Annual Report

I would like to start by thanking and welcoming people. I thank my Vice Chairman Pat Brooks for her support and also all the Chairs and Vice Chairs of the Committees. Various councillors have taken on additional work and all councillors contribute to the running of the parish council by their attendance at meetings and their willingness to share their experience and views. Councillors may not always agree with

each other but they all work for the good and benefit of the community and give much of themselves and this should be recognised. Sadly we said goodbye to a parish councillor this year, Pat Aronson. But we welcomed another, Pat Sullivan, and I hope that now he is getting used to his role and he is enjoying himself . The Police, Borough and County Councillors also play their part in parish life and they are also to be thanked for their hard work.

Projects take Time

I had hoped to report this year that the Area D at Grove Green and Vinters Valley Park Store projects were finished but regretfully they are still taking time. An insurance settlement was received for the store and it is now at the next stage which is organizing a replacement structure. The parish council has also not been successful in purchasing land at. Walderslade. This was not the fault of the parish council which refused to do a 'deal' but nevertheless it is very disappointing.
On a happier note the Traffic Calming at Boxley is very close to installation. After many years of hard work including two public consultations the design is nearly finalised and the funding has been identified. Installation will start sometime this financial year and been completed in the 200712008 financial year.

Tireless Volunteers

The parish council has continued to support local groups and members recognise the contribution that these groups, the village hall committees, various charities and volunteer groups make to the quality of life for the community' members. Communities would be a poorer place without these tireless volunteers.
Rumours abound about development in the parish. It is known that the M20 junctions and the land around them are under threat.

The parish council is monitoring the situation and has been putting pressure on the Borough Council and the highway department to ensure that the needs of the existing communities and residents are taken into account and that as soon as possible they will be consulted. The possibility of development at Walderslade is also being suggested by Kent County Council and the parish council has been and will continue to be very active in keeping residents informed.

Very Busy

The next few years may therefore prove to be a very busy for the parish council. Sometimes the most vital role that a parish council takes is one of , information to and empowering of residents. This work generally falls on the parish office personnel Pauline and Jan. I must thank them for all their work in the last year and I know that they will continue to help and support the parish council and residents next year. The two hall personnel Maggie and Robin also deserve mention and anyone who has visited Beechen Hall will recognise immediately that it is cleaned and maintained to a very high standard.

Behind the Scenes

Much work goes on behind the scenes and Parish Councillors undertake work that residents never get to find out about. The parish office does what it calls its 'housekeeping' work and councillors

rarely learn about this. However all this work ensures pot holes are reported, signs get replaced, organisations are notified of the needs of the various communities, grant funding details are sent our to organisations and litter gets collected.

Open to Public

All parish council meetings are open to the public and time is set aside for residents to raise issues. The minutes of the meetings are placed on the parish council's website along with explanations of the parish council's role, meeting dates etc. The website receives on average of 3,681 hits per month and plays a vital role in the supplying of information to the various communities within the parish. The 12 parish council meetings per year are held through out the parish to ensure that residents can attend a meeting in their immediate area at least twice a year.

Big Contribution

There are approximately 70,000 town and parish councillors in England and the precept set by these town and parish' councils amounts to approximately 260 million pounds per year. On our own we may sometimes feel that we do not make too much difference but as one of the 6,000 town and parish councils we do make a massive contribution to this country and the communities.