More of the same for Canterbury

Deputy returning officer Colin Carmichael announces the results

The city remains a sea of blue with a smattering of yellow, as all Canterbury councillors retained their seats in the county elections.

Despite big changes elsewhere, the Tories held onto four divisions, with Liberal Democrat Martin Vye clinching the fifth.

But there were nervous scenes at the count in the King's Hall in Herne Bay on Friday as UKIP won an unprecedented number of seats.

Tory Michael Northey held onto the Canterbury South East seat with a 1,385 vote majority. He said:

"I'm very happy and pleased. It's the result of a great deal of hard work. I've done my best to serve over the past and I'm very grateful for the vote of confidence."

Close behind Mr Northey was Liberal Democrat candidate Mike Sole, who secured 1,181 votes. He said he was "disappointed" but added:

"On a city council level, the Lib Dems are very strong. We're getting closer and closer at county level each time."

Meanwhile, victorious Tory Graham Gibbens said his stance on two local issues helped him win. He polled 1,207 votes for Canterbury North East, beating Labour's Michael Bland, with 768 votes, into second. Mr Gibbens said:

"Elections are always nerve-racking and I do feel relieved now. It was a pleasing result and I think people appreciated my views on Westgate Towers and Kingsmead field."

In Canterbury West, Tory John Simmonds received 1,067 votes to retain his seat, beating David De Boick from UKIP's 633 votes. He said:

"I'm ecstatic and delighted that people have supported me. It'll be an interesting administration. I look forward to holding newly elected councillors to account and making sure they deliver on their promises."

Mr De Boick said despite missing out on the seat, he was "very pleased" with the result.

Elsewhere, in Herne and Sturry, Alan Marsh became the only Conservative left standing in Herne Bay after UKIP took the rest of the seats. He polled 41% of the votes with 1,452, beating UKIP's Sarah Larkins into second place with 1,086.

The UKIP vote amounted to almost a third of the total votes cast, with 17% for Labour, six% for the Green Party and five% for the Liberal Democrats.

There was a sigh of relief from Martin Vye, who remains the district's only Liberal Democrat county councillor after securing 1,555 votes to take the Canterbury South West division. Mr Vye said:

"I'm very pleased indeed that the electors of the division have placed their trust in me. I will endeavour to make sure their trust isn't misplaced. UKIP came as a great surprise to me. Voters weren't talking about UKIP on the doorstep but clearly, there is a feeling that ordinary people aren't being listened to. We have to address that."

Voter turn out was just 28.5% across the district.

Overall, the Tories retained their majority on the council, the composition of which is now: Conservative 45 (-29), UKIP 17 (+17), Labour 13 (+11), Lib Dem 7 (no change), Green 1 (+1), Residents Association 1 (+1), Independent 0 (-1).

thisiskent 10th May 2013

Deferral on Kingsmead land decision

Excellent news - Kingsmead has won a brief reprieve, thanks to the sheer number of written objections, and the huge support for the online petition.

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Discussion by Executive members of council proposals to appropriate land at Kingsmead for planning purposes has been deferred until the meeting on Thursday 21 June.

Originally the Executive was due to consider the plan at its meeting on 31st May.

However, the council received 246 comments during the appropriation public consultation, many of them containing detailed information. Therefore, the council has decided to defer a decision to allow for full analysis of all the issues raised. Council Leader Cllr John Gilbey said:

“This is an issue that has caused concern locally. We do not want to make a rushed decision and miss something important, so deferring for a meeting will mean we can give this full consideration.”

Additionally, the e-petition created on the council website by local people who oppose appropriation of the land has now passed 1,500 names. Reaching this figure automatically triggers a discussion at the council’s Overview Committee, and this has been scheduled for Wednesday 13 June.

The initiator of the petition will be allowed to ask a number of questions in advance, and the background to the issue and answers to the questions will be provided in a report that councillors will then discuss. Arrangements for this are being put in place at the moment.

CCC 28th May 2012

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Schoolchildren Orla Lineham Fox and Timmy Pettman took on the might of the city council in a battle to save their playing field. The pupils from St Stephen's Junior School stood in front of the Canterbury Area Members Panel on last Monday night at the city's Guildhall in a last-ditch bid to save Kingsmead Field from being used for housing. Orla, 10, told the meeting:

"It's not just for me and my friends but for all the people of the area who live and breathe better because there is a lovely empty green field nearby."

Timmy, 11, added:

"Often in the evenings, I go to the field and play football with my dad and brother. It's very easy to stay indoors and watch TV or play computer games. Please leave our field alone."

Labour councillor Alan Baldock (Northgate Ward) said:

"The passion of the campaigners is phenomenal. It shows they really care and have realised the council has been a little bit sneaky. They have inspired these two children to become involved in local politics. If we lose this space, how can we trust a judgment made in similar circumstances again?"

Liberal Democrat leader Councillor Alex Perkins Tweeted the following day:

"Very impressed by the two brilliant young people who so professionally addressed Canterbury Council last night."

At the stormy meeting, residents accused the council of not consulting them – but council chief executive Colin Carmichael said consultation was carried out in 2004 when a primary school was planned for the site. The plans fell through when Kent County Council pulled out of the scheme and the land was earmarked for housing instead. He insisted that the decision had already been made by the council's executive but the move had to be rubber-stamped at the end of this month.

Residents have organised an e-petition – which has already attracted 1,603 signatures – on the council's own website. The petition closes Friday 25th May but has already been signed by enough people to force a debate by the council's overview committee. The 16 city and county councillors voted unanimously to send the plans to the committee for debate, effectively delaying the scheme.

County councillor Graham Gibbens (Canterbury City North East) demanded a fresh consultation to include health and traffic implications after GP Dr David Pratt from St Stephen's warned that more houses would lead to more traffic pollution. 

Liberal Democrat councillor Ida Linfield challenged the council's decision to reclassify the area as "development land" when it was originally classed as recreational land under the Local Government Act. She said that selling the site to Berkeley Homes in 2006 could have breached the act and suggested that there could be a case for a judicial review.

Mr Carmichael said a report would be prepared for the overview committee on Wednesday, June 13. After the meeting campaigner Sian Pettman said:

"The resounding 'no' vote to residential development from Canterbury's own councillors will place a huge pressure on the executive to respond to public opinion and rethink plans for Kingsmead."

The council has been sent 246 letters of objection, a written petition of more than 650 signatures and the e-petition.

thisiskent 26th May 2012