The Swale Borough Council's Western Area Committee met on Tuesday 9 September 2025 to discuss the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan, public toilets, and updates from the Swale Bus Forum. The committee also reviewed actions from previous meetings and discussed local issues.

Swale Local Bus Forum

The committee received an update on the Swale Local Bus Forum. Councillor Monique Bonney had previously requested that members be kept informed about the allocation of Section 106 funds¹ for bus services, which are held by Kent County Council (KCC). The Director of Regeneration & Neighbourhoods raised this issue at the Swale Local Bus Forum meeting on 29 July 2025, and it was agreed that officers would explore ways to share Section 106 allocations for buses with the Forum.

The minutes of the Local Bus Forum meeting on 29 July 2025, which was attended by representatives from Stagecoach, KCC, Chalkwell, and Travelmaster, included the following updates:

• Kent Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP): Dan Bruce from KCC provided an update on the Kent BSIP, noting that the Delivery Plan for 2025/26 had been submitted to the Department for Transport (DfT) in March 2025 and that KCC had received funding in June 2025 to support the plan over the next 12 months.
• Kent Bus Information Portal: The Kent Bus Information Portal is set to be formally launched in the coming weeks. It will provide journey planning, real-time information, and a reporting tool. The real-time information will consider planned and scheduled road closures, using information provided to Highways.
• Revenue Spend: DB provided a breakdown of the revenue spend for 2025/26, including promotions and the introduction of Plus Bus Expansion to Swale.
• Parish Rural Shelter Grant: Stephne Pay from KCC summarised the 2025/2026 Capital initiatives, including the Parish Rural Shelter Grant, which allows parish councils to bid for match funding to refresh or install bus shelters.
• Bus Subsidies: SP updated the forum on bus subsidies and available funding, including the schools transfer element, and the shared aspiration to provide additional and enhanced initiatives.
• Home to School Transport: Councillor Mike Baldock raised concerns regarding KCC's future funding for home to school transport. SP clarified that this comes from a different budget, as it is a statutory responsibility, and offered to request information from colleagues in Education regarding the budget and home to school transport appeal positions.
• Government Support: SP noted that government support is crucial, as funding through BSIP Revenue and Capital is only secure for the current financial year, and the forum is awaiting a spending announcement for next year and its potential impact on the 62 services funded by BSIP.
• Road Closures: Roland Eglinton from Chalkwell advised that the main issue for them was the challenging road closures at Grovehurst and on the Isle of Sheppey. A shuttle bus is being introduced for the planned closure of Key Street.
• District Shelter Grant: Mike Knowles is assessing capacity to bid under the District Shelter Grant and has information available to submit an application.
• Area Committee Feedback: Karen Watson said that the Sittingbourne Area Committee had raised concerns regarding accessibility for customers with dementia/zimmer frames and were waiting for a response from bus companies. Emma Wiggins noted that the Eastern Area Committee suggested that a representative from Faversham Town Council should sit on the Swale Local Bus Forum and suggested Councillor Alastair Gould as the representative.

Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP)

The committee discussed the public consultation on the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP).

Consultation on Public Toilets

The committee discussed the consultation on public toilets.

Matters Arising from Previous Meetings

The committee reviewed new actions and ongoing issues, including:

• Bexon (Bredgar) Conservation Area Review: Following a tender process, Place Services were appointed as consultants to undertake the conservation area review. The draft consultation document is expected by mid-September 2025, followed by a six-week public consultation. A new Conservation Area for Bexon, Bredgar is proposed.
• Swale Local Heritage List: The Selection Panel met on 17 October 2024 and shortlisted 150 assets to be designated as Swale's Local Heritage out of 278 nominations. The Policy & Resources Committee unanimously agreed to designate the shortlisted assets, with one addition, bringing the total to 151 designated assets on the Local Heritage List, on 27 November 2024. Mapping work on the Swale Borough Council GIS system and associated data organisation is ongoing. An additional call for nominations is scheduled to start from 8 September 2025 for six weeks, with the Selection Panel meeting again in the autumn of 2025. The list is anticipated to be updated every three years, with the next call for nominations scheduled for 2028. A protocol for urgent designation of assets on Local Heritage was adopted at the June 2025 Policy & Resources Committee.
• Area of Special Control of Advertisements (ASCA): Swale Borough Council does not currently have an ASCA². Following an all-member briefing in May 2024, it was agreed that a draft consultation document be prepared for approval by the Planning Committee before undertaking public consultation. The draft consultation document is estimated to be ready by the autumn of 2025.

Local Issues

The committee discussed local issues raised by members and the public.