Dear Residents,
The second round of so-called Community Engagements are now behind us. So what have we learnt from them? Of course, we all know that the only Consultation/Engagement that would have any legitimacy would have been for SDC to ask the question: Do you want a Garden Town in and around your Rural Communities?
Shepway District Council, being what they are, have not sincerely engaged with local Parishes, and when they did, (7th June, 2016) we all told them that there is no local support for such a monstrous development.
Within 24 hours, (8th June, 2016) the SDC Cabinet then took a vote to go ahead with the 'Expression of Interest' to Central Government for their support of the New Town (12,000 dwellings) along with a £750,000 grant.
There are many Residents who think that what SDC did was illegal and/or corrupt. We have listened to all their comments and will post more on this issue as times goes on.
In the meantime, we are attending and listening to Kevin Murray and Cozumel Estates at the so-called Community Engagements. The first round of these engagements produced a stream of negative comments, based on real concerns for the environment which SDC have chosen to ignore.
On the issue of the public relations company; Kevin Murray, S&DRA's view is more or less in line with David Plumsteads' comments set out below, but let us not forget that many of the 'experts' employed by Kevin Murray are not experts at all as highlighted and exposed at the Lympne Village event when their Water 'expert' appeared clueless when questioned on Affinity's Water projected figures and the water usage of an additional 12,000 plus homes. The problem is, individuals, on a one to one basis are believing what these so-called experts are saying.
David Plumsteads' view:
Kevin Murray is in my view genuinely working to record people's views and concerns. His small company of associates is expected to comply with his professional ethos of objectivity, accuracy and impartiality.
We are not fighting Kevin Murray and his staff. Most of the heat generated in the Q&A session in the Sports and Social Club arose from general public mistrust and detestation of Leader of SDC, David Monk & Co. It came close to a question of shooting the messenger.
Kevin Murray is broad shouldered and used to it, but I did notice that consistent shouting tended to confuse/deafen his staff, getting in the way of their writing down what was being said.
I believe we are winning the 'Consultations' with hard unarguable evidence. We descend into rowdy name calling against the wrong people at our peril.
Please keep an eye out for more posts on the lies and deception that we have now come to expect from our District Cabal.
S&DRA.
