*** new - Freedom of information - Paul Carter

Apologies if you have already received this.  Back from holiday last night, so my computer has got the huff!! Mavis --- On Thu, 5/5/11, Debbie.Horton@kent.gov.uk <Debbie.Horton@kent.gov.uk> wrote: From: Debbie.Horton@kent.gov.uk <Debbie.Horton@kent.gov.uk> Subject: RE: The KCC Planning Committee Meeting 15th March To: mavis.turton@btinternet.com Cc: FOI@kent.gov.uk Date: Thursday, 5 May, 2011, 15:37 Dear Mrs Turton, Thank you for your e-mails of 10 and 11 April addressed to Paul Carter, Leader of Kent County Council, and my sincere apologies for the delay in acknowledging receipt of them. I understand you have also written on a number of occasions to Mr Carter's Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Waste, Bryan Sweetland, and that you are currently awaiting a reply to your latest e-mail of 28 April.  To ensure all the questions you have raised in your recent communications to both Mr Carter and Mr Sweetland are answered accordingly, Mr Carter has asked Mr Sweetland to reply to your e-mail of 10 and 11 April on his behalf. With reference to your FOI request, this has been passed to the Freedom of Information team who will reply to you in due course. Thank you once again for taking the time to write to Mr Carter. Kind regards Debbie Mrs Debbie Horton PA to the Leader of Kent County Council __________________________________________ Room 1.75,  Sessions House, County Hall,  Maidstone,  Kent,  ME14 1XQ Tel: 01622 694283         Fax:  01622 694085 debbie.horton@kent.gov.uk Please help to save paper by NOT printing this email unless absolutely necessary. P From: Mavis Turton [mailto:mavis.turton@btinternet.com] Sent: 10 April 2011 16:27 To: Carter, Paul - LEADER Subject: RE: The KCC Planning Committee Meeting 15th March Dear Mr Carter, Thank you again for replying to my e mail. I note that you yourself are fighting an application by Countrystyle Developments to build a green waste only plant not far from your home.  I wish you more success than we had, but as Ms Thompson said, these plants are not illegal, and as the proposed business is not nearly as bad as the one KCC granted near our home, so obviously, there will be no legal reason why the Planning Department will refuse it. I read MP Hugh Robertson's objection letter, and it seems that he is of the opinion that Hollingbourne, like Sellindge, has been blighted by the motorway and rail link, but our village has had much worse, and is being referred to now as "Smellindge" by the people we speak to in Ashford.  Our village has not only had the rail and road links put on us, meaning that there are three bridges within yards of each other cutting the village  in two, but we have as you know, the electricity converter  station, with buildings so high they had to be sunk 30 feet into the ground otherwise they would be as prominent as Canterbury Cathedral.  The 6 proposed wind turbines just on the edge of the village are as high as a football pitch is long.  Then also, Shepway Council want to almost double the size of the village with more housing.  You really would not want to live here Mr Carter.  Then of course, there is the lorry park, to handle 3000 lorries during Operation Stack. Three years ago, I had to go to Bromley Hospital for a spinal operation, and the lorries were lined up for nearly half of the journey on the motorway, so the site at Aldngton will not be enough anyway.  £40 million pounds for something which will not solve a problem which occurs no more than 3 or four times a year seems very bad value for money. One of the reasons why I am writing this e mail to you, is that I wish, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, to be given copies of ALL correspondence, letters to and from Countrystyle Developments, the Environment Agency, in all forms which concern the planning application for the Otterpool Quarry development, indeed everything which mentions it, covering the Highways Department, etc.  I understand that you have no later than 20 working days to respond to my request. Also, I have asked for information on why our Shepway District Councillor, Mrs Jennie Hollingsby, was totally unaware of the Planning Application for Otterpool Quarry, when she is Head of Planning for Shepway.  The surrounding villages knew about it, but it took a local resident, out for a walk, who spotted the notice at the site entrance, to alert us all. As we have not been given a reason for this, I hope you will look into it for me. Thanking you in anticipation that you will quickly address these matters, Kindest regards, Mavis Turton --- On Thu, 31/3/11, Paul.Carter-LEADER@kent.gov.uk <Paul.Carter-LEADER@kent.gov.uk> wrote: From: Paul.Carter-LEADER@kent.gov.uk <Paul.Carter-LEADER@kent.gov.uk> Subject: RE: The KCC Planning Committee Meeting 15th March To: mavis.turton@btinternet.com Date: Thursday, 31 March, 2011, 16:24 Dear Mrs Turton Thank you for your letter concerning the planning application for the waste facility at the Otterpool Quarry site in Sellindge.  I know that the decision to grant planning permission was very unpopular and that there was  strong local opposition to the development.  The Planning Committee however had to assess all the planning considerations and planning law, which in this case included strong government and local planning support for waste and renewable energy development at the site.   I understand that you were at the Committee meeting and will be aware that the Committee considered the matter for nearly 3 hours and took into account a very detailed report that assessed all the planning considerations and local objections.  This included the impact upon the local roads including the section you refer to.  The Highway Authority were satisfied that the proposal was acceptable and that improvements other than those proposed at the site access were not necessary for the development to go ahead.  Under these circumstances the Planning Authority cannot require any further works to be undertaken.  The Committee also considered the alternative sites that the developer had assessed as part of the planning application and was satisfied that the study was acceptable and that no other site met the criteria needed for the proposed facility better than the Otterpool site.   I know that the Committee and my planning officers were very impressed in the way that local residents put forwarded their objections and that this assisted in the way that the application was considered and the planning conditions that are to be imposed.   I also understand that you will be very disappointed by the decision, but hope that you recognise that the County Council has to make planning decisions in accordance with planning policy and law.  Where it fails to do so, it places the Council at risk of its decisions being challenged and substantial costs being awarded against the Council.   Yours sincerely, Paul Carter Leader of Kent County Council Please help to save paper by NOT printing this email unless absolutely necessary. P From: Mavis Turton [mailto:mavis.turton@btinternet.com] Sent: 17 March 2011 16:38 To: Carter, Paul - LEADER Subject: The KCC Planning Committee Meeting 15th March Dear Mr Carter, Firstly, thank you for passing my letter, concerning the application of Countrystyle Developments, to build a waste plant in Sellindge, on to the committee. I was very surprised when they mentioned my letter at the meeting.  Many Sellindge residents were present, and having sat through the three hours discussion, we were dismayed, although not surprised at the negative result, namely that permission was granted. It seemed to us all that the members of the committee were told how to vote right from the beginning, especially since their leader had her summing up all prepared in advance. This is a devastating blow to our village.  An elderly lady was in tears because she now faces the passage of 168 lorries per day past her home, from 7am to 5 pm. The thing that I thought the application would fail on, is the one thing that was not discussed at the meeting, namely the unsuitability of the road between the M20 Junction 11 and Newingreen. This stretch of road is barely wide enough for one car and one lorry to pass each other, let alone two lorries.  I would suggest that now planning has been granted, Countrystyle Developments should be made to undertake road widening at their own expense on this stretch of the road, including any purchase of land required to do so. I was, to say the least, surprised when it was stated that 62 possible sites for this development had been considered, including the one that had first come to my mind when the development was announced, namely the huge, already poor land in Bad Munstereifel Avenue, (Orbital Industrial estate).  It is beyond belief that this was discounted, because the site could provide much more accessibility being easily reached from both directions of the M20.  This Ashford site could even have taken waste from Maidstone. How much better than siting it in a village, opposite a thriving restaurant business, and disturbing the peace or a rural community. I realise that you are very busy, but you were kind enough once to reply to me personally, and it would be nice if you could do so once more, Kindest regards, Mavis Turton

Anaerobic Digester - democracy? - KCC worried about cost - away from people

From: brain37@live.co.uk
To: npcu@gowm.gsi.gov.uk
Subject: Re: Anaerobic Digester, Sellindge, Kent (Tara Dickenson).
Date: Sat, 7 May 2011 21:23:36 +0100

Thank you for your letter of the 28th April, concerning the Anaerobic Digester in Sellindge, Kent.

With respect, what annoys me about this whole episode is the way that the planning for the Digester was passed. We are supposed to live in a democracy and if there is a case where this has been ignored then this is it. Our government is quick to get involved with international problems such as Iraq and Libya, where it has the audacity to preach democracy. When we get a problem in this country everyone in authority just looks the other way. How can it be called a democracy when 2000 people, four parish councils, our local district council, MP and county councillor are against the scheme but it is allowed just because a hand full of people at Kent County Hall agree to it? This is absolutely immoral and virtually a dictatorship. As I said in my letter, at least two of the planning committee were asleep during the debate?

The Planning Officer for KCC stated during the meeting that if the application is rejected it will cost the Council a lot of money when the applicants appeal. What should have happened is that the applicants Countrystyle Developments, should have been told that there is too much opposition to planning being granted and that they should look for a site away from a residential area. All that KCC were worried about was the cost to them and not the welfare of the residents in Sellindge. I always ask the question, would you like to have an Anaerobic Digester in the locality where you live; of course the answer will always be NO?

Most of the residents from Sellindge who attended the meeting were elderly, people who have worked all of their lives and contributed Tax and National Insurance all this time. They religiously pay their house tax and in many cases have fought for this country or like me, did compulsory military service and faced Hitler's bombs during the war. What happens, we get kicked in the teeth just so that a few people can make money at our expense? There was no consideration about the attitudes and welfare of the local people and our government goes on preaching to other countries.

In you letter you said that the PM and Minister has to delegate to the Civil Servants but we elect the former and not the latter. When the elections are due they soon start appealing to us for our support. In deed, I have have received many letters through the email asking for such support with AV. All the people of Sellindge want is to live in a nice environment and not have to put up with 100 lorries a day delivering waste food to a site on the edge of the village in the path of the prevailing wind. If the Digester process is so vital then why doesn't the KCC allow it to be built in another part of the countryside that is away from any residents? There is ample space available as we live a farming county.

Finally, a few years ago Countrystyle applied to build a waste disposal plant in Hollingbourne near Maidstone. This Plant was very close to where the Leader of Kent County Council lived. The result was that the MP Hugh Robertson, Leader of KCC Sir Sandy Bruce Lockhart and the present Leader Paul Carter were dead against it. Mr Robertson stated that he was concerned about the impact on the landscape, the smell, large vehicle movement and the need to conserve the Kent countryside, which he reinforced as being the Garden of England. He said that Hollingbourne had already suffered enough through the introduction of the M20 and the High Speed Rail Link. All of these apply to Sellindge.

Will you therefore approach Mr Eric Pickles and ask him to intervene on our behalf and not just contact us the voters, when he needs support?

Thank you.

Fred Turton.

PS. In your letter you said that a copy of the planning decision notice was attached. It was not included.  

  

Wind farms aren't just a blight, they're a folly

The article below, published in the Daily Telegraph on 7th June 2011 re the above, can be viewed by clicking on the top link in the coloured 'Section 3  - Windfarm'. Click on the image it to enlarge. Once read please click on the 'Home page' link in Section 1 in the right-hand column (or click on the back-arrow in the top left a couple of times) to return to here.

View from your window could win protection

The article below re the above, can be viewed by clicking on the second link in the coloured 'Section 3  - Windfarm'. Click on it to enlarge. Once read please click on 'Home page' link in Section 1 in the right-hand column (or click on the back-arrow in the top left a couple of times) to return to here.

Amazed at the sheer cheek of KCC

From: colin abbott <caroleandcolin4@aol.com>

To: david.brazier <david.brazier@kent.gov.uk.>

Sent: Wed, 8 Jun 2011 17:08

Subject: Waste Disposal and recycling.

Dear Mr.Brazier, I am amazed to see that KCC are now in the process of consulting people for their views on the future program for the above. The web site says your views are important and this is the Big Society in action. I am amazed at the sheer cheek of KCC for just as recently as 15th.March at the Planning Committee meeting to determine the application for Otterpool Quarry the views of the 96% of the villagers of Sellindge who signed  a petition against this site were totally ignored. As were the objections of the Parish Council, all adjoining Parish Councils, Shepway District Council, even Susan Carey our Kent County Cllr, together with Damian Collins our M.P. Also three members of the Committee were asleep for the duration of the meeting and woke up in time to vote against our wishes. THE SHEER CHEEK OF KENT COUNTY COUNCIL IS UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT ABOUT A RETHINK ON THE DECISION THEREFORE AND LET THE BIG SOCIETY BE HEARD IN RETROSPECT BY OVERTURNING THE DECISION AND LET DEMOCRACY PREVAIL. HOW TWO FACED CAN YOU GET????? 

C ABBOTT (FORMER PARISH COUNCILLOR)

Urban Initiatives Questionnaire – return FREEPOST this Bank Holiday weekend

Urban Initiatives were appointed by Shepway Council and the Homes and Community Agency to produce a masterplan for the village of Sellindge. This process was commissioned to engage with local people to establish a consensual approach to change and improvements. It covers areas such as new houses, developed facilities and benefits for our Village. A number of key observations were made at the start as part of Urban Initiatives place check exercise:

• The lack of a village centre or heart
• The physical and social disconnection between various areas of the village
• Improvements the residents would like to see to improve the quality and safety of the A20 such as crossing points and traffic calming

The 250 houses recommended by Urban Initiatives and accepted by some villagers allows for the benefits described above together with some others. However in our survey we found that 92% of the Village want no more than 100 houses built here over the next 15 years.

What we need to do when looking at the Questionnaire (at the top of the 2nd coloured section down in the right hand column) is carefully consider Options A and B (explained on Exhibition Board 5 – see Urban Initiatives website www.sellindgefuture.org.uk (its Panel 5 is in the Downloads section) or (its in the 2^nd coloured section down in the right-hand column). See whether these fully and properly address the above benefits. It could be suggested that the 250 houses are too widely spread and do not relate to the Village Green and community feel, and that anyway 250 houses are far too many. (nearly a 50% increase). We might also think that the village green is not designed as well as the version produced by Sellindge’s Bob Edden. Furthermore, we do not know what the priorities are – the village green with some houses around or something else? Maybe you feel strongly that another solution is what Sellindge needs possibly like the Village Team’s plan offered to Urban Initiatives at the start of the process – see the Exhibition Board 3 in the 2^nd coloured section down in the right-hand column.   

We realise there is not much time but the timetable is given by Home and Communities who are funding this process.  We must all give our views to Urban Initiatives to be received by Friday January 7^th to make sure they are part of the process and Urban Initiatives hear what the local residents really think. 

• Print the questionnaire (black and white) by clicking on the link at the top of the 2nd coloured section down in the right-hand column
• Complete in pen, and then 
• Put in the post using the FREEPOST address (or if you prefer using a first class stamp)

by early next week                      Our Village Needs Your Views!!!

If you have any questions please contact Dave Motley via dave@davemotley.co.uk

To return to here, after clicking on the links in the right hand column, just click on the back arrow at the top left of the page. 

Sellindge want homes to centre on Village Green

In this weeks Kentish Express (16th December), is the article below. Click on the image to increase its size, to read the article. Once you have finished, click on the back arrow in the top left of the screen to return to here.

Sellindge Future - Meeting 10th/11th December - Exhibition Boards

Urban Initiatives, the planning consultants who Shepway DC have appointed to reshape our village, presented their findings in the Village Community Hall on the 10th and 11th December.

At the exhibition, they presented their findings to date via 6 exhibition boards.

"Each of the 6 boards can be found by going directly to that board's link within the 2nd coloured Section in the right-hand column entitled "Sellindge Future - Meeting 10th/11th December - Exhibition Boards".

Once you have finished viewing each of the 'Boards' just click on the back arrow at the top left of your screen to return to here, the "Home Page" and then click on the next Exhibition Board link, and so on.

A copy of these boards and all other information can be found via Urban Initiatives' website for the future of Sellindge, found in the 'Recent Updates' section on the right - 6th coloured bar down, 6th item down within that.

We can vote for one of two proposals or, instead, we can tell them we do not want any change or provide a further option. Whatever we decide to do, crucial planning developments, which will radically change our village permanently, will all be determined during the next two months.

This is our opportunity to provide our views. Questionnaires must be returned by 7th January 2011.

Sellindge Future - a public exhibition - Friday 10th pm and Saturday 11th December - Village Hall

At the top of the 5th coloured Section in the right-hand column "Recent Updates", there is a new link to the "Sellindge Future - The future of your village" flyer, issued by Urban Initiatives (consultants working for Shepway) and distributed with the Sellindge December Newsletter. This flyer includes:

- the date and times of the exhibition at Sellindge Village Hall
- the Process so far
- what is the Future about? and
- gives you the opportunity to have your say

Once you have finished viewing the 4 pages just click on the back arrow at the top left of your screen to return to here, the "Home Page".

Sellindge Village News December - Sellindge and District Residents Association

The article in this month's Sellindge News, submitted by Ronald Lello - Chairman of the Sellindge Residents Association, is as follows:


Sellindge and District Residents Association

KCC are going to list the Countrystyle Application to turn Otterpool Quarry into a huge Waste Treatment and Anaerobic Digester site on 20th January 2011 at County Hall Maidstone. This means much preparation in December and early January. Urban Initiatives, the planning consultants who Shepway DC have appointed to reshape our village, are going to present their findings in the Village Community Hall on the 10th (pm) and 11th December. We can vote for one of two proposals or, instead, we can tell them we do not want any change. Whatever we decide to do, crucial planning developments, which will radically change our village permanently, will all be determined during the next two months.

Here in Sellindge most villagers have a real sense of responsibility and a concern for future generations to come, as is clear from the response to our Questionnaire. Completed Questionnaire forms are still arriving but provisional results indicate a huge majority – some 85% - for establishing a new Village Green opposite the Post Office and Co-op in the field that once, was our common land until the Reverend Champney with others ‘enclosed’ it in the early 19th century. Another huge majority – a mega 95% - have voted for keeping our open spaces and existing views between houses. After all, this is the character of our village. Oh yes, and many many thanks to the anonymous person who sent me a suspicious bundle of Questionnaires all voting against the Village Green idea, yet un-typically not one name appears on them – anyway we are honest and we have included them in the statistics. Were these suspicious Questionnaires not included then the percentage of villagers voting positively for a village green would be over 90%. In short, while some of us are prepared to accept limited change towards a real improvement in the village – only the land owners and their associates appear to think that selling large chunks of their land for mega development, where ever it is, will make us a more beautiful and safer village. No surprise there then. Many thanks to all who have completed the Questionnaire and, to those who have just not got round to it, please do so. We shall reply to all messages sent to us although there are so many, it may take a while.

It continues to amaze me that serious consideration is being given to a proposal to build a large industrial site for the purpose of processing dangerous waste – it really is a danger to water, air and earth, let alone to people – right in between three villages all regarded as major areas for housing development and population growth. This dreadful proposal could have been halted by the Environment Agency. Their duty is to protect the Environment so as to protect us here in Sellindge, Lympne and Stanford. They are failing to do so. Julie and Patrick Breen who run the Airport Café are just 50 metres from the site and directly opposite the entrance so that everyone of the 170 HGV’s entering and leaving the Quarry each day will be belching fumes and filth over anyone still brave enough to eat there. Julie serves up to 300 customers each day and her family have run that Café for over 70 years. Surely, the Environment Agency have a duty to protect the Breens and their Café along with the rest of us?

Ronald Lello – Chairman Sellindge Residents Association