The decision taken yesterday by Shepway District Council’s Planning Committee, to grant planning permission for a 46-hectare solar farm at Sycamore Farm, Old Romney, could have far reaching consequences for farming and food security in the UK.  While clean renewable energy is an important priority for all of us, the use of highest quality agricultural land for this sort of non-agricultural development may set a precedent that effectively promotes “industrialisation of the countryside”.

Had this been a proposal for a power station using fossil fuels, permission would have certainly been refused.  But while the proposed development relates to renewable energy, it appears this ‘trumps’ any other use of the land, even very productive food production.  Wind farms are a similar case, although thankfully some Local Authorities are recognising that these do have a detrimental effect on communities, the countryside and existing uses of the land, and are acting accordingly.

Perhaps the biggest issue that appears to have been overlooked is that the solar farm does not necessarily have to be constructed at this location:  there are a multitude of other possible sites, some of them being ‘brownfield land’, that could have been used instead of this best and most versatile grade 1 farmland.

We call on politicians and planners alike to recognise the importance of clear policies to protect the farmland which is so important to the country’s economy and food security.

As I drove towards the Kent Events Centre on the 26th of last month, it seemed like a particularly bad day to talk about water sustainability in the South East! The rain lashing down (as it has for what seems like months now) made talk of drought in Kent appear laughable.  But as the day progressed, listening to the various presentations made me realise that actually, water sustainability needs to be on all of our minds throughout the year, not just when we have a drought. As the press officer at CPRE Protect Kent, I’m not technically versed in watery issues within the county; however our Campaigns Manager Andrew Ogden, is very much a specialist in the field. Earlier in the year, when the county was facing severe water shortages, we decided that as a leading conservation and environmental charity, CPRE Protect Kent should bring the key players in the water industry together to kick off some real changes in water resource planning. Our aim was to achieve more synergy between these organisations and create a more sustainable water framework for Kent.

To CPRE Protect Kent Members in Maidstone




Copyright Maidstone Borough Council 

As you may well be aware, Maidstone Borough Council has issued its draft Core Strategy Strategic Site Allocations and draft Integrated Transport Strategy for public consultation.  These are important documents which will determine the development and growth of the Borough up to 2026.

We are hosting a conference on the 26th November this year to excite discussion and debate about the impending water resources situation predicted for the South East, predominantly Kent, with the aim of developing an outline strategy to prepare us for the future. Delegates will be encouraged to volunteer their ideas and proposals for creating greater water security and resilience against drought. We are particularly keen to establish a joined-up approach to this challenge, which will be significant for present and future generations.


When? A full day conference on the 26th of November 2012


Where? The Kent County Agricultural Showground at Detling. More information is on the booking page. 

Not just a review of the situation we find ourselves in, but the beginnings of joint solutions to prepare us for the future!

If you would like to join us at this event, please buy tickets online via the button below, or call the office on 01233 714544

   >

The regeneration potential of the Thames Gateway is undoubted, and we welcome the intent to finally unlock the opportunities to deliver housing at Eastern Quarry. However CPRE Protect Kent remains cautious about the potential erosion of the developer contributions that were agreed as part of the original planning permission for the site.

The developer contributions are intended to provide the necessary infrastructure that makes and enables a new community to come to life. This ‘section 106’ agreement will help to provide the transport links, the education, healthcare and all the other essential facilities that will be required. These developer contributions are absolutely critical, without which other nearby communities services may be overwhelmed by the influx of new residents. Therefore, CPRE Protect Kent believes it will be absolutely crucial to Ebbsfleet’s regeneration that the developers are required to provide sufficient money for the infrastructure.

CPRE Protect Kent also have concerns, after our recent drought, about the strain that a new mass of houses might put on an already stressed water system. We would urge developers to take the opportunity to deliver houses which meet the 21st century’s needs for water and energy efficiency, and not to lower standards in the rush to provide quantity over quality.  The watchword for this development must be ‘sustainability’, both in terms of developer contributions, as well as both water and energy efficiency. Without these conditions being met, we feel that Ebbsfleet may well be a poisoned chalice for the government.

CPRE Protect Kent has sent detailed comments on Dover District’s draft Heritage Strategy and how it intends to include it in the forthcoming land allocations development plan document.  The branch has welcomed the initiative taken by Dover, but we think that the balance in the strategy is skewed too much in favour of using heritage assets to further the Council’s regeneration objectives rather than recognising that assets need to be protected for future generation.  Although there are many good examples of where heritage assets have played a central part in regeneration projects, it will not always be the case that the protection and future use of heritage assets will be secured through regeneration proposals.  We have called on the Council to amend the strategy to acknowledge and emphasise that regeneration will only be appropriate where it enhances and not threatens heritage assets. Without this there is the real risk of heritage being seen as an obstacle to be overcome rather than an asset to be embraced.  Our responses in full can be viewed here:


http://protectkent.org.uk/index.php/consultation-responses