minutes

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 27 August 2013 (Minute Nos. 186 - 197) were taken as read, approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record, subject to an amendment to Minute No. 194 (Rural Buses) to read Parish Councillor 'Tucker', rather than Parish Councillor 'New'.

declarations of interest

No interests were declared.

public session

Mr Tatton, from Warden, raised concern with the flooding on the A2500 on the top section near Brambledown. He explained that straw was blocking the gullies, causing flooding on the road. Mr Tatton explained that this happened each year and was a problem for local residents, particularly when the water froze over. He considered farmers should take some responsibility as the straw was being transported by them. He also explained that mud on the road also caused problems, particularly when pebbles got caught up in the mud and were then discarded, with a potential hazard to drivers' windscreens.

Mr Tatton also raised concern that at a meeting he had recently attended, crime figures had been read out, without reference to the actual crime. Mr Tatton considered it would be beneficial to know what the crimes were in the local area, rather than just figures.

Chief Inspector Henley explained that crime statistics were available to view for each location on the Kent Police website. He acknowledged that it could be beneficial for local residents to be aware of what the actual crimes were. When there was a particular issue in an area, the Police would talk discreetly with local residents about that issue. Chief Inspector Henley explained that the Police were now looking at trends in crimes and they had received feedback from the public that they wanted to know what action the Police were taking against crime.

Mr Attwood explained that with regard to debris on the roads, Kent County Council (KCC) programmed a rotational schedule of clearing out gullies. He suggested that KCC be contacted to make them aware of this particular issue on the A2500.

Parish Councillor Baldock explained that although there were set patterns for gully clearance, it was the unexpected increase in gully debris that was the problem. He considered that some responsibility should be taken by the farmers.

Councillor John Wright acknowledged that this was a seasonal problem and explained that if Parish Councils reported an issue to KCC, they would then speak to the relevant farmer(s) who would then pay for a sweeper to clear up the debris.

Mr Palmer, from Newington, raised an issue with regard to dilapidated buildings in the Borough. He considered that SBC were not proactive enough in issuing Section 215 notices and providing information on the SBC website.

The Chairman confirmed that he would get an official explanation of KCC's gully clearing schedule and look into SBC's use of Section 215 notices.

Councillor Prescott

part a minutes for recommendation to cabinet

order of business

The Chairman altered the order of business as minuted.

kent downs area of outstanding natural beauty (aonb)

This item was withdrawn from this agenda and was postponed until the Swale Rural Forum on 11 February 2014.

update from kent police

The Chairman welcomed Chief Inspector Tony Henley and Inspector Gavin Wade to the meeting.

Further to Mr Tatton's request above, Chief Inspector Henley advised that after a busy summer in Warden Bay and Leysdown, crime in these areas during that period were of a seasonal nature and included break-ins on caravan sites and sheds being broken into.

Inspector Wade confirmed that he had followed up the outstanding issues from the last Swale Rural Forum by contacting the relevant Members directly.

Inspector Wade gave an update on the latest Operation Nonagon. A number of warrants had been issued related to drugs and road checks. Preparations were now in place for Nonagon 8, the Police were working together with rural partnerships, including the NFU which was achieving good results. Inspector Wade outlined recent crimes which included pheasant theft, which had resulted in unlicensed guns being seized. He explained that there were two volunteers working for the Police in the area. One of the roles was in intelligence on rural activities and trying to resolve response times to 999 calls to rural areas because of satellite issues. The volunteer was looking into ways of arriving at the scene of the crime quicker.

Chief Inspector Henley explained that financial constraints within the Police force were always an issue and that, with joint working and cross-county border pooling of resources, this could help to address this issue and make use of the resources within an area, including sharing of local suspects names and help from farmers.

In response to a question, Chief Inspector Henley suggested that he met with the relevant Members to discuss the Police resources that were in place with regard to new planning applications for additional dwellings in the countryside.

Chief Inspector Henley gave an overview of the initiative for Police buses which visited rural areas to address issues. He explained that the results had not been very encouraging. Chief Inspector Henley stated that it was probably necessary to change the Police's approach and to go to where the residents were, and where there was footfall, such as outside a school. This could help raise awareness and enable engagement of the public with PCSOs. Parish Councillor Tucker suggested that it would be a good idea to receive feedback from the Police on any issues that had been raised. Councillor Pat Sandle suggested that more publicity was needed for the buses. Chief Inspector Henley advised that publicity did not always work, and that it was necessary to go where the public were already.

An update was provided on PCSOs. Chief Inspector Henley advised that some PCSOs went on to train as Police Officers, and although there might be a gap before a newly trained PCSO was in operation, there would not be a reduction in the number of PCSOs in Swale. He considered they were an invaluable visible asset on the street.

Councillor Pat Sandle raised concern with the speed limit outside Eastchurch Primary School. She considered 40 mph was too high, and the speed limit should have been taken into account when the school was built and she considered the crossing pint was dangerous as it was on a bend. Councillor Sandle requested that a risk assessment should be carried out outside the school to get a balanced view. Chief Inspector Henley agreed to contact the Police Road Traffic Department about this matter.

Chief Inspector Henley

kent county council (kcc) response to parking problems outside village schools and speeding in rural areas

The Chairman brought the response from KCC to the Forum's attention. The following points were raised: the report did not cover speeding issues; this was a missed opportunity to implement 20 mph speed limits outside schools; disappointed with the response; 20 mph would be useful, but it did not solve the problem; children needed to arrive at school on foot, rather than in a vehicle; frustrating that casualty figures were needed before action was taken; not everyone can walk to school, this was not appreciated by KCC; it should be a safety issue, not a financial one; and it would make sense to have a large drop-off point on the same side of the road as a school.

Chief Inspector Henley advised that 13 children from primary schools had been slightly injured outside schools last year. He considered it was important to slow traffic down and peoples' behaviour needed to change.

The Chairman explained that he would reply to KCC and include in his letter that the Forum noted the policy with regret and wanted to know how KCC viewed the issue going forward.

improvements to how swale borough council (sbc) will be collecting waste and recycling from december 2013

The Chairman welcomed Jonathan Longley, Contracts Manager, to the meeting.

Mr Longley gave a verbal presentation on the scheduled improvements to refuse and recycling in Swale. He explained that 32% of waste was currently recycled in Swale and it was hoped that this would be increased to 60% when the new scheme was implemented. He explained that there would be efficiency savings as the refuse contract was shared between Maidstone and Ashford Borough Councils; saving £0.5 million each year.

The first step in the improvements would be the removal of the black insert in the blue bin from 16 December 2013; glass would then be put in the blue bin. The insert could be used for excess recycling or retained by the resident for their own use. A greater variety of items would be allowed to be put in the blue bin, especially an increase in the number of plastics accepted. Other changes included: on blue bin days, textiles could also be put out, and on green bin days, small electrical goods could be put out.

Mr Longley advised that from 6 April 2014, there would be a weekly food waste collection. He showed the two containers that would be supplied to residents, including a small caddy for the kitchen and a larger bin for leaving on the kerbside. A supply of bin liners would initially be supplied; these would then need to be purchased after that. Mr Longley explained the difference between compostable (starch material which broke down) and bio-degradable (plastic flakes, which did not break down). The bins could also be lined with newspaper or paper towels. He considered the hygiene aspect of the kitchen caddy was not a problem.

Mr Longley explained that the kerbside container was lockable and the food waste would go to a composting facility and over three months would be converted to form a multi-purpose compost. The majority of this was sold to farmers in Kent as a soil improver, which was more environmentally friendly that traditional fertilizers.

In response to questions, Mr Longley explained that the scheme was not compulsory, but encouraged residents to 'give it a go' for six months or so. He explained that there had been no issues raised with regard to the visibility of the kerbside bins and he suggested that there would not be a problem if the bin was left close to the other bin left out for collection. Any problems of empty bins being blown away may need to be looked into, but it was hoped that if it was left where collected, there would not be a problem.

Mr Longley confirmed that he would reinforce with operatives that bins needed to be returned to where they had been left for collection by the resident.

The Chairman thanked Mr Longley for his presentation.

connections limited update from newnham parish youth group

The Chairman welcomed the Chairman, Parish Councillor Sue Gunner, and Vice-Chairman, Parish Councillor Alison Carter, of Newnham Parish Council to the meeting.

They provided an overview on establishing a Youth Group and gave information on how the Group had been set up. The Group now included young people from Eastling, Doddington and Newnham. Activities include different sports and access to computers and opportunities for baking etc. A lot of help had been offered from Connections Community Activity Teams. The longevity of the Group was unsure, the funding covered hire fees, and the Group was currently free for users. The Team Leaders were fully trained to help with any issues with the young people.

Councillor Gunner answered questions from the Forum and explained that the mix of young people from different villages and schools seemed to be working well.

Councillor Gunner and Councillor Carter were congratulated on the work they had done in helping the Group set up.

The Head of Economy and Community Services welcomed the positive initiative which had helped to show that the Youth Service Contract had been successful.

rural business opportunities

The Head of Economy and Communities brought Members' attention to the latest Rural E-Bulletin and welcomed comments from the Forum. Parish Councillor Baldock provided suggestions for a change in name for the bulletin. These were 'Rural Business Update' and 'Rural Update News'.

local government association (lga) rural commission

The Cabinet Member for Environmental and Rural Affairs brought Members' attention to the tabled report from the LGA Annual Rural Commission and Conference 2013.

venue for next meeting

The meeting on 11 February 2014 will be held at Doddington Village Hall, The Street, Doddington, ME9 0BG.