Be careful how you go

Support for people at the end of their life in Canterbury and coastal area

Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect as they approach the end of their life, and to be cared for in a manner and place of their choosing.

Most people want to have a say over the healthcare they receive in their last weeks and days. However, it is not always easy to discuss their thoughts and wishes with those around them. Just thinking about it can make those close to them very upset.

But in Canterbury, Herne Bay, Whitstable, Faversham, Sandwich, Ash and surrounding areas, steps are being taken to help people let healthcare professionals and loved ones know what they want.

The My Wishes register lets healthcare staff who are responsible for patient care find out the out what patients want at the end of their life.  The staff then do their very best to ensure that these wishes are respected where possible.

Dr Roxy Didehvar, Clinical Lead for End of Life for NHS Canterbury and Coastal Clinical Commissioning Group, said:

"A lack of conversation is perhaps the most important reason why people's wishes go ignored or unfulfilled; if we do not know how to communicate what we want, and those around us do not know how to listen, it is almost impossible to express a clear choice. The thing people fear most about dying is the associated loss of control. By empowering patients to express their wishes, that control can be restored."

The My Wishes register is a record of decisions about the type of care people would like to receive as they approach the end of their life, including any cultural or religious wishes

It may include information about any legal refusal of treatment decisions they may have made and preferences on where they would like to die, whether at home, in a care home, in hospital or in a hospice. Dr Didehvar said:

"My Wishes is invaluable to support people who are at the end of their life. It will improve end of life care experience for patients and their families and previous work has shown that it helps patients to achieve their wishes in where they wish to die."

The information on the register is held securely online and can be accessed only by staff responsible for the persons care, such as  GP, the ambulance service, community nurses, social care and hospice services. They can access it at any hour of the day or night, so people can be confident that everyone looking after them knows what care they want.

Patients can change their wishes at any time by talking to their GP, hospice staff or any other health professional looking after them, who will update it for them. Patients who are on the My Wishes register can also call the Care Navigation Centre, which is run by Pilgrims Hospices. The centre is available 24 hours a day seven days a week on 01233 504133 for any urgent help of advice.

More than 350 people in east Kent have already outlined their wishes on the register since its launch in August 2012.

The service is being promoted across the area as part of Dying Matters Week which runs from 13-19 May. Displays will be manned at Kent and Canterbury Hospital, Canterbury in the outpatients department on 14 May, in Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother Hospital in Margate on 16 May, and in William Harvey Hospital, Ashford on 17 May.

For more information see www.eastkentendoflifecare.org

​thisiskent 13th May 2013

Our first Beer Festival

Drinkers can raise their very own Herne Bay glass at the town's first beer festival.

The event will take place at the Kings Hall next month, with 20 real ales and five ciders available to try.

There will also be ten live bands playing, from the books of Herne Bay Music, and the venue's bar will be open and serving a special Kings Hall cocktail as well as more traditional options.

Organiser Rose O'Brien said:

"We are trying to broaden the events on offer at the Kings Hall, and as we haven't had a beer festival so far we thought we should try one. If it is successful we are going to do it twice a year, and although we are starting small we will build it each time. It should be a really fun day, and we are hoping for good weather so people can spill out onto the seafront."

Kings Hall glasses will be on sale for £2 at the door, and can be kept as a souvenir or returned for a refund, and all beer and cider costs £3.50 a pint. Rose added:

"We want to build our network of local breweries, so if anyone wants to get in touch for next time that would be great. We're really excited about it and I hope the town will give it their support."

Suppliers already confirmed include Goody Ales from Herne, Nelsons in Chatham, Biddenden cider, Whitstable Brewery and Broomfield Orchard cider, and all the ale and cider will be from independent Kent breweries.

Local bands will also be playing, including Spex, The Merchants, Wireless, Sawsound and The Doctorates.

• Saturday, June 22 will cost £4.50, open from noon to 11pm.
• Sunday, June 23 will cost £3.50, open from noon to 9pm.
• Tickets can be bought in advance or on the door.

thisiskent 13th May 2013

KCC Election 2013 - results, overview

28% turnout

• 6,382 of the 22,755 electorate turned up at the 13 polling stations in Herne Bay.
  

​One-third vote UKIP

• 4,102 of the 12,409 votes cast - 33.1%
  
• In 2009, UKIP took 20% of the vote.​ In 2005, it was 4%.​

Two new UKIP councillors

• Nicholas Bond
• Brian Macdowall

HBM

KCC Election 2013 - results, overview

about 12 years ago

UKIP take Herne Bay

about 12 years ago

Herne Bay Independent candidate John Moore rejoins UKIP

about 12 years ago

More of the same for Canterbury

about 12 years ago

Tories hold Herne

about 12 years ago

Tories hold Whitstable

about 12 years ago

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

about 12 years ago

Election count delayed after vials found in ballot box

about 12 years ago

Surrealist threatened, undaunted

about 12 years ago

Election roundup from thisiskent

about 12 years ago

View fullsize

Click the map for more details on the KCC website.​

UKIP take Herne Bay

Victorious UKIP members in the Bay are celebrating their success in the Kent County Council elections.

The party wrestled both Herne Bay seats from sitting Tories Jean Law and David Hirst, with Nicholas Bond and Brian MacDowall now representing the town at County Hall. The result was the last declared and the only UKIP win in the district, but took the party's total seats on the council to 17, including seven out of eight in Thanet.​

IN: Nicholas Bond (centre, of picture)​

OUT: David Hirst and Jean Law (right)

UKIP chairman Jim Gascoyne 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."

The party polled 34% of the vote, on a 28% turn out. Mr Bond polled 2,048 votes and Mr MacDowall 2,054. Mrs Law and Mr Hirst polled 1,817 and 1,724 respectively.

Mrs Law, whose seat on Canterbury City Council was not affected by this election, was tearful as the result was announced. She said:

"Herne Bay wanted a change and now they have got a change. I am terribly disappointed."

Mr Hirst said he felt shaken by the result, adding:

"That's politics for you."

Mr MacDowall was not at the count as he was on a business trip to Germany. Mr Bond said:

"I feel really good about being elected. It's absolutely great for the party.There's lots of work to do, but I look forward to working with the people of Herne Bay.We've worked very hard nationally, and I'm really delighted we got so many gains."

Labour's Lynn Faux-Bowyer and Tom Mellish gained 1,003 and 948 votes respectively, while Lib Dem candidates Margaret Flaherty and June Raybaud managed 434 and 308 votes.

New England Party candidates Nathan King and Mike Tibby polled 119 and 193 votes, and Green Party candidates Elaine Godden and Michael Coppin gained 204 and 202.

Independents John Moore and Stan Truelove won 484 and 362 votes, while Independent Steve Coombes, who stood to publicise the Duchamps festival in Herne Bay this summer, and handed out awards for absurdity around the town in the run-up to the election, scored 509.

Other seats in the Canterbury district did not change hands and the county council is still under overall Tory control. They lost 27 seats but held 44. Ukip have 17 seats – up from just one – and Labour gained 11 seats and lost one, taking their total to 13. The Liberal Democrats lost one and gained one, giving them seven seats, while the Green Party gained a seat in Hythe. A west Kent residents association candidate also held onto their seat.

thisiskent 10th May 2013

---

Jean Law fights back tears after election defeat

Tories in Herne Bay were left stunned today after a shock defeat at the polls by UKIP.

Conservative incumbants Jean Law and David Hirst were ousted after a recount at the Kings Hall this afternoon.

The pair - who had enjoyed a healthy majority at the last county council elections in 2009 - trailed more than 200 votes behind Brian Macdowall and Nicholas Bond.

Lib Dem candidates Margaret Flaherty and June Raybaud also fell from their position as closest challengers to finish 9th and 11th respectively.

The Herne Bay seats were the only ones to change hands across the Canterbury district, despite UKIP winning an impressive 17 of the 84 up for grabs in Kent.

Speaking after the defeat, Mrs Law said:

"I'm disappointed but then I would be because I've worked in Herne Bay. It's where I brought the kids up. I couldn't of worked any harder for the people of Herne Bay and I'm just sorry for all the volunteers along the way. It has been a disastrous day for the Conservatives and they may have to re-think what they are doing."

​kentonline 3rd May 2013

Herne Bay Independent candidate John Moore rejoins UKIP

Independent candidate John Moore rejoins Ukip after his election defeat in Herne Bay

A campaigner who stood as an independent candidate for the county council has rejoined Ukip in the wake of its election success. John Moore collected 484 votes at the polls for Kent County Council's two seats in Herne Bay, while his running mate Stan Truelove picked up 362.

They lost out to UKIP's candidates Nicholas Bond and Brian MacDowall, who are now the town's KCC representatives. The party also picked up seven out of eight seats in Thanet as well as winning in other parts of Kent.

Mr Moore, who is also a parish councillor for Herne and Broomfield, had previously stood for UKIP but put party politics aside for his most recent campaign. He said:

"I enjoyed the campaign and we were trying to get people to vote for the town rather than a party. But they clearly wanted to vote for a party, even if it wasn't one of the ones that have previously been popular. I have always supported Ukip, and I have been a member since 1997 - it is my spiritual home."

The town trader, who runs Sweet Magic in Mortimer Street, had not renewed his membership before the election but said he now planned to. He added:

"It is too early to say what will happen. The next elections are two years away. If UKIP want me to do something, I would be happy to, but it's not for me to say."

thisiskent 10th May 2013

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

Tories hold Herne

Maxine Marsh congratulates husband Alan as he is re-elected for the Tories to Herne and Sturry

Herne remains the only part of Herne Bay with a Conservative councillor after Alan Marsh held on to his seat. He polled 1,452 votes – 41 per cent – beating Ukip's Sarah Larkins, with 1,086 votes, into second place .

Labour's Alan Stanley gained 590 votes while Green Party candidate Elisa De Vert beat the Lib Dems into fifth place with her total of 217, ahead of Nigel Whitburn's 169.

Mr Marsh said:

"I'm very pleased that I have the opportunity to serve the people I represent for another four years. It's a critical time and I want to make sure that we do everything possible not only to smooth the path for health, education and highways, but also to ensure that the people of Kent get the best lifestyle that we can provide by working closely together as one community."

The Ukip vote amounted to almost a third of the total votes cast, with 17% for Labour, 6% for the Green Party and 5% for the Liberal Democrats.

The turnout was 27%, with 3,514 votes cast from a total electorate of almost 14,000.

thisiskent 10th May 2013

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

Local Plan: What's wrong? Where to start?

CCC Liberal Democrat leader Alex Perkins has panned the draft plan. He said:

I am afraid there is so much wrong with this draft local plan it is hard to know where to start. We clearly do need more housing, but the premise and process here are completely wrong.

For a start, the plan is entirely developer-led. A plan like this should be resident-led. The council should have worked with local residents to come up with a vision for the district - and used that as the basis for the plan. Instead they have just asked developers where they want to develop - and produced a plan based on where the developers see the most profit.

I don't for one second accept that building 800 new homes every year for 20 years is sustainable! The current plan pays no regard to the huge number of homes already being built in other districts across east Kent. Five hundred a year across the district maximum, with no more than a third of those being built on sites in Canterbury is more realistic.

Canterbury already struggles with traffic, air quality and infrastructure problems. This plan offers no remedies for these issues and is based purely on so-called economic drivers. What's more we already have hundreds of additional student apartments being built in the city which apparently don't count toward the total of homes we have to accommodate. So the pressures on Canterbury are effectively doubled.

The answer is fewer houses per year, and more of them on brownfield sites - like the former Chislet colliery, the barracks and the old prison. Surely that is better than the 4,000 houses that John Gilbey wants to build on high quality farmland to the Southeast of the city.

Canterbury's sewers, roads and hospitals are already at capacity. This planning document can only make a bad situation a lot worse.

HB Times 9th May 2013

Local Plan: the vision for 2031

Multimillion-pound plans to build 15,600 homes and transform roads "will support 6,500 new jobs across the district by 2031".

Canterbury City Council's draft Local Plan seeks to change roads in areas including Sturry and south Canterbury and create a new park-and-ride site close to a new A2 junction near Bridge.

The document, which is due to go out for public consultation from June 14 [actually June 20th], earmarks eight major sites of development in Canterbury, Herne Bay, Whitstable, Sturry and Hersden, with house-building and employment land suggestions for additional areas including Howe Barracks, and the current council office site.

The scheme will mean 9,916 new properties in addition to some 4,500 already in the pipeline or expected to be applied for, being built at a rate of some 780 per year, and 96,775 square metres of employment land being created in the next 17 years.

Proposals

Proposals include 4,000 homes, two primary schools, business space, allotments, shops and a medical centre in south Canterbury, which will also benefit from a £20 million junction on the A2 opposite Renville Farm and the relocated and extended park and ride on agricultural land close to the new junction.

Sturry and Broadoak will have a build of 1,000 homes, business units, community facilities and a £12 million bridge over the level crossing, which will be closed, bringing cars out at the park and ride.

CCC chief executive Colin Carmichael said:

"We have had lots of conversations with KCC and highways and in principle they are happy with this. The crossing will be closed and with traffic from Thanet and Herne Bay being diverted this will entirely change the character of Sturry."

Four hundred homes and an extension of the Duncan Downs village green, which will be doubled in size, and allotments are planned along the Thanet Way at Whitstable, another 1,000 homes, doctors surgery and 33,000 square metres of business space at the Altira site at Hillborough, and another 600 homes in Greenhill, near Briary school.

Strode Farm is earmarked for 800 homes, retail, employment and leisure space and a new relief road. The Herne Bay golf club site will get 400 homes, a doctors surgery, care home and leisure facilities. Hersden could get 800 homes, employment space, a community building and games area.

A new retail park is planned for Wincheap, and Howe Barracks could offer some limited development opportunities of up to 400 homes. The Ministry of Defence is understood to be selling the land next year.

CCC is also suggesting an Eastern bypass to run from the new Sturry bridge to the new A2 junction at Bridge. Government funding would be applied for to help with the costs.

Council leader John Gilbey said:

"This is a unique opportunity to get the relief road established even though we can't afford to build it right now."

The aim of the housing plan is to provide at least 30 per cent of the properties as affordable homes for families in the district and to try and keep graduating students who could add to the economy.

It is hoped the homes will also be used by the growing "knowledge" sector in Canterbury, made up of software and IT firms and professionals such as architects and accountants.

The district has seen jobs growth in this area despite the recession of around 36 per cent. Cllr Gilbey said:

"The knowledge sector, such as scientific, research and professional services, is a strong area. Our innovation centre is 95 per cent full and we could do with another one. There are incubation firms for hi-tech industries at the universities and we want to keep these people here."

The draft plan, which will be discussed by an overview committee at CCC on Monday 13th May, will go out for consultation for eight weeks [now 10 weeks]. People will be able to see copies at libraries and online. There may also be roadshows in the district.

It is expected the plan will be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate in Summer/Autumn 2014. The independent inspector will make the final decision on whether the plan is viable. For more information, see the plan at http://tinyurl.com/CantLocPlan

HB Times 9th 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

Local Plan: Herne's identity at risk

People in Herne "have right to be concerned" about the inclusion of Strode Farm on the Local Plan.

In it the council says it would be likely to approve plans for 800 homes being built there. The plan also says a relief road would need to be built for Herne, linking Canterbury Road with Bullockstone Road.

Locals have expressed fears of losing village identity and the increased traffic levels that would come if developments at Strode Farm and Herne Bay Golf Club get the go-ahead. Herne and Broomfield parish council clerk Monica Blyth said:

"The issue the parish council has is the majority of the developments proposed are within Herne or within a couple of miles.  This will have a huge effect on the amount of traffic coming through the village and residents are concerned about losing the village's identity. 

We understand that we will probably have to have something built.  We have been talking to the Campaign to Protect Rural England and are hoping to liaise with them about what is the best way forward."

In a questionnaire given to Herne and Broomfield villagers earlier this year, 342 opposed any development of the golf club or Strode Farm.  Another 52 said they would accept the golf club but oppose Strode Farm and 13 said they approved both proposals.

While a planning application for the golf club is imminent, this is not the case with Strode Farm. Developer Hollamby Estates, which has been linked with the site, says that submitting a planning application will be a long way off.

MP Sir Roger Gale says a condition of any development should be that a relief road would have to be completed first, before houses are finished. He said:

"Often people want to build houses to make money and then say we will give you the land to make the road.  We have got to have funding for the whole road first. A road around the village of Herne has got to be done.  Until that is resolved, I cannot see any real progress being made on that site.

Herne have right to be concerned about the proposed development for Strode Farm.  It's not to say there shouldn't be any housing but a massive housing estate would be unsuitable."

Residents have to speak out

An action group like the one which stopped a Tesco being built in Herne has not been ruled out by Herne and Broomfield parish council. Clerk Monica Blyth said:

"It's a possibility, but that was a different issue. The main thing that stopped Tesco was the issue of access to the site and the fact they wanted to extend it more than they had planning consent for. This is a very different issue. we will have to wait and see."

The council also called on residents to air their views when the Local Plan goes out for formal public consultation.

"It is no good signing a petition saying we don't want it. They need to make their reasons clear why this in not a suitable place to have a development."

The Details

A relief road from Canterbury Road to Bullockstone Road would bisect the 800 home development at Strode Farm. Money for this would be contributed to by developers of the four Herne Bay strategic sites.

A parish hall would be built at Strode Farm as well as some local shops. A footpath linking Lower Herne Road with the golf club development would also be inculded. Developers would also have to contribute towards the cost of the new rail crossing at Sturry.

HB Gazette 9th May 2013

Local Plan: grey area at Greenhill

Land at Greenhill would include 600 homes according to the Local Plan.

The vaguest of the four strategic development sites proposed for Herne Bay says it would include community facilities "to be determined".

A series of allotments and leisure facilities would also be built. Developers would need to contribute to a Herne relief route at Strode Farm.

HB Gazette 9th May 2013

Local Plan: school on the golf course

A new school could be built in Herne Bay after land was ear-marked for educational development in the draft Local Plan.

Developers behind proposals for the former golf club confirmed talks are ongoing about putting a new secondary school on the site, along with a sports hub, supermarket and about 400 homes.

A map published with the Local Plan lays out an area to the west of the golf club site ear-marked for educational use.

The Gazette understands a school would be placed where developers initially planned to put a health club and sheltered accommodation.

Mark Quinn

Quinn Estates director Mark Quinn said:

"We have been speaking to several education providers and we will always look to work with the people of Herne Bay to create a community benefit for everyone."

Herne Bay MP Sir Roger Gale said:

"I regard the golf club proposals as very exciting. I have spoken with the developer and more than one school within the area, with a view to creating a secondary school on the site. We could create a satellite grammar school on that site."

Overall, the proposals would include about 400 homes, a Tesco, a sports hub and offices for small businesses. All of this has been included in the local plan.

Mr Quinn added:

"We think our site is one of the strongest in terms of community benefits and we are looking forward to working with Canterbury City Council and the people of Herne Bay to make this happen."

The first phase of Quinn Estates' proposals is expected to be sent for planning permission imminently. The developers are waiting for the opportunity to respond to a council report on the impact the development could have on retail in the area. Several sports clubs have been offered the use of facilities if the plans are approved.

Clive Cripps

Herne Bay Hockey Club chairman Clive Cripps said:

"I am delighted it has been included in the Local Plan. It takes us closer to making a reality what we have been dreaming-about over the past nine months. These are going to be a great benefit to the town. In the form it is planned, it will give the town the best sports facilities it's ever had and is ever likely to have."

Sir Roger said he had also held discussions with Quinn Estates about the inclusion of a school there. He added:

"I don't think the density of houses in this development would be too high"

Lost Identity

Herne and Broomfield parish council has sald it will oppose plans for a golf club development, althouqh councillors concede they wlll probably have to accept it. Clerk Monica Blyth said:

"Residents are concerned about loslnq the village's identity. We will be swallowed up and become a part of Herne Bay and Greenhill and that is not what anyone wants. We understand that we will probably have to have something."

The Details

A sports hub is the stand-out feature of the 400-home development. This would include eiqht hectares of cricket, tennis, football and hockey pitches, as well as open space. A hectare has been set aside for commercial use, which would become the Tesco site it Ouinn Estates' plans are approved. A separate leisure hub would include a doctor's surgery, businesses and a pub.

The plan says 1.25 hectares would be set aside for Herne Bay High School, but this is not understood to be part of the plans for a new school. Space for a care home has also been allocated. A footpath connecting the site to Herne would also be funded with the developers at Strode Farm. Developers would also have to contribute towards the cost of a Herne relief road at the farm and a level crossing in Sturry.

HB Gazette 9th May 2013

Local Plan: Target of 3,000 homes is "over-ambitious"

Almost 3,000 homes, two new schools and a sports hub have been earmarked for Herne Bay in a controversial council document.

The huge developments on four sites in the town were included in the draft Local Plan. It means applications for massive housing estates in Herne, Hillborough, Greenhill and on the former golf club site are almost certain to get the go-ahead.

The document’s release has sparked fears too many homes are being built in Herne Bay, with the town earmarked for half of the district's eight major development sites before 2031.

Environmental groups say the focus is too much on meeting economic targets, rather than considering the environment and people's wellbeing.

Sir Roger Gale MP

MP Sir Roger Gale says he would oppose plans if they were for "little boxes" rather than homes with gardens. He said:

"My overriding concern would be in terms of density of the development, the number of houses being proposed and the transport infrastructure. This is not a local MP saying ‘over my dead body’. It is a question of saying this has got to be right and done in the right order.

I would have been surprised if Herne Bay was not chosen as a large site to meet the district's housing needs. There is a need for housing and, over the last 15 years or so, far too few homes have been built nationally. But I don't want to see the totality of Herne Bay's environment demolished to accommodate the city district's housing needs. The pain has gotta be shared"

Under the plans, 1,000 homes would be built at Hillborough, 300 at Strode Farm, 600 at Greenhill, 400 at Herne Bay Golf Club and 190 on land at Bullockstone Road.

Planning permission for 50 homes on the site at Greenbill has already been submitted by Hollamby Estates, which is also behind plans for Strode Farm. Sir Roger added:

"There is a vast difference between 50 and 600 homes. We need to talk about that and gather soundings of local opinion to reach an acceptable compromise. We need the right kind of housing and that means family homes with gardens. Given the figures before us, I am concerned about the density. The demand is for three to five-bedroom housing. It is a question of making the right kind of provision. It sounds to me like there will be lots of little boxes and if that is so then I would have to oppose it."

Director of the Kent branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England Dr Hilary Newport added:

"The infra-structure constraints are always a concern. We are concerned about the level of housing growth across the board. It is based on over-ambitious growth targets. It does not take into account proper sustainability. This is too much to do with the growth of the economy, rather than the environment and people's well-being."

Canterbury City Council leader John Gilbey has rejected suggestions the authority could opt for fewer homes. He said:

"We have no choice. If we put in for 500 homes a year, it will not get past the first stage of the planning inspection and will be bounced straight back, just wasting money. We need a plan, otherwise it will be a free-for-all for developers and we will lose appeals."

HB Gazette 9th May 2013

Local Plan - Herne Bay

The story so far:

• Maps of the proposed areas in Herne Bay. The cartoon maps come from the Agenda of the Overview Committee 13th May 7pm. I've super-imposed them on a Google map that shows Herne Bay's Urban Boundary.
  
• The Draft Local Plan, to read onscreen or download. 

N.B. The "Land at Greenhill" and "Bullockstone Road" developments are being dealt with in the planning process, as they have already submitted their applications. This is the reason given to explain why they don't appear on any of the Council's Local Plan maps. I've included them in the last map for completeness.

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2013-05 the Draft Local Plan 2013 by HerneBayMatters

Local Plan - Herne Bay, Golf Course

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Local Plan - Herne Bay, Strode Farm

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