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Chairman's Newsletter - Spring 2003
Chairman: Cllr Tom Gibbs.
Another year has passed and much has happened affecting the Parish Council. The Council and its members have statutory obligations in law which have become more demanding while the Council has been ever alert to the activities of other authorities, especially Shepway District Council, the Highways Agency and the Environment Agency, all of whom have a big part to play in the quality of life in Dymchurch. They have tight budgets and competing claims elsewhere but, not withstanding, the Parish Council is quick ?to raise hell? to make sure your interests are looked after.
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 is now in force making it the Council?s duty to adopt and maintain a publication scheme, being a list of the classes of Council information which are available, as of right, to the public. Council meeting papers, financial information and the Council?s Code of Conduct details are cases in point.
So far as the Code of Conduct is concerned, adopted in January 2002, there are now stricter ethical standards by which all members must abide, including the registration of their personal financial interests. It is vital that any interests relevant to matters under discussion at Council meetings must be declared by Councillors concerned and that they withdraw from the discussion thereon.
After two years of no increase in the Parish Council?s Precept demand, as part of your wider Shepway Rates demand, a small increase has been necessary in line with inflation in order to meet rising costs.
On more practical matters, the Parish Council maintains a burial ground, the Recreation Ground, the Car Park by the village hall and has seawall trading rights and rights on the foreshore from the Environment Agency and the Crown Estate, respectively. In season it employs car park attendants and beach managers. It has a groundsman and the Parish Clerk is Peter Leonard.
As I said last year, the Burial Ground is full up and there is no replacement site in the offing. The Council would welcome any offers of a suitable site but so far no one has come forward. A number of graves have been planted and decorated by the bereaved. Whilst this is contrary to the Burial Ground Regulations, the Council has decided not to enforce them although it will keep matters under review. A recent change to the regulations has been to allow corner stones at the foot of graves set into the ground.
Sadly, the Recreation Ground has now lost the Tennis Club. Its membership had declined and the club has disbanded. It could not afford the costs of repairs to the Tennis Courts. They will no longer be available for play and the Council would be glad to hear from groups or organisations having proposals for putting them to good use. Likewise, there are no longer any football clubs using the ground although the Cricket Club remains as active as ever. The Council has provided in the past a skateboard ramp at the Recreation ground and a children?s play area. Further developments depend on active community interest willing to promote developments through grant funding such as the national lottery. This, in turn, requires demand from sports users, which for the time being, seems to have waned.
The Council has devoted a lot of time to improving safety on the A259 trunk road. The road is notorious for speeding and the Council has been pressing for speed cameras and permanent speed indicator display signs. It is understood that a speed camera is to be installed at St Mary?s Bay. You will shortly see local Speed Watch volunteers at various locations by the side of the road operating a hand held radar ?gun? checking excessive speed. The equipment is loaned by the police and we hope this will be effective. Vehicle registration numbers will be recorded. This seems to be a ?first? for the Parish Council and has excited interest from other council?s throughout the country.
Draft orders are at last available from the Secretary of State for Transport for the de-trunking of the A259. No longer will it be a national strategic road and responsibility will pass to the KCC. Greater emphasis will be given to local environmental concerns and less to the speedy passage of traffic.
Bus shelters on the A259 are a constant target for vandals. The Parish Council deals with repairs to its own as best and as quickly as it can but those owned by other bodies remain damaged for an unacceptably long time. Nevertheless another shelter has been provided by the Council at the Wraightsfield Avenue junction.
Vandalism, generally, is a continuing problem and, of late, has been aggravated by the activities of youths on a Friday and Saturday evening. They congregate in and around the High Street and many come from Hythe and New Romney. The police are implementing an Alcohol Control area in Hythe and it is understood that this is displacing them to Dymchurch. In a positive way, the Council is concerned for local youth for whom there are few facilities in Dymchurch. The Southlands Youth Centre and the Silver Felix Youth Centre at Hythe are available to them and are used by some but access is difficult and costly. It would be possible to have a regular activity evening in the village hall but a call for volunteer helpers has received no response. Also, transport is available to Southlands but being grant-funded its continued availability is under threat. The Council has held public meetings with youngsters and hopes to bring improvements.
The Bathing Beach will be operational again this year with beach managers re-appointed. It is hoped that the beach will receive a prestigious Blue Flag Award for the first time in 2004. This would require the appointment of Life Guards and safety improvements to the sea wall. The seawall through the village is due for reconstruction in the near future, which is probably the reason why the Environment Agency seems so reluctant to spend money on its repair in the short-term. Recent roadworks by Transco along the A259 entailed unauthorised excavation of the seawall towards the Redoubt. The Council closely scrutinises anything that may threaten the seawall?s structural stability and has brought pressure on the Environment Agency to have it properly repaired.
For those of you who don?t know, the Council keeps a stock of sandbags and some sand available at times of possible flooding free-of-charge from the Clerk. The supply is limited.
Consulting engineers acting for the Environment Agency have put forward a number of options for reconstruction of the seawall. The Parish Council has strongly supported an arrangement that involves the renourishing of the beach between High Knocke and Martello Tower No 23 with sand rather than shingle, apart from reconstruction and improvement of the seawall itself.
Parking fees for the Council?s car park by the village hall have been increased this year after a few years without increase.
Entertainments will again be provided by the Parish Council in the school Summer holidays. The Hythe Town Concert Band will be playing by the slipway on 3rd August and the Folkestone Youth Band ?Charlies Shed? on 10th August for those who enjoy more racy pop and rap music. The East Kent Morris Men will visit on 17th August
Parish and District Elections are on 1st May. District elections will be on the basis of a new electoral ward embracing both Dymchurch and St Mary?s Bay. The total number of District Councillors will be reduced to three rather than the present five. There are nine seats on the Parish Council with a vacancy at the present time following the departure of Cllr Graham. Candidates should satisfy themselves that they would accept the legal obligations of office, which I have already referred to, as many Parish Councillors throughout the country have resigned considering them to be too onerous.
I hope there will be a contest for the Parish Council. The Council is likely to seek Quality Parish Status at the first opportunity for which it is essential to have a fully elected Council rather than one where co-option has been necessary.
The Annual Parish Meeting is in the village hall on Thursday, 10th April at 7.30pm when matters of local concern can be discussed with Parish Council members.
Thank you for your support this year. This has been my third year as Parish Council Chairman. I much enjoy representing your interests not only on the Parish but also Shepway District Council. I think this dual role gives advantages in looking after your interests when so many matters are the ultimate responsibility of Shepway.
Remember ? The Parish Council is here to help you, the people of Dymchurch
Your Shepway District Councillors are: Tom Gibbs, Shirley Maile and Terry Preston.
Your Parish Councillors are: Joyce Cockerill, Tom Gibbs, Sid Head, Shirley Maile, Ian Meyers, Mike Littler, Terry Preston and Sue Turner.
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