Think you know the Isle of Oxney? Walks booklet reveals hidden treasures of this special place

It’s a lesser-known delight of Kent, but the Isle of Oxney comprises one of the county’s most unspoilt stretches of countryside – and a locally-produced booklet shows us how to make the best of it with a series of walks.

The isle sits between Tenterden and Rye just over the county border in East Sussex and is an area of high ground rising from flat, marshy surrounds that are in effect a western extension of Romney Marsh.

It reaches five miles from east to west and two and a half miles north to south, with two parishes – Wittersham and Stone-cum-Ebony – included within it.

Once surrounded by the sea, which has receded and is now held back by sea walls, Oxney is still an island encircled by waterways, even if some of them are just a few metres wide.

Happily, it is possible to walk alongside many of these waterways, while a range of circular walks can be started from one of Wittersham, Stone or Ebony churches, heading out to and along a waterway and returning via another course.

The booklet offers 14 routes – the shortest is just two miles, while if you choose the combined Three Churches Walk be prepared to take on some 13 miles.

It was put together 30 years ago, so it’s worth bearing mind that some aspects might have changed in that time, but the application of a little common sense should be all that’s needed to enjoy a lovely day out in a delightful part of the county.  

• Oxney Walks is available to buy at Wittersham Village Store in Poplar Road. Proceeds go to the Isle of Oxney.

Monday, July 11, 2020

• 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

• Read more on the Swale Local Plan
• Read CPRE Kent’s detailed comments on the plan
• View the council’s consultation document