WORKS BEING CARRIED OUT AT OTTERPOOL 14TH AND 15TH MARCH.

After countless telephone calls from concerned residents explaining that works around the entrance are now being carried out with mature trees being cut down in the Otterpool site, we can confirm that under the terms of conditions attached to Countysyle's consent, condition 5 clearly states that the entrance should be COMPLETED before any development commences on site. Whether it can be COMPLETED before 27th March 2014, being the end of the 3 year consent period, is of no concern to us. It is very clearly set out in the conditions that if they are not ALL discharged before the consent period expires, the application will lapse and the applicant will have to re-apply for planning permission. Please see the previous two posting on our website detailing the position with conditions 12 and 14-17.

Les Barratt. Co-Chairman, S&DRA.

ENVIRONMENT AGENCY COMMENTS ON SITE CONTAMINATION (conditions 14-17).

In an email to Angela Watts at KCC dated 14th March 2014 the Environment Agency (EA) made the following comments; 'We are not currently in a position to recommend the discharge conditions 14-17 of planning permission SH/08/124 as we still do not feel confident that all issues at this site have been investigated as far as possible.

To summarise, S&DRA's members expertise extend to Civil engineering, Planning, Drainage and Architecture, but are left wanting in environmental sciences. We therefore commissioned a highly respected, independent Environmental scientist to issue a report on site contamination matters. Duly sent to EA for immediate consideration and mentioned in the aforementioned email we are most grateful for the unbiased and professional assessment review of existing site conditions. It should also be noted that information was gleaned from site workers operating on site in the 1980's. We will be submitting further information to EA to support further investigations. In particular, the unofficial 18 metre (sixty feet) deep pit that was dug to dump a whole raft of 'on site' and 'off site' materials including petrol, diesel, tarmac, bitumen amongst other hazardous materials including vehicles.

Les Barratt. Co-Chairman, S&DRA. 

ENVIRONMENT AGENCY COMMENTS ON SURFACE WATER DRAINAGE (condition 12)

In a recent email to Angela Watts at KCC dated 12th March 2014, the following comments were made by the Environment Agency (EA): 'We are not currently in a position to recommend the discharge of condition 12 of planning permission SH/08/124'.

To summarise, in recent correspondence to the applicant, information was being sought between the correlation between attenuation lagoons and site groundwater levels. It was noted by EA that the attenuation lagoons could be below groundwater levels and that additional information was required. The S&DRA confirm that this would be the case and in actual fact, given the noted conservative groundwater levels, the lagoons, including hydrobrake's/chambers would be totally under water. It should also be noted that SLR's (Countystyle'e experts/agents) own borehole readings are within 150mm (6 inches) of our own.

On the matter of sustainable drainage, Countrystyle's scheme would be to pump the water from site, under the A20 into a ditch and then into an existing pipe across Farmer Price's field. The EA pointed out that this is not a sustainable drainage system and therefore would not be considered. 

The S&DRA agree with EA's comments and look to be providing further factual information on historic borehole readings.

Les Barratt. Co-Chairman, S&DRA.

KCC PLANNING APPLICATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING 12th March 2014.

The KCC Planning Committee were recently called upon to debate and give approval to the discharging of two of the outstanding conditions which were attached to the planning consent of Countrystyle to build an anaerobic Digester and MRF waste site at Otterpool Quarry. This was unusual in as much as the planning officers already have the power to decide upon such issues given that both of these conditions relate to the Weighbridge and Landscaping. As far as we could see, there was no real issue with the weighbridge, but the Landscaping scheme was an entirely different issue. Taken in isolation, it would be difficult to find fault with the scheme, but lay it over the Surface Water drainage scheme and the problems are glaring.

S&DRA's position has always been to take a holistic approach when viewing drawings and submissions pertaining to the Otterpool site.

Fortunately, the majority of the Planning committee members have also taken this stance after hearing from our speakers, Graham Horner, representing CPRE, Bob Edden, Co chairman of S&DRA and our County Councillor, Susan Carey. A representative from Countrystyle spoke of how the submissions made to KCC were detailed and robust but also noted that the attempt to discharge the conditions had been delayed due to contractual delays in acquiring feedstock from various Councils. This, of course is not a material planning consideration.

After hearing from Mike Clifton, (Planning Officer), the debate was started by Councillor Ian Chittenden who set the theme for the rest of the morning. We were pleased to hear that the comments were well thought through, measured and above all sensible, offering consideration to the Surface Water Drainage scheme which in effect totally conflict with the Landscape scheme.

There was also mention of the Badger setts which are situated on the southern bank of the site. Far from being considered, it would appear that all the setts would be destroyed to make way for the drainage scheme. 

Other Councillors to offer support to the notion that the Landscape scheme be considered alongside 'Drainage' included Mike Baldock, Matthew Balfour, Pam Brivio, Peter Harman, Trever Shonk and last but not least Jim Wedgebury, who was firmly of the opinion that matters left to the last minute are usually rushed through with no real deserved consideration.

After a short break and further debate a proposal was set before the Committee to 'Discharge the Weighbridge condition but to defer the Landscape condition until such time that Surface Water and Ground Contamination submissions are before the committee'. Councillor Chittenden was the last to speak with a question directed to Sharon Thompson (Head of Planning) asking for confirmation that the Landscaping issues will be heard alongside 'drainage' and 'ground contamination'. A very firm 'YES' was the reply. A vote was taken and was carried ten votes to one.

Needless to say we were delighted with the outcome. We await to see the submissions relating to 'drainage' and 'contamination' from statutory consultees, the Environment Agency.

It was good to see Sally Edwards of Lympne Parish Council and Donald Broad, Chairman of Monks Horton Parish Meeting in attendance. Your continued support is always appreciated.

Les Barratt, Co-Chairman, S&DRA. 

KCC MEETING DETAILS.

The KCC Planning committee will be meeting to discuss the remaining conditions next Wednesday, 12th March at County Hall, Maidstone. The meeting starts at 10am. All are invited to attend.. Please ensure leaving good time for parking. The Residents Association and CPRE will be speaking. As of yet, Sellindge Parish Council have not made arrangements to speak. See you all there.

SINGLE WIND TURBINE APPEAL.

The 61 metre wind turbine that was rejected by the development Control committee at Shepway District Council and subsequently appealed has now been approved the inspectorate. For those of you are not familiar with the application, the applicant is Windberry Operations. The turbine will be erected on Mr. Richard Price's land. More details will follow very soon. For those residents wishing to comment on this approval please email: sellindgeresidents@gmail.com

OTTERPOOL QUARRY UPDATE.

OTTERPOOL QUARRY UPDATE

To briefly recap; Planning permission was granted to ‘Countrystyle’ on the 28^th March 2011 to develop the quarry site opposite the Airport café by KCC. Various conditions were attached to the consent, not only by statutory consultee’s but also by the Sellindge & District Residents Association.

As the consent only lasts for three years, Countrystyle has only recently been trying to discharge some of those conditions in order to commence building work at the site. From what we have seen from Countrystyle’s documentation, detail and clarity have been woefully lacking.

Our Association has been invited by KCC to comment on the information received of which we are in the process of doing.

The drainage issues surrounding this application have always been ambiguous to say the least with scant regard for our environment.

As we all know, the area is not served by any form of sewer/foul drainage system.

The original scheme to discharge site water ‘run-off’ was to discharge into the nearby highway drainage, exiting in the garden at Barrow Hill Farm cottages. Needless to say, consultee’s took a dim view of this scheme and asked Countrystyle to reconsider the scheme.

In a letter dated 3^rd February, 2014 from farmer, Richard Price to Mr. T. Heathcote, owner of Countrystyle, an agreement has been entered into to drain the surface water from the waste/digester site through a drainage pipe installed over Mr. Price’s land, unimpeded to the river Stour. This letter can be viewed on the KCC website.

Our Associaton’s view of this scheme is one of  dismay to say the least. There are many other technical issues over the site drainage scheme which has been totally ignored. We will be responding accordingly.

Site contamination is another very serious issue that we are now tackling. Thanks to various local people, we discovered that the site was unofficially used as a dumping ground; not just for rubble but from what we can gather, for everything one could imagine, even a car.

A localised site investigation has been carried out by agents of Countrystyle, but have failed to assess major areas of the site, including the ‘dump’ where we believe contamination to be a very serious problem. Once again, our Association team is following up to consultee’s with our own observations and comments.

A meeting/hearing has been scheduled for the 12^th March at County Hall, Maidstone for the full committee to debate the situation concerning the conditions. This hearing has been called for by KCC. For those of us that travelled to Maidstone three years ago, this hearing is along similar lines where the public are allowed to listen to the debate. Interest bodies will be allowed 3 minutes to give their own presentations including ourselves. The officer’s report and agenda won’t be made available until five days before the hearing. For those of you wishing to attend, please keep in touch for further details. It would be helpful if you emailed us on sellindgeresidents @gmail.com to register your interest. Either way, details will be given on our website.

Fwd: OTTERPOOL QUARRY. 16th February 2014.

 OTTERPOOL QUARRY. 16th February 2014.

A statement will follow in the very near future to update residents on the position of the the Applicant, Countrystyle relating to the discharging of conditions before their deadline date of 28th March, being the 3 year period of consent.

AN OPEN LETTER TO SELLINDGE PARISHIONERS AND THE PARISH COUNCIL 06 08 2013

To the Editor

The following 'Open Letter' addressed to Sellindge Parish Council is intended to be uncompromising in its assessment of the way the Council operates. However it is not intended to be a direct criticism of people as individuals. Indeed there is no intention to demine the Councillors or the Parish Clerk. The intention of the letter is to provide a sharp reminder of what this village expects of its representatives and to encourage Councillors to operate in a professional way.

Kindest Regards

Ronald Lello

RONALD LELLO

Grove House

              Sellindge  Kent TN25 6JX

AN OPEN LETTER TO SELLINDGE PARISHIONERS AND THE PARISH COUNCIL   06 08 2013

I am writing as a Sellindge Parishioner and a former Chairman of the Sellindge and District Residents Association to voice my concerns regarding the apparent failures of the Parish Council and its Clerk to effectively fulfil their duties towards the Parish – a concern that is shared by many residents.

It is beyond doubt that Sellindge village has a great deal to commend it.

Most of the people who live here choose to do so because of the combination of facilities that Sellindge offers. We have an award winning modern surgery and dispensary. We have a friendly Post Office and an efficient Supermarket.  Nearby is an excellent and hospitable Farm Shop with a wide range of produce. We have a Pub, an active Sports and Social Club developing among other things activities for teenagers  and children. There are plans to teach youngsters to safely ride motor cycles. And there is a special centre called the 'Pop Inn' – a friendly meeting place in the Community Hall – mainly for those of a certain age and we have Michael who will bring you and take you home again. Our school, led by Helen Baxter, is recognised as amongst the best in Kent. St Mary's Church is active. Clubs and activities are plentiful and we even have a hairdressing beauty salon. Drive though the village and catch those characteristic glimpses of surrounding countryside of outstanding natural beauty. Take a look at the houses – old and new  –  they are well built and well designed and Sellindgers keep them looking good.  A narrow lane, or a footpath leads to the river or a stream – or perhaps  a glade of trees or ponds of fish and frogs and great crested  newts. Oh yes – Great Crested Newts! Wild birds and fauna abound. Canterbury, Ashford, Folkestone – the beach and the Downs are but a few minutes car trip away and yes, we have a bus service. OK! the motorway and the railway line, detract somewhat - Sellindge is not perfect - but if you are looking for an affordable family house to bring up your children in a good environment, or somewhere to retire, the community of  Sellindge has so much to offer.

People have invested in their homes and houses here and do not want to see that investment decline. None of us can afford to lose money on what is for most of us the biggest investment in life. However in recent years a series of proposals have been made that involve millions of pounds of big business investment with the expectation of large profits and/or the development of professional reputations  – all at the expense of Sellindge villagers. The lorry park between Aldington and Sellindge, waste treatment and huge wind turbines opposite the old Folkestone Race track represent the greatest threats.  Were such proposals to succeed there will be a serious downward movement of property values of houses nearby as well as, and perhaps more importantly, a significant deterioration of local amenities.  Millions of pounds are at stake, not to mention reputations – personal and corporate. Companies making such investments do not play games. When dealing with such organisations and the people who run them, an organisation like a Parish Council must surely act with great caution and professional expertise.

Unfortunately it does not appear that the Sellindge Parish Council or the Parish Clerk can be said to have experience of managing  large business operations nor does anyone serving on the Parish Council have expertise regarding the construction of lorry parks, the development of waste treatment plants or land based wind turbines. Evidence of this is all too apparent in the latest contribution of the Parish Clerk to Sellindge Village News when reporting the recent visit  of the Parish Council to Countrystyle at Ridham Dock.  The Parish Clerk places herself at a severe disadvantage due to lack of experience when dealing with skilled managers who sit on a budgets worth £millions and whose decisions affect our well-being. But alas matters appear even worse than this.

The Parish Clerk appears unable to fully articulate or convey intended meaning in Parish Council  communications.  To be charitable, the account given monthly by the Parish Clerk in the Sellindge Village News does not read well.  To be uncharitable, the message is often muddled and meaningless.  One example is the so called apology to me in the Sellindge Village News in respect of the public accusation made that I was constantly negative about everything that happens in  Sellindge and that I 'slagged off' all Parish Councils. People with whom I have spoken and who read what she wrote, thought that somehow it was me who was at fault. The reason for the apology to me was not mentioned at all, so no one knew why the apology was given.

When the Parish Clerk was asked at recent public meetings to identify something that would normally be found in the Minutes of a previous meeting, such detail appeared to be absent. Reporting of meetings lack substance and again this can be seen in the latest report in Sellindge Village News. All indications are that the Parish administration is in a mess. If the Parish Council cannot express itself clearly or work efficiently with regard to standard procedures for clean footpaths and trimmed hedges, how is it to look after the interests of Sellindge Village as a whole when dealing with large scale business interests? I do not doubt that Councillors are well motivated and are prepared to work but you need more than motivation at a time like this.  

So given lack of experience and knowledge how should the Parish Councillors conduct Parish business in the interests of parishioners?  The answer is very simple. First they should ensure the Parish Clerk stops trying to run the Council and then attend efficiently to the duties of a Parish Clerk. Then the Council should do what every successful businessman does and what any manager of any kind of complex activity does. They should get advice from people who do have the experience and the knowledge. The Parish Clerk has maintained this is not the time to ask for advice. Why? People with expertise are not difficult to find in Sellindge and I am certain such people would be happy to give advice especially if it will protect property values and amenities we all value. Anyone with common sense seeks advice about things they do not understand or have not previously encountered and people always have done this.  "I don't know – but I know a man who does!" is the refrain. And these days there are just as many women as men 'who know!' It is just simple management technique.

Now according to her contribution in the Sellindge Village News, Countrystyle want the Parish Clerk  to be a 'one stop  information point' so that Countrystyle can channel all communications through her. This would save Countrystyle having to answer a range of questions from those people affected. Oh yes? Would this not mean that Countrystyle will be telling the Clerk what to say and do? In effect, the Parish Council will become the official Information Desk for Countrystyle Ltd. This would be

extraordinary! Certainly I am sure Countrystyle will be delighted to realise they have a tame and compliant non-challenging Council but is this what we villagers of Sellindge want? Has the Parish Council seriously considered and approved this or is this something else 'created' by the Clerk?  Now had the Parish Clerk taken  professional advice as was advocated at a recent public meeting regarding the Parish Council's visit to Countrystyle Ltd., I think the advice would have been to do a great deal of research before going.

    Each Parish Councillor should have prepared questions and asked them  - but they didn't

The Parish Council  should have wanted to  know why Countrystyle  claimed to be doing so much for Sellindge when in fact, all Countrystyle's re-assurance was to repeat 'conditions' applied by the planning authority when permission was first granted. But they didn't.

The Parish Council should have wanted to know why Countrystyle, not long ago, seriously broke the law and were fined around £250,000 for doing so. But they didn't.

The Parish Council should have wanted to know what safeguards are now in operation to prevent such a terrible action – an action that would compromise this village and surrounding land -  happening again. But they didn't.

The Parish Council should have consulted the Environment Agency and ascertained whether Countrystyle had recently contacted them. They should have wanted to brief themselves in depth so they properly understood all the Environmental Conditions that apply to Countrystyle developing the Otterpool Quarry site. But they didn't.

And the Parish Council certainly should have wanted to know why despite all their assurances, Countrystyle's  Folkestone operation is still subject to so much local criticism – the same  kinds of criticism  that was being made five years ago! But they didn't.

And the Parish Council should have wanted to know about current financial income and the current economic returns on waste treatment investment. Since the returns on waste treatment investment are said to have deteriorated, would that affect their operation of Otterpool Quarry as it appears to affect the Countryside operation at Downs Road? But they didn't

Instead, at the last public Parish Council Meeting, most  Councillors and the Clerk  smiled warmly as they recalled a delightful morning spent at Ridham Dock and said what nice clean people Countrystyle were and their visit was certainly not  about a public relations exercise on behalf of Countrystyle, intending to soften up the Parish Council. Well they certainly did that. And now the Parish Clerk asks for sympathy for Countrystyle who have 'a lot of work' to produce documentation for 'submission to either the KCC or the Environment Agency or both.' Poor old Countrystyle!

The quality of people's lives and their financial well-being is what is at stake here. Is Sellindge to retain its integrity or are we to let outside vested interests establish themselves un-opposed  while remaining indifferent to the well-being of the village. The Parish Council must return the Clerk to her  duties as Clerk and then begin to seek advice from people who understand what threatens  our  Village of Sellindge. With such leadership Parish Councillor heads will then be held high,

Ronald Lello: Sellindger and lately Chairman of Sellindge and District Residents Association

Copies to: Damian Collins MP, Cllr Susan Carey, Cllr Jenny Hollingsby, P Wignall Shepway DC, Environment Agency , KCC Planning Dept.

         

OTTERPOOL WASTE SITE ANNOUNCEMENT.

                                                                                                                        COUNTRYSTYLE WASTE SITE DEVELOPMENT.

The Sellindge & District Resident's Association maintain strong opposition to the building of a waste and Digester site at Otterpool Quarry, even though permission was approved by KCC over 2 years ago. We will be doing our utmost to ensure that all 37 conditions are adhered to and tested before construction period.

In a recent meeting with Sellindge Parish Council, it was stated by the Chairman that their initial opposition has now changed to supporting the application.

PLEASE CHECK OUR WEBSITE OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS FOR MORE DETAILS.