Concerns: sewage, roads, schools and more

Dear Sir,

After our local residents meeting, I would like to express mine and my families dissatisfaction on the proposed development by Kitewood Homes. Quite clearly the infrastructure of Reculver, Beltinge and Broomfield is not designed to cope with such a development.

My main concerns amongst many others are as follows:

• Sewage:  The current sewage system in place is inadequate in coping with the demands that the additional Barnes Way estate has created.  Medway Cleansing Service (MCS) sewage teams are regularly seen clearing the waste as the current tannery plant at Hillborough cannot meet the areas current demands.
• Roads:  The area is of a village / semi-rural area, therefore the roads are completely inadequate to meet the demands of a new housing estate.  People will not simply join the Thanet Way to get from A to B, most residents avoid the poor connection onto the Dual Carriageway and access the local amenities via the existing road network. Add to this the heavy plant that would be incumbent to the area, should this development get approved, the roads will be only fit for the agricultural vehicles that used to farm the proposed land!
• Schools:  As stated in the Local papers, a school has not been promised – and even if it had – the area does not need another primary school.  My children when at Grammar School age will have to travel out of the area.  Promising land and passing the problem on to Kent County Council is not the answer, we all know they prioritise Canterbury over surrounding areas!
• Homes & Jobs:  I would welcome a development such as this… if Herne Bay surrounding areas was a business magnet with car plants or such like.  If this were so, and had the area not had any available property or brownfield land then we would welcome development.

Whilst my property backs on to the proposed field, and I will lose privacy and daylight, my real concern is that the proposal is on Grade 2 Agricultural land.  By building on this the development will hand more demand for imported products and of course this will be followed by price increases for products in demand. A sensible option would to follow Government Guidelines and prioritising building developments on brownfield land, not on perfectly arable agricultural land. We do not have a business centre and there are many available units in better areas than the Altira Estate.

As mentioned, I have extreme reservations on this proposed development.  We must take in consideration of Herne Bay's Redevelopment proposals, are we simply abandoning a perfectly good town centre and attempting to build another beside it, with no infrastructure?

I trust you will use and forward on my concerns on this poor choice of placement for a development.

Kind regards,

AR, 6th Jan 2012

Kitewood Hillborough Extension

The 190 acre, £240m scheme is planned in three phases.

Phase 1

• Would use the land which lies to south of the railway line and north of the Thanet Way, all of which is controlled by Kitewood.  The land adjoins Altira Business Park at Bogshole Lane, and is crossed by the un-made Maystreet Road which goes over the railway line at Maystreet Bridge.
• Phase 1 land covers 25.5 hectares (63.3 acres):
  • 6 hectares (15 acres) of the land for employment use as an extension to Altira Business Park, providing 300 new jobs.
  • 12.5 hectares (31 acres) for 375 houses.
  • 7 hectares (17.3 acres) for landscaping and public open space.
• Will include a footbridge over the Blacksole Bridge railway crossing, and a new link road between Altira Business Park and Sweechbridge Road which will enable access to the Thanet Way at both the Margate Road and the Heart in Hand Road junctions.
• Planning application in early 2012 - if it's successful, work could begin as early as the end of 2012, and finish in 2016.
• Kitewood say: "It will cost in the order of £60 million - an enormous vote of confidence in Herne Bay".

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Phase 2

• Would use land which lies to the north of the railway line and extends to the existing commercial and residential areas of Hillborough, all of which is controlled by Kitewood.
• Phase 2 land covers 27.4 hectares (67.7 acres):
  • 4 hectares (10 acres) of the highest area of land to the west of the site would be used for a new primary school (to be donated to CCC) and a shopping centre.
  • 16 hectares (39.5 acres) for up to 500 houses.
  • 7.4 hectares (18.3 acres) for wildlife habitats and parkland.
• Realignment of Sweechbridge Road to the north of the railway to improve the existing dangerous layout.
• Preservation of the historical pedestrian and cycle links via Maystreet Bridge.
• Design of a traffic system to discourage non-local traffic from passing through Hillborough.
• Kitewood anticipate Phase 2 happening between 2016 and 2026.

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Phase 3

• Would use land lying to the west of phase two and north of the railway line.
• Development of this land would require an additional bridge over the railway because the Maystreet and Sweechbridge Bridges wouldn't be sufficient.
• Approximately 16 hectares (39.5 acres) could be developed to provide an additional 500 houses if the need exists.
• 7.7 hectares (19 acres) would form an extension to the central park on the higher ground in the middle of the scheme.
• The two wooded areas on the northern part of the site would be retained for landscaping and wildlife purposes.
• The central part of this land would be landscaped and planted with trees.
• Pedestrian and cycle links and possibly a bus link would also be provided to Osborne Gardens, Churchill Avenue and Highfield Avenue, enabling residents of Beltinge to access the site whilst preventing traffic from entering Beltinge.
• It is not anticipated that Phase 3 would start before 2026.

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If you have any comments on this proposal, you can add them below, or you can visit www.hillboroughextension.com, or contact your councillors or MP.