FREE Mobile Skatepark Day October Half term Wednesday 28th October 10.00 am – 3.00 pm Bridge Recreation Ground For ages 6 to 16 Equipment is provided (skateboards, scooters, bmx & safety gear)/bring your own if you prefer. Refreshments and tuck shop available in the pavilion. Organised by Bekesbourne-with-Patrixbourne & Bridge Parish Councils and supported by Canterbury City Council. Further information available from the Bekesbourne Parish Clerk - telephone: 01227 831197 Speed Watch For many year’s Bridge has seen a steady increase in motor traffic, parking problems and speeding throughout the village and not just the High Street. Speed Watch is something our community can get involved with now. It is a scheme whereby we can monitor speed ourselves and report infringements to the police. We are delighted to say that, through County Member Cllr Northey's Local Membership Grant monies, we have purchased our own equipment. In the coming months we would like to start recruiting and training small teams of residents in the use of the new equipment and start addressing the speeding issues in the village. If you wish to be part of Bridge Village Speed Watch then please contact Cllr Paldeep Dhillon or Cllr Steve Fawke. The Cantley Proposals for Bridge The area proposed between the High Street and Conyngham Lane The Recreation Ground is an essential facility for the health and enjoyment of the village. It provides the children's play area, football pitches, tennis courts and importantly an open space. The Recreation Ground is not owned by the village. It is leased by the Parish Council from Cantley Estates who own most of the land around the village. The lease will end in a few years. Naturally, the Parish Council are investigating a renewal of the lease, for, should it expire, the Parish is obliged to return the land to its original, undeveloped, state. Likewise, the allotments play an an important part in village life. The land belongs to Cantley Estates, and whilst it has been actively used for many years, there is no formal lease or permission to use it, leaving the future of the allotments in doubt. Currently, Cantley have proposed that they will: • renew the lease for the Recreation Ground • sign a lease agreement for an enlarged allotment area (to potentially include a community orchard) • provide land and funding towards a new village hall • provide land for a car park and school drop-off area in return for a development of approximately 30 houses, (including 9 affordable houses for the benefit of villagers), on land to the north of Conyngham Lane. They also seek to provide local employment by converting Great Pett Farmyard into office and business units. As plans become more detailed, the Parish Council will share this information with you via the village website and further newsletters and seek your opinions through consultation meetings to be arranged soon. Make sure you tell us whether you want us to support these plans or not. Councillors will be happy to speak with individuals or groups of villagers, as part of this consultation process. Just contact the Clerk to arrange this on 01227 831085 or by email: clerk@bridgevillage.org.uk Pedestrian Crossing, Yellow Lines and White Stop Lines Kent County Council have repainted the pedestrian crossing outside the White Horse and have started to refresh the white paint on stop lines at key junctions. Hopefully, in due course, all the junctions and white lines will be refreshed but we will be monitoring progress. A Canterbury City Council team have also been working in the village refreshing the double yellow lines. Let's hope this will help to deter some motorists from parking illegally and blocking sight lines at some of the junctions within the village. Environment Agency Flood Line Residents are encouraged to register for this service via the Environment Agency website or tel: 0345 988 11 88. Recreation Ground Working Party Saturday 17th October 2015 Please come along to the Pavilion, from 9am, wearing warm clothes and bring your gardening tools to help the Autumn tidy-up.. Refreshments provided in the Pavilion. Everyone is welcome. Bridge in Bloom Rosy and Katy spent a hot afternoon in July visiting the Parish and admiring the gardens. The hot weather meant it was a challenge to keep the gardens colourful this year but we loved the variety and it was a hard decision to find the best garden that attracted the bees and butterflies. The winners:- The Dacha in Patrixbourne Road, whose multicoloured baskets and pots integrated well with their cottage garden, was the winner of the households prize and 64 Riverside Close was the runner up. The White Horse was awarded the Shield for Business, for their beautiful hanging baskets. Mansfield Court retained the Margaret Jones Vase for small businesses. New Councillor – Mike Sole Mike responded to our call for volunteers to be co-opted to the vacant seat on the Parish Council and was selected from the three volunteers. Snow Warden Among his other roles, Mike Sole has taken on the role of Snow Warden. If you feel able to help or encounter snow problems, then Mike is the person to contact. To contact the Council - Please telephone or email the Parish Clerk: Tel: 01227 831085 clerk@bridgevillage.org.uk Bridge Parish Councillors Alan Atkinson Chairman, Emergency Planning, Finance, Nailbourne group 01227 830629 Rosy Atkinson pheasantscroft@btinternet.com Recreation Ground, Allotment Association, Litter Picking, Neighbourhood Plan, Welcome Pack, Bridge in Bloom 01227 830629 Katy Brooks rosy.atkinson@btinternet.com BVST/pavilion, Recreation Ground, Mill Centre, Bridge in Bloom, School Liaison, Youth in Bridge. 07516 450941 katy@bridgevillage.org.uk John Corfield Planning, Newsletter, Website, Art in Bridge 01227 830976 Paldeep Dhillon johnc@bridgevillage.org.uk Recreation Ground, Speed Watch, Emergency Planning, Mill Centre 07740 096261 Steve Fawke paldeepdhillon@mail.com Planning, ACRA, Neighbourhood Plan, Rural Area Member Panel, SCA, KALC, Speed Watch, Emergency Planning 01227 830336 Sue Hodges steve@bridgevillage.org.uk KALC, Neighbourhood Plan, Recreation Ground, Wild Flower Project, School Liaison 01227 830311 Rob Moon sue@bridgevillage.org.uk Planning (Chairman), Police Liaison, Village Hall Management, Emergency Planning 07874 637749 Mike Sole robertbridge01@gmail.com Snow Warden, Recreation Ground, Rural Area Members Panel, Neighbourhood Plan Emergency Planning 01227 830161 mike@bridgevillage.org.uk Visit www.bridgevillage.org.uk for village news, information, agendas & minutes of Council and Planning meetings and subscribe to Bridge Bulletin to receive news and information by email BRIDGE Parish Council Caring for the village Autumn 2015 Newsletter In this issue:- Skateboardpark Day New housing proposals New Councillor – Mike Sole Speed Watch recruitment Recreation Ground Working Party Next Parish Council meeting 7.15 pm Planning Committee 7.30 pm Full Council Thursday 8th October 2015 Bridge Village Hall - all welcome