Due to the Chair, Councillor Denise Knights, sending apologies, and the Vice-Chair, Councillor Julian Saunders, only able to attend remotely, it was necessary to elect a Chair for this meeting.

Councillor Carole Jackson proposed Councillor Tim Valentine, this was seconded by Councillor Alastair Gould.  On being put to the vote this was agreed.

Resolved:

1)    That Councillor Tim Valentine be elected Chair for this meeting.

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 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 22 March 2022 (Minute Nos. 702 - 712) and the Minutes of the meeting held on 18 May 2022 (to follow) as a correct records.

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 22 March 2022 (Minute Nos. 702 – 712) and the Meeting held on 18 May 2022 (Minute Nos. 27 – 28) were taken as read, approved and signed by the Chair as correct records.

Tabled update dded 15.06.2022

Members noted the progress on actions.

Defibrillators in the Eastern Area

Members commented that messages should go out to make it clear that people must call the emergency services if they needed to use a defibrillator in an emergency and they would be given the location of the closest device along with the access code.  Members also suggested that other organisations be sent the letter about updating databases and maintenance of equipment to other organisations such as Faversham Pools and Faversham Football Club.

Flooding in the Whitstable Road area

Councillor Julian Saunders went through the chronology of progress in Appendix 2 and the tabled paper and email exchange with Southern Water (SW) following a recent flooding event. He identified that some significant progress had been made with Kent County Council (KCC) as a result of the efforts of the Committee Chair.  Members commented on the response by SW which stated the network “had sufficient capacity for up to a one-in 50-year storm event” as events of this level had occurred twice in the previous year, the modelling did not equate with events. 

Councillor Ben J Martin proposed that Councillor Julian Saunders as Vice-Chair of the Eastern Area Committee wrote to SW to ask that they continued to take action and provide further updates on flooding in Whitstable Road and the wider Faversham area.  Also to challenge the statement that SW would not be expanding the sewage capacity to deal with new housing developments. It was also agreed that Councillor Saunders would write to Helen Whately MP to request a further meeting with SW and other partner organisations.  This was seconded by Councillor Mike Henderson.

Councillor Hannah Perkin and Faversham Town Councillors asked to be kept updated on the situation.

Resolved:

1)    That Councillor Julian Saunders in his capacity of Vice-Chair of the Eastern Area Committee wrote to SW to ask that they continued to take action and provide further updates on flooding in Whitstable Road and the wider Faversham area.  Also, to challenge the statement that SW would not be expanding the sewage capacity to deal with new housing developments.

2)    That Councillor Julian Saunders in his capacity of Vice-Chair of the Eastern Area Committee wrote to Helen Whately MP to ask for a further meeting with SW and other agencies to be arranged.

The Active Travel Coordinator 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:

·         how car clubs sat with Active Travel;

·         the need to sort out bus services;

·         infrastructure needed to be built to make it safe to walk and cycle;

·         pavements and public rights of way needed to be maintained;

·         the use of implied crossings; and

·         the use of compulsory purchase where vital sections of routes were missing.

Chris Oswald-Jones referred to the aspiration to promote Active Travel, part of which was the removal of white lines in the middle of the road where possible.  He said it was only necessary at junctions and a lot of the time it was not possible to stay to the left of the lines due to parked vehicles.  Councillor Eddie Thomas advised that he was in discussions with the Active Travel Team at KCC about this matter and would feedback after his next meeting with them.

Councillor Carole Jackson said there were not enough bins at Wildish Road, Bysing Wood. Other Wards were in a similar position. Litter pickers had to carry rubbish out of the area for disposal. Councillor Lloyd Bowen and Councillor Mike Henderson said that bins had been removed and not been replaced in Teynham, at the entrance to Love Lane, to the back of Morrisons and by the takeaway at Upper Brents.  It was agreed that these matters should be referred to the Environment Committee and that Ward Members should be consulted before bins were removed.

Councillor Ben Martin gave a summary of a letter he had received from Stagecoach explaining why some services had been removed.  He agreed to forward the letter to the Area Committees Coordinator to circulate.

Councillor Carole Jackson spoke about the lack of play equipment at the green on Whiting Crescent, Faversham.  It was a deprived area with young families who could not travel to play areas further away.  She requested that a small amount of play equipment be installed there.  It was agreed the Area Committees Coordinator would enquire how this could be taken forward.

Councillor Ben J Martin advised that the last bank in Faversham was about to close which would leave the Post Office and Nationwide Building Society.  This would affect local businesses.

Councillor Lloyd Bowen spoke about the relocation of the Teynham GP Surgery to the Memorial Hospital, Sittingbourne and the difficulties that patients would experience as a result of this temporary measure.   Although the Frognal Lane Development had space for a surgery, there was no interest from the CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group) to establish a surgery on the site.

Resolved:

1)    That the lack of bins and the removal of bins be referred to the Environment Committee.

2)    That the Area Committees Coordinator enquire how to take forward the request for play equipment on the green at Whiting Crescent.

Tabled update added 16.06.2022

The Interim Area Committee Coordinator introduced the Work Plan Proposal Report and explained that the Area Committees Review Working Group had met and recommended that funding be considered at the September 2022 meeting instead of the December 2022 meeting. It was therefore necessary to consider the Work Plan at this meeting so that the funding scheme would be ready to launch on 1 July 2022.  

The Review Working Group also recommended that Heads of Service should be consulted to see if there were any existing projects that would benefit from additional funding to help achieve the projects earlier and benefit the Eastern Area.

The third recommendation by the Review Working Group was that each Area Committee should decide how wide publicity should be carried out for the funding scheme.

Members discussed the recommendations in the report.

Councillor Mike Henderson proposed that references to transport in the criteria be removed so that the criteria for 2022/23 read “bids should seek to improve the appearance, environment and facilities of the Eastern Area”.  This was seconded by Councillor Ben J Martin and on being put to the vote was agreed.

Councillor David Simmons proposed that the Business Crime Reduction Partnership project be removed from the Work Plan.  This was seconded by Councillor Lloyd Bowen and on being put to the vote was agreed.

Councillor Eddie Thomas proposed that the funding for remedial flooding works at Faversham Recreation Ground be removed from the Work Plan.  This was seconded by Councillor Carole Jackson and on being put to the vote was agreed.

Councillor Eddie Thomas proposed that the Eastern Area Committee funding scheme be publicised widely.  This was seconded by Councillor Lloyd Bowen and on being put to the vote was agreed.

There was general agreement to change the tree planting project to biodiversity planting above the current plans.

Councillor Tim Valentine proposed that the Work Plan be approved by the Eastern Area Committee with the changes agreed.  This was seconded by Councillor Lloyd Bowen and on being put to the vote was agreed.

Resolved:

1)    That references to transport in the criteria be removed so that the criteria for 2022/23 read “bids should seek to improve the appearance, environment and facilities of the Eastern Area”. 

2)    That the Business Crime Reduction Partnership project be removed from the Work Plan. 

3)    That the funding for remedial flooding works at Faversham Recreation Ground be removed from the Work Plan. 

4)    That the Eastern Area Committee funding scheme be publicised widely. 

5)    That the proposal for tree planting be changed to biodiversity planting above the current plans.

6)    That the Eastern Area Committee Work Plan for 2022/23 be agreed with the changes made by the Committee Members.

No issues were raised.

The following items would be referred as agreed in earlier items:

1)    Letters to be sent to SW and Helen Whately MP regarding the flooding and sewage issues in the Eastern Area.

2)    Lack of consultation with Ward Members about placement of bins and removal of bins.