SECRET LIP SERVICE

Dear Residents,

Below is an email sent to a number of Parish Councils around the Sellindge/Lympne areas to inform residents of four exhibitions which Shepway District Council has described as 'Engagement events'. We think this is utterly disgraceful.

Given the enormity of the proposed 'Otterpool Park' New Town development, we think that individual letters should be sent to every resident in the Shepway area and beyond. As it stands, it is left to Parish Councils to contact parishioners within their communities to pass on the information set out below.
It is of course feasible that a handful of parishioners could be informed but due to the very short notice, the majority of parishioners would be 'in the dark' about any such event. As for any press release; we are not aware, or been made aware, of any such notification.

S&DRA feel that the document below is disingenuous, attempting to bypass any true engagement whatsoever. Moreover, we also feel that any community engagement should have taken place BEFORE SDC purchased arable farm land with the OBVIOUS intention of developing our rural communities into an urban sprawl.
We will be posting further information on this so called 'community engagement' event very soon. In the meantime, please share on social media and forward to friends, families and other concerned residents.

Heads up on the PROTEST DEMO. Civic Centre, 10.30 am Saturday, 3rd December.

From: <Deanne.Morgan@shepway.gov.uk>

Subject: Otterpool Park Community Engagement Events 

Date: 22 November 2016 14:35:25 GMT

Dear Sir/Madam

We have now finalised the details of the first community engagement events for the proposed garden town, Otterpool Park, and wanted to provide you with advance notice. All residents of Shepway and East Kent are invited to attend.

The sessions will provide the first occasion for residents and other members of the local community to discuss the opportunity that planning a garden town presents with the planning and design team, as well as to learn about the planning process. The process of developing a masterplan framework will be informed by the contributions from local people, businesses and organisations, all of whom are encouraged to participate to guide the development of this garden town. 

The events are drop-in sessions at the following venues:

Location	Date	Time
Sellindge Sports and Social Club 69 Swan Lane, Sellindge TN25 6HB	Thursday 8 December 2016	2:00pm – 5:00pm
Hythe Town Hall Oaklands 1 Stade Street Hythe CT21 6BG	Thursday 8 December 2016	6:30pm – 8:30pm
Folkestone Racecourse The Glover Stand Stone Street Westenhanger CT21 4HX	Friday 9 December 2016	2:00pm – 5:00pm
Lympne Village Hall Aldington Road Lympne CT21 4LE	Saturday 10 December 2016	10:00am - 2:00pm

This is the first of a series of engagement events that will continue throughout 2017.

We would be grateful if you could circulate the details within your local networks following the press release tomorrow. If you have any queries about the events do contact Jas Atwal at Kevin Murray Associates on jas@kevinmurrayassociates.com

Best wishes

Julia Wallace

Otterpool Park Project Manager - Masterplanning and Design

T. 01303 853248

M. 07702 816135

Shepway District Council, Civic Centre,

Castle Hill Avenue, Folkestone, Kent CT20 2QY

MASS DEMONSTRATION (cont'd)

Local residents from all over Shepway are gearing up for the Mass Demonstration set to hit the town of Folkestone at one of the busiest times of the year. An alliance of various groups are coming together to protest against the shoddy way they are being treated by Shepway District Council in riding roughshod over the wishes of the people. This is set to be one of the biggest demo's in Shepway. A local spokesperson said: 'We are sick and tired of David Monk and his cronies at Shepway totally disenfranchising us. We've had enough. They forget that they are our servants. The sooner we can get rid of them the better'. The demonstration will assemble at The Civic Centre, Castle Hill Ave, Folkestone on the 3rd December at 10.30am. Leave good time for parking.

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County councillor warns 'communities are under attack' as he backs campaign against plans for 12,000 homes at Shepway garden town

Campaigners fighting against plans for a garden town in Shepway

MASS DEMONSTRATION 3RD DECEMBER, 2016.

STOP PRESS

A DEMONSTRATION WILL BE HELD OUTSIDE SHEPWAY DISTRICT COUNCIL OFFICES:- 3RD DECEMBER .10.30AM

THIS IS A PROTEST AGAINST SDC AND PROPOSALS ACROSS SHEPWAY, PREDOMINATELY AGAINST THE 12,000 DWELLING HOUSING ESTATE WHICH SDC DESCRIBE AS OTTERPOOL PARK.

PLEASE WATCH OUT FOR MORE DETAILS.

S&DRA

A REMINDER FOR YOU ALL.

LYMPNE CASTLE EVENT FOR ALL. 15TH NOVEMBER, 2016. 7.00PM.

Dear Residents,

Is it any wonder that confusion abounds! - With recent proposals foisted upon us with no support from our pathetic Councillors or MP, we are supporting the following event:

With different levels of planning (the Local Plan, the People and Policies Plan, and the Otterpool New Town proposal) and various consultations either currently ongoing or imminent, it's hard to keep track. 

LOCAL RESIDENTS ARE INVITED to Lympne Castle, 15th November at 7.00pm for an update which will seek to clarify latest developments and explain how you can get involved to voice your dissent to the proposals that threaten to engulf village life.

SEE YOU ALL THERE.

S&DRA.

SDC PRESS RELEASE- OTTERPOOL NEW TOWN.

Dear Residents,

A press release has been issued by Councillor Monk, Leader at Shepway District Council. It reads as if the Otterpool Town is a foregone conclusion or a done deal, but of course, it isn't. 

Councillor Monk says that he has met with various groups but didn't actually mention the outcome. The local parish Councillors sent him off with a flea in his ear after taking a vote to have nothing to do with the Otterpool Town proposal. 

It is obvious that Councillor Monk has been economical with the truth when expressing an interest to obtain Government funding for this ridiculous proposal whereby local support should be considered. Is this fraud?

The CPRE report on the building on brownfield sites carries weight and negates the need for using valuable agricultural land for housing. Shepway DC have chosen to ignore this well respected body and can only function, it appears, with £ signs in their eyes, with little regard for residents feelings or lifestyle. 

Let us all remember that local housing needs are already being met as stated by Ben Geering, Chief Planner at SDC because he told us so. 12,000 houses is far in excess of what we require and will only become a dormitory town for London commuters. 

Our area is changing for the worse. Our rural way of life will become urban, and it will be entirely due to the soulless individuals that purport to represent us. To say that they are economical with the truth is an understatement; It's worse than that. 

S&DRA, along with other groups will fight to protect our countryside, fight to counter the plans or proposals that seek to destroy way of life and ultimately look towards replacing the 'so called'  representatives, that obviously have their own agendas, from local Government. 

Back in August, we took to the streets of Hythe with well over 700 local's protesting about developments across Shepway and beyond. It was a huge success and magnified the need for change in our areas.  Please look out for details of our next demonstration on this site. 

S&DRA

Here's what Shepway District Council have to say:

Otterpool Park – a Garden Town for the Future

 

The Leader of Shepway District Council says he is delighted that its bid for government  support for a new Garden Town in Shepway has been successful.

 

Cllr David Monk said:  "In response to a government call for Expressions of Interest in garden settlements, we submitted a bid. I am delighted that Otterpool Park - a Garden Town for the Future - has been chosen.

 

"Housing Minister Gavin Barwell's announcement of support and capacity funding of £750,000 means we will be able to pursue our ambitions to create a new community where our children and their children can live, work and play. 

 

"I have already met with many people, businesses and local parishes to discuss our ideas but nothing is set in stone yet. We do know that over the next 30 years we will need more homes and jobs for our children and grandchildren. Many in my generation have done well for themselves. I feel a deep obligation to make sure that we do not deny future generations the same opportunities that we had."

 

The council and its partners will now work with residents in the district to develop a masterplan for Otterpool Park, so that a planning application can be submitted. The masterplan, shaped by the community, will enable forward planning of the necessary utilities and services, as well as infrastructure requirements including roads, schools and medical facilities.

 

This very long-term project, lasting for at least 30 years, will be developed gradually and shaped by the views and preferences of local people and businesses through ongoing and consistent engagement and consultation.

 

Consultation with the local community will start very soon.  The first events are scheduled for December 2016 and further details will be available shortly. Topics for consideration include architecture, infrastructure and sustainability, as well as landscape, public realm and transport.

 

The concept of a garden town, which combines the best of town and country living, has been successfully demonstrated by places such as Letchworth and Welwyn Garden City.

It remains as relevant today as when it was first introduced more than 100 years ago. 

 

JUDICIAL REVIEW UPDATE

Dear Residents, 

JUDICIAL REVIEW FUND RAISING UPDATE  A Judicial Review (JR) has now been launched against the Lorry Park by the owners of Westenhanger Castle, G Forge. The Parish Council is listed as an interested party in that JR. Highways England will cease further work on the site until this is resolved. The Parish Council has opted to be an interested party based on advice from our legal team that it will mitigate costs, while retaining the potential to launch our own JR at a later date if necessary.  Consequently we are STILL fund raising to pay for the legal fight.  To pursue a JR the Parish Council need to raise in the region of £35,000, made up of:  £5,000 – Cost of preparing and submitting a JR  £20,000 – Court process etc. if JR granted  £10,000 - Potential costs to HE if we lost our JR  To date we have raised approximately £15,000.  This is a great effort but we need more! Every small donation helps so please did deep! To contribute to the JR you can make payments direct to our bank a/c:  Nat West Bank  Sort Code: 52-41-42  A/C No: 59193794  Or cheque, payable to, "Stanford Parish Council"  Mrs Dorothy Bultitude (Clerk)  Tudor Cottage  Stanford North  Kent TN25 6DH  Donations can be anonymous or named. Please use the ref "Lorry Park JR". Any funds remaining at the end of our campaign will be returned pro rata to donors who state this at the time of donation otherwise they will be used for the good of the Parish. A breakdown of donations received and their use will be included in the Stanford Parish Accounts. Many thanks for all your continued support.

LYMPNE CASTLE EVENT FOR ALL. 15TH NOVEMBER, 2016. 7.00PM.

Dear Residents,

Is it any wonder that confusion abounds! - With recent proposals foisted upon us with no support from our pathetic Councillors or MP, we are supporting the following event:

With different levels of planning (the Local Plan, the People and Policies Plan, and the Otterpool New Town proposal) and various consultations either currently ongoing or imminent, it's hard to keep track. 

LOCAL RESIDENTS ARE INVITED to Lympne Castle, 15th November at 7.00pm for an update which will seek to clarify latest developments and explain how you can get involved to voice your dissent to the proposals that threaten to engulf village life.

SEE YOU ALL THERE.

S&DRA.

 

SING (OR TRY TO) TO STOP THE LORRY PARK

With £15k already raised, we still need to raise a further £20k for Stanford's legal challenge to fight this monster lorry park. Things may appear to have gone quiet but behind the scenes, Highways England are VERY, VERY active and are set on a mission to build the world's biggest lorry park - WE CAN STOP THIS but it needs YOUR HELP. There are many events planned so please keep a look out for further announcements. PLEASE COME ALONG AND HAVE SOME FUN AT THIS LIGHT HEARTED X VOICE FACTOR COMPETITION AT THE DRUM ON SATURDAY 12 NOVEMBER - LOTS OF GREAT RAFFLE PRIZES TO WIN!

BONFIRE NIGHT TO RELISH

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 Home   Folkestone   News   Article

Stanford villagers to burn Damian Collins effigy over M20 lorry park plans at The Drum Inn fireworks night

02 November 2016

by Matt Leclere

• mleclere@thekmgroup.co.uk
• 
• 

Villagers are set to burn their MP at the stake in protest over the planned £250m lorry park near their homes.

Damian Collins, the MP for Folkestone and Hythe, has been frequently criticised by residents in Stanford.

The village is set to bear the brunt of the 250 acre lorry park just off the M20 proposed by the government last year.

'Damian Collins' sipping on a pint before he is put to the pile at Stanford's bonfire night on Friday. Picture: Matthew Webb/Facebook

But the move has been branded a bit of fun with villagers feeling the MP has failed to represent their concerns about the proposals for a lorry park near Stanford.

The fireworks night is being hosted at the village pub The Drum Inn on Friday from 6pm.

There will also be a hog roast, barbecue and raffle with the bonfire and fireworks kicking off from 7pm before live music rounds off the night at 9pm.

Entry to the event is by ticket only. Advance tickets cost £6 for adults and £4 for children aged five to 17 or family of four £18. For more visit the pub's website.

 

 

THINKING ON YOUR FEET MR MONK - UPDATE.

Dear Residents,

We are pleased to have received the minutes from last Wednesdays full Council meeting at the Civic Centre, Folkestone. To view the complete minutes please click on the link below. 

http://www.shepway.gov.uk/moderngov/documents/g3142/Public%20minutes%2026th-Oct-2016%2019.00%20Council.pdf?T=11

Of particular interest to us, from those minutes, is the following:

QUESTION From David Plumstead to Councillor David Monk, Leader of the Council

On 13th January 2016 report A/15/20 was presented to Council in which the Councillors were advised of the Chief Executive's use of urgent powers to purchase farmland for the sum of approximately £5 million within the area now referred to as Otterpool Park. In exercising his urgent powers to make a bid to purchase the land, the Chief Executive consulted with the Leader and Chairman of the Council, and also noted that the Monitoring Officer had consulted with the Chairman of the Scrutiny Committee. Can the Leader please advise this meeting of the exact dates when the following sequence of actions took place and whether the Chairman of the Scrutiny Committee gave his consent as required by the Constitution: 1. Date of consultation with the Leader Page 5 Minute Item 146 2. Date of consultation with the Chairman of Council 3. Date of consultation with the Chairman of the Scrutiny Committee 4. Date consent given by Chairman of the Scrutiny Committee for the decision to be taken as a matter of urgency 5. Date of submission of the bid to purchase the land. 

ANSWER: (From a prepared statement) Council officers noted that the land was available for purchase on 7 October 2015 with the closing date for tenders being noon Friday 20 November 2015. Between the land being put up for sale and the date for the submission of the tender the Chief Executive had several conversations with me. The exact date of these conversations has not been recorded. I was fully aware of the proposals. During this period the consent of the Chairman of Council was not required. However, the Monitoring Officer did consult the Chairman of Overview and Scrutiny on 9 December 2015 who gave his consent to the urgent decision. At the time it was envisaged that the decision would be taken by Cabinet but it proved not possible to do this. Finally, as I have said the date for the submission of the bid was 20th November 2015. 

SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION Can the Leader, in conjunction with the Chief Executive, explain the use of urgency powers as the decision contravenes Part 4 Clause 4.2 that consent is required by the Overview and Scrutiny committee Chairman, why was approval not sought prior to 20th November (when the bid was put in). Where is the evidence for this and can he provide it? 

SUPPLEMENTARY ANSWER: The Leader informed that he was fully satisfied with the procedures carried out and if he could provide any evidence he would do so

As previously stated in our post of 28th October, we said that Councillor Monk struggled to answer at all, asking for guidance from the SDC Solicitor in attendance. The supplementary answer above from Councillor Monk is evidence to support our statement.

Taken from the same minutes.

Lastly he (David Monk) welcomed Cllr Claire Jeffrey to the Conservative group who he said was a lovely lady with a huge commitment to the residents of her ward and he looked forward to working with her. 

He said that the conservatives are a broad church so if anyone else fancies joining them he would welcome it.

Well, there we have it: An invitation to us all. A broad church. Not a vernacular that comes to mind when describing Councillor Monk and his band of Councillors that purport to represent local residents. If anyone can offer an alternative description of Shepway District Council please let us know. We'll leave it there for now.

S&DRA.