Parish Council News Update – October

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Where did summer go!!!

We hope everyone has managed to have a break this summer, whether at home or away.  It’s so good to see so many people visiting our beautiful parish and enjoying our natural surroundings as well as our wonderful facilities!

Although we have had the summer holidays, your Parish Council has been busy over the last couple of months – here’s a snapshot!

  • we have provided our views on many planning applications;

  • met with the Leader of Dover District Council to stay connected and keep ourselves updated on Local Government Reform and how it might impact us; met with the new Dover North Councillor for KCC to share our issues, for example, our inadequate bus service and concerns with the A258/Station Road junction;

  • continued to push Stagecoach for a better service into the village and challenging the Swingate connection – we feel it is extremely dangerous!

  • risk assessed all our assets to ensure we are doing all we can to keep the public and volunteers safe;

  • commenced a strategic review of all our assets to ensure we have a sustainable maintenance plan for the next few years;

  • YES (!) started to plan our Christmas Light Switch on (save the date: Saturday, 6th December) and much more!

Our meeting minutes are available on the website, providing full details of the Council’s recent activities and ongoing work.

Don’t forget, if you have anything to say or ask, you are welcome to come along to any of our meetings with the first 15 mins set aside for YOU!

Annual Footpath Walk

We were sad to cancel our footpath walk this year, but given the weather forecast we took the difficult decision a couple of days before.  The rain and the wind did arrive, but later than expected.   If you are out and about walking the footpaths and see any issues, please report to Public Rights of Way – Report a Problem on a Right of Way.

Speedwatch

We are so pleased one of our residents has taken the lead to set up and co-ordinate a Speedwatch Group.   You may have already seen some of the volunteers in the ‘hot’ spots for speed and we can’t thank them enough for helping to raise awareness of the 20mph and to hopefully reduce the overall speed and make our village a safer place.

Through the process of planning and installing the 20mph, the Parish Council have challenged KCC Highways on the lack of a ‘buffer’ into the village.  You will know from Station Road and Upper Road, the speed goes from 60mph to 20mph and due to the landscape on the approaches, Highways do not allow a step down in speed as you approach the 20mph.    It is hoped we will be able to use data collected by Speedwatch to evidence and support the need of a ‘buffer’.

Spirit of St Margaret’s II

The boat has been looking fabulous throughout the summer, and we would like to say a big thank you to all our volunteers who have helped install, paint and looked after the lovely flowers throughout the summer.  Thank you!

Drains

We are sure you have noticed many of our drains in the parish are blocked and cause flooding during heavy rainfall.  We have written to KCC highlighting the material problem and we are now starting to see some action, with drains and gulleys begining to be surveyed / cleared.   If you do see any that are blocked, please report them to KCC Highways – Report a Fault.

Anti-Social Behaviour

We continue to experience anti-social behaviour within the village, particularly in the King George V field.   We do need to safeguard our assets and help to ensure all those using the facilities are able to do so without the fear of abuse.  As a reminder, we do have CCTV in the field and other spots around the village and if need be, these will be sent to the police.  If you experience any anti-social behaviour, please report it immediately to the police on 999. The police will then contact the Parish Council if CCTV footage is required.

Dates for your Diary:

Parish Council Meetings, Channel Room, Village Hall – Public participation starts at 6:45 pm for 15 minutes, followed by the meeting proper at 7 pm. November 10th and  December 8th 2025. Please note the meeting on October 13th 2025 has been cancelled.

Christmas Lights On, December 6th 2025, Village Hall, Reach Road.

Reporting Issues – Help Us Help You!

We often receive emails asking us to report things like potholes, overgrown hedges, or broken streetlights. While we’re always happy to help point you in the right direction, many issues need to be reported directly by residents to be dealt with efficiently. Our ‘Report a Problem’ page has all the links you need.