Parish Chairman’s Notes June 2024
The Annual Council Meeting took place on 13th May, at which the Chair for the year was elected and councillors assigned to committees. Following the recent uncontested election there were two vacancies on the council. They may have been filled by co-option by the time of reading this, but please contact clerk@capel-pc.org.uk if you feel this is something you would like to do.
A major challenge facing the new parish council is the condition of Capel Village Hall. The management of this is in the hands of the trustees of the CCA. The day to day finances of the Hall and the pre-school which is part of the same charity are sound. However, the capital costs associated with the repair, renewal and possible replacement of the Hall are beyond the present resources of the charity. We have been advised that the present roof has a life expectancy of only eighteen months to two years, so the situation is becoming urgent. The CCA trustees have agreed that the Parish Council will need to take the lead on fund raising and project management for the Hall. The next Parish Council meeting on 3rd June is to be set aside for this subject and the Council will be addressed by Jonathan White from TWBC who has advised several other parishes in the Borough on this issue. Decisions will need to be made on whether to renew or replace the Hall and how this will be financed. The meeting, as all parish council meetings, will be open to the public and is due to start at 7:30.
The Council hopes to be represented at the Stage 3 Hearings on the Tunbridge Wells Local Plan due to take place in June and July (see Borough Councillor’s Report) and will also draft responses to the Inspector’s questions prior to the hearings.
The Referendum version of the Capel Neighbourhood Plan is now complete. We expect it to be approved at a full council meeting at TWBC in July, before it goes to a referendum of residents, expected on September 5th.
Hugh Patterson