Visitors and members of the public who are unfamiliar with the building and procedures are advised that:

a)     No fire drill is planned during the meeting.  If the alarm sounds please leave the building quickly without collecting any of your possessions, using the doors signed as fire escapes, and assemble outside where directed.

(b)    Await instructions before re-entering the building.

(c)    Anyone who requires assistance in evacuating the building should make officers aware of any special needs so that suitable arrangements may be made in the event of an emergency.

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, their families or friends.

The Chair will ask Members if they have any disclosable pecuniary interests (DPIs) or disclosable non-pecuniary interests (DNPIs) to declare in respect of items on the agenda. Members with a DPI in an item must leave the room for that item and may not participate in the debate or vote. 

Aside from disclosable interests, where a fair-minded and informed observer would think there was a real possibility that a Member might be biased or predetermined on an item, the Member should declare this and leave the room while that item is considered.

Members who are in any doubt about interests, bias or predetermination should contact the monitoring officer for advice prior to the meeting.

Councillor Simon Fowle disclosed a non-pecuniary interest as an owner of a beach hut on the Isle of Sheppey.

To approve the Minutes of the meeting held on 22 September 2022 (Minute Nos. 297 – 306) as correct records.

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 22 September 2022 (Minutes Nos. 304 – 313) were taken as read, approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

Members noted the progress on actions.

Connectivity across Sheppey

Following a request for an update by a Parish Councillor, the Director of Regeneration and Neighbourhoods advised that the Kent County Council (KCC) Enhanced Partnership was still being formed. It would oversee the Countywide bus improvement plan. Government funding had been allocated but had not yet been received. It was hoped that when more was known in the New Year, the Sheppey Area Committee would be able to link into any local issues.

Replacement of lighting along Sheerness Promenade

The Head of Environment and Leisure advised that the supply to the units was in place and final checks were being carried out. It was unlikely that all lights would be reinstated but there would be a good spread. The intention was to complete that part of the project by May 2023.

New Road Play Park, Minster-on-Sea

The Head of Environment and Leisure advised that he was confident the allocated funding for this project would be spent by May 2023.

Queenborough & Rushenden Regeneration

Members asked the Policy and Engagement Officer to chase the update from Homes England.

The Active Travel Coordinator gave a presentation on the Active Travel Fund (ATF) Tranche 4. Three tranches of funding had come forward from the Government since 2020. Tranche 4 was announced in July 2022 by the AFT which included a three-year capital fund of £470m and a one year £250 million revenue fund and the deadline for bids was 23 December 2022. KCC submitted its self-assessment in August 2022 and was assessed as a Level 1 (Level 4 was the highest and Level 0 was the lowest). 

Swale Borough Council (SBC) had put in a £165k Capability & Ambition Fund bid to improve an existing bid. Since October 2022 SBC had been pulling together ideas for the ATF process, there was no criteria but there was guidance. The Government launched ‘Gear Change’ in 2020, the strategy to make the country more accessible. For the Isle of Sheppey the suggested improvements could include priority and raised crossings, traffic lights that prioritised cycling, cycle lanes and cycle tracks and more traffic management.  

The Active Travel Coordinator presented the AFT 4 proposals for the Isle of Sheppey which included potential interventions over Sheerness, Minster and Queenborough.  After the meeting, the link to the maps would be shared.

A discussion took place and the following comments were raised:

·         A request for pavements in rural areas was made;

·         a Parish Councillor asked about linking Minster to Sheerness; and

·         concerns were expressed about a town-wide 20 miles per hour (mph) scheme;

The Active Travel Coordinator responded and explained that the funding was focused on higher populated areas. He said that alternatives to Neptune Terrace, Sheerness were being looked at. With respect to the 20 mph scheme the street environment needed to be changed to make it uncomfortable to go faster, more needed to be done than put signage up.

The Head of Environment and Leisure said the report set out SBC’s intention to install a further 24 beach huts on the Isle of Sheppey. The proposed installation would be sympathetic to the environment, sticking to stringent standards. There was high demand for them, currently over 328 people were on the waiting list. The additional income would be helpful for the Council to support the delivery of local services. Before submitting the papers, officers reached out to the Ward Members and PCs wanting to see what support there was this evening for the proposal.

A discussion took place and a summary of comments are set out below:

·         There was not sufficient car parking at Minster;

·         there needed to be consultation with the local community;

·         what was the limit to the scope for additional beach huts?

·         would views of the sea be obscured by the huts at Leysdown?

·         what would happen to the existing benches on the seafront at Leysdown?

·         alternative sites were suggested for beach huts on the Isle of Sheppey;

·         Parish Councils had not been given sufficient time to consider the proposal, there had not been adequate consultation;

·         questions were asked about the cost of rental and if daily rentals had been considered; and

·         was there a selling-on clause in the contract when purchased?

The Head of Environment and Leisure and the Leisure and Technical Manager responded to the comments. In terms of further scope for additional beach huts, a second row could be installed at Minster. Officers believed there would be sufficient parking, but they would look further into the comments raised. There would be wider separation between the huts at Leysdown to allow for access and views to the seafront. The placement of the new huts would be sympathetic to the existing benches and positioned around them, picket fences were in place for health and safety purposes only and not to stop members of public accessing the sea. The purpose of the presentation was to consult with residents and Parish Councils, officers would also be willing to meet with Parish Councils. Annual rental was circa £1,200, a weekly rental would be introduced but a daily rental would be too resource intensive to maintain between bookings. The annual ground rent was circa £500 for purchased huts, there was a claw-back clause if people wanted to sell them and they were offered to people on the waiting list.

Members of the public spoke about the problems residents were having with parking in Trinity Road, Sheerness, where they had to pay for parking permits. They also asked about Marine Parade Car Park which was free to park in but due to some of the vehicles permanently parked there, residents did not feel safe to use that car park. Currently there was no clarity about the rules and some residents had received penalty notices. The Head of Environment and Leisure confirmed that the local Ward Member had raised the issue with him and the residents could park in the Trinity Road Car Park whilst an investigation was carried out into the historic agreement.  The penalty notices would be put on hold until the matter was resolved.

The KCC Divisional Member for Sheppey spoke about the continued illegal dumping at Eastchurch shoreline and urged the Area Committee to escalate the matter and engage with the Environment Agency (EA) as the dumping of spoil had been going on for a long time. He added that it was one of the top two illegal tips in Kent and was an environmental catastrophe. The Chair stated that the multi-agency response, led by the EA, continued.

The Policy and Engagement Officer advised that the Sheppey Area Committee had been allocated a total of £47,000.00 for the financial year 2022/23. At the Sheppey Area Committee Meeting on 22 September 2022, £38,412.10 of funding was allocated. Committee Members agreed that for the unallocated funding of £8,587.90, a second funding round should take place to allocate the remaining funding using the same criteria as the first round. The deadline for applications was Thursday 3 November 2022 and bids to the value of £20,507.90 were received for consideration by the Committee. The applications were checked for eligibility by officers and a scoring process carried out by three impartial officers. The outcome of the scoring was used to put together the options paper for Members to vote on.

Councillor Cameron Beart moved the following motion:  That Option 2 be selected with the left over 13 pence being split between bids SHEP027 and SHEP028, this was seconded by Councillor Lee McCall.

On being put to the vote Option 2, with the amendment, was agreed.

Resolved:

That the remaining £8,587.90 funding be awarded to projects in the following proportions:

1)    Curly’s Farm (SHEP027) - £2,075.00

2)    Warden Parish Council  (SHEP026) - £4,322.70

3)    Friendly Faces of Kent SHEP028) - £2,190.20

No issues were raised.

No issues were raised.