Swale Borough Council

The Labour Group on Swale Borough Council have confirmed that the five year coalition has come to an end with the council now becoming a hung Council with Labour Leadership.

The Labour group have said "it is time to agree that the coalition has played its part but it is time to move on to a more representative and inclusive form of decision making".

The one contested seat for the Milton Regis Ward on Swale Borough Council went in a by-election in the area yesterday (Thursday 19th December).

Kieran Robert Oleg Mishchuk, Reform UK, was elected with 272 votes.

The full results were:

A local animal charity, based on Iwade Road in Newington, has been given 9 months to relocate following a three year battle with Swale Borough Council.

Happy Pants Ranch is home to more than 400 animals, most of which have special needs including an epileptic pig, a blind and deaf dog and some three-legged cats.

Amey James, who runs and lives on the site, has confirmed that if she cannot relocate, before the nine-month notice is up, all the animals will have to be put down. She also added that it would mean the charity going under and she stood to lose her house.

Yesterday (Thursday 21st November) saw the Swale Borough Council By Election in Murston.

With a poor 17% turnout the election was won by Carrie Pollard for the incumbent Swale Independents.

Leader of the Swale Independents on the council, Cllr Mike Baldock, told SFM News: "I'm really delighted by this result - Carrie is not a party politician but just really cares about her local area. The big parties threw a lot at this, but sometimes a local person who cares about their local area can break through. Well done Carrie".

The full results were as follows:-

Swale Borough Council’s CCTV control centre, based in Sittingbourne, is expanding to become a national safety hub.

The council’s control centre monitors Swale’s public space CCTV cameras 24/7, 365 days a year and works closely with Kent Police to tackle crime and keep residents safe.

The Highsted Park development, proposed by Quinn Estates, to the south and east of Sittingbourne has been "called in" by The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Swale Borough Council’s Planning Committee were due to decide on the application at a meeting at Swale House last night (Thursday 7th November), but the decision was “ripped out of its hands at the eleventh hour” as Swale BC confirmed it had been called-in by the government at short notice after a letter was received from them at 3:00pm.

A list of prosepective candidates standing in the up and coming By-Election in the Murston Ward of Sittingbourne has been released by Swale Borough Council.

The list of candidates is as follows:-

Swale Borough Council is organising this year’s civic Service of Remembrance in Sittingbourne on Sunday 10th November.  

The council’s Remembrance Sunday service begins at 10am at St Michael’s church on the High Street and will be followed by a procession through the high street ending at the War Memorial on Central Avenue. 

The procession, led by the Royal British Legion Riders, will arrive at the Cenotaph at 11am where the remembrance and the laying of wreaths will take place until 12pm. 

Swale Borough Council are working with the East Kent Baby Memorial Garden Charity to create a very special memorial here in Sittingbourne.  

The council will be installing a baby memorial board in King George's Playing Field, where residents touched by pregnancy and baby loss can have a place to remember them.  

The board is being provided by the charity and will display personalised terracotta tiles, featuring a name and significant date, in a beautiful garden.  

A by-election, to elect a new councillor for the Murston ward, is to be held following the Full Council meeting on Wednesday 2nd October.

Swale Borough Council have confirmed that it is due to be held within 35 working days of Friday 4th October and "is due to Cllr James Hall being unable to attend meetings of the council for a period of six consecutive months from the date of his last meeting. This means that the seat is now vacant under the Local Government Act 1972".