Volume 1, Issue 1
Nov 2004
Page 1

MARDEN PARISH COUNCIL

NEWS AROUND THE PARISH

----------

A Letter from your Chairman

Dear Resident

Welcome to this, the first newsletter from Marden Parish Council. We will be publishing this newsletter quarterly and delivering it to every household in the parish of Marden.

Our aim is to ensure that everyone who lives within Marden is aware of the work of the Parish Council and how it can help you. This newsletter introduces you to your Parish Councillors and to your Parish Clerk, as well as giving you information about the services provided by Maidstone Borough Council and the Kent County Council.

You will find a sheet attached giving you names and contact details of your Parish Councillors, Maidstone Borough Councillors, County Councillor and Member of Parliament. We have also included Police contact details, who to contact for rubbish collection, highway problems and street lighting repairs. Please keep this information sheet handy.

I hope you will find this newsletter informative and I, and my fellow councillors, would be pleased to receive any comments from you about it, along with ideas and suggestions you have for future editions.

Please read on and find out more about the village community in which we all live.

Yours truly

Dorothy Reed

What Does the Parish Council Do?

Everyone on the Register of Electors in Marden had the opportunity to vote for the Parish Councillors who were elected to the current council at the June 2004 elections. The council consists of 11 councillors, some of whom have had many years council experience and others are very new to the role. Your councillors come from all walks of life, are engaged in many different occupations and represent a wide age span and variety of interests.

The Parish Council meets on the second Tuesday of every month at The Allens, Albion Road at 7.30pm. Everyone is welcome to attend and there is an opportunity at the end of the meeting for members of the Public to raise issues and concerns with the councillors.

Agendas and Copies of the Parish Council minutes are posted on the village noticeboards and on the Marden Website www.marden.org.uk (hosted by Marden Society) or pop into the Parish Office to see a copy.

One of the duties of the Council is to review planning applications submitted for properties in the parish and to send a view back to the Planning Department of Maidstone Borough Council as to the suitability of the application. Planning meetings are held on some Tuesday evenings in the Committee Room at the Memorial Hall; the agenda of the meeting is always posted 3 working days in advance on noticeboards and the public are able to attend. Please remember if you are concerned about a planning application contact a member of the Parish Council; the Planning Department is obliged to take our views into consideration when deciding on the outcome of an application.

Other issues of major concern to the Parish Council at the moment are the siting of the recycling bins to a more suitable location, car parking, lorry routes through the village, traffic consultation/calming and the general tidiness and cleanliness of the village and in future newsletter we will keep you up to date on how we are trying to take these forward.

The Parish Council directly manages the playing field, including the play equipment, and the cemetery and we are very keen to ensure that both these areas are maintained to a high standard employing a caretaker , Ian Jones, who undertakes all grounds maintenance at the cemetery.

We also take a very keen interest in all Policing matters that affect our village and keep in very close contact with our village policeman, P.C. Tim Stanley – you can find his contact details on the attached sheet together with a crime prevention leaflet. We are also hopeful that Marden will soon have a Community Warden.

We are also looking to undertake an affordable housing needs survey, again more details in future issues

Parish Events

With Christmas approaching Father Christmas will be visiting Marden on the morning of Saturday 18^th December, along with his helpers. The Morris Men will be dancing, there will be music and singing, a children’s merry-go-round and roasted chestnuts and hot sausages together with Marden Church Choir. Do come along and join us in the High Street from 10.15am. In the build up to Christmas, the village centre will once again be adorned with lighted Christmas trees and we will be in touch with residents shortly to arrange installation.

Shops are also invited to take part in the Christmas window competition, leaflets will be distributed soon with details. There will, as last year, be shop judging during the week of 13^th December and this year there will be an opportunity for residents and visitors to vote for their favourite shop windows. Voting boxes will be available in the Library and Parish Office.

Parish Office

The Parish Council employs a clerk, Alison Hooker, who has an office at the Memorial Hall, Goudhurst Road. The office is open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings from 10am to 12noon. Alison can be contacted on 01622 832305 or by email at clerk@mardenpc.fslife.co.uk

Parish Surgeries

Surgeries are held on the second Saturday of every month at Marden Library between 10am and 12noon. These are informal sessions where you can come along and have a chat or discuss issues with your Parish and Borough Councillors and, when work permits, P.C. Tim Stanley. Surgeries for the next three months are 8^th January / 12^th February / 12^th March.

Maidstone Borough Council Involvement

Please help to keep our village tidy and free from rubbish and dog mess. In conjunction with MBC we are proposing a village “clean-up” in February 2005. More information available nearer the time. Dog scoop it bags are available free of charge from West End Stores, Post Office, Library and Parish Office – don’t risk a fine of up to £1000. MBC also provides a household waste tip at Tovil.

We also have a recycling centre, currently located in the Library Car Park (when using the recycling centre please be mindful of residents living nearby and do not use it in the evenings or early mornings). Please also dispose of your carrier bags etc in the litter bins. Maidstone Council does provide a daily clean up service to maintain this area.

MBC Freighter visits to Marden for the next three months are:

28^th November 2004 – 10.30am – 11.30am Chantry Road

12.15pm – 1.15pm Maynards

15^th January 2005 - 10.30am – 11.30am Stanley Road

29^th January 2005 - 9.00am –10.00am Chantry Road

10.15am-12.15pm Maynards

Contact Information

Parish Clerk

Alison Hooker

Parish Office, Memorial Hall,

Goudhurst Road, Marden

832305

clerk@mardenpc.fslife.co.uk

Borough Councillors

Annabelle Blackmore

Freephone 0800 279 2997

Blackmore@therock.bm

Rodd Nelson-Gracie

814263

nelsongs@aol.com

Paddy Germain

831361

Paddygermain@maidstone.gov.uk

County Councillor

Eric Hotson

01580 892312

Member of Parliament

Ms Ann Widdecombe MP

C/o 3 Albion Place, Sittingbourne Road, Maidstone ME14 5DY

752463

MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL

Website:

www.digitalmaidstone.co.uk

Tovil Tip

01622 673271

Highways & Street Light Issues

Kent Highways is responsible for potholes, blocked drains and any other highway problems along with streetlights. Call 01622 602132 or via MBC Website. Alternatively contact Alison at the Parish Office

Rubbish Dumping

To report fly tipping, rubbish dumping, dumped cars etc call 01622 602162 or report via MBC Website/Alison

Bulky Item Collection

01622 602162

POLICE

P.C. Tim Stanley can be contacted via Alison. If leaving a message please give name, telephone number and brief details which can be passed on the PC Stanley.

To report a crime, anti-social behaviour etc.

Call Maidstone Police on 01622 690690 or Crimestoppers free on 0800 555 111.

Of course 999 should be used for urgent matters.