News

East Stour Park amendments

3 August 2019 0 Comments

Amended drawings submitted to Ashford Borough Council on Wednesday of this week, indicate a reduction of one storey from the three highest blocks resulting in a removal of 24 apartments from the proposal.

The drawings also appear to indicate a reduction of the ground level in some areas. The number of parking spaces has been increased to address issues raised by Kent Cunty Council Highways

South Ashford Community Forum will undertake a further review of these drawings to gain a full understanding of the changes.

ABC Planning Case ref: 19/00709/AS
https://planning.ashford.gov.uk/planning/Details.aspx?systemkey=112528

News, Planning and Development

Kent and Medway Energy and Low Emissions Strategy

2 August 2019 0 Comments

Kent County Council

Opens: 02 July 2019
Closes: 23 Sep 2019

Kent and Medway are growing. By 2031 it is anticipated that there will be almost 180,000 new homes and nearly 400,000 extra people, a 24% increase from 2011 levels. The local economy is expected to continue to expand, creating an additional 170,300 jobs by 2031, a 21% increase from 2011 levels, in line with forecast population growth.

Growth, if clean, is a significant opportunity for Kent and Medway. Measures to tackle poor air quality and lower emissions will have multiple benefits. For instance, promoting active travel especially walking and cycling improves health and reduces congestion; and supporting a switch to more efficient, low carbon energy use creates jobs and new market opportunities.

By tackling poor air quality, energy and carbon constraints in parallel, and by working closely across the public sector, business and communities to scale up action, we can protect health, the environment and be a significant player in the low carbon environmental goods and services sector both in the UK and internationally.

The Kent and Medway Energy and Low Emissions Strategy (ELES) is a sub strategy of the Kent Environment Strategy. Its purpose is to identify an evidence-based approach to deliver clean growth. This includes strategies and actions to reduce carbon emissions, eliminate poor air quality, reduce fuel poverty and deliver an affordable, clean and secure energy supply.

Documents

Links to documents on KCC web site.

Respond

Links

Details

Consulting Organisation TypeKent County Council
Consulting Organisation NameKent County Council
District / Borough areas affected by the consultationAshford Canterbury Dartford Dover Gravesham Maidstone Medway Sevenoaks Shepway Swale Thanet Tonbridge & Malling Tunbridge Wells
Consultation TopicGeneral interest Environment and countryside
Consultation MethodsOnline survey / questionnaire / forms Other survey / questionnaire / forms
Contact DetailsPlease email:  KES@kent.gov.uk

Kent County Council
https://consultations.kent.gov.uk/consult.ti/energyandlowemissionconsultation/consultationHome

Consultation, Environment, Kent County Council, News

Celebrating funding success!

16 July 2019 0 Comments

Ashford Borough Council has been awarded more than £3 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and The National Lottery Community Fund to revitalise Victoria Park.

The funding, thanks to National Lottery players, means the council can deliver its exciting plans to redevelop and restore one of Ashford’s oldest and most-loved green spaces, working with the local community, volunteer groups and the Friends of Victoria Park.

Proposals include a new children’s play area, improvements to the river, improved lighting across the park, and a new community hub building with café, and new toilets. The iconic Grade II Listed Hubert Fountain and the surrounding piazza area will also be restored and repaired.

The council will be employing four new members of staff to manage the project, including a parks officer who will be based on site. There will also be opportunities for the community to get involved with volunteering roles as part of the project.

Almost £1.9 million will be spent on repairs and conservation of the historical aspects of the park, and another £1 million has been earmarked for new building work including access paths, signage, bridges, and dipping platforms.

Friends of Victoria Park have welcomed the success and will be exhibiting some details of the proposals at Create and Mr. Harper’s Birthday Party this weekend.

Ashford Borough Council
https://news.ashford.gov.uk/news/celebrating-funding-success/

Ashford Borough Council, Environment, Finance, Heritage, News, Victoria Park

Plan to remove Maypits phone box

9 July 2019 0 Comments

We have posted a copy of a notice that has bee uploaded to the Ashford Borough Council planning website regarding the removal of thelephone boxes.

One of the boxes that it is proposed to remove is that in Beaver Lane close to its junction with Maypits. This telephone box was used once every four days during the year over which data is given; compared with most of the boxes listed which weren’t used or were used once in the year.

To comment on the proposed removal use the comment tab on the ABC planning website:
Case Ref: 19/00971/AS 
https://planning.ashford.gov.uk/Planning/details.aspx?systemkey=112888

Communications, News, Utilities

BT consult on removal of telephone boxes

9 July 2019 0 Comments

British Telecommunications plc

Programme of intended public payphone removals

Opened: 28 June 2019
Closes: 26 September 2019

Dear Chief Planning Officer,

Further to our previous letter, we are writing to you as part of a formal consultation process regarding our current programme of intended public payphone removals. This letter formally starts our consultation with you and the local community.

There are currently 11 public payphones in your area [Borough of Ashford] which have been identified and proposed for removal by BT under the 90-day consultation process and details of these payphones are shown below.

To ensure that the local community are fully informed, we have placed consultation notices on the relevant payphones,and a sample notice is enclosed. We have also included the date we posted these notices on
the payphones. The consultation period will close on 26 September 2019. Unless you contact us to agree otherwise, responses received after this date will not be accepted.

This consultation process gives your local communities the opportunity to adopt a traditional red ‘heritage’ phone box and make them an asset that local people can enjoy. It’s really simple to do and it costs just £1-
http://bt.com/adopt

Overall use of payphones has declined by over 90 per cent in the last decade and the need to provide payphones for use in emergency situations is diminishing all the time, with at least 98 percent of the UK having either 3G or 4G coverage. This is important because as long as there is network coverage, it’s now possible to call the emergency services, even when there is no credit or no coverage from your own mobile provider.

You may also want to consider the recent Ofcom affordability report which found that most people do not view payphones as essential for most consumers in most circumstances –
https://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/research/affordability/affordability_report.pdf

On the 14th March 2006 the Office of Communications (Ofcom) published a statement following their 2005 review of universal service in the Telecommunications market, which includes a requirement for payphone
provision to meet reasonable needs. Part of that statement amended our obligations with regard to the removal of payphone service
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0021/34266/statement.pdf
As stated in Ofcom’s 2005 review,it is the responsibility of the local authority to initiate its own consultation process to canvas the views of the local community. They would normally expect these consultations to involve other public organisations such as the Parish or Community councils and work within the terms of the Communications Act 2003. This means that you must be able to objectively justify your decisions.

Full guidance on the removal process can be viewed at:
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/consultations/uso/statement/removals.pdf
and a summary is available at:
https://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/consultations/uso/statement/removing_callboxes.pdf
The guidance also details the appeals process we must follow in case of unreasonable objections.

To comment

To respond to this consultation comment via the Ashford Borough Council planning website:
Case Ref: 19/00971/AS
https://planning.ashford.gov.uk/Planning/details.aspx?systemkey=112888

Telephone NumberAddressPost CodeNumber of calls in last 12 monthsPosting Completed Date
101227 730243JCN SOLESHILL RD PCOl SOLESHILL ROAD SHOTTENDEN CANTERBURYCT4 8JR024/06/2019
201227 730327O/S VILLAGE HALL LONG HILL PCOl LOWER LEES ROAD OLD
WIVES LEES CANTERBURY		 CT4 8AS 124/06/2019
301233 503787ADJ BUS LAYBY PCOl MOATFIELD MEADOW KINGSNORTH
ASHFORD		TN23 3LU1725/06/2019
401233 632569O/S POST OFFICE GREAT CHART PCOl THE STREET GREAT
CHART ASHFORD		TN23 3AN 325/06/2019
501233 642908JCN LENACRE ST PCOl SANDYHURST LANE ASHFORDTN25 4PF025/06/2019
601233 643156JCN MAYPITS PCOl BEAVER LANE ASHFORDTN23 5PA8925/06/2019
701233 732336PCO PCOl WOODCHURCH ROAD SHADOXHURST ASHFORDTN26 1LF125/06/2019
801233 756339OPP PUBLIC HOUSE PCOl THE STREET EGERTON ASHFORDTN27 9DJ024/06/2019
901233 840211O/S VILLAGE HALL PCOl THE STREET LITTLE CHART
ASHFORD		TN27 0QB024/06/2019
1001303 813180JCN THE WARREN PCOl LEES ROAD BRABOURNE LEES
ASHFORD		TN25 6QE025/06/2019
1101580 762370JCN WITH CRANBROOK RD PCOl ROLVENDEN ROAD
TENTERDEN		TN30 6TY125/06/2019

x

Communications, Consultation, News, Utilities

Beware the BBQ-bandits

30 June 2019 0 Comments

Tips to keep your garden safe:

  • Lock valuables away: in the event of a theft claim your insurer will want to know if the item was locked in an outbuilding and will usually ask for proof of forced entry.
  • Defend your property: make sure gates have locks fitted and use security lights to deter thieves. Shrubs and plants along borders may put intruders off scaling walls.
  • Secure your bike: always keep bikes locked in an outbuilding. Some policies may even stipulate that bikes themselves should be locked to an unmoveable object within.
  • Know your policy: check what your policy covers. Insurers often limit claims for garden items.

Homeowners planning barbecues and garden parties this weekend are being urged to keep their properties secure, as the number of garden thefts soar.

According to the Crime Survey for England and Wales the number of garden thefts rose by 23% to 595,000 in 2018, up from 483,000 the previous year.

Amongst the most frequently stolen items were barbecues, lawnmowers, play equipment, garden furniture, plants and strangely even garden gnomes.

During the same period thefts from inside properties fell by 2% to 669,000.

Commenting on the figures, Steve Gibbon, a former police detective who now runs his own security consultancy says: “Garden gadgets are an increasingly attractive prospect for thieves. A high-end barbecue or a robotic lawnmower can cost a lot of money these days – but we do not treat them with the same care as other valuables.

“We leave them outside and unlocked in a way we would never do with a laptop or a mobile phone worth the same value.

“We feel garden equipment is safe within the grounds of our house, but it is not hard to move a lawnmower or even a barbecue on wheels.

“It might be an inconvenience, but people should keep their garden equipment under lock and key when they are out – in a garden shed or fixed to something with a decent padlock to reduce the risk.”

(more…)

Crime, Finance, News

Friends of Victoria Park Meeting

29 June 2019 0 Comments

Hubert Fountain

The next meeting
of the Friends of Victoria Park will be heldat 7.30 pm

on Thurday 4th July 2019

at Ashford Indoor Bowls Centre
Victoria Park, Jemmett Rd, TN23 4QD

The agenda for the meeting is

  1. Apologies
  2. Welcome and Update
  3. Minutes of Previous meeting
  4. Matters Arising
  5. Election of new committee member
  6. Logo
  7. Finance
  8. Events and Activities
    • Summer Series
    • Create/Mr Harpers Birthday
    • Butterfly Count
    • Family Fun Run
  9. Any Other business

Download a printable copy here

Environment, News, Victoria Park

Avoid Holiday Fraud

16 June 2019 0 Comments

Each year, fraudsters target unsuspecting holidaymakers and travellers conning them out of millions of pounds. Not only are people losing substantial sums of money but many holidays are being ruined, with people unable to afford a replacement. Over the past four years, we’ve joined forces with the City of London Police, Action Fraud and Get Safe Online to raise awareness of different types of holiday booking fraud and how you can avoid becoming a victim.

What is holiday booking fraud and how to avoid the common types?

Holiday booking fraud is when people hand over money only to discover the holiday, accommodation or flight they paid for doesn’t exist.

Fraudsters are conning unsuspecting holidaymakers and travellers out of millions of pounds each year or leaving them stranded with nowhere to stay.

The most common types of booking fraud are: 

  • Holiday Accommodation: Fraudsters are making full use of the internet to con holidaymakers by setting up fake websites, hacking into legitimate accounts and posting fake adverts on websites and social media. 
  • Airline tickets: Where a customer believes they are booking a flight and receives a fake ticket or pays for a ticket that never turns up.
  • Sports and religious trips: A popular target for fraud due to limited availability of tickets and consequently higher prices. 
  • Timeshares and holiday clubs: The sums involved with this form of fraud are particularly high with victims losing typically thousands of pounds. 

Top tips to help avoid holiday booking fraud

  • Don’t reply to unsolicited emails, texts, social media or calls with holiday offers. Links and attachments in emails may lead to malicious websites or download viruses.
  • Stay safe online: Check the web address is legitimate and has not been altered by slight changes to a domain name – such as going from .co.uk to .org.
  • Do your research: Don’t just rely on one review – do a thorough online search to ensure the company is credible. If they’re suspect, other people may well have posted their experiences warning people off.
  • Look for the logo: Check whether the company is an ABTA Member. Look for the ABTA logo on the company’s website and if you have any doubts, verify membership by visiting our ABTA Member search. If you’re booking a flight and want more information about ATOL protection, or would like to check whether a company is an ATOL holder, then please visit the CAA website.
  • Pay safe: Never pay directly into an private individuals bank account. 
  • Check the paperwork: You should study receipts, invoices and terms and conditions, and be very wary of any companies that don’t provide any at all. When booking through a Holiday Club or Timeshare, get the contract thoroughly vetted by a solicitor before signing up. 
  • Use your instincts: If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
  • Get free expert advice: For further advice on how to stay safe when booking or researching travel online, go to Get Safe Online.

How to report it

Report it to Action Fraud online or call 0300 123 2040. If they’re a member of the Association of British Travel Agents, report to them too.

ABTA
https://www.abta.com/tips-and-advice/planning-and-booking-a-holiday/how-avoid-travel-related-fraud

Action Fraud
https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/a-z-of-fraud/holiday-fraud

#scamaware

Consumer, Crime, News

Don’t let a scammer enjoy your retirement

15 June 2019 2 Comments

Find out how pension scams work, how to avoid them and what to do if you suspect a scam.

Scammers can be articulate and financially knowledgeable, with credible websites, testimonials and materials that are hard to distinguish from the real thing. Scammers design attractive offers to persuade you to transfer your pension pot to them or to release funds from it. It is then invested in unusual and high-risk investments like overseas property, renewable energy bonds, forestry, storage units, or simply stolen outright.

Scam tactics include:

  • contact out of the blue
  • promises of high / guaranteed returns
  • free pension reviews • access to your pension before age 55
  • pressure to act quickly

Four simple steps to protect yourself from pension scams

  1. Reject unexpected offers
    If you’re contacted out of the blue about your pension, chances are it’s high risk or a scam. Be wary of free pension review offers. A free offer out of the blue from a company you have not dealt with before is probably a scam. Fortunately, research shows that 95% of unexpected pension offers are rejected.*
  2. Check who you’re dealing with
    Check the Financial Services Register (www.register.fca.org.uk) to make sure that anyone offering you advice or other financial services is FCA-authorised.
    If you don’t use an FCA-authorised firm, you also won’t have access to the Financial Ombudsman Service or the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. So you’re unlikely to get your money back if things go wrong. If the firm is on the FCA Register, you should call the Consumer Helpline on 0800 111 6768 to check the firm is permitted to give pension advice.
    Beware of fraudsters pretending to be from a firm authorised by the FCA, as it could be what we call a ‘clone firm’. Use the contact details provided on the FCA Register, not the details they give you.
  3. Don’t be rushed or pressured
    Take your time to make all the checks you need – even if this means turning down an ‘amazing deal’.
    Be wary of promised returns that sound too good to be true and don’t be rushed or pressured into making a decision.
  4. Get impartial information and advice
    The Pensions Advisory Service (www.thepensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk) – Provides free independent and impartial information and guidance.
    Pension Wise (www.pensionwise.gov.uk) – If you’re over 50 and have a defined contribution (DC) pension, Pension Wise offers pre-booked appointments to talk through your retirement options.
    Financial advisers – It’s important you make the best decision for your own personal circumstances, so you should seriously consider using the services of a financial adviser. If you do opt for an adviser, be sure to use one that is regulated by the FCA and never take investment advice from the company that contacted you or an adviser they suggest, as this may be part of the scam.

Financial Conduct Authority
The Pensions Regulator

#scamaware

Consumer, Crime, Finance, News