Final consultation for draft Local Plan

Six weeks of public consultation on the final draft version of the city council’s Local Plan gets underway on Thursday 5 June.

This is the version of the plan that will be the basis for a public examination carried out by an independent inspector later this year. Full details and all the documents will be on the council’s website at www.canterbury.gov.uk/localplan.

Last summer, the council held 10 weeks of consultation on the preferred option plan. Nearly 7,000 comments were submitted, which covered a range of issues across the whole plan.

There was support for large parts of the draft plan, particularly policies relating to landscape, heritage, tourism and open space. The main objections related to the overall strategy and the development proposals, including the growth strategy for the district, amount and location of development, specific site allocations, capacity of local services and the ability to deliver the necessary infrastructure, and environmental issues.

As a result, the council has made some changes to the draft plan, partly to reflect additional information and comments that were received, and partly to ensure that the draft plan is consistent with national guidance (such as the National Planning Policy Framework) and evidence collected by the council over the last few years.

In the consultation starting this week, people will be able to comment on any aspect of the draft plan. But at the public examination, if anyone wants to object to parts of the plan, it will help the inspector if they can identify in their comments why they think the plan is not ‘sound’. Advice on how to go about making a comment is available on the council’s website.

Consultation is also taking place at the same time on the draft District Transport Strategy and Open Space Strategy. These are integral parts of the Local Plan and back up the whole plan process. Council Leader Cllr John Gilbey said:

“We have reached this point following several years of hard work and consultation, producing a Local Plan that we believe provides development in the most sustainable locations. And I am particularly pleased that we are proposing that several areas of the district should have Local Green Space protection.

This is now the final period of consultation before the public examination when the plan receives rigorous independent scrutiny, so I would urge people to make their views known over the next six weeks.”

The consultation will close on Friday 18 July. Copies of the plans will be available to view at the council’s offices in Canterbury and Herne Bay, in libraries across the district and at Whitstable Museum from 5 June.

A number of public information evenings are being held during the consultation period for people to learn more about the plans. They will take place starting at 7pm at:

• Monday 16 June – Herne Bay High School
• Wednesday 18 June – Spires Academy, Sturry
• Wednesday 2 July – Kent County Cricket Ground

CCC website 03 June 2014

Beach Hut Charges - have your say

Our beloved Council is reviewing the way it charges people for having huts on the public beach. Apparently they have had legal advice that the current arrangements fall short of best practice. This document spells out the background, and the proposed new charges.

In a nutshell, the rents go up, there's no discount for being a local or for being a long-term owner, and the cost of selling a beach hut goes down. There's a suggestion that these changes be phased in over two years.

The Council is asking three main questions:

1. What do you think of the proposed Beach hut rents for 2014/15?
2. Do you think the market rent should be introduced fully in 2014/15 or phased over two years?
3. What are your views on allowing beach hut owners to sub-let their beach hut?

This consultation is open to all residents (not just hutters or community groups), so if you have an opinion one way or the other, do be sure to let your Council know.

Visible Policing - have your say

Invitation to attend 'Saving Visible Community Policing' conference - Friday 6th December.

It is our pleasure to invite you to our 'Saving Visible Community Policing' conference on the morning of Friday the 6th December 2013 at the Kent Police College, Coverdale Avenue, Maidstone, ME15 9DW. This is a real opportunity for you to have your say on the next round of funding cuts and to debate the impact on policing in the county.

You may be all too familiar with the stresses and strains of resourcing and funding cuts on our vital public services. Crime and public safety are of utmost importance to our communities, families and friends. Therefore, when making key decisions, we want to ensure that we consult as widely and in-depth as possible.  That's where we need you.

As a resident of Kent, you play a part in keeping our community safe and quite rightly you should have a say in the future of policing in the county. That's why we are particularly keen to have your input and considered views on the next round of policing cuts, including the possible impact on visible community policing.

The event will set out a number of scenarios and options and it's a chance to get everyone involved in shaping the future of Kent's policing. We hope you will take up this invaluable opportunity to speak to both of us by attending our event.

So please find out more here and book your place today.

QE2 Coastal Park Consultation

This is where you get to have your say about the future of our town's greatest natural asset - its coastline. Here's the link to the consultation documents:

http://www.canterbury.gov.uk/main.cfm?objectid=6439

The important bits are the plan itself:

Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Field, Herne Bay's Coastal Park Management Plan

and the various action plans:

• A welcoming place
• Healthy, safe and secure
• Landscape management
• Improving the fabric of the seafront
• Community delivery
• Accreditation

Comments on management plan, maps and action plans are welcome by 30th November 2012 please email rosemary.selling@canterbury.gov.uk

This is also your chance to say what you think should be done about the Victorian Shelter. And the rest of Herne Bay's seafront, come to that.

If you don't tell them, they'll never know.

Multiply and subtract: more beach huts

So the Herne Bay beach hut consultation was "long" and "public" and "very comprehensive". I wonder whether the report of that consultation is also "long" and "public" and "very comprehensive"... if anyone knows where this report is, do let me know, and I'll pop it on this website for all to see.

---

Extra beach huts look set to become a reality after council bosses voted to allow another 32 to be built. Members of Canterbury City Council's ruling executive committee voted to allow planning applications to begin, after a long public consultation on where to put them.

Speaking at a meeting of the council's executive in the Canterbury Guildhall, Tankerton councillor Neil Baker said:

"We're now down to 32 sites after a very comprehensive consultation. They are all genuine infill sites."

The new huts would be built by council contractors and the land would remain in council ownership. They sites earmarked include 15 in Herne Bay, 12 on Spa Esplanade West and three on Spa Esplanade East – and 17 in Whitstable. The decision now goes to the planning stage.

thisiskent 12th Feb 2012

Yellow lines, etc.

Canterbury City Council is consulting on the latest requests for new yellow lines, parking bays, residents' parking and so on. Any objections to any of the items will be reported back to councillors in June and July. Items for which they do not receive objections will be implemented after the consultation period.

If you wish to object to any of the proposals you should write, stating the reasons for your objection, to the Transportation Manager, Canterbury City Council, Military Road, Canterbury, CT1 1YW. Alternatively you may email your response.

Your submission must be received by 9am on Thursday 28^th April 2011.

Click the picture below for more details.

Annual Projects and Business Exhibition

The exhibition aims to engage with the local residents and businesses of Herne Bay, providing information on the progress made on the live regeneration projects over the past twelve months and about future plans for the town. Project Officers attend the event to discuss and answer any questions on any of the projects featured.

Last year we attracted a record attendance with over five hundred people visiting the exhibition in a single afternoon. Topics included: the Central Development Area proposals, the relocation of the pier sports centre to Herne Bay High School, the Pier, Memorial Park improvements, Beach Street to Central Parade and the Herne Bay Festival.

You are invited to the Annual Herne Bay Projects Exhibition on Wednesday 9th March 2011 (2 - 7pm) at the King’s Hall. The event will display a series of information stands on many of the major regeneration, business and community projects happening in Herne Bay. It is an opportunity for you to catch up on the progress made over the last twelve months and to view the plans for the future. City councillors and project officers will be available to answer your questions and provide more information about any of the projects featured; some of those you can expect to see include:

• The Central Development Area Masterplan
• The Herons Leisure Centre Extension
• Herne Bay High School Sports Arena
• The Memorial Park Improvement Plan
• The Future Options for Herne Bay Pier
• The Reculver Country Park
• The Friends of Herne Bay Museum
• Bay Card: The loyalty card for Herne Bay
• Herne Bay Festival 2011
• The Oyster Coastal Cycle Route
• Play Provider Nework
• Age Concern
• Herne Bay in Bloom
• The Friends of the Downs

Please put this date in your diary, tell your family, friends and neighbours, everyone is welcome; your participation is important in shaping the future of Herne Bay.

We look forward to meeting you at the Exhibition!

Windfarm extension consultation

Vattenfall is in the process of putting together an application to add up to 17 wind turbines to the existing 30 turbines at the five-year old Kentish Flats wind farm.  It’s really important that the community and all those with an interest in our proposal to extend Kentish Flats get involved and tell us what they think.

From 31 January until 4 March 2011 Vattenfall is conducting a community consultation regarding the proposed extension which is located off the coast near Herne Bay and Whitstable.

There will be two public consultation events in February in Herne Bay and Whitstable and we encourage as many people as possible to come along:

Wednesday 23 February 2pm – 8pm, Kings Hall, Beacon Hill, Herne Bay
Thursday 24 February 2pm – 8pm, Whitstable Castle, Tower Hill, Whitstable

Town Centre Development - consultation outcome

As you may remember, dear reader, Canterbury City Council very kindly ran a public consultation exercise last summer/autumn to find out what Herne Bay thought of their proposals for our town centre. This is the development that centres on the William Street car park, and involves putting up a large supermarket next to the, er, current supermarket, and building a hotel and some shops and houses.

The consultation ended on September 26th 2010, and the Council are now ready to tell us the results. (What took them so long?) The object of the exercise, according to Council policy HB1 is:

Planning Permission will be granted for proposals which deliver the comprehensive and high quality redevelopment of this prominent town centre site to act as a catalyst for the overall regeneration of the town in accordance with the Development Principles Supplementary Planning Document that accompanies the Area Action Plan. 

Such redevelopment should provide additional community, residential, retail, health, office and leisure uses, create a new south facing built frontage to the rear of 108 – 224 High Street, establish clear and strong pedestrian links across the site to William Street and to the Memorial Park, and deliver high quality and co-ordinated public realm and retain overall levels of car parking.

"Public realm" - a phrase that never sees the light of day in everyday conversation, so why use it in public documents?

Anyway, the results are out and will be presented at the next town councillors meeting - the Herne Bay Area Members Panel, Salvation Army Hall, 33 Richmond Street, Herne Bay, Tuesday, 1st February, 2011 6.30 pm.

Budget Limits

HB Times 14th Oct 2010

Community space

HB Times 14th Oct 2010

2004 Pier Report: CCC asking for opinions

Herne Bay pier - have your say

Consultants working on the study into the feasibility of rebuilding Herne Bay pier are asking local residents about the type of facility they would like to see and how it would benefit the town. A special website and email address has been set up to allow the public to make suggestions and put forward ideas for any new pier. The consultant, PMP and associates, has stressed that, as piers are very expensive to build and run, it is important to ensure that commercial interests can generate sufficient profits to cover these costs.

Canterbury City Council, Kent County Council and Tourism South East are jointly funding the study, which is now underway. The consultant is concentrating on the economic case and possible funding for the project and will be approaching a number of potential commercial investors. City council joint executive member for leisure, Cllr Roger Matthews, said:

"We're aware many people in Herne Bay have ideas as to the kind of facilities a new pier should provide and now is the time to send them in. The consultant will look at every comment they receive, so I would urge local people to make their views known."

CCC website 02 March 2004