Take a closer look at some of the news stories from the Parish Council this April
To contact the Parish Council please email clerk@headcornpc.org.uk
Parish Council News
Community Liaison Officer's Update
Stuart has had another busy month, responding to a number of CCTV requests which highlight the ongoing cooperation with partner agencies on local matters. The recent Parish Surgery was well attended, with both Police and Golding Homes proving popular and finding the session valuable in addressing residents’ queries. Feedback from those who attended reinforced how important these opportunities are for the community. There has been a noted increase in inconsiderate parking around the village, and Maidstone Borough Council’s traffic enforcement team has been asked to maintain a stronger presence; residents are kindly reminded to be mindful of others, particularly those with mobility issues, and to avoid obstructive parking. Stuart has also remained visible in the community and continues to carry out welfare checks where needed.
Need to reach Stuart? You can contact him by email: communityliaison@headcornpc.org.uk
Get Knitting
In past years, there have been some wonderful displays of knitted and crocheted flowers in the Village, including tributes to mark Remembrance Day. This year, we would love to create a more formal display of handmade poppies, crafted by members of our community and displayed centrally in time for Remembrance Day.
We have spoken with our local Knit and Sew group, who are delighted to support this initiative. We now warmly invite anyone else who would like to get involved to take part.
If you are interested in volunteering, please contact assistantclerk@headcornpc.org.uk and we will send you the pattern – we would ask that you use a biodegradable wool or cotton yarn please. In return for a donation to the Royal British Legion, we will also provide some yarn (available on a first come, first served basis).
Annual Meeting of the Parish
Please do join us on Thursday 9th April for our Annual Meeting of the Parish. This is a perfect opportunity to meet your Parish Councillors and hear about what we do for you and provide us with feedback. It is also an opportunity to find out about some of the Clubs and Societies in the Village and what they have been up to over the past year.
Traffic Issues
As many of you know, for years we have tried and failed to get KCC to deal with known traffic management issues in the village - from speeding vehicles, congestion in Kings Road to dangerous parking in Gibbs Hill to name a few. We have supplied evidence to them to support our requests. Last month we met with them again to persist, as we always do. It would seem that despite years of discussion and evidence gathering the KCC officers demand more evidence. To that end we must conduct a few consultations using KCC’s own questionnaires.
We fully acknowledge that we have done this before but have no option but to co-operate in the vain hope it might yield some kind of result. So please, if you see a traffic consultation appear from us, do fill it in and get your neighbours to too.
Sunflower Competition
This year we will be hosting a village-wide sunflower-growing competition! We will be delivering the seeds to the village nursery, pre-school and primary school. Seeds will also be available in the Parish Office for anyone else who would like to take part. As the weather warms up you can get your sunflowers started off. We look forward to seeing who can grow the tallest!
CCTV Expansion
As the new CCTV has been in place for some months now we have noticed that there are some additional areas that need cameras along with some improvements. It is possible to include ANPR recognition to some installations and this too has been considered. Our aim is to provide the community with the best means possible to record crime that can be used to support Kent Police.
Greensands Meeting
Last month we held a regular meeting with the team from Greensands to discuss known issues residents had brought to our attention. HPC reported that there were many anecdotal reports of problems too. Greensands stated that the wait time at Linton is averaging 39 minutes and that there are 50 same day pharmacist appointments available every day in Headcorn which is “equal to attending the walk in clinic”. They also stated that they manage 12.5 thousand appointments a month from 27,000 patients and offer several options to patients. A new AI option called Andy is in its early stages too.
Unfortunately, Greensands is unable to attend our Annual Meeting of the Parish but will be sending a statement which will be read out.
Date for your Diaries
Please join us for our next exciting event at Parsonage Meadow for all the family! Music in the Meadow coincides with Maidstone’s Big Day Out on Saturday 13th June. We have bands booked and food trucks planning their menus, so please make sure you come along and join in the fun!
