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A calendar of all meetings and the latest published agendas are available here.
Public meetings are held at Lenham Community Centre, Groom Way, Lenham, ME17 2QT
COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS
Season’s Greetings
As the festive season draws near, it is a time to reflect on the year gone by, to cherish the memories we have made, and to look forward to new beginnings with hope and optimism. There are lots of seasonal events to get involved with, see the list below ...
It has been another busy year for the parish council. We have completed major renovation works (in the toilets), both playparks have been renewed (using funds generated by the building of new homes) we continue to push forward with plans to create a new two-form entry nursery (our application for funds held by MBC under the CIL scheme has been submitted), and we have started a reconfiguration of the CCTV coverage around the village.
Volunteers have given many, many hours to pick up litter; plant spring, summer and winter flowers to keep our village looking welcoming; a special mention to the intrepid people who arranged the great switch-on of the Christmas lights; all the other volunteers who organise so many clubs and activities in the parish, including those involved in the creation and distribution of the Lenham Focus. I’d like to thank each one of you for the time and effort you put in, it is very much appreciated.
I would also like to give a shout-out to all the colleagues at the parish council. We all give our time to maintain the fabric and essence of village life, not always succeeding but always giving 100% in trying. Sadly, this year we have lost stalwarts (thanks Nick – you are missed every day) and welcomed new members (we hope Chris and Hannah are enjoying the steep “learning curve”!). I would remind everyone all our meetings are open to the public – why not make a New Year resolution to come and find out for yourself what your parish council does, rather than read someone else’s opinion on social media. Thanks, too, to our parish clerks who do such a sterling job of keeping us wayward councillors on the straight and narrow!
It is inevitable that things will change as time passes, while we would love time to stand still or change to come more slowly, we cannot be immune from it. I often hear people yearn for days gone by, the reality, though, is that we do not, and cannot, live in some kind of bubble where the rest of the world moves on. We will continue to try and preserve what is best and necessary, while mitigating against the damage that change might bring – again, we’re not always successful but we will give 100% trying.
This year, at the county and local elections, we lost our long-standing county and local representatives and welcomed new people in their places, and the fight against the potentially catastrophic new town, Heathlands, continues. We will work with our new representatives at borough and county level to ensure the views of the parish are noted and appropriate action taken.
The parish council encourages everyone to have their say on the public consultation which closes on 15 December - see here in terms of the best way to do that.
Let us all embrace the spirit of giving, kindness, and goodwill, spreading cheer not only to those close to us but also to those who need it most, and include those who do not have their loved ones with them at a time when family becomes the focus.
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year – let’s hope 2026 is kind to us all!
LENHAM HAS LOTS OF EXCITING EVENTS LEADING UP AND BEYOND CHRISTMAS
7th December 2-4pm
Kids Christmas Party in Lenham Social Club
13th December 3-5pm
Messy Christmas in St Marys Church
21st December 5-6pm
Traditional Carol Concert in St Mary's
23rd & 24th January 2026
HAMS presents RAPUNZEL at Lenham Community Centre
MORE DETAILS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Cllr John Britt
Chair - Lenham Parish Council
What does Lenham Parish Council do?
Parish Councils are the tier of local government closest to the people. Although the parish council covers the Parish of Lenham it is not linked to the church in any way. All parish councillors are volunteers who dedicate their free time to enhancing their parish as best they can by utilising their individual skills and experience.
Those putting themselves forward to serve as a parish councillor have to submit to the regular election process, or, if filling a vacancy mid-term, can be co-opted for the remainder of that electoral term. Electoral terms are four years. The elections for a parish council will only go to a public vote if there are more nominations than there are spaces on the parish council. Lenham parish is currently represented by 13 parish councillors: four representing South Ward (everything south of the railway) and nine representing North Ward (everything north of the railway). All parish councillors have to agree to abide by the Nolan Principles of Public Office. Parish councillors receive no remuneration for their time.
The responsibilities of Lenham Parish Council include looking after open spaces, such as the William Pitt field and Cemetery, maintaining playgrounds and other amenities, providing Maidstone Borough Council with a view on planning applications within the Parish and undertaking projects to benefit the Parish. Lenham Parish Council also has a Neighbourhood Plan which was adopted as part of the Maidstone Local Plan in July 2021. This Neighbourhood Plan is active until 2031. For more details of the Lenham Neighbourhood Plan please refer to the information tab "Lenham Neighbourhood Plan" on this website.
In addition to holding a full council meeting monthly, Lenham Parish Council has two specific sub committees which also meet monthly: Finance and General Purposes (F&GP) and Planning and (Neighbourhood Plan) Implementation (P&I). Both these sub committees focus on specific issues of work and in some cases do the detail which is then referred back to full council as recommendations to be discussed and agreed.
Both of these sub committees are open to the public and can be attended by all parish councillors, however, while all nominated attendees and visiting parish councillors can participate in the discussions only those parish councillors nominated as attendees to that subcommittee are able to vote on recommendations that will go forward to the full parish council meeting for discussion and agreement.
Finance and General Purposes Committee (F&GP)
The F&GP subcommittee consists of six nominated parish councillors and addresses the financial issues which the parish council is responsible for: dealing with contracts for maintenance of open space; maintaining and upgrading play equipment and other financial matters as and when these arise. The committee oversees the preparation of the annual budget and also discusses all other non-expenditure related matters and makes a recommendation to the full parish council for discussion and agreement. The sub committee is quorate when at least four parish councillors, including the Chair, are present.
Planning and (Neighbourhood Plan) Implementation (P&I)
The P&I subcommittee consists of six nominated parish councillors as well as three members of the public (who are non-voting) and the parish's planning consultant (also non-voting). The subcommittee carries out two important functions: it is a statutory consultee for all planning applications in the parish and it is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Lenham Neighbourhood Plan ensuring that the parameters and policies within the plan are actioned and reflected in the parish responses to planning applications. All recommendations from the subcommittee are referred to the next full meeting of the parish council for ratification. The subcommittee is quorate when at least four parish councillors, including the Chair, are present.
Our Mission Statement
The Lenham Parish Council (LPC) is dedicated to enhancing the lives of all the residents of Lenham and its surrounding hamlets. LPC aims to maintain and protect the Parish environment and amenities. LPC strives to be pro-active in identifying and completing projects, large and small, that will benefit the Parish as a whole, with value for money always being sought. LPC aims to help keep Lenham Parish a unique and special place for residents and visitors alike as the world around us changes.
Council Officers:
Parish Clerk & RFO: Lisa Westcott
Contact details Email: clerk@lenhamparishcouncil.org.uk Telephone: 01622 829034
Deputy Parish Clerk & RFO: Sarah Newell
Contact details Email: deputyclerk@lenhamparishcouncil.org.uk Telephone: 01622 829034
Financial and Administrative Officer: Audrey Ratcliffe
Contact details Email: info@lenhamparishcouncil.org.uk Telephone: 01622 829034
Registered office: 1A High Street, Lenham, Kent ME17 2QD Open: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 10:00h - 13:00