Edenbridge Town Council

Food Bank: The Town Council is delighted to be able to support the Edenbridge Food Bank with providing use of Rickards Hall as a collection point on Tuesday mornings. The Food Bank has recently joined the Trussell Trust, a UK-wide network of food banks providing emergency food parcels and practical support to help people in crisis. Photographed is a team of volunteers outside Rickards Hall today for its first session.

For more details on the Edenbridge Food Bank, please visit its website here: https://edenbridge.foodbank.org.uk/

New planning policy for Edenbridge 

Sevenoaks District Council has agreed a new planning policy for Edenbridge to ensure future developments conserve and enhance the town’s character. 

The Edenbridge Character Area Assessment (ECAA) identifies the distinct features of the town that contribute to its uniqueness.

It will now be used as a tool when considering planning applications so that future development reflects local character. 

The document was drawn up in partnership with Edenbridge Town Council and consulted on widely amongst residents and businesses last year. Sevenoaks District Council’s Cabinet approved the final ECAA on Thursday 18 March 2021.

Sevenoaks District Council Portfolio Holder for Development & Conservation, Cllr Julia Thornton, says: “We are really proud of this document. It’s thorough and informative and the interactive tool that accompanies it online is really efficient and easily accessible. A huge thank you should go to both Edenbridge Town Council and the officers at Sevenoaks District Council for delivering a safe public consultation during the pandemic, giving residents and businesses a voice in this process.”

Cllr Thornton adds: “The ECAA will, without a doubt, be a useful tool going forward to help ensure that new development in Edenbridge adds rather than detracts from the town’s distinctive character.”

To find out more about the Edenbridge Character Area Assessment and to use the interactive map visit www.sevenoaks.gov.uk/edenbridgecaa

Easter refuse collections 

Following the Easter bank holidays, there will be changes to rubbish, recycling and garden waste collection days across the District.

Revised collection days are:

Good Friday, 2 April – this collection will take place the next day, Saturday 3 April

Easter Monday, 5 April – all collections this week will be one day later than usual until Saturday 10 April.

Residents are asked to put their sacks out by 7am on their collection day to help prevent attracting animals and the build-up of litter.

Garden waste customers will need to put their bin or sacks out by 6.30am on their collection day.

http://cleanupsevenoaks.co.uk/events/sevenoaks-spring-clean

This year’s Annual Town meeting on 1 March was held using Teams Live. Guest speakers included Tom Tugendhat MP, County Councillor Peter Lake, Cllr Peter Fleming Leader of Sevenoaks District Council, and Cllr Margot McArthur speaking Environmental policies. Presentations were also received from West Kent HOUSE youth services, Eden Valley Museum, and Edenbridge Cricket Club. A copy of the slides is available here.

Questions were received either with registration or via the online chat facility. Click here for a summary of the questions and answers.

Feedback received after the event included:

Thank you to everyone who made the Annual Town Meeting happen. I think it worked brilliantly so well done to you all.

Well done to you all. Got to say I found it so much easier listening whilst keeping little one entertained. Certainly, a better way for some to listen to what’s been going on and what is happening.

This meeting was a great way to hear about our town.

Lovely to hear some friendly voices. What a very informative meeting. I hope it can always be held like this in future. Well done ETC.

Well done for Annual Town Meeting last night.  From the “watcher” point of view it worked just fine – lots of information from all the speakers. It was interesting as catch-up on the past year.

Really informative meeting – great to hear the finances so well explained. Glad you and volunteers all got a mention – the council have been outstanding this year.

The census is coming on Sunday 21 March.

By filling in your census, you will help shape your community for the next 10 years.

The census is for everyone.

It’s a unique survey that happens every 10 years and gives us a snapshot of all the people in England and Wales.

It tells us what our needs are – helping inform decisions about services, like healthcare.

Your census information is protected by law.

In fact, it’s a crime for anyone to share your personal information.

Nearer the time, you will receive a letter with an access code to take part online.

There’s plenty of help available for those who need it.

Find out more at www.census.gov.uk

Garden and Waste Bags: From Monday 8 March, the Town Council Offices will be selling the black, clear and garden waste bags. The correct money will need to be put in an envelope and posted through the letter box next to the office door. Residents are reminded to wear a face mask and wait outside the office. Ring the door bell or knock on the office door and a member of staff will attend to you. Roll of black bags £1.50. Roll of Clear recycling bags £0.50; Garden bags are £0.62 each or £15 for 25 bags.

Contactless card payments are available form 11 March.

New guidance on reopening businesses and venues in England 
Further to the release of the UK Government’s COVID-19 four-step plan to ease lockdown in England, new guidance on reopening businesses and venues in England has been published. Please see a summary of the relevant guidance for tourism businesses below. We will continue to keep you informed as more information becomes available.

Step 1 – from 8 March
Businesses permitted to open remain the same as currently allowed.

From 29 March
People can use these venues in a group of six people, or with members of up to two households.

• Outdoor sport facilities: Gyms, swimming pools, sports courts (such as tennis and basketball courts), golf courses, including mini golf, water sports venues, climbing walls, driving and shooting ranges, riding arenas at riding centres, archery venues.

Step 2 – no earlier than 12 April
At this stage the venues must only be attended/used in line with the wider social contact limits – as a single household or bubble indoors; or in a group of six people or two households outdoors (unless an exemption exists).

• Self-contained holiday accommodationin which all facilities (including for sleeping, catering, bathing, and indoor lobbies and corridors for entry and exit) are restricted to exclusive use of a single household/support bubble can reopen.
• Outdoor areas at hospitality venues(cafes, restaurants, bars, pubs, social clubs, including in member’s clubs) can reopen, including for takeaway alcohol. These venues may allow customers to use toilets located inside. At any premises serving alcohol, customers will be required to order, be served and eat/drink while seated (“table service”).
• Outdoor attractions can reopen at adventure parks and activities, animal attractions (such as at zoos, safari parks and aquariums), drive in events, such as for cinemas, theatres, and other performances, film studios, funfairs and fairgrounds, model villages, museums and galleries, skating rinks, theme parks, trampolining parks, water and aqua parks.
• Permitted businesses operating in otherwise closed attractions – such as a gift shop or a takeaway kiosk at a museum may only open where they are a self-contained unit and can be accessed directly from the street.
• Outdoor gatherings or events, organised by a business, charity, public body or similar organisation, can be organised, subject to complying with COVID-Secure guidance including taking reasonable steps to limit the risk of transmission, complete a related risk assessment; and ensure that those attending do not mix beyond what is permitted by the social contact limits
• This could enable spectators at a grassroots sports match or a village fete, provided people do not mix beyond groups of six people or two households. 
• Indoor events that bring people together – even if they do not mix with other households – must not run until Step 3. However, at this point, funerals can continue to proceed with up to 30 attendees. Weddings, receptions, and commemorative events including wakes will be able to take place with up to 15 attendees (in premises that are permitted to open).
• Non-essential retail will reopen and includes retail travel agents.
• Personal care facilities and close contact services can reopen, including hair, beauty and nail salons, spas and massage centres (except for steam rooms and saunas), holistic therapy (including acupuncture, homeopathy, and reflexology).
• Indoor sports and leisure facilities will reopen including gyms and leisure centres, sports courts, swimming pools, dance studios and fitness centres, driving and shooting ranges, riding arenas, archery venues, climbing wall centres.

Step 3 – no earlier than 17 May
At this stage the venues must only be attended/used in line with the wider social contact limits – in a group of six people or two households indoors; or in a group of no more than 30 people outdoors (unless an exemption exists).

• Remaining holiday accommodation can reopen.
• Indoor areas of hospitality venues can reopen. As with outdoors, table service will be required.
• Indoor entertainment and visitor attractions can reopen, including cinemas, theatres, concert halls, museums and galleries, adventure playgrounds and activities, amusement arcades and adult gaming centres, bingo halls, casinos, bowling alleys, skating rinks, games, recreation and entertainment venues such as escape rooms and laser quest, play areas (including soft play centres and inflatable parks), model villages, snooker and pool halls, trampolining parks, water and aqua parks, indoor visitor attractions at theme parks and film studios, indoor attractions at zoos, safari parks, aquariums and other animal attractions, indoor attractions at botanical gardens, greenhouses and biomes, indoor attractions at sculpture parks, indoor attractions at landmarks including observation wheels or viewing platforms, indoor attractions at stately or historic homes, castles, or other heritage sites, conference centres and exhibition halls, including for the purposes of business events (subject to the capacity limits set out below).
• Remaining outdoor entertainment events, such as cinemas, theatres, and other performance events will also be permitted.
• Both outdoor and indoor gatherings or events, organised by a business, charity, public body or similar organisation can be organised, subject to them complying with COVID-Secure guidance.
• Spectators will be allowed at elite sporting events and performance events. Attendance at these events will be restricted to 50% of capacity up to 1,000 people for indoor events, and 50% of capacity up to 4,000 people for outdoor events. For outdoor events taking place in venues with seated capacity of over 16,000, event organisers may apply a 25% capacity cap, up to a maximum of 10,000 seated people.
• Large business events will also be able to go ahead, subject to the same capacity requirements as sporting events and performances.

Step 4 – no earlier than 21 June

• The hope at this stage is to reopen remaining settings such as nightclubs and adult entertainment venues.
• To lift the restrictions on social contact and large events that apply in Step 3. This is subject to the outcome of the Events Research Programme, and a review of social distancing measures.
• The Government will also look to relax COVID-Secure requirements on businesses, subject to the outcome of the reviews.