The Chair will advise the meeting of the evacuation procedures to follow in the event of an emergency. This is particularly important for visitors and members of the public who will be unfamiliar with the building and procedures. The Chair will inform the meeting that: there is no scheduled test of the fire alarm during this meeting. If the alarm does sound, please leave the building quickly without collecting any of your possessions, using the doors signed as fire escapes, and assemble outside where directed. Await instructions before re-entering the building. Should anyone require assistance in evacuating the building, please make the Swale Borough Council officers aware of any special needs so that suitable arrangements may be made in the event of an emergency.

The Vice-Chair in-the-Chair read out the emergency evacuation procedure.

Councillors should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or

other material benefits for themselves or their spouse, civil partner or

person with whom they are living with as a spouse or civil partner. They

must declare and resolve any interests and relationships. The Chairman

will ask Members if they have any interests to declare in respect of items

on this agenda, under the following headings:

(a) Disclosable Pecuniary Interests (DPI) under the Localism Act 2011.

The nature as well as the existence of any such interest must be

declared. After declaring a DPI, the Member must leave the meeting and

not take part in the discussion or vote. This applies even if there is

provision for public speaking.

(b) Disclosable Non-Pecuniary Interests (DNPI) under the Code of

Conduct adopted by the Council in May 2012. The nature as well as the

existence of any such interest must be declared. After declaring a DNPI

interest, the Member may stay, speak and vote on the matter.

(c) Where it is possible that a fair-minded and informed observer, having

considered the facts would conclude that there was a real possibility that

the Member might be predetermined or biased the Member should

declare their predetermination or bias and then leave the meeting while

that item is considered.

Advice to Members: If any Councillor has any doubt about the existence

or nature of any DPI or DNPI which he/she may have in any item on this

agenda, he/she should seek advice from the Monitoring Officer, the Head

of Legal or from other Solicitors in Legal Services as early as possible,

and in advance of the meeting.

No interests were declared.

To approve the Minutes of the Meeting held on 1 March 2022 (Minute Nos. 645 - 655) and the Minutes of the Meeting held on 18 May 2022 (to follow) as correct records.

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 1 March 2022 (Minute Nos. 645 – 655) and the Meeting held on 18 May 2022 (Minute Nos. 32 – 33) were taken as read, approved and signed by the Vice-Chair in-the-Chair as correct records.

Amanda Turner the Kent County Council (KCC) Youth Hub Delivery Manager and Rebecca O’Neill the Commissioned Provider of Youth Provision for KCC, were welcomed to the meeting to talk about youth provision in the Western Area.

Rebecca O’Neill spoke about the work of Brogdale CIC (Community Interest Company) and VIBE (the name for all the youth work in the Brogdale CIC group) which worked with organisations such as Optivo, Sheppey Matters, Creed and Sateda delivering projects in the whole of Swale.  Examples of projects included youth clubs, after school and holiday clubs, peer mentoring, mental health mentoring, the Mill Skatepark in Sittingbourne, school transition, NEETS (not in employment, education or training) and a programme of special needs activities.  A youth van visited villages on a Wednesday evening, however, in the Western Area there had only been interest in Iwade and Newington. 

Brogdale CIC worked closely with Amanda Turner the KCC Youth Hub Delivery Manager.  Amanda explained that the Youth Hub had previously been located at Newhouse but as this had not reopened since the Covid-19 Pandemic due to health and safety reasons, they were now based at Milton Regis.  However, there was only capacity for 16 young people at the Youth Zone.  They ran four sessions: junior, special educational needs, senior and transition.  They operated some detached work in some Wards and some targeted work.  They were a small team of four, and as such were not able to deliver any services in Borden due to lack of capacity.

A discussion ensued and comments made are summarised below:

·         The Government had recently announced funding for youth centres, Brogdale CIC would like to put a community centre/youth hub in the Sittingbourne Skatepark.  They had been awarded half the funds.  It was suggested that Western Area Committee might wish to consider allocating some funds to this project;

·         a significant part of Swale was rural and with bus services being poor, young people would not be able access projects.  There was a lot of rural house building taking place so there should be Section 106 funding going into youth services.  Amanda Turner said it was her understanding that the Section 106 money was absorbed into KCC.  The KCC Divisional Member for Swale West undertook to look into this;

·         communication about the services with young people throughout the borough was identified as being a problem.  Parish Councils could help with this, however, some parts of the Western Area were unparished; and

·         the youth van could be used to take young people in rural areas to venues.

Resolved:

1)    That the KCC Divisional Member for Swale West would look into the issue of Section 106 money being absorbed into KCC.

2)    That ways of working together should be looked at.

3)    That the Western Area Committee would consider allocating funds to youth provision.

The Active Travel Coordinator, Adrian Oliver, introduced himself and spoke about the Government ten-year walking and cycling initiative, the Local Cycling & Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP), which was to help local authorities establish good cycling and walking routes.  For a scheme to receive funding it needed to match the guidelines.  The Active Travel Coordinator was writing a Swale LCWIP and he welcomed suggestions from residents and Parish/Town Councils.

There would be an online survey which would ask about trips that were currently made that could be taken by foot or cycle and what were the barriers to taking such trips.  There would also be workshops with community groups.

Some initial ideas were discussed which included safety issues on the Bapchild/Tonge route, linking up existing routes, areas where footpaths are lacking and pedestrians had to walk in the road, dealing with landowners, ongoing maintenance, footpaths coming out onto fast roads and the issue of some HGV drivers not using the industry approved satnav which resulted in them taking unsuitable routes.

Members noted the progress on actions.

Walking and cycling project

The Active Travel Coordinator went through the update he had provided in the agenda pack.  He stressed that these were initial ideas which could be changed.  A Parish Councillor spoke about disputes between cyclists and motorists and requested that street clutter in the form of signs was not increased.  He was assured that most of the information would be provided via apps and maps and all routes would be tried out.  Some specific routes were discussed and the need to take livestock into account was stressed.  It was agreed that a workshop in Swale House with Western Area Committee Members and Parish Councillors would be a useful way to consider routes in detail.

Charging of electric cars at home where there is no driveway

The Chief Executive advised that she had spoken with Paul Nichols at Brighton and Hove City Council where they had installed 600 charging points to lamp-posts.  KCC were adamant they were not considering this option.  Swale Borough Council (SBC) were looking at other pilots using gullies and gathering evidence to present to KCC.  The Chief Executive would be talking to the relevant Director at KCC.  Kent District Leaders all agreed something needed to be done.  She would provide further updates at future Area Committee meetings.

Resolved:

1)    That a Walking and Cycling project workshop be set up in Swale House with Western Area Committee Members and Parish Councillors to consider routes.

The Vice-Chair in-the-Chair introduced the report setting out recommendations for the Western Area Committee Work Plan for 2022/23.

There was a discussion on the proposed priorities and ambitions set out in paragraph 3.2 of the report.  Members agreed to take out the Active Travel and tree planting projects.  They also agreed to add a Youth Provision project to find out where young people were based who would like to engage with the Brogdale CIC VIBE services with a view to providing them with transport.  Members would also like to consider the Bredgar and Hartlip Conservation Area Reviews once the quotations have been received.  It was also suggested that a proposal might come out of the discussion on pond maintenance at the September 2022 Area Committee meeting.

Members also agreed that they would not open up their funding to external bids until all of the costings on the agreed projects had been considered at the September 2022 Area Committee meeting.  If there were any remaining funds, they might decide to allow some external bids.

Councillor Alan Horton moved the following motion: that officers made contact with Western Area Committee Members to check what priorities they would like costings/proposals for.  Proposals to be brought back to the September 2022 meeting for consideration.  This was seconded by Councillor Nicholas Hampshire and on being put to the vote the motion was agreed.

Resolved:

1)    That officers made contact with Western Area Committee Members to check what priorities they would like costings/proposals for.  Proposals to be brought back to the September 2022 meeting for consideration.

2)    That Western Area Committee funding would not be made available to external bids until the costings and proposals had been considered at the September 2022 Area Committee meeting and it was established if there was any remaining funding.

Item deferred to the next meeting.

Item deferred to the next meeting.

Item deferred to the next meeting.

Item deferred to the next meeting.

There was an adjournment from 8.50pm to 9pm.