06 April 2017
All smiles at lunch club
Picture feature of new lunch club at All Saints Church Hall, Hartley. 50 attend.
News: Dartford Messenger

27 April 2017
More than a café - this is a lifeline
Picture feature on Wellfield Memory Café. One family member said "I can't do anything but praise the volunteers here, they make it what it is and without them there wouldn't be a café".
News: Dartford Messenger

27 April 2017
In Court
52 year old man from Millfield New Ash Green fined and banned for drink driving and failing to stop
News: Dartford Messenger

27 April 2017
Family's heartache over missing Louise
Interview with New Ash Green family of Louise Kerton, a student nurse who went missing in Germany in 2001. Kent Police ask for those with any information to get in touch
News: Dartford Messenger

Parish Council: Attendance
11 councillors were present. Those not in attendence were Cllrs Mrs Cole and Mrs Rogers. Also present were Mrs Gilder (clerk), Cllr David Brazier (KCC), Cllr John Kelley (SDC) and 4 members of the public
(Parish Council Meeting 10 April 2017)

Roads: Parking
Cllr Kelly said the problem of commuter parking is also an issue for Longfield. Cllr Brazier has promised to do something about it.
(Parish Council Meeting 10 April 2017)

Transport: Railway
Mr Mayer asked whether the council planned to respond to the South Eastern Franchise consultation. He said they appeared to want to reduce the number of trains calling at Longfield and remove the Blackfriars peak hours trains. Cllr Brazier said South Eastern had no plans to do this, but Mr Mayer said the consultation is about the successor to South Eastern. Cllr Ramsay said the MP will campaign against this.
(Parish Council Meeting 10 April 2017)

Sevenoaks Council:
Cllr Abraham said they have bought an investment property in Sevenoaks on a yield of 6%.
(Parish Council Meeting 10 April 2017)

Amenities: Cricket
The committee agreed to the New Ash Green and Hartley Cricket Club putting up a sign at the entrance to Manor Field. The council need to prepare a memorandum to record the increase in rent at Longfield Hill from £550 to £650 pa. Their solicitors have quoted £200 to do this. Council would like them to do this for free as they did in 2012 when the rent was increased from £480 to £550.
(Parish Council Meeting 10 April 2017)

Amenities: Trees
The committee decided to reappoint Duramen Consulting Ltd for the next tree risk assessment which is now due, provided their quote is reasonable. A possibly unsafe tree at the boundary with Patches, Gorsewood Road, will be looked into.
(Parish Council Meeting 10 April 2017)

Amenities: Manor Field Pavilion
They agreed to accept quote of £170 from Hartley Electricians to remedy the problems identified in a recent Electrical Installation Consition report. A boiler maintenance report also resulted in some work. It had criticised items in the Calor Gas Compound (Mr Munday to remove), refit draft diverter on LPG water heater (quote of £84 from CACHES Ltd accepted) and that the water heater be left on frost setting (council agreed to do this). The committee rejected a request to hold a school prom here.
(Parish Council Meeting 10 April 2017)

Amenities: Rectory Meadow
Currently the grass is cue in April, June and September. The NW Kent Countryside Project said it would be better to drop the June one to encourage wild flower growth. The committee agreed and as they are not happy with the current contractor they have written out to ask for suggestions. The owner of Glebe House has agreed to move their new fence back which had encroached on the PC land.
(Parish Council Meeting 10 April 2017)

Amenities: Playgrounds
New equipment now installed, contractor has promised to resolve snagging issues. Council to clean safety surfacing and cut back conifers that made it hard for the contractors to access the site.
(Parish Council Meeting 10 April 2017)

Amenities: Church Road Pond
Several residents have complained about the state of the pond, which was last restored by Adam Osborn and the Community Wardens Team in 2009. Council don't own the pond and claim they don't have the power to improve it.
(Parish Council Meeting 10 April 2017)

Amenities: Benches
Council has been left £2,000 in a will for a bench to be chosen by the family
(Parish Council Meeting 10 April 2017)

Amenities: Allotments
Committee permitted one of the allotment holders to put up a noticeboard. They involve pre-school children as part of the HRS School Gardening scheme and want the board to show them what they have achieved.
(Parish Council Meeting 10 April 2017)

Parish Council: Staff
Owing to concerns about the workload on staff and the need for the assistant clerk to spend time on getting a local government qualification, they agreed to increase the assistant clerk's hours by 8 per month, and to close the office from 8.30 - 10.30 on Tuesdays. They also wanted to change the clerk's hours on a Friday to 8.30am - 3.30pm without a break, but a councillor queried whether 7 hours without a lunch break was allowed in law.
(Parish Council Meeting 10 April 2017)

Northfield:
The committee agreed bills of £1,288 including £855 for cutting of play areas and paths, and £240 for 3 month's weekly visual inspections, and £79 for three month's emptying of dog bins. The annual contribution from Hartley Parish Council for 2017/18 will be £100. The committee agreed not to pursue a trim trail there after receiving 2 replies, 1 for 1 against. Fee for new memberships of horse riding route to be increased to £20.
(Parish Council Meeting 10 April 2017)

Parish Council: Payments
Payments of £84,392 for April were agreed. £75,000 of that was a transfer of money to a new bank account.
(Parish Council Meeting 10 April 2017)

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