Miriam Layton, Author at Swale

CHANGES TO HOUSING ALLOCATION IN THE LOCAL PLAN

Miriam Layton — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 10:23:47 +0000

I am very sorry to report that there has recently been a significant change to the housing allocations proposed for the emerging new Swale Borough Local Plan. This new plan for housing in the borough was proposed by council members from wards to the West of the borough, who also carried the vote to bring it forward to the next stage of the plan process.

This new allocation proposes that a very large site is built to the East of Faversham, significantly increasing the number of houses allocated for our area in the previous draft Swale Borough Local Plan and means that we will have a large majority of the additional housing in our part of the borough, well over the 45.5% previously proposed.

This level of growth around our small market town and surrounding villages is inappropriate and unsustainable, but communities are being pitted against each other as we all feel the effects of housing growth on inadequate infrastructure.

These proposals will need full council approval, and will still need to be developed with actual sites, rather than the broad direction of travel proposed by this decision, and they will go out for public consultation. I will argue strongly that this level of development will result in unacceptable harm to the scale and character of Faversham, a small market town, and to the rural villages and countryside that surrounds it.

The housing targets are handed down from central government, and may increase with the change of administration. They simply cannot be accommodated within the borough if we give proper protection to “Best and Most Versatile” agricultural land, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and avoid building on land subject to flooding. I have helped put these points into a robust response from Swale Borough Council to the recent consultation on the proposed changes to the National Planning and Policy framework, which governs the plan making process.

Please look out for and take the opportunity to comment on the proposed new Local Plan when it goes out for public consultation and, in the meantime, email me if you have any comments or questions about these proposals.

Alastair Gould

Swale Borough Councillor for Boughton & Courtenay

Email: alastairgould@swale.gov.uk

The post CHANGES TO HOUSING ALLOCATION IN THE LOCAL PLAN appeared first on Swale.

FAVERSHAM AND VILLAGES WATER QUALITY TESTING GROUP 2024 UPDATE

Miriam Layton — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 08:24:32 +0000

The Faversham and Villages Water Quality Testing Group, FAVWAT, has been testing water quality in and around Faversham; including The White Drain that comes out at Seasalter, The Westbrook, Thorne Creek, The Cooksditch and Faversham Creek itself. Our aim, to ensure Faversham Creek and surrounding waters are clean and healthy, for people, for fisheries and for wildlife.

One of our core testing sites has been on the creek water opposite the main outflow of Faversham Waste Water Treatment Works. Here we are testing for nitrate, phosphate and ammonia. We have chosen these tests as an excess can cause eutrophication, that is a lack of oxygen in the water, leading to algal blooms which in turn leads to the suffocation of aquatic life.

Our results to date, taken as an average over a 12 month period, show that the creek water contains phosphate levels roughly between 2-3mg PO4-P/litre and nitrate levels 10-21mg NO3-N/litre. If the creek was categorised as a ‘sensitive environment’, which unfortunately it appears it is not, despite being within a Ramsar Site of International Importance, a Marine Conservation Zone and a Shellfish Water Protected Area, then these levels would exceed annual limits.

We have also now begun testing for E-Coli, specifically the waters around the head of the creek near the swing bridge and the TS Hazard building. Our results here are also worrying. Some of the recent results show levels above the maximum the tests can calculate, that is over 10,000 coliform forming units (cfu’s). To put this in context, there was concern recently at the Paris Olympics swimming event when tests from the River Seine returned E-Coli results of 1,000cfu. Tests from the River Thames caused uproar at the Boat Race this year, where a reading of 2,869cfu was obtained. Both below the 10,000cfu readings obtained from Faversham Creek.

However without enforceable standards there is a limit to what we can do. Our work therefore is now moving towards combining testing with campaigning for the creek to be designated a sensitive area, that is an area with clear limits to the amount of pollution being discharged into local waters, from whatever source.

Thinking of helping out? New members are very welcome, join us, help us ensure clean waters for Faversham; protecting people, protecting fisheries, and protecting wildlife too!

The post FAVERSHAM AND VILLAGES WATER QUALITY TESTING GROUP 2024 UPDATE appeared first on Swale.

COUNCILLOR’S REPORT JULY 2024

Miriam Layton — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 11:30:34 +0000

This month’s piece is a little more functional than usual, and is primarily an update with the latest on the bin situation.

Waste Update
At the Environment and Climate Change Committee meeting on 16th July, the committee agreed to undertake a Scrutiny Review of the Suez contract, which will examine the performance and implementation of the new waste and street cleansing contract, focusing on key areas such as resources, staffing, data management, contract and project management, and communications.

To facilitate the review, a Scrutiny Panel has been established, consisting of five members of the Environment Committee, with one representative from each political party.

The review will involve a thorough collection and analysis of data. Members of the panel will engage with officers from all of the departments involved in the contract mobilisation and representatives from Suez.

Resident and stakeholder engagement will be a crucial component of the review. The Panel will be seeking input from residents through area committees, online questionnaires, and a Parish Councils Liaison Forum scheduled for September. Public discussions will be facilitated during Area Committee meetings in September, and an online resident survey may be conducted to gather structured feedback.

The review will focus on several critical areas. It will assess resources and staffing, examining recruitment, training, culture change, staff welfare, fleet and vehicles, and the delivery of new and replacement bins. Data and rounds will also be scrutinised, including an evaluation of pre-contract data, the IT systems, round routing processes and road access issues.

Contract and project management will be another key focus. The review will investigate the project setup, ongoing monitoring, contract documents, default and rectification processes, and the Recovery Plan created by Swale officers after the first few weeks of the new contract. Additionally, the effectiveness of communications, both internal and external, will be evaluated. This will include pre-service resident communications, reporting forms, social media, and the overall communications plan.

The outcomes of the review aim to provide assurances on project delivery, gather and address resident feedback, identify lessons learnt and highlight areas for improvement.

Local Transport Plan Consultation

A consultation has recently opened to invite views on Kent County Council’s new draft of their Local Transport Plan.

The consultation is open from now until the 8th October 2024 and more details can be found online at www.kent.gov.uk/ltp5.

Rich Lehmann
rich.lehmann@kent.gov.uk

The post COUNCILLOR’S REPORT JULY 2024 appeared first on Swale.