Enough is enough

We are completely against the proposed development. We have already been lumbered with the estate at Hillborough which has seen too much traffic in Beltinge (VILLAGE) and along Bishopstone Lane - dog-walkers going to the cliffs, so we don't want any more.

When we moved here 14 years ago there was a quiet village existence but not now. There is no infrastructure - schools, sewage works, bus service and a further 1,300 properties (and 1,300+ cars) will need all this, and possibly another doctor's surgery (we can't get in to see a doctor now).

I don't suppose our comments will make the slightest difference as once this crappy council has made up its mind it will go ahead. What's next - building behind the surgery along Bishopstone Lane???

See you at the meeting

Mrs M, 4th Nov 2011

Concerns: traffic, doctors...

Yes, we should like to save Hillborough, like many other people who moved to this district, the reason was to be away from housing estates and be near country and sea. When we moved to Bishopstone 20 years ago there was a caravan site at Hillborough and farmland and farm shop.

We now have a housing estate with more vehicles on the road, which has no speed limit as has Maypole and Broomfield, therefore, Hillborough and Beltinge are just race tracks for cars.

So what will happen if we have another 1,000 house built very near to this estate, people will want to use the road through Beltinge and thereabouts to reach the beach and local shops. We have to wait in some cases 2 weeks to see a particular Doctor we would like, meaning we do not need even more people using both medical centres. Schools are another issue where would children go for schools?

We have no buses after 7.00 p.m.and they are every hour through Beltinge and Hillborough, in spite of the existing houses, so who would want to move into these houses if there is no convenient way of travelling into Herne Bay, Margate etc.

DR, Bishopstone, 3rd Nov 2011

Concerns: scale, infrastructure, employment...

Our concerns are:

• Firstly the development is far too large as 1,000 homes possibly more we are lead to understand will be built.
• The infrastructure in place could not sustain the this amount of houses and indeed say at least another 4,000 persons in this area.
• Where are they going to work - there is no work down here to cater for this vast amount of new persons.
• It has been said by the developers that they will be employed at the new industrial site they have built but all we understand are hi tech industries and I cannot believe that all the above possibly 4000 persons are in hi-tech occupations. Many will have to commute to London or other main towns in the area to find work.
• There will be a vast input of motor vehicles in this immediate area making the back lanes very dangerous indeed and as has already been quoted it will take somebody to be knocked down and possibly killed before it is brought to the attention of the authorities.
• The developers have stated that they will make available the land for a new school but are not going to pay for it.

My wife and I only moved down to Bishopstone in March of this year and we are concerned that this development has suddenly come to light. Our searches from Canterbury City Council did not give any indication that a development of this size was in the pipeline. The developers must have had some outline planning in place. But as stated our Searches Were Clear of any Development in the immediate Area. How could this be?

To sum up my wife and I are totally against this development which will spoil the beautiful countryside and would wish you to put us on the supporters list with immediate effect.

DD, Bishopstone, 3rd Nov 2011

What's happening with this ditch?

You may be interested to hear that Kitewood carried out work to clear the ditch adjacent to the side of our house and right along the perimeter last week, this has never been done before since we have lived there and we wondered what was going on my guess is that they are hoping to improve the drainage of the field which has been prone to flooding in the middle for some years.

Last night we received a letter from Kitewood hand delivered to the residents of Puffin Road, Fulmar Way and Petrel Close stating that a notice has been placed on their land claiming that the ditch between our property and their land belongs to Redrow and they have stated it is owned by a company called Briscoe whom they act for.

They go on to say that the drainage from our residential road drains into the ditch and they can stop it at any time however they do not wish to cause a problem and that is the reason they had it cleared! I don't think so somehow - they would appear to be up to something my guess is trying to assist with the drainage to the field as previously mentioned.

Anyway I thought you might be interested to know about the development.

TH 2nd Nov 2011

Root of all evil

In the Times article Thursday September 15th when Kitewood was asked if they were going to build a school their reply was "We will be paying a substantial amount of money to the local authority, which they can of course use for the construction of a school if they so choose."

This statement equates to "If our application is passed, we are donating a large amount of money to the local authority and it's up to them what they use it for".

I am just a ordinary member of the public. If I put in a planning application to build say a house or large extension, I know there is a good chance I won't get it, I say to the council if you pass my application I will make a £10,000 donation to you, it's up to you what you do with it.

My scenario is no different to Kitewood's, but mine will be classed as corruption, theirs won't.

RN 2nd Nov 2011