News

Parish Chairman’s Report – September 2021

As announced last month, Louise Goldsmith took over as Parish Manager and Clerk from 30th July. She is responsible for the effective running of Capel Parish Council and is its executive officer. We are aiming to open the office a couple of times a week and Louise is having it cleaned and reordered so it works more effectively as a drop in for residents to seek information and ask questions.

The clerk can be contacted on the same email: clerk@capel-pc.org.uk

There was a very useful workshop for members of the Neighbourhood Plan working Party with our consultants Alison Eardley associates on August 3rd. We agreed it was vital to put local policies in place at the earliest opportunity at a time when the future of the parish and our community is so uncertain. We will aim to give updates on progress in this space whenever we can.

As many will know we had a serious flooding event on August 1st when the stream broke its banks following over 50mm of rain in a four hour period. Thanks to Charles Mackonochie and the flood warden team including parish councillors Trevor Sawyer and Ashley Saunders and others for their role in supporting residents long into the evening.  A number of properties on Five Oak Green close to the culvert were damaged and many others escaped narrowly. Seemingly spurred on by this event the flood resilience scheme, announced 18 months ago, led by the EA and TWBC, is pressing ahead with surveys starting later this month – affected residents are being contacted.

The Celebration of the centenary of the opening of the Memorial Cottages took place on 15th August led by the Mayor of Tunbridge Wells. Don Foreman the Chairman of the History Group outlined how the cottages came about. On behalf of the Parish Council Hugh Patterson replied taking the story of the cottages up to the present day.

Hugh Patterson