WOULDHAM YOUTH PROVISION
Working with Wouldham Parish Council and following meetings with TMBC and KCC officers, we are delighted that a management committee has been formed to take forward provision for youth in Wouldham.

We do however need more members and volunteers to help us. Anybody who can help, even in the smallest way, please would you contact any of the following management committee members: Toni – 01634 869135 or Karen 01634 666 370.

ECCLES YOUTH CLUB
The Eccles Youth Club made a good start in the summer and continued through until October. Sadly it has had to close temporarily because we do not have enough adult volunteers to provide a safe environment for the children. There is a strong demand from the youngsters for this much needed club in Eccles. If you are able to help with sports or arts activities, or just talking to people once or twice a month, please come forward and join in. For more details contact Dave on 01634 869650 or Neil on 01622 716012.

RECYCLING PLASTIC WASTE
We are delighted that you can now recycle plastic bottles at 8 places across the Borough.

Sainsbury’s Aylesford Quarry Wood site is the closest, followed by Tesco’s at Larkfield. More details are available on the TMBC Website. Click HERE for details.

BURHAM VILLAGE HALL RECYCLING POINT
All Burham residents can benefit the Parish finances by using the new Smurfit cardboard recycling facility. The bank will take cardboard, paper, newspapers, magazines, brochures and mail shots. It is not able to take yellow pages and wax cartons eg: milk and juice cartons. For every tonne of cardboard type waste, the Parish Council will get in excess of £40.00 to be spent on facilities in Burham.

AYLESFORD SEWAGE WORKS

One great cause for satisfaction to us was working with the people of Eccles in the hugely successful team effort to persuaded Kent County Council to refuse planning permission to Southern Water for the sludge processing facility.

This would have meant a large increase in HGV traffic through Eccles. Many thanks to everybody who passed information and photographs to us which we used and relayed to Eccles Village Co-ordination Secretariat.

Southern Water has until March 2007 to appeal the decision. Looking at the evidence that we all presented to KCC, they would be well advised not to appeal. However that possibility cannot be ruled out so the team from Eccles will have to go into action again.

We are ready to support them.

STREET LIGHTS
In our conversations with you, an important issue is street lights not working. Please report all faulty street lights to Kent County Council Highway Services on 08458 247800.

They need to know where the faulty light is. If possible, give the street light number which is on the lamp post eg: JCC 1003 is a street light in Church Street, Burham.

If the light is not repaired by KCC in a reasonable length of time, then please let Roger or Dave know.

TRAFFIC CALMING
We share your concern about traffic speeding in the villages. Some traffic calming measures are going into all three villages. In Eccles, these were largely completed over the summer however, Conservative controlled KCC have agreed to put in an Interactive Speed Limit sign near the Red Bull Pub to indicate speed to traffic.

Burham Parish Council are putting on public exhibitions of proposed Burham traffic calming in the Old School Community Centre on Saturday, 2nd & 9th of December, 2pm—4pm. Wouldham Parish Council have already put on an exhibition of the proposed village traffic calming.

PETER’S VILLAGE

Following Approval in Principle for Peters Village development, Trenport are beginning to submit more detailed plans to TMBC for approval. We will keep you informed of what is happening over the coming months.

The road works along Court Road and Pilgrims Way are due to start in autumn 2007 and finish in late 2008. The bridge works will start in early 2007 and are due for completion in autumn 2009.

Some people have asked us what the pegs in the fields along side Court Road are for. This is to show the farmers what land will be required for the construction work. It is not the extent of the finished road but where crops might be damaged by the work.

For those of you with access to the internet, much more detail can be obtained from Trenport’s Website which can be accessed by clicking HERE.

Who should be Chatham & Aylesford's next Member of Parliament ?

The Conservative Party is changing - and one of those changes is in the way we select our candidates.

Until now, our candidates, (like those from other parties), were interviewed and selected by party members. We realise, however, that a future MP needs the support of the wider community. That is why we have changed the way we are doing things.

On Thursday 30th November you are invited to attend a meeting that will select the Conservative candidate for the next General Election here in Chatham & Aylesford Constituency. The meeting will start at 7pm at Lordswood Leisure Centre, North Dane Way, Chatham, ME5 8YE. For map click HERE.

The story so far:
Hundreds of approved candidates have been notified that we are looking for a candidate to fight the General Election. Those interested have submitted their CV's and a shortlist of 11 has been compiled. Over the next two weeks a series of interviews will whittle these initial 11 applicants down to a shortlist of 3.

The Final Meeting:
On Thursday 30th November the final 3 candidates will present themselves to a public meeting. Each of the candidates will make a short presentation and will be professionally interviewed by an impartial moderator. Members of the audience will have an opportunity to ask questions if they wish.

The Vote:
Following the interviews a vote (by secret ballot) will be taken. The winning candidate needs 50%+ of the vote to win. If none of the candidates poll 50%+ on the first vote, the third placed candidate will be eliminated and another vote will be held. The winner of the second ballot will be selected as the Conservative Party candidate to fight the next General Election.

Who Can Participate?:
You do not need to be a member of the Conservative Party to attend the meeting and vote. In fact, you don't even have to be a committed Conservative. A Member of Parliament represents the entire constituency regardless of politics and we therefore wish to include the views of as many people as possible in the selection process.

However:
To qualify to attend the meeting and cast a vote you must by 18 years of age or over and be on the Electoral Register for the Chatham & Aylesford Constituency under the new boundaries.

You Must Also Register:
If you wish to attend the meeting you must register by 24th November. To do so, simply send an email to contact@tcconservatives.com. The title of the email should be "REGISTRATION" and you need to include the name, address and telephone number of each person that would like to attend. Alternatively, you can register by post. Send the names and addresses of those people wishing to attend the meeting to:

Chatham & Aylesford Conservative Association
Freepost MA 487
91 High Street
West Malling
Kent
ME19 6NA

Further details about the meeting will be sent to all registered attendees on or about 24th November.