Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
County Hall in hot seat over case of missing city bench
City councillors who installed a bench on a main road are furious it has gone missing – and are levelling the blame at their County Hall colleagues.
The Canterbury Area Member Panel (Camp) used a special fund to pay for the bench in St Lawrence Close, a cul-de-sac halfway up the Old Dover Road in Canterbury.
But earlier this year a resident noticed the bench had vanished.
And Camp members told Monday night’s meeting in the Guildhall that they believe Kent County Council (KCC) is the culprit – a claim rejected by County Hall.
Lib Dem group leader Mike Dixey said: “I’m stunned KCC would remove our bench. They are incompetent. This is quite disgraceful.”
Party colleague Nick EdenGreen added: “I propose that we send KCC an invoice for the full cost of the bench.”
The bench was installed during the previous council at the suggestion of former Lib Dem councillor Paula Vickers, who lost her Barton ward seat at the 2015 city council elections.
Money came from the Camp committee’s opportunities fund, an annual £10,000 pot of money that councillors can use for small community projects or groups.
Oaten Hill and South Canterbury Association vice-chairman, David Kemsley, who lives 100 yards away, says the bench was removed when KCC contractors installed a new LED lamppost at the junction.
“It’s a shame because it was a well-used bench,” he said.
“There’s no doubt it was removed during KCC work. There’s a cavity in the ground there. And when they finished the work, it did not return.”
The committee agreed to send KCC an invoice for the bench.
Camp chairman Terry Westgate said after the meeting: “This is a bit of a weird one.
“But the decision of the committee was to send an invoice to the county council.”
A replacement bench has been located and should be installed later in the month.
KCC denied it had removed the bench and claimed other firms had been working in the area who may have removed it.