Sarah Hehir: never give up!

Before we get snowed in for Christmas, I wanted to update you on some of the local issues.

Yesterday I spoke to Nick Turner again and was promised that he was visiting Borstal that day to get exact requirements for bus timetables outside St. Matthew's and Borstal Baptist Church. The snow was blamed for the delay. I will continue to be persistent! We deserve to have up to date timetables as part of the Arriva service.

Many of you have already signed the road safety petition. After Christmas, you will see copies in local shops and schools. I really appreciate your support on this issue. The more signatures we have, the more recognition we will get from the council. Some areas of Borstal and Rochester are desperately in need of crossings, speed control measures and visibility mirrors. Unless we make our voices heard, we are unlikely to have our demands met. 

The latest from Watt's Meadow and the planning department. Simon Fowler has promptly replied to emails regarding the gates, wall and access to the general public. It has now transpired that there is no guarantee of access being restored to pedestrians from Priestfields. More emails to ask for clarification on this point would be useful. Send to simon.fowler@medway.gov.uk

Mr. Fowler says,

'As you can see a pedestrian access is proposed into the site. At
the moment I cannot confirm whether the public access will be restored
but will let you know once I find out.'

We now have until 27th December to get in our objections or requests for clear information.

The snow is coming down again! Merry Christmas!

Restore Rochester Castle

Iris at the Castle June 2010

Rochester Castle, standing high above the River Medway, is a stunning backdrop for historical festivals, theatrical spectacles, markets and musical events. However it desperatley needs funding to restore it.

The castle is such an important landmark. In the Summer we love eating picnics, pies and icecreams in the castle grounds. It feels like a holiday town! In the winter the girls zoom around the paths on their scooters, the view constantly changing: one minute the spires of the cathedral, then the river and bridge far below and finally the castle towering above them. It is an inspiring and beautiful building.


I will never forget the start of an evening performance at Fuse 2008 that lit up a soldier in a top window of the castle who shouted down to the audience, 'A boy is born' and heralded a show of fire, wild drum beats, dancing and the most moving poetry and drama I have ever seen. The acting was good but the setting made it so memorable.

When Justin Smith, the previous head of The Pilgrim School, showed me and other parents around the new building, he stood proudly in front of a round window that looked down over Borstal towards Rochester. 'We wanted the children to see the Castle every day. It's a great view!'  

Places are important. They make up our identity and are a backdrop to our lives. I don't want to be part of the generation that lets this fabulous castle falI into disrepair. I support the restoration of Rochester Castle and hope it will bring residents and tourists into the heart of the Medway Towns for generations to come.

Fuse Festival in Rochester Castle Grounds 2009

Click here to visit the Restore Rochester Castle site and pledge your support for the campaign. Look out for representatives in the High Street from 6th - 12th December.

Some success! A lot done, plenty more to do!

The notice above is a planning application for a high wall and gate at the entrance to Watt's meadow. It reads,

'Medway Council has received a planning application for construction of wall and vehicular access gates to front of former Priestfields Nursery.'

At WI on Wednesday 1st December, I drew this alarming new development to the attention of residents and yesterday they sent emails of protest. This resulted in an immediate response from planning officer Simon Fowler saying, 

'I hope I can provide some clarification to the situation. The proposed development does not include gates, only provide a boundary wall to the entrance to the new residential development. I have attached the relevant drawing that shows the proposal in more detail.
For your information, an incorrect site notice has been erected opposite the site, but unfortunately the poor weather has meant that I have been unable to affix a revised correct site notice. Hopefully if the snow clears over the weekend I'll be able to get a new one up at the start of next week.'

It seems amazing to us that someone should propose a gate by mistake! Nonetheless, we are delighted that we have drawn attention to this and have a clear assurance from Simon Fowler that it will be removed. 

Please continue to register your opposal to the high wall and express relief that the proposed gate was an error. The plans for the wall look like a folly: a grandiose marketing tool for prestigious houses rather than an entrance to an area of natural beauty. We need to work together as a community and protect our green spaces! Pass on this information to friends and neighbours so that our collective voice is heard on this issue.

Thanks to everyone who has been involved so far. This demonstrates that action on a local level really can have positive consequences.

Please copy email correspondence to Derek Munton or Sarah Hehir so we have a record of objections to the plans for the wall: closing date is 10th December! If you want a copy of the plans please email Sarah Hehir and I will send an attachment.

Officer dealing with case :   Simon Fowler

Medway council

Gun Wharf

Dock Road

Chatham

ME4 4TR

Phone 01634 33 10 18

Email simon.fowler@medway.gov.uk

Application number MC/10/3871

For more:   Derek Munton                                               Sarah Hehir
Ring             409486                                                            831452
Email          derekmunton@aol.com                               hehirsarah@yahoo.co.uk


Sarah Hehir: protecting our green spaces. Deadline December 10th

The information below, 'Watt's Up?' is written by Derek Munton who has campaigned against the restrictions to access for residents of Rochester. He explains the history of Watts Meadow with recent developments up to the planning notice being spotted.

Watt's Up?

Up until last summer it was possible to walk from Borstal, past The Canopus onto Priestfields Recreation Field down to Priestfields. At this point just across the road there was what had been the old Rochester council nursery through which the path went straight through to Watt’s Meadow and out by Ethelbert Road then down Maidstone Road to The Vines. You did not have to walk the whole path. Many people simply used Priestfield as access to Watt’s Meadow Open Space.

The  Open Spaces Society have been working for years to get Medway Council to put the footpath from Priestfieds to Ethelbert Rd on the “Definitive Map”.This route has been walked and enjoyed continuously by people from Rochester and Borstal since at least the 1940’s. It has been walked without permission, pay or hindrance.

Not any more.

Not since Medway council allowed the great wall of Bellway builders to be put up and closed access to Watt’s Meadow from Priestfields. The fence was put up without consultation or warning, so it’s not surprising people objected and 450 residents signed a petition of protest. An unsuitable footpath diversion was put in by Medway council consisting of a set of steep grey concrete steps and galvanised handrail at the end of Southfields. The fence was supposed to be temporary, as a safety device, but it is still there 6 months later. They said It would be sorted out when the path was confirmed as a Registered Public Footpath.

But the diversion has become the Definitive Footpath with an “understanding” that the road through the new housing would still be access to Watt’s Meadow and its footpath. Not quite the same thing.

That’s 450 unhappy residents

But Watt’s happening now …..?

Bellway the builders started to put in footings for a wall along the site entrance from Priestfields, until they were told to stop. Bellway need planning permission from Medway Council.

A Public Notice has been fixed to the lamppost across the road (not next to the development) to build a wall 2 meters (6ft 6ins)  fitted with access gates.

What’s happened to footpath access?

The development will have entry controlled by gates

It will be inappropriate and out of keeping with the area.

Medway council must not give this scheme planning it has to be opposed immediately because the closing date for objections is:

December 10 2010

Officer dealing with case :   Simon Fowler

Medway council

Gun Wharf

Dock Road

Chatham

ME4 4TR

Phone 01634 33 10 18

Email simon.fowler@medway.gov.uk

Application number MC/10/3871

For more:   Derek Munton                                               Sarah Hehir
Ring             409486                                                            831452
Email          derekmunton@aol.com                               hehirsarah@yahoo.co.uk

Sarah Hehir meets Ed Miliband

From right to left: Labour candidate Sarah Hehir, Labour Leader Ed Miliband, Councillor Theresa Murray, Young Labour member Oscar Davies and Labour candidate Derek Munton

I met Ed Miliband today at Priestfields Stadum in Gillingham at Labour's National Policy Forum. I was immediately encouraged by his confidence in a brighter Britain under a future Labour Government.  He spoke passionately of a Labour party committed to social justice and economic growth, motivated by an optimistic vision of our communities and country.

He answered specific questions: he wants to make high streets the centre of communities once again and to reclaim the idea of a 'Big Society' so that it constitutes more than hollow platitudes. Ed Miliband opposes the rise in tuition fees, he opposes changes to Royal Mail which will threaten more local services, he supports the building of new affordable homes and opposes the Coalition's drastic cuts to frontline services.

When I shook hands with Ed Miliband (52 seconds in!) I spoke to him about the people of Rochester West; people who don't discuss politics in technical, party-political terms but who have great ideas about how to improve our area and shape a more dynamic and inclusive community. People who have retained an optimism even in the face of these devastating cuts and years of Conservative misrule on Medway Council.

This afternoon some of the nitty gritty of Labour policy will be ironed out. We will have a clear manifesto. In the meantime, Labour councillors across Medway and the UK are continuing to work hard work to build better communities and support local business.

Medway has had a Conservative controlled council for 10 years. In May, there is a chance to make a change. I hope you will vote for me and give me the opportunity to implement that change.

Surestart Parents' Forum - support for family's with children under 5

Thank you to all the parents who came along to the meeting today: a vibrant crowd, full of ideas! I am looking forward to reporting back to the Surestart Advisory Board in February and in the meantime acting on some of your feedback immediately. Watch this space for more news...

Sarah Hehir: Improving Road Safety in Rochester and Borstal

I believe a local councillor should visit our community groups and talk to local people. I may not have reached you all yet but the people I talk to at schools, toddler groups, WI and in the local shops, all express a common concern; road safety. Many have mentioned the high speed that cars drive down Priestfields, Borstal Road and Borstal Street. There are insufficient traffic calming measures coming into Borstal Village and no pedestrian crossing. The speed bumps stop at the start of the residential housing on Borstal Road and Priestfields Hill seems to act as an incentive to speed up.

Simple measures can be very effective.  A few well placed speed bumps, a zebra crossing and some high visibility traffic mirrors would make a major difference to the safety of our roads.  As a driver, I know traffic calming is a minor inconvenience but it is a small price to pay for improving our local environment, especially for children and the elderly. I would like to lead the fight for safer roads in our part of Medway!

Please support me and sign the petition. There will be copies at strategic points around Rochester West and I will update you as we go along. Alternatively email me and I will send blank copies of the petition as an attachment if you are prepared to collect a page of signatures. It will all help!

Sarah Hehir - supporting business in Rochester West: Mud Pies



Sarah Hehir and sister Emily Sandford at Cocoa Bean Chocolates

My personal interest in encouraging small businesses comes from my own experience. I started my business, Cocoa Bean, eight years ago with a baby on one hip and what I thought was just a passion for chocolate and good food. It turns out that I had an entrepreneurial spirit not so far under the surface! A combination of drive, enthusiasm and targeted support means that our business is still part of a thriving artisan chocolate industry, employing more than 10 people and exporting our chocolate around the world. It's an achievement I am proud of. In Rochester West, despite a global recession, I see lots of individuals and bigger businesses starting up and thriving. The Deaf Cat Cafe and The Rochester Coffee Company on the High Street are just two examples of relatively new coffee shops that are independent and buzzing with local character.

Success is due to many factors but Cocoa Bean benefited hugely from schemes that offer financial support and training in those all important early days. Many of these schemes, courses and grants are run by local councils. I fear that under the Coalition we could lose these vital services as council funds are slashed. I am looking into innovative ways to provide this support because I worry that without start up support, the small businesses that become the backbone of our future communities, might never get off the ground.

Nicola Chard reading while the muffins cook

Local Mum, Nicola Chard, has launched her new business this month, Mud Pies! The classes currently run at Borstal Cleave Warne Hall , behind St. Matthew's Church, and are for preschoolers. Her youngest recruit is 19 months - catch them young and you might have a personal chef for life! If you want to get in touch with Nicola email cookmudpies@aol.com



Iris Hehir measuring flour

Iris and Elsie are at the Thursday afternoon class running until Christmas and are having a fabulous time. So far they have made healthy burgers, apricot biscuits and vegetable pasta bake. That is not all! They have also brought home pasta necklaces, laminated place mats decorated with their own food inspired designs and listened to a new favourite story, 'Burger Boy'. They have learnt stirring, measuring, grating, peeling, sieving, chopping, tasting and most fun of all, washing up!



Elsie Hehir masters the scales



There are spaces left on the Thursday morning class from 10-10.45 am and a few spaces on Thursday afternoon from 1.30 - 2.15pm. A new set of classes will run after Christmas. The Monday classes are also proving very popular. Children at the Pilgrim School will take part in a healthy eating Mud Pies course during this terms university week and after Christmas there is a Thursday after school club running for Reception and years 1 and 2. There is only one place left, so hurry if you think you might have a young Ramsay or Nigella!

Moving Memories Animation Project

Great news! As Community Project Manager with Rochester Film Salon, I am delighted to announce that we have been awarded a grant from Medway Council Small Grants programme. Here is an section from the successful bid:

Our project is an inspirational and inclusive arts initiative in the heart of Borstal. It will involve local residents from all generations working together as a team, solving problems and cultivating creative and organisational skills. The end product will be a timeless artistic record of our local heritage.

We have planned this project, working closely with community leaders from the school, church and sheltered accommodation for the elderly. We have secured the involvement of pupils from The Pilgrim Primary School, residents of Sheridan Court  (sheltered housing scheme) and members of St. Matthew's church and our wider community to make an animated film; ‘Moving Memories.’

The project will be carried out in three parts:

1) Gathering Stories and Participants

This initial phase involves drama workshops in The Pilgrim School to explore the theme of memories and prepare the pupils for a visit to Sheridan Court. Here the residents will watch a short performance by the pupils and then be invited to reflect on their lives and experiences in an informal setting. These stories will be recorded and edited by participants to form the audio track of the finished animation.

At this point, we will encourage residents of Sheridan Court to join the project and engage in activities such as: art, research and pre-production; animation; post-production and screening; event organisation.

2)  Making the Animation

This involves three full-day workshops in Cleave Warne Hall and The Pilgrim School Community Room where participants will design and produce an animated film with audio track. We envisage those involved including school pupils, residents from Sheridan Court and other interested locals.

3) The Screening

The culmination of the project will be a screening of the animation ‘Moving Memories Borstal’ and ‘The Making of Moving Memories.’  Drinks and canapés will be served and the event will be open to the participants and the public. We will invite the media and interested members of the local and wider community in Medway.

The project will take place during the Pilgrim School's University week 28th March - 1st April. If you have skills, tales or general enthusiasm and would like to get involved, I would love to hear from you!

Hope to see you all at the open meeting about Sure Start which I've organised as a member of the Advisory Board - details below...All Welcome!

Parents Forum

Friday November 26^th

Pilgrim School Community Room 12-1pm

A chance to share your comments and ideas on Surestart in our area

All welcome

Informal and Friendly

We can help shape

Surestart for the future

Tea and Coffee served

Snacks for children provided

(For information about the Sure Start centre at St Margaret's at Troy Town click here)

Bus timetables on Borstal Street

If you are one of many who are frustrated by the lack of information on bus stops in Borstal Village, then you will be pleased to hear that I have spoken to Nick Turner at Arriva Buses who says he will make it a priority and get timetables up by mid December. So, by the time you are dashing into Rochester High Street or Chatham for your last minute Christmas pressies, you should know when the 155 bus will arrive!

Sarah Hehir

I moved to Borstal in August 2007 with my husband, Aidan and my daughters Esme and Elsie. Esme started at The Pilgrim School in year 1 and Elsie and I quickly met friends through Borstal playgroup at The Baptist Church. Iris was born in November 2008 at Medway Maritime. She has just finished a fabulous first week at ABC community project.

I have been selected to stand as Labour candidate for the local council elections to be held in May 2011. I feel very proud to have been chosen to represent our local community and excited about the future possibilities to build on some of the great work being done by community groups, volunteers, businesses and our local school.

I willl use this blog to let you know of my plans, ideas and the progress that is being made with projects. I will also let you know why I will make a great councillor for Rochester West and why I hope you will come out on May 5th to vote for me. 

Please tell me your ideas!