Contact us
Visit CPRE.org
Donate
Test for aligning images
Seventy-six people attended our 2015 AGM on Friday. it was a chance to hear about our campaigns over the year April 2014 – March 2015 and to look ahead to the branch priorities for the next year.
It was also a chance to say goodbye and thank you to some of our important volunteers and staff.
Brian Lloyd has been senior Planner since 2007 and will be leaving in early 2016. He was awarded “for his exceptional work at the forefront of influencing planning policy across Kent, particularly his invaluable contributions to consultations on local plans.”
Barrie Gore has been Chairman of the Canterbury Committee since 2008 and is now stepping down. He was awarded “for his role as chairman for Canterbury and his work on Night Blight campaigns and campaigning against the over-illumination of Canterbury cathedral.”
Robert Baxter started work for CPRE Kent in 1995, firstly as conservation officer and then as director before becoming chair of the Kent Historic Buildings Committee. he is also stepping down and was awarded “for his fantastic commitment to a variety of roles as a conservation officer, director of CPRE Kent, and as a trustee supporting the branch in various capacities”.
Alan Mepstead was thanked for his work as Treasurer over the last two years. The new Treasurer is Michael Moore.
As well as the annual report and election of Honorary Officers and Members of the Board, the AGM also heard a fascinating talk on “Championing Kent’s Historic Environment” from Andrew Brown, Planning and Conservation Director, South East Planning Group, Historic England.
The full minutes of the AGM will be added to the website when finalised.
November 23rd 2015
- 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.
Further information
