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Kent campaigner dubbed national countryside champion
In a presentation that took place in London at the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) 2012 annual general meeting, the former Poet Laureate and new CPRE President Sir Andrew Motion honoured Gravesham environmental campaigner, Alex Hills, with this year’s Marsh Christian Trust award for Countryside Champion of the Year, along with a cheque for £500 [1].
Alex Hills won the award following his tireless, and often single handed, work to defend the greenbelt around Gravesham from many inappropriate development proposals and a poorly thought out Local Plan by Gravesham Borough Council as it was based on the draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) not the final published guidance.
Alex helped to inspire local residents, spoke at local meetings and brought together disparate action groups to form them into a cohesive campaigning force. He organised marches and publicity stunts and ensured that the issue was never out of the local press during the time that the strategy was open for consultation.
On presenting the award, Sir Andrew Motion said: “We are fortunate to enjoy a unique and precious landscape that has been formed over thousands of years. There is something primitive about our connection with the countryside and it continues to change and evolve, which is a good thing if managed in a sustainable way. However, the quality of our countryside is no accident, and maintaining and protecting it no easy task.
“It takes dedicated people like Alex Hills to care and look after it. The work he does is not glamorous or high-profile and the results are all too often taken for granted. That’s why I am proud to present this award and recognise this fantastic contribution.”
When looking at Alex Hills’ nomination, the judges were particularly impressed by his tremendous enthusiasm throughout the campaign. Of particular note was the fact that he had managed to achieve all that he has while juggling a full time career and dealing with a family illness.
When told that he had won the 2012 Marsh Countryside Champion Award, Alex Hills said: “It’s a great honour to receive this award. Although completely unexpected, it is gratifying to have my campaign recognised nationally.
“I love our local countryside but when it came under threat from such a poor Local Plan I realised that if someone didn’t do something, we would lose large chunks of it. I was proud to head up a team of fantastic residents. The Battle is won but not the war to save the greenbelt. I am sure we will continue to be factual, be bold, be imaginative and ultimately be victorious.”
- A number of important documents have yet to emerge. For example, a rigorous transport plan and a finalised air-quality assessment. The latter is critical given that allocations at Teynham will feed extra traffic into AQMAs.
- There seems to be no coherent plan for infrastructure delivery – a key component of the plan given the allocations being proposed near the already crowded Junction 7.
- There seems to have been little or no cooperation with neighbouring boroughs or even parish councils within Swale itself.
The removal of a second consultation might have been understandable if this final version of the plan were similar to that being talked about at the beginning of the consultation process. It is, however, radically different in the following ways:
- There has been a major shift in the balance of housing allocations, away from the west of the borough over to the east, especially around the historic town of Faversham. This is a move that raises many concerns.
- A new large allocation, with accompanying A2 bypass, has appeared around Teynham and Lynsted, to which we are objecting.
- Housing allocations in the AONB around Neames Forstal that were judged “unsuitable” by the council’s own officers have now appeared as part of the housing numbers.
- Most of the housing allocations being proposed are on greenfield sites, many of them on Grade 1 agricultural land – a point to which we are strongly objecting.
Concerns about the rush to submit the plan
The haste with which the plan is being prepared is especially worrying given the concentration of housing in Faversham. If the town is to take a large amount of new housing, it is imperative that the policies concerning the area are carefully worked out to preserve, as far as possible, the unique nature of the town. The rush to submit the plan is likely to prove detrimental.
As Swale does not have a five-year land housing supply, it is open to speculative development proposals, many of which would run counter to the ideas contained in the current plan. Some are already appearing. This is a common situation, and one that, doubtless, is a reason behind Swale’s haste.
Our overriding fear, however, is that this emphasis on haste is ultimately going to prove counterproductive. This is because it is our view that the plan, in its current form, is unlikely to pass independent examination. We are urging Swale to listen to and act upon the comments being made about the plan and to return the plan to the council with appropriate modifications before submitting it to the Secretary of State.
Essentially, this means treating the current consultation not as the final one but as the ‘lost’ second consultation.
The consultation ends on Friday 30 April and we strongly urge residents to make their opinions known if they have not already done so.
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