Latest News - (updated 14/11/08)
 
LATEST NEWS
 
For details of the Bulky Refuse Collection service click here
 
Your neighbourhood PCSO Toni Matthew holds a regular police surgery.
 
Future dates:
in the Green Room at the Village Hall 6.30-8.00pm on: Tuesday 4 November
 
in the Church Hall between 10.00 - 11.30am on Tuesday: 7 11 November
 
The surgeries give you a chance to raise any concerns you have about local policing issues. PCSO Toni Matthew will see people individually on a first come, first served basis.
 
PCSO Matthew is based at Tonbridge Police Station and can be contacted on 01732 379232 or email Tonbridge.neighbourhood@kent.pnn.police.uk

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CENTRE PIECE FOR KEYS November 2008
 
The Autumn colours have certainly been spectacular in West Wood this year. I always particularly look forward to the vibrant colours along the stretch behind the bus stop opposite the Flying Dutchman.
 
Talking about trees, you will have noticed the absence of replacement trees in the churchyard but not for much longer. They are to be planted on 20/21 November.
 
This time of year always leads to endless 'cleaning up' jobs - raking up leaves, clearing out gutters etc. and many of you will have noticed the Environment Agency has been very busy in our area clearing ditches such as that along the edge of Stocks Green School and in the Brookmead/Leybank area. There are, however, several ditches which fall to the responsibility of the landowner, for example to the rear of Brookmead/Hilden Park Road area. The Environment Agency are to contact householders in this area to ask them to ensure their stretches of the ditch are kept clear. This is very important as many of you know from experience when your garden or house is flooded following heavy rain. Even if you have not received a letter and know you have a stream running through you garden it would be a good idea to check that a crossover, leaves, foliage etc are not obstructing its flow which could result in flooding up stream. The Parish Council's particular concern is those houses in Stocks Green Road backing onto West Wood where the stream runs along the boundary fence - please make sure it is kept clear.
 
The new playground in West Wood designed by pupils from our local primary schools is now one step nearer construction. The terms of the final quotation have been agreed by the Parish Council and are awaiting approval by Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council and the Big Lottery Fund. This should all shortly be underway with the signing of a legal agreement with the Borough Council to release the funding from the Big Lottery Fund. Construction could be commenced in approximately two to three months time. We are hopeful that work will be completed for a Spring opening. It will be very exciting for us all to watch the progress but particularly so for all the pupils who contributed to its design in some way, either directly with the design or through the school discussion prior to drawing up the plans.
 
There have, once again, been incidents of vandalism in the Recreation Ground after a period of relative quite this summer. Maybe the new youth group has provided some experiences and activities to keep bored minds stimulated or maybe the wet and cold summer had something to do with it. It has made such a difference to users of the area, particularly children in the playground. The vandalism this time has resulted in the Gardeners' store roof suffering breaks in several places and windows broken by gun pellets. The latter is very concerning since shooting in such a public place risks hitting a child or adult using the area. The police have been informed and are investigating the matter.
 
At the Parish Council meeting several maintenance issues were agreed. The picnic tables will be renovated, guttering cleaned and sealed, repairs made to the gate at West Wood, the ball court edging cleared of weeds to help solve the flooding problem and several minor repairs raised by the RoSPA safety check on play equipment, paths etc.
 
There was a lengthy discussion on the state of the gravestone of the railway workers killed in an accident in 1898 by the Churchyard Committee and the Parish Council. It seems that the inscription has suffered from frost damage, is lifting and will soon be completely destroyed. This headstone is of historical importance but is seems difficult to find anyone to accept responsibility for its repair.
 
There has been good news about the war memorial which has now been renovated. The oldest names have been saved from obliteration having been re-carved and cleaning undertaken of other areas. The Parish Council have been given permission to replant the borders around the memorial and so by the time you read this it should look very well cared for once again.
 
I know many of you have recently been very well aware of numerous highway problems. There have been overhanging hedges, blocked gullies, pot holes, street lights illuminated at the wrong times or not at all etc. It has been a great struggle to get any of these faults rectified but we have been assured by Kent Highway Services, at a meeting this week, that this is set to improve with their reorganisation which provides a central reporting system and a team consisting of an engineer, inspectors and liaison officer for our area. During this meeting Steve Horton, Education, Training and Publicity Officer, gave a most informative presentation on the reasons for accidents. It stunned the whole audience to silence when faced with the effects of speeding, the number of seriously injured and killed in the county (although evidently falling), and the stopping distances when drivers are impaired by drugs, alcohol, using hand free phones and mobile phones. Can you guess which has the worst effect? I was wrong and was amazed to hear that using a mobile phone increased the stopping distance by far the greatest distance, even hand free phones were not far behind. Most accidents it seems are due to human behaviour, speed causing or being a contributory factor to the majority of accidents.
 
Did you know planning regulations have changed as from 1 October. They are far too complicated to explain here but I am sure anyone contemplating alterations or additions to their homes will contact Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council, Planning Department for advice.
 
And finally, we were all very sad to hear that Geoff Watts is no longer to be Hildenborough's own reporter for the Courier. Many of us rely on his column for news of happenings and events in the village. The Parish Council thanked him for his valuable contribution and wished him a successful retirement.