Sandgate Business Forum Update: Edition 1 (May 2016)

Firstly, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself.  My name is Kurt Stephens and I have recently been co-opted onto Sandgate Parish Council as Councillor for Sandgate Valley.  I both live and work in Sandgate where I am a Company Director of a mobile business based on Sandgate High Street.  In the last 12 months, I have been working alongside the Parish Council on a number of initiatives, one of which is as a representative of local businesses.

As many of you will know, Sandgate Parish Council used to hold a “bi-monthly” business forum meeting to discuss local issues that may impact on their businesses.  Unfortunately, due to both the numbers attending these meetings and the agenda items at the time, this forum became an ineffective way of communicating to the local business community and the meetings stopped.

However, Sandgate Parish Council do believe that there is a need, and much value to be had, in working and communicating together to ensure that Sandgate grows and flourishes.  Sandgate Parish Council, also understand that our local businesses play a key role in our community and contribute massively by bringing both locals and visitors together helping Sandgate to be the beautiful, and much envied, place that it is.

Therefore, we have decided to “resurrect” the Business Forum in the form of a blog, initially bi-monthly – these blogs will be updated as and when there is a business benefit or, if we feel that there is an initiative happening that would negatively impact on our businesses, these blogs will be circulated more often.  What we would also like is to hear from you and how we can help.

For example, it may be that you need help with Pensions Auto Enrolment, as you are probably aware this is something that is a legal requirement and has to be carried out by ALL businesses that employ staff.  It may be that you have training needs in areas such as marketing, leadership, cash flow etc. – this is something that we can help with by directing you to many free courses ran in conjunction with Shepway District Council. Please just let us know what we can do and we will certainly look into it.

So, here we are… welcome to the first Sandgate Business Forum blog.

Sandgate News

Parking Restrictions Throughout Sandgate

As many of you know, Shepway District Council have recently proposed parking restrictions thought Sandgate’s coastal roads.  We believe that this will have a massive impact on both businesses and residents.  You can find out more here and email any objections via the link.  Unfortunately, any objections do need to be in by Monday 16th May by 4PM but, if you haven’t already, we do urge you to take the time to read the proposal and raise an objection if you have one.

http://sandgatepc.org.uk/default.cfm?pid=news&newsid=12717

General Business News That Will Affect You

Auto Enrolment

As mentioned previously, Pension Auto Enrolment is coming!  I am sure that you have seen the advertisements on TV with the large fluffy thing (is it a monster?).  Anyway, Auto Enrolment is something that all employers, big or small, must act on.  The Pensions Regulator have a fantastic site where you can find information regarding what your duties are, find out your “staging date”, create of checklist of what you need to do and when you need to do it.  You can find out all you need via the link below;

http://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/employers

Welcome To Our New Sandgate Businesses

The Boat House Kiosk

The Boat House Kiosk is based on Granville Parade and serve a range of hot and cold food and drinks as well as ice cream.  It is ran by David and Clare and has both takeaway facilities as well as tables and chairs where you can sit and enjoy your time with one of the best views in the area.

ROKA Pizza and Coffee House

ROKA are based at number 91 Sandgate High Street and are hoping to be open by the end of May. ROKA provide both a takeaway service and there are table to sit at if you prefer.  The extensive menu is still in the development stage where they will be serving traditional Italian Pizza cooked in a traditional stone pizza oven, Pizza Desserts and Italian Coffee.

Events

Sandgate Music Festival

The first Sandgate Music Festival is due to take place in June.  Obviously we are hoping that this will bring many visitors to the area and as such provide local businesses with potential new custom.  The festival is due to run at various venues throughout Sandgate and will cover all tastes in music – we will keep you informed as to venues and times – if you would like to be involved in this project please contact Peter Heselden of FODS either by email pjwh15@msn.com or phone him at the Tower Theatre on 01303 223925

In closing, I would like to thank you for taking the time to read this update and I hope that you have found it useful. This email / blog is intended to provide information, advice and general communication so if you have anything that you would like information on or even if you just wish to let other businesses know what’s happening with your business then please contact me.  My email address is kurt@acula.co.uk and my telephone number is 07896 106137.

All the very best and I hope to hear from you soon.

Councillor Kurt Stephens
Sandgate Parish Council

Sandgate Parish Handyman Services – April 2016 To March 2020  

Sandgate Parish Council is inviting quotations for carrying out general maintenance and ad hoc repair works around the parish, as per the specification below.

Please state the hourly rate for the small maintenance and repairs works. It is expected that large jobs may need to be separately quoted for, as and when required.  

The contract period will be for four years, subject to the normal break clauses.

• To carry out general maintenance and ‘handyman’ jobs as required;
• To carry out maintenance of litter bins around the parish, including greasing of hinges and locks, rubbing down and re-painting, as required;
• To carry out repairs and maintenance of village signposts and notice boards, including re-staining, as required;
• To overhaul and repaint planters, as required;
• To connect Christmas decorations to lampposts; purchase and erect 2 x 20ft Christmas trees;
• To inform the parish clerk of any works that should be reported to Shepway District Council or Kent County Council;
• To assist with community events: erecting/dismantling gazebos; installing and removing event banners and notices; supplying/hiring barriers, generators and other miscellaneous equipment;
• To top up the parish council’s sand/grit bins (total of 3; the others belong to KCC)
• To provide storage facilities for: spare litter bins (cast iron and polycarbonate), Santa & sleigh and 5 small decorative Christmas trees; 26+ Christmas lamppost light garlands and electric packs, various signs and banners, gazebos, the annual free one-tonne bags of sand/grit provided by KCC and any other equipment, as required.  

All works will be subject to agreement by the parish clerk prior to carrying out the works.   

Please send your quotation to: Parish Clerk at sandgateparish@tiscali.co.uk or post to the address below.  

Please provide:

• Proof of £5 million Public Liability Insurance
• Proof of G39 Certification
• Method statement

We will be assessing quotations according to the following criteria:

• Quality (please supply references)
• Capacity (vehicles, equipment, manpower, storage yard/unit)
• Price  

Deadline for submissions: 12 noon on Thursday 25th February 2016  

Sandgate Parish Grounds Maintenance Specification – April 2016 To March 2020  

Sandgate Parish Council is inviting quotations for the grounds maintenance works to Sandgate (Military Road) Recreation Ground, the Village Green and Wilberforce Road green for the period April 2016 to March 2020.

Recreation ground:

• To carry out grass cutting of all main areas on a fortnightly basis
• To carry out strimming as required to maintain a tidy appearance around obstacles and edges
• To cut grass to roadside bank to maintain a tidy appearance
• To keep the bank below the dog walking area tidy, and to cut all once a season
• To carry out maintenance of the car park
• To cut grass in dog walking area on a fortnightly basis including edges
• To keep ditches clear at all times so as not to restrict flowing water
• To carry out cutting of all hedges twice per season
• To carry out annual maintenance of the bank containing the trees, shrubs etc, which runs parallel with Military Road
• To treat as required all paths, hardstandings and car park with weed killer to maintain weed free
• To keep courts clear of debris
• To carry out an inspection of play equipment once a month, submitting a report to the clerk (proof of certification is required)

All debris to be removed from site (proof of a waste carrier’s certificate will be required).

Village Green, High Street, Sandgate:

• To carry out grass cutting including edges on a fortnightly basis
• To maintain borders on a four-weekly cycle, to include pruning of shrubs and dead-heading as required
• Keep hardstandings weed free
• To apply weed and feed to grass

All debris including grass cuttings to be removed from site.

Wilberforce Road Green

• To carry out grass cutting including edges on a fortnightly basis
• To maintain borders on a four-weekly cycle, to include pruning of shrubs and dead-heading as required
• Keep hardstanding weed free
• To apply weed and feed to grass

All debris including grass cuttings to be removed from site.

The contract period will be for four years, subject to the normal break clauses.

Please send your quotation to: Parish Clerk at sandgateparish@tiscali.co.uk or post to the address below.  

Please include:

• Proof of £5 million Public Liability Insurance
• Method statement  

We will be assessing quotations according to the following criteria:

• Quality (please supply references)
• Capacity (vehicles, equipment, manpower, storage yard/unit)
• Price   

Deadline for submissions: 12 noon on Thursday 25th February 2016

Kent Police: ANPR Consultation

It is proposed that an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera will be installed near one of the main routes into Hythe in order to increase coverage within the area.

This is something that police forces intend to do countywide. ANPRs are used to help to detect, deter and disrupt criminality including tackling travelling criminals, organised crime groups and terrorists and they are used to assist with evidence in the investigation of crime.

Community engagement regarding the roll out of cameras is necessary prior to installation being approved.  If you would like offer any views on the proposed installation of a camera in Hythe, please send your comments (support/objections/general views etc) to Sandgate Parish Council at sandgateparish@tiscali.co.uk. The parish clerk will then forward your comments to the local PCSO.

Please note that the exact location cannot be disclosed as this may compromise and undermine the objective in preventing and detecting crime by being a benefit to offenders and could reduce the value of ANPR to policing.

Type your text here …

Specification

Shepway Parking Proposals for Granville Parade & Castle Road areas: Sandgate Says No

Shepway District Council have started a consultation on proposals to introduce a Residents Parking Permit scheme in Castle Road, Granville Parade, Granville Road East, Granville Parade West, Lachlan Way, Lister Way and Parade Road.

They are proposing to limit parking in these roads to two hours for non-permit holders. This restriction will be in place 8am-8pm EVERY day of the year including weekends and bank holidays. Only residents and businesses based in the roads named above will be able to get permits.

• Residents not living in those roads will not be able to get a permit, and will not be able to park in those roads for longer than 2 hours a day.
• Businesses not based in those roads will not be able to get a permit for their businesses. Customers of businesses will not be able to get a permit.
• Any Sandgate resident, business owner, business user or visitor to the area that currently park in those areas will, if these proposals are agreed, be banned from doing so for longer than 2 hours in any day.

This new parking scheme could be in place as early as June, depending on the results of their consultation which closes on May 16th.

We need your help, today, to stop these proposals. They will damage our village – and if you drive and live locally, they will affect you.

Since Sandgate Parish Council first heard of the proposals, we have repeatedly asked Shepway to STOP these proposals. There are clearly parking problems in Sandgate, and we are always pushing to get action to address them. But in our view these proposals do not address them in an even vaguely acceptable way, and will prove disastrous for local businesses and residents who depend on the availability of free parking in those roads.

Sandgate Parish Council is unanimously against the proposals to introduce Parking Permits in these roads. We will continue to make that clear to Shepway District Council. But that is not enough. We need all local residents to make their view clear as well to stop these proposals being bulldozed through by the District Council.

We would ask every local resident who is opposed to the introduction of a parking permit scheme to urgently email Shepway District Council to say so.

Send an email, containing your name and address, stating why you oppose the “Revised parking and waiting restrictions in the 'Sandgate East Parking Zone'” to traffic.orders@shepway.gov.uk and copy your message to Sandgate Parish Council at sandgateparish@tiscali.co.uk so we know how many objections they are receiving. Please ensure your email arrives before 4pm on 16th May.

You may also wish to copy your emails to the Leader of Shepway Council david.monk@shepway.gov.uk and Cabinet member for Parking malcolm.dearden@shepway.gov.uk.

If you do not have email, you can either complete an objection form at Sandgate Library during opening hours and we'll ensure it is submitted to Shepway District Council before the close of the consultation. Alternatively you can download an objection form, complete and post your written objections directly to Shepway District Council (Parking orders), Civic Centre, Castle Hill Avenue, Folkestone CT20 2QY

If you oppose these proposals, please make sure you object before the deadline. To maximise our chances of killing this scheme, we need everyone who objects to make that clear as soon as possible.

Thank you.

Robert Bliss & Tim Prater

for Sandgate Parish Council

What to Do In an Emergency – Free Household Booklet

To find out how you can prepare for an emergency situation, read the 'What should I do in an emergency?' Kent Resilience Forum advice booklet available for download here.

Dear Resident

Every year throughout the spring and summer KCC Highways & Transportation receive numerous complaints regarding trees, hedges and other vegetation, which overhang the highway from private property. This matter can pose a number of problems for people trying to use the footways, especially if they are trying to pass with buggies, wheel chairs and scooters.  It would be greatly appreciated if you could ensure that any trees and hedges that are bordering the Highway are maintained and cut back to your boundary which would greatly benefit all Highway users. This will help us all keep the highway safe and prevent the need for KCC Highways & Transportation writing to you requesting that you cut back your vegetation.

So that you are aware of our requirements, please refer to the text below.

If the boundary of your property borders the footway, then please be aware that:

• The full width of the footway/pavement must be available for use by pedestrians.
• As well, there must be a minimum height clearance over the footway/pavement of 2.1 metres / 7 feet for any vegetation.

If the boundary of your property borders the carriageway, then please be aware that:

• If you have vegetation that overhangs into the road, there must be a minimum height clearance of 5 metres / 16 feet, to accommodate buses and HGV’s that may use the road.
•  If your property is rural, then vegetation should be 0.45 metres / 1’6” feet behind the edge of the road and all signs need to be kept clear of foliage for at least 20 metres.

Also, I would ask that you pay special attention to your trees, hedges and vegetation if your property is on or near a junction, and/or inside bend of the road, to maintain maximum visibility for road users.

Finally, I would like to thank you for the time taken to read this article and wish you a pleasant summer. I am looking forward to working with yourselves and your parish to keep the roads as safe and clear as possible.

Highway Steward

Kent County Council Highways & Transportation