Ashford Borough Council is urging the borough’s 130,000 residents to take steps to stay gas-safe in the home this winter, with a focus on the regular servicing of gas appliances.
Their advice, which is backed by the Kent Fire & Rescue Service, is not to take chances and to keep your family safe by following the following guidance.
“Don’t be the 1 in 4!” warns the experts
Seven million homes in the UK – that’s one in four households – have dangerous gas appliances, according to the latest figures from gas safety experts Gas Safe Register.
During the recent Gas Safety Week, the national body unveiled shocking statistics that lift the lid on bad habits that could threaten the safety of householders. It shows one in three people (31%) have used excuses to get out of having their gas appliances safety checked.
Gas Safe Register said nearly seven million homes in the UK have potentially dangerous gas appliances, including boilers, cookers and gas fires. If left unchecked, these faults can pose a threat to life from gas leaks, fires, carbon monoxide poisoning and explosions.
It says many homeowners have a ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ mentality as an excuse for skipping annual gas safety checks, even though this could be masking lethal faults.
Gas Safe Register is the official list of gas businesses registered to work legally on boilers, cookers and fires. By law, anyone working with gas must be listed on the Register. Visit https://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/find-an-engineer/ to find a registered business in your area.
Top tips for home safety
Learn the six main symptoms of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning – headaches, nausea, dizziness, breathlessness, collapse and loss of consciousness and teach them to others.
Check gas appliances for warning signs that they are not working properly – lazy yellow flames instead of crisp blue ones, black sooty marks or stains on or around the appliance and high levels of condensation in the room.
Fit an audible carbon monoxide alarm to alert you if there is carbon monoxide present.
Don’t block air vents. They provide a flow of air for the safe operation of boilers and fires.
Have all your gas appliances safety checked every year by a Gas Safe registered expert.
If you suspect carbon monoxide poisoning, get some fresh air and leave the house quickly. See a doctor and if you are very unwell call 999 for an ambulance. The National Gas Emergency Helpline is available 24/7 on 0800 111 999.
When using electrical items at home, including fairy lights this Christmas, keep the number of plugs in an adaptor to a minimum. Overloaded sockets can cause a fire.
If you use an additional heater in the chillier months, remember to keep it well away from clothes, curtains and other materials that could catch fire.
Plan an escape route so that you can get out of your home in the event of a fire.
Check you have working smoke alarms on each level of your home and test weekly.
In an emergency call 999.
Council housing inspections
For gas appliances the council own the Council arranges for a Gas Safe engineer to service the fire and boiler and undertake a safety check each year.
Tenants are responsible for safety checks on any gas appliances they own.
Tenancy agreements do not allow the use of portable gas heaters in council homes, due to concerns about the maintenance, safety and storage of combustible gas heaters. Used efficiently, gas central heating is the best and safest way to keep your home warm. Using alternative forms of portable heating, like electrical operated storage or convector heaters, can be more costly. See links below to find out more about grants to keep your home warm.
If you are in a rented home and feel improvements are needed to insulate and draught-proof the property contact your landlord. You can also contact us by email at privatesectorhousing@ashford.gov.uk to address issues relating to cold homes.
Cold weather payments is a scheme run by the government from 1 Nov to 31 March every year, those eligible could receive £25/wk. Visit www.gov.uk/cold-weather-payment
Green Doctors: A charity which offers free advice on saving money on your energy bills. The charity provides help in understanding how to use energy and heating systems and understanding bills and accessing help for energy debt. Visit https://south.greendoctors.org.uk/
If you’re planning to head out and meet up with friends or get some more Christmas shopping done, please bear in mind Stagecoach will be running reduced services over Christmas and New Year.
So if you’re travelling across the South East during this time, please visit the Stagecoach website for updated timetables.
We have been informed by Ashford Borough Council that early removal of items from the Watercress Lane flats began yesterday. This is simply removal all of the fixtures and fittings inside the shell, including windows and doors on all but the ground floor. The demolition of the ‘superstructure’ of the building is not being started at this time. The building will still be secured at ground floor level until the final demolition is done.
The decision on the planning application for the proposed redevelopment is yet to be made. The planning application case number is 21/01250/AS
The developer’s Appeal against Ashford Borough Council’s decision to refuse permission for the “East Stour Park” development has been dismissed by the planning inspector.
Council Decision
Ashford Borough Council’s Planning Committee resolved to refuse the application to build on the Land at junction of Romney Marsh Road and north of, Norman Road, a site on Ashford’s Green Corridor, contrary to the planning officer’s recommendation, in February 2020.
The reason given or refusal was:
“The proposal would be contrary to Policies SP1 and ENV2 of the Ashford Local Plan (ALP) 2030, the Green Corridor Action Plan 2017 supporting the ALP and policies in the NPPF and would be harmful to interests of acknowledged planning importance for the following reasons;
the application site is located within the designated Ashford Green Corridor and the proposed residential development is not compatible with, or ancillary to, the principal role and current use of the application site and would be harmful to the existing visual function of this part of the Green Corridor through the loss of an important undeveloped open space ‘buffer’ located between the existing built-up area to the west and the A2042 located to the east,
as a consequence of (a) above, the proposal would result in a detrimental change to the landscape character and visual amenity of this part of the Green Corridor,
the proposal would give rise to a detrimental change in the ability of the site to continue to function as a wide undeveloped corridor supporting varied wildlife habitat, wildlife connectivity and biodiversity,
the proposal would result in unjustified residential development on land which is flood zone 3, and
the site is not a brownfield site and the proposal would not provide overriding planning benefits sufficient to outweigh the significant harms identified above.”
Appeal
The developer, Quinn Estates Ltd, appealed the decision in July 2020, requesting that the appeal was considered at a hearing (rather than by Written Representation).
After many delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the hearing was held virtually on 20 and 21st April of this year.
Appeal Decision
The Appeal Decision was received by South Ashford Community Forum, today, because we had submitted a representation and attended the hearing.
We reproduce some extracts of the decision below which we believe are relevant to future development proposals on this site and elsewhere on the Green Corridor:
Main issues
4. “There are three main issues in this case:
The effect of the proposal on the Ashford Green Corridor in policy terms.
The effect of the proposal on the Ashford Green Corridor in visual terms.
The effect of the proposal on the Ashford Green Corridor in wildlife terms.
All in relation to policies SP1 and ENV2 of the Ashford Local Plan (LP) 2030 and the Ashford Green Corridor Action Plan 2017 (AGCAP).”
The effect on the GC in policy terms
24. “Overall the existing site, as acknowledged by the appellant, is an important undeveloped gap. However, as I discuss below, I do not agree with the appellant’s conclusion that its contribution is at most low to medium. The proposed high density major residential development would neither be compatible with or ancillary to the main open space use. It therefore conflicts with the LP and the AGCAP.”
The effect on the GC in visual terms
31. “I appreciate the landscape proposals would introduce significant planting into the remaining area, and this is obviously a benefit. However I do not consider that this comes close to compensating for the loss of the openness of the site and its buffer function. I cannot accept the appellant’s conclusion that the introduction of a substantial residential development and managed parkland would lead to a heightened degree of tranquillity. Nor do I agree that the effect of the proposal would be highly localised, as the buffer function extends well beyond the site boundary.”
The effect on the GC in wildlife terms
39. “Overall the proposal would not harm the GC in wildlife terms, and would not conflict with LP policies SP1 and ENV2. But overall, due to my concern with potential disturbance, this matter is neutral in the planning balance.”
Other matter – the implications of the location in Flood Zone 3
42. “The Council accepts that the development would be safe and would diminish flood risk elsewhere and that it meets the exception test.”
43. “However, as noted by the Council, this does not mean that the grant of planning permission is automatic. The authority states that the proposal is unnecessary and unjustified.”
Other matter – housing land supply
46. “The position regarding the supply of land for housing changed in the period leading up to the Hearing. But at the Hearing it was confirmed by the Council that, for the purposes of the appeal, there was a 4.8 year supply – a small shortfall beneath the 5 year supply at which point the ‘tilted balance’ in the Framework would normally come into play.
47. However, the Framework provides that the tilted balance would only apply if and when an appropriate assessment had concluded that the proposal would not adversely affect the integrity of the protected sites.”
Planning documents
Ashford Borough Council’s Planning Case Reference is 19/00709/AS (tap to view all planning and appeal documents)
New data from Action Fraud, the national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime, reveals that 28,049 shoppers were conned out of their money when shopping online over the Christmas period last year – an increase of almost two thirds (61 per cent) when compared to the same period in the previous year.
Ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Action Fraud is warning the public to take extra care when shopping online as reports of online shopping fraud have continued to surge. Here are some simple tips to help you and your family enjoy a secure online shopping experience this festive season.
Where to shop
Buying from an online store you haven’t used before? Carry out some research first, or ask a friend or family member if they’ve used the site and about their experiences before completing the purchase.
Your information
Only create an account if necessary or to save you effort if you’re going to use that site a lot in the future. Be cautious if the website asks you for details that are not required for your purchase, such as your mother’s maiden name or the name of your primary school.
Payment method
When it’s time to pay for your items, check there’s a ‘closed padlock’ icon in the browser’s address bar. Use a credit card when shopping online, if you have one. Most major credit card providers protect online purchases.
Phishing
Some of the messages you receive about amazing offers may contain links to fake websites. If you’re unsure about a link, don’t use the it – go separately to the website. Report suspicious emails you receive by forwarding them to: report@phishing.gov.uk. Report suspicious text messages by forwarding them to: 7726.
Email accounts:
Make sure that your really important accounts (such as your email account or online shopping accounts) are protected by strong passwords that you don’t use anywhere else.
Need help changing your email account password? You can use these links to find step by step instructions: Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, Outlook, BT, AOL Mail.
If things go wrong
If you’ve lost money to an online shopping scam, tell your bank and report it as a crime to Action Fraud (for England, Wales and Northern Ireland) or Police Scotland (for Scotland). By doing this, you’ll be helping to prevent others becoming victims of cyber crime.
For more of the government’s latest advice on how to stay secure online, visit the Cyber Aware website: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/cyberaware
While Coronavirus cases are high and rising, everybody needs to continue to act carefully and remain cautious.
Meeting with others
To minimise risk you should minimise the number, proximity and duration of social contacts.
If you can, meet outdoors or, if you’re indoors, think about how you can improve ventilation to letting fresh air in.
Limit the close contact you have with those you do not usually live with, and increase close contact gradually.
Face coverings
The Government expects and recommends that people wear face coverings in crowded areas.
Hygiene
Wash your hands with soap and water or use hand sanitiser regularly throughout the day.
It is particularly important to wash your hands:
after coughing, sneezing and blowing your nose
before you eat or handle food
after coming into contact with surfaces touched by many others, such as handles, handrails and light switches
after coming into contact with shared areas such as kitchens and bathrooms
when you return home
Where possible, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. If you do need to touch your face (for example to put on or take off your face covering), wash or sanitise your hands before and after.
Get tested and self isolate
If you develop COVID-19 symptoms, self-isolate immediately and get a PCR test, even if your symptoms are mild. You should self-isolate at home while you book the test and wait for the results. You must self-isolate if you test positive. Your isolation period includes the day your symptoms started (or the day your test was taken if you do not have symptoms), and the next 10 full days. This is the law.
The most important symptoms of COVID-19 are recent onset of any of the following:
a new continuous cough
a high temperature
a loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia)
Testing twice a week
Around 1 in 3 people with COVID-19 do not have any symptoms. This means they could be spreading the virus without knowing it. Testing twice a week increases the chances of detecting COVID-19 when a person is infectious, helping to make sure you don’t spread COVID-19.
Rapid lateral flow testing is available for free to anybody.
Get vaccinated
All adults in England have now been offered at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccines are safe and effective. They give you the best protection against COVID-19.
If you have not yet received the COVID-19 vaccine, you should get vaccinated. It usually takes around two to three weeks for an antibody response to develop. You need two doses of vaccine for maximum protection against COVID-19.
However, even if you have been fully vaccinated, you could still get COVID-19 and get sick – a recent PHE report shows that around 1 in 5 people who are double-vaccinated are still vulnerable to getting infected with the Delta variant and showing symptoms. You can also still spread COVID-19 to others. We all need to do what we can to reduce the spread of COVID-19 to protect others and to reduce the risk of new variants developing and spreading.
NHS Covid Pass
The NHS Covid Pass allows you to check your Covid status and demonstrate that you are at lower risk of transmitting to others through full vaccination, a recent negative test, or proof of natural immunity.
A planning application has been submitted on behalf of Ashford Borough Council for the redevelopment of Oaklieigh House.
The development was initially publicised through an online consultation in July 2020. South Ashford Community Forum organised an online meeting to discuss the development during the following month.
As was the case at consultation stage proposals include the demolition and redevelopment of Oakleigh House sheltered housing in Beaver Lane and the adjacent block of flats and development of the grass area between Watercress Lane and Cross Stile.
The planning application varies from the consultation proposals as a result of comments made by residents and by a Design South East Panel. This has led to a two fewer dwellings for adults with learning disabilities.
Schedule of accommodation
Independent dwellings for older people
1 bed apartments
41
2 bed apartments
10
1 bed mews cottages
3
Total
54
Independent apartments for adults with learning disabilities
In March 2021, the government published a new National Bus Strategy which sets out a framework for recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and a vision for future bus service improvements across the UK.
The strategy places a requirement on all Local Transport Authorities and Bus Operators to create a Bus Service Improvement Plan, which will act as the vision for how they are going to try to improve bus services in Kent in the next few years. This will then be used to help create Enhanced Partnership Schemes with bus operators, which will set the standards for all bus services running in the county.
Kent County Council’s (KCC) first version of the Improvement Plan must be published by the end of October and their Enhanced Partnership Schemes need to start from April 2022.
KCC need your help!
KCC are excited about the opportunity this presents and want to ensure that our Improvement Plan reflects the views of Kent residents.
First of all they want to know what would make bus travel more attractive to you. Answer two quick questions to tell them your thoughts.
Your feedback will help them create proposals for the Plan. They will be shared later in the Summer.
