Friday 09 January 2026

Friday 09 January 2026

WHAT'S NEW

New Year Update on the home page scroll down and have a read, think bins, cones, water leak, pub and have your say with Parish Council surveys! (updated Thursday 08 January 2026 12:47)

IWADE NEWS

Iwade Tours Review! Farmers Field Planning Objections Friendship Club Welcome New Members Doctors taking on new patients Woodpecker Development Mobile Signal Herons U11s Iwade Mezze Prescriptions & Appointments

Iwade 2026!

Thursday 8th January 2026 Update

Iwade Parish Council Surveys Have Your Say and Parish Council Priorities - live until end of January - complete the Have Your Say survey here >> and the Parish Council Priorities Survey here >> Iwade Parish Council are keen to get your feedback thanks Iwade!

Christmas Bins - last non Friday bin date this Saturday. Bins always in the IWADE WHAT'S ON Christmas and otherwise including the colour!

Roadworks / Cone City - according to the latest newsletter from Jackson Civils work is restarting on 5th January 2026 and will finish with landscaping in March. Keep an eye out for closures!

Water Leak - have you noticed the often frozen water leak outside Iwade Village Hall watch this space for updates as we have them and take care Iwade

The Woolpack - Ali at The Woolpack is back open Thursday 8th January 2026 until May and looks forward to seeing some of you - the word on The Street (literally) is that the Woolpack will reopen in June as a bistro under new management. Watch this space for the official line

Finally Iwade Happy 2026 and thank you for visiting!


IWADE NEWS

Iwade Tours Vintage Essex

21/11/2025

Click on the image to see what Iwade Tours are coming up in the WHAT'S ON Calendar

Iwade Tours are a non-profit making village-run organisation, with a simple mission: bringing villagers, their family and friends together for comfortable, enjoyable, and worry-free outings. And they add a few luxuries along the way.

A recent tour to Essex enjoyed by Erika and Faye included a stop at Thaxted to see the church where Gustav Holst played the organ and other historical buildings. It also passed through the beautiful Essex Rodings before visiting the Lodge Family Coach Museum for lunch and a ride on a vintage coach.

The organisers Elizabeth and Matthew join every trip and make everyone feel looked after as well as making sure that everything runs smoothly. Visits are well planned with a good balance of beautiful scenery and fascinating history.

There is a wide range of complimentary hot and cold drinks and snacks on offer onboard and the Tour Guides are entertaining and full of interesting tales about the places visited.

You can find Iwade Tours dates and trips in the IwadeVillage WHATS ON and get in touch to get booked on! Erika and Faye highly recommend!

Farmers Fields Parish Council Objections

13/11/2025

Click on the image to view the planning application online

Following September Parish Council, IPC have written to object to the application to build 156 residential dwellings as follows:
  • Swale Borough Councils 5 year housing target is 5,502. Planning applications for 7,000 new homes in Swale have already been approved.
  • The proposed Highsted Park development, if approved, would supply 8,400 new homes.
  • Iwade Parish Council are in the process of organising an independent traffic survey to assess how the increase in housing in Iwade will impact traffic in the village.
  • The proposal includes 40% social housing. The plans show they are all allocated in one area together, social housing should be spread throughout the estate.
  • The proposed housing mix plan shows apartments to be built at the entrance of the housing development adjacent to Sheppey Way. This is not in keeping with the character and appearance of the local area.
  • The local infrastructure cannot cope with increased housing; nurseries, schools and the GP surgery.
  • Iwade Stream runs between these two developments and any increase in surface water runoff/allowing water into this waterway, will increase the risk of flooding in the centre of the village.
  • With climate change and increased rainfall during winter developers should be doing all they can to protect existing properties from flooding and not exacerbate the risk. There is no water attenuation provision in the Sheppey Way section.
  • This land is not allocated on Swales Local Plan for development.
  • Swale Borough Council have already approved 512 new homes to be built in Iwade.
On this basis Iwade Parish Council would like to call this planning application into the planning committee and ask that the decision on the above application is delayed due to the above factors.

Iwade Friendship Club

27/10/2025

Iwade Friendship Club are a welcoming bunch if you'd like to join

It was lovely to meet Iwade Friendship Club at Iwade Barn this week what a welcoming group of ladies. Would you like to join them? Every other week at Iwade Barn on a Monday from 10.30am to midday just £1 which includes a hot drink. Often a speaker and time for a chat. Keep an eye on the WHATS ON for the next date and pop along you will be made very welcome. You can also join their Facebook group if you would like to. And you can find them in the DIRECTORY under CLUBS and ACTIVITIES >>

Iwade Health Centre - New NHS patients welcome

25/09/2025

Iwade Health Centre welcome new patients according to the banner outside telephone 01795 413100 or pop in to the centre in Monins Road

Development of 466 properties behind Woodpecker now fenced off

28/07/2025

Click on the image to view the full planning application

The development of 466 properties including a new village hall and a country park is now much more evident as the development area has been fully fenced off both at the Wigeon Road end and at the back of Woodpecker Park. If you have noticed a planning application to demolish the current village hall we understand that this will not be done until the new village hall in a different location is ready but we will investigate further. You can view the planning application including all the drawings and documents on this link. Watch this space for more information as we get it.

Message from MP Kevin McKenna in a Campaign to Improve Mobile Signal in Iwade

22/07/2025

Click on the image to check signal with your postcode

If you have internet access, please visit Ofcom’s Mobile Coverage Checker and enter your postcode to view the current mobile signal strength in your area. You’ll also find an option to submit feedback. I strongly encourage you to report them through this feature. Your input will help to ensure that problems are addressed more effectively.

I’d really appreciate it if you could let me know once you’ve done this (my email is kevin.mckenna.mp@parliament.uk), along with what the mobile signal is like in your area. This will help me build a campaign to push for better mobile coverage in Iwade and nearby areas, so local residents get the mobile coverage they need.

The more people who report issues, the stronger our case becomes. Let’s work together to get this fixed and ensure no one is left in digital darkness.

Iwade Herons Football Club looking for Under 11s to strengthen squad

21/07/2025

Iwade Herons Football Club Under 11s Athletic are looking for players to strengthen their squad as they move to 9v9.

They play in the MYDL, train on Thursdays and Saturdays with matches on Sundays. Contact James on 07841 865595.

Iwade Grill Mezze Pizza Opened 3pm Monday 9th June!

09/06/2025

Queues on the first day waiting patiently with community spirit!

So after what seems like years of an empty unit, the takeaway unit in Iwade Village Centre has been fully gutted and opened on Monday 9th June 2025 at 3pm as Iwade Mezze Grill Pizza. Long queues didn't stop keen customers enjoying the generous discounts and there were excellent reports of delicious food!

Now open Tuesday to Sunday with a rest day Monday from 3pm to 10pm you can call on 01795 227377 or click on the image to order on their website.

Collection only initially while they get established we wish them all the best for their new business in Iwade!

Iwade Health Centre Repeat Prescriptions and Appointments

26/03/2025

As a patient at Iwade Health Centre, we went to say hi and to get a guide to appointments and prescriptions and reception were very helpful so here goes.
Repeat Prescriptions - the easiest way to order repeat prescriptions is by downloading the NHS App. If you are not confident in doing this please pop into the practice and a member of staff will be able to assist with this. Written requests for repeat prescriptions can be made using the external practice post box or prescription slips are available at the practice which when completed can be posted in the internal prescription box or handed to a member of staff. Please note the practice does not accept repeat prescription requests via email.
Doctor's appointment - you either need to use Anima (on the web), call at 8am on 01795 413100 or go in at 8am so Iwade Health Centre can organise for you. Note if you do this you may miss on the day appointments where they are released at say 7am. Once Anima is at capacity you will have to wait until the next day. If you are not registered with Anima recommend calling or popping in to find out the process.
Nurse's appointment - you can book through Iwade Health Centre, pop in or call them on 01795 413100
Hub appointments - on a Saturday all day. There is no set routine for when these appointments become available but you can ask the surgery. These are not just for Iwade Health Centre patients so there is higher demand.

SEASONAL RECIPE

Tony Trower's Sloe Gin Recipe

Save or source 2 litre plastic bottles (coke, water, lemonade). Don't pick sloes too early, leave them as long as you can. Wash and dry and weigh into 1&3/4 pound portions. Put into bags and freeze. (this splits the skins a bit and saves pricking each one). Put one bag into a clean 2 litre bottle, add 3/4 pound of sugar and 1 litre of gin. Put somewhere dark and cool. Agitate daily untill sugar has all gone then once a week. After 3 months put a couple of layers of muslin into a seive and strain gin through. Bottle it or drink it!!!

Tony says he likes it sweet and the amount of sugar can be altered to taste. Start off with less, taste a teaspoon every couple of weeks and add more if needed, small quantities at a time!

I can say from personal experience this method is perfect, the sloe gin stays a lovely purple colour and the frozen sloe method means you don't have to prick each sloe individually, a labour of love!

Happy ginning thank you Tony!

DID YOU KNOW?

Did you know there's an Iwade in Japan?