Kent Voice Protecting Kent’S Heritage Spring 2010 After KIG, the Spectre of BIG
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KENT VOICE PROTECTING KENT’S HERITAGE www.protectkent.org.uk SPRING 2010 After KIG, the spectre of BIG The next challenge to the county’s tranquillity Chairman’s REPORT HIDDEN THANET KENT VOICE Year of change has expanded spring 2010 our influence 6 Light work Protect Kent’s next big t seems hard to believe that it is now event to debate the hot more than a year since I took on the While we are topic of energy role of chairman of CPRE Kent. It has celebrating been a very busy and exhilarating year, with celebrations and challenges in the success of I our rebranding equal measure. There are, perhaps three main events during as Protect Kent, Beauty and change 9 Hythe’s fight the year: rebranding our county organisation this has been a time to Protect Kent; our 80th birthday Outraged community celebrations; and the Kent International of challenges says chairman opposes superstore Gateway (KIG) inquiry at Bearsted. Richard Knox-Johnston on eyesore site Our new brand is becoming increasingly well known as we continue to raise our profile. From recent research it appears that it cross the hot sands, the cooling has had more media coverage and recognition. on climate change in 2008, we formed a towers peek through a purple 12 So wrong Our objective is to make Protect Kent known Climate Change Forum in Kent which has haze. This captivating image Update on our battle by everybody as the foremost environmental already examined coastal erosion and river (right) of Pegwell Bay through group campaigning on behalf of those who flooding. It soon became obvious from the heat won Chris Randall against two huge A live in the county. this work that we needed to look at other top prize in the Hidden Thanet photographic threats to the county Our decision to rebrand was brave and, important areas, one of which was energy. competition run by Protect Kent’s Thanet some might say, controversial. However, our As a result we held a conference on Committee. membership was in decline and we could not renewable energy in 2009 and from this we The aim of the contest was to bring afford to be complacent if our organisation formed an Energy Group. This group has together a collection of images to celebrate 15 A silly evening was to survive. There is no doubt that our attracted many experts in the field of energy – and possibly record for the last time – the Join us in our sacred quest new brand has helped with membership but generation and is chaired by Gary Thomas. landscape and character of Thanet’s rural for an evening of open-air we still need many more people to join us in The group has assisted in the preparation of areas, which are facing many threats from cinema at Leeds Castle the challenges we face throughout the county. our conference this year – see pages 6 and 7. devastating industrial development. With all the threats facing our county, we We have also reformed the Planning Winner Chris, from Ramsgate, said: “This need a strong, vibrant organisation that has a Group under the chairmanship of Christine startling phenomenon developed when the wide range of ages and backgrounds. tide came in over hot sand, causing the cool Our best recruiters are those who already water to evaporate. The wind direction was 19 What a treat support the organisation, our members. easterly, bringing a blanket of fog well inland Your chance to go out Please, if you have not done so already, make that day. The tops of the towers of the former and about on Margaret’s use of the packs that were sent out at the end Richborough power station are visible above branch tours of last year. If each member could recruit just the haze.” one new member it would help to prepare our The competition attracted more than organisation for the challenges to our county 150 entries and the four winning images which lie ahead. Our new home in Charing are featured here. Second place went to Cover image: The KIG inquiry was one of the biggest Bob Woodward who entered the stunning Pegwell Bay and longest planning inquiries that has ever Drury. This new team has already made a panoramic photograph (top) taken through a purple haze by Chris taken place in the county. It lasted for nearly considerable contribution to our work in the in July 2009 of the North Foreland Randall 12 weeks and involved not only Kent County county as exemplified on their support for the lighthouse, Broadstairs, with storm See page3 Council and Maidstone Council but three KIG inquiry and a number of local planning clouds. voluntary groups. strategies. Third place went to Rachel Congratulations must go to the Stop KIG In January we completed on the purchase Attwell, from Broadstairs, for organisation and to the Joint Parishes Group of the former Queen’s Head in Charing as our highland cattle at Pegwell Bay for the way in which they presented their new offices. We were also granted planning Nature Reserve, with cooling cases. We, too, were excellently represented by permission for offices and a two-bedroomed towers in the background. A some superb witnesses. flat. We felt it was important to have a special prize to three-year-old I should like to thank all those who were permanent home and what better place than Emily Dillon, whose grandmother involved. It was a magnificent effort and we Charing, the centre of the county. Penny Dyball entered her image of The paper used for this magazine should all be justly proud of our performance. Conversion should begin soon and we hope Ramsgate Harbour taken through comes from sustainable forests Following on from a successful conference to move into the premises later in the year. pillars, far right. 2 KENT VOICE SPRING 2010 www.protectkent.org.uk www.protectkent.org.uk KENT VOICE SPRING 2010 3 HOUSING CHARIty PRIZE Help us The recession recruit members proves error or some time now, CPRE (Kent) and its objectives and challenges have been of predictions one of the biggest secrets Fin this county. To raise our profile, last year we re-branded to obody can have failed to notice Protect Kent. This re-branding exercise that the building industry has The CPRE’s has been enacted because: all but ground to a standstill. report on v The name is more recognisable and So what, then, of the much- easier to say. debated targets for 32,700 housing shows v N It reflects the work and objectives of homes per year that the South East Plan how the our organisation. exhorts the region to deliver? government CPRE (Kent) by its very title Seeda and government ministers tell us that precludes many parts of the county the demand for those homes is still there, and has got its that are not considered rural. Our role that once the economy recovers we will return figures woefully wrong, says is to represent the whole of Kent. to business as usual. The pent-up demand will director Hilary Newport Our £150,000 award We have a major challenge if we be satisfied eventually. are to continue to perform our role But how realistic is this forecast of demand? within the county. We need to increase And what are the consequences of getting our membership and to reach out to those forecasts wrong? times of recession and risen in times of those living in the county who are The housing figures in the South East Plan prosperity; in an economic downturn more sympathetic and supportive to the have been debated in minute detail since adults may willingly choose to live or stay work that we do. 2006 – I know, because we were there for together, and the availability and cost of Protect Kent As members, you are aware of the much of the debate. mortgages will also affect the number of new chairman valuable role we play in the county. Back in those days Seeda and Seera were households being formed. Similarly, the state Richard Knox- two different organisations and they were at of the local and national economy will have Johnston, polar opposites of the debate: Seera said that a profound effect on in- and out-migration. top, receives the southeast could not accommodate more Taken together, these uncertainties mean that the award than 28,900 homes per year without suffering the real rate of formation of new households from the irreparable damage to its environment, while may be radically different from the projected broadcaster Seeda argued that the economy would suffer rate. Glen disastrously if we delivered fewer than 36,000 Nevertheless the target figures of the South Thompsett, homes, or maybe even 42,000. As we now East Plan are currently being fed, district by and, left, with You also know how important our know, the latest target in the final version of district, into the emerging LDFs that each other guests work is. In this edition of Kent Voice the plan, published last year, lies somewhere planning authority must prepare; the result is during the we have outlined the many threats in between the two. that they have no choice but to allocate land KoS business affecting the county. We need many The reality is of course that during the for housebuilding that may never actually awards at the more new members if we are to plan’s development, the experts were focusing be needed. The worrying consequence is Marriott Tudor continue to battle against these threats.