Swale Borough Council

The first 776 local businesses that have applied for business rate relief grants from Swale Borough Council will be receiving payments worth £8.9 million between them later this week.

The council wrote to 2,600 eligible businesses in the borough with details on how to apply for the grants, which are part of the government's measures to support small businesses and businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors through the period of disruption caused by coronavirus (COVID-19).

There has been a lot of discussion and debate recently about what is deemed an "essential" worker or service, and Swale Borough Council have confirmed that the same has been happening with their operations in an official statement issued today.

Swale Borough Council has decided to suspend Brown Bin collections until further notice during this Coronavirus outbreak.

Swale Borough Council are asking for volunteers to help support vulnerable people during the coronavirus outbreak.

The council has been asked by the government to coordinate how to get support out to the most vulnerable people in the community.

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak continues to develop, Swale Borough Council has begun activating plans to maintain essential services across the borough.

At present, council meetings are being scaled back to only those we are legally required to continue, and we are awaiting government advice on running these remotely - either online or by phone.

Council officers have begun working remotely, and for now council offices remain open to the public for essential services such as supporting rough sleepers and those at risk of homelessness.

Local organisations are being encouraged to apply for funding from Swale Borough Council's brand-new Foodbank Grant.

The council are offering a total of £15,000 to support community projects and organisations supporting people in severe need, who are promoting healthier eating or are tackling the causes of foodbank usage by working with others to offer specialist support and advice.

The applications process is open for four weeks and closes on Monday 17th February and each organisation can apply for a maximum of £6,000.

A man has been prosecuted after garage parts, wood, a hanging basket, roofing felt, broken up cabinets, furniture items and cardboard boxes were dumped along Ridham Dock Road last year.

Officers from Swale Borough Council investigated the fly tipping and were able to trace the waste to a Chatham resident. When she was visited by the council, she discovered she had been the unsuspecting victim of an unlawful waste carrier.

A Kemsley man, caught transporting scrap metal without a licence, is nearly a thousand pounds out of pocket after being prosecuted by Swale Borough Council.

David Varrier, of Ypres Drive, was stopped as part of a joint operation between the council and Kent Police in June 2018. He was found to be carrying the waste on Newbridge Avenue, Sittingbourne, without the necessary waste carrier certificate or waste transfer notes.

Cllr Roger Truelove has been elected as leader of a new coalition administration at Swale Borough Council.

The Leader was elected by fellow councillors at the Annual Council meeting last night (Wednesdat 22nd May) following elections earlier this month.

The meeting also saw a new cabinet and deputies appointed to make decisions on resources and priorities to deliver and implement the budget and policies decided by the council.

The new cabinet is made up of:

The Conservatives have lost control of Swale Borough Council after this year's Local Elections.

In a shock result from Boughton And Courtenay Council Leader Andrew Bowles lost his seat.

The full results (by party) were as follows:-