Herne Bay Food and Drink Fair

A storming success by anyone's reckoning - plenty of stalls selling excellent food and drink, plenty of happy punters streaming in, and then streaming out clutching their bags of goodies.

I hope this becomes a regular, and frequent, fixture in the town calendar.

---

How can Herne Bay find its voice?

Will Scott's logo for Herne Bay

Town council or Herne Bay Society: what does the town need?

Does Herne Bay need its own council, or would a Herne Bay Society be better? Is it time to reclaim our Bay? That’s the question campaigners are asking this week after another Canterbury City Council council decision was met with fury in the town.

This time, it was the decision to block two-hour parking bays in the town, even though it was supported at a meeting of Bay town councillors and by business leaders. Members of the joint transportation board voted to go back to the drawing board, raising fears traders would suffer.

Nigel Hancock, from the Bay Independent Retail Group (BIRG), said:

“The fact is that we, as a town, are being stymied time and time again by Canterbury City Council. With every move made by us, and other community groups, to improve Herne Bay for its traders, residents and visitors, the current council seem to dish out another blow which knocks us back.

The policy-makers in Military Road seem to think that one size fits all and policies made for the city of Canterbury will somehow work in Herne Bay. They are deluded.”

Mr Hancock questioned whether it was time to reconsider the idea of setting up a Herne Bay Town Council, to give the town more effective representation and control.

But long-time campaigner Phil Rose, who is part of the Campaign for Democracy in Canterbury District seeking to change the way the city council is run, believes said there may be better options. He said:

“When people talk of a Herne Bay Town Council they are often thinking of the old Herne Bay Urban District Council but it would not be anything like that. It would be a layer underneath Canterbury City Council, that would decide how to set it up and what powers it has. The solution for local people who are unhappy with things as they are is to get involved but at the moment there is no vehicle for them to easily do that.”

He suggested a town-wide community group could be set up, with representatives from existing clubs and organisations. It would be non-political and could reach hundreds of people under the same umbrella organisation. Mr Rose, who runs the Herne Bay Matters website, said:

“A Herne Bay Society would be a good move, representing all the existing groups, as the people of the town, without a political axe to grind. We have the BayPromoTeam who do fantastic work but they are more about arranging events and promoting the town. I think there is a need for a group to represent people’s views and provide a platform for serious, formal debate with the council.”

The group would be similar to the Whitstable Society and Canterbury Society and council spokesman Rob Davies said those groups worked well. He said:

“They work effectively to represent their towns and we would be interested if Herne Bay were to create a similar society. We would work with them in exactly the same way we work with the two existing societies.”

Herne Bay Times 6th Mar 2014

How to run a Council - the case for change

THE PRESENT SYSTEM

Canterbury has what is called a ‘Strong Leader and Executive’ system. This was adopted in 2002 after the government of the day made all councils choose between this and having an elected Mayor. The Councillors elect the Leader, who then chooses the Executive members, and can throw them off the Executive if they don’t say the right things or vote the right way. Key decisions are made by this small group, and often in practice by just the one person.

IS IT WORKING WELL?

Having decisions made by a small group, or even by one person, is supposed to make for speed and decisiveness. In practice it produces the opposite. Decisions made without sufficient thought, without proper consultation and without proper debate, arouse resentment from local people. Instead of swift action we then get a long drawn-out battle which could have been avoided. We’ve seen this on issues such as the Westgate Towers traffic scheme and Kingsmead Field in Canterbury.

WHAT’S THE ALTERNATIVE?

The present government, in the Localism Act 2011, gave councils the option of changing back to the earlier Committee System. With this system, the Council forms a number of committees each dealing with a particular area of issues. All councillors serve on one or more committees, and the committees make recommendations to the full Council for it to approve.

WOULD IT BE BETTER?

No system is perfect. In any system, the largest party is able to have the final say. But a return to the committee system would have these advantages:

• Decisions would be more thoroughly debated – all the parties would be represented on committees
• Decisions would be informed by a greater range of knowledge and experience
• All councillors would have an input into the decisions
• Councillors would all build up their own expertise by serving on committees. At present the time and effort of those who are not on the Executive is wasted.
• There would be greater transparency – key information and the real reasons for decisions could no longer be the preserve of a small group or a single person.

HOW COULD WE CHANGE?

If we got enough signatures on a petition, the Council would be required by law to hold a referendum in which local people could vote to change to the Committee system. The number of signatures needed would be 5% of the electorate – at present that’s 5,611. If that target were reached by the end of 2014, it would automatically trigger a referendum in May 2015.

---

To find out more, visit the Campaign for Democracy in Canterbury District at:

www.CDCD.co.uk

---

Queen Victoria fills the King's Hall

The King's Hall was packed - a fantastic sight. It gladdens my heart to see people getting involved in local issues, and the turnout this evening was clear evidence of the importance of QVMH to our town. 

Congratulations to Gillian Fowler, and the League of Friends of QVMH, and a swarm of others around town for alerting us to the proposals, spreading the message, and mobilising support so effectively.

View fullsize

The King's Hall - full to capacity with people wanting to save Outpatient Services at QVMH.

Some of those who couldn't squeeze in

About 15 minutes before the meeting was due to start, the Hall was at capacity. There were some helpful women (from the Trust, I think) acting as bouncerettes, and patiently explaining that for Health & Safety reasons the later arrivals would have to stand in the lobby and listen as best we could to the presentations.

Apparently they were expecting "about a hundred people to turn up", but they got about 500. Not their first miscalculation, I fear.

There were several councillors milling about, both in and outside the Hall. I'm sure they all registered the strength of popular opinion (i.e. number of voters) and will make a principled stand to support our hospital, or at least jump on the bandwaggon.

The good news is that the Trust have sensibly decided to hold another meeting to cater for those who couldn't get in today, or couldn't face the rubbish weather. No date has been set yet - I'll let you know as soon as I find out.

QVMH - it's our hospital, so it's up to us to save it

As you may know by now, the Outpatient Services at Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital are under threat of closure. The hospital is covnenient for Herne Bay residents, with good public transport links and ample parking - we need to protect the services our hospital provides.

If you want to save the QVMH Outpatient Services, here are three things you can do:

1. click the poster below to download it, and stick it in your window,
2. click the petition form below to download it, and get as many signatures as you can,
3. come along to the public meeting at the King's Hall on Wednesday 29th January at 6:30pm

Windy everywhere

Damaging Windstorm Lashes UK and Northern Europe 

A significant wind event is ongoing across Ireland and the United Kingdom and will spread over northern Europe through Friday. The strongest winds on Thursday impacted Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern England where sustained winds of 65-80 kph (40-50 mph) were common.

Data accessed by Accuweather.com meteorologists show that wind gusts reached 183 kph (114 mph) at Aonach Mor in west Scotland. According to STV News in Scotland the wind reached 228 kph (142 mph) at the ski resort in Aonach Mor around 6 a.m., local time.

Wind gusts reached 111 kph (69 mph) in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Meanwhile, Tiree, Scotland, had a peak wind gust of 132 kph (82 mph). The winds resulted in many accidents involving lorries that were overturned by high winds, one of which resulted in the death of the driver.

Train service was suspended for several hours across the region due to the high winds. Airborne debris resulted in damage to the glass ceiling in Glasgow Central Station leading to an evacuation. More than 100,000 homes were left without power across Scotland according to STV News.

Although the worst of the storm was expected to bypass London, winds had increased Thursday afternoon with gusts over 60 kph (37 mph). Winds will diminish Thursday night across all of the United Kingdom.

Extreme winds caused havoc at an airport in Birmingham, England forcing multiple planes to abort landing at the last moment. (Video/Epsigo)

Meanwhile, these damaging winds will shift into the Netherlands, northern Germany and Denmark where they will continue into Friday. Winds across the region have already surpassed 80 kph (50 mph) with the worst of the storm expected Thursday night.

Sustained winds of 65 to 80 kph (40-50 mph) are expected along with gusts over 120 kph (75 mph). Isolated gusts over 145 kph (90 mph) can pound Denmark and northern Germany.

Winds of this magnitude will be capable of damaging roofs and buildings while also downing trees and power lines. Significant power outages are expected across the region.

On Friday, the strongest winds will prevail from southern Norway through Denmark, northern Germany and Poland. The winds on Friday are expected to be less intense than those through Thursday night; however, winds over 80 kph (50 mph) will be possible.

Weather following the storm will feature a shot of much colder air. Snow showers will be possible through Friday across Scotland and northern England. This cold air mass will create dangerous conditions for anyone who loses electricity for an extended period of time.

Another effect of this storm system will be the threat of coastal flooding which will be possible along the east coast of Scotland and England into Friday. The potential exists for some areas to experience the worst coastal flooding in decades.

The greatest threat for flooding in the United Kingdom will be along the northern shores of Kent where the strong northerly winds will cause water to pile up against the coastline.

Coastal areas from the Netherlands through northern Germany and Denmark will also be threatened by significant coastal flooding which could cause the worst flooding in decades. Waters could briefly rise several meters above normal levels during high tide.

AccuWeather.com

MOD Shoeburyness - Forthcoming Activity Alert: 29 November - 12 December 2013

Detailed below is advance notification of activities which may be noticed in your neighbourhood. All of the limitations and stipulations outlined below apply.

Date: Reason for Notification

29 November 2013: Gunfire and Explosions may be noticed earlier than usual, 08:00.

2, 5, 10, 11 December 2013: Local Gunfire and Explosions may be noticed.

3 & 4 December 2013: Local Gunfire and Explosions may be noticed earlier than usual, 08:00.

6 & 13 December 2013: Local Gunfire may be noticed.

12 December 2013: Explosions may be noticed.

Note:

Local Gunfire = Gunfire that is likely to be noticed only by communities close to MOD Shoeburyness.

Gunfire = Gunfire that may be noticed by communities in the vicinity of the Thames Estuary.

Explosions = Explosions that may be noticed by communities in the vicinity of the Thames Estuary.

MOD SHOEBURYNESS WEBSITE

This information was correct at the time of publishing. The most accurate and up to date information can be found on the MOD Shoeburyness website at www.shoeburyness.qinetiq.com, why not visit and save it to your favourites for quick access.

I hope that you find this information useful. Please feel free to pass it on to your neighbours.

£50k for the Bay

Yes folks, it's free money time!

The People's Millions people have £50,000 to give away, and we're up against Ellington Park in Ramsgate. The winner is decided by the number of phone-in votes, which will cost you 10p. You can vote up to 10 times - I don't know why this should be, but rules is rules.

Call 0871 626 8861 before midnight today (26th) to vote for Herne Bay in the People's Millions.

If you would like to help on voting day (handing out leaflets, encouraging people to vote and so on) call 07540 392 916.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Beach Hut Charges - have your say

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

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

The Council is asking three main questions:

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

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

Pier news: decking to be replaced for £140k

More than 700 square metres of the timber decking that surrounds the central tarmac area on Herne Bay pier will be replaced in a project costing around £140,000.

Inspections have shown that while the pier's substructure is sound, the timber runners and decking are not in such good condition and have deteriorated since the pavilion was removed. The area around the seaward end has been closed off for safety reasons, but the repairs will mean it can reopen.

The council's Executive member for Herne Bay pier, Cllr Jean Law, said the work would ensure the pier will continue to be an asset for the town. She added:

"The future for the pier is looking really bright, with the success of the new beach hut village and some great events that have taken place this year – and more to come in the run-up to Christmas. We are also hoping for some exciting proposals to come through from potential operators of the main deck area. We're very pleased to be getting this work done to the decking out of peak season so that disruption is kept to a minimum and hope people like the end result."

The 12 village beach huts will remain open for business throughout the work and hut tenants are asking for the continued support of customers. The popular helter-skelter is scheduled to return for Christmas clad in lights and there will be additional children's stalls.

Santa will be at the business fair in Mortimer Street on the first weekend in December and then on the pier each weekend until Christmas, and the Pier Trust is organising German-style market stalls at the pier entrance each weekend in December. Charity groups or traders wanting a space should email david.mccormick@tiscali.co.uk

Chairman of the Pier Trust, Doreen Stone, said:

"The trust is delighted that the extensive renovation of the wood on and beneath the pier by the city council is starting and will be fully cooperating with the engineers while this work takes place. We're looking forward to weeks of activities in the lead-up to Christmas, so come and join in the fun and support your pier."

CCC website

Beach hut owners to start paying market rent

Canterbury City Council is seeking views on future charging arrangements for beach huts. Ongoing tenancy negotiations with Beach Hut Owners' Associations prompted the council to seek external legal advice on its position. As a result, a number of changes are being made to beach hut tenancies and the associated fees.

The council's barrister provided very clear legal advice that it is obliged to run its beach huts on a commercial basis and charge a market rent at the earliest opportunity – which is when the new tenancy agreement comes in to effect on 1 April 2014. Otherwise the council would not be acting in the best interest of general tax payers living in the district.

Operating commercially means that the council can no longer offer a reduced rate to residents of Canterbury district compared to non-residents, or offer the long term discount to owners who have had a hut for more than 15 years.

The council must also stop charging hut owners a 'supplementary rental fee' of five times annual rent should they sell their hut. This had been applied to try and keep annual rents down. However, instead of applying this charge (of anywhere between £1,380 and £1,840), the council will now only charge an administration fee of £463 to hut vendors to cover staff costs.

To ensure that the market rent is set fairly and independently, the council appointed an external valuation office to make that assessment. This work was carried out for the council by DVS, who operate on behalf of HM Customs and Revenue and who used rent levels at over 50 other comparative sites, amongst other information, to calculate the market value.

So pretty, so welcoming.

The current 2013/14 fees are £276 in Herne Bay and £368 in Tankerton per year. Subletting is not currently allowed and the cost of selling a hut is between £1380 and £1840.

DVS have advised that for 2013/14, the annual market rent for Herne Bay should be £475 and Tankerton should be £650 – payable by all hut owners. If subletting is allowed, the market rent increases by 20%. However, the cost of selling a hut would be reduced to £463.

The council is aware that the annual increases will be difficult for some beach hut owners. To help make this easier, the council is considering applying the move to market rents over the maximum acceptable period of two years – views on this are being sought as part of the consultation.

The consultation is also asking for views on the market rent set by DVS and whether sub-letting should be allowed or not. The matter will be considered by the Overview and Executive committees in December.

Chief Executive Colin Carmichael said:

"Having received the barrister's clear advice, the council has a statutory duty to comply."

Executive member for foreshore services, Cllr Peter Vickery-Jones, said:

"I am genuinely unhappy that we are having to put these proposals forward. We are mindful of how difficult this will be for some beach hut owners and we have done our level best to lessen the impact as much as possible.

However, we are obliged to take note of the advice given and I hope that owners will understand our position. I am keenly interested to hear responses to the consultation and these will be seriously considered in our debate."

More information and details about how to respond to the consultation can be found HERE.

CCC website

MOD Shoeburyness - Forthcoming Activity Alert 2-11 September 2013

Detailed below is advance notification of activities which may be noticed in your neighbourhood.

---

Date: Reason for Notification

2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11 September 2013: Explosions may be noticed.

4 September 2013: Gunfire and Explosions may be noticed.

---

Note:

Local Gunfire = Gunfire that is likely to be noticed only by communities close to MOD Shoeburyness.**

Gunfire = Gunfire that may be noticed by communities in the vicinity of the Thames Estuary.**

Explosions = Explosions that may be noticed by communities in the vicinity of the Thames Estuary.      **

---

MOD SHOEBURYNESS WEBSITE

This information was correct at the time of publishing. The most accurate and up to date information can be found on the MOD Shoeburyness website at www.shoeburyness.qinetiq.com, why not visit and save it to your favourites for quick access.**

---

I hope that you find this information useful. Please feel free to pass it on to your neighbours.

Pier Trust EGM Minutes

I couldn't make it to the EGM on 10th July, so I asked the Trustees what had happened, and what the results were of any votes that were taken. I got conflicting reports as to whether anything had been sent to some or all of the members. I hadn't received anything, and neither had several other paid-up members.

I knew that one of the motions to be voted on was the election of Trustees. I asked who the Trustees of the HBPT now are. There was no answer. I find this astonishing and disappointing.

The Board should have published the Minutes to the membership within days of the EGM - that's simply courtesy. Given that they hadn't published the Minutes, the reply to any member asking for the identity of the current Trustees should  have been to rattle off their names. Instead, I was told that my request would be considered.

However, the day after threatening to raise the matter of Secret Trustees with the Charity Commission, the Minutes and the identity of the Trustees appeared on the HBPT Facebook page. The Minutes are reproduced below.

The current trustees are:
Doreen Stone - chair
Aileen Barker - membership and lots more
David McCormick - Health and Safety and Events
Lynn Faux-Bowyer - Treasurer
Andrew Cook - CCC appointed trustee - Company Secretary
Joe Howes - CCC appointed trustee - external liaison

---

The EGM Minutes

HERNE BAY PIER TRUST
Minutes EGM 10th July 2013 Christchurch Hall Herne Bay

Present: Doreen Stone (Chair)
Aileen Barker
Lynn Faux-Bowyer
Joe Howes
Andrew Cook
David McCormick
Members as recorded on signing in sheet.

Agenda item 1:
Doreen Stone began the update announcement with the fact that the Pier Opening day was attended by the National Piers Society which is very supportive of what was being organised. They also suggested that they may consider holding their next AGM in Herne Bay.

(The meeting was interrupted by the arrival of Andy Newell, former member and trustee. When he was asked to leave because an EGM is open only to members, a member on the floor made a proposal, which was seconded, that the Meeting be suspended until he left followed by a unanimous vote in favour. He did leave and the meeting resumed.)

DS continued with the update – The Trust had been granted a Planning Permit for 18 Retail Huts (an initial 12 to be followed by a further 6). She announced that the Trust had applied for the Lease of the complete platform area now it had been confirmed that the Golf Application would not operate this year. The £2k loan money had generated 1.5 jobs on the Pier so far and one hut owner was already considering employing extra staff to meet demand for teas/cakes etc.

HBPT needed an income of £65,000 to move to the next stage of managing the platform. Work by CCC on renovating the decking where the next 6 huts are to be built would begin in Oct. She suggested the Trust should now plan for an all weather building/structure on the platform which, if it included a heritage and information centre, maybe with a sea- themed attraction? One of our members has suggested approaching RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) to hold a design competition for students of architecture for Herne Bay Pier.

Agenda Item 2: Election of Officers.
There were 2 applicants – Aileen Barker & David McCormick. They both spoke to the Meeting and the voting took place.
Ds informed the meeting and listed the Proxy votes she had received – a total of 24 supporting her choices and 1 against the motions.
Total number of votes possible (incl proxy votes) = 42.
Results: Aileen Barker total in favour - 41
David McCormick total in favour - 41.
Both candidates unanimously elected as HBPT Trustees.

Volunteers- have become essential to the running of the Trust and there was a suggestion from the floor that maybe a 2nd tier of 'management' to work alongside the Board should be considered. This was agreed and that the trust should ask the Charities Commission for advice on this.

Agenda Item 3: This motion was to confirm the ruling in the Articles of Association and the Memorandum of Association the Board of Trustees can operate within the constitutionally specified number of Trustees required at any one time with a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 11. This was agreed – 41 for and 1 proxy against.

Agenda Item 4: That the Articles of Association be amended to state that the term of office for non CCC appointees is 3 years and that they must stand for re-election after that period; trustees to be permitted to hold position for a maximum of 3 consecutive terms. This was agreed 41 for and 1 proxy against.

The Chair, Doreen Stone, thanked everyone for attending and hoped they would spread the word on the positive progress of the HBPT. Meeting closed @ 19.55

After the meeting closed some points were raised for Board discussion eg
More notices about activities on pier such as:
- Boards with Hut Vendors names listed
- Large Chalk Boards with notices
- Press releases on regular basis showing how new businesses were being supported and new employment created by the Hut Village
- The importance of integrated community involvement to raise the profile of Herne Bay.

Local Plan: Responding Online

click

[from the CCC website] The instructions below will help guide you to make comments on-line. If you need more help, then please contact CCC using the contact details at the bottom of the page.

1: Open the Consultation Portal

Go to http://canterbury-consult.objective.co.uk/portal/ between the 20th June and the 30th August 2013. Select ‘Canterbury District Local Plan Preferred Option Consultation 2013’ at the bottom of the page.

2: Register and Log-in

You can read the document without signing-in but as we are unable to accept anonymous comments you will need to register and log-in before submitting comments: Click Login/Register

If you already have a user name and password, login using these. If you do not already have a user name and password you will need to register. The information box below will help you.

If you have made comments on a previous local plan consultation (written or online), you will already have a user name and password. If you need help, please contact us (details below) and we will be able to provide them for you.

3: Make and submit your comments

Once successfully logged in, click ‘Read and comment on document’.

You can then begin to read the draft Local Plan. You can skip straight to the part of the plan you are interested in by using the contents list on the left hand side of the page, or read straight through the document using the ‘next page’ button.

You can comment on each part of the document by clicking the ‘Add Comments’ button: click this button by the paragraph or policy you wish to comment on.

Indicate whether you wish to support or object; add your comments and any supporting documents and press ‘submit’. If your comment is very long, the system may ask you to provide a summary of your comment.

You can then continue to read through the document and make as many comments as you wish.

For assistance on submitting your responses online, please contact Planning Policy:

Telephone: 01227 862 199 or Email: planning.policy@canterbury.gov.uk

Draft Local Plan

click

The Draft Local Plan 2013

MOD Shoeburyness - Forthcoming Activity Alert: 24-31 July 2013

Detailed below is advance notification of activities which may be noticed in your neighbourhood. All of the limitations and stipulations outlined below apply.  **

---

Date: Reason for Notification

24, 29, 31 July 2013: Explosions may be noticed.

30 July 2013: Gunfire and Explosions may be noticed.

---

Local Gunfire = Gunfire that is likely to be noticed only by communities close to MOD Shoeburyness.

Gunfire = Gunfire that may be noticed by communities in the vicinity of the Thames Estuary.

Explosions = Explosions that may be noticed by communities in the vicinity of the Thames Estuary. 

---

This information was correct at the time of publishing. The most accurate and up to date information can be found on the MOD Shoeburyness website at www.shoeburyness.qinetiq.com, why not visit and save it to your favourites for quick access.

---

I hope that you find this information useful. Please feel free to pass it on to your neighbours.

Electoral Review - your chance to have a say. At last.

With the Electoral Review now underway for Canterbury I would urge local people to ask themselves if they're happy with the way Canterbury City Council currently conducts matters on their behalf.

The Council have asked the Local Government Boundary Commission for England to cut the number of councillors down to 38 from 50.

They say that the 'Strong Leader and Executive' system of governance serves this city well and base their submission to the LGBCE mainly on this.

Given the absence of debate in decision making with the current Council this move will make it much harder for councillors to represent their constituents as they will not have enough time to liaise with the many groups, parishes and associations.

Our councillors already have a far higher quota of electors than other districts and will be even higher with the intended housing development in the Local Plan… an extra 780 houses per year.

The LGBCE want to hear the opinions of local people in regard to this matter and can be contacted thus by 6th August 2013:

Email: reviews@lgbce.org.uk

Write to: The Review Officer (Canterbury), LGBCE, Layden House, 76-78 Turnmill Street, London, EC1M 5LG

Yours sincerely

Lynette Coleman, Canterbury

Proposed cut in councillors could make a bad situation worse

The Shape and Health of our Local Democracy

Canterbury City Council is proposing to cut the number of local councillors in the district from 50 to 38.  The Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) has just initiated a public consultation on whether to approve this proposal.  As residents, we need to consider the implications of such a drastic cut as they could be significant for the shape and health of our local democracy.  

The first question is:

what impact will a 25% decrease in Council size have on the way in which decisions are made?

The Council's submission to the Boundary Commission claims that the current 'Strong Leader and Executive system' is well embedded in our local democracy and that the number of councillors should be reduced accordingly.   However, many residents would disagree with both this assertion and this conclusion.  Far from being embedded in our local democracy, the Executive System is becoming the source of increasing political disquiet.

The Executive system was introduced in 2002 as a result of a change in national legislation.   It was supposed to speed up decision-making and improve accountability, but its unintended consequences have included the creation of a small political elite; a lack of in-depth debate before decisions are made; and the effective exclusion of many councillors from the decision-making process.

Under the Localism Act 2011, we are no longer obliged to keep the Executive system, but a sharp reduction in in the number of local councillors could make it more difficult for us to introduce an alternative model as these generally require a greater number of councillors.  We, therefore, need to ask the Boundary Commission to assess the requirements  of other decision-making models, such as the Cabinet Committee system operated by Kent County Council, as this may be something which we would want to introduce in the future.

The second question is:

what impact will a 25% decrease in Council size have on the ability of local councillors to represent the residents in their wards?

At present, each councillor represents on average 3,023 residents.  This is considerably higher than many other district councils.  If the number of councillors was reduced from the current 50 to 38, the average ward size would be 4,200.  If a further 780 new houses are built each year, in line with the objectives of the draft Local Plan, the ratio of residents to councillors will be considerably higher.  

Reducing the number of councillors to 38 is likely to reduce the ability of each councillor get to know their communities, listen to their concerns and represent their needs and interests.  Admittedly, some councillors currently do this much better than others, but it is the hallmark of any vibrant, healthy democracy.  A sharp reduction in the number of councillors is likely to decrease the capacity of existing councillors to fulfil this vital representational role.

The Electoral Review process provides us with the opportunity to have an active public debate on the shape and health of our local democracy.  We are unlikely to get a similar opportunity for at least another decade.  Let's not waste it! 

For more information, see: consultation.lgbce.org.uk  The deadline for the receipt of comments is: 6 August.

Comments should be sent to:

Email: reviews@lgbce.org.uk

Post: The Review Officer (Canterbury), LGBCE, Layden House, 76-78 Turnmill Street, London, EC1M 5LG

Sian Pettman, Canterbury

MOD Shoeburyness - Forthcoming Activity Alert: 11-18 July 2013

Detailed below is advance notification of activities which may be noticed in your neighbourhood. All of the limitations and stipulations outlined below apply.  **

---

Date: Reason for Notification

11 & 12 July 2013: Explosions may be noticed.

16 July 2013: Gunfire and Explosions may be noticed earlier than usual, 08:00.

17 & 18 July 2013: Explosions may be noticed earlier than usual, 08:00.

---

Note:

Local Gunfire = Gunfire that is likely to be noticed only by communities close to MOD Shoeburyness.**

Gunfire = Gunfire that may be noticed by communities in the vicinity of the Thames Estuary.**

Explosions = Explosions that may be noticed by communities in the vicinity of the Thames Estuary.      **

---

MOD SHOEBURYNESS WEBSITE

This information was correct at the time of publishing. The most accurate and up to date information can be found on the MOD Shoeburyness website at www.shoeburyness.qinetiq.com, why not visit and save it to your favourites for quick access.**

---

I hope that you find this information useful. Please feel free to pass it on to your neighbours.

Local Plan: Herne Bay's 'Usual Suspects' call for Plan B

View fullsize

There may not be any violence, drugs or crime, but Herne Bay's Usual Suspects are still hoping for an explosive impact.

The group of campaigners have stepped forward to produce their own proposals for the future of the town, claiming the council's draft Local Plan would prove as disastrous as the failed heist in the Oscar-winning film.

They came up with the name after councillors complained they always heard from the "usual suspects" and instead wanted to encourage as many people as possible to have their say on the council's vision for development over the next 20 years.

The original six – Dylan Hampshire, Jason Hollingsworth, Andy Lawrence, Phil Rose, Graham Cooper and Ros McIntyre – have already been joined by others who fear the council's draft Local Plan would mean Herne Bay residents would depend on the city for jobs and shops.

It includes proposals for five new housing estates, with thousands of new homes. Phil Rose, who is also involved with the Friends of the Downs and runs website Herne Bay Matters, said:

"The plan's mad. It's just houses, houses, houses with no thought for where all these people will work, shop, educate their kids, or spend their leisure time.  Worse, Herne Bay is being used as a cash cow to pay for improvements elsewhere.

We can't let this happen.  We think that a Local Plan should be by and for local people – the Local Plan needs to listen to local voices."

He said it was vital more residents had their say and got involved, and hopes the Usual Suspects theme will encourage them. Mr Rose added:

"We thought we would have some fun with the idea in the hope of encouraging others who care about the town to stand up for its future now.  The vast majority of residents have no idea what Canterbury City Council is planning for us."

The group is also concerned that the schemes put forward by the council would force people to Canterbury because of the lack of vision for Herne Bay's town centre. Mattress-maker Dylan Hampshire, of Cockett's Mattresses, said:

"This Local Plan will stop Herne Bay from having new major food retail outlets outside that area. We won't get Sainsbury's or Tesco if this plan goes through.  So where are we supposed to shop? Canterbury! Part of the money earned from houses built in Herne Bay will be spent on a new crossing in Sturry.  Canterbury will get new shops too. The idea is clearly that we're supposed to drive to shop in Canterbury, leaving our town without retail income."

The group say job creation should be included, as well as a new secondary school for the town, and say the two doctors' surgeries planned will not be enough to cope with the thousands of extra residents. Ros McIntyre added:

"We urged Canterbury not to build on greenfield sites, but all the major housing developments are on greenfield sites – five in Herne Bay alone.  The implications are huge. These five estates will have 2,990 new houses. If Herne Bay gets its share of the usual smaller developments on top of this, we'll end up with more than 4,600 new homes. There'll be more than 15,000 more people living here – that's a 40 per cent increase on our population of 38,000."

Council spokesman Rob Davies said the draft Local Plan was out for public consultation until August 30. He added:

"We look forward to hearing the alternative proposals for Herne Bay from this group in due course."

For more information on the alternative plan, e-mail LocalPlanLocalVoice@gmail.com or visit the Speciality Food Shop in Mortimer Street.

HB Times 4th Jul 2013