Blacksole Bridge is a daily risk

Call for footbridge at crossing

A busy road bridge has been described as a “death trap” by a Beltinge walking group. Blacksole Bridge, which links Altira Business Park and Beltinge, has no footpath, but is the only pedestrian access across the railway line. Veronica Kemp, who organises the Beltinge Happy Strollers’ weekly walks from the nearby Miramar Care Home, is greatly concerned by the risks pedestrians face on a daily basis as they cross the busy bridge. She said:

“When the business park was granted planning permission in 2003, among the conditions was the construction of a shared walking and cycling bridge. This was agreed to be done when 17,000 sq metres of commercial floor space had been completed, but currently only 2,500 sq metres have been completed.”

Miss Kemp, of The Horshams, has watched traffic levels increase across the bridge since 2003.

“The bridge has been a danger to cross for years, but ever since more people have been using Altira Business Park and more buildings have gone up, the situation has got a lot worse. Why the council ever agreed planning permission before this was dealt with I can’t imagine. I personally refuse to cross the bridge now that it has become so very busy, and before very long there is going to be a very bad accident there.”

The park has also been earmarked as a site for hundreds of new houses to be built, alongside more commercial and retail premises. City council spokesman Rob Davies confirmed provision of a new bridge still remains a condition of the original planning permission for Altira Business Park’s development. He said:

“The applicant has put forward a new proposal to provide traffic management on the existing bridge through a traffic light system, as an alternative to a new bridge. This would be a single file system for cars alongside a shared footpath/cycleway. The details are currently being considered by Kent County Council and the applicant’s transport advisers.”

HB Gazette 2010-02-25

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Visit www.SaveHillborough.info for more

Humberts Leisure report on the Pier

Herne Bay’s museum and Kings Hall should be sold off to pay for the redevelopment of town’s pier, a new report has suggested. The document, which was written for the city council by consultants Humberts Leisure at a cost of £10,000, reveals few developers are interested in working on the pier and suggests local firms may be the only hope.

The consultants recommend demolishing the pavilion building and using the empty pier structure as a performance or events space. A cafe, shops and entertainment venue could replace the hall, and collections in the museum could be relocated to the new pier. The report said the museum building may be worth as much as £200,000. Council spokesman Rob Davies stressed no decision has been taken as yet to accept the report’s recommendations – which are likely to outrage campaigners still reeling from their failed fight to stop funding cutbacks to the museum. Campaigner Linda O’Carroll said:

“This suggests the council had no intention of saving Herne Bay museum and their review of its future counts for nothing. But we will continue to fight and at the moment we are investigating a lottery grant to help secure its future.”

The consultants admit redeveloping the pier will be expensive, and the council may need to find new ways of raising cash to fund the project – such as providing more beach huts along the seafront. Other suggestions include running an indoor children’s play centre and a Victorian-themed children’s ride, offering studios to artists and creating a water sports base. Proposals for a cinema, bowling alley and housing were ruled out. The consultants did not rule out connecting the two ends of the pier with an aerial ride of cable car-like pods.

The report concludes council should  explore a long-term vision for the pier, “with a view to the reconstruction or restoration of the pier to its original length, or in a new form, in the longer term.” Councillors have agreed to move the sports facilities to Herne Bay High School and the Herons Leisure Centre site. Cllr Peter Lee, who chairs the town’s regeneration panel, said:

“I welcome the publication of this report as the next step towards the regeneration of the pier. Subject to the relocation of the sports facilities, the report demonstrates that the pier has a significant future as an important visitor attraction at the heart of the town’s seafront. The report sets out positive and realistic options for consideration and I look forward to the debate in the town before the council takes any decisions.”

HB Times 2010-02-25

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See the Humberts Leisure report.

See the Pier Trust’s official response.

Herne Bay coastwatch under threat

These people volunteer to save lives. They now have to buy themselves a new home because Canterbury City Council sold the ground from under them. This riles me.

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They watch the coast to make sure those in peril are quickly saved. But now the Herne Bay National Coastwatch itself is under threat and must find £60,000 by October to stay afloat. The service, which monitors the shore and cliffs between Herne Bay and Reculver, is in jeopardy after their lookout on the Esplanade was sold by the council. Coastal Watch member Bob Eslea said:

“Canterbury City Council decided to sell the lease of the watch station. Our new landlords want to develop the building for their own use so that we will have to vacate in October 2010 when our lease expires. It has not been easy to find alternative premises with good views of the sea, cliffs, promenade and beach. The only possibility we have is to build a new watch station or face closure.”

Bob says the organisation, formed in 1994 after two fisherman died in Cornwall because of a lack of coastal lookouts, needs good headquarters because it keeps an eye on events which may go under the radar. Bob said:

“Even with advancing technology the Maritime Coastguard Agency cannot spot the child on a lilo or dinghy being swept out to sea on the tide or a swimmer in trouble. They cannot watch over small fishing boats, jet bikes, yachts and other pleasure craft without radar reflectors; they cannot see the paragliders who launch from the cliffs or notice problems encountered by the public at large. There is a real need for National Coastwatch Institution stations.”

Members are asking for money and fundraising ideas to keep the service alive. Member Roger Atkins said:

“It was a bit of a shock when we heard we have to move out of our present premises. We have to raise the money. It is the cheapest option to have our own dedicated watch station. We need to have eyes on the coast and we’ve had quite a few incidents where we’ve alerted the emergency services to inflatable boats drifting out to sea. We’re considering all sorts of options including chasing big donors and looking at a National Lottery grant.”

HB Times 11th Feb 2010

21st century Canterbury

As KCC unveiled its vision for the next 20 years Canterbury City Council has been doing the same. It has begun a six-week public consultation on its Local Development Framework, which should take the district to 2030. Bosses at the city council say the district is at a crossroads and a “window of opportunity” exists to shape it for the next 30 years. Officers have spent the past two years working on the first draft of the 120-page Local Development Framework.

It discusses plans for 10,200 homes, slip roads on the A2, university expansions – and a marina for the coast. Architect Peter Jackson has long been a campaigner for a marina at Whitstable and put together his own plans for a £16 million development in 2006. Council planning policy manager Adrian Verrell said:

“There is a shortfall of marina provision along the north Kent coast. Whitstable is likely to be the preferred option although traffic impacts are likely to be a major concern for the town centre. A new marina at Herne Bay may contribute to the regeneration agenda but this was not supported during the recent public consultation. However, Herne Bay has well-documented economic and social problems. A marina has the potential to provide jobs, strengthen tourism and provide a publicly accessible ‘green space’.”

The biggest challenge is to find space for 10,200 new homes. Planners have already allocated 6,000 which leaves 4,000 to find. The Council has broken this down to 3,200 in Canterbury (mainly in the south or south-west with limited infill in larger villages); 400 in Herne Bay and 400 in Whitstable. It is anticipated 70 per cent will be houses for families with 30 percent as flats. Mr Verrell warned:

“The housing stock does not offer sufficient choice to meet current needs. There is a need for family homes if we wish to attract a young, economically active population. The issue is likely to get worse as the population increases and we feel they impact of the high-speed rail link to London.”

He said houses are in short supply partly because of the number of second homeowners in Whitstable and the need for student accommodation in Canterbury. The University of Kent has said it will need 38,000 square metres for classrooms and 500 more student flats. Canterbury Christ Church University will need 13,400 square metres of space and accommodation for 300 students. Canterbury already has 25,000 students in higher education. More than 29 per cent of the area’s population is aged 16 to 34 – higher than the county average of 23 per cent. Kent and Canterbury Hospital has announced ambitious plans for its site which could lead to more traffic congestion.

The Framework calls for the completion of junctions on the A2 at Bridge, Wincheap and Harbledown and is investigating a fourth park and ride service. Planners are in talks with Southern Water to ensure sewers will cope and SouthEast Water has plans to flood Broad Oak to create a new reservoir.

Herne Bay Times 4th Feb 2010

21st century Kent

It looks like we need to revise the acronym for the world’s emerging super-economies. From now on, it will be B.R.I.C.K. – Brazil, Russia, India, China, Kent. Grandiose visions, but is this what anyone asked for?

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Kent County Council leader Paul Carter has teamed up with architect Sir Terry Farrell to launch a vision of Kent for the next 20 years. The pair travelled round the county by train to launch the £100,000 blueprint which was put together by Sir Terry.  Cllr Carter said:

“With the development of the high speed train (HS1), change is coming and we must plan for it. It has made a huge impact in bringing Canterbury, Margate and Folkestone nearer to London. I don’t think residents have woken up to the massive transformation HS1 will bring us.”

His vision includes a third £1 billion Thames crossing which could rake in an extra £30 million in tolls a year; a busier Manston airport with a rail link to Gatwick; a new town in a chalk quarry at Ebbsfleet; a new city linking all five Medway Towns; and revived coastal towns. Cllr Carter said:

“Unlocking Kent’s Potential sets the scene for the next 20 years. Sir Terry’s document is the gold dust on top, in glorious Technicolor, of what could come. Kent has been through the most extraordinary change in the past 25 years. We will have massive housing growth when we come out of recession. In the South East Plan we have 20 per cent more households coming – 128,000 new homes between now and 2026.”

Sir Terry said:

“I believe more people will come to Kent because it is so well connected. Kent can regard St Pancras as its London station. You are now connected to a completely different part of London. I remember 30 years ago all the docks in London were operational. It’s astonishing what changes can happen in such a short time. We must link all the airports by high speed rail so people can get from one to another easily preventing the need for more airports. I would like to characterise Kent into three areas: the UK’s most varied and thriving coast; the 21st century Garden of England; and the UK’s most connected county.”

HB Times 4th Feb 2010

Wall of silence

The council taxpayers of Herne Bay have just received a reassuring message from the city council. Apparently the town’s museum is not being closed after all – it just will not be open to members of the public! Talk about semantic gibberish!

As a concerned council taxpayer, I wrote to some 16 Conservative Canterbury city councillors in early December, expressing my opposition to the proposal to close the Herne Bay Museum as part of the 2010/11 budget cuts. I asked the councillors concerned to consider alternative methods of making the necessary savings and urged those representing the town to put the interests of the community before those of their political party.

Out of all those councillors contacted, only two – Ann Taylor and Peter Vickery-Jones – have had the decency to come back to me on this matter. The remaining 14 have not even deigned to acknowledge receipt of my correspondence! They might not agree with my sentiments concerning Herne Bay Museum, but surely common courtesy dictates some sort of response – if only to say that my comments would be given further consideration.

I am not a political animal and, accordingly have no particular party axe to grind. I deliberately targeted the Conservatives for the simple reason that they are currently the controlling party on the city council and, as such, form the executive which dictates policy. As a retired local government officer who served a number of local authorities in Kent for more then 30 years, I have never had a particularly high opinion of elected members in general. Some are hard-working and do have the best interests of their local community in mind, but many would appear to be there only for their own personal egos.

Their failure to reply to correspondence would only seem to indicate their complete unwillingness to discuss matters with concerned council taxpayers and has most certainly done nothing to enhance my opinion of them. For most people, pursuing a sporting interest, hobby or pastime costs money Councillors have chosen their particular pastime as being local politics. Why should other members of the community subsidise them in the pursuit of this chosen hobby?

Are the council taxpayers of Canterbury City Council getting value for money for the majority of their elected representatives? Council leader Cllr John Gilbey has been quoted in the local Press as being of the opinion that the number of elected members sitting on the Canterbury City Council is excessive and I, for one, fully agree.

An immediate reduction by say some 20 members (with the resultant reduction in associated allowances and expenses) would save council taxpayers somewhere between £100,000 and £150,000 per annum – a not inconsiderable amount and certainly much more than the projected annual savings on the whole of the city’s museum services budget.

I wrote to chief executive Colin Carmichael more than two weeks ago expressing my frustration at having received no response from city councillors. To date I have not received any response from him either on this matter! Have other readers encountered a similar wall of silence from Canterbury City Council?

John Fishpool, Herne Bay
HB Gazette letters, 4th Feb 2010

Relaunch of The Ship

Centuries of Herne Bay heritage will continue when the Ship Inn opens its doors once more. The seafront pub has been closed since last summer but has a new man at the helm is Kings Caterers boss Tony Farrow. The dad-of-two, 46, has taken the keys to the 14th century building and is eagerly awaiting its grand reopening next Thursday, 11th February. With no TVs, no sport and only background music, he says he wants the place to befit the motto: The way pubs were, not the way they are. He said:

“There’s a good local pub and great sports bar around the corner, and a cheap place for the youngsters along the seafront. But that’s not what we’re after. We want this to be a place for the mums and dads of Herne Bay – for couples looking for a relaxing drink and a nice meal. We want the older clientele. We want ladies to be able to come out for a drink and not feel intimidated by a bunch of men at the bar. I can openly say we will be the most expensive pub in the town, but reassuringly expensive with complimentary nuts and olives.”

Tony was handed the keys in December and has spent three months and thousands of pounds refurbishing the pub. He said:

“The upstairs has been redone, we’ve had a complete redecoration and have a brand new kitchen, new furniture and new CCTV. I’m really pleased with how it looks. It’s taken a lot of hard work but we’re finally there. We wanted it to look fresher, but have maintained a lot of the pub’s original features. The place is steeped in history and we want it to stay that way.”

With Tony taking a back seat in the day-to-day running of the pub, he’s bought in Simon Wildon and former Wine Bar owner Tony Knight to manage the place. With opening day approaching, Tony says he’s confident his first stint in the pub game will be a success:

“Reopening the pub has created eight full-time jobs, and they’ve all gone to local people with experience. They’re a great bunch and I’m sure they’re going to do I very well. I really do think it’s going to work out well. We’re all very excited. It was a great opportunity for me and one I hope to I expand on in the future. We’ve always had a good  relationship with the town and I hope it continues.”

HB Gazette 2010-02-04

Historic Inn reopening

The Ship lnn is afloat again. After months of being boarded up, she’s ready to take on passengers. The man behind the transformation is 48-year-old businessman Tony Farrow, who has sunk thousands into the venture. He said: “I’d rather not think about the cost. It’s an awful lot. But Herne Bay needs a venue like this.”

He is steering the 285-year old seafront pub upmarket in a bid to win back custom from mums and dads. Mr Farrow who also runs Kings Caterers and is the main booker of acts at the Kings Hall, said:

“Herne Bay has a number of good pubs but not many for mums and dads. I want it to be reassuringly expensive. Our beers will be £3.20 a pint but we will provide complementary nibbles and olives at the bar. Herne Bay is screaming out for a pub like this. I want it to be like the way pubs were, rather than the way they are. We have put in beers like Bass, Flowers, Stella, Becks, draught cider and Guinness and taken out Sky TV, the pool table and the jukebox.”

Town manager Chris West has seen it and is chuffed to bits.

“I am hoping we are out of the worst of the recession and 2010 will be a good year: I’d like this to be an asset for the town and help it grow again.“

He has retained the old world atmosphere of the ancient timber beams, but decked the inside with refurbished furniture from the posh Hilton hotel chain. He has also taken on former Wine Bar boss Trevor Knight and newcomer Simon Wildon as managers. Simon has been head-hunted from Anchor Catering which supplies Kings Caterers. Mr Farrow said:

“He is new to the pub trade but really good with customers. All the bar staff are people who have helped me at Kings Caterers.”

There has been a building on the Central Parade site since 1383 and an ale house since 1725. The new venture, backed by Enterprise Inns, has created eight full-time jobs including three in the new-look kitchen. Mr Farrow who started his career selling food to pubs, took over the building on December 21. It reopens on Thursday February 11th.

HB Times 2010-02-04

Gilbey in fighting mood

A retired teacher from Harrogate has joined the fight to save Herne Bay Museum. Linda O’Carroll has set up a special page on the web encyclopedia Wikipedia and has approached the National Lottery for how to get a grant. She said:

“Although I live in Harrogate I grew up in Herne Bay in the 1950s and 60s and regard it as my museum. I was shocked to read that the city council wants to close it. It is a slap in the face for all Herne Bay people.”

The council wants to close the William Street building to the general public to save costs and has plans to open up the ground floor to take school parties by appointment. But Linda said:

“Lottery staff have told me the Museum is an extremely likely case and that if successful would get full funding for its needs over the next five years. That the application would cost the council nothing. The Sheriff of Canterbury (Cllr Gabrielle Davis) is researching this but the application must be submitted as soon as possible.”

She has also uploaded edited highlights of the council Executive debate to Youtube. She said: “It is an eye-opener.” It includes leader Cllr John Gilbey saying:

“You just wonder if they have got any interest in the issues other than the big ticket ones that get them in the paper. It’s really disgraceful. It’s absolutely disgraceful that they can’t see what this council is doing. But we will fight that. We will fight it tooth and nail to show them what we are doing. No question. After what we have seen this evening you wonder if they have any interest in the big issue other than getting into the newspaper.”

Cllr Gilbey said later he had not meant to cause offence or single out any one group of campaigners. The Tory leader said:

“What I said was not about Herne Bay. It was about all of the protestors, all the people in there. The moment it was over they got up and walked out and didn’t stay for the capital budget which is all about the building projects and other work we are doing. All the good news was in the capital budget. Of course we get frustrated – we just wonder if they have any interest in anything beyond their own little campaign and any understanding about everything else we have to do.”

From: thisiskent

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Gilbey wants to fight… What? Blindness? Any protestor?

Hmmm… I do get the impression that Cllr Gilbey would prefer some version of democracy that involved much less interference from the general public, who selfishly focus on what affects them. Hopefully he’s pleased about the YouTube coverage giving us all an opportunity to see some of what the Council does. I agree whole-heartedly that it is “absolutely disgraceful that [we] can’t see what [our] council is doing”. The vast majority of votes are carried on a show of hands, with no record whatsoever of how each councillor has voted. I think that’s disgraceful, but easily fixed: a simple electronic voting system would let us see very clearly what our councillors are doing.

The resolute defenders of the Museum have set up their own little Museum-o-Vision channel on YouTube here.