News

Funded by the Department for Work and Pensions on behalf of the UK government, the Household Support Fund scheme supports vulnerable Kent households in need of help with significantly rising living costs.

Kent’s Winter Energy Support Scheme has been extended until midday 21st March 24, or until funds have been spent.

You can either refer yourself to the scheme or refer someone as a professional.

If your application is successful, you will receive one £100 prepaid card per eligible household to be used towards energy costs.

You will be eligible for assistance if you:

• are aged 16 or over
• are a Kent resident, permanently living within one of the 12 local authorities covered by Kent County Council (this excludes Medway, Bexley, or Bromley)
• have a household income of less than £40,000 per annum before tax, including all benefits and employment income
• do not have more than £1000 in savings, not including funds you have identified for the payment of regular bills
• do not receive free school meals voucher support from your child’s school over the school holidays, for any child within your household
  are responsible for your household energy costs.

If you are referring yourself, you will need to provide proof of residence at a Kent address as part of your application. We expect professionals who are completing the application on behalf of someone else to check that recipients of support meet all the eligibility criteria.

If your family is eligible for benefits-related free school meals, you should already have received support, with schools already providing a £100 energy voucher per eligible child at the end of November 2023. If you receive benefits-related free school meals and have not received this support, contact kentfsmenquiries@kent.gov.uk for guidance.

Learn more and apply.

A petition to Kent County Council has been launched to support Sandgate Parish Council’s long standing campaign for a 20mph zone through Sandgate. That includes the A259 Sandgate Hill, Sandgate High Street and Sandgate Esplanade and better enforcement of the speed limit.

Sign the 20mph for Sandgate petition.

The petition has been set up using the Kent Petition scheme. It is designed to force Kent County Council to finally listen to our long standing campaign for Sandgate and implement a 20 mph scheme. The Kent Petition scheme says:

(a) Where the petition relates to a County Council matter that relates to a specific District Council area and contains at least 1,000 signatures it will be debated at the most appropriate local meeting (e.g. Joint Transportation Board).
(b) Between 2500 and 9999 signatures, the petition will be debated at the appropriate Cabinet Committee.
(c) 10,000 signatures or more, the petition will be debated at County Council.

We want as many signatures as we can to get this debated at the highest levels of Kent County Council.

How You Can Help the 20mph for Sandgate Campaign

Sign Our Petition online. We know the Kent Petition system currently has error messages on it, and it is not an easy one to use. But we have tested, many local residents have signed successfully. Please persevere!

Put up a poster encouraging others to sign online. You can download a copy of our poster below.

Print out a paper petition form for people to sign. You can download our paper petition form below (its designed to be printed double sided).

Please drop completed forms to Sandgate Parish Council & Library, James Morris Court, Sandgate High Street, Sandgate, Folkestone CT20 3RR. They will be collated and sent in to be added to the online signatories.

Please only sign the petition once online or on paper. Kent will remove duplicates so there is no advantage in doing so.

Find other ways to help our campaign at 20splentyforsandgate.org.uk.

Like and follow our 20’s Plenty for Sandgate Campaign Facebook Page.

Residents are being encouraged to make a note of changes to household waste and recycling collections in Folkestone & Hythe over Christmas and the new year.

Waste crews will empty bins, generally, two days later than usual in the week commencing Monday 25 December 2023 and then one day later than usual during week of Monday 1 January 2024.

This is to give our hard-working teams the opportunity to enjoy a well-earned break for Christmas. The revised timetable is as follows:

Household waste and recycling collections will return to normal on Monday 8 January 2024.

Garden waste collections are taking their usual break for Christmas, meaning there will be no service between Friday 22 December 2023 and Monday 8 January 2024

All of the changed dates can be found in the latest edition of Your District Today – distributed to all households in the district – and also by visiting the council’s MyAccount service.

Cllr Jeremy Speakman, Cabinet Member for Assets and Operations, said: “According to research, we all produce around 30% more waste over the Christmas period – making it even more important we reduce, reuse and recycle.

“Remember items such as Christmas cards, crackers (without the snaps), paper hats, non-glittery wrapping paper that scrunches and chocolate boxes can all be recycled.”

A free real Christmas tree recycling service will be available once again. Garden waste subscribers can leave theirs next to their bins once the service resumes, while non-subscribers should visit folkestone-hythe.gov.uk/christmas on the first week in January to arrange a collection.

Kent Speedwatch is a volunteer scheme to monitor and display the speed of passing traffic on selected roads.

A group of 3 people use a roadside speed indicator device to monitor and display the speed of approaching traffic. They note the details of those significantly in excess of the speed limit and pass those to the Police.

It acts as a good reminder to motorists to keep to the limit, and forms a base of data that Kent Police can see to understand if there is a lot of speeding in a certain road, and to target their resources at monitoring them. The Police cannot issue penalties on the basis of Speedwatch data alone, but can issue warnings.

Sandgate Parish Council has a part share in a Speed Indication Device, but haven’t run sessions for some time. We have a new Sandgate Kent Speedwatch Co-ordinator willing to run sessions running again, but to do so we need a group of volunteers willing to join the team.

Training takes a couple of hours, and we’d be hoping to run 2 or 3 Speedwatch sessions a month to start with: if we had 9 volunteers, that’s commitment to one 60-90 minute session a month.

Sessions only happen during daylight hours, in Police approved locations, with trained volunteers. You’ll never be working alone.

Would you register to get involved in helping our area cut traffic speeds with Speedwatch?

If you are willing to become a Sandgate Speedwatch volunteer you can register online. Please go to:

https://www.communityspeedwatch.org/

..and select “register” on the top menu. On the next page, select “Join and Existing Group” on the left.

• On the next page, select “Kent” from the “Force” list, then “Continue”.

• Select “ZE Folkestone and Hythe” from the Police Area list, then “Continue”.

• Pick “Sandgate – Sandgate Speedwatch Group” from the Group list, then “Continue”.

• Finally, complete the form, make sure you tick the “term and conditions” box, then select “Register Me”.

You should get an email notification of some type, but then that’s done. When we have enough (5 or so) volunteers registered we’ll be in touch – we will get a Sandgate Kent Speedwatch training session organised and all volunteers invited.

Please – get involved: register today!

It’ll soon be looking a bit like Christmas…

On the afternoon and evening of Friday 1st December, please join us in Sandgate Valley and Village. Enjoy the Christmas lights, meet a special visitor, visit the craft market and hear a carol or two, and support local businesses many of who will be open until 7.30pm at least on Friday (and clearly our pubs, bars and restaurants rather later). We’re hoping for the right weather, but will go ahead regardless: wrap up!

Santa’s Grotto at the Golden Arrow – Enbrook Valley *

• Open 4.00pm- 4.45pm

Santa’s Grotto at Sandgate Library *

• Open 5.00pm – 6.00pm

* There will be a small gift for all children 0 – 9 years of age. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Christmas Craft Market at the Chichester Hall on Sandgate High Street

• Open 5.30pm – 7.30pm
• FSG A cappella Choir singing in the hall from 6.15pm – 6.30pm

Many businesses through Sandgate will be offering late night shopping that evening and would love to see you.

Late Night Opening:

The Dog House will be open from 5pm until mid-evening on the 1st for coffee, teas, bacon and sausage sandwiches (that’s “Kent’s BEST Bacon sandwiches“) and maybe a chilli!

The Sandgate Pop-Up Shop at 53 Sandgate High Street will be open until 7.30pm with a huge range of locally sourced Christmas gifts and treats.

Workshop 29 at 99 Sandgate High Street will be open into the evening. They will have a workshop table in the shop and are welcoming families to come and pot up a Christmas Bulb free of charge.

Orchard Lane Coffee House (80 Sandgate High Street) will be staying open late with great coffee and festive specials.

Rachel and Elle will be opening their brand new (opening day is Thursday 30th!) Sandgate Deli at 88a Sandgate High Street into the evening – please do pop in and say hello and welcome!

Mr Whippet’s Cafe is open late. Offering: sourdough toasties, artisan handmade sausage rolls. Free cake tasters with our delicious coffee and all other hot drinks.

The Wallpaper Emporium (117E Sandgate High Street), a new showroom for Lammas Master Decorators, will be holding their grand opening on Friday 1st December. They will be open through the evening offering mince pies, festive treats and some beautiful wallpaper! All welcome!

The Royal Norfolk / Gees Bar, The Providence, the newly refurbished and reopened The Ship Inn, Docker Bar, John Dory, Sandgate Members Club (members only), Folkestone Rowing Club (members only), The Fat Raj and Green Spice will also all be open naturally!

If you are a local business and can be open too / offer a special / entertainment / extended opening / anything else that night, please tell us know by email to tim@prater.uk and we’ll add your details here.