of
the issues as we can.
We have security patrolling the area
between 10am – 6pm and will also ensure that they are made aware.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
20mph Speed Limit in Faversham
Date: Tuesday 11, August 2020
Name: Mr C
I read with dismay that the 20 mph speed limit is going ahead in Faversham. Surely as a resident of Faversham, and road user, I, as well as every town resident should be given a chance to say whether we want this or not. Voting for it in the local elections was a non starter as all the candidates \\"supported\\" the scheme (so I didn't vote for anyone as that could be seen as an endorsement to the idea). I have emailed Helen Whately, but she also supports this scheme. There doesn't appear to be anyone in local government that wishes to listen to the opposite points of view. All this \\"it will reduce pollution, ease traffic congestion, make roads safer\\" etc is in my opinion, plainly wrong. And what about the cost of it? Now of all times, money needs to spent on essential things in the bourgh, not frittered away on a scheme that will be a step backwards and will bring Faversham to a standstill. Everyone of course wants safer, cleaner roads, but this is not the way to achieve it, better designed road improvements to allow traffic to flow freely so as to allow modern cars to work at their most efficient would be a step forward. We can't all use public transport or cycle to travel. All I ask is that the residents of Faversham should be given a vote on this scheme before more money is wasted on this venture.
Show/hideDear Mr C
Thank you for your interest in the 20mph scheme in Faversham.
Department for Transport and KCC are funding the experimental traffic regulation order for the implementation of Faversham's 20mph limit, and the work required to put it into place.
Creating healthier, safer and cleaner streets requires the co-ordination of all strands of government, both national, local and across varies departments within the civil service.
Only recently the PM has launched a consultation on proposed changes to the
Highway Code, which would introduce a hierarchy of road users which ensures that those road users who can do the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger or threat they may pose to others.
At the end of July the DfT launched "
Gear Change, a bold vision for cycling and walking,
and one of the key contributors to this document was
Phil Jones Associates, who designed the 20mph scheme for Faversham and have a proven track record in designing schemes that bring safer streets, healthier residents by encouraging walking and cycling and breathing less polluted air as there will be fewer cars on the roads of Faversham.
Earlier this month, Chris Heaton-Harris MP, Minister of
State with responsibility for cycling and walking, launched which also has much input from PJA the designers of our Faversham 20mph scheme.
I agree that local residents must have a say in whether the 20mph limit is made permanent, or what changes they feel are needed to the scheme.
For that reason
Faversham Town Council have launched a website to collate residents views. Kent County Council also have a website detailing the 20mph scheme, and from 18th September 2020,
the KCC consultation will open.
The main benefit of a 20mph limit is that it saves lives and makes the area that it covers a much more pleasant place to live. However it also saves tax payers money because there are few collisions and the collisions that do happen are less costly to the NHS, less time on accident investigation and the time of our emergency services and fewer post accident road repairs.
The 20mph scheme in Faversham is designed to reduce the number of cross town car journeys, and there is a good bus service. Clearly not all commuters will be able to use public transport to get to their place of work, however there will also be some that will decide that instead of driving their commute to work, they will cycle or walk instead, particularly within Faversham.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Solar panels and nesting birds
Date: Tuesday 11, August 2020
Name: Mr C
I realise the difficulties facing people in uncertain times and perhaps my concerns are a little premature? My concern is over the years the increase in bird population nesting under so called solar panels! I counted on one roof 80 mixed birds on one area of the roof. I realise that birds are important to us all. But these birds groups contain high counts of pigeons some wood pigeons! They are breeding under these panels at a alarming rate and they are carriers of salmonella. On inspection of these solar panels there is no deterrent to prevent the birds nesting thus increase in breeding cycles. Can you tell me if there is legislation that is or could be implemented to reduce this activity! I feel that there should be a law introduced so all panels have restricted bird access. Futuristicly it will get worse and councils will have to spend more to irradicate vermin. No one wants salmonella but droppings are washed onto the floor and walked into the house!
Show/hide
Dear Mr Cox
Thank you for your recent question.
The issue of birds as pests is the responsibility of the property or landowner concerned. Where the birds are wild or feral they have certain protections within the Wildlife and Countryside Act which restrict how and which birds can be controlled by Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) licensed contractors.
Where bird populations thrive due to nesting under solar panels it is the owners or landowner’s responsibility to pest proof the panels. Solar panel schemes such as Solar Together Kent which Swale Borough Council support provide owners with this option when panels are installed.
Our role is to advise owners and landlords to protect their property on the basis that prevention is better than retrospective proofing for birds. We only take action if officers consider there is a demonstrable risk to public health or safety under statutory nuisance or community protection legislation with the circumstances being considered on a case by case basis.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Fly-tipping and Litter in Sheerness High Street
Date: Sunday 2, August 2020
Name: Mr L
What is the Council doing to consistently tackle littering and fly-tipping in Sheerness? I’m disgusted to see the state of Sheerness town centre today, Sunday 2 August. Today, I’ve reported no less than four incidents of fly-tipping, some of which have been there for several weeks, one of which is almost directly outside Sheppey Gateway – a Council office!! I’ve also taken the time to report general littering throughout the high street. What is Swale Council and Sheerness Town Council doing to consistently tackle this obviously ongoing problem?
Show/hideDear Mr L
Thank you for your recent question.
I can advise that the team work hard to prevent fly tipping. We undertake lots of work to prevent fly tipping. As an example, we are aware that the majority of fly tips in Swale are from household waste. To combat this we have undertaken various campaigns via the press, on billboards and on social media to promote the Duty of Care messages. This is the legal duty on all persons who have waste removed, to ensure that the waste is taken away by a registered carrier. This allows us to find the person responsible for dumping the waste. Failure to do so may result in a £400 Fixed Penalty Notice or prosecution.
As another example we undertake regular operations with the police to target anyone carrying waste on the Highway. This may be intelligence led via information gathered by us or other local authorities. We then request waste carrier documentation and carry out checks on where the waste has come from and where it is going. By working with the police, we have seized some vehicles for offences as a result of this operation.
We focus on our top 10 fly tipping hot spots each month. We often deploy signs at these locations to deter fly tipping. Alternatively, we may deploy cameras to catch offenders. I appreciate that this is not always possible, especially in the area where you live as some of the roads in that area are subjected to fly tipping in slightly different locations along the same road. This makes surveillance more challenging.
In relation to the littering issues our Enforcement Officers issued over 1000 Fixed penalty notices across swale and regularly patrol the High Streets.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Hospital for the Borough
Date: Wednesday 29, July 2020
Name: Mr C
As a proud member of our town for 43 years, I have seen the expansion from a small town into what is now a bustling community, which is on the increase. My question for the council. Are we possibly going to see the construction of an hospital to serve the Borough. I know the biggest issue is money an I fully understand it would cost an eye watering amount but as we only really have Medway, Maidstone, Ashford or Canterbury as choices I think its something that needs to be addressed. It would relieve pressure on said hospitals plus cut journey times for those seriously injured (on Isle of Sheppey, outlying villages). Looking at possible areas i thought of the farm land off the A249 in Bobbing behind Quinton Road, just an idea. Keep safe during these difficult times.
Show/hideDear Mr C
Thank you for your question.
The information we have from the CCG and acute Trusts is there are no plans or requirements to add an additional acute hospital to serve Swale. We are currently reviewing our Local Plan and the infrastructure needs to service this through the infrastructure delivery plan, this take into accounts all needs, based upon the modelling and demand predictions provided from the relevant organisations. Primary care does of course feature in terms of additional need reflected by the population growth and these will feature in our revised Local Plan.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Council Tax reductions for chalets
Date: Tuesday 14, July 2020
Name: Mr T
As a family we own 3 chalets on the Isle of Sheppey Holiday Village, during lockdown we have been unable to use the chalets (even for self isolation) as the the Government Advised that holiday parks should close. I accept that this advice was to prevent strain being placed upon the smaller communities in the country, however we are still being charged Council Tax for these properties during the lockdown period. I have called and asked if there will be a Council Tax concession/exemption for us not being able to use our Chalets, only to be told that this is not something we could apply for a discount for, and was advised to write to the MP. The Local MP have checked this out and the Government state that it is is a local authority issue, and only you could make that decision. it is clear that the people we speak to in the call centre do not have such authority and will only quote policy. I therefore ask you, as Leader of the Council, what concessions/exemptions can you put in place for the owners of Chalets that have been unable to to gain access to them during this unprecedented time? As you are no doubt aware that these unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures as nothing is a one size fits all solution. I know this as I work for the Local Authority in my home Town of Barking and Dagenham and have close contact with the Councillors there. As a local authority many amendments to the 'norm' have had to be made to deal with this pandemic, and although some are financially draining for the authority, the policy of our Council here was to maintain the services to a high standard regardless of cost. There is Government funding for every Local Authority to maintain the statutory services during the Pandemic, i.e. those that are funded via the Council Tax, so I do not see why you are unable to provide a Council Tax Concession/Exemption to the Chalet Owners while they were not allowed to use their facilities, and stayed away in order to not put strain on the small island community and NHS services there. During the winter months Oct 31st -March 1st we do not have to pay Council Tax as the property is inhabitable and we would likely die of hypothermia, I regard the Lockdown period as the same situation we could not have used the chalets because the utilities were disconnected to the site, and the site was locked, as it is in the winter months. In addition, we would not have used any of the services provided for by Council Tax Funds that you are now charging us. So I therefore ask again, What concessions/exemptions can you put in place for the Chalet owners that boost the annual economy of your borough every year by a substantial amount?
Show/hideDear Mr T
Thank you for your e mail.
We have had many complaints from chalet owners and I understand the frustration that you feel.
Chalet homes are included in the tax base that we calculate for the annual budget process. That applies for the borough council, KCC, Police and Fire-whilst the borough collects all Council Tax we keep only around 10% of it and pass on the remainder.
During lockdown all Councils have had to continue to provide services which Council Tax funds- whether that’s schools, social care or Police and Fire services.
Whilst Councils have received some Government funding its massively short of the estimated additional costs and loss of income which we are incurring. Across the county this figure is £262m.
For Swale we have an estimated impact of £4.1m and we have received £1.6m from Government.
So the overall impact of this is that we are not able to give Council tax reductions.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Booking appointments for a recycling centre
Date: Wednesday 1, July 2020
Name: Ms W
Please could you explain the reasons why the recycling centre is still so restricted. Strict restrictions during the peak of the pandemic were understandable but having to fill in several pages to 'book an appointment' and only being allowed to dispose of waste 'if essential' seems nonsensical. It clearly discriminates against the who are less computer literate. We do pay for this service in our rates and it is 'essential' as can be seen by the sharp increase in fly-tipping. Please can I urge that this important local resource (I use the one in Faversham) be reopened as normal.
Show/hideDear Ms W
Thank you for your recent question.
Household Waste Recycling Centres are operated by and the responsibility of Kent County Council.
Here is a link to their frequently asked questions which will provide you with information about restricted access.
If customers do not have access to the internet or have an email address, it is possible to telephone their customer service team who will complete the online form on their behalf. The number is
03000 41 73 73.
You indicated that such restrictions were understandable for the peak of the pandemic but less so now. Due to the risk that infection numbers could start to rise again, local authorities have to continue to implement measures to protect the public and their staff.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Ways to prevent erosion
Date: Thursday 11, June 2020
Name: Mr P
Hi, Our family left Sheppey and moved to Greece in about 1977. Last year I went back to look around and was horrified by the amount of land lost to the sea and probably think you are too. My Uncle, now deceased was a Historian mainly for the Battle of Britain but once told me that a few hundred years ago Minster was in the centre of the island ! Soon you will not have anything left to govern ! I am not one to go on about the problem but about the solution as I am sure you want to know too. In Wales, they have brought huge rocks, only two to a 40ft trailer to show you how big these have to be, and these have been placed along the landline along with smaller , still huge, rocks behind and around them to stop sea water getting in and earth escaping. 20 years later they are still in position despite being lashed by the north Atlantic / Irish sea. Hope this helps.
Show/hideDear Mr P
Many thanks for your email and continued interest in the Sheppey area.
We are of course aware of the continued coastal erosion around the Island. The Shoreline Management Plan is created by a range of local authorities and national organisations such as Environment Agency. This sets out the policy for what action can and should be taken. Working with national partners, large parts of the coastline have been defended from the risks of flooding or erosion.
Some areas, due to their significant natural special interest or where the costs of defending the land outweigh the potential loss are unfortunately left for ‘no active intervention’. Where an area is set at ‘no active intervention’, the Council is unable to access Government funding and the costs of a scheme (such as those you mention) are beyond the ability of a small Borough Council to undertake. As a new administration, we are looking at the options for these areas and how we might change their designation.
Can I thank you again for suggestion.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Noise nuisance
Date: Tuesday 2, June 2020
Name: Ms H
Good morning, Could you please advise me on the councils policy on Builders working on private housing on a Sunday. Builder arrived 7.55 approx. by 8.30am was using grinding machine. Very inconvenient during lockdown. We have had two months of noise and dust.
Show/hideDear Ms H,
Thank you for your Ask the Leader question regarding hours of construction. We do offer guidance on this as follows, but this is not mandatory.
Typical noise issues we can deal with:
- amplified noise ie Televisions, radios and stereos
- house and car alarms
- barking dogs
- DIY and car repairs
- domestic appliances
- excessive general domestic noise
- noise from cockerels
- ice cream vans
- bird scarers - view the NFU code of practice
- noise from building sites and demolition work
There are no specific laws relating to professional builders working during certain times. We suggest the following guidelines - Monday to Friday 7.30am - 6pm and Saturdays 7.30am - 1pm with no work carried out on Saturday afternoons, Sundays or Bank Holidays. Remember these are guidelines only. Any complaint received will be investigated fully to see if it constitutes a statutory nuisance.
In relation to your neighbours’ extension the Council has not restricted working hours by a planning condition. It is not normal to do so on small projects in order to allow householders to carry out works themselves, but we would expect neighbours to be considerate towards others. If you consider that the works require further investigation please
register a complaint via the Council’s website.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Bonfires
Date: Friday 29, May 2020
Name: Mr and Mrs H
I should like to know what action the Council are taking to enforce the Government’s rules regarding bonfires. According the UK government's website:
You cannot get rid of household waste if it will cause pollution or harm people’s health. This includes burning it
You could be fined if you light a fire and allow the smoke to drift across the road and become a danger to traffic
Your council can issue an ‘abatement notice’ if a neighbour’s bonfire is causing a nuisance. A bonfire must happen frequently to be considered a nuisance
A nuisance is caused when smoke detracts from people enjoying their gardens, prevents them opening windows or hanging out washing
You can be fined up to £5,000 if you do not follow the rules of the notice.
The Council’s website advice appears ambivalent and gives tacit approval to bonfires and smoke pollution. Some of our most vulnerable people are now being shielded, in particular, those vulnerable neighbours with COPD and other respiratory disorders who are needlessly being subjected to the thoughtlessness of nearby residents.
With a spell of hot weather upon us bonfires and barbeques is a real nuisance, but now are causing real harm. You can’t sit in your garden, can’t have windows open at night and can’t hang washing out. We believe the Council does have a duty of care to all residents which they are abrogating. There is a real opportunity here for the Council once and for all to ban the use of bonfires in the Borough and promote cleaner air. Our local allotments have banned bonfires and if they can, everyone else can. The Council should as soon as possible introduce a local bye law to ban bonfires and make a small contribution towards cleaner air for all.
Show/hide
Dear Mr and Mrs H,
Thank you for your email. Swale council are currently enforcing the legislation around unacceptable bonfires. Any person disposing of waste inappropriately will be challenged. The legislation does not prohibit certain wastes being disposed off by burning (mainly some garden wastes and untreated wood). However, we very much agree that regular bonfires may cause a statutory nuisance and such fires will be investigated in line with the Council’s nuisance procedure. If you are being affected by such a bonfire, please report it to our call centre (
01795 417850), or via our website
www.swale.gov.uk.
Under the current circumstances we have amended the letter that we send out to anyone having bonfires to include information about being considerate to neighbours as they may be struggling to breathe. This has been received with positive outcomes. Many people have called us to apologise as they haven’t thought of the implications (and the fires have stopped). Where the letters have not worked we have been attending and explaining to people how this could affect their neighbours. This has also been met with a good response.
We posted on our website some updated advice on bonfires during the Covid-19 outbreak which asked residents to consider their neighbours if they were lighting a bonfire and to try and avoid it. We also posted on social media along with partner agencies about the implications of having a bonfire and offered advice on alternative environmentally friendly ways for people to dispose of their waste, such as composting garden waste or signing up to a garden waste wheelie bin.
Swale Borough Council has a Strategic Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP), which although doesn’t have any specific actions regarding bonfires, does contain a number of measures aimed at reducing air pollution in the district. It is widely recognised that air pollution is associated with a number of adverse health impacts particularly for those with heart and lung disease. By reducing the exposure of people to poor air quality, impacts to health are also reduced. The
full AQAP can be downloaded.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Electrical checks on existing properties
Date: Wednesday 19, February 2020
Name: Mr C
Dear sir, madam When we moved into 16 Red Admiral Crescent in December 2017 the kitchen light did not work, I changed the bulb and found that the light stayed on with the switch unable to turn it off. Being a retired electrician, investigation found that the switch contacts had fused together rendering the switch redundant. Lately the bathroom light switch internal mechanism failed along with the main bedroom switch which had the internal mechanism burned and falling apart. I replaced both switches. As this was the third switch to fail I checked the remaining four, all four found to be showing signs of burning and mechanisms beginning to or have failed. All replaced with MK ones. I think it would be wise to carry out a check on other properties as they properly have substandard light switches. I have photos of removed switches.
Show/hideDear Mr C
I am sorry to hear of the electrical issues you have identified, although you appear to have successfully cured through your own electrical skills and abilities.
Unfortunately, from the Council’s perspective we have no powers or functions which relate directly to the quality control of electrical fittings in new development. As far as building regulations are concerned, Part P certification is acceptable and the installation deemed to be approved.
All Electrical equipment that is being sold in the UK and Europe is required to be CE Marked under the Low Voltage Directive (typically shortened to ‘LVD’). This should confirm the quality of the fitting. The Directive applies to electrical equipment that operates between 50 to 1000 volts for alternating current. CE Marking Electrical equipment for the European market has been mandatory since 1997. One of the problems is fake goods which may have a marking and this is the remit of trading standards.
Therefore, the only suggestion I can make to follow up this issue is to try the NICEIC as they were the approval body for the electrician who self-certified the installation. They may be able to give guidance. Some information can be gleamed on
http://www.checkmynotification.com/
Sorry I can’t assist you further
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Entitlements as a Council Tax payer
Date: Tuesday 18, February 2020
Name: Mr C
What am I entitled as a council tax payer, can I vote, can I apply for my child to go to school, can I register with a doctor, dentist etc., please can you list my full entitlements as a council tax payer, kind regards.
Show/hideDear Mr C
Thank you for your interesting question.
Council Tax like, our national taxes, are what we all pay for the public services, some of which we obviously share and some of which provide us with personal services. Your Council Tax helps to provide services from Swale Borough Council, Kent County Council, our Police and our Fire Service. The Borough Council provides services such as waste collection, planning, leisure and environmental protection. Whilst Kent County Council has a responsibility for education and our roads and most importantly care for vulnerable people. Of course, you are entitled to vote in both local and national elections and we are all given the right to register with for doctor and school places.
You can vote in UK elections if you are 18 or older, a British, Irish, eligible Commonwealth or European union citizen living in the UK and you have registered to vote, you can
do so online.
To apply for a school place you can find the admissions procedure via this link:
https://www.gov.uk/browse/education/school-admissions-transport. You would need to make your application through the council with responsibility for education, in this area it is Kent County Council.
In a civilised society we pay taxes generally according to our ability to pay, to meet the real needs of everybody in our community the best we can.
I hope this answers your query.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Charging electric vehicles in Swale
Date: Friday 31, January 2020
Name: Mr B
What is your vision on electric car charging points? I have a house with no driveway or garage. Normal charging currently is an overnight process. Current option of charging the car in a car park in the town centre is not a practical solution. We need access to more charging points spread across the town for people to charge their cars overnight. Ideally we need supercharging points for fast charging as well. People will only buy electric cars once the charging points are easily accessible. I hope caring for the environment is a priority for you as I couldn’t find a reference to it on your vision statement.
Show/hideDear B
Thank you for your recent question.
With the Council recently announcing a Climate and Ecological Emergency and with a shift in the use of electric vehicles expected over the next few years, Swale Borough Council is looking at all available options to play our part.
We have set out below what we are currently doing and how we will use our own powers and work with other agencies to develop the infrastructure required.
1. Charging points - we currently have 8 electric charging bays in our car parks and are planning a further 6 by the middle of the year which will mean points in each town. We are looking at government funded schemes. We are also looking at fast charge options at strategic locations off the main highway routes.
2. On-street charging - Swale Borough Council manage the on-street parking service under a delegated agreement from KCC. This includes the management of resident parking schemes. We believe in and would support the development of more infrastructure to service those roads that do not have off-street parking (driveways/garages etc). We understand that KCC are undertaking a County Parking Review in the near future that may consider this further. It is much more complicated position than car parks as it will require consideration of not only where and how the charging points will be positioned but also the impacts of dedicated bays for EV vehicles on the already difficult on-street parking capacity in our towns.
3. Planning policy – our current plan encourages new developments to be designed to enable charging of electric vehicles. We are working on our new plan which will take our commitment to the issue further.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Road safety concerns at St George's CE School, Minster
Date: Thursday 30, January 2020
Name: Mr S
I am a parent of children that attend St George's CE School on Chequers Road, Minster, I also sit on the governing body for the school as the parent representative. As with all school locations traffic around school run time is exceptionally heavy, Chequers Road is a long straight road and is used by all manner of vehicles, including large HGV and buses. I am concerned as there are no speed restriction/warning signs, highlighting that children are present. There is a zebra crossing but the view of this can be obstructed due to traffic during busy periods, would it be possible to consider a road safety plan/investigation of this area, to ensure that the safety of the children attending the school is guaranteed. I would be more than happy to meet and show you the area of concern during one of the busy periods to discuss the potential danger. There have been at least two incidences within the last 6 months of near misses, that if were not misses would have been fatalities
Show/hideDear Mr S
Thank you for your question and I am concerned to hear about the type of incidents you are reporting outside the St George’s CE School in Minster.
Kent County Council have responsibility for roads and signage and you will find information about how to report these safety issues on their website via this link: https://www.kent.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/what-we-look-after/roads/changing-roads-in-your-area
I would also suggest that you contact your Kent County Councillors who are Andy Booth andy.booth@kent.gov.uk and Ken Pugh ken.pugh@kent.gov.uk
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Resettling vulnerable families in Swale
Date: Monday 27, January 2020
Name: Dr J
How is the Council building on its success in resettling 11 vulnerable Syrian families within Swale? Is there still a shortage of suitable private rented accommodation for refugee families?
Show/hideDear Dr J
Thank you for contacting me about the Syrian Resettlement Scheme.
The Council has arranged to take another 3 families during February 2020. There is a shortage of landlords offering accommodation to give us the opportunity to resettle more families. To date we have only been offered one property in the Faversham area.
We also have to take into consideration the provisions that have to be put in place by Kent County Council such as support workers, English lessons and work skills courses for all of the families across Kent. Intensive English lessons and work skills courses are currently being provided to all of our 11 families.
We are currently in discussions about taking further families later in the year, this has to be balanced against us ensuring that the families who are already here are settled and gaining employment.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Sittingbourne Town Centre regeneration
Date: Thursday 23, January 2020
Name: Mr O
Having cancelled phase 2 of Sittingbourne Town Centre Regeneration can you please advise:
1. How much of the £38m loan taken out by the previous administration has or will be released?
2. Is there now an updated projected schedule of payback and final clearance of the residual loan?
3. What other loans are currently available to or being sought by the Council?
4. Given the large sums of money involved (upwards of £800,000?) are there now any plans for public consultation with residents, on the purpose of any loans, they are the ultimate guarantors of the loans?
Show/hideDear Mr O
Thank you for your recent question, I will answer each question in the order you raised them.
1. The Council has not taken £38m of borrowing and never planned to. There was reference to £28m for Sittingbourne Town Centre. To date the Council has taken out £25m for STC plus a number of other purchases and projects.
2. All the borrowing undertaken to date is short term from other local authorities with duration of 12-18 months. Under local authority rules when a capital scheme is funded from borrowing legally an amount has to be set aside annually to repay the loan.
3. The Council will look at a range of options when looking to borrow to finance capital expenditure. At the moment the cheapest option is borrowing from other local authorities.
4. I am not sure what £800,000 you are referring to. Any capital scheme with a cost over £100k will be subject to a formal Cabinet report and will therefore be in the public domain. There is no consultation with the public.
Kind regards,
Cllr Roger Truelove Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Pedestrian access to Neats Court, Isle of Sheppey
Date: Friday 20, December 2019
Name: Mr S
Why isn't there a direct pedestrianised route to the shopping area Neats Court on the Isle of Sheppey? I've google mapped how to get to Morrisons and the route explains to walk along a grassy verge on a duel carriageway (where cars are traveling at national speed limits) up to a roundabout and cross over. There are no footpaths or crossings along this route. I understand there's a dirt / gravel path which leads to the back of B and M and Iceland shops from Queensborough. This route isn't advertised anywhere online, it was a guessing game to discover this. I feel this route to be impractical especially if you are having to carry shopping home. The route has no source of light in the evenings and is located near a large body of water with no fence to prevent accidents occurring. Are there any plans to have a path built and if not, why not?
Show/hideDear Mr S
I apologise for the delay in responding.
I am aware that Kent County Council have plans to provide improvements to pedestrian and cycling access along the old Queenborough Road. A crossing is however needed over the A249 and I understand discussions are taking place with Highways England as the trunk road manager. Swale Borough Council will also work with KCC to attempt to secure the link through the planning process where appropriate and support the discussions with Highways England to provide crossing facilities to the numerous amenities at Neats Court.
Should you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact KCC Highways directly and please copy me in should you wish to do so.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Receiving post at the Catamaran Yacht Club, Sheerness
Date: Wednesday 6, November 2019
Name: Mr S
Could you tell me why the cyc coastal club cannot receive any post. I entered my postcode on your website and it was immediately recognised. We are also on the electoral list. Less than 1 mile away there are 2 other holiday ? parks, which not only receive the post,but it is delivered to individual addresses. I know these parks are considered to be holiday?parks and everybody must have an alternative address, but in reality most of the 300 dwellings are occupied for 10 months of the year as in modern times people simply cannot afford 2 properties. People who have an alternative address off the island find it difficult to register with GPs as they are considered to be outside of the GP catchment area therefore making it difficult to correspond Thanking you
Show/hideDear Mr S
The Council owns the freehold and leases the site to the CYC Coastal Club. In order to control the use of this site so that it is occupied as holiday accommodation only the lease has always contained restrictions on the occupancy period which used to be 8 months. In 2013 a new lease was granted as the Club wanted the occupancy period extended to 10 months in line with other sites and the Council’s revised planning policy, designed to allow a longer “open season”, but ensuring that sites are used for holiday purposes only.
The Council agreed to this at the CYC Coastal Club on the basis that exactly the same conditions were included in the new lease as would be imposed under a modern planning consent. This includes a number of restrictions designed to prevent the use of the site for residential purposes, and to permit the use of the site for holiday accommodation only. As part of these restrictions, the accommodation cannot be used as a permanent residence, no post can be delivered to the leaseholders and they must have a full time residential address elsewhere. This is a standard requirement on the majority of sites across the Isle of Sheppey.
There are some older sites on the Isle of Sheppey, (Minster Park for example) which had planning applications for 10 month occupation approved in the 1990s. These restrictions do not apply to those holiday chalets. They still have to be vacated during the “closed season”.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Forum car park, Sittingbourne
Date: Friday 1, November 2019
Name: Mr G
I have just seen a notice in the Forum car park, that due to the on going development, that it is to be shut for 6 weeks. I think this will be the final death nail to the remaining shops in the Forum. With the recent closures have included Peach Purple Café, Thomas Cook, and earlier Karen's Pet Shop. Today I see BonMarche has gone into administration. Now I know that the current Council are not responsible for the stupidity of the previous council’s so called re-generation. But I can see there will be no point shopping or parking in the town without shops. I just wondered if the Council could give some help to the remaining shops. All this regeneration has been a complete disaster for the town. The A2 main truck road has been turned in places to a 1 lane chicane, with HGV's struggling to get round the station roundabout. As a footnote I have noticed that very few people are using the multi-story car park, most likely because and far as I know, there is no direct access to the Forum or High Street and also from previous notices from the Council no 50p for half hour parking, which some people find useful. I suppose all this is stating the bleeding obvious, but it making me very sad to see the town dying and when all the houses are built all the through & local traffic will become completely gridlocked.
Show/hideDear G,
Thank you for your question about the works currently being undertaken in the Forum car park and the wider regeneration scheme agreed by the previous administration. I appreciate your full understanding of this situation and share your concern for the impact on local people.
The works currently taking place in the Forum car park relate to the installation of additional bollards and railings to enhance the safety for users of the car park and for pedestrians walking between the bus area/Station and the High Street.
A series of meetings took place prior to the works with the Councils parking team, Erith Contractors, Spirit of Sittingbourne (The developer) and Praxis who manage the Forum to discuss and agree ‘prior’ and ‘during works’ notification/signage, methodology, safety and programme delivery. It was agreed by all that works could commence on the basis that some parking within the Forum car park be retained throughout the works, signage would be installed within St. Michael’s Road to re-direct the majority of parkers to the multi-storey car park and that the works could be concluded ahead of the Xmas period. Praxis were also asked if they can open their double doors by Pound Stretcher during the works to create a direct link between the multi-storey car park and the Forum centre.
Since the start of works most customers have continued to park in the Forum car park rather than the multi-storey and to date this has not adversely hindered the contractors progress. We will continue to work with the developer and contractor to ensure that periods when customers cannot use the Forum car park are kept to an absolute minimum.
Kind regards
Cllr Truelove
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance
Sittingbourne's new multi-storey car park.
Date: Monday 9, September 2019
Name: Mr P
I appreciate the multi-story car park is an inherited issue of the current council, however, can you set the record straight with regards to the numerous rumours concerning why its late, is it lift shafts, subsidence, safety rails, or the latest it is to be demolished. In addition what are the charges set for as a price of £2 per hour and £15 per day have been circulating. The real reason for its delay and when it is to open would be appreciated.
Show/hideDear Mr P
Thank you for your question. I can categorically confirm there have been no issues whatsoever with the lift shafts or subsidence at the Multi-Storey Car Park and there are absolutely no plans to demolish the building. As part of the ongoing works the height of the balustrade has been increased over one portion of the structure but this has been done in conjunction with a number of other outstanding items. The building is due to open in early September.
The tariff charges are as follows:
|
Class of vehicle
|
Days of operation of parking place
|
Hours when charges apply
|
Scale of charges
|
| Motor Cars; Private Light Goods Vehicles Electric Vehicles; in the bays specifically delineated for those purposes. |
Monday to Sunday Including Public Holidays |
8.00am – 6.00pm |
- Up to 1 hour = £1.00
- Up to 2 hours = £2.00
- Up to 3 hours = £3.00
- Up to 4 hours = £4.00
- Up to 5 hours = £5.00
- Up to 6 hours = £6.00
- Over 6 hours = £15.00
|
| Hotel Parking Concession |
Monday to Sunday Including Public Holidays |
At all times |
24 hour period = £3.00 |
| Cinema Parking Concession |
Sundays |
At all times |
No Charge |
| Lost Ticket fee |
Monday to Sunday |
At all times |
£15.00 |
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader
Toilets in Milton High Street
Date: Thursday 22, August 2019
Name: Ms W
Why have the public toilets in Milton High Street been shut for so long, I have 2 children and 1 suffers a weak bladder problem and cannot wait until she gets to the Main High Street to go to toilet. There are also a lot of elderly people waiting for the bus and sometimes need to use the facilities before the bus arrives. There are parents, or parents to be that need the toilets. The toilets are such a useful thing to have in Milton High Street. If they remain shut then it is so out of order and us little people are not being heard.
Show/hideDear Ms W
Thank you for your question about the toilets in Milton High Street.
We are very concerned about the provision of public toilets generally and we appreciate how difficult it must be for you with your children when visiting Milton High Street. The toilets were closed two years ago because of a high level of vandalism and anti-social behaviour. In fact, the buildings do not belong to Swale Borough Council but we will explore ways of getting them open, at least in the day time when you would most need them.
In the long term we are aiming to introduce new schemes into the Borough, and I would hope that Milton High Street would be involved in that. I recognise this doesn’t meet your immediate concerns but it is something we will work at to find a solution as soon as possible.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader
Cooks Lane parking
Date: Tuesday 6, August 2019
Name: Mr H
I refer to the pavement parking in Cooks Lane (or as the locals call it Biffa car park). Can we please have double yellow lines extended from Brewery Road down to Halls Close to stop the pavements being obstructed. There is a school at the top of the road which parents have to get to with prams and pushchairs. It is not uncommon for parents to push their children out onto the road in order to reach the school. Also, I regularly see disabled people on mobility scooters having to come down the middle of Cooks Lane road because they can't get by on the pavement. These mobility scooters are not visible to motorist turning from Brewery Road due to the scooter's low profile and the visibility restrictions caused by the pavement parking vehicles. I fear it is only a matter of time before someone is hurt or killed. As I write this question there is a large transit type van parked on the pavement so close to a lamppost that only one person can squeeze by. Cooks Lane is used as a rat run by the emergency services (which is NOT a problem) but I see them regularly having to slow down and carefully manoeuvre through the multitude of vehicles parked on pavements both sides of Cooks Lane. Residents have voiced their concerns to our local councillors but to date no action has taken place.
Show/hideDear Mr H
Thank you for your question.
I have consulted with officers and can confirm that Civil Parking Enforcement may only be carried out under legislation through traffic regulation orders and these restrictions supported by on street signage and markings which prohibit parking activity.
Where yellow lines are placed, they are enforceable from the centre of the road to the nearest property boundary. This can in many cases include the footway and so if pavement parking is observed adjacent to where active yellow line restrictions are placed the Civil Parking Enforcement Officers are able to issue a penalty charge notice (against the yellow line contravention).
Where vehicles are observed as parked causing an obstruction to the footway where no highway restrictions are placed, as in this case, Civil Enforcement teams have no delegated powers under current Civil Parking Enforcement legislation to take any action.
Under normal circumstances residents are referred to the Police when reporting serious cases of highway obstruction where safety is compromised via the police 101 non-emergency number or via the Kent Police webpages.
If a vehicle is causing a significant obstruction to the carriageway or footway, then the police are able to take action through the issue of a fixed penalty (under their highway obstruction powers). However, we find that the police consider these cases to be a low priority and have only limited resources to respond to such complaints.
With reference to your suggestion to extend the double yellow lines from Brewery Road down to Halls Close, then as a resident you will need to make a request to Kent County Council. Invariably, KCC will concentrate their funding on areas where there is a history of personal injury crashes and may not be in a position to take action. However, your point of contact for support with this matter will be your County Councillor Jason Clinch. You can email Jason at
Jason.clinch@kent.gov.uk or call
03000 411009. For further information on how to request changes to roads, you can
vist Kent County Council's website.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader
Help for hedgehog populations
Date: Thursday 25, July 2019
Name: Mr G
Would the council consider undertaking and publishing a review of what planning measures can be implemented in order to require or encourage hedgehog holes in fences in new housing and other developments? As members may know, hedgehogs in Britain are in decline, partly due to modern fencing which blocks their access to gardens. Hedgehogs need to access many gardens each night to find enough food, and they can improve those gardens by eating garden pests. Hedgehog holes in fences can help hedgehog populations and are promoted by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society. Thank you.
Show/hideDear G
Thank you for your question.
Hedgehogs themselves are partially protected from being taken or killed under Schedule 6 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, however in law there is no particular protection for their habitat.
Therefore, neither the current Local Plan nor the new NPPF have any specific references to the protection of hedgehogs and their habitats. However, under Policy DM28 of the Bearing Fruits Local Plan 2031 and under the new NPPF Requirements to enhance biodiversity in general that given this one might argue that new developments should encourage hedgehogs and their habitats. With this in mind and noting the recent publication of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society report titled Hedgehogs and Development, the Majors team do encourage developers, via the consideration of planning applications, to provide measures for hedgehogs such as putting holes at suitable points in all new fences and walls to provide access for hedgehogs to all areas of the site. It is also the case that developers are generally required to include native species planting in new developments and this will provide both potential habitat for hedgehogs and a potential supply of invertebrates and other food sources for them.
Given that this is a relatively new initiative there appears to be a lack of certainty about how such a requirement could be effectively enforced. You should also note that under permitted development such measures can be replaced with solid fences or walls without the need for planning permission.
You might find the guidance for developers of interest, provided by the
British Hedgehog Preservation Society.
Kind regards
Cllr RogerTruelove
Council Leader
Environmental impact of electricity usage.
Date: Thursday 27, June 2019
Name: Mr U
Hi, as a new resident in the town centre I would like to ask what the policy is on lighting and wasted electricity leading to environmental damage. The big businesses leave lights on and I really think this needs addressing
Show/hideDear Mr U,
Thank you for your question.
Lighting is not something that we as a borough council have any control over, apart from in our own buildings, unless lighting is directly causing a nuisance to a householder in which case our environmental health officers can act.
Street lighting is a Kent County Council matter – many of the street lights have been changed to LED recently and are much more energy efficient and therefore less polluting than in the past.
As regards businesses again many have installed LED lights. Those that leave lights on may argue that they are needed for security, shift workers etc.
We have a regular ebulletin newsletter to businesses and can mention lighting in it but we can only influence not enforce.
We regularly signpost businesses to sources of grants and guidance for energy efficiency and have arranged a Carbon Trust workshop to address business needs.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader
Traffic in Plough Road, Minster.
Date: Wednesday 26, June 2019
Name: Resident
I live in Plough Road in Minster this is a very narrow road not even leaving space for two cars to pass yet in the last few weeks very large building lorries (one neighbour counted 30 in one day) have been using this road even mounting the pavement (where there is one) to get by each other why is this happening, most of the road (really just a lane ) has no pavement what are we supposed to do , jump in the hedge?
Show/hideDear Resident
Thank you for your question.
Kent Highways and Transportation advise that as Plough Road is a public highway, unless there is a width or weight restriction on this road (which there isn’t) any vehicle (irrespective of size or weight) is legally entitled to pass and repass along this road.
Nevertheless in view of the concerns you have raised I have asked the Planning Enforcement team to visit Plough Road to try to ascertain the source of such large vehicles and whether they are related to any specific building developments along this road.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader
Building developments between Kemsley and the Eurolink Industrial Estate
Date: Wednesday 19, June 2019
Name: Mr O
The previous council has authorised 4 significant building developments between Kemsley and Eurolink totalling several hundred new homes. As our voice with the Highways agency, what plans are there to improve road connections in the area affected by all these new homes
Show/hideDear Mr O,
Thank you for your recent question.
The M2 and the A249 are managed by Highways England with other, more local roads managed by Kent County Council, as the Local Highways Authority. As such, responsibility does lie with KCC and their budget for highways is always subject to cuts. Local Members do what they can to raise the need for improving the condition of KCC roads but it is a slow and tiring process. There has been significant growth in traffic over several decades which has placed considerable pressure on the road network, with congestion causing delay, contributing to air quality issues and impacting on road safety. Whenever significant new development proposals are considered, a Transport Assessment is required and the Council works with Kent Highways and Highways England to try and ensure that the impacts arising from the development are mitigated against.
We are therefore working closely with both Highways England and KCC to look at what can be done to not only improve road connections, but also encourage better provision and use of public transport. The immediate focus at Sittingbourne is on securing the necessary improvements to M2 Junction 5 and at the Key Street and Grovehurst Junctions, connecting the local road network with the A249. Over the coming months we will be looking more widely at what priority we need to give further improvements and, working with the highway authorities and others, develop the strategy through which we can deliver them.
Kind regards,
Cllr Roger Truelove Council Leader.
Cabinet meetings
Date: Tuesday 18, June 2019
Name: Mr A
Please can you explain why you have chosen to exclude visiting members from talking in cabinet meetings. I feel that this is very undemocratic as it means that my wards elected Councillor cannot speak at cabinet meetings thus meaning that my wards opinions are ignored in council decisions
Show/hideDear Mr A
Thank you for your question.
I can advise you that any Member can attend a meeting of the Cabinet and speak with the consent of the Chairman.
It is therefore not the case that visiting members have been banned from speaking at Cabinet meetings.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader
Tonge Country Park
Date: Friday 14, June 2019
Name: Mr A
Hello I am a local resident of Tonge, Sittingbourne. Has Tonge Mill Country Park been sold for housing and if so is the whole park going to be developed on?
Show/hideDear Mr A
Thank you for your question.
The area has not been allocated in the adopted Local Plan 2017 for residential purposes. The area is covered by an area based Policy to safeguard as a search area for any potential future alignment for the completion of the Northern Relief Road (Policy AS1).
It should be noted however, that the Council’s currently undertaking a review of the Local Plan and an area including the Tonge Country Park has been put forward by the landowner as a site that the Council should consider for future residential development. The Council has not made any decisions on what further sites beyond those currently identified in the Adopted Local Plan should come forward and is not likely to do so until the latter half of 2020 at the earliest.
Kind regards
Cllr Roger Truelove
Council Leader
Rubbish and littering along the A249 and M20
Date: Monday 4, March 2019
Name: Ms O
Dear Sir, Every day I commute down the A249 to the M20 and I am very upset and distressed at the amount of rubbish along the carriage way. It is getting worse. I am embarrassed by it. I want to know does the council have plans to clear it up. We should be ashamed and I think it lowers the tone of the entire area. Rubbish/littering is a problem we seem to have and when I go walking I usually take a plastic bag with me and collect bottles etc that people discard. I welcome your reply.
Show/hideDear Ms O
Thank you for contacting us and for your efforts in litter picking whilst you are out walking.
Although Swale Borough Council are the principal litter authority, the A249 is a little different in that Sheppey Route Ltd are responsible for the A249 as part of the DBFO (Design, Build Finance and Operate) Contract, FM Conway manage the road on behalf of Sheppey Route Ltd. Swale Borough Council was approached by Sheppey Route Ltd several years ago to assist in the litter clearance on the road, this is carried out by Biffa Municipal Ltd, being the cleansing contractor for Swale Borough Council. Due to a recent change in Health and Safety Guidance, Biffa are no longer able to litter pick a number of areas on the A249 without a full lane closure to ensure there is an adequate gap between the operatives and any live traffic, unfortunately, as I am sure you can appreciate, there are also strict restrictions on closures on this road due to the level of disruption this causes
In order to resolve this issue, an emergency meeting was requested with our contractor and the management company for the A249 to carry out a joint inspection of the road and discuss how we can resolve the issues as quickly as possible.
Biffa have advised of the areas that they can safely litter pick without traffic management and we have requested that this continues on a daily basis, in main this is the laybys on the road as well as a small stretch of the road where the gap between the verge and the live lane exceeds 1.2m. The Contracts Team are in liaison with Sheppey Route Ltd and have requested a closure of the near side lane along the whole road to ensure a thorough litter pick can be carried out, following this we can then work with Sheppey Routes Ltd to ensure a plan is in place to successfully maintain the area moving forward. We have been advised that Sheppey Route Ltd have arranged for closures of the worst affected areas between Key Street and Stockbury in both directions this week and litter picking will be carried out alongside resurfacing works, the remainder of the route will be cleansed as soon as permissions have been granted for traffic management to be placed in these areas.
We have a small but effective team of contract monitoring officers in Swale who are responsible for monitoring the Council’s major contracts, the monitoring officer for Sheppey drives this route daily and is in regular contact with Biffa to ensure that any areas that can be cleansed safely are kept within grade.
Please rest assured this issue is high on our priority list, we appreciate and share your concerns and frustrations and we are working hard to ensure a resolution is found urgently.
Kind regards
Cllr Andrew Bowles
Leader
Swale's Local Plan
Date: Wednesday 20, February 2019
Name: Mr P
What is the purpose of the Swale Local Plan? I recall that a statement you made was that it was to ensure developers cannot just build where they like. Also, do you believe that the Swale Bearing Fruits is fit for purpose in its current state?
Show/hideDear Mr P
The Bearing Fruits Local Plan was tested by a Government Planning Inspector and found to be ‘sound’ ie fit for purpose. Part of that test is that it is deliverable and at least the first five years worth of development are clearly demonstrated as such. The Inspector did recommend that it be reviewed within five years to resolve delivery of transport improvements.
District Councils are required via the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 to prepare local plans and keep them up to date. The Statutory Regulations which govern the plan making process now require us to review local plans at least every five years and roll forward their ‘horizon’ dates. On top of that we have the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). All local plans are required to be in accordance with that. There were major revisions to the NPPF during 2018, which were designed to boost housing delivery to meet the government’s national target of 300,000 dwellings per annum.
The Planning Acts state that planning applications should be determined in accordance with the adopted local plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. The NPPF re-iterates this, provided the local plan is up to date. If the local plan is not up to date, then there is a presumption in favour of sustainable development set out in the NPPF itself.
So – we have to review the local plan every five years and we have already started to review the Bearing Fruits Plan because it is a long and complex process to do so. The Local Plan Review we are now engaged with will run from 2022-2038, so it has to overlap with delivery of Bearing Fruits; take on higher housing targets as prescribed by Government in the NPPF from 2022; and roll the plan forward an extra few years to 2038.
However, the NPPF also requires local planning authorities to maintain a rolling five year housing land supply against their targets in the adopted local plan. Government is also now monitoring delivery of those targets. If the target is missed for 3 years, local councils are expected to add a 20% buffer to their housing land supply. That means that although the local authority may have allocated sufficient land to meet targets in its local plan, if it is not coming forward on target, and the housing land supply fails, national planning policy may allow other (ie non local plan allocated) sites through if the promoters can demonstrate that it is sustainable in terms of the NPPF. If the local plan is more than five years old then the target is deemed to be out of date and local housing need will be calculated as per the NPPF methodology instead.
This is a frustrating situation, and whilst we have a sound local plan; which we expect to remain so until 2022 (five years after adoption), things do not stand still. National policy can override it and this does not help us to plan in a comprehensive way for new development and the vital and timely infrastructure to support it.
So in answer to your question, yes the Bearing Fruits Local Plan is fit for purpose and went through a very rigorous process including Examination in Public to prove that. It would however, always need to be reviewed and updated and we are doing that. The plan has a comprehensive suite of development management policies which help us ensure that developers cannot just build anywhere. However, in tension with that, we have had further major change to national planning policy, which has the express intent of boosting housing delivery and that does mean dealing with challenges from developers which may not be in accordance with our adopted plan.
Kind regards
Cllr Andrew Bowles
Leader
Safety around the Spirit of Sittingbourne regeneration work
Date: Wednesday 20, February 2019
Name: Mr P
As the regeneration project is dear to your heart can I ask you to take some interest and advise, by name, who is responsible for ensuring the contractors abide by the Considerate Construction Scheme and also that the work carried out is of the highest quality. There is supposed to be a commitment to maintain a safe and clean pathway around the site. However, this is not the case from the traffic lights at the railway station to The Forum as you have to cross the road on a blind spot to cars leaving the forum car park. Also, there is always a large puddle at the entrance to the car park as the new kerbing has created a barrier to the drains. As a car driver I have had several near misses when exiting the car park due to people stepping into the road as they cannot see. As for quality can I suggest you visit the station forecourt. The paving has large gaps between them, especially where there are manhole covers, the paving is not level and is all over the place. This is not a good advert for what we can expect from the rest of the construction. I have raised this point with the Spirit of Sittingbourne with no response. I also raised concerns about the visibility a few months ago and again no response. As the council are spending an very high amount of tax payers money I would expect yourself and someone in your senior team, to ensure delivery is to the highest quality and that contractors meet their published obligations.
Show/hideDear Mr P
Thank you for your question.
It is the Spirit of Sittingbourne, it’s agents and Contractors responsibility to ensure compliance with the Considerate Constructors Scheme.
Pedestrian permeability is a key feature of the scheme and something Spirit of Sittingbourne’s Contractor has worked hard to maintain as works progress. The Contractor has managed to create well established links through work areas on a busy functional street, though they have recently come under criticism for offering areas for public use prematurely. As you can appreciate this is a fine balance when we are making improvements to the centre of our town.
In relation to the issue you raise about sightlines these were considered and discussed as part of the permitting procedure with KCC. We have however raised your concerns with Spirit of Sittingbourne and they will make a further assessment when on site next and if needs be instruct some further technical and risk based work to eliminate any residual risk so far as practicable.
The station forecourt has not been accepted by Spirit of Sittingbourne and discussions are ongoing regarding the quality and appearance of the paving. It is likely that further remedial work will be undertaken by the Contractor in the coming weeks and the finished article will be subject of extensive scrutiny before accepted.
I have also had confirmation from Spirit of Sittingbourne’s communication team that you have contracted them on 6 occasions and all enquiries have been responded to, however, I hope that this response demonstrates that both the Council and Spirit of Sittingbourne take safety, considerate construction and quality of workmanship very seriously.
Kind regards
Cllr Andrew Bowles
Leader
Spirit of Sittingbourne regeneration
Date: Wednesday 30, January 2019
Name: Mr O
What is the legal status of the Spirit of Sittingbourne, how is it funded, what is the source of its funding, is it treated as a cost centre or profit centre by Swale Borough Council, the budget for the regeneration of Sittingbourne Town Centre was originally quoted at £28m, can you confirm the project is set to stay within this budget and not draw upon the additional £30m often quoted by the local paper but never corrected by Swale Borough Council, can you now confirm what the additional £30m has been set aside to cover, who are the key managers of SOS and what are their roles, what is the employment relationship of each of them to Swale Borough Council?
Show/hideDear Mr O
Thank you for your question.
Spirit of Sittingbourne is the private sector delivery company for the Sittingbourne Town Centre project - Swale Borough Council is not part of the partnership so there is no question of Swale BC being a cost centre or profit centre. Swale BC has contracted with Spirit through a Development Agreement and Funding Agreement for the delivery of specific phases of the regeneration of Sittingbourne town centre. The figure of £28m is the maximum amount that Cabinet has agreed can be borrowed to fund the project. Swale BC has entered into a fixed price contract for delivery and any over run against that is at Spirit’s risk. The additional £30m borrowing that Cabinet agreed cannot be used on STC. Given that Spirit is a separate legal entity which Swale BC is not part of we can’t answer questions about the employees of the different companies who form part of Spirit.
Kind regards
Cllr Andrew Bowles
Leader
Complaints against council staff
Date: Wednesday 30, January 2019
Name: Mr R
How do you deal with complaints against council staff?
Show/hideDear Mr R
Thank you for your question.
If you would like to make a complaint about a member of staff, please complete and submit the
online complaint form.
The complaint will be considered by the line manager in the first instance at Stage 1 of the complaints process, and appropriate investigations will be carried out alongside the Head of Service. You will receive a response within ten working days.
If you are not satisfied with the response at the first stage of the Council's complaints procedure, you can submit a request to proceed to Stage 2, via:
The Chief Executive would consider the response you received at Stage 1 and, in consultation with the Head of service and/or Director, will consider your complaint at Stage 2 of the Complaints process. Responding to you within ten working days.
Where appropriate in the process, as you have enquired about making a complaint against a staff member, Swale Human Resources would be involved for advice to the Head of Service / Director and Chief Executive.
You can find further details on the complaints process via the website or you may like to read Swale borough council complaints policy
Kind regards
Cllr Andrew Bowles
Leader
Sittingbourne High Street
Date: Tuesday 13, November 2018
Name: Mr S
Sittingbourne High Street is in a depressing state and has been experiencing a slow death for many years. Many shops lay vacant and have yet to find new tenants. Sittingbourne High Street will never be able to compete with online stores purely due to its offering of products - it can however become revitalised again by entering the realm of "shoppertainment" - providing an enjoyable experience. Faversham High Street has done well in this regard, with the pedestrianised high street providing a good backdrop for experiences to take place. Will you look into how the both existing funds and the new £675m Future High Street fund can revitalise our broken high street - for example by introducing pedestrianisation?
Show/hideDear Mr S
Thank you for your comments regarding Sittingbourne town centre.
I fully appreciate your concerns over the gradual decline in the High Street. The current economic climate has had a less than favourable impact on many town centres across the country. On a positive note, the current regeneration proposals for Sittingbourne do seek to address some of the issues and encourage future investment.
In response to your comment about vacant shop units, we have in the past looked at various initiatives to brighten vacant shop fronts, to reduce the perception of ‘retail void’ and to address the negative impact this has on consumer and business confidence. Projects have included installation of graphics to windows in the High Street and colouring competitions for local schools (Halloween and Easter) with entries being displayed in vacant shop windows. The competitions in particular were very popular and provided some welcome interest in the town.
Regarding the town centre providing a backdrop for additional experiences, the Artisan Market, which runs on the second Saturday of the month (March to December), has proved popular with both the local community and visitors to the town. The Artisan Market is now in its second year and is now becoming an established regular event. The new town square we are creating as part of the leisure development will also provide a space for us to develop more experiences for the town.
You may know that the High Street is closed to traffic on Saturdays, and this has been the case for many years. Previous consultation with town centre stakeholders regarding further pedestrianisation resulted in a mixed response. Utilising the pedestrianised space on Saturdays to introduce additional activity and animation is something we are keen to see. Although the Council no longer has a direct role in event delivery, we do have a grants scheme which enables local groups and organisations to organise local activities and we do offer advice and support where we can.
The £675m Future High Street Fund, which has recently been announced is of interest to us and we are awaiting the full prospectus and further detail on the nature of projects that will be eligible for funding together with the assessment criteria from central government later this year.
I can assure you that we continue to promote Sittingbourne as an attractive location to all retail developers, whilst seeking to identify ways to best support our existing independent stores. The eastern end of the town (East Street and lower end of High Street) currently accommodates a range of small independent shops which offer highly regarded services to the local community.
As you may know, the Council is working with Spirit of Sittingbourne to deliver a regeneration scheme to boost to the local economy and encourage businesses in to the area. Regeneration of the town centre is a long term project and we have a real opportunity now to deliver a significant regeneration project and achieve the step change Sittingbourne deserves.
Please be assured that Swale Borough Council continues to work to make Sittingbourne’s offer attractive to residents and visitors alike.
Once again, thank you for your enquiry. If you would like further detail, please do not hesitate to let me know.
Kind regards
Cllr Andrew Bowles
Leader
