News

The Chairman and Trustees of the Shorncliffe Trust cordially invite you to the annual commemoration for Sir John Moore taking place at his Memorial on Sandgate Esplanade on Saturday, 13th January 2018 at: 09.45am.

Sandgate Parish Council have been greatly impressed by the efforts of the shop owners in the parish in decorating their premises. This has made Sandgate a truly lovely place to shop, walk and drive through.

On this year only Cllr Robert Bliss, Chairman of Sandgate Parish Council decided to personally award a prize for the most festive shop front.

It is intended that in future years the selection will be undertaken by an independent body during the first week of December. So, for this year, Cllr Bliss’s choice for the most festive shop front in Sandgate is The Dog House.

Cllr Bliss congratulated proprietors David and Karen Watson and presented them with a framed certificate and a bottle of champagne.

The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS – also known as the older persons bus pass) is a statutory national scheme providing free bus travel for individuals of a pensionable age or some pass holders who qualify on the basis of disability. There are approximately 290,000 pass holders across the County.

The scheme is managed by Kent County Council through our Contact Centre and Libraries who complete much of the day to day customer service and administration.

KCC inherited responsibility for the scheme from the District Councils in 2008. Passes are issued with a 5 year expiry and as a consequence, every 5 years the Council experiences a significant peak in renewals which needs to be managed. In March 2018, 195,000 passes currently in circulation expire.

Approach to renewals:

To manage this process efficiently with the minimum disruption on pass holders, it has been agreed that the Council will adopt an approach of ‘intelligent auto-renewals’ whereby the majority of existing pass holders, if using their pass recently, will automatically be sent a new pass in advance of their current one expiring i.e. the pass holder does not need to reapply. However, it has been identified that a significant proportion of passes have not been used in the last year and so these will not be automatically renewed. It should be clearly understood that this is in no way the removal of a right to hold a pass but we will be seeking confirmation from the pass holder that they still wish to be issued with one. Instead therefore, these pass holders will be written to and advised of their continued right to hold a pass together with instructions as to how to renew.

What happens next?

We are already promoting our approach and advising pass holders and bus passengers through various means including notices on buses which will start to appear throughout December.

We will then be cleaning the data by checking it with Royal Mail and National Mortar records to try to ensure that all of the detai that we hold is up to date and accurate.

Letters will be sent out throughout January, February and the first week of March and all automatically renewed or renewals applied for on time will be sent to pass holders before the expiry of current passes on 31st March.

A summary of the key events is shown below.

• Week Commencing Activity
• W/C 4th December 2017 Notices on buses and media campaign
• W/C 1st January 2018 Renewal reminders sent for surnames : A – B
• W/C 8th January 2018 Renewal reminders sent for surnames : C – F
• W/C 15th January 2018 Renewal reminders sent for surnames : G – K
• W/C 22nd January 2018 Renewal reminders sent for surnames : L – O
• W/C 29th January 2018 Renewal reminders sent for surnames : P – S
• W/C 5th February 2018 Renewal reminders sent for surnames : T – Z
• W/C 12th February 2018 Auto-renewals sent : Ashford, Canterbury & Dartford Districts
• W/C 19th February 2018 Auto-renewals sent : Dover, Gravesham & Maidstone Districts
• W/C 26th February 2018 Auto-renewals sent : Sevenoaks, Shepway & Swanley Districts
• W/C 5th March 2018 Auto-renewals sent : Thanet, T&Malling & T/Wells Districts
• 31st MARCH 2018 CURRENT PASSES EXPIRE

Further information is available at www.kent.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/travelling-around-kent/bus-travel/bus-passes or contact us at buspass@kent.gov.uk

A television company called Shiver Productions are developing a new television programme for a major broadcaster. They are looking for vibrant, fun and outgoing grandparents who want to spend more time with their adult grandchildren (who must be 18 plus).

With a lot of grandparents reportedly only seeing their grandchildren on average twice a year, it’s not surprising the two generations often know little about each other’s lives. In the programme, grandparents will spend one-on-one time with their multiple grandchildren in an attempt to get to know them better and see if they can offer any help.

Along the way they will learn about the pressures their grandchildren face, the lifestyle choices they make, their hopes for the future and what, if anything, is standing in their way of achieving them.

The programme will allow grandparents to share their knowledge, advice and practical help while learning more about the lives, hopes and aspirations of their grandchildren.

Local councils in Kent have been asked to see if there might be any grandparents (or grandchildren) who would like to get in touch with us.

On Saturday 25th November all are welcome at St Paul’s Church, Sandgate from 10am till Noon to be entertained by a return visit of our Organist John Hurd with Baritone Andrew Nunn in a short light programme of military songs and music under the heading “Kiss me Goodnight, Sergeant Major!”. Those who have heard this duo before will not wish to miss them.

As usual there will be a plentiful supply of coffee, tea and cakes and admission is free!

Sandgate Christmas “switch On” Saturday 25th November At 6pm (Prompt) at the Saga Pavilion

Free Entry (Courtesy Of Saga)

Enjoy a glass of Mulled Wine and Mince Pie

• 6pm – Welcome – Christmas Carols to greet you sung by the Mission Gospel Choir
• 6.15pm – Father Christmas Arrives: Every Child is invited to visit Father Christmas in his Grotto to receive their Christmas Gift (Courtesy of Sandgate Parish Council)
• 6.45pm – Sandgate Christmas Light “switch On” by Father Christmas
• 7pm – Evening ends

For pedestrians, the path to the event is illuminated but please bring a torch to assist your arrival and departure. Allow 5-10 minutes to walk from the saga entrance on Sandgate High Street to the Saga Pavilion. Car parking and disabled facilities are also available at the pavilion.

Companies and individuals are invited to tender for the supply of the following services. A colour scheme will be provided by the Parish Council.

Tenders could be for all or part of the scheme.

Tenders should be submitted by 30 November 2017. A decision will be made in December 2017 for planting to commence in May 2018. Contracts will be on an annual basis renewable depending on satisfaction of the service.

The planters will be the subject of commercial sponsorship by local businesses who will expect a professional and expert service, as do the Parish Council.

Tenders will be primarily assessed on price but consideration will be given to evidence of experience of high quality presentation at other locations and/or references. Appropriate public liability insurance will be required.

Spring 2018 planting

a. Planting of 1 large rowing boat planter (located at the western end of the village on Sandgate Esplanade)

b. Planting of 3 tubs adjacent to war memorial, Sandgate High Street

c. Planting of six rectangular planters located on Sandgate Esplanade (near Sir John Moore Memorial)

d. Planting of circular planter outside the Ship Inn, Sandgate High Street

e. Planting of 28 hanging baskets (baskets provided) adjacent to Seabrook Redoubt behind the rowing boat on Sandgate Esplanade

f Planting of 8 hanging baskets on the Village Green, Sandgate High Street

g Planting of 8 hanging baskets on lampposts in the Golden Valley

Planting of planters to include replacement of spent compost and topping up with peat free compost.

Indicate charge per section above (a-g) plus any discount if planting if awarded entire contract.

Watering

Initially watering to be twice a week and thereafter dependant on the weather

(to be invoiced monthly).

Indicate charge per visit

Autumn 2018 Planting

h. Planting of 1 large rowing boat planter (located at the western end of the village on Sandgate Esplanade)

i. Planting of 3 tubs adjacent to war memorial, Sandgate High Street

j. Planting of circular planter outside the Ship Inn, Sandgate High Street

Indicate charge per section above (h-j) plus any discount if planting if awarded entire contract.

Watering

Watering of autumn planters

Initially watering to be twice a week and thereafter dependant on the weather

(to be invoiced monthly).

Indicate charge per visit.

FURTHER INFORMATION

If you require further information on this process please contact the Parish Council via the email address below.

Tenders to be returned by email to clerk@sandgatepc.org.uk by 30 November 2017.

Peter Savage

Deputy Clerk and Responsible Finance Officer. 31 October 2017

Sandgate Library will be closed on 25^th and 26^th December and re-open on 28^th,  closing again on 1^st January.

The Sandgate Parish Council Office will be closed as usual for the Christmas week, reopening on 2^nd January 2018.

Kent County Council are planning to install a new Zebra crossing point on the A259 Sandgate Esplanade, Sandgate, located at the bottom of Brewers Hill. The plans also include the installation of a kerb build out to make the zebra crossing more visible to on-coming traffic. Parking restrictions will be shortened to mitigate loss of parking. Installation of regimented parking bays to alleviate habitual footway parking and the resurfacing of the carriageway from junction of Prospect Road to junction of Castle Bay. (please see a plan of what we are planning to do below).

When will the work start and how long will it take?

The work will take around six weeks to complete, commencing on 30^th October 2017 (excluding weekends), between the hours of 8am and 4.30pm. This type of work can be affected by bad weather, so if it is not possible for us to carry it out at this time, we will arrange a new date and let you know via a letter drop to your home. We will also put up signs along the road, before we start, showing the date we plan to start work.

How will we carry out the works and how will it affect you?

The works will be undertaken using temporary traffic signals to give our contractor a safe area within which to carry out construction. We need your help to make sure the work is done as quickly as possible and to the best possible quality. If your vehicle is usually parked on the carriageway, please make sure you park it somewhere else away from the site whilst the works are carried out.

Why do we want to do this work?

Kent County Council are installing this crossing to assist safer pedestrian movements across the busy A259 carriageway. The new crossing will provide a safer link between the bus stops on either side of the carriageway. This scheme is in conjunction with the Cinque Ports Cycleway route that has seen Government funding deliver Phase 1 between Folkestone and Hythe Sailing Club. The route is promoted as a leisure facility to encourage families to the local area. The zebra crossing will enhance the experience and allow ease of access between the seafront and businesses opposite.

Keeping you and our staff safe

We want to complete the works as quickly as we can and without causing you too much inconvenience. So please respect our workers’ space and safety by driving carefully and slowly through the roadworks. Feedback from our workers shows that too many drivers go too fast through roadworks. Everyone is entitled to a safe workplace and our staff work next to moving traffic and risk injury every day to maintain and improve the highway for everyone.

Please keep this leaflet safe in case you need to contact us

For further information or to find out more about what we do please visit www.kent.gov.uk/highways where you can also report a fault on any of our roads across Kent. You can find us on Twitter @KentHighways.

If you have a problem during the works or need to contact us in an emergency you can call Kent Highways on 03000 41 81 81. Kent Highways often ask residents to fill in a short feedback survey that we will post through your door after we have completed our works so please help us by filling this in and sending it back freepost. You can also do this survey on line at www.kent.gov.uk/roadworkssurvey.

WARNING – Beware Bogus Callers Kent County Council Highways & Transportation do not allow works to be carried out on private properties. If anyone says they are working for us or our specialist contractors and offer to carry out any work for cash they should be treated with caution and you are advised to contact Citizens Advice Consumer Service Helpline on 03454 04 05 06.