May 2022: A view from Burham Community Centre
(photo courtesy of Jo State - see article below) If you have a local photo you would like to have featured in a future edition of this newsletter, please email it to me at andrew.kennedy@kent.gov.uk along with your name and address.
Andrew Kennedy
Proudly representing the communities of Aylesford, Blue Bell Hill, Burham, Ditton, Eccles, Kits Coty, Peters Village, Walderslade and Wouldham Kent County Council issues: andrew.kennedy@kent.gov.uk
TMBC issues: andrew.kennedy@tmbc.gov.uk
SEVENTY WONDERFUL YEARS
Over the last few weeks I have been busy distributing over 1,000 Commemorative Mugs to community groups, scouts, cubs, retirement communities and local street party organisers.
As I travel around Aylesford Parish I have met amazing people who are working tirelessly to help their friends and neighbours celebrate Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee. All across our villages there will be bunting, and cakes and sandwiches and jelly and ice cream and fizzy drinks (of many varieties!) There will be party games, music, singing and happiness. And for that long weekend, come rain or shine. we will come together and celebrate the remarkable life and service of a truly outstanding woman. It is humbling to think that only a tiny percentage of us will ever remember her not being there.
I have used a large part of my Kent County Council Community Fund to support our local celebrations. In Ditton I have sponsored the stage for "Party in the Park", in Burham I have sponsored all the street decorations, flags and posters and in Wouldham I have sponsored the production of a commemorative village book showcasing Wouldham "then and now". And in Aylesford I have worked with the Parish Council to distribute commemorative mugs for local school aged children.
Whatever you are doing over the Jubilee Weekend, I wish you much happiness and success, as we honour Her Majesty's amazing reign.
IMPROVING ROAD SAFETY AT THE
ROYAL BRITISH LEGION VILLAGE
Last week I met with many elderly (and quite a few disabled) residents from the retirement blocks in the Royal British Legion Village.
They were concerned that since the new homes were built at Preston Hall and Admiral Moore Drive was turned from a cul-de-sac to a through-road, there has been a steady increase in both the volume and speed of traffic through the village. This is mainly due to drivers using the cut through to avoid the traffic lights at the Hall Road / A20 junction.
There has also been an increase in HGVs turning into the RBL Village in error (the entrance to RBL Industries is 100 meters up the road) but many drivers turn into the residential village by accident then struggle to turn around in the confined space. Recently a gentleman in his 80s was knocked off his mobility scooter by a turning HGV, but fortunately was not injured.
Their final concern was the fact that most of the retirement blocks are on one side of Admiral Moore Drive, but both the chemist and GP surgery are on the other, and there is no safe crossing point. With over 400 retired people living here, many in their 80s and 90s, safer crossing is vital, especially now it's a through road.
I raised all these issues with Kent Highways and I am pleased to report action is being taken.
Clear multi-lingual "NO HGV" signage will be installed at the junction of Admiral Moore Drive and Hall Road
"SLOW - ELDERLY RESIDENTS CROSSING" signage will be installed either side of the chemist and GP surgery
I am hugely grateful to Royal British Legion Industries who have agreed to my request to manufacture the necessary road signage, which they will donate to Kent Highways for erection later this year.
A great example of joint working.
FUNDING COMMUNITY SPORT
Those who have met me will appreciate that my sporting days are long since gone (if they ever existed!) but I am always keen to support our many local sports teams and clubs.
Sport brings people together, builds friendships and team work, and promotes physical and mental wellbeing.
Two weeks ago (in the torrential rain) I visited Aylesford Under 14s to see them play in the new kit I sponsored with a donation from my KCC Community Grant. This week (in the sunshine) I was back to present a cheque for £500 to the first team to help buy their new training tracksuits. I have also previously supported Ditton Minors FC and donated money towards an all weather running track for a local school.
If you help run a local sport club or similar and think you would benefit from a small donation from my KCC Community Fund, please email me at andrew.kennedy@kent.gov.uk and I will send you an application form.
I AM PROUD AND HONOURED TO BE ONE
OF KENT'S MENTAL HEALTH CHAMPIONS
As part of National Mental Health Awareness Week, I popped along to "Woodwork for Wellbeing", a charity based at Spadework in Offham.
The organisation offers men and women an opportunity to meet, learn new skills, chat and produce items to be used in Spadework's gardens or sold in the shop.
This is one of many community enterprises offering help and support to those seeking to improve their health and wellbeing.
SUPPORTING LOCAL GOOD CAUSES
In addition to supporting local sports clubs and helping finance our community Jubilee celebrations, I have also made donations from my KCC Community Fund to two additional great causes.
Top photo: On Thursday 5 May I had the wonderful and uplifting experience of visiting St Peter's Primary School in Aylesford Village, where I met the school's inspiring headteacher Jim Holditch, his amazing staff and over 200 excited and polite children. I presented the school with a cheque for £500 to help offset the increased costs of the annual school trip to France due to increased fuel costs and problems with the ferry crossing.
Bottom photo: On Friday 13 May I was invited to meet residents at the Dennis Cadman House Weekly Coffee Morning. Between them, over 1,000 years of experience and wisdom! I gave the group a small donation of £120 to help pay for the coach for their annual summer outing to Polhill Garden Centre.
YOU KNOW YOU HAVE "MADE IT" IN LOCAL POLITICS WHEN YOU ARE GUEST OF HONOUR AT THE OPENING OF A TIP!
I was delighted to welcome the Chairman of Kent County Council, Mrs Lesley Game, and the Leader of TMBC, Matt Boughton, to Aylesford for the official opening of the new Allington Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC), at Laverstoke Road ME16 0LE (the same site as the incinerator at the 20/20 Trading Estate). And despite it having Allington in its name, this new facility is actually in Aylesford Parish within the T&MBC boundary.
And this is not just any HWRC, it's a brand new, state-of-the-art, carbon neutral HWRC, which has already won a national design award! The roads are made from recycled tyres, the canopy from recycled plastic bottles, the electricity to run it comes from burning household waste and the water to clean it comes from captured rainwater.
It has 30 bays, so can accommodate 30 vehicles at a time, and there are two two skips for every category of recycling. Open seven days a week it can, at capacity, accommodate 3,500 visitors each week from 8am - 4.30pm (9am - 4pm Sunday and Bank Holidays).
I am delighted to welcome this new facility to our area; it will be a huge benefit to local residents who will no longer need to travel to Cuxton or Tovil.
A big "thank you" to Kent County Council for this major multi-million investment in our local community.
To book a slot to use the new HWRC (or tip!) please visit: https://tinyurl.com/AllingtonHWRC or residents may phone 03000 417373 if they do not have access to a computer.
And finally...
CALLING LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHERS
Thank you to Jo State from for submitting the photograph of Burham, above.
Jo responded to my open-ended invitation to submit a local photograph for my monthly newsletter. As a thank you I presented her with a copy of Brian Culver's book on the History of the Kits Coty Estate along with a copy of the original Bill of Sale.
If you have a fabulous local photo, please email it to me at andrew.kennedy@kent.gov.uk along with a brief explanation of where it was taken. In particular I would welcome photographs from Ditton, Wouldham, Eccles and Walderdslade (I have lots of Aylesford Bridge and the Blue Bell Hill Viewpoint!)
A copy of Brian's book and the Bill of Sale will be the prize for the owner of every photo used.
