TRAIN TIMES CHANGES FROM 11 JANUARY

Train operator Southeastern has published details of its new timetable which comes into effect from Sunday 11 January. It includes a large number of changes which Southeastern says are necessary to accommodate the Thameslink works at London Bridge. The company also expects the changes to provide long-term improvements, extra services and new journey routes. Copies of timetables are available at local stations and can be downloaded at www.southeasternrailway.co.uk/your-journey/timetables.

Southeastern has also announced a change to the published timetable to meet concerns by local schools in Sandwich that a new 3.26pm service for Deal didn't allow sufficient time for pupils to catch it at the end of the school day. There will now be two additional trains from Sandwich at 3.39pm and 3.52pm. The company says it will be running these on a trial basis from Monday 12 January.    (December 25, 2014)

WINNING LIGHTS

Walmer Parish Council has announced the winners in its annual Christmas lights competition. Top honours go to the Dixon family on the Dover Road for their display to raise funds for the Stroke Association charity. The award for the best display by a local business goes to Wale and Sons on The Strand and the residents of the Kennedy Drive cul-de-sac were rewarded with the Community Effort prize. Runners-up in the competition included 27 Station Road and there was a special award chosen by a young member of the judging team for the Schofield family in Hawksdown.    (December 24, 2014)

MORE RAIL WORKS

Train operator Southeastern says that planned engineering work will take place on the line between Dover Priory and Ramsgate from 00:55 on Saturday 10 January to 04:50 on Sunday 11 January. As a result, affected services on the Saturday and early hours of Sunday will be replaced by buses. For details, see: www.southeasternrailway.co.uk/your-journey/engineering-work/.    (December 17, 2014)

FREE VALUATIONS FOR OLD STRING INSTRUMENTS

That old violin or other string instrument, no longer played and possibly abandoned in the loft, could be worth some money. Online auction house Amati reckon so and say that, at one of their valuation days earlier this year, they found a £300,000 cello, much to the owner's surprise.

The company is coming to Deal on Monday 12 January and holding a free valuation session at the Royal Hotel, Beach Street, from 9am to 5pm. Amati value and auction violins, violas, cellos and bows, ranging from £100 to £100,000 and even higher. Their website is a place where violin shops, dealerships, makers and auction houses all come together to sell their instruments. For more details see www.amati.com.    (December 16, 2014)

"WINTER SOLSTICE" CELEBRATION FOR HIGH STREET GARDEN

The Community Garden at the Landmark Centre in Deal High Street is set to be "all lit up" for a special event on Saturday 20 December between 3pm and 5pm. Supporters of the Deal With It local "green" group and volunteers at the Landmark Garden are celebrating the winter solstice and two years work in restoring the garden area by flooding the garden with lights – both candle and solar powered. There will also be music, mulled wine and winter treats - and shoppers, passers by and the public are invited to join in.

Head gardener Imogen Kitching said “We want to celebrate the close of our second year at the Landmark Garden. We'll have local performers singing traditional English winter songs, the Sunshine Ukes to get us singing, story tellers, poetry and an interesting array of local treats to sample - such as mulled elderberry punch, roasted cobnuts and chestnuts, fresh oysters with roman dressing, Georgian oyster loaves and some medieval gingerbread."

To help boost the festive lighting, Imogen is asking people to let her have any spare jars and tea lights beforehand and, if possible, to bring their own to the event. For further details see www.dealwithit.org.uk or phone 01304 372673.    (December 13, 2014)

SUPPORT FOR LOCAL GROUPS' PROJECTS

Eleven local Deal, Walmer and Sholden clubs and voluntary groups are among 29 community projects across Dover district to receive cash help in the latest ‘You Decide’ grant scheme. In this year's round of the annual awards sponsored by Kent County Council and Dover District Council, organisations were invited to present their ideas and win support at local public meetings. The grants for Deal, Walmer and Sholden total £7,779.44 with the following groups set to receive:

   (December 5, 2014)

FREE ADVICE ON ENERGY SWITCHING

People thinking about switching their energy supplier but unsure about what is involved can get free independent help at an advice session in Deal High Street on Friday 19 December. Trained advisors from the Big Energy Saving Network, a project funded by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, will be in the Pop Up Cafe, opposite Poundland, between 10am and 1pm. People are invited to pop in with their recent energy bills, chat to an advisor and talk through how they might be able to save money.

There is no pressure to make decisions. The idea is to ensure people feel they have all the facts they need and can make a good choice about their energy provider and the best tariff for their lifestyle. For more details, see: www.eventbrite.co.uk/
e/pop-in-at-the-pop-up-cafe-tickets-14723868487.    (December 5, 2014)

Walmer Parish Council is encouraging Walmer residents and businesses to help illuminate the dark winter nights by entering its annual Christmas Lights Competition. The event is in its twelfth year and judges will be touring the parish in the week commencing Monday 8 December, looking for the most eye-catching and colourful displays. The best householder's display wins a cup and there are certificates for those who catch the judges' eyes. Local businesses can also join in with special recognition for the best festive lights.

Individual winners will be notified as soon as possible after the judging, and the results will be announced just before Christmas. Parish council chairman Councillor Pat Heath said: “Walmer residents always make a considerable effort in brightening up the parish, during the festive season, with a rich diversity of illuminated displays”. To nominate their own or a neighbour’s house or local business and make sure of being seen by the judges, people should contact Sarah Plews at the parish council office on 01304 362363.    (December 4, 2014)

CHEATS TARGET "FREEGLE" USERS

The organisers of the White Cliffs Freegle group are warning members about crooks offering expensive items but requesting up-front payment for courier fees. The scam works by the cheats offering high-end items on groups such as Freegle. People responding are told that there was a "big delay" in the item being advertised and the person has now moved out of the area. However, the goods can be provided if courier charges are paid in advance. The "couriers" are not genuine and, following any payment, people never hear from them again.

The Freegle scheme lets people post on-line messages about items they are seeking or wish to dispose of. Everything is free and no payments are involved. It's seen as a great way of avoiding dumping old unwanted - but serviceable - items at the local waste tip. The local organisers say they believe they have stopped most bogus messages getting onto White Cliffs Freegle, but some crafty ones might slip through. If replying to an offer leads to suggestions about payments or delivery fees, the advice is "don't even consider it!". For more about Freegle, see: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/WhiteCliffsFreegle/info.    (November 26, 2014)

"ENCOUNTERS" SETS THE THEME FOR LATEST ANTHOLOGY

Members of the Deal Writers creative writing group will be at the Astor Community Theatre on Thursday 27 November for the launch of their eighth Anthology. The group's publicity officer Michael Burney said the new publication, entitled "Encounters", comprises a collection of short stories and poems reflecting "the excitement and mystery of meeting all sorts of people". The authors had responded to a challenge by local poet Alan Gleave to write a piece inspired by Wilfred Owen's poem "Strange Meeting”. This had set the direction of the 2014 anthology and its themes of encounters in the area's coastal surroundings and the anniversary of the First World War. Michael considered the publication of an annual anthology satisfied the aims of writers keen to develop their personal writing skills and also those wishing to see their work reach a wider public.

The launch event at the theatre in Stanhope Road, Deal. starts at 6.30pm, with free admission and everyone welcome. There will be an opportunity to hear several of the authors read extracts from the anthology and copies will be on sale, price £5. For more information, contact Deal Writers    (November 17, 2014)

"GREEN LIGHT" FOR WALMER'S STATION ROAD HOUSING

Dover District Council’s planning committee has approved developer Taylor Wimpey’s application to build 223 new homes on land off Station Road at Upper Walmer. Meeting in the council's offices at Whitfield last night (Thursday 13 November), councillors accepted the planning officers' recommendation for approval, voting seven to three. The scheme had been met with objections from Walmer Parish Council, a huge number of local residents and a petition from owners in the neighbouring Clifford Caravan Park. Major concerns centered on traffic congestion, an overloaded sewerage system and insufficient health and educational services. For more, see: www.kentonline.co.uk/deal/news/councillors-approve
-application-for-226-27003/    (November 14, 2014)

Deal's annual "Cards For Good Causes" pop-up shop has a new "home" this year. It's in the Landmark Centre on Deal High Street - a move from the Deal Library venue in previous years. The extensive range of cards supports the work of a range of charities who receive 70p or more from every £1 of sales. Staffed by volunteers, the shop is open Mondays to Saturdays 10am-3.45pm.   (November 13, 2014)

FESTIVE LIGHTS SWITCH-ON

Deal's town centre Christmas Lights Switch-On is on Friday 21 November - a week earlier than in previous years. The popular High Street event will feature music by Invicta Sounds from 4pm, compere Johnny Lewis and the Kingsdown Band from 6pm, Father Christmas at 7.15pm and the switch-on by stars from the Marlowe Theatre's panto "Aladdin"at 7.30pm.     (November 13, 2014)

TIME TO COMMENT ON NEW DOG CONTROL PLANS

The public is being invited to have its say on plans by Dover District Council to introduce a single district-wide order relating to dogs. This could take the form of a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO), using new powers introduced by central government in October. The order will replace outdated legislation relating to fouling and dog control with the aim of creating a more consistent approach and balancing the needs of dog owners and other members of the community. The planned PSPO covers four key areas:

• Exclusion of dogs from certain areas - this includes enclosed children’s play areas and also certain beaches at specific times of the year.
• Failure to clear up your dog’s mess.
• The keeping of dogs on leads in specified areas.
• Leads by order – this covers the need for people to put and keep a dog on a lead when directed to do so by an authorized officer.
• Any breach of the order could result in the issue of a Fixed Penalty Notice of £75, in line with the fixed penalty level for littering offences.

Before going ahead with the proposed change, the district council is launching a public consultation which runs from 17 November to 29 December. All consultation documents will be available online from 17 November as well as at council offices and local libraries.     (November 13, 2014)

FOCUS ON FLOODING

The work by public bodies to reduce local flooding problems and what householders can for themselves are the main topics at a public meeting in Deal next Wednesday (19 November). Organised by Dover District Council and Kent County Council, the Deal and Walmer area Neighbourhood Forum is in St George's Church, High Street, Deal from 6.30pm to 9pm. Among the speakers will be representatives from the Environment Agency, the body responsible for the town's coastal flooding defences. Light refreshments are available at 6.30pm and the meeting starts at 7pm. For more details, see: Dover District Council Neighbourhood Forums or call Kirsty Ash on 01304 872421.     (November 13, 2014)

ROADWORKS: CAMPBELL ROAD, WALMER

Part of Campbell Road, Walmer, will be closed to traffic from Monday 10 November for up to five days. The closure between the junctions with Canada Road and Wollaston Road is from 8am to 4pm each day to enable pavement and kerbline repair works. An alternative route is via Canada Road, York Road and Wollaston Road. Kent County Council says that due to the nature of the works, it will not be possible to re-open the road outside the working hours. If adverse weather conditions prevent them going ahead, revised dates will be notified and signposted on site. The Highway Helpline phone number is 0300 041 8181.     (November 8, 2014)

AWARDS FOR DEAL'S RAIL CHAMPIONS

The work of local rail service campaigners Trains4deal has earned national recognition in the annual Railfuture Rail User Group awards. They walked off with the top award for Best Campaign and gained joint silver award for the Best Website. The awards, now in their third year, were presented by transport journalist Christian Wolmar at Railfuture's conference, held on Saturday 2 November at the University of Westminster in London.

Railfuture is the UK's leading independent organisation campaigning for better rail services for both passengers and freight. Its vice-president and awards judge Roger Ford said "Judging these awards is a great insight into the ways committed local volunteers can promote and make a real difference to their stations and services. Making these awards on a national stage recognises these achievements and encourages the continued efforts of around 300 rail user groups across the country." The winning Trains4Deal website can be seen at www.trains4deal.com. The associated Trains4KentCoast website is at http://trains4kentcoast.co.uk.     (November 7, 2014)

LOCAL RAIL ENGINEERING WORKS THIS MONTH

Railtrack has announced details of engineering work between Deal and Ramsgate scheduled to take place from 2.30am on Sunday 23 November to 4am on Monday 24 November. For passengers travelling on the Sunday it means using replacement buses for journeys between Deal and Ramsgate.

More engineering work is also due to be carried out between Folkestone Central and Deal from Monday 24 November to Friday 28 November. It only affects some late night train services which will be replaced by buses. For details, see www.southeasternrailway.co.uk/
your-journey/engineering-work.     (November 7, 2014)

OFFICERS RECOMMEND APPROVAL FOR WALMER HOUSING

Dover District Council planners are recommending approval for the Taylor Wimpey housing scheme at Station Road, Upper Walmer. Their report for consideration by councillors at next week's Planning Committee can be seen on-line at: http://moderngov.dover.gov.uk/documents/s10737/
Station%20Road%20Combined.pdf.

The Planning Committee Meeting is at the Council's Whitfield offices at 6pm on Thursday 13 November. It is open to the public.     (November 5, 2014)

COUNCIL PROVIDES FREE FESTIVE PARKING

Dover District Council has announced initiatives that are expected to be welcomed by local motorists and small businesses. For pre-Christmas shoppers, there's going to be free parking in the council's off-street car parks all day on Saturday 6 December. Car parking will also be free in the district council's off-street car parks and, also, at on-street "pay and display" parking areas in the final Christmas shopping week from Saturday 20 to Friday 26 December inclusive. Parking charges will still apply in car parks not owned by the council, including the Sainsbury’s and Co-op car parks in Deal.

On Monday 8 September, parking charging times were revised so, instead of charging from 9am to 6pm, the council now charges from 9am to 5pm for its car parks and on-street parking. The new "free hour" is expected to be especially useful for people needing to visit the shops on the way home from work.   (September 1, 2014 - updated October 30, 2014)

MARINES' 2014 CONCERT ON NEW DVD

A DVD featuring the Royal Marines bands' 2014 concert to mark the 25th anniversary of the IRA bombing in 1989 goes on sale next week. Entitled "Thank You for the Music", the disc includes the July band visit and concert which attracted thousands to Walmer Green plus three films linked to the history of the Royal Marines Corps. Special public screenings of the new DVD are planned and copies will be available, price £15, with all profits going to the Deal Memorial Bandstand Trust. For details, contact Trust member Bill Butler     (October 30, 2014)

SETBACK FOR COLDBLOW WOODS CAMPAIGNERS

Hopes to have Coldblow Woods, on the boundary of Ripple and Walmer, designated as a "village green" have been dashed. The inspector for a public hearing held in Deal in June is reported to have rejected the application by a group of local residents for the privately-owned site to remain open as a public amenity. The inspector's decision can be challenged by a formal appeal and it is understood that members of the "Save Coldblow Woods" campaign group are seeking legal advice on whether to lodge an objection.

Controversy over the public access to the land arose when the current owner, Mr Nicholas Fielding, purchased it in 2012 and revealed plans to establish an enclosed sports ground on the 23-acre area of woodland and meadow. This met with vocal opposition, protesters maintaining that, what had been a military sports field until an initial sale in November 1992, had long been available to the public for a range of recreational activities.     (October 30, 2014)

FOUR-DAY STRIKE BY FIREMEN

Firemen in Kent are due to take part in industrial action between 6pm on Friday 31 October and 6pm on Tuesday 4 November. During the strike Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) says it will still be taking 999 calls and providing a service by locating fire engines at strategic locations around the county. However the fire service warns it will not be operating at the normal level and urges local people and businesses to take extra precautions. There are concerns that the strike is close to bonfire night when fireworks are on sale. There is more on what's happening in Kent and advice on basic safety precautions for householders and businesses on the KFRS website at: www.kent.fire-uk.org.

The Fire Brigades Union says the decision to take strike action follows a refusal from the Department for Communities and Local Government to bring any new offer to the table over pensions, despite two months of talks. For more information on the firemen's grievences see: www.fbu.org.uk.     (October 30, 2014)

GREEN ENERGY FAIR CANCELLED

Local "green" campaigners Deal With It say they have had to cancel their Green Energy Fair event on Saturday (25 October). The group's co-ordinator Stephen Wakeford explained that a number of speakers and stall holders had dropped out, making it impossible to offer the planned range of talks and workshops on ways in which people can cut energy costs. Although the Deal Town Hall event could not go ahead, he anticipated his members would now be looking into the possiblity of running a number smaller talks on key subjects like making older properties more energy efficient and using community energy companies.     (October 22, 2014)

WALMER REMAINS OPPOSED TO LATEST HOUSING PLANS

Local opposition to developer Taylor Wimpey's proposed housing scheme at Station Road, Upper Walmer, remains high. Around 50 local residents turned out for Walmer Parish Council's planning committee meeting in St Saviour's Church on The Strand on Tuesday evening (14 October). Concerns were raised, once more, that the latest set of amended plans failed to address traffic congestion at the Dover Road/Station Road junction, the overloaded local sewerage system and over-stretched health and education services. The single access onto Station Road for the 223 homes in the proposed scheme was criticised as being inadequate and strong concerns were expressed at the impact of construction traffic forced to use Station Road.

Local resident Mr John White contacted DealWeb and WalmerWeb to draw attention to the Facebook page "Protect Upper Walmer". He said: "The development of 223 Houses off Station Road will have a huge impact on traffic in Walmer - and have a knock-on effect on all the residents of Deal who regularly go to Dover." Latest postings on the Facebook group urge concerned residents to make their views on the latest amended sheme known to Dover District Council. The plans and an on-line comment form can be seen on the district council's planning portal. The deadline for comments is Monday 10 November.    (October 16, 2014)

WALMER AND MARTIN MILL GET HIGH SPEED TRAINS

Some of Southeastern's high speed trains will call at Walmer and Martin Mill from Monday 6 October 2014. The rail company says that the 06:49 Sandwich to St Pancras service will stop additionally at the two stations during the week. Similarly, the 17:42 St Pancras to Sandwich return service will also stop at the two stations on weekdays. The morning train calls at Walmer at 6.58am and at Martin Mill at 7.03am, arriving at St Pancras at 8.24am. The evening return leaves St Pancras at 5.42pm and arrives at Martin Mill at 7pm and Walmer at 7.04pm.

More high speed services for Walmer and Martin Mill are due to be added when Southeastern introduces its new timetable in January 2015. For more details, see: www.southeasternrailway.co.uk.     (October 2, 2014)

RECORD HAUL IN DEAL'S BEACH CLEAN

Thirty-four local residents turned out for "green" group Deal With It's beach clean on Sunday (21 September) and netted a record ‘catch’ of 80kgs of rubbish. The Deal volunteers were part of a Marine Conservation Society beach clean which involved nearly 10,000 people around the UK coastline. Locally, the group collected 20 sacks of rubbish plus a discarded lobster pot, several large pieces of wood and a strange three-metre length of metal pipe.

Deal Beach Warden Wendy Boorman said: “It was a great response to a nationwide campaign. We are really grateful to our wonderful volunteers who came out to battle high winds and a high tide." The next Deal With It event will be a ‘Seedy Saturday’ seed and cuttings swap at the Landmark Community Garden on Saturday 18 October. For further details see www.dealwithit.org.uk, or phone 01304 372673.   (September 22, 2014)

COUNCIL STARTS WORK ON GYPSY SITES PLAN

Dover District Council has started work on preparing a plan that will say where sites to meet the needs of gypsies and travellers can be located. Called the Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople Local Plan, it has to meet a central government requirement for 17 pitches to be provided up until 2027. As a first stage, the Council is inviting any interested parties to suggest sites that they think would be suitable for possible use for gypsy and traveller pitches. These could include: an extension to an existing site; the addition of further pitches within an existing site; or entirely new sites.

The Council will then consider all the site options and decide which would be most suitable. To develop sites allocated in the eventual Plan, still needs a planning application. The council says it is aiming to adopt the new Plan by September 2016. More details can be seen at: www.dover.gov.uk/Planning/Planning-Policy/
Local-Development-Framework/Gypsies,-Travellers-and-
Travelling-Showpeople.aspx. To contact the team dealing with the new Plan, or call 01304 872464.   (September 10, 2014)