Web Extracts Edition
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Chairman's
Report |
THE AUTUMN is now upon us and we look forward to a busy period with budgets to set for 2008/2009 and events and projects planned. The Community Day, initiated by the Police and partner authorities, was an event to give residents the opportunity to discuss any issues with the police, borough council, Crime Reduction Partnership and Russet Homes. The day was well planned, but unfortunately the weather let us down. The Warden Scheme regional youth football tournament, organised by the Community Wardens, was a great success and the winners, Wrotham and Platt United, now go forward to the final at Charlton Athletic.
The Community Day incorporated the Horticulture, Arts and Crafts Show
which was well attended and the overall winner was Len Mace, who won most
sections in the show.
Pupils
from Aylesford Sports College put on a super talent show which was most
enjoyable. Their talent knows no bounds.
The
cream teas were delicious as was the barbecue provided by the 1st Ditton
Scouts. The bouncy castles were provided by a generous donation from County
Councillor Rowe’s Members Grant and the family disco was provided by the
parish council and the Kilnbarn Club.
During
July I made the annual trip to our twinned town of Rang-du-Fliers with
a party including our Neighbourhood Police Officer and Community Warden
from Aylesford to take part in their Bastille Day ceremony (see page 11).
PC Roddick and Warden Sara Battledore attended in full uniform and made
a great impression with the Mayor and residents. A report of the visit
can be seen on the council’s website www.dittonparishcouncil.gov.uk.
The CCTV has now been installed and will monitor the Community Centre,
recreation grounds and adjoining roads. This will be utilised and monitored
by Ditton’s police officer, PC Roddick, as well as parish council staff.
It is a very impressive system which gives very clear images and is the
envy of neighbouring police officers.
The
council has adopted the Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, County
of Kent Act 1981, Section 32, which will allow the parish council to exclude
a person or persons from premises, playing fields, playgrounds and car
parks provided by the parish council. Further details on the Exclusion
Order can be obtained from the parish office.
Mike Porter
Chairman
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Parish
Clerk's Column |
ANOTHER busy few months have passed by with the Community Day preparations
and a visit to our twinned town of Rang-du-Fliers fitted in with the usual
workload.
It
has been asked in the past whether the visits to Rang-du-Fliers are at
the expense of the ratepayers. I can assure you that all of the people
who travel to France on twinning visits, with the exception of the chairman,
who travels as part of his official duties, pay their own travel and accommodation
expenses and no costs for any of these people are met from parish funds.
In
carrying out our duties we are committed to working with our partner authorities
and have excellent working relationships with them.
We
now have a strong team looking after us with PC Matt Roddick, PCSO Lia
Bishop and temporary Community Warden Martin Sherwood, who is standing
in for Tom Hawkwood currently on secondment to Borough Green in a supervisory
position.
We
hope that Tom will be back with us soon, as I am sure you will all have
missed him as much as we have.
We
are now selling tickets for the Halloween dance with the Beverley Big
Band and the Peter Eligate Showband and these are available from the parish
office weekdays between 9am and 4pm at £15 each. We hold a raffle
at each of the council’s dances and the profit raised is donated to local
charities and local good causes.
All
requests for donations are considered by the council before the end of
its financial year and allocated according to available funds. If you
know of any organisation or good local cause who would like to be considered
for a donation, please ask them to put their request in writing to the
parish council and include the purpose for which the funds would be used.
Please
note that the council is not permitted by law to make a donation to an
individual.
Donations
were made during the last financial year to the following: Ditton Pop-in
Club, Age Concern, Malling Area Volunteer Bureau, Victim Support, Malling
Citizens Advice Bureau and Ditton Heritage Centre.
The
parish council has information leaflets available at its offices and also
on the website www.dittonparishcouncil.gov.uk
Sue Kavanagh
Parish
Clerk
Ditton
Community Day |
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Champions with green fingers... |
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MEET
the big winners in the annual Horticultural, Arts and Crafts Show
held in the Ditton Community Centre as part of the Community Day
in July. Despite the atrocious weather this year, our gardeners
did themselves proud. Best
in show: |
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 Pictured above, the Ditton Minors team that took part in the Kent Wardens football tournament |
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IN
CONJUNCTION with our partner authorities and agencies a Community
Day was held on July 21. This was organised primarily to give
residents the opportunity to meet and talk to their Councillors
and representatives from partner authorities. Each
representative had a stand set out in the Don Carman Hall and were
on hand for most of the day. The
event mushroomed with the Kent Wardens holding their youth football
tournament on Kilnbarn recreation ground and the annual Horticulture
and Craft Show held in the Oaken Hall. Light refreshments were served
from the Don Carman Hall during the morning and cream teas were
served from the Oaken Hall kitchen in the afternoon. After
the presentation of prizes to the winners of the Horticulture and
Craft show, a concert, organised by teachers Miss Jones and Mr Zwanzig,
was given by pupils from Aylesford Sports College and the day ended
with a free family disco in the Oaken Hall. |
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 Jordan Blackwell on guitar and Lewis Elliott on piano at the Community Day concert in the Oaken Hall |
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From
those helping to keep Ditton trouble free |
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THERE
have been one or two thefts from sheds and garages in the last
few weeks. I would urge people to ensure that sheds and garages
are locked up when not in use. Garden and power tools have
been stolen from such buildings.
A simple way to deter thieves from stealing from sheds is to fit
a shed alarm. I will be making arrangements for some of
these to be available for sale at the parish council office. They
cost only a few pounds! Basic
things still keep popping up on the crime statistics; Stolen
Sat Navs, car stereos, briefcases on back seats of cars.
I
am regularly knocking on doors asking people to lock their cars
and close the car windows. Only a few weeks ago I walked
past an unattended car in a secluded car park with its window
wide open and a laptop on the back seat. I am pleased to report that the Community Centre now has a state of the art CCTV system, installed courtesy of the Parish Council. CCTV is an excellent deterrent, and I believe that anyone who tries to commit crime at all will be detected. |
I HAVE now been on foot patrol around Ditton since June this year. I have stopped and talked to many of the residents and am getting to know the local youths by name. We
have also recently had a few problems with mini moto’s again.
This is an issue that myself and PC Roddick are looking into and
we will not hesitate to issue a Section 59 of the Road Traffic
Act to the off-enders which can result in the vehicle being seized. All
in all, crime is low in the area and I am sure this is how we
would all like it to stay. I
would like to say a big thank you to all the residents who have
made me feel welcome and invited me into their homes for that
all important cup of tea. If you do see me out and about and have any issues to raise, please stop and talk to me even if you just fancy a chat. |
If
you are a resident of Ditton Parish and did not receive a copy of this
Ditton Gazette, please contact Parish Council Office, Ditton Community
Centre, Kilnbarn Road, Ditton, Aylesford, Kent ME20 6AH, telephone 01732
844749 email clerk@dittonparishcouncil.gov.uk
