Need help with your digital skills?
Need help with the cost of living?
Need advice on water social tariffs?
Come and have a chat about how Porchlight can support you.
Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 5th November: Babet, Ciaran and Debi.
Good grief! It has to be said that we have had an abundance of interesting weather recently. The total rainfall for October was 179.5mm, and it would not be at all surprising if we have had as much rain again during the first few days in November.
Since our last newsletter we have been battered by storm Babet, followed by storm Ciaran and now storm Debi. Needless to say it has been near impossible to get much done in the gardens, and so we turn to taking stock of this year, in preparation for the next.
There is still plenty going on in the main garden at Enbrook Park, with many crops still in the ground either to be harvested soon such as parsnips and leeks, to be overwintered such as the purple sprouting, and the next to be planted broad beans which are currently in the greenhouse at Pent Farm, almost big enough to go in the ground. Rosie, one of our gardeners, has to take the prize for managing to keep hold of her tomato plants the longest this year. All the garden tomato plants and most of the homegrown have long since been affected by blight and been removed, but Rosie is still picking tomatoes!
We have been working on preparing any empty beds for the winter by mulching with a good layer of compost. We have used all of our own made compost and will now have to source a supply to finish the job and take us into the first plantings for next spring.
Now is the time to consider which seeds we will need for next year and how we are to source them. We have a preference for small independent seed suppliers, but are gradually starting to save some seeds of our own. In the last newsletter we mentioned shelling the borlotti bean pods, and the beans have now been dried keeping some for seed and the rest put into jars to be used as and when over the winter months as an addition to soups and stews. Other seeds saved this year are tomatoes, and a few annual flowers. Seed saving can be very satisfying, but some are easier to save than others, so you do have to know your stuff to be 100% successful.
We did succeed with taking some cuttings a few weeks ago of rosemary, sage and lemon verbena. Most of the cuttings have taken although only one of the lemon verbena cuttings remains and has rooted. We will look forward to trying again next year and making many new plants at no extra cost!
All the squashes have now been taken indoors to store and to share. As a community group we have been sharing pictures and recipes of tried and tested meals using squash – they certainly are very versatile.
What’s next?
This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.
The agenda for the Sandgate Parish Council Library Committee meeting, to held on 13th November 2023 at 7pm.
Library-Agenda-13-11-23The Library Committee meeting is open to press and public. If any member of the public wishes to attend, please can they notify clerk@sandgatepc.org.uk in advance. This allows us to ensure we have sufficient seats and allow reasonable spacing.
Previous Sandgate Parish Council Library Committee Agenda and Minutes. We publish agendas a few days before a meeting. We then post draft minutes in the week after a meeting.
Most of our meetings will be broadcast live on our Facebook page. Recordings of the meetings will be left on Facebook for a few months after the meeting so they can be watched back later. Comments left on Facebook broadcasts during the meeting are not be monitored and are not a way of feeding back to the Council.
We issue agendas at least three clear days before a meeting. We display them on the noticeboard in the library, Parish noticeboards on the Village Green and by Enbrook Valley shops, and on our website.
The minimum three clear days for notice of a meeting does not include:
All meetings of our Council are open to the public, except in limited defined circumstances. We can only decide, by resolution, to meet in private when discussing confidential business or for other special reasons where publicity would be prejudicial to the public interest.
Those reasons might include, for example, discussing the conduct of employees, negotiations of contracts or terms of tender, or the early stages of a legal dispute.
The agenda for the Sandgate Parish Council Environment Committee meeting, to held on 13th September 2023 at 7pm.
Env-Agenda-13-11-23The Environment Committee meeting is open to press and public. If any member of the public wishes to attend, please can they notify clerk@sandgatepc.org.uk in advance. This allows us to ensure we have sufficient seats and allow reasonable spacing.
Previous Sandgate Parish Council Environment Committee Agenda and Minutes. We publish agendas a few days before a meeting. We then post draft minutes in the week after a meeting.
Most of our meetings will be broadcast live on our Facebook page. Recordings of the meetings will be left on Facebook for a few months after the meeting so they can be watched back later. Comments left on Facebook broadcasts during the meeting are not be monitored and are not a way of feeding back to the Council.
We issue agendas at least three clear days before a meeting. We display them on the noticeboard in the library, Parish noticeboards on the Village Green and by Enbrook Valley shops, and on our website.
The minimum three clear days for notice of a meeting does not include:
All meetings of our Council are open to the public, except in limited defined circumstances. We can only decide, by resolution, to meet in private when discussing confidential business or for other special reasons where publicity would be prejudicial to the public interest.
Those reasons might include, for example, discussing the conduct of employees, negotiations of contracts or terms of tender, or the early stages of a legal dispute.
Beach management work that helps protect more than 3,000 homes and businesses along the coast from flooding is to start next week.
The latest round of biannual recycling and regrading of shingle between Fisherman’s Beach in Hythe through Sandgate to Folkestone Harbour begins on Monday (30 October) and will take up to eight weeks to complete.
Cllr Stephen Scoffham – Cabinet Member for Climate, Environment and Bio Diversity – said:
“This work helps shield the sea wall, further reducing the possibility of flooding and coastal erosion over the five-mile stretch.
“Approximately 120,000 tonnes of shingle will be moved from east to west over the next two months. The longshore drift will then naturally spread it to aid the prevention of overtopping and flooding during storm events.”
“Effects of the changing climate are bringing more severe and unpredictable storms to our area, so it is important we are as prepared as possible.”
Efforts will be made to keep any disruption to a minimum.
The minutes of Sandgate’s Parish Council meeting, held on 23rd October 2023, in Sandgate Library.
Minutes-council-meeting-23-10-23Previous Sandgate Parish Council Meeting Agendas and Minutes. We publish agendas a few days before a meeting. We then post draft minutes in the week after a meeting.
Most of our meetings are also broadcast live on our Facebook page. Those recordings are left on Facebook for a few months after the meeting so can be watched back later.
We broadcast our meetings live on our Facebook page (although we’re sorry: this one was not). Those meeting recordings are then left live for a few months after the meeting, giving you the chance to watch it back later!
The next suitable meeting will formally approve the draft minutes of this meeting. When approved, the Chairman of that meeting then signs them.
The signed minutes of the meeting serve as the legal record of what has taken place at the meeting. Before a meeting approves the draft minutes of a preceding meeting, the meeting may, by resolution, correct any inaccuracies in the draft minutes. The attendance (or otherwise) of the Chairman or those voting in favour to amend or approve of the minutes is irrelevant.
Only if meeting minutes are found to be inaccurate after they have been signed can they then be altered. Inaccuracies in signed minutes can only be amended by resolution at a subsequent meeting.
The minutes of Sandgate’s Parish Council Sea Festival and Events Committee meeting, held on 2nd October 2023, in Sandgate Library.
Sea-Festival-minutes-for-2nd-October-23You can find previous Sandgate Parish Sea Festival and Events Committee Agendas and Minutes on this website. We publish agendas a few days before a meeting. The Clerk then posts draft minutes in the week after a meeting.
We broadcast our meetings live on our Facebook page. Those meeting recordings are then left live for a few months after the meeting, giving you the chance to watch it back later!
The next suitable meeting will formally approve the draft minutes of this meeting. When approved, the Chairman of that meeting then signs them.
The signed minutes of the meeting serve as the legal record of what has taken place at the meeting. Before a meeting approves the draft minutes of a preceding meeting, the meeting may, by resolution, correct any inaccuracies in the draft minutes. The attendance (or otherwise) of the Chairman or those voting in favour to amend or approve of the minutes is irrelevant.
Only if meeting minutes are found to be inaccurate after they have been signed can they then be altered. Inaccuracies in signed minutes can only be amended by resolution at a subsequent meeting.
A vacancy has arisen for the post of Deputy Parish Clerk / Responsible Finance Officer (RFO) at Sandgate Parish Council.
The Deputy Clerk will be providing support to the Parish Clerk and Librarian and is one of the main points of contact for Sandgate residents.
The position is for 10 hours per week, to include Wednesday 9.30am-1.00pm – plus evening meetings. The salary is £13.40 per hour with a voluntary pension scheme.
The successful candidate will be entitled to 21 days holiday plus bank holidays.
Duties include:
The ideal candidate will be a good communicator, with the ability to work on their own initiative or as part of the team.
The Deputy Clerk will be the Responsible Financial Officer (RFO) and will be responsible for all financial records of the Council and the careful administration of its finances.
CVs to be sent to clerk@sandgatepc.org.uk (or via post to the Parish Council Office and Library) to arrive not later than 12.00 noon 17rd November 2023.
References and Enhanced DBS will be required prior to job offer.
RFO-Deputy-Clerk-Job-Description-October-2023
The minutes of Sandgate’s Parish Council Finance Committee meeting, held on 16th October 2023, in Sandgate Library.
Finance-Minutes-16-10-23You can find previous Sandgate Parish Council Finance Committee Agendas, Minutes and Financial Reports on this website. We publish agendas a few days before a meeting. The Clerk then posts draft minutes in the week after a meeting.
We broadcast our meetings live on our Facebook page. Those meeting recordings are then left live for a few months after the meeting, giving you the chance to watch it back later!
The next suitable meeting will formally approve the draft minutes of this meeting. When approved, the Chairman of that meeting then signs them.
The signed minutes of the meeting serve as the legal record of what has taken place at the meeting. Before a meeting approves the draft minutes of a preceding meeting, the meeting may, by resolution, correct any inaccuracies in the draft minutes. The attendance (or otherwise) of the Chairman or those voting in favour to amend or approve of the minutes is irrelevant.
Only if meeting minutes are found to be inaccurate after they have been signed can they then be altered. Inaccuracies in signed minutes can only be amended by resolution at a subsequent meeting.
Sandgate Parish Council broadcast all our full Council and Committee meetings online live (and able to watch back for some months following the meeting) at https://www.facebook.com/sandgatepc
We have had some feedback on, and have been monitoring, the sound quality of our televised meetings and concluded that it needed improvement.
We purchased some improved sound technology and used it last night for the first time. We hope that you will agree it’s a massive improvement: last nights meeting is at https://fb.watch/nKAcL-debK/ (and could compare it with a previous meeting such as at https://fb.watch/nKAD9ycX61/).
For reference, we replaced our previous “budget” desk microphone system with a pair of Anker Power Conf S500 Speakerphones https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08W24YDSC
What is even more impressive is that we only used one of those for the meeting last night: the second didn’t make it out of the box, but the sound quality is already so much better. We still have somewhere to go to improve further, but massive step forward.
