Open Spaces, 13 April 2026

Including any interests not already registered.

Members of the public, and Members with prejudicial interests on items on the Agenda, may make representations, answer, ask questions and give evidence at this meeting in respect of items on the Agenda. (This is the only opportunity for the public to make a contribution during the meeting.) Both public and Members are limited to three minutes each to speak, and the total time allocated for public questions shall not exceed 15 minutes unless directed by the Chairman of the meeting.

Attached is a copy of the income and expenditure to year-end.

Summary 2025-26:

Income total shows as down £4,482.83 as cemetery fees received were £1,005.20 less than budgeted and maintenance services down £3,203.40 due to loss of Leathermarket maintenance contract. Grass pitch grant is showing as down £7,680.00 as we have not received the grant from the FA yet.

Expenditure was less than budgeted due to underspend on:

• Salaries
• Vehicle costs
• Replacement equipment and tools
• Public street lighting 
• Projects in the 30 year maintenance plan

Do Members have any comments?

The recent playground inspections highlighted some maintenance requirements for certain items of play equipment in the Stangrove Park playground: Replacement chains, fixing and shackles for the basket swing, totalling £510.48.

Do members ratify the the above expenditure?

Routine seasonal works have continued across all Council sites including:

• Weed treatment
• Maintenance of planters throughout the town, including Doggetts Barn and cemetery beds
• Topping up of sunken graves
• Pruning of shrubs and bushes
• Pitch marking
• Grass cutting

The team has recently installed a new path at Mowshurst, improving year round access to the woodland and nature trail.

A top dressing machine was hired, and 20 tonnes of top dressing were applied to the Council’s football pitches at the Recreation Ground. Earlier in the year, a winter fertiliser was also applied to worn areas across all pitches. These works have been supported by the FA grant and continue to contribute to the ongoing improvement of pitch quality.

As part of the Council’s 130th anniversary, the team has rebuilt the gardener’s hand cart located in the courtyard at Doggetts Barn. The courtyard has also been jet washed, significantly improving its appearance. All benches have been sanded and re-oiled, and work has commenced on sanding and stripping the window frames in preparation for repainting.

The team has begun carrying out remedial works identified in a recent playground inspection. This has included replacing swing chains at the Recreation Ground and Stangrove Park.

I attended a one day training course on cemetery safety and memorial assessment, along with Ian. The training was insightful and means we now have an additional trained staff member able to carry out routine cemetery safety checks.

Spring pitch decompaction is scheduled for the week commencing 20th April, subject to suitable ground conditions. This will involve verti-draining pitches at Nomads and the Recreation Ground.

Two new wooden planters have been built and installed at the Market Yard car park. These frame the new archway and, together with the newly installed hanging baskets on the toilet block, enhance the overall appearance of the area.

The team has recently replaced several posts at Marsh Green. This is becoming a more frequent requirement due to ground conditions and the ageing of the posts.

A quote has been obtained for the annual selective weed spraying programme carried out on the Council’s sports pitches at The Recreation Ground, Blossoms Park, and Nomads. The quoted cost is £1,690, representing an increase of £10 compared to last year.

Do Members confirm to approve the budgeted expenditure of £1,690 for the annual selective weed spraying?

Summer Play Scheme: The Sevenoaks District Council (SDC) funded day, along with the three additional days have been booked in for 6, 13, 20 and 27 August. Additional activities and entertainment to be confirmed at the June meeting.

South and South East in bloom competition: Entered the cemetery, park, conservation and town centre categories for 2026 as approved by Members at the November 2025 meeting.

Hanging Baskets: At the January meeting, Members resolved to change hanging baskets suppliers for 2026. The hanging baskets for this year have now been arranged and are expected to be installed in early June.

Market Archway: The archway has now been installed in the Market Yard Car Park, along with the removable bollards.

New bins: Two new waste bins have been ordered for Stangrove Park and the old Police Station site.

January: 0 burials; 1 ashes interment.

February: 1 burial; 1 ashes interment.

March: 0 burials; 0 ashes interments.

10 year maintenance plan for 2026/27 budget allocation has allowed for:

• Skate park sheet repairs
• Re-paint Warden shelter exterior in Doggetts Barn Courtyard
• Re-point section of courtyard concrete slabs (carried over from 2025/26)
• Paths and roads repair in the Churchyard and Cemeteries (carried over from 2025/26)
• Mowshurst Car Park pothole repairs
• Biannual tree survey
• Updated playground signage
• Marsh Green Seats – refurbish and paint

30 Year maintenance plan for 2026/27 budget allocation has allowed for:

• Street light replacement programme
• Skatepark boundary fencing (carried over from 2025/26) if needed
• Churchyard wall repairs, if needed

Swan Lane renewals: Two tenants have vacated their plots. Both plots have now been allocated to new tenants.

Forge Croft renewals: These are managed by the EAGA (Edenbridge Allotment Garden Association).

We have been notified that both the EAGA Plot Officer and Secretary intend to step down from their positions this year. The Association is currently in the process of identifying replacements, and Committee will be updated in due course.

The attached policy was adopted by Committee in February 2022, to be reviewed annually.

Do Members confirm to continue with the Temporary Structures Policy, and remain under annual review?

Forge Croft Allotments have been experiencing issues with trespassing and vandalism, including damaged sheds and polytunnels. In March a tenants wooden shelter was burned down. The costs will fall to the plot holder, but is an incident for noting.

Over the weekend of 28 and 29 March and again on Monday 30 March, youths were seen digging holes and creating bike ramps at the Recreation Ground, causing damage to the grass, though they avoided the Rugby/Football pitches.

All incidents have been reported to the police. 

At the January meeting Members confirmed to approve the expenditure for a site visit from an external market sector specialist from NABMA (National Association of British Market Authorities). This site visit was carried out on 19 March to gain a detailed understanding of current issues and opportunities.

The advisor carried out discussions with officers on how to improve the market and will provide a report summarising key findings and recommendations which will presented to Committee at the June meeting.

At the September 2025 meeting, Members resolved to:

• Grant a one-year licence for the Lingfield Farmer's Market as a community based market in recognition of their stated aims
• Waive market pitch fees until April 2026 under the community category and for the arrangement to be reviewed at the April 2026 meeting
• To issue a refund to Lingfield Farmers Market for £75.00 (£100.00 had already paid for four market dates, less the £25.00 annual administrative fee)

The Lingfield Farmer's Market Operator has confirmed that the market will continue to operate as a community based market for 2026/27, and that they have made several charitable contributions over the past year (breakdown attached, confidential). They have also completed an updated market application form (attached, confidential) and have confirmed all relevant insurances are in place.

Members are asked to:

• Consider if Lingfield Farmer's market meets the community organisations criteria (as outlined in the policy 5.ii).
• To continue to waive the market fees under the community-based criteria.
• To confirm the market licence for the monthly Sunday market as a community-based group for a further year, to be reviewed in April 2027.

At a recent Councillors’ Surgery, a resident requested that seating be introduced in the Market Yard Car Park to provide a place for people to sit during market days.

In response, three bench options have been identified (see attached images), with associated costs:

Option A – A contemporary-style bench offering a wide choice of environmentally friendly recycled material slats and seat ends. Cost: £572.00

Option B – An environmentally friendly bench made from recycled materials, with a backrest. It is weather and vandal resistant and suitable for parks, community areas, shopping centres, and pavements. Cost: £608.40

Option C – A traditional outdoor bench designed for parks and public spaces. Cost: £657.05

As an alternative to permanent seating, Members may wish to consider temporary seating (e.g. two or three plastic chairs) on market days only, which could be stored away when not in use.

Members are asked to consider and determine:

• Whether to support the introduction of permanent seating in the Market Yard Car Park.
• If not, whether temporary seating should be provided on market days.
• If permanent seating is supported, which bench option is preferred.
• The preferred location for the seating within the car park.

The existing notice board in Stangrove Park had deteriorated significantly and had reached the end of its usable life. For safety and maintenance reasons, it has now been removed. The cost of a new notice board, comparable to the previous one, will be to be up to £1,300. This is unbudgeted but can be funded from the Open Spaces EMR.

Do Members confirm to approve the unbudgeted expenditure of up to £1,300 for a new notice board in Stangrove Park, funded from the Open Spaces EMR?

Quaife Woodlands have provided the cost for the two-yearly arboricultural tree survey for Town Council sites. They provide a detailed inventory and survey of all significant trees at the sites listed below, including adjacent neighbouring trees where they present a significant risk or major inconvenience to Council property. The sites are: Blossom Park, Marsh Green, Edenbridge Cemetery, Forge Green, Forge Croft Allotments, Stangrove Park, Swan Lane Allotments, Mowshurst and the Millennium Wood, Pound Green, and Lingfield Road Recreational Ground, along with the handful of trees in the Market Yard car park. The survey will record pertinent dimensions, species, estimated age, and condition.

Where a tree is identified as having a defect or other feature that constitutes a risk that requires attention they will provide a specification for remedial or preventative works together with a priority. They will provide a separate appendix listing all such works which can be used for tendering purposes. 

To allow for approximate number of trees to be around 500, the survey is offered at a fixed fee of £5,575 plus VAT. Quaife Woodlands have confirmed relevant insurances.

This survey would take place April/May 2026.

Do Members confirm Quaife Woodlands to once again undertake the tree survey and the budgeted expenditure of £5,575?

Quotes have now been obtained for the landscaping work for the Land outside Old Police Station (attached, confidential).

Works are to include shrub removal, tree stump removal, excavation of concrete, brickwork repairs and levelling the ground. There is currently £5,000 reserved for this project and it is proposed that the additional expenditure of up to £3,600 (depending on which contractor is appointed) be funded from the Open Spaces EMR, part of which includes a general Open Spaces fund.

Contractor A – £7,960

Contractor B – £7,050

Contractor C – £8,600

Members are asked to:

1. Confirm to approve the expenditure of up to £8,600 for the landscaping work for the Land outside the Old Police Station

2. Confirm to approve that the additional expenditure of up to £3,600 be funded from the Open Spaces EMR

3. Confirm a preferred contractor – A, B or C

Members are advised that the tender opportunity for the construction of a bandstand in Stangrove Park was published on 8 February and closed on 18 March.

A total of 18 companies requested tender documentation. Of these, two completed tenders were received (both attached as confidential documents, along with the design that the specification was based on).

Following evaluation:

Option A Matches the brief and is within the allocated budget.

Option B Matches the brief but significantly exceeds the allocated budget.

Members are asked to consider the submitted tenders and confirm whether to appoint Contractor A to deliver the project costing up to £41,478.70 funded by SDC and ETC CIL award?

Members are advised that the tender opportunity for the groundworks associated with the bandstand in Stangrove Park was published on 8 February and closed on 18 March.

A total of 20 companies requested tender documentation. Of these, two completed tenders were received (both attached as confidential documents).

Both submissions are within the allocated budget.

Option A is broadly in line with the expected cost for this work, based on guidance and initial quotations. The Open Spaces Officer met with this contractor at the site to discuss the project.

Option B is significantly lower in cost; however, it is understood that this contractor has not visited the site.

Members are asked to consider the submitted tenders and confirm which contractor they wish to appoint for the groundworks costing up to £20,740 funded by SDC and ETC CIL award?

Members are advised that the tender opportunity for the refurbishment and upgrade of Marsh Green Playground has now been published on the Government’s Contracts Finder portal.

The tender process is currently live, with a submission deadline of 29 May. Following the closing date, all received tenders will be evaluated in accordance with the Council’s procurement procedures.

A report summarising the submissions, together with a shortlist of tenderers, will be presented to the Committee at its June meeting, with a view to appointing a contractor and progressing the project to the delivery stage.

Do Members have any questions?

Members are asked to consider the attached report regarding the potential introduction of free dog waste bag dispensers at selected Council open spaces.

The report outlines the background to the issue of dog fouling, evidence from other councils, indicative costs, and the advantages and disadvantages of such a scheme. It also sets out a proposed pilot at three locations, together with associated costs and funding.

Do Members confirm to approve the proposed pilot scheme, including the purchase and installation of three dispensers and supply of bags as detailed and the expenditure of up to £793.74?

Last year we had two successful children's fun fairs, both were well attended. A reminder that when they were here, the children's fair was well received by the community, we had no issues, and they were accommodating with arrangements to protect the ground at Stangrove Park. Total income raised from the two fairs was £1,996.53.

They have once again requested to operate the fair in Stangrove Park from 2-4 May and 8-9 May.

Do Members confirm to permit the children's fun fair to operate in Stangrove Park from 28 April to 11 May, subject to receipt of insurances and risk assessments? 

The Marsh Green Church and Village Community have requested the use of Marsh Green on 18 July 2026, between 2.00pm and 5.00pm (with access for set up from 8.00am and take-down until 7.00pm), to hold a community fete, social and fundraising event, which will include a performance by the Town Band.

They have also requested permission to utilise the Council’s TN8 Premises Licence, which covers its open spaces for licensable activities.

Do Members approve the request for the Church and Village Fete at Marsh Green on 18 July 2026, along with the use of the Council's TN8 Licence, at no charge for a community event, subject to the provision of appropriate insurance documentation and risk assessments?​

The Town Band has made a request to hire Stangrove Park on Wednesday 24 June at 7pm (with Wednesday 1 July as a back up date in case of adverse weather) and Sunday 16 August at 2pm for performances.

Do Members approve the request for the Town Band to perform at Stangrove Park, at no charge for a community event, subject to the provision of appropriate insurance documentation and risk assessments?

At the November meeting, Members ratified an ETC CIL application for £40,000 to fund the vast majority of streetlight replacements on Cedar Drive and Park Avenue, the CIL application was approved. The CIL application for an additional streetlight in Church street was also approved, when this work has been booked a further update will be provided.

The 2025/26 Streetlight programme has been completed. Column 50 in Four Elms Road has also been removed.

Do Members have any comments?