March calendar. Millie and Katie on ice. More pictures of the school's answer to Sochi pages 10-11

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1 Sat 1 19:00 Rotary Big Band Sun 2 08:00 Eucharist Sun 2 09:00 Choir Rehearsal Sun 2 09:45 Sunday Club and 7UP Sun 2 10:00 Parish Eucharist Mon 3 13:30 Toddler Praise Mon 3 18:00 +NRG Mon 3 20:00 PCC Tue 4 09:30 Coffee & Book Club at Castle Lake Wed 5 19:30 Ash Wednesday Service in Church Thu 6 19:30 Curry & Chat at Castle Lake Fri 7 10:30 Women's World Day Of Prayer. Allington Church Fri 7 19:30 Snakes & Ladders rehearsal Sun 9 08:00 Eucharist Sun 9 09:00 Choir Rehearsal Sun 9 10:00 All Age Word Mon 10 13:30 Toddler Praise Mon 10 18:00 Tue 11 09:30 24 Shrove Tuesday March 4 March calendar +NRG Coffee & Book Club at Castle Lake Tue 11 20:00 FLC fireside chat. Wed 12 20:00 Fundraising Cttee Thu 13 19:30 Curry & Chat at Castle Lake Fri 14 19:30 Snakes & Ladders rehearsal Sun 16 08:00 Eucharist Sun 16 09:00 Choir Rehearsal Sun 16 09:45 Sunday Club and 7UP Sun 16 10:00 Parish Eucharist Mon 17 13:30 Toddler Praise Mon 17 18:00 +NRG Tue 18 09:30 Coffee & Book Club at Castle Lake Wed 19 20:00 Worship Committee Thu 20 19:30 Curry & Chat at Castle Lake Fri 21 19:30 Snakes & Ladders rehearsal Sat 22 19:30 Snakes & Ladders Performance Sun 23 08:00 Eucharist Sun 23 09:00 Choir Rehearsal Sun 23 09:45 Sunday Club and 7UP Sun 23 10:00 Parish Eucharist Mon 24 13:30 Toddler Praise Mon 24 18:00 +NRG Tue 25 09:30 Coffee & Book Club at Castle Lake Tue 25 20:00 Social Committee Thu 27 19:30 Curry & Chat at Castle Lake Fri 28 20:00 MAD Starfish Quiz Night at Castle Lake Sun 30 08:00 Eucharist Sun 30 09:00 Choir Rehearsal Sun 30 09:45 Sunday Club and 7UP Sun 30 10:00 Parish Eucharist Mon 31 13:30 Toddler Praise Mon 31 18:00 +NRG Mar 2014 No 238 Millie and Katie on ice. More pictures of the school's answer to Sochi pages Parish Council to fight rejection of local pharmacy plan page 6

2 S n a k e s & La d d e rs Water, Water Everywhere As I write, the media have recently changed focus from reporting continuously on the flooding at home to the crisis in Ukraine. For what seems like months we have watched in disbelief as large areas of our land have been submerged by water. We have looked on at the unedifying spectacle of politicians and civil servants blaming each other, and we ve felt extremely sorry for those who have had their homes and businesses flooded. The fear of flooding has always been very real for some it can be no accident that the major disaster referred to in the book of Genesis was the great flood. But while the biblical explanation for the flood was the wrongdoing and sin of the people of the time, this is not an appropriate explanation for the flooding we have witnessed more recently. 2 This is not a punishment, although it might feel like that for some, but a combination of events (including a lot of rain!) that have lead to an unforeseen crisis. The crisis has reminded us of the inherent dangers of playing the blame game. It is always tempting to blame others for our misfortune, and while this might sometimes be appropriate it does have the tendency to make us bitter and cynical. It is usually much more productive to remind ourselves of the positives for example the Parish Councils and Churches who have responded so well to the crisis and made a real difference to people s lives. The time for blame will come, but the people who have helped those affected by flooding are truly inspirational and we should give thanks for them. Fr Matthew 3

3 Notice Women's weekend retreat: June , at Carroty Wood. Jean Kerr will be leading all the worship. 125 per person, which includes accommodation, food, (breakfast, hot lunch and 2 course evening meal) activities such as high ropes and archery or abseiling. The program will be a mixture of seriously fun activities, socialising and worship, reflection and prayer. Call Emma on Leybourne Scouts are looking for a leader or helper that can help out every other week until Easter and then every week after that. Please contact Karen McCloy on Leybourne Beaver Colony will close at Easter if they do not recruit a new leader and/or assistants. This voluntary role does involve a time commitment but the rewards of working with the enthusiastic children is really worth it. If you, or anyone you know, is interested and wants to find out more please leybournebeavers@outlook.com or phone Gary Mills (Group Scout Leader) on Meet new friends and have fun at 1st Larkfield Girls' Brigade. For girls and young ladies aged between 5 and 18 years of age, we meet during term time in the Methodist Church 4 Hall, New Hythe Lane, Larkfield on Mondays. For meeting times and further information call Val Burnage on or val@burnage.me.uk 1st Larkfield Boys' Brigade is for boys and young men aged between 5 and 18 years. We meet in term time on Wednesday evenings at the Methodist Church Hall, New Hythe Lane, Larkfield. For meeting times and further information telephone Alan Connor on or alanconnor359@btinternet.com Art exhibition: The Rotary Club of the Weald of Kent Spring Art Exhibition at Sutton Valence School Pictures and crafts on exhibition and for sale. Sat Mar am to 6.00 pm. Sunday Mar am to 5.00 pm. 1 entry. Refreshments available. All proceeds go to Rotary Charities. For further information call: Derek Lamb or Bob Taylor or visit: Big Band Night: Kings Hill Rotary Club present the Peninsula Big Band Sat Mar 1, The Village Hotel, Maidstone, 7.00 pm for 7.30 pm. Two course carvery dinner, dance and raffle. 35 per person. Contact Janet at j.tootal@btinternet.com. board Bulky Waste: The council truck will be outside the shops on Little Market Row: Mar 8 Mar am am Please don t leave items on site if the truck is not there. You are responsible for putting them into the truck yourself. Food Bank: Please donate food for the food bank. Gluten free and non dairy items also required. If you can help please place items in the boxes in church. Church web site: You can read Leybourne Voice, view the calendar, see what groups are meeting & where plus much more on the church web site at Do you live in Leybourne Chase? Can you deliver Leybourne Voice to your neighbours once a month? Contact Sarah on Easyfundraising.co.uk: Do your shopping online through the website, nominating Leybourne Paraochial Church Council as your designated charity. More than 1,000 has been raised from retailers who donate a percentage of online orders. Ss PETER & PAUL JustTextGiving: Now we have made it even LEYBOURNE easier for you to give to maintain our church. Simply text SSPP01 "Leybourne x where Church x can seeks beto serve 1,2,3,4,5 Got through or 10 prayer, to worship, The action text is free and example and 100% in the of what wideryou community." give goes to the church. You will also receive a text with details of how to Please contact the parish priest or Gift Aid your donation. Please do churchwardens on any parish matters. this if you can. It increases your donation by 25% at no cost to you. PARISH PRIEST The Revd Matthew Buchan matthew.buchan@diocese-rochester.org CHURCHWARDENS Patrick Tootal Martin Luton CHURCH ADMINISTRATOR Marcia Phelan Marcia Phelan leybournepa@googl .com PASTORAL ASSISTANT Mary Bierbaun

4 Leybourne to Fight Pharmacy Plan Rejection Plans to open an independent pharmacy in Leybourne have been rejected after opposition from three national pharmacy chains. But Leybourne Parish Council plans to fight the decision, chairman Bob Ulph told Leybourne Voice. "Why should Leybourne be denied an independent pharmacy because of the greed of the big national companies," Mr Ulph said. "Every local doctor's surgery has a pharmacy nearby, so why not in Leybourne?" he asked. "We will not let this rest until we have a pharmacy in Leybourne." Businessman Sunil Chandarana had appealed to the NHS Litigation Authority against an earlier rejection. His appeal was supported at the meeting by testimony from Leybourne Parish Council and by letters from local residents, who wanted a pharmacy within walking distance. But giant pharmacy chains Boots The hearing was told there are four pharmacies within 2.5 miles of Leybourne. That means a five-mile round trip is considered "local". Below: Boots, West Malling and Paydens, Larkfield. 6 and Paydens, with support from Tesco, opposed the plan, claiming that their pharmacies in West Malling, Larkfield, Lunsford and Kings Hill provided everything needed by locals. A report of the meeting said that, because many people in Leybourne drove elsewhere for food and clothes shopping, the committee couldn't see a pressing need for a pharmacy in the area, the Kent Messenger reported. But there are elderly residents and parents with pre-school children who don't have access to a car, and who couldn't get to the big chains on foot, Mr Ulph told the hearing. The Parish Council will discuss how to respond to the rejection at its next meeting on March 4 in the Village Hall. They may escalate the issue to MP Sir John Stanley, and mount a campaign to overturn the decision, Mr Ulph said. "This is a cartel, and in any other scenario would and could be escalated to the Competition Commission," Mr Ulph said. Mr Chandarana can seek a judicial review of the appeal, or submit another application addressing the reasons his original application was rejected. 7

5 Sunday June 22 Registration am, Harrietsham Village Hall, Church Road ME17 1AP. For further details, call or visit On completion, walkers are given a free Ploughman s Lunch and strawberries and are entertained by a Jazz Band. Walkers may retain 50% of their sponsorship money for their own charity/church/school etc. with the remainder going to CRUK. You may register at the Hall on the day for a minimum donation of 15 per person. To-date this Walk has raised over 440,000 for local & national charities, with over 210,000 for CRUK alone. Come along and watch the Leybourne Cricket Club from 3pm 8 9

6 Leybourne's W inter Olympics 1st Leybourne Guides Leybourne School's PTFA brought Sochi to the school hall last month, installing a temporary ice rink for the children to enjoy, and even laying on fake snow showers. Sue Forsey, PTFA chair Lauren Forsey Harvey King Willow Hall, Melissa Morsley Sophie Mannering 1st Leybournee Guides Amber King Annalise Coussey 10 11

7 Leybourne's Winter Leybourne School's PTFA brought Sochi to the school hall last month, installing a temporary ice rink for the children to enjoy, and even laying on fake snow showers. 1st Leybournee Guides 12 13

8 Mulch ado about nothing Getting back to basics, Adam McKay writes on the benefits of mulching I started writing this garden column in early 2011 and have produced 30 articles which hopefully have helped and inspired you to get out into your garden and use it to its full potential. Every month Sam my wife asks me what I m going to write about this month and with horticulture being such a big field of interest. I ve always pondered over two or three subjects trying not to make it a monotonous list of tasks. Now, this month Sam asked the same question and after 30 pieces I thought I d look at my back catalogue and having read through a few I felt although I had covered a wide spectrum of gardening, sometimes the simple things can make life so much easier. So, in my first column I said that the most important job to do in the garden is mulching and although I have mentioned a few times since I think it s such an important topic that I thought I d go over this task again. So, what is mulching? And why do I think mulching is so important? The best time-saving measure a gardener can take is applying a mulch. This goes for every garden site, from a vegetable garden to flower bed. Mulched gardens are healthier, more weed free, and more drought-resistant than unmulched gardens, so you'll 14 spend less time watering, weeding, and fighting pest problems. It also gives a uniform look to your borders. There are two basic kinds of mulch: organic and inorganic. Organic mulches include formerly living material such as chopped leaves, straw, grass clippings, compost, wood chips and shredded bark. Inorganic mulches include gravel and slate. Both types discourage weeds, but organic mulches also improve the soil as they decompose. Inorganic mulches don't break down and enrich the soil, but under certain circumstances they're the mulch of choice, for instance for pot plants and rockeries. There are two cardinal rules for using organic mulches to combat weeds. First, be sure to lay the mulch down on soil that is already weeded, and second, lay down a thick enough layer to discourage new weeds from coming up through it. Between 5-10cms thick is perfect. Anything less won t keep the weeds a bay, but could encourage them! If your budget can t stretch to all your borders then don t spread the mulch thinly, just do one area thoroughly. So, how does this layer save us time? Well, it suppresses weed germination and even if weeds do start growing they are easily pulled out as the mulch is friable. It retains moisture in the summer by keeping the soil cool thus less watering is required. Earthworm activity is encouraged; this improves tilth and soil nutrients throughout the year. Given the fact we all hate weeding, we are never happy with the health of our plants,carrying watering cans is a heavy job and water is not cheap these days - unless you have a few water butts. I think I ve made a good case for your mulching your borders. Nothing, unfortunately, is perfect. When using organic mulches, keep in mind the following facts: As low-nitrogen organic mulches such as wood chips and shredded bark decay, nitrogen is temporarily depleted from the soil. Fertilize first with a high-nitrogen product such as fish, bone and blood to boost soil nitrogen levels. Also, they re not the best product to use around vegetables and annual plants as the soil will be dug over at least once a year. Organic mulches are usually a little acidic, depending on their content; mix some lime with the mulch beneath plants that prefer neutral or slightly alkaline Continued overleaf 15

9 Mulch ado about Continued from overleaf soil. The Leybourne area is mainly an acidic soil but, if you not sure do a soil test. So, now I ve got you on my side regarding this task I m sure you re wondering when to do it, and that s an easy answer: NOW! By doing this over the next 2 months you ll have saved yourself plenty of time that can be used enjoying your garden. Time spent in the garden now will mean a lazy summer in the garden! If you have a gardening query or problem I can be contacted at adamurgardener@aol.com Adam McKay 16 17

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11 Parish Council Minutes of meeting held Jan 7 Emergency Plan: The chairman asked for the Parish Emergency Plan to be reviewed in the near future following the incident of Dec 24 when the three main culverts of the Leybourne stream had become blocked following the heavy rainfall which resulted in the flood water encroaching up to the school entrance Police: December crimes: 1 x Burglary Other Than Dwelling Birling Road; 1 x Criminal Damage Car Park, Castle Way; 1 x Going Equipped for Theft Castle Way; 3 x Violent Incidents 2 domestic related, 1 disagreement which escalated to violence. Incidents of note: On Jan 6, a small plastic bag with a scent of cannabis was found in the Bomb Hole Area. An Intel report has been completed. Members of the public are advised to call 101 to report non-emergency crimes and ask for a crime reference. Pharmacy: A member of the public thanked the Parish Council for inviting him to the well supported meeting and advised that he is looking to open a pharmacy in Leybourne and the hearing is to be held on Jan 21 and he asked for community support. He has been qualified as a Pharmacist for 8 years 20 and would like to offer a personal service & health checks to the community. He was previously offered support by the Parish Council when he applied 8 months ago. If anyone would like to support his application they would need to send directly to him. It was noted that the Parish Clerk had his contact details. It was agreed unanimously by Councillors that the Parish Council would wish to support this proposal. It was agreed that the Parish Clerk will write a letter of support on behalf of the Parish Council and Parishioners. Donkeys: A member of the public spoke about his concerns for the health and safety of the Donkeys and Ponies in the Leybourne Donkey Field as one Donkey had recently died and had been replaced. Although there was no post mortem as to the cause of the deaths it may be that the donkeys had been given unsuitable food, like bread. Rats have recently been seen in the area around the Christmas Tree and it is believed that they are being attracted there because of bread which is being put out and therefore is a public health and safety issue. This problem had been reported to Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council previously but no action has been taken. The owner of the Donkey Field will visit the Borough Council Offices and report this himself and has asked for the support of the Parish & Borough Councillors to raise public awareness and to stop further animals being harmed. Multi-Use Games Area/Lighting/ Fund Raising: Youth Worker Dale Hooker spoke about the benefits of providing an outdoor facility for the Youths in the Autumn/Winter until dusk ( pm) which would need to be lit with low level lighting that would not impact on nearby residents and that this facility would enable the Youths aged to be active and play football etc in the MUGA. He advised councillors that the older Youths had expressed an interest in becoming involved with the fund raising and would benefit from the experience and an understanding of raising funds for the lighting which could cost in the region of 20,000. This facility could also benefit the school and local residents for other sports to continue during winter months. Leybourne Parish Council agreed that this would be an excellent idea to take forward and thanked the Youth Worker for his good work and efforts. A full consultation with residents will take place. Borough Councillor Sophie Shrubsole suggested that fund raising would give practical skills to the Youths and The Leybourne Business Club could be formed to raise funding. County Councillor Sarah Hohler gave an update on the recent request from Leybourne Parish Council for a net for the MUGA and due to her current budget restrictions and with a tough budget for this year she is able to match fund with an offer of 1,500 towards the cost and she will ask James Harman to make contact. Borough Councillor Brian Luker advised that there was no update on the land at Leybourne Chase between Taylor Wimpey and the HCA to give an update to the Leybourne Football club but there would be an update in the next few days as this was part of the Section 106 Agreement. Budget & Precept 2014: It has been proposed that the precept be increased by 5.29% or 7p per week to the average band D household to take account for the increase in utilities etc. A document will be produced by the Parish Clerk to explain to residents the reason for the increase and for the services provided. Football Club: Chairman of Leybourne Football Club Mr Neil Harrison had written to Leybourne Parish Council to express his concerns about the development of the school at Leybourne Chase and the potential loss of Leybourne Football pitches. Cllr Ulph who had Continued overleaf 21

12 Continued from previous page been dealing with the Homes and Community Agency and Taylor Wimpey to secure the football pitches for the football club and land for the outside gym proposal explained that the Parish Council considered that they had legal rights as tenants of the pitches for more than 20 years. Cllr Ulph from discussions with the HCA understood that the school will be located on the north side of the public footpath (MR130) and that KCC were planning to change these plans as part of the Section 106 agreement which would then not affect the football pitches, trim trail and playing fields. This would therefore be good news for the Football Club. Cllr Ulph spoke about the vision that the Parish Council had for future support for the residents of the Chase and Leybourne in proposals to explore the redevelopment of the old cricket club pavilion for changing facilities and a club house for the football club and the redevelopment of the old tennis courts which would be good for the growth and development of Leybourne Chase and for the community of Leybourne. The Parish Council would like support from the Borough Councillors to secure the Football Pitches and recreation areas. Mr Neil Harrison had recently been advised that the football pitches were going and that if this was the case the Football Club, which has been in existence for 26 years would 22 not be able to continue as fixtures for matches are arranged well in advance for 2014/15 and the Football Association would seek assurance that the football club were able to demonstrate that they had future use of playing facilities. Cllr Ulph will write again to the HCA requesting a letter of intent for a lease agreement and to continue to explore a permanent lease. Parish Council Planning: TM/13/03799/FL RSPCA Centre, 199 Castle Way, Leybourne Erection of canopy. No objections. TM/13/03239/FL Woodside 14 Park Road, Leybourne - Loft conversion to create two bedrooms and a shower room. No objections. Polling stations: It is proposed that London Road and Birling Road residents along with parishioners of the Chase, will vote at Leybourne Chase with the remaining residents to vote at the Village Hall. Playscheme: The cost to Leybourne Parish Council of the Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council Summer Playscheme for 2014 will be 1, It was agreed that the Parish Council need to justify that this is good value for money. The Clerk had previously requested data from the Leybourne residents who used the Playscheme in 2013 and this was received. It was agreed more information was required about how satisfied were the residents who sent their children to the Playscheme in 2013 before a decision could be made to support the 2104 scheme. 23