Important Notice

The Parish Council's email address has changed to [email protected], please amend your records accordingly.

 

** Important Notice**

 

Santa's Grotto

Santa will be visiting Harrietsham Village Hall on Sunday 22nd December 2024.  Visits to the grotto are by appointment only, so please contact Cllr Tim Griffiths to book a slot between 10am and 4pm.  His details are as follows:

Mobile: 07793 240529

Email:  [email protected]

There is only a limited number of spaces and there are half hour slots across the day to reduce the number of people waiting at any given time.  Refreshments will be available during the day and a donation would be gratefully received.  There will also be a number of stalls in the hall from you visit.

This is a free event, organised by the Parish Council, for toddlers and primary age school children who live in Harrietsham, who will each be given a chocolate selection box.  Should you wish to provide a present for Santa to give to your child, please make Tim aware of this when booking your slot.

 

Harrietsham’s Parish Warden

Residents may recall that, during 2023, Kent County Council began a review of the Community Warden Service.  This review reduced the number of Wardens across the whole of Kent from 70 to just 32, with those remaining being placed using a Geographic Allocation Policy.  This ensured that the surviving Wardens would be based in the areas most in need.

At the time, the Parish Council requested that as many residents as possible responded to the consultation to try to protect the service which is currently seen in the village but, unfortunately, this was unsuccessful and the updated Warden Service will begin to roll out during June 2024.

The Parish Council was very concerned about the negative impact that this new service would have on the village, as we would lose our own Community Warden, Martin Sherwood, who residents have come to rely on during the 13 years he has been operating jointly in Harrietsham and Lenham.

We are therefore very pleased to announce that the Parish Council has made the decision to employ our own Parish Warden, who will start at the end of May.  You will all find his face very familiar, as Martin has made the decision, after many years of service with Kent County Council, to accept this new part-time role (3 days a week) and will be based solely in Harrietsham. 

Residents won’t see much of a difference in the service offered, the new Parish Warden will still attend the various clubs, as he does presently, and will still be contactable to discuss any concerns you have on a vast array of topics.  Hopefully Martin will now have the opportunity to be out and about in the Community more, so you may see him walking around the village.

The new contact details for Martin Sherwood, Harrietsham's Parish Warden, are as follows:

Mobile: 07724 544409

Email Address: [email protected]

 

Ongoing Issues with the Maidstone Borough Council

Refuse Collection Service

The Parish Council is aware that some residents are still having issues with their bins not being emptied.  Borough Cllrs Tom & Janetta Sams are continuing to monitor the areas in the village which are still being missed and reporting them directly to the Waste Team at the Borough Council. 

If you are still being affected, please either contact the Parish Clerk with the details (clerk@harrietshamparishcouncil,gov,uk) and Amanda will pass on the information or alternatively contact Tom and Janetta directly ([email protected]).

 

 

Asian Hornet (Vespa Velutina)

Asian Hornets are an invasive non-native hornet, originally from Asia, which is a highly aggressive predator.  This poses a significant threat to honey bees and other pollinators.  There have been sightings of the hornet in Kent and residents are being asked to report any sightings immediately.  Further details can be found in the attached leaflet (above).

Report by email: [email protected]

(or) Online: www.nonnativespecies.org/alerts/asianhornet

 

Petrol Pumps in West Street

The Parish Council has received the following message from Southern Lightning Engineers Ltd, who are based in West Street: 

"As I’m sure you know, we have two of the oldest petrol pumps just outside our building, which we love and are very much part of the village.  We have decided to have them professional restored, as they are becoming a little rusted, not surprisingly after 75 years.  So, in the next few weeks, they will disappear and make their way to Devon, where they will be lovingly and fully restored to their former glory by two very enthusiastic restorers; before being reinstalled in the same place.

There will be a complete book on the process which anyone will be welcome to come and look at, once the process is finalised.  We need to keep these landmarks safe and in good condition as part of the Harrietsham heritage." 

The Company has said that anyone who wishes to, is most welcome to take photos of the pumps before they are removed.

 

Coronation Coins

The Parish Council would like to give each child in the village, aged 11 and under (in Yr 6 or below), a coin to commemorate the Coronation of King Charles III.  Most children will receive these through Harrietsham Primary School or either of the two pre-schools in the village.  If you have a child in this age group, who does not attend any of these settings, then please contact the Parish Clerk by email ([email protected]) to arrange for one to be set aside. 

When emailing, please use the subject heading 'Coronation Coin' and include your contact details, address, child's name and age.

 

Important Notice

Parish.UK Network Website

It has come to the attention of Parish Clerks in the country that a website has been set up by Parish.UK Network, which implies it is working in conjunction with Parish Councils.  The information on the website is inaccurate and is not linked in anyway to Local Government offices.  It has been reported that, in some areas, the site requests users to sign up to their directory, which can entail costs, thinking that the money will go to their local Parish Council.  This is not the case and we would ask that the site is not accessed (and no payments made) to protect residents in the village.  

Parish.UK Network is a fraudulent website, which is being investigated by the National Trading Standards E-Crime Team.

This website is the only one used by the Parish Council and all information is kept as up to date as possible.  If you have any concerns, then please contact the Parish Clerk ([email protected])

 

 

 

 

Advice regarding E-Scooters

The following was copied from the Kent Police Website;

Electric scooter owners in Maidstone are reminded to comply with the law and be considerate of other road users.

The warning is issued after police community support officers seized an e-scooter from a child after he was seen riding it in a dangerous manner in Plains Avenue, on Wednesday 2 December 2020.  The boy had been advised by the same officers regarding a similar incident a few days earlier. His parent was asked to attend the police station to retrieve it and they received guidance regarding their son's conduct.

Inspector Stephen Kent of Maidstone's Community Safety Unit said: 'In the town centre and surrounding housing estates we have been receiving reports of the antisocial and dangerous use of e-scooters.
'Owners should be aware that these currently fall under the same laws and regulations that apply to all motor vehicles. This means for use on a public road the user requires insurance, vehicle tax, a driving licence and registration.'

Illegal use

The use of e-scooters on pavements, in cycle lanes and in pedestrian-only areas is illegal and, in general, they should only be used on private land with the landowner’s permission.

Inspector Kent continued: 'Our officers will be stopping and giving words of advice to e-scooter users and will seize the equipment where offences have been committed.  Where appropriate, persistent offenders or dangerous riders can be issued with a fixed penalty notice or receive a traffic offence report.'

 

The following is a summary copied from the .gov.uk website.

“Powered transporters” is a term used to cover a variety of novel and emerging personal transport devices which are powered by a motor, including e-scooters. 

Given how powered transporters are motorised and designed, they fall within the legal definition of a “motor vehicle”. Therefore the laws that apply to motor vehicles apply to powered transporters.

It is illegal to use a powered transporter:

• on a public road without complying with a number of legal requirements, which potential users will find very difficult
• in spaces that are set aside for use by pedestrians, cyclists, and horse-riders; this includes on the pavement and in cycle lanes

Any person who uses a powered transporter on a public road or other prohibited space in breach of the law is committing a criminal offence and can be prosecuted.

It is legal to use a powered transporter:

• on private land with the permission of the land owner

Please specifically note the following;

“If the user of a powered transporter could meet these requirements, it might in principle be lawful for them to use public roads. However, it is likely that they will find it very difficult to comply with all of these requirements, meaning that it would be a criminal offence to use them on the road.”

The term “powered transporters” does not include electrically assisted pedal cycles (EAPCs), which have their own regulatory framework.