Engaging with the Community

Introduction

Community engagement is a key component of the formulation of Westerham Town Council’s (WTC) strategic plan. 

Each new council defines its key strategic priorities and following the election of the new Council in May 2023, Westerham Town Council re-examined its strategy for its period of office.

The initial community engagement was a combination of a postcard and Facebook requests to ask residents to list their top 4 priorities for the incoming council.

There was strong correlation between proposals put forward by Council committees and views expressed by residents and the key priorities for the 4-year council term were set.

These are:

• Progressing King George’s Field redevelopment project
• Ensuring the council maintains Gold Accreditation, demonstrating value for money
• Improving road safety, parking and lighting
• Keep Westerham and Crockham Hill thriving, clean and safe
• Developing community and marketing activities for the benefit of residents and visitors

The following link takes you to the Strategic Business Plan 2024-2028

The following link takes you to the WTC Communication and Community Engagement Policy 2025 – 2029

CONTINUING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

The initial survey was only a starting point and throughout this council term we have continue to get your views and refine goals. We listen and act on direct communications and social media responses. All our council meetings are publicised and have an Open Forum for residents to air their views. We host Annual Town Meetings to listen to your comments, run stalls at fairs and events and conduct additional surveys and set up focus groups for specific projects.

We endeavour to ensure that our plans and responses to your questions are communicated using direct responses at meetings, newsletters, social media and on our website

KEY PROJECTS

In addition to our normal activities such as maintaining and running street lighting, toilets, green spaces we have either completed or are working on the following additional projects:

1. King George’s Field Playground refurbishment

This is a continuing project to make King George’s Field an attractive and valuable amenity for both residents and visitors. During the pervious Council term we consulted with residents and used your feedback to finalise a Master Plan to redevelop King George’s Field. This will be tackled in 5 phases:

1. Extend/resurface Costells Meadow Car Park
2. Refurbish the Playground
3. Install a new Skate Park
4. Install a FIT Trail around the perimeter of the field
5. Refurbish the Pavilion and install a MUGA (multi-use games area)

Car Park – COMPLETED

We have extended and resurfaced the car park, transforming the area and adding 14 additional parking spaces.

Playground – COMPLETED

We have refurbished the playground. You asked for a better surface, more colour and some new equipment, which we are pleased to have been able to deliver. We have levelled the surface and added some equipment that is inclusive for all, including a wheelchair friendly roundabout and basket swing. We have installed several pieces of equipment that can be used by children playing together, including a gravity bowl, a role play train and loudspeakers. There are also play panels offering funny mirrors, music and a game, so there is lots to explore.  We have ben delighted by the positive feedback we have received.

These phases were funded through two successful CIL (community infrastructure levy) bids to Sevenoaks District Council, together with the Town Council’s own CIL funds and reserves.

Skate Park – COMPLETED

It was clear from our consultation that residents wanted to see the old metal stake ramp replaced with a purpose built skate park. We worked with focus groups including Churchill Primary and Valence Schools to understand needs including ensuring that this is accessible for all children. After tendering we selected Wheelscape to design and build the park. Since opening the park our Community Engagement committee has been providing free training for children and we have been delighted by the positive response and seeing how much this amenity is used.

FIT Trail – COMPLETED

We have installed a FIT Trail around the perimeter of the field. This path is made from Breadon gravel and so is not only a great surface to walk, run and cycle on it is also environmentally friendly. It is great to see that this path is very well used and attracts people who would not previously have used this area.

MUGA and Pavillion

This is the last stage in this project and we will soon be going out to consultation on a Multi-Use Games Area which will be sited where the old tennis courts and skate ramp were and will also be combined with improved LED floodlighting and refurbishing the pavilion which will include toilet facilities.

This remains our major project and has been funded through two successful CIL (community infrastructure levy) bids to Sevenoaks District Council, together with the Town Council’s own CIL funds and reserves.

 

2. Clean and Tidy

We continue to work closely with Sevenoaks District Council, which is responsible for rubbish collection. This includes providing storage for their Mini road sweeper and this has improved street cleaning in Westerham.  Our thanks go to SDC for providing this.

We continue to worked with the community to undertake regular litter picks and thank everyone who has helped and ask that you look for announcements and help in future picks – it really makes a difference!

 

3. Improve parking

Four schemes – the extension of Costells Meadow car park, additional on street parking in both Madan and Hartley Roads and a new car park at Crockham Hill have all been completed. Together these have provided over 70 extra spaces.  This is no mean achievement in a town where space is hard to come by.

We continue to try and tackle the parking problems faced by residents, visitors and businesses and you will shortly see that as part of this on-street parking in the centre of Westerham will be increased from 2 to 4 hours.

 

4. Traffic calming

It has been a source of great satisfaction that the long campaigned for 20mph speed limit on the A25 though the town has been introduced.  Stretching from Vicarage Hill in the east to beyond Verralls Corner in the west and encompassing the roads which feed into it – notably parts of London Road and Croydon Road – this is proving to be an effective means of slowing through traffic.  Taken together with the one-way system round The Green, the schemes are starting to calm and control the traffic at a speed which is acceptable and practical for the town and improves the quality of life for residents.

We know many people grumble about 20mph limits but please consider that if you or your child is hit by a car at 20mph your chance of dying is 2.5%, at 30mph this is 20%.Your Council is not so naive as to think that all traffic will immediately obey the new restrictions, so we continue to improve signage and we continue to have a very active Speedwatch campaign. This provides the key evidence we need to get further action to enforce speed limits. As a result of this campaign we no have an increased frequency of police enforced speed checks. Following a resident consultation we are currently working with KCC to introduce a one way system around Marlborough Court again to improve road safety.

 

4. LED Street Lighting – COMPLETED

We have rolled out the replacement of high energy consumption street lighting with more efficient LED street lighting. Reducing carbon emissions and our electricity costs

 

5. Community activities

We run a variety of free activities for the younger residents of Westerham and Crockham Hill. They include skateboarding lessons on the recently built skatepark on King George’s Field during the Easter, Summer and October school holidays.  We also fund Family Fun sessions during the school holidays on King George’s Playing Field and in Westerham Hall. In response to community feedback we ran two Art taster Sessions in collaboration with a local artist at Churchill School during the Easter and October holidays in 2025. The feedback was very positive but there was not enough uptake to continue these sessions. Our youth focused activities are demand led and we will happily engage with the community to explore new possibilities.

We are working with Crockham Hill Primary School and Crockham Hill Pre-School to enable them to meet several DFE environmental and sustainability demands in the curriculum. We have supplied bird and bug boxes to the Primary School and we are supporting an after-school Gardening Club commencing Spring 2026. We have donated child height planters and all relevant gardening materials to the Pre School and look forward to seeing the fruits of their labours.

We support and contribute to many events in the town including Fayres on The Green and the Christmas Lights Switch On, often working alongside the Westerham Town Partnership.

We are mindful of the socially isolated and older members of our communities. Amongst other initiatives we have continued our support of projects in Westerham such as the monthly Forget-me-Not Café, a monthly Lunch Club and we set up a monthly Coffee, Cake and Chat drop in Café in Crockham Hill in 2023. Our residents value having a chance to socialise after the isolation that the Covid pandemic imposed on everyone.

We liaise closely with our local PCs. We regularly discuss issues such as anti-social behaviour, shoplifting and poor evidence of reporting crime and raise these matters at District level when we meet with the Community Safety Unit and senior police officers. We exchange relevant information and good practice with neighbouring Town Councils to ensure our residents are well represented and their voice is heard.

6. Other items:

• We continue to try and support businesses. This includes not only regular liaison with individual businesses but also supporting groups such as the Westerham Traders Association
• We are investigating improving connectively and in particular looking at improving the mobile phone signal in Westerham
• We continue to ensure that every committee has a ECO Policy Action Plan looking at supporting a cleaner more environmentally friendly town

CONCLUSIONS

 Community engagement is vital to ensure that we, as your council, are able to deliver the projects and services that Westerham and Crockham Hill require. We would encourage you to take the opportunity to attend any of our council meetings (Council Meetings)– click for link) and our Annual Town Meeting (Annual Town Meeting – click for link)