Dear Residents,
A local resident has decided to to contact ALL of the Cabinet members. This is what she had to say:
Dear SDC Cabinet Members,
We moved to Lympne 10 years ago. Primarily because it is an area of outstanding natural beauty and also because we did NOT want to live in a town. I am sure that most of the residents of Lympne, Sellindge and surrounding areas feel the same way as we do. If you create a new 'Garden Town' of 12,000 houses and at least 24,000 people it will radically, irrevocably change the dynamics of this area, not for the better, but very much for the worst. We do not want to become part of the huge Otterpool Garden Town. Since moving here we have been bombarded with planning proposals, housing developments, anaerobic digester plant, wood fired power station, Phides Development on the airfield, Windfarm, and Lorry Park . The councils will not be satisfied until they have entirely decimated the whole of this area of the south East.
The way SDC has unveiled this new proposal, is devious, and possibly contentious. The correct procedures were not carried out and the respective Parish Councils were not given the opportunity until this week to discuss these plans. SDC seem to be intent on pushing these proposals through as fast as possible.
In SDC's Core Strategy for Development there was no mention of Otterpool Garden Town with 12,000 houses, 24,000+ residents and possibly 24,000 cars. There is no way that this development has only just been considered, it must have been in the pipeline for some time.
Housing shortage
Your members are very keen to tell us about the housing shortage and about the 6,000+ people on the housing list. Presumably a proportion of these will be on benefits – will they be in a position to buy one of Otterpool Garden Town's houses, I don't think so. So let's see, where are these people going to come from? Are they people commuting to London by train at £5,100 - £6,800 per year - how big would the car park at Westenhanger have to be to accommodate this amount of extra cars. Maybe the new residents are some of the thousands of migrants who need housing, or perhaps you are going to create a huge amount of jobs with all the industrial development planned. With unemployment still high in this area, do you really think that it will create enough jobs for these people as well as those still looking for work?
Whilst this area with its links to the Motorway, Eurotunnel and Dover ferries make it an ideal place for a small amount of development, why should this area be a dumping ground for both the Lorry Park, and housing. Lorry parks should be dotted around the country like they are in France, not just in one area. The same for housing, there is no need for this many houses in the area so why is it SDC responsibility to build so many houses for people who live outside this area.
Infrastructure
Did Highways think about infrastructure when Nichols Quarry plans were passed? 2,000 cars taking the shortest route to the motorway through West Hythe and Lympne, and the vastly inadequate provision for traffic calming and safety.
Otterpool Garden Village is in a different league to Nichols Quarry, It doesn't matter how many extra roads you build to accommodate the development, SDC are unable to predict what impact the extra traffic will have on the area. Hythe is already suffering with tailbacks for 3 miles in the summer and peak times.
If these plans are accepted, it will be too late, the damage will already have been done and we as residents will have to suffer the consequences.
Pollution
How about pollution? What about CO2 emissions that all the extra 24,000 cars and the lorry park are going to create. The Government keep telling us that we have to cut down on emissions, so why would this proposal be acceptable
Farm Land
To build houses on precious farm land which will greatly affect the wild life population and flora and forna in itself is unacceptable.
Benefits - NONE
The fact that some of your members were talking about how wonderful it is to live in Sellindge , Westenhanger and surrounding areas is very hypocritical. Your members have enjoyed for many years living in beautiful area but they now feel that it is in OUR best interest to decimate it. We have been told that the new development will bring many benefits, what are these exactly? new schools, doctors, supermarkets. The only reason these would be necessary is Because you are proposing to build 12,000, houses. There are no benefit to us whatsoever, we have a perfectly good schools, doctors surgeries, supermarkets, in fact everything we need.
Tourism
This is an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The reason tourists come to Lympne & Hythe are because they want to visit a beautiful and unspoiled area. Can you predict what adverse effect this will have on tourism and the impact on Supermarkets and other businesses in Hythe.
I am sure you are now in no doubt how residents feel about this proposal and that this is not the last you will hear from us.
We are looking forward to our resident copying us in with their replies.
S&DRA
