100 march against post closures

More than 100 campaigners took to the streets in protest at plans to close Royal Mail sorting offices in Herne Bay and Whitstable. They marched through Herne Bay on Saturday and along the seafront, led by Bay sound engineer David Shepherd, 39, with a loud hailer.

Joining him was Whitstable campaigner and postman Chris Stone. Royal Mail Wants to close depots in Eddington Lane, Herne Bay, and Cromwell Road, Whitstable, as part of a huge shake-up within the next two years. Operations would be concentrated at the Canterbury depot in Military Road. The march was featured by both BBC and ITV. Mr Shepherd, who also took along his young son Oscar, said:

"We are bringing the issue to the attention of more people. We fear Herne Bay and Whitstable residents will be forced to travel to Canterbury to collect undelivered post."

Protesters predict it will take posties longer to complete their rounds. The Royal Mail says the changes are part of a modernisation programme that will cut costs and increase efficiency. Canterbury and Whitstable MP Julian Brazier has written to Royal Mail bosses, warning:

"The mail will have to be carried to and from Canterbury by van, rather than bicycle, which seems a retrogressive step at a time when you are publicly committed to greener options."

Postman Chris Stone said:

"There has already been £400 million spent on new machinery which actually slows down delivery. Millions have been spent on new vans to replace bikes."

Mr Stone said he was slightly disappointed by the turnout in Herne Bay - 200 people joined the Whitstable march - but he feels there is time to build the campaign.

HB Times 30th Jun 2011

Pollution at car park is "unlikely to pose a risk"

A key redevelopment site in the town is contaminated, but the pollution is unlikely to pose a "significant" threat to human health. That's according to council officers who have overseen a series of environmental tests under the Kings Road car park since the beginning of the year.

The area, formerly a gasworks, has been earmarked for a new supermarket as part of the town's regeneration programme. Residents were concerned about possible contamination under the car park, so contractors drilled nine boreholes to test the soil. But council spokesman Rob Davies said test results returned by consultants Environmental Scientifics Group after the drilling had been reassuring. He said:

"The results revealed very few issues, with eight of the nine boreholes having no problems. The other one found elevated levels of hydrocarbon.  This contamination suggests that a leak or spill of hydrocarbons may have occurred in the past."

The group recommends more investigation to see if the substances need to be removed. Mr Davies added:

"Their report makes it clear that it is unlikely to pose a significant risk to human health. The fact that this development will be hard surfaced means that the elevated levels of hydrocarbons found may be able to remain in situ so long as they are contained and not mobile."

HB Times 30th Jun 2011

Park View landlady wins licence battle

The landlady at the centre of a fierce licensing row has spoken of her relief at being allowed to play live music and serve drinks without food. Judy Wattiez, 53, of the Park View Restaurant had faced strident opposition from 28 residents of neighbouring Margaret Court, who feared it would lead to noise and nuisance.

The listed pub, in Park Road, Herne Bay, was formally the Royal Oak which had a reputation for rowdy behaviour. When the premises were reopened in February as the Park View Restaurant, new manager Miss Wattiez was only allowed to serve drinks with food.

She applied for a dual licence so drinks could be served without food. But that attracted an avalanche of complaints. Then 100 of Miss Wattiez's customers hit back with a petition complaining that not being able to get a drink at the bar was in breach of their human rights.

Bemused members of the city council's licensing committee finally gave her what she wanted on Tuesday. Miss Wattiez admitted:

"I'm absolutely over the moon. It's all I wanted. It's my home. I don't want trouble, I'm just really pleased now and hope the neighbours leave me alone. It's been a struggle but I'm glad it's finally over and we can crack on with making the business thrive. I've done my utmost to engage with neighbours who have had concerns. I even tried to go to a Residents' Association meeting at Margaret Court but they wouldn't let me in. I invited them to look inside the restaurant but they declined. I have told them they are welcome to use my premises for their meetings free of charge. We have made every effort but they don't want to know."

She has now complied with all conditions demanded by police including installing CCTV and having a doorman for events with more than 60 people. Doors must be closed during live music performances with a note for patrons to leave quietly and a phone number on a board for residents. However, one pensioner living nearby who did not want to be named, said:

"It's horrible. I can't believe they got it after all the complaints. I'm utterly shocked. The whole process has been derisory!"

The licence change means live music can be played from noon to 11.30pm up to three times a week, excluding Sundays. Dancing will also be allowed. Janine Collopy, a pensioner from Margaret Court, said many of her fellow residents' concerns were unfounded. She said:

"Most of the noise is nothing to do with the pub. It's youngsters coming back from the park and making a racket, using all sorts of foul language. People have even complained about plastic beer cups being dropped all over the place when the pub doesn't use plastic cups. It's just been plain silly. Judy should be given a chance. I'm glad she has been."

Miss Wattiez had applied to the city council in March but was turned down after objections from neighbours.

HB Times 30th Jun 2011

Vehicle ploughs through stone bollards

They all drive like that in Whitstable...

A car ended up teetering on a sea wall after speeding off of the road and crashing through stone bollards. Stunned witnesses said the green Peugeot smashed through the bollards in Hampton after careering along Swalecliffe Avenue, ending up balanced on the sea wall on Sunday night. Phil Hopkins, whose house overlooks the road, said three youths walked away from the wreckage unhurt. He said:

"I was sitting in my house when I heard an almighty 'whoosh'. My cat jumped out of her basket like something had stung her and I ran to the front door just in time to see this car go flying off the road. Three young lads got out and walked away quite leisurely. They weren't running, although they were walking a bit faster than normal. They went up the verge and disappeared. Moments later the police arrived, then the fire service."

Another neighbour, who did not want to be named, said:

"I saw a car come hammering down, thump off the sea wall and land on the beach with half of it hanging from the sea wall. It had its hazard warning lights on. I thought: 'You won't need them mate!'."

Police confirmed a green Peugeot came off the road on Sunday night. A spokesman said:

"It crashed through stone bollards and came to rest balanced precariously over the sea wall near the Hampton Inn pub. No one was injured."

A 27-year-old man from Whitstable has been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving. Police are appealing for witnesses. Call 01622 690690.

HB Times 30th Jun 2011, Ed Targett

Toad works ahead

Reptiles ready to move in

A giant cane toad is among Terry Matthews' friends moving to a new home in Sea Street, Herne Bay, on 1st July. His Penfolds reptile and amphibian centre will be stocking exotic pets from boa constrictor snakes to tortoises. Terry, the son of former city councillor Roger Matthews, said:

"My dad had a tropical fish shop when I was young and I loved it. But I was always more into newts and lizards. I’ve been breeding pythons for years. Getting my own place seemed the next logical step."

HB Times 30th Jun 2011

Jun 2011: most read

1. Yet another job forecast
2. KCC's empty begging bowl
3. BBC: Biased Broadcast Coverage?
4. Manston's job forecasts
5. In Manston, no one can hear you scream...
6. A closer look at that bid
7. Complain
8. Where do Manston's job forecasts come from?
9. URGENT: Beach hut threat
10. Air Anon at Manston

Carnival Queen abdicates

Mystery surrounds the sudden resignation of teenage carnival queen Kerry Ann Middleton. Miss Herne Bay Kerry Ann, 17, was abruptly replaced at the weekend.  Carnival organisers would only say there were "personal reasons" behind her resignation.

Kerry Ann, who goes to Canterbury College, refused to comment and her grandmother Lynne Hawkes, who Kerry lives with, insisted:

"We have no wish to make any statement. It is due to family reasons."

Chairman of the Herne Bay Carnival Association Andy Birkett told the Times:

"Herne Bay Carnival Association accepted the resignation of Miss Herne Bay Kerry Ann Middleton due to personal reasons. Having checked back on the judges' marks from the Easter selection dance we are pleased to announce that Ria Davis has accepted the title of Miss Herne Bay."

She will be joined by elected princess Eloise Acton and Aurora Summers. Aurora, a 15-year-old Herne Bay High School pupil, said:

"I am really pleased to be joining the carnival court."

The girls' first official function will be to open Reculver CE Primary School summer fair in Sweechbridge Road, Hillborough, at noon this Saturday. Herne Bay carnival parade is on Saturday, August 13.

HB Times 30th Jun 2011

Be part of the Herne Bay Carnival

It's time to start thinking about this year's carnival. Organisers want to hear from businesses, groups, clubs, associations or just people who like to dress up and join in the fun. The carnival association is also busy raising money to stage the extravaganza in Herne Bay on Saturday, August 13.

To get involved with the fun on the day or offer help, e-mail kathryn.birkett@sky.com or call for 01227 364836 for an entry form to the carnival.

HB Times 23rd Jun 2011

"Grotesquely selfish" arsonist gets 2 years

An arsonist who torched his flat in a fit of rage showed a "grotesque disregard" for the lives of young children and an elderly deaf pensioner, a court heard. Samuel Dudley, 22, was jailed for four years at Canterbury Crown Court after the judge heard he deliberately disabled a fire alarm before using a lighter to set fire to his sofa, duvet and clothes.

On January 11, terrified parents were forced to scoop up their children in the dead of night and race from the Canterbury Road building as smoke billowed around them. Initially fire crews feared Dudley was trapped inside and risked their lives trying to save him – until they realised he had set the blaze himself and then left.

Dudley claimed he was depressed at being evicted from the flat and admitted recklessly endangering life through arson. Donna East, prosecuting, said Dudley called his girlfriend Abbey Middlebrook after starting the blaze. She said:

"He went to see her and said 'I have burned my flat. I don't know why, I need help. No one can help me'."

In the meantime his sister and mother, who had gone to see him, saw the smoke and dialled 999. A deaf elderly lady slept through most of the commotion and was only awoken by the constant ringing of her doorbell.

Dudley told police he was angry at being evicted for rent arrears, and after drinking three pints of lager starting throwing things about the flat. He said that after using his lighter to start three separate fires, he "expected it to burn down", and left "without telling the other occupants". Peter Forbes, defending, said Dudley had lost his job and was worried about money. He said:

"His personal circumstances were getting on top of him and this led him into a despairing mood. There were young children in the flats and he is a father of two young children aged three and two who live with their mother, so he understood what risk that was."

Judge James said:

"This was a grotesquely selfish act which put entirely innocent people at risk. If this was a cry for help as your defence suggests, it was an extremely reckless act with callous disregard for anyone but yourself."

Dudley will serve half his sentence, less six months he has served already, but he will be released "under licence" for a further four years – so if he reoffends in that time he will be forced to complete his full sentence.

HB Times 23rd Jun 2011

Bay Art Gallery 10th Anniversary

Happy birthday: Ron Woodward, Mandy Troughton, Paul Mitchell, Karen Simpson and Dai Griffiths at the galleryArtists are celebrating a decade of providing affordable gallery space in the town. The Bay Art Gallery was originally opened by sculptor Patrick Crouch in June 2001 and he returned for the 10th anniversary earlier this month.

Mr Crouch was joined by more than 60 artists who had previously exhibited there, as well as founder Ron Woodward. Mr Woodward said the gallery's ethos of providing space for students and upcoming artists, had not changed over the years. He said:

"We charge just £10, whereas at other places the costs of putting on an exhibit can run into the hundreds. It gives more people a chance."

One of his favourite exhibits was Siobhan Timoney's sculpture of a piano that had been dismembered and reconstructed using hanging wires. Mr Woodward said:

"It was a great interactive feature because people could throw marbles off the strings to make sounds."

Another artist from Warwickshire managed to raise £15,000 in one week at the gallery. Artists group CT6 Contemporary manage the day-to-day running of the not- for-profit space and also champion local arts. Booking officer Mandy Troughton says BAG has gone from strength to strength and represents a great place for community use in Herne Bay. She said:

"It really has been very popular and I think the fact that it's been there for ten years proves this. Herne Bay is often overlooked for its artistic output and people think more artists are from Whitstable but actually there are a lot of creative people in the town."

The next exhibition at the Bay Art Gallery will feature digital photography from Canterbury Christ Church University student, Jack Bushell.

New Museums boss excited for future

Responsibility for the district's much treasured artefacts has been handed to a newly appointed director of museums and galleries at the city council.

Jo Jones, 39, says Canterbury has an outstanding variety of historical collections, and she aims to encourage more visitors to spend more money on seeing them. Her appointment follows widespread condemnation last year of council proposals to close some museums to save money.

Now, following a comprehensive review of the service, the council's head of culture Janice McGuinness says the authority's approach to the attractions "has been turned on its head" and the fortunes of the museum have been revived through better presentation and marketing. Visitors numbers at the Roman Museum, for example, which was one of those under threat, are said to have risen dramatically.

The council had been tasked with slashing about £112,000 from its £900,000 budget for runnng the museums, but Mrs McGuinness said the savings had been found by other means and working with entrepreneurs like Charles Lambie, who was leading the revival of the Westgate Towers museum. Ken Reedie, who had been curator for many years, is continuing to work with the city council on the work at the Beaney in the city centre, which is undergoing extension and refurbishment.

Miss Jones studied history of art and did a postgraduate degree in museums. She has spent her career working in museums and specialises in generating visitor numbers, for which she has received a Business in Arts marketing award. She comes to Canterbury from Sefton Council, Merseyside, where she was overseeing a similar project to the Beaney. She said:

"I was attracted to the job because it was such an exciting opportunity and I am very impressed with the council's commitment to culture."

She said one of her aims was to boost income by opening up the museums and galleries to more commercial opportunities, including children's parties and corporate events.

Gerry Warren, HB Gazette 23rd Jun 2011

Waitrose gets 20-year lease in Canterbury

HB Gazette 23rd Jun 2011

So-called savings will deliver more costs

As I'm sure you know by now, they are closing down the delivery offices in Whitstable and Herne Bay, and relocating them to Canterbury. This is being done in the name of savings. It will cost less to maintain a single centralised office than three local offices, we are told. But is it true? I've been working it out.

There are 50 workers each in Whitstable and Herne Bay - 100 workers altogether. It will take about 30 minutes each way to drive to and from Canterbury. So that's an hour of Royal Mail time spent getting postal workers to and from the start of their rounds. They earn £8.86 an hour, so it will cost the company £886 a day, which is £5,316 a week, or £276,432 a year.

That's more than a quarter of a million pounds a year just to get the workforce to the start of their round every day. How is that a “saving” exactly? What kind of accountant adds a quarter of a million pounds to your wages bill and then describes it as a saving?

This is not to speak of the extra pollution of hundreds of vans spluttering about Canterbury during the rush hour or the cost in maintenance, petrol, road tax and insurance. It's not to speak of traffic chaos in Canterbury or parking problems in Military Road. It's not to speak of the inconvenience to customers of having to travel to Canterbury to pick up their undelivered mail.

Those of you who sent a letter to the Royal Mail after the march in Whitstable will know how dismissive they are. It is a business matter, they say; they don't have to consult, case closed. It is time for us to stand up and tell them we demand that they listen, and the case is not closed. The Herne Bay march will assemble at 2pm on Saturday outside the May Lodge Club, Herne Bay, to begin marching at 3pm. I hope to see you there.

Written in Stone: HB Gazette 23rd Jun 2011

Already looking forward to next year's awards

HB Gazette 23rd Jun 2011

Altira supermarket

HB Gazette 23rd Jun 2011

Getting stuck in to give beach hut a new look

A new lease of life has been given to beach hut No.136 as part of the We All Do Things project. The hut, on West Beach, Herne Bay, is being lent to community group People United by Canterbury City Council's Foreshore Services.

No. 136 is hoped to be used as a quiet and welcoming place for people to read, think and reflect on ways to help the community. It will be made available to individuals and community and social groups as a space to develop their work in making positive changes to the town and surrounding area.

Young people from the newly formed Community Action Group, which is part of the Bay Project, have already helped to revamp the hut and given it a new lick of paint. Tom Hawkins, coastal development officer from Foreshore Services said:

"We're pleased to be able to support this community opportunity. Our beaches are a unique environment and a great local asset. This project shares strong similarities to other environmental and educational work our service delivers and supports our aim of providing the local community with a better understanding of these marine and coastal areas."

If you're interested in using the hut, email: info@peopleunited.org.uk or call 01227 811800.

HB Gazette 23rd Jun 2011

Best of a bad bunch?

As predicted, some time ago...

HB Times 23rd Jun 2011

Racist graffiti attack shocks shop owners

HB Gazette 23rd Jun 2011

Ban on fishing in Memorial Park pond

There's no plaice for fishing in the Memorial Park pond, according to council bosses. Officials have reeled in permission for people to enjoy the popular pastime after deciding to enforce an ancient byelaw.

New signs were put up around the pond but the move has angered many, including campaigner Andy Newell. He told councillors at a meeting of Herne Bay Area Member Panel that he was dubious the byelaw was valid. He said:

"I have always fished in the park pond and I know other people who have done for years as well. Are you going to ban the activity and not even look at the feeling of the general public?"

Outdoor leisure manager for Canterbury City Council, Richard Griffiths, said:

"We recognised that the byelaws were not being enforced. It's the legal view that these laws mean no fishing in the pond. The byelaw actually says no taking, injuring or disturbing of fish."

Taxi driver Adrian Bennett supported the council's stance. He said:

"You'd see waterfowl caught up in people's lines and being dragged across the pond. People would be jumping onto the island – not just one or two kids but a lot of people and a lot of adults. If you want to protect wildlife you can't have that going on."

HB Times 23rd Jun 2011

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HB Gazette 23rd Jun 2011

Herne Bay to be colonised by time machines

Two Dr Who Tardises could be installed on the seafront and at the library in the hope that Dr Who fans will be drawn to the town. And enthusiasts could find they are bigger than they look, as the plan is for them to be working police boxes to allow people to contact emergency services.

Furniture maker Jason Onion revealed his sci-fi vision at a meeting of Herne Bay councillors on Tuesday and was rewarded with a round of applause. The 35-year-old moved back to Herne Bay from Cornwall and is eager to make a positive contribution for the community. He said:

"This seemed like a brilliant opportunity to tie in with the programme's 50th anniversary and do something good for the town."

His unusual idea would also be a celebration of Anthony Coburn, the first writer of the show who lived in Herne Bay. Jason hopes to incorporate internet wi-fi connection and a 360 degree CCTV camera in the top light to deter vandals. Councillors voted unanimously to refer the plans to city council's ruling executive committee. Andrew Cook, councillor for Heron said:

"This is a great idea. We should seize this opportunity for Herne Bay."

Jason plans to build the Tardis himself and suggests that reclaimed wood from the pier could be used. Ultimately the police box would be auctioned off in 2013 on the show's 50th anniversary and proceeds would be donated to charity.

HB Times 23rd Jun 2011