Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Monstrous plan must be stopped
Regarding the Sturry and Broad Oak development, once again the letters I have read in the Kentish Gazette seem to suggest that both communities are against the proposals for the building of the houses, etc.
Mr Fitter-harding, it seems, is determined to bully his way through the concerns of the people who live there.
Having studied the proposed ‘’ring road’’ I have come to understand their collective concerns.
Perhaps someone could enlighten our council leader that Shalloak Road has seen fatalities in the last 10 years and only last week I was held up trying to return to Broad Oak for one hour. I was later told there was a telegraph pole down at Goose Farm and the wires were across the road.
Shalloak Road is notorious for hold ups as the bus frequently has to pull in to allow cars to pass it and now there is to be a road from the new estate that will exit onto Shalloak Road just before the level crossing. I can see accidents at this junction. The hill is also used by pedestrians and cyclists.
I seem to recollect at a meeting a few years ago one of the proposers of the scheme saying ‘’we will be building a cycle path.’’ I’m afraid this would not help the general population as quite a few are retired.
Perhaps the public should consider taking legal action to put an end to this proposal. There seems to be no regard for the health and safety of the villagers from the pollution, noise and physical danger of at least 1,500 cars (one-and-one-half cars per property) - the developers own estimate.
I really hope, collectively, we can stop this monstrous scheme. Ivy Titcombe
Broad Oak
Following on from last week’s Gazette coverage of the proposal in the local plan, (the preferred option) for two bypasses to be built at the cost of more houses, what is the next step?
The residents of the Canterbury district have been asked to complete a public consultation form, which has been rightly criticised due to the website constantly crashing and forms being overly complicated, which has led many of them to be submitted incorrectly.
Will this make a difference, we all ask, as it will be the
Conservative leader Ben Fittingharding and his hand-picked cabinet that will plough ahead?
We have a climate emergency, and a social and affordable housing shortage, yet the council wants to tarmac over a green space whilst giving up this land to developers who will build overpriced houses for millions of pounds in profit, which won”t benefit the people who need them.
The new cabinet system, voted in with a narrow margin, means even less room for grass-roots opinion, which makes up so much of our district.
There is so much expertise and knowledge within our community, it really needs to be heard, listened to and acted on.
What we do have is the collective power of our voices, to make sure we do get listened to.
There will be a gathering on Saturday, September 4 from 10.30am to 11.30am at Dukes Meadow. Local residents can come together and demonstrate their disapproval of the option in the local plan, to carve through this richly biodiverse, loved and historical meadow.
Please come down and show your support and let’s make
it clear we do not want this to happen.
Cllr Mel Dawkins (Lab)
St Stephen’s ward