Mammoth find in little Herne Bay

A pair of woolly mammoth tusks have been discovered off the shores of Herne Bay. Lobster fisherman Barry Mount was trawling the coast last Thursday when he found the prehistoric fossils.

He said he spotted the rare artefacts after "a negative tidal surge" exposed a lesser-seen part of the beach. Mr Mount said:

"In my lifetime, the tide has only gone out that far about three times. It exposed grounds that hadn’t been exposed for a few years, which is when I saw the tusks."

The fossils, which were passed to Canterbury City Council, are currently being kept in tanks of water to prevent them from drying out. Council spokesman Rob Davies said:

"Two tusks were found offshore in Herne Bay last Thursday on an exceptionally low tide. Formal identification of them has yet to take place and no decision has been taken yet about what happens next.

One option could be to display them at Herne Bay Museum, but we need to establish how we would do that and the costs involved of conservation. It has not been long since their discovery and we will be in a position to provide more information in the weeks to come."

thisiskent 20th Feb 201

Inquiry on village green starts

An official inquiry into the 'grass roots' fight to make the Herne Bay Downs a protected Village Green started with allegations of council waste and bullying. Canterbury City Council were accused of adding massive legal costs of hiring a barrister to cross examine locals, to the £30,000 they have already spent in legal fees.

Campaigners Ros McIntyre and Phil Rose, who want to keep the green by the prom a much-loved area for dog walkers and blackberry pickers, sat opposite the massed ranks of the council as the inquiry started on Monday. With their initially hesitant questions they bravely stood up to the suited and booted professionals who are being paid by CCC up to £500 a day to take them on. [Correction: it's £850 a day.]

Phil said:

"They might have a top barrister who is charging £8,000 plus £500 a day to rip our case apart, but we have the might of a grass-roots democratic movement behind us. The council plan to build what they call a QE2 Costal Park, got just 41 votes in a national poll and to keep it undisturbed as a village green got 1,181. The council reckon by hiring expensive top legal minds to beat us back they will do what the minority want but we will fight them. This inquiry could well last a long time as we have 49 witnesses and they are all demanding to be heard."

Ros added:

"There was an argument at the start as the council had stopped one of our witnesses giving evidence against them as she was in fact the local councillor for the area. A lot of what they have come up with is nonsense. They simply just want the freedom to make as much money from the land as they can. They still want to build some beach huts but what about the future? The village green status protects it forever so it will be saved for our children."

Inquiry chairman, barrister Lana Wood made it clear she is paid by KCC to host the inquiry as a public duty. She said:

"I am a barrister employed by Kent Council because we have a duty to carry out a public inquiry. When local people complain about CCC hiring a barrister they are referring to Richard Grant who is acting for them."

Mr Grant quizzed the first witness of the inquiry Mr Alan Joiner, 82. He told them how he had enjoyed walking both his and his daughter's dog for 23 years across the green and during the summer had picked blackberries and held family picnics and hoped it would stay that way. Other witnesses were due to give similar evidence this week as the inquiry moved from St Andrew's church hall to Christ Church.

HB Times 1st Dec 2011

'New regime' clashes with Pier Trust

Museum bosses tore down a poster promoting Herne Bay Pier Trust, despite the fact that the latest exhibition is dedicated to the iconic seaside structure. Despite protests from staff at the William Street museum, managers insisted the poster had to be removed because it did not fit in with the council's corporate branding.

Pier trust members who complained were told the poster had been put in the wrong place. Trust chairman Julian Jennings said:

"It's bureaucracy gone mad. I don't think the staff knew there was a right and wrong place for posters, so they were not happy when it was taken down. But it's now been put up in the right place, so we hope everyone is happy."

The row is the latest in a series of grumbles since the museum shop was taken over by the council's visitor services team in a bid to make more money. Staff now wear Canterbury-branded uniforms, and city-branded leaflets are on display around the museum. Visitors who do not have a residents' card issued by the council must also pay to enter the exhibitions, after a review initially recommended shutting the museum.

David Cross, secretary of the Friends of the Museum, said:

"There is a completely new regime in charge of the museum and they are still trying things out. They are aware they will get things wrong, and have done so, and we the Friends are concerned about that. But we are confident we will arrive together at the right conclusion."

Council spokesman Steve James added:

"We've always been very supportive of the Pier Trust and its work in the community, and only removed the posters from the Herne Bay Museum as part of a general tidy-up of the building entrance. But after being contacted by a trust member, we agreed to put the posters back, and these posters will complement trust leaflets which are always on display. No offence was intended, and we hope that we can continue to display trust posters in a co-ordinated manner. We're proud that Herne Bay Museum and Gallery forms an integral part of the community, and we always respond positively to feedback supplied by local residents."

HB Times 15th Jul 2011

Already looking forward to next year's awards

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

Council says beach hut demand is outstripping supply

City councillors have found 11 potential sites to build more beach huts on. A full report was being discussed by members of the Herne Bay area members panel on Tuesday and by Whitstable members last night (Wednesday). The council's ruling executive will discuss the comments on July 28.

Members of the Herne Bay Beach Hut Association, Tankerton Bay Beach Hut Association, Herne Bay Residents Association, Whitstable Society and Whitstable Harbour Board took part in the review of all sites from Seasalter to Reculver.

Thirty-one sites have been ruled out for expansion including land near Seasalter Sailing Club, central Tankerton Slopes, the green gap at Swalecliffe, Studd Hill in Herne Bay, Herne Bay's Central Parade and Bishopstone Glen to Reculver.

Community groups have been invited to comment on the report by July 4. It is available on the council website. Reculver councillor Gillian Reuby said:

"I have no problem with more beach huts in principle, but when it comes to Herne Bay we need to be very careful. I divide the town into three parts: the western part is beach huts and family areas; the middle is day-trippers and shoppers and is very lively; the eastern part is tranquil, undisturbed and for those looking for peace and quiet and nice walks."

The city council's head of community development and outdoor leisure, Suzi Wakeham, said:

"Demand for beach huts in Herne Bay and Whitstable is outstripping supply. Beach hut associations have waiting lists and huts sell quickly on the market. They are also good for the local economy and have an important role to play in the regeneration of Herne Bay."

The report is available at council offices in Herne Bay, Whitstable Improvement Trust and Whitstable library. Do we need more beach huts? Email newsdesk.times@KRNmedia.co.uk or leave a message on our Facebook site.

HB Times 17th Jun 2011

Dog severely injured by rusty metal stake

Owners warn of safety hazard at popular beauty spot

HB Times 14th Oct 2010

Community space

HB Gazette 16th September 2010

Parsonage Road protest

HB Gazette 16th September 2010