So much for local democracy

It feels like the return of dark days for local democracy in Kennington.

Having made clear my opposition to the Ashford Hockey Club’s proposals to develop their Ball Lane site, I asked my local councillor Philip Sims for an update on his position in November.

I explained that once the principle to build is established, there is a risk of a much larger estate coming back into play on the Ball Lane site, something he has always publicly opposed.

Since Cllr Sims was initially elected after a successful campaign against developing the hockey club site, I assumed he would be supportive of the many local residents who oppose these proposals. Indeed, before he was re-elected as a Conservative, Cllr Sims publicised on his own website the hockey club’s public commitment to avoid developing its site as part of his election campaign.

I received a non-committal response from Cllr Sims, saying he would gauge local opinion. You can imagine my astonishment when I discovered via the hockey club’s own planning application that the councillor is in full support of these plans in a “statement of community involvement”, which said: “A meeting was held [with] Philip Sims from Ashford Borough Council on Wednesday, November 23, 2016. Philip Sims supports the proposed plans...”

All my subsequent emails and requests for assistance to Cllr Sims have been unacknowledged.

Since then, the hockey club has predictably mobilised its members, many of whom live far from Kennington, in support of its application.

Despite a brief “public consultation”, residents are also deeply unhappy about how the controversial application has been filed.

As the application is for nine homes, it can avoid passing before the planning committee, where residents are given a platform to speak. The application was submitted just before the Christmas holidays, when most residents were away and unable to comment.

The hockey club is a valued local asset. A member of my family played regularly at the private club and enjoyed every minute. But poor management means it has consistently failed to raise its own money for improvements. This can be fixed. Once again residents, and now the junior football teams, are being expected to pay the price.

The Kennington Junior Football Club is in line to lose several football pitches, raising questions over their future.

This all seems a long way from when Cllr Sims fought the hockey club development proposals tooth and nail, and won his office on the back of a wave of anti-development sentiment among local residents.

I feel abandoned and ignored by a local councillor who appears to feel no accountability to me.

This is simply not good enough. Mark Street, Kennington Terry Hudson, Russell Drive, Whitstable

Canterbury Road, Ashford where Ashford Hockey club proposes to sell land for housing