Local Plan: discussion in Canterbury

The Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) has met with pressure groups ahead of the publication of the Canterbury City Local Plan today (20th June).

On Monday, the CPRE were joined by members of the South Canterbury Alliance, North Canterbury Forum and the Canterbury Society, and discussed how all parties will launch their campaign against development of housing projects across the Canterbury districts outlined in the plan.

There are a proposed 15,600 new homes in the plan, at a rate of 780 every year. Brian Lloyd, senior planner for CPRE Protect Kent said:

"Local communities throughout the district are, understandably, extremely concerned about the damage that these large and unsustainable sites will cause to the character and quality of their local areas, and CPRE shares those concerns."

HB Times 20th Jun 2013

Local Plan: Canterbury businesses invited to discuss future plan

Businesses can discuss the city council's draft local plan at C4B's Annual Conference on June 28th.

The plan outlines proposals for development over the next 20 years. It is available online now for public consultation.

Colin Carmichael, chief executive of Canterbury City Council business, will be presenting the plan and explaining its effects on local business in the area.

The conference, which is free, takes place at Augustine House in Canterbury from 8am to 10.30am, and includes breakfast.

To reserve a place, e-mail paul.spree@canterbury.gov.uk

HB Times 20th Jun 2013

Local Plan: CPRE don't like it much

Proposals put builders first, not people

CPRE Protect Kent are extremely worried about the innumerable negative impacts that the current draft local plan may have. We are particularly concerned that the plan has no mechanism in place either to defend or to enhance what is left of Canterbury's cultural and historic character.

Instead, problems will inevitably arise from the proposals to build too many houses in and around the city, which will in turn increase the traffic and air pollution problems.

Barrie Gore, Canterbury district chairman of CPRE Protect Kent

CPRE Protect Kent does not see any local evidential need for such a large number of new houses, and the thrust for such development seems to be led by Government, the city council and large scale developers rather than local people's desires for the area. We are also extremely concerned that the plan shows a lack of emphasis on design of new property.

As an incredibly historic area, with major landmarks such as the Cathedral we find it very sad to think of Canterbury's heritage being diluted by these plans.

CPRE Protect Kent, together with many other local amenity bodies, was involved in the production of The Residents' Vision of Canterbury, published by the Canterbury Society. There is little or nothing in the Local Plan which picks up the themes and suggestions from the Vision.

CPRE Protect Kent is also extremely concerned that the plan does not deal adequately with the influence exerted upon the city by the universities and colleges. In at least one other city the local authority imposes a limit on student numbers, yet in Canterbury we have seen large, sometimes out of scale and unattractive, new student blocks built on prime residential sites originally designated for private and also affordable housing.

The CPRE Protect Kent Canterbury Committee will be making all these points, and more, in its discussions with the Council and in its response to the draft Plan.
 
HB Times 6th Jun 2013

Local Plan: Council must listen to the people

The city council is preparing to kickstart the public consultation on its blueprint for the future of Canterbury - at a time when concerns about the building of thousands of new homes remains high.

Members of the ruling executive meet tonight (Thursday 30th May), when they will be asked to formally begin canvassing people's thoughts on its plan for the district over the next 18 years.

It has already sparked huge controversy with its projection of 15,600 new homes across the district and a garden city on farmland on the outskirts of Canterbury. The public consultation is the first stage of the council's effort to realise its vision for the years up to 2031.

Among those questioning the draft Local Plan is the Oaten Hill and District Society, which is holding a public meeting next month to discuss housing development. Former Lord Mayor and society member Fred Whitemore said:

"We do not oppose some increase in building, especially if this is to build more affordable housing which will enable our young people to get on to the housing ladder. But a modest number would achieve that. And if the council pressed the universities to build more student housing on campus, that could and should allow the release of some of the general purpose housing currently occupied by students.

What matters most of all is that the voice of the people in Canterbury should be heeded by the city council. I hope that a great many people will come to our meeting."

Elsewhere in the Local Plan are proposals for the closure of the Sturry level crossing and the creation of a relief road linking the A28 Sturry Road with the A257 Littlebourne Road near Howe Barracks. Around 8,000 of the new homes are planned for Canterbury, with the rest in Hersden, Sturry, Herne Bay and Whitstable.

The Oaten Hill and District Society's meeting takes place at Kendall Hall behind St Mary Bredin Church, Nunnery Fields, at 7.15pm on Monday, June 10. Tory councillor Jeremy Bellamy and Lib Dem Paula Vickers, who both represent the Barton ward, are among those who have agreed to attend.

Consultation on the Local Plan is scheduled to start on June 20 and will last ten weeks.

HB Gazette 30th May 2013

Local Plan: Letters

Infrastructure is under threat

South Canterbury infrastructure is already overloaded with the current rapid rise in house building, with many of these houses unsold. Gridlock on pot-holed roads, sewage overflows and power cuts.

Once again the city council is being charmed by builders to give them precious greenfield sites to cram in maximum high-priced houses for their own high profits.

The farmland opposite Langton Boys' Grammar was sold to a builder some time ago and because the land can only be used for educational use, the builder has offered to build a new school - in return for consent to build on the existing Girls' Grammar School site, which has recently had a lot of ratepayers' money spent on it.

Add to this all the other proposed houses to be built in South Canterbury, stretching to the Bridge bypass, and this will result in a complete infrastructure breakdown. What a surprise that this proposal was not published until after the local elections!

Listen to your ratepayers who fund your salaries for once and stop this crazy plan to move the school.

J.C. Rogerson, Nackinqton Road, Canterbury

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A sad dismissal of community

I was very interested to read Bob Britnell's response to my call for  the Local Plan to be community-led and for a pause to allow for proper community input. I have always much respected Mr Britnell's straightforwardness and I genuinely believe he means well, but his rather dismissive assessment of community involvement is very sad indeed.

The Canterbury Society's recent and excellent document The Future of our City clearly illustrates that a very positive contribution can be made by community groups.

Also, the National Planning Policy framework actually requires substantial public engagement in the plan-making exercise. It clearly stresses that 'early and meaningful engagement and collaboration with neighbourhoods, local organisations and business is essential. A wide section of the community should be proactively engaged, so that the Local Plan, as far as possible, reflects a collective vision...'

Moreover, I wonder if Mr Britnell has actually read the final report of the Mori poll of residents which he cites, as it is fully in tune with the intelligent community and amenity societies that he seems to admire and yet decry.

As the summary findings unequivocally state regarding more house-building and the comparison with present rates of construction: "the majority support building in principle but most prefer same/slower pace".

This is directly at odds with the Preferred Option Local Plan which is premised throughout on the basis of a much higher level of house building.

Finally, it is my strong conviction that the most robust Local Plan will be a truly community-forged one.

Rev Paul Wilson, Clare Road, Whitstable

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An additional 4,000 houses planned alongside New Dover Road is a major issue for Canterbury and not one to be regarded as just too big a ship to be turned or for members of the public to be intimidated by rhetoric. It is apparent that central government sees house building as a way to stimulate the economy and is putting pressure on local councils to comply.

House building provides employment for the building industry during the course of construction and some maintenance work thereafter.

However, one would have thought a much better strategy would be to concentrate on the creation of industries that will produce income, provide long-term employment and manufacture goods and services that  can either be exported or that will  reduce the amount of goods being imported into the country.

Employees need housing but there is limited benefit to having housing without the creation of businesses for the employees to work.

What I would like to see is an independent detailed and factual environmental study of the impact of this proposed housing development. We saw recently with the Westgate Towers trial that what appeared to be a small change in traffic flows gridlocked Canterbury for almost a year, and since the trial ceased it is like someone has waved a magic wand.

Building 4,000 houses on the edge of Canterbury is not a trial that can be reversed and I feel it will take a bit more than bypassing the Sturry Road level crossing and a fast bus service into Canterbury to prevent permanent gridlock of traffic in and around the city. What is interesting is that in his report to the planning committee on the proposed crematorium near the University of Kent, council officer Cullum Parker drew attention to the potential impact of the site on traffic. I would suggest that if traffic from this site will pose a problem it will be nothing compared with the impact on traffic of 4,000 additional houses.

John Morgan, Church Lane, Kingston

HB Gazette 30th May 2013

Local Plan: criticised for being developer-led

Residents' groups have united in opposition to the garden city vision for Canterbury, which they claim is "seriously flawed".

They formed a non-political alliance at a joint meeting last week, where every individual group raised concerns about the process, scale and speed of proposed house-building, which includes 4,000 new homes in south Canterbury.

Speakers questioned the motivation for the plan, its excessive targets, its lack of infrastructure provision and the timing of both its publication and the consultation period. Chairman Clive Church said:

Clive Church

"We share a common belief that this plan is seriously flawed. It is so obviously developer-led and it ignores the genuine long-term economic and social needs of the district as a whole. We also have serious concerns about the democratic process here in Canterbury since it allows a small number of councillors, 90% of who live well outside the city, to foist a series of completely unacceptable proposals on the city without allowing sufficient time for proper consultation.

We have no doubt that every part of the city will be badly-affected by these plans. The full scale of the extra housing proposed for Canterbury has yet to be revealed. We also have very grave concerns about the extent of the major infrastructure construction that will be needed notably the provision of water and sewerage services. We are concerned as well about the extra traffic congestion and air pollution which would ensue.

Equally we doubt the availability of the jobs needed to support the increase in population. Hopes that these can be provided by a 'silicon valley' style complex are, in our view, quite unrealistic for an area that does not have science-led universities.

Over the next few weeks individual residents groups will be examining the proposals in greater detail and will convene meetings of their members, at which council officials will be invited to speak. The new alliance will meet again in mid-June to discuss the views from these sessions and plan the next steps in its campaign of vigorous opposition."

HB Gazette 23rd May 2013

Local Plan - Canterbury south

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