Swale Borough Council

At last night’s (Wednesday 6th October) Council meeting, councillors unanimously agreed to change the way Swale Borough Council makes decisions by moving to a committee system.

Councillors have agreed that the council’s current leader-and-cabinet led structure, where most decisions are taken by fewer people, will be replaced with a committee system, which will come into effect at the annual council meeting in May 2022.

The new system will mean decisions are made by politically balanced committees representing all councillors.

Councillors have approved a new draft planning enforcement strategy and service charter outlining how breaches of planning permission are handled.

Swale Borough Council sought approval of the new draft strategy and charter at last month’s cabinet meeting on Wednesday 22nd September. The strategy sets out how the council protects the borough’s built and natural environment from unauthorised developments. It includes identifying priority issues for the service and explains what action can be taken.

Councillors are being asked to approve a £1.48 million contract to maintain and improve Swale’s green spaces.

Swale Borough Council confimed that they have reviewed their current ground maintenance contract which includes country parks, parks and recreation grounds, play areas, burial grounds and sports pitches around the borough.

Swale Borough Council is supporting local organisations and community groups to host 27 events around the borough for Great Big Green Week.

Seventeen local organisations will be hosting a variety of events ranging from litter picks and webinars to art workshops and a giant whale installation circus to celebrate action on the climate and ecological emergency for the week-long event.

Local residents and interested parties can now have their say on conservation areas in the Milstead and Sittingbourne area.

Swale Borough Council is reviewing the existing conservation areas and has opened it up for public consultation.

Children and young people in Swale who receive free school meals are being offered the chance to take part in a range of activities to help them reconnect with their lives before the pandemic.

Swale Borough Council have been working with local providers to subsidise a range of activities – from swimming sessions to cinema tickets – thanks to £12,500 of funding from Kent County Council’s Reconnect programme.

Swale Borough Council have confirmed that the temporary road closures in Sittingbourne, Faversham and Sheerness will be removed from next Monday (19th July) following the Government’s latest announcement on the easing of restrictions.

The council said that "closures were put in place last summer to help encourage visitors back to town centres after the first lockdown by creating space to safely social distance and with restrictions coming to an end on Monday 19th July, the closures will be removed allowing traffic to use the high streets again".

A local business has been fined £1,000 for breaching COVID legislation.

Lang’s cocktail bar, on St Michael’s Road, was fined £1,000 by Swale Borough Council last month (on Tuesday 25th May) after failing to adhere to the legislation.

During step two of the government’s roadmap out of lockdown from 12th April to 17th May, hospitality venues could serve customers outside. To qualify as outdoors, outside areas had to be less than 50 per cent enclosed.

People are being asked how to decide which local buildings and green spaces make a positive contribution to the character of the borough.

Swale Borough Council is consulting on the criteria for a new local heritage list to promote awareness of the area’s local heritage assets and highlight their importance.

People are being asked how Sittingbourne’s Avenue or Remembrance should be maintained, so future generations can continue to remember those who died in the First and Second World Wars, by Swale Borough Council.

The avenue was inaugurated in 1923 with 181 name plaques of local men who had died in the First World War, together with trees. A further 94 plaques were added to commemorate those who died in World War Two. The avenue is believed to be the last remaining monument of its kind in the country that remains a roadway.