Kentish Express Ashford & District
ABC’s decision ‘shocking’
Two stories in last week’s paper provoked numerous comments on our Facebook page and on KentOnline. They concerned plans by Kent County Council and Ashford Borough Council to introduce double yellow lines in 19 roads in and around the Godinton Park and Re
eDs: The countryside is a working environment. Lorries, tractors and other essential machinery is inevitably going to be left on the landscape, that’s just part and parcel of the countryside and proof that people still make a living there, no matter how hard ABC (and others) are making it. riCHarD: This is ridiculous. There are many farms in Kent that basically don’t have adequate roads leading to them that can accommodate these vehicles. KGB131: This infuriates me, big time. I am fed up, annoyed, upset, outraged and downright fed up with ABC in this case. Useless, absolutely useless. I think Ashford would benefit more from chocolate teapots running the place! matt Barnes: Mr Quinn has kept his farm going through these bad farming years and has made the lorry business to help his farm stay profitable and now you are stabbing him in the back and kicking his knees out from under him. I’m sure you wouldn’t turn down a mosque, supermarket or mobile caravan application though.
You said it on
rolinKa Dale: Omg this is ridiculous! The Quinns are the most considerate family I know with regards to freight and machinery on the roads. serena l GolDsmitH: My god the council is killing this town. Carrie may: How come this business of 26 yrs is ‘intrusive to the countryside’ but a WHOLE NEW TOWN [Chilmington] on green fields is not? su Bailey: What farm isn’t using rural roads? Utter nonsense! saraH taylor: Awful .... after 26 years people have only just complained? Peter matHias: So let me guess, the Quinns relocate, the present site goes derelict and the council builds 400 homes on it instead. All they ever do is build houses and not jobs to go with them and they now want to take jobs away. Jesse JaCoB sHelloCK-wells: This is stupid. It’s a farm! Why should he have to move? He is doing us a favour by supplying food. I was shocked to read in last week’s Kentish Express of Ashford Borough Council’s (ABC) mindless decision to shut down the business run by David Quinn and family at Smarden (End of the road looms for farm business after appeal decision).
I don’t know Mr Quinn personally, but he obviously runs a legitimate business from his farm, so why does this give neighbours the right to reach to such low depths that they have gone to, forcing him to close his business and the risk of putting all of his staff out of work.
Personally my thoughts are that this problem could have been settled peacefully by negotiation. Their attitude doesn’t fall into line with the “write up” in the recent publication called SMARDEN put through our letterboxes, which brags that Smarden is a very friendly and special place to live in.
As for the independent inspector, perhaps he lacks being educated enough to know how farming really works in the countryside, and thus he is unfit for the job.
After making such a decision, knowing this was going to put 29 people’s jobs at risk, I think that ABC should now put into Kelsey BanKs: Good! The access into Waitrose is an accident waiting to happen and is caused by lazy idiots who are too stupid to use the car park which is 50 feet away. Towing away and a fine might be a better incentive.
Joanne Holmes: About time!
lisa CraBB: Good it’s a nightmare! natasHa marie: Good good ... means I won’t be living in a parking nightmare. PHil CraCKen: All that’s going to happen on Godinton is that the cars will park further down the road. Dawn tomlin: At last something is being done. I am still not sure if this will solve the issue but it is a start. The problem parkers may park else hopefully they would have the common sense to use the car park where Godinton village hall is. If I find anyone parking on the double yellows I may have to take a pic and show it to the authorities. place a local “low rent parking facility” for the eight lorries being affected, so that the Quinn family can carry on with their business. Derek D. Ingleton, Smarden BetH2910: The road [Loudon Way] gets blocked first thing in the morning. Definitely yellow line it please. It’s too near a junction for this blockage. Bill olDe: The problem has been apparent to both the council and police for 18 months plus. As far as I am aware NO TICKETS have been issued and NO offending, problem drivers spoken to.