WE ARE BACK AFTER A LONG PERIOD OF ABSENCE
THE PARISH NEWS LETTER RETURNS
SUMMER Serving the communities of Bobbing Village, Bobbing Hill,Grove 2006
Park, Howt Green, Keycol Hill, Key Street,
Grove Park Community Primary
CHAIRMAN RE-ELECTED.
TOP 10 BOBBING PARISH ISSUES
The Meads
and the surrounding rural areas.School Annual Report
Reminders have sent to Swale
At the Annual Parish Council meeting held
on the 3rd May, Cllr. Herbert was
proposed by Cllr. Bullen and was
seconded by Cllr. Wileman. Cllr. Herbert
agreed to accept the position.
Vice Chairman. Cllr. Dewar-Whalley was
proposed by Cllr. Wileman and seconded
by Cllr. Edwards. Cllr. Dewar-Whalley
agreed to accept the position.
Cllr. Wileman and Cllr. Nappey are to
oversee planning applications made to the
council and report to the monthly meeting.
WE WELCOME Mr Robert Ball who
was appointed as a Parish Councillor on
the 4th May.
The Public are very welcome to attend the
Parish Council meeting which is on the
first Wednesday of each month starting at
7.30pm
Bobbing Women's Institute - East Kent
Federation.
Meeting at Bobbing Village Hall, Sheppey
Way, Bobbing, Kent.
Bobbing Women's Institute was founded
in 1947 and in March 2007 will be
celebrating its 60th birthday. We are a
small Institute comprised of some 20
members, but we are a very active group.
We meet in the Village Hall on the second
Wednesday of every month. During the
last 12 months we have had a very diverse
mixture of speakers ranging from the
League of Friends, aromatherapy,
reflexology and talks on the theatre and
travel.
We have a garden party every July in the
beautiful gardens of our Vice President,
Mrs Pam Mount. In June we have a car
treasure hunt and the destination is usually
a local hostelry where we have a buffet
supper. During the year we embark on two
walks, one in the Spring and another in the
Autumn. We also hold coffee mornings,
beetle drives and a craft fair at Christmas.
New members are always welcome, come
and join us and make new friends;
Meetings start at 7.30pm
Contact Kath Hills, President,
Borough Council in the hope that they
will act sooner rather than later:1. Key Street roundabout - pedestrian
safety/traffic speed.
2. Key Street roundabout - badly
sighted / difficult to see road signs.
3. Key Street roundabout - white lining
/ repair of railings.
4. Bobbing Hill parking issues - extend
yellow lines further up the hill and
prevent parking by non residents, and
move speed limit signs to end of
houses
5. Traffic calming / speed limit past
Bobbing village school.
6. Keycol Hill- Traffic calming and
white lining.
7. Car parking Hilton Drive (Grove
Park School pickup).
8. Everywhere - litter, including fly
tipping, and wrappers near food
shops.
9. Train noise - noisy train horns,
especially at night by railway
crossings.
If you have an issue or are aware of a
problem or have an idea that will
improve the Parish of Bobbing please
contact our Parish Clerk who will record
details for discussion at the Parish
Council meeting at the earliest
opportunity.
What are Parish Councils ? They are
one of three tires of Local government
called Civil Parishes (The two other
levels are County and District), they are
not to be confused with Ecclesiastical
Parishes.
Importantly the Parish Council is nonpolitical and is only interested in the well
being of our community.
Who do they represent ? Civil Parishes
of over 200 electors. Parish Councils
have a chairman and at least four other
councillors, who are democratically
elected and therefore accountable to
electors. Elections are held every four
years if there are more candidates than
places on the Council.
With the completion of the new classroom
building, fencing has now been erected
around the new playground area creating a
safer environment.
The following events have been held over
the last 12 months:Members of staff held a “Pretty in Pink”
day raising £151.00 for Breast Cancer
Research.Money was raised for Children
in Need and Red Nose Day.
The School supported “Winston’s Wish”
and raised £165.00.
The Harvest Festival contributions were
donated to the Salvation Army who
distributed them to families in need
locally.Children participated in a
Skip2Bfit encouraging health and fitness
awareness.
The School continues to support Demelza
House with contributions from donations
at the various school plays throughout the
year.Nicola Cook won 3rd prize in the
Design a Roundabout Competition.Annual
visits included:The Sittingbourne Heritage
MuseumHoly Trinity and Bobbing
Churches together with the Catholic and
Baptist Churches in the local area.
The school continues to have close contact
with Mike/Liz. The school received visits
from: The Life Education Bus, the Fire
Service – regarding House Safety.
Road Safety Awareness. Grove Park
Community Primary school has joined
with other local schools in the area on a
scheme called BLP (Building and
Learning Power).
No Stopping sign has now been erected
outside the gates of the school. We hope,
this will alleviate some of the traffic
problems affecting the residents. However
there are still on-going parking problems
outside the school gate so the new turning
circle is not in use yet. The school is
continuing to pursue the matter.
The school is used by outside groups
including a Dance Club, the Brownies and
the local Scout Group. Cllr. Elaine Nappey
Bobbing Parish Council – Annual Parish Meeting Wednesday 3rd May 2006
Parish Council Chairmans report
During the past year the Parish Council held 12 regular meetings plus the Parish Council AGM. These meetings were held in
the Village Hall on the first Wednesday of the month.
Bobbing Parish Council serves the communities of Bobbing Village, Bobbing Hill, The Grove, The Meads, Howt Green and
Keycol plus the surrounding rural areas. Our residents are always interested and enthusiastic about their neighbourhood and
frequently ask to know what is happening. Falling within the Thames Gateway Development Area and on the edge of
Sittingbourne there is always something going on which impacts onto residents lives and concerns. As such our residents have
the right to expect high standards of accountability from their representatives for the delivery of Parish Council services and the
Parish Council endeavours to take as much care and pride in resolving parish matters as resources, bureaucracy and time will
allow,
The year started in April 2005 with the Village Hall receiving planning permission for disabled toilets and storeroom extension
The village hall committee is still seeking funding, and any help on this front would be useful. In May 'travellers' arrived
(again) on the Meads and eventually left only to occupy other parcels of land in the Parish. Also, the 'Cynergy Business Park'
developers consulted the Parish council for the first time. In June there was further consultation regarding the business park and
a lengthy 'Swale Forward' questionnaire regarding regeneration. July saw the official launch of the KCC 'Kent Parishes' web
site at the County Show; you can now contact Clerk and Chairman from any part of the world and keep in touch with Bobbing
if you need to. In August the long awaited (several years) Trief kerbs and posts were installed at Bobbing Corner to protect the
verge. A public meeting was held in September to discuss what has become known as the Marshgate site on the Meads.
Developers and residents put their views. By October the 'Cynergy Business Park' had received planning permission and
bulldozers were moving in. In November the Swale Local Plan provided a list of development 'omission' sites for comment. We
duly commented on these. The Parish council also pledged its support to help to provide diabled toilets for the village hall. In
December the parish precept was set and once again Bobbing has one of the lowest parish precepts in Swale (3 rd lowest). In
February the Parish Clerk went to the KCC Funding Fair and the noisy 'train horns' issue was debated. In March Swale BC
decided to cut its funding to parish councils and site meetings were held regarding traffic signs. Finally the year ended as it
began with gypsies occupying land in the Parish, this time at the Meads and Bobbing Hill. A site meeting was held regarding
the train horn noise; finally a new Cllr, Mr Robert Ball was appointed to fill the vacancy left by John Butler, we are now back
to our full compliment of nine Cllrs. All this represents just a flavour of what the Parish Council does and becomes involved
with during the course of year.
Once again the biggest disappointment during the year has been the non-attendance of Borough Council Ward Councillors at
Parish Council meetings, and the lack of action by SBC to make the traffic and highway improvements that are frequently
discussed and promised but rarely delivered.
However looking forward we have plans to revive the Parish Newsletter. We also have the Swale Borough Local Plan to look
forward to, which is currently undergoing the examination in Public. Developers are showing an interest in obtaining planning
permission for the Meads Marshgate site where we need to ensure parishioners views are reinforced. We will also continue to
help and support the village hall in its aim of providing disabled facilities and the Parish Council will generally consider and
support any proposals that would further enhance Bobbing Parish and facilities that pull the community together (eg additional
clubs, groups and organisations).
Councillor Graham Herbert – Chairman.
OUR PARISH HISTORY – Part one:
Bobbing Village Situated on rising ground at the geographical centre of the parish. The position
on high ground affords good easterly views over Sittingbourne, the marshes and creeks of the Swale Estuary. The name Bobbing has
changed several times throughout the centuries: 1100 -Bobinge, 1234 -Bobinges, 1250 –back to Bobinge, and in 1610 to Bobbing. Its
elevated position gave it good defence, fertile farming to the South East and access to fresh water at the Meads, all the essentials early
settlers required. The village is currently looking to establish a focal identity by developing a village green and a pond, and developing
sympathetic residential areas that would form the nucleus of a traditional village based on the existing village primary school, church, hall,
restaurants, inn, garage, mini mart and motel. In an earlier time the parish boundary encompassed three communities, Key Street, Howte
Green and Chestnut Street. (To be continued).
Council meetings. Most Parish Council meetings are open to the public. The public does not have a right to speak at a Parish
Council meeting but may be invited to do so. If an elector wishes the Council to discuss a subject they must tell the Parish Clerk
at least three days before the day of the meeting.
Bobbing Village Hall
Is available for hire; main hall and/or small committee room. Contact the bookings secretary 01795 475211 Keycol Hill
Residents Association. Further information from Larry Major 17 Keycol Hill. 01795 844078Rev Mike Resch:- 01795
473393 Short Mat Bowls:- 01795 475211
Womens Institute:- 01795 473427Whist Drive:- 01795 843054. Beavers
/ Cubs / Scouts:- at Bobbing Village Hall 01795 554855Amanda Jayne Dance School:- held at village hall 01795 870545
Swale Auctions:- 01795 590021
Bobbing Parish Clerk, Mrs Sue Crawford Meadow View Cottages, Bobbing Hill, Sittingbourne. Tel 01795 844915
If you have something that you would like to see published in a future issue of the Bobbing Parish News Letter then please let
me have details. Editor:- Councillor Duncan Dewar-Whalley:- Telephone 01795 842148