PADDOCK WOOD TOWN COUNCIL
The Podmore Building, St Andrews Field, St Andrews Road
Paddock Wood, Kent, TN12 6HT
Telephone: 01892 837373
www.paddockwood-tc.gov.uk
MINUTES OF A MEETING OF PADDOCK WOOD TOWN COUNCIL HELD ON Monday 20th January 2025 at 7.45 pm in The Day Centre, Commercial Road, Paddock Wood
PRESENT: Cllr R. Atkins, In the Chair
Cllrs K. Braakensiek. D. Dray, S. Hamilton, (KCC) D. Kent, (TWBC) A. Mackie, R. Moon, M. Munday, after item C103 (TWBC) B. Robichaud, D. Sargison, C. Williams.
IN ATTENEDANCE: Mrs N Reay, Town Clerk
Borough Cllr H Patterson
APOLOGIES: Cllr J Thompson
Borough Cllr A Pitts
NOT PRESENT: Cllr L Norcott
BOROUGH & COUNTY COUNCILLORS UPDATE (10 minutes)
BC Patterson raised concerns about possible loss of the first hour of free parking in Paddock Wood in view of the Parking Strategy. He also reminded members that Crest Homes were having consultation event in Capel & Paddock Wood on the 24th & 25th January 2025.
BC Kent advised that the Planning Policy Working Group had held a recent discussion on the Local Plan and funds for Biodiversity Net Gain. The Clerk advised that this was being researched by the office.
C100 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Cllr Williams – Director of PWCCO LTD.
C101 MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING.
- Cllr Atkins proposed, Cllr hamilton seconded:
The minutes of the meeting held on Monday 16th December 2024 should be APPROVED with the following amendment:
Cllr Kent has sent his apologies and was not present.
CARRIED unanimously
(b) The minutes of the Planning Environment Committee meeting held on the 16th December 2024 & 6th January 2025 were NOTED.
C102 MATTERS ARISING FROM THE PREVIOUS MINUTES NOT COVERED ELSEWHERE
There were no Matters Arising.
C103 TWBC PARKING STRATEGY
Members had received a copy of the TWBC Parking Strategy which was out for public consultation until 3rd February 2025. It was agreed that the Clerk & Chairman would send in a response covering the following points.
- Need to protect the 1-hour free parking during the week and free parking on Sundays & Bank holidays
- Better enforcement is needed in Commercial Road
- Better use of technology
- The town council seeks the support of its borough councillors to protect the parking in Paddock Wood
- There is a growing need for more parking as the town expands
- Under the Terms of the Tunbridge Wells Agreement the Borough Council is supposed to notify the Town Council prior to any consultation going “live”. The Town Council was not notified about this consultation.
- Engagement with Network Rail should be carried out to look as increasing the railway parking to a multi-storey car park as proposed in the David Locke Masterplan. The use of the railway will increase as the population expands both in Paddock Wood and the surrounding area.
- There is a lack of parking for disabled people in the Town Centre (only one space roadside)
- Request that this be discussed at the JTB meeting
- The amount and type of parking should reflect the local area
C104 FINANCE
(a) The receipts nos: 186 – 199 were NOTED.
(b) Cllr Williams proposed, Cllr Munday seconded:
To APPROVE the payments list: 546 – 601
CARRIED unanimously
(c) Members considered the request for a grant from The Counselling Centre.
Cllr Kent proposed, Cllr Moon seconded:
That a grant of £200 should be made.
CARRIED 7 in favour, 4 abstained
C105 COMMUNITY CENTRE UPDATE
(a) The liaison meeting between the Town Council and PWCCO Ltd took place on Wednesday 8th January 2025. The confidential minutes were in the members shared area for information.
(b) The legal agreement to allow Believ to install the EV chargers at the Memorial Car Park will be sent to the Council’s legal advisors for comment. Once they have reviewed the document it will be put to members for approval.
C106 MEMORIAL FIELD – S106 FUNDING
The drop-down bollards at the Memorial Car park needed to be replaced. One had failed completely and the remaining 2 were difficult to operate particularly in the dark and in icy weather conditions.
The Clerk put forward a proposal that the bollards should be replaced with a barrier like the one at St Andrews Car Park. The cost would be £1000.
The Council has not budgeted to replace the bollards but was holding in its reserves S106 funding to be “used towards sporting improvements on the Memorial Field”. Members discussed whether improving the security on the field complied with the condition. If they did not consider that the proposal complied with conditions, then the funds would need to be taken from the Council’s Reserve funds.
There followed a discussion on whether the bollards should be replaced with something similar or a barrier as suggested by the Clerk, and whether this was an appropriate use of the S106 funds.
Cllr Munday proposed, Cllr Kent seconded:
That the Town Council pays for a barrier from its own funds.
CARRIED 9 in favour, 1 against, 1 abstention.
Clarification was sought following the vote that Cllr Munday had intended that the resolution included the barrier like the one at St Andrews as proposed by the Clerk. Cllr Munday confirmed that he did. The Chairman confirmed that was his understanding as well.
C107 LOCAL PLAN UPDATE
Cllr Williams advised that the Town Council’s planning advisor had asked for a cost to make a response to the main modifications. The main modifications have not yet been published, but it was estimated that the costs would be about £5,000.
Regular meetings with the borough officers were being planned and the next meeting was scheduled for the 14th of February 2025. It was important that all council members were united in their comments.
C108 COUNCIL MEETINGS
Cllr Robichaud has put forward the following motion, seconded by Cllr Braakensiek:
That Full Council meetings should be held at the Paddock Wood Community Centre.
The following points were raised for and against the proposal:
- Newer & more comfortable surroundings
- Could encourage more residents to attend
- Town Council would have to pay to use the Community Centre
- Would be able to live stream the meetings if in the Community Centre
- Internet was not that good in the Community Centre
- The Town Council had committed to continue using the Day Centre when the Community Centre was built
- Day centre is a better location
Following the discussion members voted on the motion.
VOTING 2 in favour, 5 against 4 abstentions
The motion was there for LOST.
C109 ANNUAL TOWN MEETING
The Annual Town Meeting is scheduled to take place on Wednesday 9th April 2025 in the Community Centre.
It was agreed that the Cabinet Member for Planning Borough Cllr Matt Lowe should be invited to address the annual town meeting.
C110 COUNCILLOR DROP IN SESSESIONS
Over the last three months the Town Council has held drop-in sessions for members of the public. One session was held in the Day Centre and the other 2 in the Community Centre coffee shop. Attendance by members of the public has been limited so members discussed alternative ways of engaging with residents.
It was agreed that the following should be tried.
- Drop in sessions in the Town Centre – Waitrose has proved popular in the past
- Ask attendees at the Annual Town Meeting how they would like the Town Council to engage with them
- Explore the possibility of online session using Facebook Live or similar
C111 REPORTS FROM REPRESENTATIVES
(a) Chairman’s Meeting
(b) Paddock Wood Business Association – the chairman had placed notes in the shared area
(c) Bereko Committee – there will be a Soup Lunch at Sta Andrews Church on the 21st March to raise funds
(d) KALC
(e) Medway Valley Line – There would be a walk around Paddock Wood on the “0th February 2025.
(f) Hop Pickers Line – Ground staff were thanked for cleaning the graffiti and the work on the boards on the Burrows Estate was progressing.
(g) Youth Council – Cllrs Williams and Braakensiek had met with Borough Officers to discuss setting up a youth club and would be seeking volunteers to assist.
(h) Putlands Leisure Centre – the next meeting had been scheduled for the 4th February 2025.
(i) IAG
(j) Bockingfold Solar Farm
C112 LEGAL ADVICE – ST ANDREWS HALL
The Council had received notice from Scalliwags that they would be vacating the premises at Easter and re-locating to the Community Centre. The chairman & Clerk would meet with the Trustees to resolve any outstanding matters before that date.
C113 STAFFING REVIEW
A letter has been sent from the Chairman to the Managing Director of the Local Government Resource Centre expressing the council’s concern at the quality of the review. He has instigated an investigation and would report back when it was completed.
C114 DATE OF NEXT MEETING
The next meeting will be held on Monday 17th February 2025, at 7.45 pm in The Day Centre, Commercial Road
The Meeting closed at 10.05 pm.