FARMING, HOUSING, GARDEN VILLAGE ??????????

Dear Residents,

You may recall earlier this year Shepway District Council purchased the land formerly belonging to Mr. John Champney for 5.2 million pounds. For some unknown reason to us, time was of the essence and was purchased under urgency powers as stated by SDC. You may also recall that a statement was made by SDC that a regular income stream would be realised by renting the land to local farmers thereby generating that said income.

Less than a week ago we contacted Jenny Hollingsbee, our local SDC Councillor and Deputy leader and asked if it was true that SDC had a plan to build 450 homes on the newly acquired land. After two days we received an email stating that to her knowledge, tenancy agreements were in place but SDC, in terms of providing homes, or words to that effect, will be looking towards future generations.

We emailed again asking to provide a more definitive reply.

Here it is: 

"Our top priority is to provide more high quality homes and jobs for the people of Shepway.

As part of its Spring Budget of 2016 the Government published a prospectus inviting local authorities to come forward with plans for garden settlements.

In response, the Cabinet of Shepway District Council has authorised officers to carry out detailed work to establish whether we should make an expression of interest for Government support for a Garden Village.  

We will be in a position to provide further information on May 6^th."

 Alistair Stewart. Chief Executive. SDC.

Bearing in mind that Taylor Wimpey have recently been given the go ahead to build 250 new homes in Sellindge, at what point, in terms of population does Sellindge earn the grand title of 'Garden Village'. And what exactly is a 'Garden Village'. As far as we can see probably one that just might be sitting alongside a stinking waste site, anaerobic digester, wind turbines, Dungeness size wood burning power station or the biggest truck park in the world with the local countryside and verges strewn with fetid and human waste. Ah, and not forgetting the never ending list of pollutants. 

So once again, there we have it. Our local council telling great porkies at the outset in the hope that we would swallow it. But for those that did truly believe that cattle would be roaming the Champney land don't be too disappointed, there's probably more old bullocks to come.

S&DRA.

A NOVELETTE FOR BEDTIME READING.

                             A NATIONAL EMERGENCY

                                            M 20 LORRY PARK SHOCK

                               MONSTER RAVING LOONY ZOMBIE ALIEN HORROR!

CONSTRUCTION OF 154 ACRE CONCRETE LANDING PAD FOR MARTIAN FLYING                                                                                                                                                 SAUCERS

Dear readers young and old, I bring a shock warning to you all -  this piece is over 3,650 words long. Be warned - it's more like a novelette. But what a read! What is more, I am convinced that the minds and hearts of our beloved political leaders and counsellors, our wise 'ruling political party people', have been invaded by cunning monster raving loony zombie alien look-alikes. Yes, I believe zombie aliens are now cleverly masquerading as some of our most trusted guides and counsellors  . . . .  and councillors, so they can among other things, build a giant concrete 154 acre landing pad for invading Martian flying saucers in the beautiful county of Kent. There is no other explanation for such lunacy, other than it is all part of a plan for Kent to become part of a Close Encounter with the Brain Dead Kind. As you will learn, providing you keep reading what I have written, it is all part of a MARTIAN CUNNING TRIPLE WHAMMY!  

My story begins when I had lunch with my old boss who now lives somewhere up North. He told me that the ruling political party people up there were imposing some scheme or other and the local community strongly objected to it. He described some of the steps the ruling political party people were taking. 

First he said, all the ruling political party people went around saying the proposals were a 'done deal!'  Lots of people believed them and said to one another 'We cannot do anything about this horrible proposal – it's a done deal. Our ruling political party people say so." And instead of going to Protest Meetings or on protest marches they stayed at home watching 'Death in Paradise' and 'Mid Sommer Murders' on TV. After all, it was a done deal!

Then, said my old boss, comes 'The Consultation.' The consultation is moved around from one village hall to another. Pictures and charts are displayed and two or three men in suits present themselves to answer questions – but somehow no matter how the questions are  framed, the answers are never within one's grasp – strange as it seems, the answers are invariably unrelated to the question. My old boss said it was a special Civil Service art -  the art of speaking while saying nothing. My old boss said that this was the main aim of a civil servant's career and if you are good at it you will be honoured by Her Majesty and might even get a seat in the House of Lords.

Next, my old boss said, comes 'Clarification' – vague, non defined proposals based upon a total absence of reliable statistical or any other evidence or information. My old boss said that mostly this was because there wasn't any reliable statistical information or any other information to offer.  He said that ruling party political people and their public relations advisors know that clear and defined proposals lead to stronger and clearer opposition, therefore the ruling political party people ensure everything sounds defined until someone gets round to checking the facts and discovers they don't exist. (The facts, that is) This leads, he said, to greater flexibility for ruling political party people to twist and turn while the people in opposition to proposals are often caught up in details which no longer apply. He said that government agents, ruling political party people, MP's, councillors, make bold statements and give strong and firm, meaningless assurances – with a wave of their happy hands. If questioned about detail, they always manage to sound faintly irritated.  After all why should anyone bother them with detail when their concern is the 'big picture' and the 'overall strategy' – they can't be spending time looking at facts. Of course they can't. They communicate the overall picture while making reference to heartening assurances of civil servants – after all if something goes wrong they cannot be expected to take responsibility when all they have done is to accept the advice of civil servants.

Then said my old boss, comes the double whammy or as he prefers, the Double Blinder. The ruling political party people have ensured everyone's attention is on one proposal so that no one notices what they are really up to. And that is to sneak in a much more radical proposal without people noticing. It is like a conjuring trick where the conjurer gets you to look at his left hand while he works the magic with his right hand. 

Well, on my way back from an excellent lunch with my old boss I began to reflect on his words in relation to the Lorry /Truck park proposal as a solution to Operation Stack. My old boss's description was convincing but something in me remained uncertain. You see this may well be the way they go on in the North but surely those of the ruling political party people would not behave like it down here in the Golden Garden of the South East? Surely not? Especially not, when our great country is facing, in Operation Stack -  "A National Emergency" as designated by both the Prime Minister, Chairman of COBRA  (sometimes called COBR - no, I don't know what it means either, so you'll have to look it up), the Chancellor of the Exchequer and Mr Paul Harwood. Would such distinguished people deceive us? I ask you? Would they deceive us? And after all if it wasn't for the great and enlightened Kent ruling political party leadership during all the Operation Stack National Emergencies, society in Kent would have fallen apart.  

And if my old boss from up North was right, what on earth would be the Double Blinder? 

In a great flash of light came to me the first horrific and chilling answer. You see dear friends, young and old, what I suddenly realised was this situation is not about a lorry park for the M20  at all. The lorry park is just the first half of the Double Blinder. It is the Single Blinder. 

So my first idea was that the real situation has got to be all about certain people turning our part of Kent into a giant industrial production and warehouse centre nicely positioned for the channel tunnel and Dover ferries. That makes it the second half  of the Double Blinder 

When younger, I was privileged to work with the Sellindge and District Residents Association. At that time we were resisting the establishment of a huge waste treatment plant in Sellindge: some insensitive environmental vandal wanted to turn part of  Sellindge into a gigantic anaerobic rubbish tip.  From time to time, people from all over the county would phone me. They said that they had good connections in Maidstone. Then they insisted that there was a secret plan to establish a major industrial and warehousing area alongside the M 20 from Dover to beyond Ashford but finishing well before Maidstone and Bearsted. (I wonder why Bearsted?) They said this was the original intention when the tunnel was first conceived. One or two callers even said that 'Investments had been made'.

These phone callers said that once a major industrial site was given planning permission, the whole area would be open to intensive industrial development. A huge operating waste treatment plant would be the first step and would help to get planning permission for other developments. Deals were done they said. But the problem was getting the initial planning permission in an area adjacent to an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty containing Farthing Common which provides one of the great classical views of English countryside. Planning permission would be very difficult to obtain – if not impossible they said, so we must stop the waste processing plant. 

Such was the situation until the arrival of the Great National Emergency called Operation Stack on the M20. Never mind ISIL or al Qaeda or even Putin – Operation Stack is the real National Emergency  the government has to face , and it is taking place in the area of the greatest National Emergency since William shot Harold in the eye -  The Battle of Britain.  Because the Prime Minister, Chairman of COBRA has said it is a 'Great National Emergency' Highways England can do whatever they like. They certainly do not need planning permission to construct a huge 154 acre lorry park. 154 acres! What a Godsend to those, who for so long, have secretly tended their desires for an area of major industrial activity in our part of the Garden of England. Once 154 acres have been covered in concrete and tarmac, someone somewhere is going to say,  'Why is this huge concrete space empty for over 11 months of the year? Why not build industrial units and all manner of other ugly things around it.  We can't let all this concrete space go to waste  can we?'  And you see once they get going there is so much more space to build on around and near the M20 from Dover to Ashford. Take all those golf courses for a start. Oh yes you men and women of various Folkestone Golf Clubs – don't think you will be protected from compulsory purchase orders once things get going. Oh No!

So that's my old boss's Double Blinder. While we are all up in arms about a 154 acre lorry park, others are planning to turn all the countryside around us, the whole area, into a massive industrial and warehousing complex.

 Yet, still I had doubts.

You see, I have met some of these ruling political party people down here in Kent.   A while ago, some of them have even had their feet under my dining table. Let's take a couple of examples. Would Damian Collins MP, or civil servant Paul Harwood of Highways England give vague, uncertain, misleading, confusing, incorrect or duplicitous answers to direct questions? Would they or their colleagues, citizens of the oldest democracy, forged oftentimes here in Kent, 'practice to deceive?'  No way! Sorry – I don't believe it. OK. It is true I don't know much about Paul Harwood so let's happily put him to one side for the moment and look first to Damian Collins MP. A lot of people voted for him in the last election. A good egg is Damian.  

OK, OK,  - its true -  I have been wondering and I do know it seems strange, that he does not appear to be enquiring into anything that is relevant to the well-being of the local communities and certainly avoids providing essential accurate details for us to make our own assessments and instead, appears to place responsibilities on other government agencies. Yes I know it seems out of character that he says he has to take into account the feelings of other people when all he seems to have done is listen to their Parish Councils who are mostly his own ruling political party people. (And anyway which Parish council has surveyed opinion on this matter? But Sellindge is - Oh yes –  I expect it's that power house of the Sellindge Chairman, we have to thank, for that!)  Yes I know this and much more. I know no one is perfect. But I can say that the man whose feet have walked over my front door mat  would never behave in an irresponsible way. It is quite out of character. 

And what about Paul Harwood? Well I have only met him once at the Sellindge Social Club when he arrived with some lovely charts and diagrams. Anyway, I looked him up on Google and found a clip of him giving a lecture on Network Strategy for Airport Expansion. The clip showed some wonderful diagrams and  being clearly on top of his subject, he spoke to his audience with great confidence, his words flowing like a mighty river in flood, carrying all before it. His confidence and certainty would brook no impediment. 

But it was at that very moment, when those very thoughts were going through my mind, that another and quite different, terrible, horrific, suspicion – entered my little grey cells.

You see when Paul Harwood came to Sellindge Social Club with some nice diagrams, our good Les Barratt asked him a simple question: Had he been in touch with Southern Water? After all as far as we know Paul is the most senior engineer on this project. Surely he would have run his proposals past Southern Water – you know -  just a phone call to make sure. But as Les asked his question, Paul's jaw dropped and opened mouthed he just looked at us – for a long time. The mighty verbal river flow which had borne the Network Strategy for Airport Expansion had dried up – not even a trickle. So the good Les asked again, "If you haven't asked Southern Water about sewerage, how do you know these sites can deal with the sewerage? This time after some long hesitation, a tiny trickle slowly appeared. The great engineer said, "If Southern Water wants to know anything they can phone me."  So I chipped in with "Hold on a minute, if and when Operation Stack is fully working you will have around 5,000 men and women  - please don't forget there will be 'Ladies' as well as 'Gents'  wanting to urinate and defecate. They might even want a shower.  Looking at all that concrete might actually induce the thought and feeling. So where on all that concrete are they going to do it? Again a long pause before Paul said defiantly,  "Well, they do it now don't they on the M 20!". "So does that means into plastic bags which are chucked out of the cab windows? Who will clear them up on the 154 acre site?",  I politely enquired. He looked rather irritated as if he was being prevented from outlining the Grand Strategy, " It's no different to a theatre or a football match.  Six thousand people can easily turn up on those occasions and the sewers cope," he opined 

I could not believe what I was hearing. Surely this was not the same brilliant man who devises Network Strategies for Airport Expansions? Surely this was not the man whose mind and words carried all before him like a mighty river?

I wanted to ask more.  I wanted to ask about 'the largest Truck Park in the World' in Iowa USA, which can park only  900 lorries and yet has a massive infrastructure to cope with driver needs. It has over 400 employees, 15 fuel pumps and dedicated pumps for diesel exhaust fluid, with all the support services and systems  those services require. It includes several restaurants, sleeping accommodation, showers and bathing, doctor and dentist surgeries which are open 24 hours a day.  Management, cleaners, traffic controllers, security  and who knows what else. 

Mr Harwood's scheme is for four times as many trucks and a park of a size that has never ever been tried anywhere in the world before. The Iowa truck park operates all day all year. It does not take a genius to wonder how the Stanford Lorry  Park which at the very, very  worst might operate for one month per year, but rarely for more than two or three consecutive days, will be able to function. What will happen on the £250 million empty chunk of concrete for say 11 months per year? I wanted to ask all this and more. But Mr Paul Harwood had retreated. Of course we are assuming that this Stanford  Park is just for occasions when Operation Stack is operating. Surely our ruling political party people would never use COBRA and  National Emergency legislation to get round the normal planning application which a proposed lorry park would have to undertake? (I am sure our noble Prime Minister would be devastated to find such underhanded deceitful action had been taken in his good name. And what would our wise Leader of Kent County Council make of it all, I wonder. Surely  he would be heart-broken.) 

It was only when I came to compare the ' mighty river flow' Harwood of Airport Strategies with the open mouthed hesitant Harwood of Sellindge Social Club  that my horrific, terrifying suspicions turned towards a new certainty. My blood ran cold. These men, Harwood and Collins were not the men I thought them to be. This was not the Paul 'like a mighty river flowing' Harwood. This was an impersonator, an imitator, an impostor. My mind then flashed to Damian Collins and his inexplicable inconsistencies. Things he was saying which are just not good old Damian. The man talking rubbish was not Damian at all but another look-a-like imposter. Does it end here? I doubt it. How can any of us say that the protagonists of this Lorry Park scheme are real people? With my dreadful, and horrific realisation came a moment of blood chilling insight.

It seems more than likely that none of the advocates of the Lorry Park Scheme are real people. After all, the aim of the Lorry Park is to bring to an end Operation Stack but to do that in two years time, it would need to park some 12,000 trucks or more. No! This cannot be the policy of real people.  But if they are not the real people who can they be? My young grandson gave me the answer. He is doing Politics A level and he asked me if the Monster Raving Loony Party still existed. And that was it. Of course! Somehow, some of those rather nice Monster Raving Loony People have become horrible Zombie Aliens with wicked intentions. 

So what we see and hear talking to us are Monster Raving Loony Zombie Aliens. The real Damian Collins and Paul Harwood and their colleagues have been spirited away somewhere. It makes so much sense.  But hold on a minute, who are the Monster Raving Loony Zombie Aliens working for? The inspired answer came after some reflection – what would a chunk of concrete the size of 90 football pitches be needed for? I became inspired. Don't ever forget that 'God works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform'. Once you realise it, it seems so obvious. 

The Zombie Aliens are working for Martians from Mars who have been planning an invasion of Kent for a very long time. It is The Triple Blinder, the Triple Whammy. (do you remember all that way back? It is where we began this journey at lunch with my old boss!) Martians want to come here but they hate gardens and trees and fields and country views and wild animals and birds and birdsong. Yes, they hate birdsong and the lowing of cattle and the bleating of sheep and whatever sound horses and ponies make. The Martians especially hate seeing families and children going out to meet and enjoy nature and the natural world. They hate seeing youngsters playing cricket and net ball and football and rugby on real grass.  They hate it all, the Martians do.  Martians love plain crunchy concrete that stretches far beyond view on which one can see lots of little plastic bags lying around where lorries have parked. Eventually they plan to cover the whole UK with concrete. But first they need a landing pad for their flying saucers. 154 acres is just about right. 

So then, everything is going to plan. The Martians don't even need to apply for planning permission from KCC or Shepway or Dave,  the Prime Minister, Chairman of Cobra. The Great National Emergency will give them what they want.  It is all going to plan.

However dear readers young and old, I have a different plan. With your help I am resolved to find and bring back the real Damian Collins and the real Paul 'mighty like a river flowing' Harwood and all the ruling political party people and set them to become the Real Leaders, which by Nature they are. Let them discover the accuracy or otherwise of Police and Highways England statistics and the actual effectiveness of their previous roadside parking concepts and the way they restricted access,  and lorry flows along the M20, air pollution, water pollution, ecology issues and probable effect on local communities, the effect upon the sanity of people owning houses in Stanford, the effect of poisoned water in our aquifers and all the masses of other information that they can get hold of and we cannot. After all, this is what they are paid to do. This is what they are paid to do.  With our encouragement, let the real Damian Collins investigate  the real threat to Sellindge School and Stanford village from 3,600 trucks parked closely together instead of being stretched out in one long line for miles and miles and miles down the M20. Let them all get the real data.  Let's find out how the largest truck park in the world in Iowa USA operates and what the problems are and how they are solved. Good Old Damian could even go there with mighty river Paul, on a legit fact finding trip –  blimey - Iowa in the spring time -  they say you get a really good steak and fries there Damian and Paul. 

That's my plan. Well almost. One other thing is to March. March in March. All the villages, the golfers, the children and everyone else to go on a March in March. There is nothing like an 'all villagers march' to unsettle the ruling political party people and the Government and the Chairman of COBRA. A good massive march can work wonders. Of course it has to be organised, but then there are a lot of very good organisers out there. You are probably one of them. And the Media love it.  And the other good thing about it is that it will frighten off those horrible Martian Monster Raving Loony Zombie Aliens, (they hate marches), so their plan to give us a Close Encounter with the Brain Dead Kind will never succeed.

Ronald Lello:   previously  Chairman of Sellindge and District  Residents Association

CONFUSED ? SO ARE WE.

Last month S&DRA conducted a simple online survey to assess the level of support for the proposed Lorry park. Overwhelmingly, Sellindge residents voted to oppose the Highways England proposals, but Sellindge Parish Council supported it. In a recent PC meeting the subject of the online survey was raised by a resident only to be met with the claim of disbelief from Chairman Bull. Where are the emails? he exclaimed.

In this months Sellindge Village News ( a PC publication), a survey is being carried out to assess how many residents actually agree with the Parish Council view that a lorry park be built. What's the point I hear you all ask when Sellindge Parish Council have already submitted the HE questionnaire and stated quite clearly that they represent the residents of Sellindge.

Isn't this a case of Sellindge PC working in reverse? Yes of course it is. Why? We assume that this is an exercise in giving Sellindge PC a vote of confidence to carry on their good work for the residents of Sellindge. So if you can understand the logic and reasoning of your PC in supporting the construction of the largest lorry Park in the world on your doorstep and also believe that Lorry traffic will increase through Sellindge Village and further believe that this is the one and only issue that should be considered when making a judgement to build the Lorry park, one would assume that you support your PC and therefore tick the upper box. If on the other hand you agree with Monks Horton, Stowting, Stanford, Lympne, Postling, CPRE and S&DRA, all opposing the HE Proposal, then a tick in the lower box would be in order. Either way, please have your say. It's your Village.

S&DRA

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

In a recent (20.1.16) posting, we described a Shepway Cabinet Meeting as Pure Theatre – Poules sans tete (Headless Chickens). David Monk and his Cabinet cronies went through the pretence of debating and voting on who would like a lorry park between Stanford and Sellindge. Surprise, surprise all the cronies voted for it. Could they all be excused for not realising what a white elephant it would be or the strength of feeling against it in Stanford, Monks Horton, Stowting, Postling and Lympne. Well at least one Councillor knew but she still voted for option 1, Alternative 3 – Jenny Hollingsbee. But at least she made it a matter of record that Operation stack would still have to be implemented even with the biggest lorry park in the world. Towing the party line most obviously the order of the day here.

But hang on. Where is Sellindge in all of this? Confusion reigns, but is it still reigning?

Through the grapevine we heard that Sellindge PC were in favour of a lorry park, albeit only for 2000 in Stanford/Sellindge. Still four times the size of the largest lorry park in the UK. But how could this be and what's the reasoning behind it. Last Tuesday (9.2.16) evening we were all treated to another tranche of theatre, but this time we were all going to the movies: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY.

At least 60 good local residents attended to pose questions to Sellindge PC along with residents from Stanford and Monks Horton (also good).

The opening salvo from a local resident was 'Why did you think that supporters of the lorry park were intimidated by residents who opposed it as you have already stated'. (This was in response to the PC's statement that residents were afraid to show HE support).  The Chairman's reply was because they didn't show their hands when asked to do so, or words to that effect, followed by a good spattering of 'we assumed'.

During the questioning and the PC's garbled answers we understand that the PC's main reason for supporting the HE proposal was to reduce the lorries passing through the village. Are we all missing something here? Unless Sellindge PC can support this claim or notion with some real evidence, then it is completely unfounded.

Chairman Bull had already adopted an aggressive attitude and looked to be taking no prisoners. As the evening progressed and the questioning more probing, Chairman Bull's attitude became even more hostile and bullying, reminiscent of an unsavoury, beleaguered old gringo. The scenes were ugly.

Residents were incredulous with the rudeness and idiotic remarks (I'd shoot the lot of them) being made by a Chairman in public office, purporting to represent the 1600 residents of Sellindge, making judgement's and decisions on their behalf. I heard one resident say 'Could this be Donald Trump smuggled into the UK and disguised as Chairman Bull?' Another resident shouted 'He's an idiot wrapped up in the skin of a moron'. (I take it he was answering the other resident on the Donald Trump issue).

If it wasn't so serious, it would be funny. But it is serious. So serious that resident's would rather have no Parish Council at all rather than be represented by Chairman Bull and Co.

At this moment in time, we have a Parish Council that has decided to support Damian Collins and Highways England to construct the largest global lorry park on our doorstep and they haven't even taken the trouble to conduct a simple survey to judge the mood of the people, whose lives will be massively impacted. They have ignored any structure or framework that belies the foundation of any decent Parish Council.

For fear of being prescriptive, may we suggest to Sellindge Parish Council to reconsider their position, take account of the majority view, tell HE that your position has now changed to one that reflects the wishes of local residents and stand alongside neighbouring Parishes. Moreover, you can ask Damian Collins to remove Sellindge Parish Council from his list of 'mushroom' Lorry Park supporters who are so conveniently being kept in the dark and tell Mr. Collins to start coming up with a few honest facts.

So, we've already mentioned the good and the ugly. You decide who's bad.

S&DRA.

SURVEY RESULTS.

Dear Residents of Sellindge and neighbouring villages.

We have conducted a simple survey of which you would have all been aware.

The number of residents agreeing with the general principle of building a massive lorry park in the Stanford area as set out by Highways England amounts to 3 residents.

The number of residents opposing the building of a lorry park as set out by Highways England amounts to 101 residents

As a reminder: The scheme is to build a 3,600 lorry park West of Stanford, East of Sellindge. 

The biggest Lorry Park/Truck stop in the UK, as confirmed by 'Highways England' is 554 (Essex)

The biggest Lorry Park/Truck Stop in Kent is 390. (Ashford)

S&DRA.

LIES,DAMNED LIES AND STATISTICS.

Cast your minds back to the Highways England Lorry Park Exhibitions and visualise Paul Harwood standing between the pink blobs on barely discernible maps telling us that one big lorry park is the only way forward, and that multiple lorry parks are out of the question because 'smart' signage simply would not work. Then cast your minds back to Westenhanger Castle where our Member of Parliament, Damian Collins said the same thing when questioned on the very same subject by local residents.

As Mr. Harwood and Mr. Collins were not forthcoming on any statistics to back up their claims, we can only deduce that great untruths were being told. 

Capita Group is a FTSE 100 company operating in the support sector and this is what they are saying:

Since 2005 our transport technology team has worked on Highways England's Traffic Information System (HATRIS) which is used to monitor and report on vehicle journey times on the motorway and trunk road network. The system enables Highways England and the Department for Transport to identify trends and to design new schemes based on solid evidence of traffic flows. Highways England has also appointed us to provide a new asset management system and associated consultancy services for its road maintenance teams.

We're also involved in developing and managing other important high tech schemes, including:

·                            active traffic management

·                            managed motorway systems

·                            road user charging and tolling systems

·                            tunnel control and monitoring

·                            real time passenger information

·                            technology enforcement systems

·                            traffic monitoring and control systems.

 Was Mr Harwood or Mr. Collins not aware of HATRIS ?  Well I suppose we could forgive Mr. Collins for not knowing about HATRIS because he is only our MP, but Mr. Harwood should be 'up to speed' with all developments, or has he had a (very convenient) mental block for the past 11 years. 

S&DRA

IT'S OFFICIAL. - IT DOESN'T STACK UP.

It's Official, Our Councillors have said that a single  gigantic lorry park west of Stanford (or anywhere else) WILL NOT FIX OPERATION STACK.

The Deputy Leader of Shepway District Council, Jenny Hollingsbee made her views known at a Shepway Cabinet meeting on the 19th January 2016, The 'Highways England' plan to cover 250 acres of arable farm land with concrete to house 3, 600 lorries will not solve the build up of lorries when industrial action is taking place in France.

Susan Carey also echoed Jenny's sentiment when writing in the Folkestone Herald just two day's later. Susan quotes:  One gigantic lorry park wont solve Operation Stack as it will take less than a days worth of traffic.

S&DRA, Monks Horton and Stanford parishes welcomes their comments.

S&DRA.

Our film production team has put together 'STANFORD DOES NOT STACK UP'. Please view and send on to friends and others who you think will make a difference.

   

    https://youtu.be/keACv5AMq2w

S&DRA

PURE THEATRE - POULES SANS TETE

Is it still too late for panto? We don't think so. We were treated to an amazing display of Shepway theatre last night featuring David Monk, Alistair Stewart and the full compliment of Cabinet Cronies. 

Poules sans tete (Headless chickens) was expertly executed by an experienced cast of true thespians displaying their theatrical skills within the ampitheatre of the Civic Centre, Folkestone.

So what's it's all about?

The cabinet meeting was an exercise in 'kicking about' the pretence that a Lorry park with a capacity of 3,600 would solve the problem of Operation Stack.

We won't bore you with the detail of puerile debate which ensued because we all knew what the outcome would be. Another box ticking exercise from a pathetic council towing the line of Cameron, Carter, Collins, Green and Highways England.

In an academic attempt to make the council realise that their approval of a very large white elephant is a catastrophic mistake, we would pose just two very simple questions: We have taken the liberty of answering for the cast of  Poules sans tete based on their preceding debate.

Q.  If a very long road has a steady stream of 6.000 Lorries over 24 hours. How long      would it take to fill up a lorry park with 3,600 spaces?.

A.

Poules sans tete  ??????????

Paul Harwood, Highways England: . Less than a day.

Average 8 year old student: 14.4.hours

Q. When the 3,600 Lorry park is full, where will all the other Lorries go?

A.

Poules sans tete We will look at future development another time. But for the meantime, let's concentrate on the debate this evening.

Paul Harwood, Highways Enland.  Back on the M20 as Stack.

Average 8 year old student: The remaining 2,400 day's worth of lorries would have to be stacked on the M20. The problem is, unless the world implodes just as the last of the 2,400 lorries is stacked, another 6,000 will be arriving the next day.Please let me know if you require a more detailed analysis.

So, once again, there we have it. Call them what you like; 'Headless Chickens', 'Rat's on a sinking ship'  lemmings all rushing off the edge of a cliff. The problem is;............................ they're taking us with them.

S&DRA

MEETING AT SHEPWAY COUNCIL, CIVIC CENTRE.- LORRY PARK

The Public consultation: Managing Freight Vehicles through Kent is scheduled for Tuesday 19th January at 4pm at Shepway District Council, Civic Centre, Folkestone.

This is an opportunity for residents to put a face to a name, if you haven't already done so.

Please make the effort to attend and fill the public gallery so Councillors can see the strength of feeling against this proposed White elephant monstrosity Lorry Park.

S&DRA.