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

November 2025

Heathlands public consultation

The saga of the Heathlands proposal rumbles on. If things keep to the timetable we have been advised of, there will be a “public consultation” on the Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) relating to Heathlands starting 3 November and continuing for six weeks until 15 December. This will give everyone the opportunity to see how woeful the efforts of Maidstone Borough Council and its delivery partner, Homes England, have been in addressing the issues which the planning inspector raised during the inspection of the Maidstone Local Plan in 2022.

Everyone is invited to comment on the document, although it is a weighty read. Rest assured, the parish council will be responding in detail.

The document paints a picture of a brave new approach to creating communities. What it doesn’t cover are all the big-ticket items which are fundamental to any community functioning. This includes:

• the often promised railway station (on which there is no concrete commitment);
• the new water treatment works (we understand this will be “clarified” by future planning applications, although, apparently, the “alternative” solution is to use tankers to remove waste);
• traffic movements on the already overstretched A20 (that’s covered by something referred to as “monitor and manage” – although exactly how closing the gate after the horse has bolted will prove effective, is yet to become clear).
• We have also heard lots of comments regarding health provision, so we wrote to the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board, the body responsible for planning health provision across the county. The response was disappointingly vague, so this, too, remains an area with questionable planning.

If you decide to comment please focus on setting questions, rather than making statements of dissent. We all understand how disastrous this new town will be so focus on getting specific details clarified:

• Ask about timescales for delivering the different aspects of the plan
• Ask what happens if something doesn’t get delivered, as has happened at Chilmington Green on the A28 outside Ashford
• Ask for confirmation that the funding for the water treatment works has been included in Southern Water’s forward budgets and when that will be delivered
• The same question applies to the station; we understand that the “landowners will pay for its construction” but what about the running costs (we know that Thanet Parkway was scheduled to cost £13 million and ended up costing over £40 million – what happens if that situation is repeated here?).

There are so many gaps which we are “assured” will be dealt with at a later date, but little assurance that anyone has any idea of how any of that will happen.

It is a modern-day fairy tale in which lots of promises are made but there are few guarantees how any of them will be kept. Meanwhile, those of us who already live here will get no benefits whatsoever, everything is aimed at making the new community “wonderful”. Be under no illusion: this proposal will blight the entire area (not just Lenham but neighbouring settlements like Charing, Harrietsham and settlements to the south) for decades to come.

Big Christmas lights switch-on!

Make a note in your diary - the switch on of the Lenham Christmas lights will take place on Saturday 29 November. More details will be circulated on local social media nearer the time!

Upgrade to the public toilets

The refurbished toilets are open! 

The reconfiguration has taken longer than expected due to unforeseen technical issues. However, these are now resolved, and the work is complete. The parish council apologises for the delay.

Please note there will now be a charge for using the facilities. This measure aligns with a common practice across the country aimed at deterring vandalism. Many may remember that the previous setup was frequently subject to vandalism and damage.

Additionally, all toilet cubicles are now unisex and compliant with disability requirements, as mandated for any new facility. The reconfiguration also provided the parish council with a larger storage area within the original footprint.

Streetlights

The parish council is responsible for a number of streetlights, mostly in the rural areas. In the next few weeks, and subject to the contractor’s availability, all of these will be upgraded with LED bulbs (which last longer and cost less). In some cases, worn out lampposts will also be replaced.

… and finally

The planters will soon be full of winter blooms – thanks to the many volunteers who work tirelessly to keep our village looking lovely. There is also a new, conservation - appropriate, public bin outside the revamped toilets.

Cllr John Britt

Chair, Lenham Parish Council - (Lenham South ward)

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