Tories hold Whitstable

Mike Harrison and Mark Dance held onto their seats in Whitstable

They secured two seats in Herne Bay – and Whitstable is next on the list for members of the UK Independence Party. The group ousted the two sitting Tories in Herne Bay in the Kent County Council elections and came second in Whitstable.

As town Tories Mark Dance and Mike Harrison admitted they had feared for their seats, Ukip's soon-to-be chairman, Jim Gascoyne, said the party had big plans. He said:

"We came second in Whitstable so that is next for us, then right on to Westminster. The route to Parliament is along the Kent coast and then up the Thanet Way. It is wonderful to have two county councillors in Herne Bay to join the rest around Kent. The march to Westminster really starts here."

Councillors Dance and Harrison held on to their seats, with 2,732 and 2,666 votes respectively, beating Ukip's Mike Bull and Howard Farmer into second place with 2,476 and 2,435 votes.

Labour candidates Christopher Cornell and Rita O'Brien polled 1,813 and 1,781 votes, while Green Party candidates Pat Marsh and Jolyon Trimingham polled 566 and 600 respectively. The Liberal Democrats received the fewest votes, with 529 for Jonathan Dearth and 343 for Kevin McNamara. Mr Dance said:

"It has been a harrowing day. But we as a Whitstable team have done what we have always done and what we will continue to do. We don't change direction because there is an election."

He said when Mr Farmer came second in the Seasalter by-election they were concerned about the KCC result. Mr Dance added:

"We had no idea how it would go. But we are delighted to have won and to retain control of the council."

Mr Harrison said:

"It has been a super fight. There was a real risk that the council's £2 billion budget would have been in the hands of people who did not know what they were doing. We have all been given a lesson, we must never be complacent, and Mark and I are not."

Mr Farmer said he was pleased with the amount of votes they achieved. He said:

"Both their candidates admitted to me they were scared. They poured resources into the seat which we were not able to do but I think we did very well and I'm grateful to everyone who voted or helped with the campaign."

Mr Bull added:

"I am disappointed because of course we would have liked to have won. But this has brought us to the forefront of people's minds and next time there is an election we hope to build on this. We were hoping for a council seat here and that would have been a stepping stone to Parliament. But UKIP is now a household name and we have to be pleased with that."

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

Anti-Royal protester admits to leaving stink bomb in ballot box

Jonathan Elliott awaiting sentence after disrupting last week's polls

A protestor is awaiting sentence after admitting putting two vials of unidentified liquid into a ballot box. Jonathan Elliott, 47, was charged after the discovery of the liquid in a box from St Andrew's Church Hall in Grimshill Road.

He appeared in Dover Magistrates' Court on Saturday and the case was adjourned for sentencing later this month.

Elliott was previously bound over by Canterbury magistrates after admitting a charge of breaching the peace after lunging at the Prince of Wales's car during the Archbishop of Canterbury's enthronement in March.

Jobless Elliott, of Sydney Road, was then warned he would have to pay £100 if he breached the peace again. He has previously described Prime Minister David Cameron and the royal family as "parasites".

Police were called to the election count on Friday in the Kings Hall in Herne Bay when the vials were discovered. There followed a three-hour delay while officers investigated. Officials could not identify the yellowy-orange liquid in the vials – which were wrapped in a ballot paper – and handed out gloves to the counters as a precaution.

Once police arrived on the scene they instructed returning officer and city council chief executive Colin Carmichael to advise reporters to leave the room. There was no advice for candidates, agents or official observers, or for the counters. After some reporters refused – including Times staff – officers moved the vials to the bar of the venue.

After examining the boxes and the papers in them, they were declared safe and the counting began three hours later than planned.

thisiskent 10th May 2013

Election count delayed after vials found in ballot box

Deputy returning officer Colin Carmichael with officers at the Kings Hall

POLICE were called to the election count after two vials were found in a ballot box.

The discovery, in a box from St Andrew's Church Hall in Grimshill Road, Whitstable, meant the count for Whitstable was delayed for three hours.

Officials could not identify the yellow-orange liquid in the vials – which were wrapped in a ballot paper – and handed out gloves to the counters as a precaution.

Deputy returning officer Colin Carmichael said:

"We have to be sure we are doing the right thing. We are fairly sure they are harmless but until the police arrive to confirm that we cannot verify the votes in that box."

Once police arrived on the scene they instructed Mr Carmichael to advise reporters to leave the room – but there was no advice for candidates, agents or official observers, or for counters. After some refused – including Times staff – officers moved the vials to the bar at the Kings Hall.

After examining the boxes and the papers in them, they were declared safe and the counting could begin, three hours later than planned.

Jonathan Elliott, 47, of Sydney Road, Whitstable, was charged with tampering with nomination papers after two vials of liquid were found in a ballot box in Herne Bay.

He appeared before Channel Magistrates in Dover on Saturday and the case was adjourned until later this month.

thisiskent 9th May 2013

Surrealist threatened, undaunted

OFFENDING SIGN? Steve Coombes has been told to remove his posters

Independent Herne Bay candidate in county elections threatened with legal action by Canterbury City Council

An Independent candidate in today's county council elections has been threatened with possible legal action by Canterbury City Council.

Steve Coombes, who is promoting a festival to mark the centenary of artist Marcel Duchamp's visit to Herne Bay, was issued with a demand by the authority on Monday morning to take down election posters pasted onto a pedestrian zone sign in Mortimer Street.

But Mr Coombes says he was merely highlighting a legitimate political point. The former university lecturer said:

"The sign is so illegible and broken that the regulations which it is meant to announce are unenforceable. Moreover, £3,000 for Herne Bay community funds was used to pay for a traffic barrier that was not shut this Saturday, in consequence making both the expenditure and the barrier completely ludicrous."

Mr Coombes has not taken down the poster, or others which promote his BLAGA awards (British Local Authority Gallery of Absurdism) at eyesore The Bun Penny pub and King's Road car park, where he says the free parking scheme has gone unnoticed due to poor advertising

He said he will remove them after today's election. But a spokesman for Canterbury council said:

"We have been alerted by other election candidates that a road sign in Herne Bay showing a pedestrian zone has been obscured with election material of another candidate. This is a road safety matter for the police and Kent Highways to deal with. We have suggested to Mr Coombes that he removes this material, as it is in breach of highways legislation, and informed him that, if he doesn't, we will be urgently reporting the matter to Kent Highways."

thisiskent 3rd May 2013

Election roundup from thisiskent

Conservatives have won their fourth term in office with a six seat majority following one of the most tightly fought elections seen for decades.

They won 45 seats in total but UKIP kept the Tories on their toes gaining 17 seats across Kent - winning seven out of eight seats in Thanet and then grabbing two in Herne Bay at the last minute.

It also wrestled seats in Tunbridge Wells East from the Conservatives, in Folkestone North East and Folkestone South from the Conservatives, and in Folkestone West from the Lib Dems.

The UKIP party leader Nigel Farage told ThisisKent:

"This is a sea change in British politics and an amazing day. We are connecting with the decent people in Kent and I think we have made big big gains."

Labour won 13 seats and Liberal Democrats gained seven. Greens has one seat and the Swansombe Residents' Association (Independent) were voted back in again.

Council leader councillor Paul Carter told ThisisKent he was relieved they narrowly got past the line. He said:

"I am relieved in capital letters. We have got across the line and we are delighted. But we feel enormously for the long serving councillors who are unfortunately no longer with us."

Among his casualties included education cabinet member councillor Mike Whiting and longest-serving Conservative councillor Keith Ferrin who stood for Swale Central. He added:

"We knew it was going to be close. The cards will have to be adjusted. The electorate has spoken in the county shires."

Mr Carter admitted it was issues such as the country's future with Europe, immigration and the economy that had dented the party's popularity.

Conservative candidate John Davies for Tunbridge Wells West fought a tough battle against UKIP rival Victor Webb today winning 1831 votes to 1502.

UKIP came second in every division except Tunbridge Wells East which was successfully won by their candidate Chris Hoare.

Mr Davies blamed the Government's policies on gay marriage, immigration and Europe for the loss of Conservative votes today. He said:

"The reason why we have lost votes is because of these three national issues. The current administration now has to look out whether we have gone too far left."

Piers Wauchope, a UKIP spokesman, said:

"The result in Tunbridge Wells was particularly pleasing as the Conservatives put a big effort into the seat. The news from Shepway was great as well even in areas where we did not make such an effort to connect to the electorate."

thisiskent 3rd May 2013

KCC Election - Herne Bay

​Your new County councillors are:

​Herne Bay: Brian Macdowall (UKIP), Nicholas Bond (UKIP)

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Herne and Sturry: Alan Marsh (Con)

VOTE!!!

Thursday 2nd May is election day.

We get to choose our County councillors.​

Whatever you do, be sure to cast your vote.​

​Best of all, vote Independent.

Steve Coombes - head and heart present and correct

The good news is that we have THREE Independent candidates standing for Herne Bay in the KCC election. Regular readers will already have been introduced to John Moore and Stan Truelove.

Now meet Steve Coombes - he's got his head screwed on and his heart's in the right place. What more could you want? He's done all sorts of telly stuff (and probably a few other things too), and has a knack for highlighting the dafter things our Council has done to us. Have a look at his site to find out more.​​

On Thursday, vote for Herne Bay. Vote Independent.

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Steve Coombes

Steve Coombes, Herne Bay Independent candidate talks election issues

What's the difference between a totally corrupt planning system and what happens in Herne Bay?

Well, one sprays around change of use permissions to developers like confetti, blights the seafront and rewards attempts to make buildings derelict, then fails to ensure there are enough schools and health facilities to service the enormous number of flats and housing estates it is approving – and a totally corrupt planning system wouldn't be much better.

Last year, KCC allocated £2.1m to arts development while Canterbury council spent £8.5m on culture and enterprise. But sadly, very little of this money ever reaches Herne Bay. Try this fun quiz about recent controversies:

1. If you have a successful annual classic car rally which attracts up to 6,000 visitors to the town, would you privatise it and then stand idly by as the 2013 rally is postponed indefinitely? (Yes/No)
2. Would you outsource the Herne Bay festival to a Brighton events company on the grounds of Localism? (Yes/No)
3. Given there is £54,500 in the council budget for Christmas lights, would you allow most of that money to go elsewhere, so Herne Bay ends up with the worst Christmas tree in Britain? (Yes/ No)
4. Having erected said tree, would you then take no steps to hold anyone responsible? (Yes/No)
5. Would you then take every penny from the very small pot of money the town does have for culture and leisure and pledge to spend it on Christmas lights instead, so the council doesn't have to pay anything on trees and decorations in Herne Bay next year? (Yes/No)

If your answers are mainly Yes, you are an elected councillor. If your answers are mainly No, you are everyone else in Herne Bay who is absolutely gobsmacked by such municipal absurdity.

I'm all in favour of both – especially in Herne Bay.

thisiskent 17th Apr 2013

A poster for your window

Vote for your town.

Vote Independent.

Click the poster to download a copy that you can print and proudly display in your window.

Will you be able to vote on election day?

Hundreds of people in the Canterbury district could miss their chance to vote in local elections this May if they don’t take action to register now.

Electoral Registration Officer Colin Carmichael said:

“Thursday 2 May is the chance for residents to have their say at the Kent County Council elections and a by-election for the Seasalter ward of the city council. We want everyone who is eligible to vote to be able to do so. Anyone who has moved house in the past few months needs to register with their new address. We’re also keen for anyone turning 18 on or before 2 May to make sure they are registered, so that they can vote for the first time.”

The deadline to register is Wednesday 17 April. Call 01227 862 007 to order a registration form, or you can print one off from www.aboutmyvote.co.uk .

Samantha Mills, Head of Campaigns at the Electoral Commission, the independent elections watchdog, said:

“If you are going to be away, you can ask to vote by post, or by proxy. More details about how to do this are at www.aboutmyvote.co.uk . It’s your vote, so don’t lose this chance to use it.”

The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on Wednesday 17 April, and for a proxy vote, it is 5pm on Wednesday 24 April.

CCC 22nd Mar 2013

KCC Elections

On May 2nd you'll have the chance to choose the people you want to represent you on Kent County Council. First out of the blocks are our two local Independent candidates - John Moore and Stan Truelove.​

I must confess to having a great fondness for Independent candidates, on principle (I stood as one in the last District elections in 2011). Being an Independent candidate means that you don't owe allegiance to any particular party, and you're free to do the job you were elected to do - representing the people in your constituency. You don't have to toe a party line, and you're free to speak out on the issues that matter to your people.

Most of the (non-Independent) political parties conjure up a manifesto of vague promises that they think will be popular, and present it to the voters as a package deal - take it or leave it. In contrast, ​John and Stan are starting from the much more sensible, and democratic, position of taking the trouble to ask people around town what they actually want and need. They will be taking their instructiions from you, not from some party bigwig.

Let them know what you think. Tell them the top 3 things that you think KCC should be doing in and for Herne Bay. Send them an email - they'll read it, and they'll pay attention.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Independents to stand in county council poll

Two community campaigners have announced their plans to stand as independent candidates in the county council elections.

John Moore and Stan Truelove will fight for the two seats available in Herne Bay on the basis that party politics is not working in the town.

At the moment, both seats are held by Tory councillors - David Hirst and Jean Law - and the other main parties are expected to field candidates as well.

Mr Moore, who runs Sweet Magic in Mortimer Street and is a member of Herne and Broomfield Parish Council, said:

"People want independent councillors on Kent County Council to speak up for local people. The roads in Herne Bay are outrageous and they are not being fixed properly. It is the top complaint by people in the town and, when we are elected, it will be our top priority, too."

The pair have already started their campaign by distributing leaflets around the town, calling for people to contact them with their top three priorities. They also plan to encourage people to report potholes to them so they can compile a list for contractors to repair.

Mr Truelove has no political experience but is known for his fundraising for Pilgrims Hospices via his Christmas lights displays in Canterbury. He also decorates his daughter's shop, Down to Earth, in Mortimer Street.

Mr Moore has previously stood for the UK Independence Party but said:

"UKIP has moved on and I still support them and follow them. I prefer to concentrate on my parish stuff and the county stuff. People love Stan and he is very well known and I know we have the support of 90 per cent of the independent shops in the town centre. We are feeling confident and ready to get to work."

For more information, contact the pair via e-mail to johnandstanforkcc@gmail.com

Nominations for the elections must be sent to Kent County Council by Friday, April 5. Voting is on Thursday, May 2.

thisiskent 15th Mar 2013

John Moore

Stan Truelove

A bug inside the hive mind

At last, a peek behind the closed doors (and minds) at Military Road. Here's a neat little video explaining how the decisions about Kingsmead playing fields were made.

For all I know, this could be a transcript from a bugging device - it all seems very plausible and "in character".

Uploaded by canterbury openspace on 2013-02-24.

Gilbey crushes colleague, damages democracy

Be pure. Be vigilant. Behave.

This is shocking, whichever way you look at it. Cllr Gilbey fires one of his own, supposedly for speaking out of turn (see news item below).

As Cllr Hirst points out, he is a councillor for both Canterbury City and Kent County, and he decides which hat to wear on the basis of whether the issue is a District level or County level matter. Highways is a County matter, and KCC have set their face against the Westgate trial, so Hirst voted accordingly.

There is also the small point, often overlooked by the current administration at Canterbury, that the overwhelming majority of residents (i.e. voters) are against the trial for the simple reason that it's been a cock-up from the very beginning. Just as many predicted.

​So, Hirst votes in line with his (split) duty, in line with public sentiment, but against Gilbey's will. And gets fired.

This is in stark contrast to the very recent treatment of Cllr Neil Baker, who, in an act of breath-takingly reckless stupidity, drunkenly drove his car half way up a tree. He has been briefly suspended from the Executive (pay cut), will probably return to it in May, and in the meantime put onto another high profile committee. Gilbey showed his customary political sure-footedness by appointing Baker to the Joint Transport Board, which covers highways, road traffic and public transport.

What could possibly explain the very different treatment meted out to the two conservative councillors by their leader? Here's a suggestion...​ after Baker's arrest, Gilbey said:

“Neil has shown great support and done so much so it would be a shame to jump in too quickly and make a rash decision. Neil is someone I regard as a very valuable member of our group. We will do what is necessary, but it will be compassionate and take into account what Neil wants.”​

​Clearly, Baker is one of the favoured and trusted inner circle - "one of us" as they used to say in the Thatcher years.

​On the other hand, Hirst has apparently made it known (unwisely, in my opinion) that he intended to stand against Gilbey in the CCC conservative's leadership election in early May this year. Of course, he can only stand for leadership of the party if he's a member of it, and Gilbey has just stripped him of his membership by removing the whip.

Ahhh... maybe that's it. Maybe not.​

Take your pick. Hirst was fired for correctly observing the distinction between his two councillor roles, and coincidentally reflecting the public's wishes. Or he was fired to take him out of the leadership race.

Is it democracy? No, it's just the way the Canterbury City Council Conservatives do things.​ And it stinks.

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Conservative ousted after Westgate Towers row

Infighting at Canterbury city council over the divisive Westgate Towers traffic trial has led to one Conservative being ousted from the Tory group.

Cllr David Hirst, who has also been a Kent county councillor for the past 12 years, has been stripped of his whip by city council leader John Gilbey and left as an independent member for Canterbury.

The squabble between them came to a head when Cllr Hirst supported Kent County Council (KCC) in scrapping the ban on cars through the Westgate Towers. Cllr Hirst was told via email on February 13 of the decision to remove him from the local party. In a statement, Cllr Hirst said:

"I will continue to be a Conservative and during this period continue to support and act as a Conservative within the council. I was elected as a Conservative. I will remain a full member of Kent County Council Conservative group and continue to work normally. Being a member of both councils, my obligation on each issue is clearly defined by, in whom the power is vested. At Canterbury City Council the leader has withdrawn the whip – the reason given being that I have clearly supported Kent County Council policies on some relevant issues."

Transport bosses at county hall announced last month that when the one-year-trial ends in March, the road system will revert to the original and traffic will once again pass through the historic gateway to the city.

The scheme has been almost universally derided as causing delays and increasing car fumes. The KCC decision sparked outrage among the city council, which had fought to keep the trial. Cllr Gilbey’s fury was compounded by the fact some of his own councillors had voted against the scheme. Cllr Hirst said:

"The decision to stop the trial was made by the leader of Kent County Council. Highways is a KCC responsibility. As a back bench member I felt that this was correct for Canterbury residents, traders and importantly professional offices. I supported the trial in the first instance but became alarmed by many facets of it in operation and support Mr Carter’s decision to revert to the original layout."

Cllr Hirst is also hinting that he may make his own leadership challenge in the future, adding:

"Some time ago I indicated to members of the Canterbury City Conservative group and the Conservative Association that I would stand, in the May elections of a City Council leader, as a candidate."

The Greenhill and Eddington ward member will also be a Conservative candidate in the next Kent County Council elections.

kentonline 18th Feb 2013

Town Councillors

On Tues 15th, our councillors will PUBLICLY discuss issues that matter to our town. This happens rarely, so don't miss it - the Salvation Army Hall in Richmond Street, starting at 6:30pm.

They only do this half a dozen times a year, so it's almost a special occasion. If you're quick about it, you can put your own questions to the councillors about issues that you think matter to our town - details are here, in the "Public Question and Answer" section.

On the Agenda:

• the increase in parking charges in Herne Bay and across the district
• turning Herne Bay Library into a "gateway"
• the traffic problems around the new Tesco in Sea Street
  
• KCC's Flood and Drainage strategy
  
• funding for a barrier across Mortimer Street, and for the Umbrella Centre
• the Town Centre Manager's report on the state of the town

Their next meeting will be on 12th March.

Plans for Herne Bay hovercraft rides are rejected by council

Plans to introduce hovercraft rides from Herne Bay's seafront have been sunk by council officials. Officers decided the adrenalin-pumping experience would not fit in and dismissed the proposals as "inappropriate".

But bosses have agreed for kayaks to be rented from the beach near Lane End and are in talks with a potential operator. Canterbury City Council's outdoor leisure manager Richard Griffiths said:

"We were approached with an idea for a hovercraft concession but we said no because it was felt it was not appropriate for the town. But the kayak concession could start from April 2013."

The scheme is part of a host of new attractions planned for the seafront, including refreshments at the Hampton play area, deckchairs and toddler swings at Central Parade near the children's amusements and more telescopes along the seafront to allow people to see passing ships and other activity off the coast.

But plans for military-style fitness sessions at the Downs led to battle lines being drawn up between campaigner Phil Rose, of the Friends of the Downs, and council bosses.

At a meeting of Herne Bay Area Members Panel on Tuesday, he raised concerns that agreement had already been given for the circuits, to be run by British Military Fitness from January, with no consultation. Mr Rose, of Beacon Hill, said:

"I am involved with the Friends of the Downs and I am not aware of this. There has been no contact at all. It says something about the nature of the relationship between the council and community groups – we should have been involved."

Mr Griffiths told councillors the scheme had his full support. He said:

"The Downs is a well-used area and I don't see any problems with this."

He said existing concessions, such as the ice cream cart at Spa Esplanade and marketing booth for Bay Blast boat trips, would continue along with the refreshments in the park.

Tory member Peter Lee, of the council's ruling executive committee and the Herne Bay regeneration group which also discussed the plans, said it was a win-win situation for the town.

Herne Bay Times

Westgate fudge

We're about half way through the "consultation" about the Westgate Towers traffic experiment.

You may remember that thousands of people signed a petition begging for the chaos to stop. Our beloved Council immediately ignored the clamouring voices and launched a "consultation" to, er, find out what people think of the scheme.

Pop over to the Council website where you can fill in an online questionnaire. If you don't tell them what you think, they'll never know...

Westgate Jam Fudged

Views on Canterbury's controversial Westgate traffic trial ditched

Thousands of signatures and hundreds of letters about a controversial traffic trial are being swept under the carpet by council bosses. The official public consultation into the scheme to ban traffic from the Westgate Towers in Canterbury started on Friday and all previous comments will not count.

It means the 4,000 people who signed a petition calling for the scheme to be scrapped, and the hundreds who wrote both in favour and against the trial, will have to put pen to paper – or fingers to keyboard – again.

Officials launched the consultation by delivering thousands of leaflets to homes and businesses in the city centre and north Canterbury, but say they want to hear from as many people as possible – wherever they live. Canterbury City Council's transport manager Richard Moore said:

"We are expecting more than 2,000 responses but I am hoping for 4,000. That is how many people signed one of the petitions. But it is easier to sign a name on a petition than to fill in a form. The letters written in the past have all gone by the by. They related to scrapping the scheme early. A decision has been made on that and the scheme is to continue. A line has been drawn somewhere. We are now starting afresh."

Councillor Peter Vickery-Jones who is responsible for highways said it was impossible to predict what the responses would be.

"There was a lot of criticism at the start but now the debate is being thrashed out it is becoming more balanced. North Lane, lower St Dunstan's Street and St Peter's Place were very heavily polluted. Something would have had to be done, even if this trial had been abandoned."

The consultation will run until October 15 with questionnaires available online and on paper. The results are expected to be reported to the council's ruling executive committee in December, three months before the trial is due to end. Councillors will also look at traffic data, air quality and economic impact. Mr Moore said:

"The results of the consultation won't determine the results of the trial. They are part of the evidence. When the High Street was pedestrianised, 80 per cent of people were against it in the consultation. There are hard decisions to be made. The High Street would never have been done if it was just based on the results of the consultation."

Officials are also calling for a high police presence to fine motorists ignoring the bus and taxi lane around the towers. Last Wednesday, a council enforcement officer counted 19 people using the lane in just one hour, plus another six who turned around after seeing him. Cllr Vickery-Jones said number-plate recognition cameras were another option, adding:

"We are trying to persuade the county council to give us powers to have the cameras installed but it has not agreed yet. There are lots of drivers not following the Highway Code. We don't want to be Big Brother but if more people paid attention there would not be so many problems."

He said the city council was working on solutions to reported problems with short-term parking bays already in place in Station Road West. Zebra crossings will be introduced in North Lane, Station Road West and St Peter's Place. Consultants are also considering ways to improve traffic in London Road and hope to have solutions in place by October, although Cllr Vickery-Jones is pushing for it to be sooner. The crossings should be finished by the end of August.

thisiskent 9th Aug 2012

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