Leader's Christmas message

Message from Cllr Tim Gibson, leader of Swale Borough Council:

"As the festive season is upon us, I want to take a moment to reflect on the past year and extend my warmest wishes to everyone in the borough of Swale.

"It’s been another busy and productive year for the council, and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together.

"Despite ongoing challenges, we have continued to work hard to deliver our service and make a real difference to the lives of local people.

"A great example of this is our One Swale Roadshows. These bring council and partner services out to local communities across the borough, and have helped more than 4,000 people with everything from food and fuel support to health and debt advice. We have also, through the government’s Household Support Fund, provided more than 11,000 households with assistance including food and fuel vouchers, food parcels and white goods with the help of local organisations.

"Another project making a real difference has been our Safer Streets project, which has helped us tackle the unacceptable levels of violence that women and girls face. We have funded street marshals, additional cameras and improved lighting in key areas to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour. Alongside this, we’ve provided education and training to help tackle inappropriate behaviour, and we’ve worked with local youth clubs and charities to fund community engagement and youth work.

"We’ve also been able to support local volunteers and community groups through grant schemes to improve infrastructure. This has seen solar panels installed on village halls, funding to a new space themed play area for a local attraction and supporting projects like markets and carnivals.

"This year we have purchased housing to use as temporary accommodation for people in desperate need, with more properties planned to be purchased in the coming year. This investment not only helps get people into a safe environment, it will also lead to savings in the long run. This, and our other work, has helped reduce the number of rough sleepers in the borough.

"Not everything has gone as well as we would have liked and it would be remiss of me not to mention our new waste contract. Whilst most people have had a generally reliable level of service, regrettably far too many people have not.

"We have rightly apologised for this failure of service and officers have been working tirelessly with the contractor to bring the service to an acceptable standard. We will not stop pushing for the benefits the new contract promised, and I’m hopeful people will continue to see the improvements over coming weeks and months. On the topic of waste please remember to check our website for when your Christmas collections are due, as days will have changed.

"One thing I would like to see more of in 2025 is our work with partners, community groups and volunteers. These hidden heroes make a fantastic contribution to all of our lives, and we’ve been lucky enough to work with them on several projects this year.

"We’ve worked alongside dedicated volunteers and a local business to clear thousands of outgrown tree guards from a community woodland on the Isle of Sheppey, picked litter with school children at our Green Flag parks, and worked with local groups to host the Civic Remembrance Service.

"Our Cycle-re-Cycle scheme has saved more than 200 bikes from the tip, whilst providing people with a cheap environmentally friendly transportation method. HMP Swaleside inmates have refurbished unwanted bikes whilst working towards qualifications, which will help with their rehabilitation when their time is served.

"The coming year promises to be another busy and exciting time for us. The Sheerness Revival project is expected to make visible progress after all the hard work and planning behind the scenes. This £20m project will make a real difference to the health, leisure, education and employment opportunities on Sheppey for years to come.

"We plan to plant another 1,000 trees across the borough next year and will we be organising more volunteer days for litter clean ups across our amazing beaches and green spaces in Swale, so people can get out in nature whilst helping keep our borough clean.

"We are also looking at installing more beach huts on the Isle of Sheppey to help cut the waiting list and to allow more people to enjoy our beaches in this unique way. There are also plans to install solar panels on our offices allowing us to take another important step towards our ambitious climate emergency goals.

"I am looking forward to another exciting year for Swale, and to continue working with everyone to keep making Swale a better place.

"On behalf of all of us here at the council, I would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and all the best for 2025."

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