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Please find attached the Future Hoo leaflet that will be posted to all Shorne residents from 14th December 2020.  This outlines details of The Housing Infrastructure that will be delivered on the Hoo peninsula. There will then be an 8 week community engagement period including a consultation from 4th January to 28th February 2021.  In the meantime there is a live project website at: https://www.medway.gov.uk/futurehoo UPDATE.  Please note that we have now been informed that the proposed rail curve near Canal Road will NOT be built. This is due to uncertainty that user numbers will justify the investment in the curve. Therefore, as the HIF scheme is not undertaking any actions in Gravesham, Medway Council has made the decision NOT to send the HIF leaflets to the households in the Gravesham postcodes.    

Residents will remember that the Parish Council held an informal consultation in early 2020 on the proposal to install double yellow lines on the corners of Forge Lane to Cob Drive, Crown Lane and Malthouse Lane, to improve safety for road users and pedestrians.  The proposal was well supported by residents. Kent County Council are now holding the statutory consultation which is the last stage of the process, after which the proposal will receive legal permission so that the lines can be painted on the road and subsequently enforced.  The statutory consultation will run from Friday 11th December 2020 to Monday 4th January 2021. Please see the official notice below, which also includes maps showing the location of the proposed yellow lines. We are very grateful to everyone who responded to the earlier consultation but it is very important that as many people as possible now also take part in the statutory consultation. KCC say:  Representations supporting or objecting to the proposed Order can be made via our website from 11 December at www.kent.gov.uk/highwaysconsultations or alternatively you can write to The TRO Co-ordinator, Schemes Planning & Delivery Team, Highways, Transportation & Waste, Kent County Council, Ashford Highway Depot, Henwood Industrial Estate, Javelin Way, Ashford, TN24 8AD by 12 noon on Monday 4 January 2021.

Following the resignation of Steve White, we have a vacancy for a Parish Councillor in the Shorne Village Ward of Shorne Parish Council.  Shorne Village Ward includes Thong, Shorne Ifield, Shorne Ridgeway, Lower Shorne, and the village. The Parish Council is the first tier of local government, and meets at Shorne Village Hall nine times a year, normally on a Thursday evening.  Councillors are also eligible to participate in the Planning & Highways Committee, and the Footpaths, Properties & Greens Committee, both of which meet six times a year, again on Thursday evenings. It is important that all communities in Shorne are represented within the Parish Council, and we would particularly welcome applicants from Lower Shorne and Thong. If you would like to be considered for co-option as a Parish Councillor, please send us a brief resumé, telling us why you are interested and why you think you would be suitable for the role, and outlining any relevant skills or experience you may have.  Please send your application by email to vacancy@shorneparishcouncil.org, or by post to:  The Clerk, c/o Shorne Village Hall, The Street, Shorne, Gravesend, Kent, DA12 3EA.

Connecting communities to fast fibre broadband Openreach is working hard to improve their network to get faster fibre broadband to as many people in the UK as they can. But there are some areas which they don’t currently plan to upgrade, or areas where they’ve upgraded to fibre but where people want to have an even faster internet connection. They know this can be frustrating. But there is another solution – a Community Fibre Partnership. What’s a Community Fibre Partnership? Openreach work with your local community to build a customised fibre solution to bring fibre broadband to homes and businesses.  They put a joint funding arrangement in place, which means they contribute some of the costs and your community funds the rest. They will then build the most affordable solution they can to meet your needs. They will also advise on any grants you might be able to get to help pay for your part e.g. from local authorities or the Government.  If your area already has fibre broadband, you can also use a Community Fibre Partnership to upgrade to even faster speeds. Openreach offers this step-by-step guide. Step 1. Use the fibre checker to see what’s available in your area Enter your landline number or postcode into their fibre checker to see if you can get fibre, or if they are planning to bring it to your area soon. If the fibre checker says ‘we’re not quite there yet’ that means that they don’t have plans to upgrade your area yet. So a Community Fibre Partnership could be a good alternative.  If you’re in an area that’s already getting fibre broadband (through Fibre to the Cabinet or FTTC) rather than direct to your premises (through Fibre to the Premises or FTTP), you could apply for a Community Fibre Partnership … Read more

We are advised that Green Farm Lane will be closed from 7th September 2020 for up to 57 days between Longten’s Cottages and Gravesend Road. The right turn from A226 Gravesend Road into Green Farm Lane will also be prohibited during this period, and the cycle lane on A226 Gravesend Road will be suspended eastbound between Keats House and Castlefields. The closure is to enable the 80-year old gas main to be renewed, working in 4 phases from Longten’s Cottages south towards the junction with the A226. The alternative route is Green Farm Lane, Lower Road, Lower Higham Road, Rochester Road, Chalk Road, Gravesend Road and vice versa.  Traffic management plans showing the 4 phases are included below.

Please find attached the Has Made documents for Amendment 5 a Speed Limit Order on Pear Tree Lane, Shorne in the Borough of Gravesham. This order will be on public deposit from 21 August until 5 October 2020 and can be viewed on line at www.kent.gov.uk/highwaysconsultations and will be advertised in the Kent Messenger on Friday 21 August this order can come into force from 24 August 2020. Any person wishing to question the validity of the Order or of any of its provisions on the grounds that it is not within the powers of the relevant enabling Act or that a requirement of any such enabling Act or of any relevant regulations made thereunder has not been complied with may, within 6 weeks from the date on which the Order was made, make application for the purpose to the High Court.

(THIS CONSULTATION IS NOW CLOSED) Message from Highways England The consultation on design refinements to the Lower Thames Crossing closed at 23.59 on 12 August 2020. We are proposing a number of refinements to the design of the project following feedback received from earlier consultations, discussions with local stakeholders, ongoing design development and new technical data.  Your feedback is vital in shaping the scheme and will help us develop our application for a Development Consent Order (DCO). Online consultation Our proposals are available to view on our dedicated consultation website until 23.59 on 12 August 2020. You will be able visit our online exhibition, where you can explore an interactive map, watch videos explaining the proposals, as well as download the consultation documents. Home delivery This service is available to all members of the public, who can request materials here, by calling 0300 123 5000 or emailing us at info@lowerthamescrossing.co.uk. Telephone Surgery We’ve now launched our telephone call back service where a member of the project team who will answer your questions on the proposed changes.  Anyone can book an appointment here or by calling 0300 123 5000 (calls to us will be charged at a local rate, call backs will be free of charge). Call backs will be made Monday to Friday, 12pm to 7pm, until 12 August 2020. Webinars We are hosting four webinars – two focussed on changes north of the river and two for changes south of the river. These webinars are open to all members of the public. The project team will talk you through the proposed refinements and attendees will be able to post questions to the designers. South of the River: 20 July, starting 7pm 30 July, starting 7pm North of the River: 21 July, starting 7pm 29 July, starting 7pm You can register for the webinars on our consultation website. … Read more

Date of Next Meeting by Video Conference The next combined meeting of the Parish Council will take place by remote video conferencing at 7.45pm on Thursday 25th June 2020.  If you wish to attend the meeting, please contact The Clerk at clerk@shorneparishcouncil.org for joining instructions.

Kent County Council is at last proposing to extend the 30mph speed limit for the full length of Pear Tree Lane, to its junction with Gravesend Road. Shorne Parish Council has been pressing for this for a number of years, as we do not consider that the national speed limit (up to 60mph) is appropriate for this stretch of road.  It is narrow, with blind bends and numerous concealed entrances to residential properties, and the carriageway is shared by vehicles and pedestrians. KCC is carrying out a consultation prior to making the Traffic Regulation Order permanent.  Residents are encouraged to add their support to the proposal by responding to the consultation before midday on Monday 29th June 2020. The consultation webpage can be found at https://kccconsultations.inconsult.uk/consult.ti/Pear_Tree_Lane_Speed_Limit/consultationHome