RVA met with reasonable turnout on 25th January in the new venue, Rusthall United Reform Church. There were no guest speakers, but there was still plenty to discuss.

On the agenda was housing development in several parts of the village, the pedestrian crossing and school merger update, the 281 bus route rebranding feedback, recycling issues, talk of recreational facilities in Southwood road and the announcement that there will be an Annual General Meeting (AGM) on May 24th.

AGM

Jenny Blackburn, RVA’s Chairperson, appealed for a positive response regarding the AGM in May. The objective of this meeting, among other things, is to assign a new committee. RVA needs to recruit new members to become actively involved in its activities, as Jenny Blackburn is responsible for the majority of tasks and positions currently. Persons to take on the roles of the following will be required:

Volunteers to ease the burden for the RVA board in general are always welcome. Jenny wishes to make it clear that RVA is effective and that giving the village ‘a voice’ in this fashion has persuasive powers in matters that affect every one of us.

Parish Council Plans

RVA was established in 2004. It was born out of the need for a strong representation from Rusthall, whose presence may help to shape the community and raise awareness on community issues. Rusthall has not had a Parish Council since it split from Speldhurst in the 1800’s.

The government in recent months has issued new directives on this subject and has made the forming of Parish Councils easier as they are trying to encourage their development. A discussion on whether Rusthall would benefit from a Parish Council was entered into. It became apparent that there are both advantages and disadvantages to such a move. David Crundwell from Speldhurst Parish Council is to be approached on the pros and cons of this matter. One advantage is that only ten signatures are required to force a referendum on an important issue whereas RVA’s rights are not nearly as strong or structured as this. A disadvantage however, is a rise in council tax may be the product. However, Rusthall residents currently pay into the fund for Tunbridge Wells, so there may be no increase at all. Further discussion and thought is needed on this matter.

Housing Developments

What Next?

It was put forward by Jenny Blackburn that the car park could be a council owned and run resource for the general good of the village; a public car park. One thought was that shop owners could be persuaded to make use of this facility, leaving the high street free for shoppers and visitors to use, instead of clogging up Common View and the section of the high street between the One Stop and the crossroads.

Parking in Common View is problematic at the best of times. With the introduction of more recycling units in recent years, most notable the plastic bottle bank in summer 2006, the village has lost parking space upon parking space. Residents that use the recycling unit often do not use the site correctly, parking across the spaces and not in them is a common problem. This only infuriates other users and residents by blocking the through access to Vermont Road and Common View.

It was proposed that some of the units be moved around the village, Southwood road would be a possibility as it already has prepared land which would accept the units. It is short-sighted to have Common View the only significant recycle site in a village that accommodates around 6000 residents [figure from Tunbridge Wells Borough Council].

Other Developments

Line painting

The village has recently benefited from the repainting of road lines in the high street, thanks to Councillor John Davis form KCC and Andy Smart from Highways. Also, double yellow lines have been granted to the corners of Common View to promote safer traffic and parking practices.

Pedestrian Crossing and Road Safety

RVA Christmas newsletter ran an article on Malcolm Geer, a Rusthall resident who filed a petition for two pedestrian crossings, one in the High Street, proposed outside Simmonds Court and one for the Lower Green area. The petition was enthusiastically met, obtaining 500 signatures and was presented to the Joint Transportation board in January by Mr Davis. Jenny Blackburn and Malcolm attended the hearing. Kent highways had suggested that a lollipop person could be employed by the village schools; they were unable to fill this position. However, this would have only relieved the problem during school traffic periods and therefore would not have fully met the objective. Jenny and Mr Davis have together walked the Lower Green route for an appreciation of the problem. Andy Smart is expected to join Jenny for such a visit. Mr Smart was approached for a crossing on Sandhurst Road by a disabled resident from Sherwood. Several site visits revealed that he “had not been able to find any places where significant numbers of pedestrians crossed the road” [Courier 23rd February 2007] and so it was unlikely a crossing would be granted there.

281 Bus Route Re-branding

Operating between Parsonage Road and High Brooms via Sainsbury's and the town centre, the 281 is a lifeline to many residents. Along with a new image and a visual revamp, the 281 bus route has a new service called the ‘Town Centre Bus Link’ which was announced by a town crier outside the Town Hall on the 4th December. The service operates between Meadow Road car park and Sainsbury's. It costs just 80p (weekdays after 9am and all day weekends) Once a ticket is purchased it can be used as many times as one wishes that day.

Low loader buses that have a lower footplate and no steps to alight, are not part of the 281 service. This style of bus caters for the elderly and disabled, some of whom may find the current models in the 281 hard if not impossible to use. The borough have tried out low loader buses, route 277 for instance, with success. RVA were informed that if funding was available for these buses, the 281 would be on the receiving end.

There was talk of a Park and Ride system for Tunbridge Wells. This is not a new idea for the town as Langton Green and Pembury have in the past been considered for Park and Ride points. The scheme would need parking support from North, South, East and West to be a success it was remarked. The idea has been recently revisited.

Southwood Road Recreational Activity Development

A proposal to radically change the Southwood Road playing field area was aired at the meeting. The existing senior pitches, three in a row, will remain, but to the south of these (behind the allotments) will be five new ones; three mini football pitches and two junior size. The area immediately behind the houses north of the existing pavilion will be a mixture of nature and activity facilities. These include an off-road contoured cycle trail, a large play area which will cater for teenagers, crazy golf, cricket or ball skills warm up area, depending on the season.

The adventure recreation area is intended to appeal to that element of the community that is too old for traditional play equipment and that have little to do other than ‘hang around’. The equipment will be of a more robust, adult nature for this reason. Equipment such as climbing nets and a nine metre high pyramid. There will be a MUGA (Multi Use Games Area) with lighting, similar to the Middlefield proposal.

Residents would be protected from the noise that all of the immediate facilities may create, by the introduction of acoustic fencing and high hedges. The development, at the time of the meeting, had around £180,000 invested in it. RVA members were asked for a show of hands for who thought this was a good idea. It was virtually unanimous in favour of the development.

There is a possibility that more investment will be needed to realise the full proposal but the starting date for this development is said to be April 2007.

Dirt Bikers Doing it For Themselves

Bulls Hollow, which is a wooded, rocky area east of Toad Rock has been the subject of dirt track developers. Riders have been creating jumps etc on the flat land below the surrounding cliffs. Although tolerated at first, the riders have become quite ambitious and are now using shovels and other such equipment to create their circuits. Common Conservators are concerned that people, riders or otherwise, may become injured from the site. This leaves a grey area as to who is responsible in such a situation, reinforcing the need for the Southwood Road development.

Education Education Education

The Christmas newsletter ran a story on the merger of the village schools, with views for and against the proposal. Mid-January saw the Education Committee approve the merger. Only time will tell if the impact of this merger has been beneficial or otherwise for the community. The council believe that the schools were under-subscribed and that a merger was necessary. Schools nationwide are under pressure due to the falling birth rate experienced in recent years.

Staffing levels are to remain the same with the exception that both head teachers must resign and, if they wish, reapply for the single position.

Other News

Broomhill Bank School: Making An Outstanding Contribution

Controversial plans to dramatically change this special school were condemned in February by its head teacher, local MP Gregg Clark and the former Conservative party leader, Ian Duncan Smith. The school currently caters for 84 girls aged between seven and nineteen with moderate learning difficulties. Proposals include scrapping boarding facilities, removing the post sixteen age group classes and turning the school into mixed sex. It would also be made into a centre of expertise for autistic spectrum and specific language disorder.

Public consultations opened on February 26 following a full capacity meeting of the school's advisory board the previous week.

Head teacher Mr Barnett said “The youngsters have a combination of problems from behaviour to social, emotional and medical. It would cut out all the inter-linking between the residential and the lower school and 16-plus”. Ofsted has described the school as making an “outstanding contribution” to the social development of resident pupils. One parent feels that “the independent training they do in the 16-plus unit is absolutely essential for their future”. She continued, “It is a big decision to send your daughter to a special school. I just felt that she would always be a special child in a normal school and instead she is a normal child in a special school”.

Ian Duncan Smith remarked “You see what wonderfully happy people they are and the important thing is they are safe and have routines. Change is awfully difficult and can be very damaging. There are so many problems out there it would seem strange to set out to change things that do work.”

[Adapted from ‘Fury at plan to change school’, The Courier, February 16th 2007]

Junior Wardens Scheme

In November last year, year six pupils from St Paul’s Junior School became the first in Kent to become Junior Community Wardens. Ariana Sutton, the village Community Warden, set up the scheme for youngsters in the area to become involved with their community and encourage good citizenship amongst fellow pupils. They attended lessons which started on the 23rd November and ran until Christmas, but more were planned for this year. Taught by Ariana, topics include crime prevention, environmental issues and personal safety. Educational trips were to include police station visits and council offices. Ariana has encouraged them to inform her and other agencies of issues such as fly tipping and abandoned vehicles in the area.

Ariana remarked “They will help to raise the profile of community safety within their school and in the whole community. I would like to think that it will help to make them feel proud of Rusthall and help make it a better place to live”.

RVA will push for an update on the activities of the Junior Wardens in due course.

[Adapted from ‘New Junior Wardens in Rusthall’ word document, 17/11/2006]

Another Boxing Talent From Rusthall

Tunbridge Wells Amateur Boxing Club based in Rusthall celebrated several major achievements last year with Nabil Yahyaoui, becoming the English Amateur Boxing Light Weight Champion and head coach, Billy Hall appointed as the county’s coach. Now, 23 year old Lloyd Brooker, has been tipped for great things this year. February saw Lloyd box in front of a 600 strong crowd in Herne Bay and was crowned ’boxer of the night’ after beating local favourite Rick ’Rocky’ Burns. Lloyd claimed the Amateur Boxing Association’s Class B National title last year and is expected to retain this in 2007. Billy Hall spoke out on the recent victories. “Hopefully we can keep winning fights because that is only going to help the club to grow in the future”.

Adapted from ‘Future looks bright for star Brooker’, The Courier, February 23, 2007

RVA’s next meeting is at the United Reform Church, on Thursday 15th March at 7 pm until 9.
See you all there

General Useful Numbers

T.Wells Police Station: 01892 511055       Rusthall Community Warden: 07813 695872       P.C Carter 07870252577      
Rusthall Veterinary Surgery: 01892 511715       Emergency Dental Service (NHS): 01892 517771       T.Wells Borough Council: 01892 526121      
RVA Newsletter Editor, Kieron Stanger: 07763 148332  |  email: ks44@sussex.ac.uk
RVA Chairperson, Jenny Blackburn: 01892 546520