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Victorious Vicky smashes 2.6 Challenge in grand effort for CPRE Kent

Elementary Admin
By Elementary Admin &
27th April 2020

Vicky Ellis hits the ground running as she takes on the 2.6 Challenge

She did it!
We speak, of course, of Vicky Ellis, who yesterday (Sunday) ran round her paddock 26(.2!) times to raise money for CPRE Kent.
Her effort was part of the 2.6 Challenge, set up to help charities through this lockdown period.
Vicky completed her 26.2 laps (some five or six miles) in 47.34 minutes, despite almost breaking her ankle on the final lap.
No one is better placed to tell the story than Vicky herself, so over to our star athlete herself, who set the scene yesterday morning:
“So it’s the day of my challenge. I’m surprisingly nervous. I’ve put markers at each corner of the paddock to make sure I don’t cut corners. I’m going to have very wet feet from the dewy grass.
“So why support CPRE Kent? No other charity fights for the wider countryside, home to our flora and fauna, quite as well. They support communities, successfully hold developers to account and are full of genuine people who care deeply about our diminishing countryside. That’s why. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you for your support. Xx”
And, having got back her breath, a modest Vicky broke the news that she had made it!
“To all supporters and countryside advocates, just a huge thank-you. My challenge wasn’t much of a challenge as I often run five or six miles – however, the fact I had so many of you support me has made me feel so grateful to you all.
“Each and every one who has donated has demonstrated how important our countryside is to us. Anyone who knows me will know how important wildlife is to me and how much it figures in my life. It’s our countryside, but it’s their home and it’s the only one they have. When it’s gone, they have nowhere to go. SO THANK YOU! XX”
And thank you, Vicky!

  • Vicky set herself a target of £500 but at the time of writing had secured an incredible total of more than £1,200 for CPRE Kent. There is still time to add to that total, so if you would like to reward Vicky’s efforts and help our charity please click here
  • For more on this story, see here

Monday, April 27, 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