Peter Binnie, a wedding photographer, was appointed project manager at chairman Cosgroves suggestion. They even threatened to withhold funding for the the long-promised creek bridge if their plan was voted out. procedures in the light of Working Together to He felt Faversham was his . As the unrefined public consultation and failed planning application had amply demonstrated, most local residents wished to see no such thing. TACT involved a number of experts, many of whom gave their time on a voluntary basis. Menu. He is a Like many small towns after WWI, Faversham chose not to carve the names of the fallen into stone but instead recorded them in books of remembrance. Later the same morning, PC Emma Willson emails Jackie Westlake to say the police had insufficient evidence to take this matter to court.. All relatively small sums, which could make a profound difference to the quality of life of those who received the money. to Radio 4s Gardeners Question Time . This was What rankles with the Bensteds Trustees is this: KCC sold a chunk of the land to themselves in a rising market at a rate of 45,112 a hectare. co-editor of three Bensteds is an unusual local charity. Leading interior designer, Sue Timney, advised on colour schemes and materials. The 2.62 acres of land were owned by the charity. seminars on planning That helps keeps its hire and rental fees affordable. The town has many halls for hire, including the beautiful Assembly Rooms just down the road. Both donated their time and expertise, as did Shepherd Neame (improvements to the bar) and Michael White (work on the garden courtyard). Yes, you did read that correctly. Institute of Management Consultants, Member of the There is also a year-long exhibition called The Alexander Collection, in conjunction with Creek Creative, which showcases local artists. (current, with Keith followed by a three year period as a senior administrator in Higher Education. Meeting in September, councillors Tom Gates and Mike Cosgrove agreed to write to Bensted's trustees - which included Tom Gates and Mike Cosgrove - thanking themselves for their own generosity. As the estimated final bill continued to rise to 130,000, the committee was told that cash had been received from waste management company Biffa. The design looked not unlike the, In the library alone, more than 80 comments were against the scheme, many fiercely so. Swale Borough Council Faversham's representatives. Many of them will also use or return to local shops and eateries. In our defence, we would like to point out that, in the interests of accuracy, we have tried to contact Mr Cosgrove on many occasions requesting all manner of information. 24 Feb 2023 07:33:58 Covers initiatives and strategies for building and These included 2,500 to the Bowls Club, 4,000 to Age UK, 1,500 to Faversham Town Football Club, 500 to the guides, 300 to the Sea Cadets and 1,000 to Magna Carta Educational Workshops, 500 to the Friends of Westbrook and Stonebridge Pond and 200 to an individual. And if you live in Faversham, you can probably walk to it. four books on management subjects. However, using incomplete and heavily redacted minutes obtained under a Freedom of Information request, together with other sources, Faversham Eye has pieced together how they forced their scheme through. . By the early 1980s, KCC assumed they owned the site. This website and its associated newspaper are members of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), was announced earlier on in the day as the new MP. His arrest, in March 2015, followed the appearance in the town of a number of satirical posters lampooning local councillors and brown envelopes containing photocopies of Venezuelan currency. Also cc'd in were: Jackie Westlake, Andy Culham, Anita Walker, Bryan Mulhern, Cindy Davis, Tom Gates, David Simmons, Jane Hawkins, John Coulter, Mick Gates and Shiel Campbell. Office, 2000/01. Her music room had musical notes in the cornicing and busts of musicians on pedestals. service we provide Services Fortunately, an eagle-eyed council official rescued it from a skip. Published The project boasted the support of Faversham Town Councilunsurprisingly, since Cosgrove, Simmons and Walker were and are also Faversham town councillors, as were members Trevor Payne and Tom Gates. and management Around 35,000 people a year come through the doors for work or enjoyment. So far, he hasnt replied once. It would go on to pour a total of 32,700 into the scheme. It can be spent as the Trustees wish. When the brown envelopes first appeared, Jackie Westlake, then Town Clerk, contacted the local police inspector, Gavin Wade, who told her that no crime had been committed. completion of the main manual, wrote a "brief case The most recent leader of the council Andrew Bowles retained his seat on Boughton and Courtenay ward. In 2013, they gave 3,685 in grants, while 28,443 was set aside for future projects. Mike Cosgrove cabinet member at Swale Borough Council Rochester, England, United Kingdom291 connections Join to connect Swale Borough Council Peter Symonds Winchester, Leicester Univ, Reading. agreed solutions. Workshops and One neighbour was former town councillor Trevor Payne, another was town councillor Geoff Wade and the third was youve guessed our old friend former town councillor and mayor, Bensteds Charity chairman and prominent local freemason, Bro Andrew Osborne. The Regeneration Plan for Faversham Creek Basin has not really changed since 2013 Read how we saw the Bridge then. He has also been a activities including quality assesment are part of his The Bensteds Trustees accept that such a huge discount would be reasonable if the land that KCC bought was now going to be used to build an old peoples home and provide other forms of social welfare in line with the original objectives of the charity. The David was up through the night for the general election, ran his market stall all day today (Friday), did all his deliveries and was back in Sittingbourne for the count - that's commitment. Lady Alexanders tennis court and gardens were replaced by the modern Gatefield Hall in 1970. services management By 2015 the schemes initial estimated 80,000 cost had crept up to 120,000. Verified account Protected Tweets @; Suggested users At the time, talk of 'brown envelopes' was rife. Eight years later when the market was falling Bensteds sold the land next door at 475,000 a hectare, ten times the price. A local fruit broker, Colin Sharpe left 500,000 to Bensteds in his will. Cosgrove wanted the carefully-tended plant beds replaced with a gravelled oval for Remembrance Day parades. By the end of 2015, Bensteds had also paid out 1,820 in consultancy fees from its war memorial fund. So in late 2016 Swale hastily applied for squatters rights adverse possession to use the legal term claiming the council had maintained the garden since 1990. Let's start with the wards just on the border of Faversham for the borough council. Value Andrew Osborne, whose father had been a chaplain at the old peoples home challenged this, pointing out to the Charity Commission that the site was governed by the original trust deed from 1835. mike cosgroveRetweeted David Atherton @DaveAtherton20 9h Chiragh Chiragh, 39, has been found guilty of manslaughter of Mohamed Muhyidin when his submachine gun accidentally went off. to the Curb Pilots playing at the Hop Festival. According to their 2018 accounts, which are publicly available on the Charity Commission website, they had investments worth just short of 1 million, yet over the last seven years they have averaged less than 14,000 a year in charitable grants. Perhaps there was a donation from the local Biffa depot.. Bensteds not only helped bankroll the project but also provided an account for money the group aimed to obtain from private donors and organisations including the War Memorial Trust and the Heritage Lottery Fund and a public appeal. Free from accountability, members were not obliged to answer questions, divulge costs, publish full minutes of their meetings or even reveal their names. And public support or rather the almost total lack of it remained a problem. The following day, April 30, sees another flurry of activity. have worked with during the past two years. Before being shown the door by the electorate in Mays local elections, Mr Cosgrove was Swales Cabinet Member for Regeneration. and quickly to your needs. Mike Cosgrove - former Faversham Town Councillor (Tory) Councillor Mark Dance - Councillor on Kent County Council, based in Whitstable (Tory) Cindy Davis - former Faversham Town Councillor (Tory) Tom Gates - former Faversham Town Councillor (Tory) Councillor Ben J Martin - current Faversham Town Councillor (Liberal Democrat) By 2018, there was 53,439 carried over at the end of the year. Its about as inviting as a mausoleum. And Sir Sidney and Lady Alexanders upstairs rooms are now offices for small businesses, start-ups and charities. A development of a practice of the implications for staff recruitment and retention the They agreed that collectively a Crime Report for the offence of Harassment will be generated and investigated.. Mike Cosgrove spoke in tribute to Colin Sharpe. KCC is looking to develop the site for housing at a massive profit. The cost of building was 166,000, leaving a surplus of 40,000. Meeting in September, councillors Tom Gates and Mike Cosgrove agreed to write to Bensteds trustees which included Tom Gates and Mike Cosgrove thanking themselves for their own generosity. A peace garden seemed a far better way to remember the fallen and look forward to a better future without war.. Chairman of the Friends of Faversham Cottage Hospital trustees was none other than war memorial group vice-chairman David Simmons. for children in rural areas to increase awareness Verified account Protected Tweets @; Suggested users It was from here, famously, that SBC nearly threw out one of the earliest surviving Magna Cartas. Negotiation for Viridor put in 20,000, almost 33,000 was given by Bensteds Charity, 5,000 came from funds raised for the Cottage Hospital, Shepherd Neame pumped in another 5,000 and the local curious handshake contingent paid 1,250 for one of the benches. She worked for many years in the It was mainly used as council offices, with rooms carved up into cubicles by plasterboard and ceilings lowered to house lighting and cables. Unpopular from the outset, the scheme was widely viewed as a vanity project. Hilary ran The Alexander Centre on SBC's behalf for a couple of years, to learn what the issues were and to put together a business plan. Architect Nigel Lee Evans oversaw the structural refurbishments, planning permissions and acoustics work for the Gatefield Hall. This time there were 74 letters and emails objecting. He said that he had lived in Faversham for 42 years, and that he was the St Ann's Ward Councillor. Swale didnt yet own the garden. senior managers. This was delivered to the wrong address and somehow ended up with Jackie Westlake. (Social Services Strategic Planning). We asked Mike Cosgrove but he declined to answer. Of professional Institute of Personnel and Development, Fellow of the areas, 2000 NCVCCO/The Countryside Agency (JDW), Researched and Quality - 1991. Mike Cosgrove, Cindy Davis, Tom Harding, Pam and Alan McLean, Ann Osborne, Colin Simmonds, Brian Turner and Jackie Westlake. Hundreds fought it out for those all important seats and with an unexpected flurry of independent and Ukip candidates standing, it all came down to tonight's count (Friday). But little was known about the secret machinations behind it. It was not. It looks like yet another occasion when Faversham and the interests of the local inhabitants - have been short changed. But they had a problem: the community wasnt buying it one bit. organisational and . Now, over a century later, it is called The Alexander Centre. political Its maintenance budget for 2018/19 is just 31.59, according to Swale Borough Council. Bensteds took in all the donations, claimed the charity tax relief and it is listed as a separate item in their accounts. It has set up in the Sidney Room. It was a time when supermarkets began to require more fruit to supply mass demand. The Faversham Union workhouse was erected in 1836, it had been demolished and replaced with houses by 1995. Modest because the community, many of whom had served or lost loved ones, voted to spend only half the money they had raised on the monument. The discomfort the beetroot-faced Tory Councillors in Faversham had felt when the leaflets appeared would soon get a lot worse. said Mike Cosgrove. sustaining quality It's nice to order delicious latte or great tea. version" for staff (MNW), Updated and Not only did the key Bensteds trustees drive the project, the charity was used to handle the money. The general feeling was that this project would go ahead anyway, said Ros Young. In January 2017, Swale Borough Council ordered the volunteers to down tools so council contractors Blenwood Ltd could take over maintenance. But so far public money was the only kind in the pot: around 7,000 from Swale Borough Council and 5,000 from Kent County Council. For them, the humble wishes of those who lived through the war to end all wars were not good enough. After the Beauty Spot salon in West St was destroyed by fire, it carried on operating in one of the Alexander Centres rooms. cultures Theres so much we want to ask you. But in one sense they were neighbours: They all lived next door to each other. Cosgrove, Gates, Walker and Andrew Bowles were also trustees of Bensteds, the long-established Faversham charity chaired by former town councillor, town mayor and prominent local freemason Bro Andrew Osborne. He was resident in the property and joined the Faversham Society. the internet and social care, negotiation and social It was classed as income balance carried forward., In an answer to an email from the Faversham Eye, Sue Bayford, the Clerk to the Trustees explained that the Trustees only pay out charitable funds on receipt of a copy invoice from the organisation/individual to prove that the money is being spent correctly, and/or until they have been able to secure the balance of funds required to complete the project., When the charity prepares the end of year accounts these pledges for future spending are put into income balance carried forward. This also includes funds set aside for administration, portfolio management fees and other everyday expenses. By summer, the slabs, plinths, monolith and 4,500 of gravel had replaced the familiar greenery and paths. Published by MHNA Publications. Development Country Child! Since 2011 the Faversham Creek Trust has been working towards a regeneration plan that focuses on the upper part of Faversham Creek above the Brents Swing Bridge. This money is currently sitting in the separate War Memorial account maintained by Bensteds. He had given evidence at the Inspector's public enquiry about Footpath ZF5 in 2014. . 14 Preston Street, Faversham ME13 8NS England +44 1795 537866 Website Open now : 09:00 AM - 4:00 PM See all (49) Ratings and reviews 136 Travellers' Choice 2022 RATINGS Food Service Value Atmosphere Details CUISINES Cafe, British Special Diets Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options Meals Breakfast, Lunch, Brunch View all details the client. For many years Cottage Hospital staff, patients and their visitors have used the garden when weather conditions permit., Simmons continued: The donation was made with the restriction that it must be used to make the new pathway fully disabled access compliant using non slip materials. has been extended for a further year to include a Instead, the centerpiece of the new memorial garden would be a giant, grey vertical monolith. A Faversham councillor actually reported a Faversham resident to the police for waving to him in the street. The Alexander Centre Trust (TACT) was set up, chaired by Hilary Riva. The Alexander Centre Trust (TACT) was set up, chaired by Hilary Riva. In an email to Jackie Westlake, Mike Cosgrove makes further comments about John Wellard and other members of the public, Faversham Creek Trust and Independent candidates in the imminent elections including Sue Akhurst and the late Brenda Chester, wrongly accusing them all of 'disrupting public meetings'. Work includes organisational design, management development, Education Department's Child Protection Procedures, designed and delivered many organisation, team and Meanwhile Swale Borough Council gave the war memorial group written permission to build on its newly-acquired garden. Conservative Helen Whately was announced earlier on in the day as the new MP for Faversham and Mid Kent, but who will be representing us locally? Mike has over 20 years experience as a management consultant, including 10 years working with not-for- profit Several comments slated the project as an absurd waste of taxpayers cash. Bensteds started life in 1835 as the Faversham workhouse, a particularly hateful Victorian institution founded on the belief that if people were poor it was their own fault because they were lazy, stupid or feckless or any combination of the three. For administration, portfolio management fees and other everyday expenses, sees another flurry of activity they were:... 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