Author: admin

Residents urged to comment on new Local Plan

Post author By admin
Post date November 27, 2023

Sevenoaks District Council has drafted a new Local Plan to cover the period up to 2040 – an important document that sets out what can be built and where over the next 15 years.

A ‘Pop-up’ session, where you can find out more about the latest version of the Plan and comment, will be held on: Wednesday 6 December 2023, 4.30pm to 7.30pm at the Eden Centre, Four Elms Road, Edenbridge, TN8 6BY

Sevenoaks District Council says: “This Local Plan consultation, called ‘Regulation 18 (Part 2)’ continues to focus on development opportunities in built up areas but also considers Green Belt land in the most suitable and sustainable locations, on the edge of existing settlements including land that may already have been built on.”

View the Plan and take part in the survey by midnight on 11 January 2024

HAVE YOUR SAY BY TAKING PART IN THE SURVEY

Potential development sites

Edenbridge residents may be keen to view Page 55 of the Plan 2040 as it lists the sites that are being proposed for potential development (below).

Sites proposed for potential development

Town Council Response

In the initial Regulation 18 Consultation held earlier this year, Edenbridge Town Council already commented on SDC’s housing density proposals, and made representation on the Plan’s vision for the high street. The Town Council will now thoroughly review the new Plan documents and consider its full response to this consultation. On initial inspection, the Council is disappointed to see the number of houses that are being potentially proposed for development on Green Belt land in Edenbridge and believes that future housing need should already be met by the new Four Elms development and other sites in the town. Over the coming weeks Councillors will be considering which sites they may wish to object to and those they feel they could support as being more suitable for development. To this end, Town Councillors have agreed to engage a consultant to ensure we can submit the best possible representation for Edenbridge. The Council is also keen to ensure that the views of those living in Edenbridge are heard at district level and would encourage all residents to complete the survey.

BACKGROUND

Regulation 18 Consultation (Part 1)
Earlier this year we encouraged all residents to find out more about the Local Plan proposals and to complete the initial consultation survey. The Town Council also submitted its response to Sevenoaks District Council, including comments on SDC’s housing density proposals and vision for the high street. View Edenbridge Town Council response

Regulation 18 Consultation (Part 2)
Feedback from the initial Regulation 18 (Part 1) consultation was presented to Sevenoaks District Council’s Development and Conservation Advisory Committee on 11 July. At a further meeting on 31 October 2023, district councillors approved the next stage of consultation on the Local Plan, which focuses on housing development. This is running from 23 November 2023 to 11 January 2024.

The Local Development Scheme (LDS, July 2022) outlines the timetable and the next steps for the Local Plan:

• Reg.18 (Draft Local Plan consultation – Part 2) – autumn/winter 2023

• Reg.19 (Plan publication) – spring 2024

• Reg.22 (Submission) – summer 2024

Tags Consultation, Local Plan, Plan 2040, Sevenoaks District Council

Community News Market

A very festive Edenbridge Market

Post author By admin
Post date November 26, 2023

Support your local High Street and market this Christmas by shopping local

Come along to shop seasonal produce for your festive meals as well as gifts, plants and decorations. Pick up some delicious treats (you might not be able to save them for Christmas!) and enjoy some hot food and refreshments.

Eden Songsters and A Capella Choir will be singing traditional carols and popular Christmas songs on Thursday 14 December (11 am to 11.40 am) There will also be a festive area with a North Pole letterbox for all those letters to Father Christmas. View more details about Letters to Father Christmas

Check what stallholders are attending each week by visiting www.edenbridgemarket.co.uk or follow Edenbridge Market on Facebook.

For more places to shop in Edenbridge visit www.visitedenbridge.com/shop

The last market for the year will be Thursday 21 December, returning 4 January 2024.

The market runs Every Thursday from 8am to 2.30pm (some stallholders stay later) at Market Yard Car Park, off the High Street TN8 5BB. Free parking available.

Tags Christmas, Edenbridge Market, Letters to Father Christmas, Letters to Santa

Community News Market

Post your letter to Father Christmas!

Post author By admin
Post date November 26, 2023

A message from the Elves to the children of Edenbridge

If you’d like to tell Father Christmas about all the kind things you have done this year, you can send a letter via the festive Edenbridge post box. All mail will get sent 1^st class directly on the North Wind from Edenbridge to Mrs Claus (because let’s face it – she’s the one that sorts out all of Santa’s admin for him!) Bring your own letter and pop it in the box – perhaps on the way to/from school – or come along to our North Pole Post Office at Edenbridge Market and craft your letter there – a nice little activity for little ones.

The North Pole letterbox will be at the market on Thursday 30 November as well as 7 and 14 December, 11 am to 1 pm.

*Dear Parents – Father Christmas won’t be able to send a reply, but he hopes this activity will bring some festive happiness to the children of Edenbridge.

Visit Edenbridge Market again on 21 December and we’ll have some token gifts to hand out to all our small letter writers that have posted a letter!

Tags Christmas, Christmas Post Box, Edenbridge Market, Letter to Father Christmas, Letter to Santa

Community News Waste Collections

Council services this Christmas

Post author By admin
Post date November 26, 2023

useful contacts & emergency numbers

Festive waste collections 2023

Sevenoaks District Council’s staff will be working extra days over Christmas and the New Year so you don’t miss a waste and recycling collection.

Most collections will take place a day later than usual except the Christmas day collection on Monday 25 December, which will take place earlier on Saturday 23 December.

If you use the Garden Waste Collection Service, the same changes will apply.

Please refer to the table to the below for details:

Your normal day	Your revised collection day
Friday 22 December	No change, normal collection
Monday 25 December (Christmas Day)	Saturday 23 December
Tuesday 26 December (Boxing Day)	Wednesday 27 December
Wednesday 27 December	Thursday 28 December
Thursday 28 December	Friday 29 December
Friday 29 December	Saturday 30 December
Monday 1 January	Tuesday 2 January
Tuesday 2 January	Wednesday 3 January
Wednesday 3 January	Thursday 4 January
Thursday 4 January	Friday 5 January
Friday 5 January	Saturday 6 January
From Monday 8 January	Normal collection days resume

Please put your sacks out at 7am on your collection day to help prevent attracting animals and the build-up of litter.

To view your collection days online, visit www.sevenoaks.gov.uk/collectiondays

Christmas tree collections

Three, FREE ways to dispose of your real Christmas tree

There are lots of options available to recycle your real Christmas tree for free after this year’s festivities have ended.

Option 1 – Sevenoaks District Council’s Garden Waste collection service (for permit holders only)

If you hold a Garden Waste collection permit, simply place the tree in or next to your green bin and it will be picked up on your usual collection days throughout January.

Trees with a trunk of up to 90mm (3.5”) in diameter can be taken.

Option 2 – Take your tree to a local collection point

Take your tree to one of the District Council’s collection points and they will take if off your hands.

Sevenoaks District Council can take trees with a trunk of up to 90mm (3.5”) in diameter.

christmas tree collection points

Crockham Hill Deanery Road, TN8 6RE	Thursdays 11 and 18 January 8am to 8.45am
Edenbridge Leisure Centre Car Park. Wellingtonia Way, TN8 5RE	Thursdays 11 and 18 January 9am to 9.45am
Four Elms Layby by St Paul’s Church, Bough Beech Road, TN8 6NE	Thursdays 11 and 18 January 10am to 10.45am
Marsh Green Marsh Green Road Layby TN8 5QR	Thursdays 11 and 18 January 11am to 11.45am
Cowden Memorial Hall, Chantlers Mead, TN8 7HU	Thursdays 11 and 18 January 12.30pm to 1.15pm
Hever Recycling site, Hever Castle Car Park, Hever Road, TN8 7NH	Fridays 12 and 19 January 7.30am to 8.15am
Chiddingstone Richards Close, TN11 8LF	Fridays 12 and 19 January 8.30am to 9.15am
Penshurst Penshurst Road layby, TN11 8DB	Fridays 12 and 19 January 9.30am to 10.15am
Fordcombe Village Hall, The Green, TN3 0RT	Fridays 12 and 19 January 10.30am to 11.15am
Leigh Recycling site, Crandalls, TN11 8RF	Fridays 12 and 19 January 11.30am to 12.15pm

Option 3 – Take your tree to a Household Waste Recycling Site

Take your tree to one of Kent County Council’s Household Waste Recycling Sites (informally known as the tip or the dump). They will take larger trees that are too big for Sevenoaks District Council to collect.

Visit www.kent.gov.uk/recycling or call 03000 41 73 73 to book a slot.

Tags Christmas Hours, Christmas waste and recycling

Community News grants

Council grant supports improvements at St Paulinus Centre

Post author By admin
Post date November 8, 2023

Cllr Bob Todd (2nd from right) and Cllr Angela Baker (3rd from right), St Paulinus Centre

Having unanimously supported a bid for a £5000 grant earlier this year, Edenbridge Town councillors are happy to see that users of the Paulinus Centre in Marlpit Hill are now benefitting from a new floor. Edenbridge Town Council Chairman Cllr Bob Todd and Vice-Chair Cllr Angela Baker attended an open morning on 27 October, along with other funders, to view the new flooring, updated heating and paintwork.

John Nutting, chair of St Paulinus management committee said: “It was clear a couple of years ago that the condition of the hall’s floor, vital to the dance school, was deteriorating due to wet rot and that temporary corrective action couldn’t continue indefinitely. It was decided by the committee in 2022 that the only way forward to secure the future of the hall was to completely replace the floor structure.”

Chairman Cllr Bob Todd, said: “St Paulinus Centre is a well-used community facility, and we hope that everyone will enjoy the improved space.”

The centre has been providing services to the local community for many years, and currently hosts the St Paulinus Pre-School, the Cora Art Theatre dance school and pilates sessions. In the past the hall has been used for mother-and-baby groups, judo classes, art classes, a philately group along with quiz nights and fund-raising activities. It has been a venue for pre-school children for about 40 years.

“With increased local development we are sure that demand on this facility will grow even further, so we were pleased we could provide this funding through monies we’ve received from developers via the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL),” added Cllr Todd. “I would encourage community groups to consider applying for CIL funding when we announce that applications are open throughout the year, so that they too might benefit from such improvements.”

View full details about CIL funding and eligibility criteria

Tags CIL

Community Safety Environment

Stay prepared for winter weather such as Storm Ciaran

Post author By admin
Post date November 1, 2023

With heavy winds and high rain due to arrive on Thursday 2 November as a result of storm Ciarán, now is a good time to think about general preparations for winter weather. You may find the following the information helpful:

Visit the Kent Prepared website for lots of useful advice about staying prepared during flooding, high winds, extreme cold and snow.

View our Contacts List to get emergency numbers and contact details for utility providers: What We Do & Contacts – Edenbridge Town Council

Read our Flood advice: Flood advice and information – Edenbridge Town Council “Floodsax” are available to purchase from the Council office at Doggetts Barn, 72A High Street, Edenbridge. A pack of 5 can be purchased for £25

UK Power Networks (UKPN)

The UK’s electricity network is built to be resilient but strong winds and heavy rain can bring down branches and trees, damaging overhead power lines. Where this happens UKPN works to restore power as quickly and safely as possible.

They have organised for additional staff in their contact centre and more engineers on the ground, particularly for Storm Ciarán, to be available to help customers whose electricity supply might be affected by the predicted weather.

You can find regular updates and information about individual power cuts on their website www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk They will also be posting general updates on their social media @UKPowerNetworks .

Anyone experiencing a power cut should:

• Visit www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk to view the live power cut map, with details of individual power cuts or to report a power cut

• Call 105 free of charge to report damage to the network or speak with a customer service representative

• Tweet @UKPowerNetworks to report a power cut or to receive updates

People are advised to stay clear of power lines and report damaged power lines immediately by calling 105 free from either a landline or a mobile phone. If you see an electricity lines that is down or causing significant risk to the public you should call 999.

Extra help is given to customers on the Priority Service Register during a power cut. Households with people of pensionable age, those with a health condition, have children under five living with them, or someone in the household who uses medical or mobility equipment that requires electricity, as well as those who may be in vulnerable circumstances during a power cut, can join the register. You can find out more information about the Priority Service at www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/priority

Edenbridge Market is cancelled on Thursday 2 November

Tags Storm Ciaran, Winter weather

Community News

Remembrance Sunday – 12 November 2023

Post author By admin
Post date November 1, 2023

The Town Council has been working in partnership with the Royal British Legion and local groups to coordinate this year’s act of remembrance in Edenbridge on Sunday 12 November.

At 10.30 am there will be a march from Leathermarket car park to the War Memorial Hospital (with road closure), followed by a wreath-laying service at 11.00 am.

The whole community is invited to join, but please be advised that there will be limited parking available at the War Memorial Hospital. Instead, you should park in the town. Those who need to travel by car should arrive at the memorial by 10.30am to avoid the road closure.

Help with Transportation

A Scouts minibus will lead the parade, with limited seats available for those with walking mobility issues. These should be booked in advance via this booking form. Alternatively, please email chris.barrow@sevenoaksscouts.org.uk or telephone 07746 816092.

transport booking request form

Remembrance schedule

Morning

10.15 am: Community groups gather at Leathermarket car park

10.30 am: Scouts lead march to War Memorial Hospital

10.45 am: Arrive at War Memorial Hospital, and gather around memorial

10.50 am: Church service and playing of Last Post

11.00 am: Last Post and two-minute Silence followed by wreath-laying, prayers and National Anthem

11.15 am: March back to the Leathermarket car park

Afternoon

2.30 pm: Service of Remembrance at St Peter and St Paul’s Church. Music by Edenbridge Town Band. There will also be a cascade of poppies on display.

Working in partnership

Thank you to all the organisations and volunteers that are helping to make this possible including the Royal British Legion, Edenbridge Bonfire Society, Edenbridge Scouts and Girl Guides, St Peter & St Paul’s Church, Edenbridge Town Band, Edenbridge Town Councillors, Kent Police and Sevenoaks District Council.

download poster

Community Safety

Meet Edenbridge’s new Community Warden

Post author By admin
Post date October 30, 2023

Following the retirement of the town’s previous Community Warden, Kevin McGovern has now taken on this important role.

As a local resident, Kevin is well aware of some of the issues Edenbridge faces and is keen to build his presence around town.

“I’m looking forward to being as hands-on as possible in this role,” explains Kevin. “I’ll have a stand-out red and navy uniform so people will be able to easily spot me when I’m out and about, so please come and say hello and let me know about any issues you may have,” he adds.

Town Clerk, Caroline Leet, said: “We hope the people of Edenbridge will give Kevin a warm welcome. This is an important (part-time) role for our community providing a professional, knowledgeable link between residents, local agencies, voluntary groups, and the Police to promote community safety and improve the local community environment, as well as help work with partners to promote Building Bridges for a Dementia Friendly Edenbridge.”

Kevin has already arranged a litter pick since starting in the role earlier this month, and it’s an area he’s looking to focus on. He’s also hoping to visit local youth groups and schools to raise awareness about looking after our environment.

He’ll be attending the weekly Games Club for over 55s at Rickards Hall every Monday, and will be dropping in to community events and partnership meetings. Kevin will also be collecting data from our Speed Indicator Devices used to promote safer driving through the town.

Recruiting more volunteers is also something Kevin hopes to achieve. “A town is characterised by its residents and so far the people I have come across are genuinely very nice,” he says. “At the moment it seems we have a small core of people who do all the different volunteer jobs in the town so it would be great to try and get more people involved.”

Details about the Council’s Volunteering Policy and our commitment to you, can be viewed in our Policies Section. Volunteering opportunities include community litter pick, bulb planting, and speedwatch.

volunteering policy

Contact the Community Warden

You can get in touch with Kevin via email: communitywarden@edenbridgetowncouncil.gov.uk or by telephoning the Council office on 01732 865368
You may also like to Follow “Edenbridge Community Warden” on Facebook for updates.

Business & Employment Young People

Edenbridge Town Council welcomes first ever apprentice

Post author By admin
Post date October 30, 2023

Kai Day joins the Council’s Groundsteam as a Level 2 horticultural operative apprentice and will gain hands-on experience of looking after the town’s award-winning open spaces and sports pitches. He will help manage Edenbridge’s eight parks and greens, as well as five playgrounds, the Millennium Wood and Edenbridge Cemetery; learning skills such as grass cutting, refuse management, hedge and vegetation management, weeding, planting and sports pitch maintenance.

“I feel really pleased to have this opportunity of being the Town Council’s first apprentice and I’m looking forward to learning new skills,” said Kai.
“The team is very friendly and supportive and I believe I will learn a lot from their experience of grounds work through watching and interacting with them. I have grown up and lived in Edenbridge all my life so this makes me feel proud to look after grounds which people use frequently and to make the town have a nice environment.”

Head Groundsman, Craig Open, said: “We are really pleased to welcome Kai to the team and look forward to supporting him in his career development. We have lots of experience and skills within the team, so it’s rewarding to know that we can help guide the next generation of horticultural experts.”

Town Clerk, Caroline Leet, said: “As a Council we are keen to provide opportunities for all our staff, and this is especially exciting as we are supporting a young person to gain work skills and training through college. Apprenticeships are a great way for young people to gain professional qualifications as well as provide a way to earn while you learn, combining on-the-job training with off-the-job learning.

“Kai joins an award-winning team and will be learning from the best! Just earlier this year our Groundsteam were proud to receive two Silver-Gilt awards at the South & South East in Bloom Awards for Stangrove Park and Edenbridge Cemetery. The Council also achieved a ‘Good’ standard for all five of the football pitches at the Recreation Ground, Lingfield Road following a PitchPower assessment.” (Pitches are rated Good/Poor/Basic).

To find out more about apprenticeships, you can visit the government website: www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship