Environment

CHURCH LANDWAY
With the installation of the low level lighting the parish council hope that residents now feel safer when walking in the area after dusk. 

Discussions are now underway in relation to the resurfacing of the area.  Enquiries are currently being made with Maidstone Borough Council as to whether the works will require planning permission.  Responses from the questionnaire at Bearsted Fayre show that residents would support this work, to be financed from parish council funds. 

CHURCH LANDWAY ALLOTMENTS FRUIT HEDGE
The parish council has secured 100m of fruit hedge from the Tree Council's Hedgerow Harvest Scheme.  This hedgerow will be planted to the eastern boundary of the  allotments to provide screening for the plots.

Hedgerow Harvest is a new project that builds on exciting work being carried out by The Tree Council as part of its Hedge Tree Campaign. The project will enable local people to access food for free on their doorstep, through the planting of a network of hedgerows across the region,  and encourage residents to undertake projects in their communities.

The project will:

  • Promote the use of hedgerow produce by providing advice and information on a hedgerow harvest website
  • Produce a collection of recipes collected from Tree Wardens and Tree Council members to inspire more people to collect hedgerow produce
  • Develop 10 demonstration hedge projects that can be accessed by interested local community and school groups
  • Provide advice about what to grow and how to plant and maintain a productive hedge
  • Enable community groups to plant productive hedges
  • Produce a hedgerow harvest teachers pack with lesson plans that meet the needs of key stage 3

It is planned that this hedge will be planted by residents and volunteers from the BTCV in November.

SPONSOR A SEAT
There are already a number of sponsored seats around the parish in the public open spaces i memory of those who have passed away.  The attached guidelines refer to seats for The Green, Play Area, Pond Area and those other public open spaces owned by the Parish Council.  For more information contact the Clerk.

The Parish Council is also looking at SPONSOR A TREE whereby individuals can have a tree planted in memory also.  More information to follow.

Flytipping and Waste Carriers

 

Fly-tippers are spoiling beautiful countryside across Kent and further afield. It costs local authorities £44 million to clean up every year and the Government has issued new powers to help prevent it.

If you see someone flytipping, do not confront them, but note the description and registration of any vehicle involved, what the person looks like and the time and place. Please pass this information to your local Reactive Pollution Team at Maidstone council.

If the rubbish appears to be hazardous (chemical drums, for example) or there is a vast quantity of it (more than a lorry load) contact the Environment Agency's 24-hour hotline on 0800 807060.

Builders, plumbers, gardeners and other people who take materials from your home or business withiout holding a valid licence already face prison or large fines. But householders who use unregistered waste carriers, knowingly or otherwise, can now be prosecuted and fined up to £5,000. Some will carry a copy of their waste carrier licence with them, but you should make sure it is genuine by calling the Environment Agency on 08708 506506.

If the carrier cannot tell you their licence number, the Agency can check using the name of the company or individual. Some operators may tell you the job is too small to require a licence or claim they are exempt from the legislation. But exemptions also need to be registered and you should always check, to protect yourself from prosecution.

BE A RESPONSIBLE DOG OWNER - A MESSAGE FROM THE MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL SENIOR ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT WARDENClean it up! logo

Estimates put the British dog population at around 7.4 million, producing 1000 tonnes of excrement per day.  Maidstone Borough Council alone collectes 90 tonnes per year from its 350 dog bins, this is in addition to those dog bins owned by parish councils which are emptied independently.

Generally dogs over 1 year old only need feeding once a day, usually in the evening. (However, there are dogs, particularly small breeds, or those receiving veterinary treatment that may only eat a small amount at mealtime and it may be necessary to feed twice a day.)

It is also a fact that dogs instinctively go to the toilet where they live, as they did not wish to warn their prey or enemies that they were in the area where they hunt.

We do want dog owners and their dogs to enjoy the Council's recreation areas to walk and play.  However, we do not want them to use the leisure areas specifically to urinate and defecate.

There are four things to remember to teach your dog.

  1. To go to the toilet where the public do not go.
  2. Give your dog his daily feed just before the walk.  Within minutes your dog will need to relieve itself.  After feed, indicate and tell him to go to toilet in a small area of your garden or a place the public do not go, cleaning up as soon as the dog has relieved itself.
  3. Do not let your dog sniff where other dogs have fouled, if your dog goes to relieve itself, just say no and move on.  You may need to keep your dog on a lead for a couple of weeks, until he gets use to this tupe of walk.  You will always need to take a bag with you in case he also needs to go while out.
  4. Once you return home allow the dog time to relieve himself again.  Clean off the area, and put it in a tied plastic bag in the rubbish.

DOG OWNERS - WHAT YOU SHOULD DO

Owning a dog is fun and dogs can be great companions.  But dog ownership comes with a responsibility to clear up and train your dog to 'go' at home.  Worming your dog regularly is also important.

Toilet training:  Dogs are creatures of habit and whateve their age can soon learn a daily routine of feeding, sleeping and exercise.  If you toilet train your dog to 'go' at home this will soon become part of the daily routine.  When clearing up fouling in your garden, make sure you wrap it up well becore placing in your refuse sack.

NOT CLEARING UP DOG FOULING

Those who do not clear up after their dog know they are committing an offence and are very careful not to get caught.  If residents that live adjacent to the incidents of fouling are not aware of the culprits, it is virutally impossible to catch them in the act.  Should you or any other members of the public wish to contact the Civic Wardens directly, in confidence, with details of possible offenders, we may be able to obtain further information that can be used to issued fixed penalty fines of £50 to the offenders.

Dog fouling is consistently one of the highest sources of complaints by the public to MPs, local councillors and local authorities.  Estimtes put the UK dog population between 6.5 and 7.4 million, producing 1000 tonnes of faeces every day.  While local authorities are responsible for disposing of this waste our litter and dog bins will continue to be used well.

Dog bins have the effect of bringing more dog walkers to an area where bins are provided and adding to the problem rather than helping to solve it.  The provision of dog bins tends to say 'this is a suitable area for dogs to toilet', as a local authority we are saying that dog walkers should not use our public enjoyment areas as a dog toilet but teach there dogs to go home or toilet where the public don't go and still clean up, the more dog walkers in an area the more likely to find incidents that have not been cleaned up and although we do not promote it dog waste ina plastic bag can be put into litter bins.

 Dog bins can be found at:

  • Ashford Road -  footpath next to Gore Cottage
  • Rosemary Road open space
  • Merton Road - top end near shops
  • Button Lane
  • Church Landway - near BWT
  • Cross Keys - opposite no 35 on the grass
  • Elizabeth Harvie Field
  • Holy Cross Church - on left outside and in the church car park
  • Village Green - opposite Eylesden Court, opposite the pond and opposite the White Horse
  • Sharsted Way - on the bank on right hand side
  • Roseacre Lane - opposite no. 71
  • St Faiths Lane - footpath by white garage
  • Sutton Street - far end

If you wish to report  any littering or dog fouling please contact the Reactive Pollution Team at Maidstone Borough Council either by writing to them at Maidstone House, King Street, Maidstone, Kent ME15 6JQ; or telephoning on 01622 602202. 

For more information vist Keep Britain Tidy