Archive for category: News

The Parish Council convened on Monday, 12 May, with the Ordinary meeting following the Annual Parish Council meeting, during which the Chair and Vice Chair were elected. Congratulations to Cllr Ellery, our new Chair, and Cllr Tanner, our Vice Chair. We extend our sincere thanks to Cllr Tanner for his leadership since December 2024 following the resignation of Andrew Harris Rowley. We look forward to supporting Cllr Ellery as he settles into his new role.   

Appointments to Parish Council Working Groups, Committees, and representatives to external organizations—including Ash Village Hall and the Sports Pavilion Committee—were confirmed.   

Local Government & Grants   

Although no representatives from Kent County Council (KCC) or Kent Police attended this meeting, we anticipate welcoming KCC’s newly elected representative to future meetings.   

The Dover District Council (DDC) Community Grant scheme is now open for summer applications, with a deadline of 11 June. We strongly encourage community groups to apply—let’s make the most of this opportunity! In the previous funding round, Ash Bowls Club and All Sorts Music were among the successful applicants.   

Community Updates & Concerns   

Following a £10.5 million restoration, Maison Du has reopened to the public, supported by a £4.27 million grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund—an exciting moment for our local heritage.   

We await updates from DDC regarding their revised Parking Strategy, which was tabled at the Cabinet meeting on 12 May. We also continue to urge DDC to take action to clean up neglected areas under their ownership in Ash, including the land near the Scout Hut and Footpath leading to Holness Road, along with disrepair issues affecting Council-owned garages.   

Concerns regarding an awkwardly parked van on Sandwich Road have been repeatedly raised with Kent Police. While legally parked, its placement is causing frustration among residents.   

Reports of nuisance motorbikes in Westmarsh, posing safety risks, have been escalated to Kent Police. We remind residents to report all nuisance vehicles or anti-social behaviour by calling 101 or using Kent Police’s online portal.   

Neighbourhood & Environmental Matters   

The Ash Neighbourhood Watch coordinator updated us on recent progress—this invaluable community support group is always welcoming new members.  Residents are encouraged to join the Neighbourhood Watch Facebook group and report concerns confidentially.   

A resident raised concerns about dead or dying trees along Hills Court Nature Path, likely impacted by Ash dieback, and was advised to report these to KCC.   

Our Community Caretaker, Duncan, shared updates on maintenance projects that are keeping the village smart and tidy. If you have suggestions for improvement, please contact: email hidden; JavaScript is required 

Exciting plans are underway for a ‘bulb bomb’ project this autumn, enhancing public spaces with vibrant spring flowers—keep an eye out for volunteer opportunities!   

Recreation Ground Update 

The Recreation Ground, a cherished village asset, remains a focal point for improvement efforts:   

• Quotes have been received to replace the toilet doors, with work set to commence as soon as possible.   

• Plans are progressing to repair the car park to ensure accessibility and safety.   

• We are working with DDC to address dog fouling concerns, with improved signage and potential patrols under review. Residents are urged to report incidents directly to DDC.   

A resident consultation on proposed play area enhancements will be held on 21 June (10 AM – 12 PM) at Ash Village Hall (Library). Residents, especially children of all ages, are encouraged to attend, view the proposals, and vote on their preferred designs. Stay updated via the Ash Parish Council Facebook page, our website and community noticeboards.   

Revisions to the Pavilion lease, which is managed by Ash Rugby and Cricket clubs, are also in progress.   

The Summer Allotment and Annual Recreation Ground Inspection is scheduled for 1 July.   

Footpaths & Public Rights of Way   

With glorious spring weather drawing more people outdoors, residents are encouraged to report footpath issues via the KCC Public Rights of Way reporting portal or by emailing: email hidden; JavaScript is required  

Celebrating VE Day 80   

Heartfelt thanks to everyone involved in the Ash VE Day 80 celebrations! The day was beautifully marked by:   

• The Proclamation read out at the War Memorial as the Union Jack flag was raised 

• A stunning floral display by St Nicholas Church flower arrangers 

• A striking knitted poppy display by Ash with Westmarsh WI at the War Memorial.   

• A photography exhibition by Ash Heritage Society, complemented by delicious tea and cake at St Nicholas Church.   

• Community singing at Pound Corner, creating a poignant tribute.   

• The church bells ringing at 18:30, culminating in the special ‘firing of the bells’, where all bells sound simultaneously instead of in sequence.   

Plans are already underway for VJ Day 80, taking place on 15 August —stay tuned for details!  

The Kent Association of Local Council (KALC) Community Awards acknowledge and give recognition to a resident of the Parish of Ash who has made a significant contribution to our community. Earlier this year we asked for your nominations.

We are pleased to announce that Marilyn Barden received the most nominations and has been awarded a certificate to recognise her contribution to the Parish as “an enthusiastic and supportive St. Nicholas Church Bell Tower Captain, who has secured the future of bellringing in Ash and conserved skills at risk of dying out in the village.”

The certificate, signed by the Chairman of Kent County Council, the High Sheriff of Kent and the KALC Chairman, was presented to Marilyn by the Chair of Ash Parish Council, Cllr John Tanner, at the Annual Parish Meeting held on 30 April.

Congratulations Marilyn on this well-deserved honour. Thank you for keeping our bells ringing!

The Parish Council meeting for April saw another new councillor applying and co-opted to the council.  Councillor Andy Perriss makes 10 councillors, so we have just one vacancy.  The Council is eager to hear from anyone interested in joining, especially those voices that are currently underrepresented, including women and younger individuals. If you’re passionate about your community and want to make a difference, we’d love to hear from you.

For your interest, the current list of Councillors are:

John Tanner – Chair                 

Louise Venny – Deputy Chair

Martin Porter

Ashley Stevenson                       

Ian Ellery                                       

Derek Richford

Milli Stenning                             

Barry Ricks

Arnold Davis                                 

Andy Perriss

The meeting was also attended by Cllr Sue Chandler from Kent County Council and Cllr Trevor Bartlett from Dover District Council.

Sue informed the group that KCC had made representations at a Government Transport Select Committee regarding maintenance funding.  Currently councils are funded based on miles of road, not on traffic that uses the roads.  As a consequence, our county is at a distinct disadvantage compared to say, Cumbria who would get the same funding per mile of road,

Sue recently visited Richborough Roman Fort along with representatives from Visit Kent.  Since the recent refurbishments around 15,000 visitors have been to the site and this is expected to rise to 20,000 this year which is very good for the local economy.  Whilst on site, she was briefed on the very real concerns English Heritage have regarding the proposed solar array application on their doorstep.

Trevor advised that Dover had put through the lowest increase in council tax of any council in East Kent at 2.98% and with no major reduction of services.

He thanked everyone who participated in the Great British Spring Clean Litter Pick in Ash; it was lovely to see so many people doing such a valuable job in the community.

You may have seen stickers on your wheelie bins in recent months asking you to use your food bins for waste food. Following this initiative there has been an 11% increase in usage.  Please do use your food bin for all food waste.

In leisure news, Tides Leisure Centre has now closed their swimming pool for a £20 million  redevelopment, however the gym, classes and tennis centre remain open. The Grade I Listed Maison Dieu (Dover Town Hall) has undergone a huge restoration thanks to a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and is soon to be open to the public once again.

Members of the public raised concerns about plans for the solar array at Goss Hall/Ash Levels and understood this was due before DDC Planning committee soon.

After holding an open grant application process, Ash Parish Council approved modest grants to Ash Parochial Church, Ash Heritage Centre, Westmarsh Village Hall, Ash Wildlife Friendly Village and Ash Advent Christmas events

It was noted the A257 Working Group are continuing to press Highways at Kent County Council for safety improvements on the A257 and have now written to Sir Roger Gale MP for support.

The Parish Council are awaiting quotes to improve and expand the blockwork of the Recreation Ground car park.  Additionally, quotes are being sought to replace the previously vandalised doors at the toilets in the Recreation Ground with steel or wood with steel grids.  Once actioned they will be able to open once more.

The Play and Gym Equipment at the Recreation Ground have passed their annual safety inspection and are ready to take advantage of the lovely weather.

The Parish Council is also progressing work on ‘Play Area 2’ which will provide exciting play equipment for slightly older children.  Councillors want to ensure that the plans meet the needs of this age group and will be consulting with children at the primary schools and in an open session at the Village Hall,  More information and dates to follow soon!

Details of an allotment holder survey were shared and details discussed.  Key improvements were agreed for timely action.

VE Day 80^th anniversary is on May 8^th and the same applies to VJ day later in the year on August 15^th.  To commemorate this anniversary, the Parish Council will be dedicating two of the newly installed public benches with plaques to honour those that served.

Our Footpath working group continue to receive valuable feedback from residents regarding blocked or unclear public rights of way in our Parish.  Please do continue to advise us of any issues you encounter so that we can continue our work with KCC, as well as local farmers, growers and landowners.  Email email hidden; JavaScript is required