News

Improving urgent stroke services in Kent and Medway Consultation

southashfordcf 27 February 2018 2 Comments

The Clinical commissioning groups in Kent and Medway (Ashford, Canterbury and Coastal, Dartford Gravesham and Swanley, Medway, South Kent Coast, Swale, Thanet, and West Kent), along with NHS Bexley Clinical Commissioning Group in London, and NHS High Weald Lewes Havens Clinical Commissioning Group in East Sussex.

Opens 02 February 2018
Closes 20 April 2018

Stroke services can be separated into three areas: prevention; urgent care during a stroke; and rehabilitation. This consultation document is focused on changes to the urgent stroke services provided in hospitals across Kent and Medway.

Improving stroke services is part of a wider programme across Kent and Medway involving all the local NHS organisations, Kent County Council and Medway Council.
We are looking at what needs to be done differently to bring about better health and wellbeing, better standards of care, and better use of staff, funds and other resources. The changes to hospital-based stroke services are being developed alongside and in alignment with other work on improving hospital services, developing more local care outside of hospitals, and improving mental health and social care. We believe it is imperative that we move forward with a decision on improvements to stroke services, but we will continue to align stroke improvements to our wider sustainability and transformation partnership programme.

You can find out more about our sustainability and transformation partnership and the other projects at kentandmedway.nhs.uk.

If you would like to find out more about stroke, the symptoms and what to do if you or someone you know has a stroke visit www.nhs.uk/actfast.

Meetings and events

Below are details of the confirmed listening events taking place during the stroke consultation nearest to Ashford. More events will be added over the coming days. Please refer to https://kentandmedway.nhs.uk/stroke-consultation-listening-events/ for the latest list.

Our consultation on urgent stroke services stretches across 10 clinical commissioning group areas and we plan to hold a minimum of two open discussion meetings in each CCG area, one in the day and one in the evening. However, we are happy to look at scheduling more if there is sufficient demand. There has been a relatively short space of time since we were able to confirm definite dates for the start and duration of the consultation period, and in some areas we are still confirming dates and venues for meetings. This is a priority as we know people will want to have as much time as possible to get the dates in their diaries.

Date	Day	Time	Town	Venue	Register to attend	CCG area
05/03/2018	Monday	18:30 to 20:30	Ashford	Ashford College	Click here	NHS Ashford
04/04/2018	Wednesday	10:00 to 12:00	Ashford	Singleton Environment Centre	Click Here	NHS Ashford

Frequently asked questions

https://kentandmedway.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Stroke-consultation-FAQs-01-02-18.pdf

Consultation, Health, News

Road Closure – Christchurch Road

southashfordcf 26 February 2018 0 Comments

SGN will be commencing essential works in Christchurch Road.

Closure at the junction of Jemmett Road is planned to commence from 12th March 2018 with an estimated completion date of 10th April 2018.

Due to the nature of these works, it will not be possible to re-open the road outside hours.

Limited access will be maintained whenever it is safe to do so, but there are likely to be delays and certain times when this is not possible for safety reasons. Our operatives onsite will be available to assist you and offer information as to the progress of these works.

SGN 22 February 2018

News, Transport, Utilities

SACF March 2018 Annual General Meeting

southashfordcf 23 February 2018 0 Comments

The next meeting of South Ashford Community Forum, our Annual General Meeting, will take place
at 7:00 pm
on 21st March 2018
at South Ashford Baptist Church
Brookfield Road, TN23 4EY

The Agenda can be downloaded from this link or from the Minutes and Agendas page on the South Ashford website.

We are pleased that Graham Hall, Minister at Gateway Church will be telling us of their plans for the Riverside Centre.

This meeting will include our Annual General Meeting. We are seeking more people who live or work in our area to join our Committee. If you would like to help please contact us.

We will also be discussing

progress on Victoria Park improvements
proposed development at Halstow Way
Improving urgent stroke services

News, SACF

Defibrillators

southashfordcf 23 February 2018 0 Comments

Kent Fire and Rescue Service will shortly have around 73 defibrillators that they wish to donate to Community groups, charities etc. The units will be free but given on the understanding that from handover maintenance and responsibility for the units stays with the successful bidders.

Contact us to be put in touch with KFRS

Health, News, Safety

Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople consultation

southashfordcf 22 February 2018 0 Comments

Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Issues and Options

Ashford Borough Council

Opens: 21 Feb 2018
Closes: 6 Apr 2018 at 17:00.

Ashford Borough Council are committed to meeting the identified needs of the Gypsy and Traveller community within the borough. In order to meet this need, the Council is in the process of developing a Development Plan Document for Gypsies and Travellers. This document seeks the views of the Gypsy and Traveller communities, residents and stakeholders, on the issues and options for Gypsy and Traveller site selection in Ashford.

The issues and options outlined within this consultation are not a statement of intention by Ashford, instead they are designed to highlight the key themes and suggested options upon which they need your views. Consultation on the issues and options report and consideration of the responses to consultation will assist the Council to analyse the merits and drawbacks of all the practical options available for providing sites for Gypsies, Travellers and travelling showpeople. As part of this issues and options consultation, they are seeking to identify suitable sites to consider for inclusion as Gypsy, Traveller and travelling showpeople sites within the DPD. Suggestions for the inclusion of specific sites are an important aspect of consultation on this particular Issues and Options report.

The format of the consultation is to provide some background information and then pose a series of questions to help guide responses, and there is the opportunity to raise further issues and options as part of this consultation. (more…)

Ashford Borough Council, Consultation, Housing, News, Planning and Development

Friends of Victoria Park first meeting

southashfordcf 20 February 2018 2 Comments

Friends of Victoria Park first meeting

6:00pm
Monday 5th March
Civic Centre,
Tannery Lane,TN23 1LP

Ashford Borough Council have secured initial funding to develop a £3.7m restoration and improvement project for Victoria Park and Watercress Fields, thanks to support from the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund and Big Lottery Fund. The Council are working with a number of specialists who will help us to undertake historic research about the park, explore ideas for activities, events, schools resources and training, as well as developing designs for restoration and improvement works.

As part of the project The Council are setting up a Friends of Victoria Park group. Please do come along to this first no commitment evening, you can find out more about what a friends group does and how you can get involved.

Ashford Borough Council, Environment, News, Victoria Park

Victoria Park Community Consultation Event

southashfordcf 20 February 2018 0 Comments

Victoria Park Community Consultation Event

Saturday 21st April

Ashford Borough Council have secured initial funding to develop a £3.7m restoration and improvement project for Victoria Park and Watercress Fields, thanks to support from the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund and Big Lottery Fund. The Council are working with a number of specialists who will help us to undertake historic research about the park, explore ideas for activities, events, schools resources and training, as well as developing designs for restoration and improvement works.

Come along to Victoria Park, meet the project team, find out what’s been happening and give them your views

Ashford Borough Council, Consultation, Environment, News, Victoria Park

Halstow Way redevelopment consultation

southashfordcf 20 February 2018 0 Comments

View from open space

Did you attend the event yesterday evening, 21st Feb?

South Ashford Community Forum would like to know your views.

Do you live in the immediate vicinity of the Noakes Meadow open space? Did you receive a notice of the event?
Affordable housing is desperately needed in Ashford and the Council have used some land they own to produce excellent small developments.
The land on which these flats are to be built is designated open space. the Council are proposing that S106 money from this development and others is used to improve the remainder of the space, to compensate for the reduction in area. Is this an appropriate use of open space.
The plans allow for 28 car parking spaces to comply with the requirement in the draft local plan but data indicates that car ownership in flats in Ashford is 1 car per 2 dwellings. Should this much space be used for parking?
Is the location appropriate for 3 storey development about 12m to to ridge?
The proposals show the site fenced. Does it need to be, or is this creating a ‘gated community’.
What will the impact be on the existing residents of Halstow Way?

(more…)

Ashford Borough Council, Environment, Housing, News, Planning and Development

KMFRA announces Council Tax increase

southashfordcf 20 February 2018 0 Comments

The Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority (KMFRA) met on 13 February and agreed the Council Tax for the Authority for 2018/19.

The agreed that the KMFRA element of Council Tax should be increased by 2.95% which is an annual increase 4p a week (£2.16 a year) for a household in a Band D property. This is higher than that originally announced and follows the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government’s announcement of an increase in the amount by which authorities could increase their precept without a referendum.

We show the total Council Tax for a Band D property in the unparished areas of Ashford.

The table shows the annual Council Tax for a Band D property

Authority	17/18	% Rise	£ Rise	18/19
Kent County Council	1,178.82	4.99%	58.82	1237.64
Ashford Borough Council	154.00	2.28%	3.50	157.50
Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority	73.35	2.95%	2.16	75.51
Kent Police and Crime Commissioner	157.15	7.64%	12.00	169.15
Total	1563.32	4.89%	76.48	1639.80

Finance, News

Open consultation: Regulations for a safeguard energy tariff

southashfordcf 18 February 2018 0 Comments

Consultation description

DBEIS looking for views on adding a safeguard energy tariff imposed by Ofgem (the regulator) for vulnerable consumers on standard variable and fixed-term default tariffs to the list of fuel poverty measures for which public authorities can share data with gas and electricity suppliers for the purpose of assisting households in fuel poverty.

Part 5 of the Digital Economy Act 2017 gives government powers to share personal information across organisational boundaries to improve public services. It says what data can be shared and for which purposes, and includes safeguards to ensure that the privacy of citizens’ data is protected. www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2017/30/contents/enacted

Part 5 allows data sharing between specified public authorities and energy suppliers for the purpose of alleviating fuel poverty. The data sharing must be for use under one of the fuel poverty measures listed in section 36(3) of the Act. The list currently includes measures such as the Warm Home Discount and the Energy Company Obligation scheme.

Other fuel poverty measures, such as Ofgem’s proposed safeguard tariff for vulnerable consumers at risk of fuel poverty, are not currently covered by list, so this consultation is about adding it to the list.