Hartley-Kent - Hartley-Kent: The Website for Hartley

Lady who prevented Steep Hill School in Fawkham closing in 1989 by setting it up as a charitable trust, is awarded MBE.

Pictures of fire and eyewitness accounts of garage fire at Caling Croft, New Ash Green.

Trial  of man accused of murdering missing mum Sarah Wellgreen of Bazes Shaw,  New Ash Green, has been put off for at least 3 months say police.

Roads:   Ash Road
Puffin crossing to be installed near   Parkfield at a cost of £32,500.  Part   of Hoselands Green to be taken to widen the pavement.  County council want to move the bus stop to   between Larksfield and Church Road, unacceptable to parish council as too far   from Wellfield.  Recent traffic survey   suggests increase in traffic in last 2 years.
(Parish   Council Meeting 10 June 2019)       

Youth   Services:    
Sessions are being held at Woodland Avenue on   a Tuesday.  Young people say they would   like indoor youth provision but not village hall as too far away, and outdoor   gym, council to consider latter.  Local   resident raises concern about nitrous oxide cartridges.  Family fun day to be held at Woodland   Avenue on 13 August.
(Parish Council Meeting 10 June   2019)       

Roads:   Signage
Council to request KCC to install two new   signs (1) At narrowing of Church Road to warn of no pavement (2) No through   road at entrance to Old Downs.
(Parish Council Meeting 10   June 2019)       

Roads:   Village Gate
Council looking at putting one in at   the northern and southern ends of Ash Road, can't have 30mph sign there too   as this is not the start of the limit and repeater signs on gates are not   allowed.  This will cost £1,500 per   gate.
(Parish Council Meeting 10 June 2019)       

Northfield:  
Invoices of about   £1,650 were paid, including dog bin emptying (£166), dormice boxes (£147),   hand pull ragwort etc (£640).  Some   complaints from residents about the ragwort spraying which the committee put   down to people not realising the hay crop is fed to animals.  They decided not to make Northfield a   village green because they will lose Defra grants if they did.    Horse riding route has 15 members, dog   walkers claim the route is not being adhered to.  Skylarks have been seen on the   field.
(Parish Council Meeting 10 June 2019)   

Finance: Payments
Payments for June were £807
(Parish Council Meeting 10  June 2019)

Fawkham Manor Hospital announces its closure from 7 June, saying the hospital is no longer commercially viable.

Accident (pictured) where car turned over on its side, no-one required hospital treatment.

Four burglars take mobile phone and jewelry from property in Merton Avenue.

Raid  on Lloyds Pharmacy in Longfield on 4 April, perfume was taken.  Thieves  thought to have got away along Essex Road.  Paper of 10.4.19 reported  that a Greenhithe man had been arrested in connection.

Man  from Longfield arrested following pedestrian being hit by a car at  White Horse Road, Harvel.  Teenage pedestrian was injured and taken to a  hospital in London.

  08 April 2019 - Parish   Council: Councillors
8 councillors ere   present, plus Cllr Brazier (KCC) and 2 members of the   public
Parish Council   Meeting

      08 April 2019 - Parish Council:   Staff
Clerk had said because assistant   clerk only works 3 days a week, she is getting a lot of tasks which stop her   doing her job.  Council agreed   unanimously to close office from 1pm on Friday and to increase assistant   clerk's hours by up to 8 a month to deal with busy times or training, and   also to run a new job evaluation which had last been done in   2012
Parish Council   Meeting

      08 April 2019 - Finance:   Payments
Invoices of £12,861 for April   were agreed.
Parish Council   Meeting

  11 March 2019 - Parish   Council: Councillors
7 councillors only   attended, they appeared to be filling in their nomination forms for the   election.  Also present was Cllr   Brazier (Kent County Council)
Parish Council Meeting

      11 March 2019 - Roads:   Springcroft
A resident of Springcroft   thanked the county council for filling in the   potholes
Parish Council   Meeting

      11 March 2019 - Burial Grounds: New Burial   Ground
They approved the layout plan   prepared by Pear Technology.  It appears   to have 200 plots for burial of ashes.    Ashes will be buried in the same way as in the current ground, they   prefer for spoil to be removed from site, but need to check with the funeral   directors first.
Parish Council   Meeting

      11 March 2019 - Burial Grounds: Burial   Ground
Leaning fence by car park to be   repaired
Parish Council Meeting

      11 March 2019 - Burial Grounds: Old Garden of   Remembrance
Slabs have been washed and   repointed.  Heather and bark to be   bought for beds.
Parish Council   Meeting

      11 March 2019 - Village Hall:   
Council have agreed to give £3,000 for   redecoration, but have now decided they and not the trust will commission the   works.
Parish Council   Meeting

      11 March 2019 - Finance: Bank   Accounts
Review of internal audit leads   to them deciding to require those with pin number to sign declaration not to   reveal it.
Parish Council   Meeting

      11 March 2019 - Finance:   Policies
Various policies were reviewed   and approved.  Storage container at   Manor Field to be added to insurance policy.
Parish Council Meeting

      11 March 2019 - Finance: Internal   audit
David Buckett appointed as   internal auditor for next 3 years at £450 per visit plus   mileage
Parish Council   Meeting

      11 March 2019 - Roads: Ash   Road
New puffin crossing at Parkfield   will cost £50,000.  KCC will pay   £12,500, Cllr Brazier member's grant will add £5,000, so PC left with £32,500   bill.  They decided it was OK to award   contract to KCC Highway Services.    £16,000 of the PC's contribution will come from Community   Infrastructure Levy money.  It will   probably be done in the summer.    Complaints received about speeding traffic on Hoselands Hill.  They are still looking at village gates,   they have to be installed by KCC at a cost of £1,200 - £1,500 each.  They see it as a way of reducing speeding   as they will have speed limit on them (but see later meetings)
Parish Council Meeting

      11 March 2019 - Roads: Church   Road
A member of the public asked for   signs to beware of pedestrians on part with no pavement, as traffic had   increased
Parish Council   Meeting

      11 March 2019 - Finance:   Reserves
Reserves policy approved, as   well as various transfers of funds.
Parish Council Meeting

      11 March 2019 - Youth Services:   
West Kent Housing Association have   consulted with young people who tell them that rather than a family fun day   they would prefer regular programme would be better.  Council agreed to pay West Ketn Communities   £3,525 for 35 weekly youth sessions at Woodland Avenue, two staff for three   hours each week.  Also the chairman and   clerk can authorise any further expenses up to £4,000 youth   budget
Parish Council   Meeting

      11 March 2019 - Planning: District   Plan
Planning consultant has billed them   £1,932 for site visit, initial read of papers and advice.  Council want to object to two new sites at   Chapelwood Road.  Billings Group has   submitted comments to say why they think draft plan is   unsound.
Parish Council   Meeting

      11 March 2019 - Finance:   Payments
Payments of £13,013 for March   were approved
Parish Council   Meeting

    

Parish Council  Meeting

 11 February 2019 - Parish Council:  Councillors
9 councillors were present,  with Cllr Brazier (KCC), Cllr Kelly (SDC), and 6 members of the public.  At the meeting the only applicant Lesley  Driscoll was coopted to the council, she joined the Amenities and General  Purposes Committees
Parish  Council Meeting

 11 February 2019 - Roads: Cherry  Trees
The potholes in the road have been  repaired.  Cllr Abraham said he had  received notice of a 2 day closure but none of the shops had been  told.
Parish Council  Meeting

 11 February 2019 - Roads: Chapelwood  Road
Cllr Oxtoby said it had a lot of  potholes, Cllr Brazier said he would investigate
Parish Council Meeting

 11 February 2019 - Roads: Woodland  Avenue
A resident said it had been  cleared of snow for the first time they could remember.  Cllr Brazier said that was down to a  partnership between KCC and local farmers
Parish Council Meeting

 11 February 2019 - Amenities:  Cricket
No reply from scrap merchant  about sight screens at Manor Field, so Cricket club to be asked to remove  them.
Parish Council  Meeting

 11 February 2019 - Amenities: Manor Field  Pavilion
Council reappointed Caches  Limited for annual boiler maintenance for same as last year, £470.  They also bought 5 soap dispensers from  County Supplies for £80 because current ones are difficult to get soap for,  cheaper alternative has more expensive soap.
Parish Council Meeting

 11 February 2019 - Amenities: Manor  Field
Cllr Malham to prepare  specifications for car park either tarmac or grid mats.  They also want to install lights at the  gate, and repair one of the existing floodlights which hasn't worked for  years.
Parish Council  Meeting

 11 February 2019 - Amenities:  Playgrounds
Annual inspection contained  a number of recommendations affecting all playgrounds, which they are acting  upon.  Repairs to the pod swing at  Woodland Avenue to reduce risk of collapse will cost £1,729 from  Playdale.  They are looking at  improvements at Longfield Hill and had asked Longfield PC if they would like  to contribute but have received no reply.
Parish Council Meeting

 11 February 2019 - Amenities:  Allotments
Leylandii hedge to be lowered  and ash trees reduced by Down to Earth Ltd for £442.  One plot uncultivated but tenant says they  want to continue, however still no rent paid, so council give them 40 days to  pay.
Parish Council  Meeting

 11 February 2019 - Amenities:  Gorsewood
Two ivy covered hornbeans to  be removed at cost of £305 to reduce risk of falling onto neighbouring  property, during felling works an ash tree with a crack was also noticed, and  so was removed for a further £305.  Two  branches of another ash tree in Gorsewood to be removed following concerns  raised by resident whose property they overhung.
Parish Council Meeting

 11 February 2019 - Burial Grounds: New Burial  Ground
They looked at designs and  decided they wanted a 3m pergola, however not enough detailed quotes to make  a decision
Parish Council  Meeting

 11 February 2019 - Burial Grounds: Hartley  Burial Ground
They served notice to turf  one grave and had heard nothing but apparently the family had told Mr Munday  that under no circumstances should it be turfed, so it will be  left.
Parish Council  Meeting

 11 February 2019 - Burial Grounds: Old Garden  of Remembrance
Mr Munday to be asked to  repoint and jet wash slabs.  They are  to seek advice on hedging plants where trees bordering the car park have been  removed.  They accepted a donation to  replant flower bed.
Parish  Council Meeting

 11 February 2019 - Burial Grounds: Closed  churchyard
Quote of £330 from Mr Munday  accepted for works to various trees and shrubs.
Parish  Council Meeting

 11 February 2019 - Corinthian Development:  
No Hartley Expansion had shared their  planning consultant's response with the PC, who will add some to their own  objection.  New Ash Green has  apparently been designated an "historic village" in the Green Belt  assessment, because it is a planned development.
Parish Council Meeting

 11 February 2019 - Finance:  Payments
Invoices of £12,011 for  February were agreed.
Parish  Council Meeting