IT'S OFFICIAL. - IT DOESN'T STACK UP.

It's Official, Our Councillors have said that a single  gigantic lorry park west of Stanford (or anywhere else) WILL NOT FIX OPERATION STACK.

The Deputy Leader of Shepway District Council, Jenny Hollingsbee made her views known at a Shepway Cabinet meeting on the 19th January 2016, The 'Highways England' plan to cover 250 acres of arable farm land with concrete to house 3, 600 lorries will not solve the build up of lorries when industrial action is taking place in France.

Susan Carey also echoed Jenny's sentiment when writing in the Folkestone Herald just two day's later. Susan quotes:  One gigantic lorry park wont solve Operation Stack as it will take less than a days worth of traffic.

S&DRA, Monks Horton and Stanford parishes welcomes their comments.

S&DRA.

Our film production team has put together 'STANFORD DOES NOT STACK UP'. Please view and send on to friends and others who you think will make a difference.

   

    https://youtu.be/keACv5AMq2w

S&DRA

PURE THEATRE - POULES SANS TETE

Is it still too late for panto? We don't think so. We were treated to an amazing display of Shepway theatre last night featuring David Monk, Alistair Stewart and the full compliment of Cabinet Cronies. 

Poules sans tete (Headless chickens) was expertly executed by an experienced cast of true thespians displaying their theatrical skills within the ampitheatre of the Civic Centre, Folkestone.

So what's it's all about?

The cabinet meeting was an exercise in 'kicking about' the pretence that a Lorry park with a capacity of 3,600 would solve the problem of Operation Stack.

We won't bore you with the detail of puerile debate which ensued because we all knew what the outcome would be. Another box ticking exercise from a pathetic council towing the line of Cameron, Carter, Collins, Green and Highways England.

In an academic attempt to make the council realise that their approval of a very large white elephant is a catastrophic mistake, we would pose just two very simple questions: We have taken the liberty of answering for the cast of  Poules sans tete based on their preceding debate.

Q.  If a very long road has a steady stream of 6.000 Lorries over 24 hours. How long      would it take to fill up a lorry park with 3,600 spaces?.

A.

Poules sans tete  ??????????

Paul Harwood, Highways England: . Less than a day.

Average 8 year old student: 14.4.hours

Q. When the 3,600 Lorry park is full, where will all the other Lorries go?

A.

Poules sans tete We will look at future development another time. But for the meantime, let's concentrate on the debate this evening.

Paul Harwood, Highways Enland.  Back on the M20 as Stack.

Average 8 year old student: The remaining 2,400 day's worth of lorries would have to be stacked on the M20. The problem is, unless the world implodes just as the last of the 2,400 lorries is stacked, another 6,000 will be arriving the next day.Please let me know if you require a more detailed analysis.

So, once again, there we have it. Call them what you like; 'Headless Chickens', 'Rat's on a sinking ship'  lemmings all rushing off the edge of a cliff. The problem is;............................ they're taking us with them.

S&DRA

MEETING AT SHEPWAY COUNCIL, CIVIC CENTRE.- LORRY PARK

The Public consultation: Managing Freight Vehicles through Kent is scheduled for Tuesday 19th January at 4pm at Shepway District Council, Civic Centre, Folkestone.

This is an opportunity for residents to put a face to a name, if you haven't already done so.

Please make the effort to attend and fill the public gallery so Councillors can see the strength of feeling against this proposed White elephant monstrosity Lorry Park.

S&DRA.

TAKING MATTERS INTO OUR OWN HANDS

It seems that our elected representatives are not working for us by getting the message across to people that make decisions that affect our lives. We have already taken matters into our own hands by writing to the Prime Minister and The Secretary of State for Transport but there is more that we can all do.

I would strongly recommend copying any letters to the following:

lilian.greenwood.mp@parliament.uk - As the Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, Lilian can question whether the DfT and Highways England have undertaken Due Diligence in assessing this project.

It's also well worth writing and copying in these:

tim@timfarron.co.uk

hilary.benn.mp@parliament.uk

rachael.maskell.mp@parliament.uk

evansn@parliament.uk

These four Northern MPs can question why 5 times as much is being invested in this project as opposed to flood defences in major Northern cities.

DON'T LEAVE IT TO THE LIKES OF COLLINS, MONK AND CARTER.

THEY DON'T WANT TO UPSET THE TORY APPLE CART. - THEY ONLY HAVE THEIR CAREERS TO TAKE CARE OF.

S&DRA.

THE FAT OF THE LAND

Landowners, farmers and smallholders would rightly have a copy of the excellent book by John Seymour, 'The Fat of the Land'. But would Shepway District Council really need one?

In a statement issued this week by David Monk, the purchase of 357 acres in Sellindge was carried out in haste and is explained in SDC documentation:

DECISION MAKING PROCESS

As the land acquisition relates to an urgent decision outside the budget and policy framework there are certain procedural steps to take. This Constitution, under the Budget and Policy Framework Procedure rules, allows an officer to take a decision which is contrary to the Council's policy framework or contrary to or not wholly in accordance with the budget approved by full Council if the decision is a matter of urgency. However. the decision may only be taken if:

1. It is not practical to convene a quorate meeting of the full Council, and

2. Where the decision is subject to call-in the Chairman of the Resources Scrutiny Committee agrees that the decision is a matter of urgency. 

SDC paid 5.263 million pounds for the land including fees which we feel is way over top for arable land. But will it stay arable for very long? Who knows? We only ask the question.

It begs the question: Why was it so urgent? And why did SDC pay over top just for arable land.? Were other landowners interested in buying it for longer term farming activities?.

If SDC had invested the money elsewhere (and let's all hope they don't follow the lead of Kent County Council and invest it in Iceland) they could have generated income of around £50,000 per annum.- Not to be sniffed at. 

However, they say that through a SHORT TERM leasing of the land this loss would be covered. Why not long term?

So there you have it. If you need to know more or wish to read the full report please telephone Jeremy Chambers on 01303 853503 and ask for report number A/15/20.

We will be coming back to this matter later in the year.

S&DRA.

SICK OF BANGING YOUR HEAD AGAINST A BRICK WALL - WRITE TO THESE.

Dear Residents,

We have now all experienced the Highways England Exhibition at various venues around this corner of Kent and the general consensus of opinion among residents is that it was a box ticking exercise, void of any real detail and carried out in haste. Moreover, the sense that our voice is not being heard is overwhelming. 

We have been asked to respond via the Highways England questionnaire that has been structured to get the right result for building a huge 150 acre lorry park between Stanford and Sellindge.

Whilst we would encourage you fill in the questionnaire, we would ask you to comment to Q13: 'Much smaller lorry parks along all of our motorway networks''.

It is now very clear that our MP, Damian Collins alongside Shepway District Council and Kent County Council are supporting the building of a Lorry Park West of Stanford / East of Sellindge. These people do not reflect the views of local residents.

In this regard, we would encourage all residents to contact:

The Rt Hon David Cameron MP,

Prime Minister,

10, Downing Street, London SW1A 2AA

To email: 

Number 10 website. 

COPY TO:

The Rt Hon Patrick McLoughlin MP

Secretary of State for Transport

House of Commons,

London SW1 0AA

email:  patrick.mcloughlin.mp@parliament.uk

Damian Collins MP,

House of Commons,

London SW1 0AA.

email: damian.collins.mp@parliament.uk

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Individual letters always carry more weight with emphasis on the following points:

1. With 10,800 Lorry movements each day, a 4000 capacity truck park will not solve operation stack.

2. The installation of a small town (which the lorry park would be) with a population in excess of 5000 would be completely out of scale, located between two small villages.

3. The 32 days of Operation Stack last summer was unprecedented and only brought about by Industrial action IN FRANCE, compounded by migrant incursions

Since last August (and the building of substantial fencing around the  French port) we haven't experienced one day of Operation Stack.

4. This is not a local problem and should be addressed as a national problem with a national solution. Lorry parks should be installed all over the UK making provision for overnight parking.

5. 250 million pounds of taxpayers money (our money) should be used to address the problems IN FRANCE which is the root cause of all Operation Stacks. A dialogue with the French Authorities is a MUST.

6. Concreting over 150 acres of good arable farmland is a crime in itself taking that land out of circulation.

7. With housing construction gathering at pace within the area, our drainage infrastructure can be best described as 'poor' with manhole lids lifting and spewing effluent in times of high rainfall.

8 For many years we have had 'Water Scarcity Status'. Our ever depleting water supplies will come under even more pressure. An additional 5000 residents (transient) using permanent Sanitaryware will exacerbate the problems

9. Make it clear that Damian Collins, MP does not reflect the views of local residents. This sentiment is echoed by neighbouring Parish Councils and informed individuals all over the UK.

10. Air Pollution from this Lorry park would be unacceptable and would contravene the Human Rights Act with regard to life expectancy.

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As time is of the essence, please write as swiftly as you can.

S&DRA.

SDC MEETING 19th January, Another date for your diary.2016. A reminder will follow..

Here is the agenda for the Shepway Council Meeting on 19th January. Follow the link to the details or use this:-

http://www.shepway.gov.uk/moderngov/ieListDocuments.aspx?MId=3091&x=1

The first document, 'Managing freight vehicles through Kent', page 2 item 2 recommends the Council 'to note the content of the public consultation'. Item 3 goes on to strongly support Stanford West as the 'only feasible option for providing a lorry area to alleviate the problems resulting from Operation Stack'.

Look at Chris Lewis's answers to the questionnaire (App B freight report questionnaire). He states in section 2 item 4 that 'the Council represents local residents, local businesses…' and goes on to give full support to the Stanford West option.

Admittedly the Council have had more time and more information to be able to make a rational decision between the only two options on offer, but clearly their decision cannot have been at all influenced by the 'content of the public consultation', possibly as a result of the indecent haste with which the whole thing is being steamrollered through. Democratic window dressing.

S&DRA

SELLINDGE PARISH MEETING - LORRY PARK PRESENTATION - CHRIS LEWIS.

The monthly Sellindge Parish Council meeting is being held this Tuesday, 12th January at Sellindge (Durling) Village Hall at 7.30pm.

We should all be attending because Chris Lewis, formally Head of Planning at Shepway District Council, but now head of Lorry Park Planning will be giving a presentation of How, what,when and why.

We should all be turning up to this event to show our strength of feeling against a most preposterous proposal that will affect our way of village life and devalue the price of our properties.

THIS JUST DOESN'T AFFECT STANFORD, BUT ALL OUR COMMUNITIES.

S&DRA.

THE CAT IS OUT OF THE BAG - SHEPWAYVOX

Dear Residents,

It appears that SHEPWAYVOX has picked up on our latest website posting and elaborated upon our thread of emails to David Monk, Andy Jarrett and Jenny Hollingsbee.

Simply type Shepwayvox into your search engine and read their latest (and more if the mood takes you) contribution.

S&DRA.

EXHIBITION DATE

Although the second Highways England exhibition date had been previously posted on our site, I did overlook mentioning it today😣

So: Please get along to the Sports and Social Club, 69, Swan Lane, Sellindge this coming Monday, 11th January between 2 -8pm

PROPOSED LORRY PARK EXHIBITION (again)

Just a reminder to us all that a second HIGHWAYS ENGLAND exhibition will be staged at the Sellindge Sports and Social Club, 69, Swan Lane, Sellindge. between 2 - 8pm.

Even if you attended the first exhibition, we would urge you all to attend again. We are all a little wiser now so your questioning of HE's representatives should be more determined and harder hitting. For example, it was revealed by a local resident to the BBC Inside Out programme. that Mr. Paul Harwood of Highways England was given a 'brief' from Central Government to locate sites just ten miles West of the Channel port. 

Paul Harwood clearly stated to me that when the proposed lorry park was full, Operation Stack would be implemented.

At the moment there are 10,800 Lorry movements EACH DAY. 

By the time the proposed Lorry Park is built there will be some 12,000 Lorry movements (5% growth per annum)  It doesn't take a genius to calculate that it would take less than a day to fill a 4000 Lorry Park with the remainder being parked on the M20. 

One thing is clear: THIS WILL NOT SOLVE THE ISSUES OF OPERATION STACK..

There has to be 'joined up' thinking here by a longer consultation period, less of a political knee jerk reaction to the unprecedented 32 days of 'Stack' last summer. Dialogue with French Authorities and above all a national solution to a national problem. 

PLEASE MAKE YOUR VIEWS KNOWN AT THE EXHIBITION.

Les Barratt, S&DRA.  sellindgeresidents@gmail.com

 

HUGE LAND PURCHASE BY SHEPWAY DISTRICT COUNCIL

On the 22nd December I sent an email to David Monk asking him whether it was true that a large parcel of land was purchased by SDC. The agent was Hobbs Parker and the land was formerly owned by John Champney. The person dealing with the purchase was a Mr. Andy Jarrett, Head of Strategic Development Projects at SDC.

The next day I received an email from Ben Doble, PA to Mr. Monk, explaining that Mr. Monk is away until the 5th but he would ensure that my email would be seen by Mr. Monk on his return

I also copied the email thread to Mr. Jarrett..

As I had no response from Mr Monk or Mr. Jarrett, I forwarded the emails to Jenny Hollingsbee who in all fairness responded with an email very swiftly and stated that a response would be given after a full council meeting on the 13th January.

I immediately responded asking ' Do you know something that we don't know about the land, formerly of John Champneys' and its intended use.

Jenny's reply was: 'I am unable to comment further until after the Council meeting on 13th January'.

Make of this what you will. Is this related to the proposed Wood burning power station?, the proposed lorry park?, a new enterprise zone perhaps? 

If anyone out there knows, please email us at sellindgeresidents@gmail.com

S&DRA.

BBC FILMING

Dear Residents,

A BBC film crew will be interviewing Residents at 'The Drum' pub this coming Tuesday evening at 7pm for the programme 'Inside Out' scheduled to be shown shortly afterwards.

All are welcome.

Les Barratt Co Chairman, S&DRA