Cheriton

Shepway Ward Profile May 2015 Hythe Rural Hythe Rural

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Foreword...... 5

Brief Introduction to area...... 6

Map of area...... 7

Demographic...... 8

Local Economy...... 11

Education and skills...... 15

Health & Wellbeing...... 17

Housing...... 22

Neighbourhood/community...... 24

Planning & Development...... 26

Physical Assets...... 27

Arts and culture...... 33

Crime ...... 36

Endnotes/websites ...... 37

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-4- Hythe Rural Foreword

Dear Reader, • The information on community assets for this profile was gathered by working One of Shepway District Council’s priorities is to provide opportunities for elected members and in collaboration with partners and by local residents to work together to influence engaging with local community and decisions and shape their local community. We voluntary groups. I would like to personally know how important good information is in helping thank everyone who has contributed to people to understand local issues, identify service this document. The statistical information need and find ways to improve local services and was primarily drawn from the 2011 Census, amenities. That is why I am proud to present the ward profile for the new electoral ward of Hythe unless otherwise stated. Other sources Rural Ward, which I hope you will find an interesting include: and informative read. • 2013 Midyear population estimates from the Office of National Statistics1 The purpose of the ward profile is to: • Acorn Customer Insight Profiler2 • Provide a shared resource for people • and Medway Public Health wanting to find out about their local Observatory3 community; • Kent County Council Research and • Support elected members with their Intelligence Team4 community role as civic leaders and community champions; We will develop our ward profiles over time and we • Provide elected members with useful would really appreciate your feedback on this ward information about their new ward; profile so we can make sure it is as up-to-date and • Assist elected members with identifying relevant as possible. Please provide any feedback to [email protected]. priorities that could potentially be included in their ward plan; Best wishes, • Provide a resource that is made publically available for wider use by the public and voluntary / community groups (e.g. to support funding bids). Alistair Stewart Chief Executive Our intention is for ward profiles to be used as widely as possible and to be made available to Councillors, council officers, Town and Parish Councils, voluntary and community groups, as well as the general public on the council website www.shepway.gov.uk. This ward profile contains a variety of information on demographics (e.g. population, deprivation); population outcomes; the level of service provision and local community facilities and amenities. This information is grouped by themes in order to make it as easy as possible to find the information you want.

-5- Hythe Rural Hythe Rural ‘Outstanding Natural Beauty’

Hythe Rural ward covers an area of 6.5 square miles and comprises the settlements of , Court at Street, and located in the beautiful rural areas of the North Downs AONB and the beginning of the .

The ward can be divided into two distinct parts, A key feature in this part of the ward is the Hythe separated by the escarpment and the Royal Ranges, which is Ministry of Defence (MOD) owned Military Canal. land that stretches along the entire coastal boundary of the ward. They are among the oldest ranges in the At the top of the escarpment, set in a predominantly country and have been used for live firing for nearly rural area, are the village of Lympne and the hamlet 200 years. Every soldier posted overseas will have of Court-at -Street. Lympne acquired its name used this facility. Another area of MOD land in the after a Roman Fort called Port Lemanis which was ward is the Roughs, which is also used as a military on the coast near the River Limene (this has since training area. changed course and become the River Rother). It has approximately 600 houses and a population Military History is an imporant feature of the ward. of 1,5755. The village is partly situated in an Area As well as The Ranges, there are other important of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and the sites including Lympne Airfield, The Royal Military older part of the village is in a conservation area. Canal, The Roughs, Several Martello Towers and the St Stephen’s Church and Lympne Castle are listed Redoubt. buildings along with some of the surrounding properties. The views from along the edge of the the two parts of Hythe Rural Ward are linked by the escarpment and down across the Romney Marsh A261, West Hythe Road - a narrow winding country and out to sea are some of the best in the district. road that crosses The before ascending up the steep and narrow gradient of At the bottom of the escarpment are West Hythe Lympne Hill. and Palmarsh. The eastern end of West Hythe is urban in nature with several industrial estates the ward is home to two key tourist attractions and housing estates along the A259 and into located within the district: Port Lympne Wild Animal Palmarsh. To the west of Palmarsh the ward Park and the terminus of the Romney Hythe and becomes increasingly rural and marks the start Dymchurch Railway. of the Romney Marsh area with fewer properties and more open space.

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-7- Hythe Rural Demographics

The 2013 midyear population estimates published by the Office of National Statistics gives the total electorate of Hythe Rural as 4,897.

The chart below shows that the population of Hythe Rural is generally older than the average in Kent. There are a lower proportion of people in the age group 20 to 39 years than in Kent as a whole. The largest age group for both men and women is 65 to 69 years. The data shows its popularity for older people as a place to live.

Marital status

The majority (55%) of Hythe Rural residents are married which is above the Kent level, and 19% report that they are single and have never been married. Hythe Rural is below the Kent level for single people and is above the county for the people who have been widowed.

Married 2,708 Cohabiting 436 Same-sex civil partnership or cohabiting 36 Single (never married) 925 Married or in civil partnership 46 Separated (but still legally married) 73 Divorced 291 Widowed 382

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Ethnicity

British and Irish make up the vast majority (96.5%) of the population with Other White, the next biggest group making up 1.5%. Hythe Rural is below the Kent average for Other White and Other Asian.

Hythe Rural Shepway Kent English/ Welsh/ Scottish/ NI 5,676 96.0% 90.8% 89.1% Irish 31 0.5% 0.7% 0.7% Gypsy or Irish Traveller 6 0.1% 0.2% 0.3% Other White 88 1.5% 3.0% 3.6% White and Black Caribbean 7 0.1% 0.4% 0.4% White and Black African 2 0% 0.1% 0.2% White and Asian 13 0.2% 0.4% 0.5% Other Mixed 16 0.3% 0.3% 0.4% Indian 7 0.1% 0.4% 1.2% Pakistani 0 0% 0.1% 0.2% Bangladeshi 9 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% Chinese 8 0.1% 0.3% 0.4% Other Asian 36 0.6% 2.5% 1.2% African 6 0.1% 0.3% 0.8% Caribbean 2 0% 0.1% 0.2% Other Black 3 0.1% 0.0% 0.1% Arab 0 0% 0.1% 0.1% Any other ethnic group 3 0.1% 0.2% 0.4%

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Length of residence in the UK

Almost all the residents of Hythe Rural (98.7%) have lived in the UK for more than 10 years. The proportion of people who live in the ward and moved to the UK recently is lower than the county and Shepway average.

Hythe Rural Shepway Kent Born in the UK 5,626 95.1% 90.8% 90.9% Less than 2 years 28 0.5% 1.2% 1.2% More than 2 years and less than 5 years 22 0.4% 1.6% 1.5% More than 5 years and less than 10 years 26 0.4% 1.6% 1.8% 10 years or more 211 3.6% 4.9% 4.6%

Main Languages (residents aged 3 and over)

The most commonly spoken language in Hythe Rural is English. The ward is above the Kent average for ‘other European languages’ and ‘East Asian’ which reflects the ethnicity profile. There ward also has a higher proportion of French speakers..

Hythe Rural Shepway Kent English 5,654 95.1% 95.5% Welsh/Cymraeg 2 0% - French 1 0.2% 0.2% Portuguese 2 - 0.1% Spanish 2 0.1% 0.1% Other European Language (EU) 40 1.4% 1.8% Turkish 2 0.1% 0.1% Arabic 1 - 0.1% West/Central Asian Language 0 0.1% 0.1% South Asian Language 35 2.3% 1.2% East Asian Language 8 0.3% 0.4% African Language 1 0.1% 0.1% Other Languages 2 - - Sign Language 11 - - Other Languages 2 - 0.0%

-10- Hythe Rural Local economy

Over 30 businesses are located in the Lympne supply merchant (Jewsons), a furniture shop, car Industrial Estate6 including Buzzlines, Euromotive, sales, and a shopping centre called Pennypot (which Spicers, Nusteel, and several freight companies. has three takeaways, a newsagents, a pet and fishing Other significant local employers in the ward are: supplies and carpet shop). Further along the A259 is Lympne Castle, Port Lympne Wild Animal Park, a Jet Garage. Berwick Manor Farm, Charlier Construction.

Lympne has one shop - the Village Store and Post Office - as well as a pub, two hairdressers and two small office complexes: Lemanis House at (location of Alzheimer’s Society Ashford office and Aspire Home Carers Limited) and Oathill Barn offices on the Ridge Aldington Road.

At the bottom of the escarpment, there are several nurseries, a car sales garage and a small industrial estate, Riverside Industrial Estate, that is home to approximately 10 small businesses, many in the creative industries. Pennypot Shopping Parade

The Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway (RHDR) Pubs employ almost 40 staff and they have approximately 150,000 visitors per year. Lympne has The County Members which is owned by the brewery and leased by the owner of Lympne Along the A259 in West Hythe there are several Castle. The Botolphs Bridge pub at the bottom of other small industrial estates, Kengate (Jewsons and the escarpment is a popular base for exploring the David Ian furniture), Range Road (HV Wooding and Romney Marsh. Along the A259 is the Prince of Gopak Ltd) and Pennypot Industrial Estate (Concept Wales which serves the West Hythe and Multi Car Reimo conversions). Palmarsh areas.

Another significant employer in the area is the Ministry of Defence at Hythe Ranges employing 10 full time staff and 50 contractors.

The housing site at Nichols Quarry is currently under development which is contributing to the local economy through the employment of local trades during the construction.

There are shops along the A259 including a newsagent/ general store, fish and chip shop, fishing tackle shop, a sports equipment shop, a building

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Household Income

The graph is from the Acorn customer profiling software and it shows how far above the UK average the Hythe Rural population is (a score of 50, means the proportion within Hythe Rural is 50% the size of the UK average).The data shows that Hythe Rural is broadly in line with national average for the proportion of households earning under £60,000 than the UK; and Hythe Rural is significantly underrepresented for households earning over £80,000. Household incomes do vary across the ward with higher average incomes in Lympne and Court at Street and lower average incomes in some areas of West Hythe.

Economic activity

As a proportion of the working age population (16-65), Hythe Rural has lower levels of people in full time employment, part time employment, unemployed people, and students. It has a much larger proportion of retirees.

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Employment by sector

The graph on the following page shows that Hythe Rural has the majority of its working age population employed in: retail/motor, health and social, construction, education.

Hythe rural is above Kent for the proportion of its population employed in construction, education, health/ social care, public administration and arts / entertainment.

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Transport

The ward has good access to the A20 and M20 and the two train stations and Sandling are within easy reach.

The two parts of the ward are linked by the A261, Hythe Road, and West Hythe Road, a narrow country road that passes crosses The Royal Military Canal before ascending Lympne Hill.

Lympne straddles the B2067 road from Hythe to Aldington, and . The village has good access to the A20 and M20 and two train stations within easy reach; Westenhanger and Sandling. There is one bus service7 (the 10/10A) through the village which is approximately hourly running between Hythe and Ashford. The main road through the village is Stone Street a Roman road (the B2068), which leads due north from Lympne to .

West Hythe and Palmarsh are on the main bus routes (the 100/100/102 – see footnote 9) from towns on the Romney Marsh to Hythe and which provides a vital transport link. The A259 is the main coastal route west from Folkestone and goes all the way to Eastbourne. This road can be extremely busy especially at peak times. There is currently only one pedestrian crossing near Reachfields in West Hythe.

The Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway8 runs between Hythe and Dungerness with stops at: Hythe, Dymchurch, St Mary’s Bay, and Romney Sands and terminating at ..

-14- Hythe Rural Education and skills Pimary Schools

There are two primary schools in the ward: Lympne Nurseries, toddler groups and crèches Church of (CofE) Primary School9 with 206 pupils, and Palmarsh Primary School10 with 110 pupils. There are a number of nurseries in the area:

Lympne CofE School is located in the Ridgeway Group Location housing area with an active Parent and Teachers and Punch and Judy Friends Association (PTFA) and good links with St Lympne Village Hall Playgroup Stephen’s Church. Mums and Toddlers Lympne Village Hall Lympne CofE Primary School burned down in Group 2007 and a new school building was completed Pennypot Industrial Happy Dayzzz nursery in September 2008. It includes a full sized hall Estate equipped for PE and drama with a large activity area First Steps Nursery & for science, technology and practical work. It also Palmarsh Primary Playgroup School has two playgrounds and a large field includes an environmental area, a decked area and an outdoor Palmarsh Primary Lullabies Nursery activity area. The current project for the school is a School new sensory garden. Other youth services Palmarsh Primary School is a small school situated in the heart of the Palmarsh community at the western St. Stephens Church run a Sunday School called end of Hythe. Despite being a small school its pupils Steve’s Club11 which is held on Sunday mornings come from a wide geographic area. The school is at 10:30 to 11:30 at Lympne Village Hall during keen on sports and offers basketball, rugby, cricket, term time. There is also a midweek group for older badminton and has girls and boys football teams. teenagers. The school holds regular bingo nights, quiz nights and the hall is available for private parties. Each year they Lympne Youth Club12 runs out of Lympne Village Hall hold a Christmas and a summer fair. Palmarsh School on Tuesday nights 6:30 - 8:30pm and it caters for is very much the centre of the community in this part young people aged 11-13. of the ward. It is very active in fundraising and gets involved in community initiatives. They offer discount hall hire for parents and are the venue for dance classes and fitness classes

Secondary schools

There are no secondary schools in Hythe Rural ward the nearest are Brockhill Park Performing Arts College, Folkestone School for Girls and Harvey Lympne CofE Primary School Grammar School for Boys, as well as the Marsh Academy in New Romney.

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Children and young people

There are 1,180 children and young people in Hythe Age No. Rural. Generally there are a lower proportion of 0-4 220 people under nineteen than the Kent average. 5-9 280 10-14 330 15-19 350

Hythe Rural Kent

Male Female Male Female 0-4 2.0% 1.7% 3.1% 3.0% 5-9 2.4% 2.6% 3.1% 2.9% 10-14 3.1% 2.6% 3.0% 2.9% 15-19 2.9% 3.1% 3.3% 3.1%

-16- Hythe Rural Health and Wellbeing Sports clubs/societies/activities

Hythe Rural ward has a range of sport clubs, societies and special interest groups: the majority of these are based either at the Lymnpe Village Hall or Palmarsh School and Palmarsh Village Hall.

Activity Location Steve’s Club (St Stephen’s Church)13 Lympne Village Hall Rainbows, Brownies and Guides Lympne Village Hall Karate14 Lympne Village Hall St Stephen’s Bellringers, St Stephen’s Church Lympne Table Tennis Club Lympne Village Hall Lympne short mat bowls club Lympne Village Hall Lympne youth club15 Lympne Village Hall Lympne Women's Fellowship Lympne Village Hall Hythe Town Football Club16 HTFC Nicholls Leisure fishing and sailing17 Nicholls Quarry Angling Society18 Royal Military Canal Zumba class Lympne Village Hall Clubercise19 Palmarsh Primary School Karate Palmarsh Primary School Zumba Palmarsh Village Hall Tai Chi Palmarsh Village Hall

The Football Club, Hythe Town FC, is home to The Cannons, and the grounds has a capacity of 3,000 (2,400 under cover). The club has fourteen youth teams including the under 18 teams, Stars and Stripes.

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As well as the football club, there are a number of other outdoor facilities such as The Trim Trail, play parks and numerous footpaths and public rights of way in the ward. Many residents enjoy easy access to rural walking routes and the coastal area. Well known designated walking routes include The , The Royal Military Canal footpath and the coastal path. Further details on these are in the Physical Assets section.

Other activities available include a variety of exercise classes and table tennis and short mat bowls.

Organisations delivering health services

In West Hythe there is one dentist on the corner of Martello Drive and the A259 - Pennypot Dental Practice. This is one of a chain of five practices across Kent.

Twice a week Rehabilitation Exercises are provided at Palmarsh Village Hall.

GPs

The nearest GP surgeries are in Hythe, Oaklands Health Centre and Sun Lane Surgery and The Surgery in .

Pharmacists

The nearest pharmacy is Paydens in Hythe (31-33 High Street, CT21 5AD).

Walk-In-Centre

There are no walk-in-centres in the Hythe Rural ward. The closest walk-in-centre is located at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Folkestone.

Accident and Emergency Department

There is no accident and emergency department within the Hythe Rural ward. The closest accident and emergency department is located at the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford.

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Residents health

The graph is from the Acorn customer profiling software and it shows how far above the UK average the Hythe Rural population is (a score of 125, means the proportion within Hythe Rural is 25% higher than the UK average). Hythe Rural residents are more likely (than UK average) to have high blood pressure, suffer a heart attack and have a body mass index (BMI) of over 30 (classified as obese). They are less likely to smoke.

General Health

The 2011 Census required people to give a self assessment on how they feel about their health. 81.8% indicated they are in good, or very good, health; which is slightly lower than the county average. 5.4% felt in bad/very bad heath, which is above the county average.

Hythe Rural Shepway Kent Very good health 40.9% 42.2% 46.7% Good health 37.4% 36.1% 34.9% Fair health 16.1% 15.2% 13.3% Bad health 4.2% 4.9% 4.0% Very bad health 1.4% 1.5% 1.1%

There are 771 unpaid carers in Hythe rural, which as a percentage of the adult population is higher than the county or district figure.

Hythe Rural

No. % Shepway Kent People providing unpaid care 771 13.0% 11.4% 10.4% People providing no care 5,142 87.0% 88.6% 89.6%

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Usage of health services

The following health indicators indicate the frequency with which people from Hythe Rural access health services for certain conditions or ailments. They have been selected because Shepway varies from the Kent average and they indicate that residents in this ward are in good health, for example:

• Breastfeeding rates are the highest of all Shepway wards • Falls admissions are among the lowest • Cancer mortality is the second lowest in the district • Life expectancy is second highest

Hythe Rural Shepway Kent

Breastfeeding prevalence20 53.5% 36.4% 39.3% Emergency admissions for AMI21 (aka heart attack) 112.12 142.09 128.46 Emergency admissions for COPD22 36.19 78.05 77.58 Emergency admissions for diabetes23 588.90 751.30 839.00 Emergency admissions for falls24 21,263.92 22,682.60 23,170.16 Emergency admissions for over 65s25 108.22 140.22 131.09 Under 75 cancer mortality26 59.82 77.42 70.31 Under 75 circulatory mortality27 19.32 35.77 16.78 Under 75 respiratory mortality28 84.68 81.77 81.73 Life expectancy at birth29 81.35 81.77 81.73

Breastfeeding Rates

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Emergency Admissions for falls

Under 75 Mortality from cancer

Life expectancy

-21- Hythe Rural Housing

The new development at Nicholls Quarry (Martello Lakes) will have a big impact on the ward, potentially increasing the population of the Ward by through the development of 1,050 new homes.

There are 19 council homes in Lympne and over 250 in West Hythe and Palmarsh, primarily in the Reachfields area.

There is supported housing by the Home Farm Trust30 at Lympne Place for up to twelve people.

Empty properties

There currently are eight vacant properties in West Hythe and Palmarsh and one in Lympne. This information is subject to constant change as properties are brought back into use, sold, renovated and so on.

Housing type

The majority of homes (71%) in Hythe Rural are detached or semi-detached, which is considerably above the district or county figure; and it reflects the rural nature of the ward. There is also a much lower proportion of flat/apartments.

Shepway Kent

Detached houses or 27.0% 25.1% bungalows Semi-detached houses 24.1% 30.5% Terraced houses 22.1% 24.8% Flats, maisonettes 26.3% 18.7% Caravans or other 0.6% 0.9% temporary structures

Detached houses or bungalows 37% Flats maisonettes or apartments 9% Terraced or bungalows 20% Semi-detached houses or bungalows 34%

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House Sizes

Hythe Rural is broadly in line in line with national averages for the distribution of house size, however it does have slightly higher proportion of homes with 3-4 bedrooms.

Housing Ownership

Nearly 79% of homes in Hythe Rural are owner-occupied, which is above average, and under 20% are in rented accommodation which is much lower than the figure for Shepway or Kent.

Hythe Rural Shepway Kent No. % % % Owner occupied households 2,002 78.8% 64.8% 67.3% • Owns outright 1,159 45.6% 35.3% 33.1% • Owns with a mortgage or loan 843 33.2% 29.5% 34.2% Shared ownership 6 0.2% 0.5% 1.0% Rented households 491 19.3% 33.4% 30.4% • Rented from a local authority 260 10.2% 6.9% 5.8% • Rented from an housing association 41 1.6% 4.3% 8.1% • Privately rented 149 5.9% 20.2% 15.1% • Other rented 41 1.6% 2.0% 1.5% Living rent free 41 1.6% 1.3% 1.3%

-23- Hythe Rural Neighbourhood/community Resident’s Associations and key groups Community engagement

There are no residents associations, or There is a core group of residents who are very neighbourhood watch groups in Hythe Rural Ward. engaged, often through the school or through the Village Hall. Many residents have become involved The active community organisations in Lympne are: in major issues, such as the proposed development of the Lympne Airfield and many participated in • Lympne Parish Council developing the Parish Plan between 2009 and 201131. • The Parochial Church Council of St Local people are actively involved in the current Stephen’s is a registered charity and is part development of the Neighbourhood Plan. of many community projects. • The St Stephen’s Church Events Committee Most of the community activity in West Hythe and • The Lympne Village Hall committee Palmarsh centres around the Palmarsh Primary • Shepway Environment and Community School32 which has an regular programme of events. Network is an active district-wide environmental organisation based in Charities Lympne, that was set up to work on projects benefiting and protecting the local The Charity Commission provides a useful online environment. directory33 that allows people to search for charities • Speedwatch – equipment is shared with that are either based in or operate in a particular Sellindge to monitor the speeds of vehicles location. Their online tool allows people to search travelling through the village. Drivers who for charities within a defined radius of a particular speed can be reported to the police. postcode. • Lympnesters over 50’s – a social groups for people over 50 Local communications • Lympne Women’s institute which meets at the village hall on the second week of the Lympne has the Green Sheet – a monthly newsletter month. issued by the Parish Council and delivered by • Friends of Lympne Airfield7 was set up to volunteers to every home in the Parish. This gain recognition of the vital role the airfield is a valuable community resource and is a key played in two world wars and hopes to communication channel. It is also available online34. protect the site and open a visitor centre/ There are also several notice boards around the museum to its unique aviation history. village used to communicate with local residents. Locations include outside the village shop and at the Village Hall. There is also a visitor map on Aldington Road near the pub.

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Town and Parish Councils

Hythe Rural covers parts of Hythe Town Council and Lympne Parish Council. They can be contacted via the parish clerks:

Mrs A Goodwin Parish Clerk Lympne Parish Council The Pines Stone Street Lympne Kent, CT21 4LD phone: 01303 265651 [email protected]

Mrs J McCormick Parish Clerk Hythe Town Council Oaklands Stade Street Hythe Kent, CT21 6BG phone: 01303 266152/3 [email protected]

-25- Hythe Rural Planning & development

Lympne are currently developing a Neighbourhood Plan that, if adopted, will define the type and scale of development considered acceptable, within the Parish of Lympne.

Major site redevelopment

There is a residentially led, mixed use development at Nicholls Quarry providing 1050 dwellings being delivered by Camland Developments35 Y06/1079/ SH. In the first stage, 192 dwellings are due to be delivered over the next few years. The application is for a mixed use development comprising residential dwellings plus employment development land, a local centre, a community centre, a single form entry primary school/community facilities, public open space, retained water bodies (15.5ha) and provision of two access points to Dymchurch Road. A planning application for a housing development on Lympnne Airfield was not successful.

Planning applications

Visit the Shepway District Council planning portal36 for information on planning applications in this area.

Broadband

Information on the provision of internet and broadband services in this ward is constantly changing as telecoms providers upgrade their networks. To get information about the quality of services in your area, you may wish to visit the websites for BT Openreach37, Broadband StreetStats38 or UK Exchange Mapping39.

-26- Hythe Rural Physical Assets Designated spaces (e.g. conservation areas)

Lympne is partly situated in the North Downs Areas Other play areas, parks and open spaces: of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The escarpment and part of The Roughs are designated as Site of Special • Reachfields Open Space, Lyell Close, Hythe Scientific Interest (SSSI) and multi use games area • Lympne football pitch at the Village Hall (MUGA). 140 hectares of Lympne Escarpment is also • Children’s playground designated as SSSI • St Georges Place play area, Hythe • Road Recreation Ground, Hythe The Hythe Ranges are available for local gun clubs • Folkswood Way Play Area, Lympne and cadet forces to practice. The RAF, Army and • Peregrine Close Recreation Ground Navy all use the site for training as do the Police. The • Lympne Airfield popular with dog walkers MOD supports the community by providing access and wildlife enthusiasts to the site subject to the operational constraints. • Lympne Escarpment (SSSI) Previous activities include a free open day at The • The Roughs (SSSI) Redoubt as part of the Hythe Festival and free site • Millennium Wood, Lympne visits as part of the 2014 Triennial40. • Lympne Football Field • Foreshore along Hythe Ranges Play areas and parks • Royal Military Canal Footpath

There are a number of facilities in the ward: Toilets

Lympne Village Hall Playground - this playground is There are no public toilets in Hythe Rural designed for younger children and there is currently a group who are fundraising to add new play Allotments equipment and skate facilities. There are two allotment areas in Hythe Rural Green Trim Trail, the Ridgeway, Lympne – this area is a Lane. Eaton Lands41 and Longbridge Terrace. Green woodland walk with timber outdoor play/exercise Lane is council owned. equipment. The area is in need of improvement – it is dark and damp due to overgrown vegetation

Folkswood Way Play Area – this area is also in need of upgrading. Some of the equipment has been damaged and therefore removed.

Peregrine Close Recreation Ground, Burmarsh Road - designed for children between four and seven years old, there is bench seating and a play unit with a slide.

-27- Hythe Rural

Walking routes/bridle paths

There are several significant waling routes in Hythe Rural Ward and many other footpaths and pubic rights of way.

The Saxon Shore Way, The Trim Trail and Royal Military Canal footpath to name a few.

• The Trim Trail, The Ridgeway, Lympne – an exercise path in the Old Quarry, off Ridgeway. It is a woodland walk with timber outdoor play/exercise equipment. • The Roughs are an escarpment of the North Downs between Hythe and West Hythe. A concrete sound mirror is in the hillside and this was used to listen for approaching aircraft during World War II. • The Saxon Shore Way footpath42 runs through the area. • Numerous footpaths and Public Rights of Way, and more information can be found on the Kent County Council website43. • The Royal Military Canal footpath passes through some of the ward. • Lympne Village Hall Playground - this playground is designed for younger children and there is currently a group who are fundraising to add new play equipment and skate facilities. • Royal Military Canal44 footpath - The Royal Military Canal Path runs for 28 miles along the entire length of the Royal Military Canal from Seabrook to East Sussex. The canal is a scheduled ancient monument and was once the scene of intense military activity. There is a wide variety of wildlife to be found along the banks. • Coastal path along Hythe Ranges - This path runs along the Military training ground. There is access to the public when the range is not in use.

-28- Hythe Rural

Buildings/heritage assets

Lympne Village Hall45 Studfall Castle (also known as Stutfall)

The Village Hall in Lympne is a key asset for the The Roman remains of a station built by Theosius village. It is very popular and hosts a wide range of can be explored on the escarpment. The remains are events and groups. now some way from their original position due to slippage. It would have been an important port during It is managed by a committee. They installed a the occupation and would have been visible from commemorative bench for the Chairman who the large Roman villa at Folkestone. One theory was passed away in 2014. that the villa was for the commander of the Classis Britannica and would have given the commander a There is currently a project to raise funds for an view of both and Lympne48. extension with another room and kitchen. Shepway Cross Lympne Castle46 This is a Grade 2 listed war memorial49 that was built This is a Grade 1 listed castle dating from 13th in 1923 in remembrance to those from the Cinque Century occupying a commanding position on the Ports who died in the First World War. The foundation escarpment, next to the church. It is not currently stone was laid by the 7th Earl of Beauchamp and Lord open to the public except for some ‘open days’ and Warden of the Cinque Ports. corporate / wedding functions. Port Lympne Mansion House

The Mansion House sits with the grounds of Port Lympne Wild Animal Park and is Grade 2 listed. Port Lympne Mansion House played an important part in national and international political life being the site of intergovernmental negotiations over the Treaty of Versailles.

Lympne Airfield50

Lympne Castle Lympne Airfield is of great historical importance to the birth of military and civil aviation. Through two St Stephen’s Church47 world wars Lympne saw intense activity as a base defending this country, playing a major part in all A 12th Century church, Grade I listed, built by the significant chapters of the war in Western Europe. it Normans in the late 11th century. St Stephen’s was the site of the first air ferry service by Silver City Church occupies a commanding position in the Airways and the starting poit for several long distance Lympne Conservation Area with views, across record breaking flights including by Amy Johnson. the marsh. Further detail on the church is in the Places of Worship section.

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WW2 Billets Dymchurch Redoubt55

Located in Otterpool Lane, these now derelict The was built in the early 19th accommodation huts were used by people Century and forms part of a ring of Martello Towers. stationed at the airfield. Sited on Ministry of Defence land, the Redoubt is largely in original condition. It is occasionally opened Royal Military Canal to the public and it is listed by English Heritage.56 and is a Scheduled Ancient MonumentPalmarsh This is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and it runs Village Hall from Seabrook, around the back of the Romney Marsh to the River Rother near Rye. Its primary use Palmarsh Village Hall is to drain the Marsh. The canal is managed by the Environment Agency and is a popular site for bird The village hall is on the A259. It has a number of watching and other wildlife, some of its stretch is a regular events and it is available for private parties. Special Site of Scientific Interest (SSSI) and the rest is Regular events include Craft Club, Zamba Drums, designated as a local wildlife site51 52. rehabilitation exercises, Baptist Church meetings, Tai Chi, Zumba and table tennis. Ruins of St Mary’s Church RAF Dymchurch/RFC Dymchurch A Grade II listed which was built in the 12th Century that burnt down in 162053. There was an airfield called RAF Dymchurch57 on a site near to the Nicholls Quarry. The site ceased The Sound Mirrors operations in 1919.

Two sound mirror are located on The Roughs Car Parks (Military Training Ground), one 20 feet and one 30 feet. These were used to detect incoming enemy There are car parks at Lympne Castle, Lympne Village aircraft during World War Two. Hall, a large car park at Port Lympne, and the Royal Military Canal Car Park at the bottom of Lympne Hill. Martello Towers 14, 15 and 1954 There is a small car park at RHDR and a few parking spaces at the Pennypot Shopping Centre and there These Grade II listed buildings were erected in 1806 are also a few spaces at Palmarsh Village Hall. as part of the coastal defence- against an invasion from Napoleonic France. Built of brick with a coating Full details of all council run car parks are available of cement on the outside and the walls are 5 1/2 on the Shepway website58. There is also an interactive to 6 ft thick. It is built around a centre column 5 ft parking map where you can zoom into any area of thick and consists of two storeys with a flat roof as the district and find information about all our car a gun platform. parks, their location, number of spaces and how long you can park.

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Places of worship

There are two churches in the ward, St Stephen’s Church in Lympne and Holy Cross Church in Palmarsh.

Holy Cross Church, Palmarsh

Holy Cross Church60 is linked to St Leonards in Hythe and was built in 1958.

St Stephen’s Church59 has a very active PCC who recently raised almost £300k for upgrades to the church including a ground source heat pump generated under floor heating system. The PCC continue to hold bi-monthly events at the church which is a very popular community venue. A local artist designed a unique Nativity which is on display every Christmas.

St Stephen's Church, Lympne

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Religious beliefs

The 2011 census indicated that all major religions are practised in Hythe Rural. The majority of people (70%) stated they were Christian and 21% indicated they had no religion. The ward varies slightly from the county average for the proportion of people identifying as: Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and having no religion.

Hythe Rural No. % Shepway Kent Christian 4,140 70.0% 62.3% 62.5% No religion 17 0.3% 0.9% 0.5% Religion not stated 23 0.4% 1.4% 0.7% Buddhist 4 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% Hindu 18 0.3% 0.7% 1.0% Jewish 3 0.1% - 0.7% Muslim 30 0.5% 0.5% 0.4% Sikh 1,253 21.2% 26.5% 26.8% Other religion 425 7.2% 7.6% 7.3%

-32- Hythe Rural Arts and culture Groups

Hythe Rural ward has a number of groups for local residents who are interested in art and history. These include: Club Meeting location

Art Group Lympne Village Hall

Studying History and Archaeology in Lympne (SHAL) St Stephen’s Church

Lympne Airfield History Society The County Members

There is also a mobile library that visits Lympne on Thursday afternoons.

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Events and venues

Various popular events are held in the ward every year. These include:

HFT Summer Fair Lympne Place

Village Fete and dog show (September) Lympne Village Hall

Christmas Pantomime Lympne Village Hall

Garage and Garden Safari (June) Lympne Village

Progressive Supper Lympne Village

Parish Council Quiz Night (April) Lympne Village Hall

Annual pa¬ntomime Lympne Village Hall

Church bi monthly events St Stephen’s Church

Christmas Carol Concert St Stephen’s Church

Holiday Play Schemes Lympne Village Hall

Christmas Fair Lympne Village Hall

Lympne Aero Classic Lympne Village Hall Playing Field

Hevy Fest Port Lympne

Palmarsh school Christmas and Summer Fairs Palmarsh School

Annual Air Force memorial event St Stephen’s Church

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Tourist attactions

Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway (RHDR)61 Port Lympne Wild Animal Park62

A tourist attraction within the ward is the eastern The Port Lympne Wild Animal Park is set in 600 terminus of the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch acres and incorporates the historic mansion and steam railway at Scanlons Bridge Road. It was opened landscaped gardens which were designed by in 1927 and is the smallest public railway in the world. architect Sir Herbert Baker for Sir Philip Sassoon during World War I. The destination has been The trains are third-scale steam and diesel awarded the Visit England Quality Assured locomotives. The track runs parallel to coast through Tourist Attraction. Dymchurch and New Romney to Dungeness. The trains run on a gauge of 15 inches (380 mm) in width, The Park provides day and overnight visitors and the track is nearly 14 miles (23 km) long. opportunities to see rare and endangered species. The park is famous for its gorillas and rhinoceros The RHDR employs approx 40 full time staff and and is one of the largest wild animal parks in the UK. an additional 20 during the peak season. There is There is also a mansion house with gardens which a very active volunteer team of approximately 60 can be visited. It provides various accommodation volunteers. options from glamping to hotel rooms in the Mansion House. The RHDR Association is a registered charity and has approx 2,500 members. Members are entitled to The Royal Military Canal (RMC) generous discounts on the ticket prices. They attend community events to give presentation on their The RMC is also a popular visitor attraction. Please history and operation. see the section on Heritage Assets.

The RHDR hold regular events every year including Accommodation a Steam and Diesel Gala, Santa Express, Hythe Festival Safari Train and a Children’s Charity Day. West Hythe is home to several caravan parks. They have been awarded a Trip Advisor Certificate of Permanent vans are placed at Willow Tree Farm and Excellence (2014) and Visit England Quality Assured Prince of Wales and there are two parks for holiday Visitor Attraction. future plans include establishing a makers: Sandy Bay and Blue Water. Heritage Centre next to the station terminal. Other accommodation options for tourists are two B&Bs in Lympne and self catering cottage accommodation at Lympne Castle.

-35- Hythe Rural Crime

Detailed crimes statistics for each local area are available from: www.police.uk. Shepway District Council officers and councillors can access mapped crime data from the Atlas GIS under the ‘Statistical Information’ layer. More detailed statistics on crime rates in the wards will emerge as the reporting systems and data capture processes are updated by the relevant authorities to reflect the new ward boundaries.

-36- Hythe Rural Endnotes/websites

1. http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/pop-estimate/population-estimates-for-uk--england-and-wales--scotland-and-northern-ireland/2013/stb--- mid-2013-uk-population-estimates.html 2. http://acorn.caci.co.uk/ 3. http://www.kmpho.nhs.uk/ 4. http://www.kent.gov.uk/about-the-council/information-and-data/Facts-and-figures-about-Kent/area-profiles 5. http://www.kent.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/8125/2011-Census-parish-population-bulletin.pdf (p.12) 6. http://www.endole.co.uk/company-by-postcode/ct21-4lr 7. https://www.stagecoachbus.com/the-wave-map.aspx 8. http://www.rhdr.org.uk/fares.html 9. http://www.lympne.kent.sch.uk/ 10. http://www.palmarsh.kent.sch.uk/ 11. http://www.lympne-st-stephens.org.uk/steves.html 12. www.youngkent.org.uk/lympne-youth-club.html 13. http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/performance/index.html 14. www.internationalkarate.co.uk/lympne 15. http://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/ 16. www.hythetownfc.co.uk 17. www.impyinc.co.uk/nickolls-leisure 18. www.cinqueportsanglingsociety.org 19. www.kenzabfitness.co.uk 20. Percentage of mothers either exclusively breastfeeding or partially breastfeeding at 6 to 8 weeks, 2012/13 21. Emergency admissions for Acute Myocardial Infarction, age standardised rate per 100,000 population, FCE=1, 2011/12 to 2013/14 22. Emergency admissions for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder, age standardised rate per 100,000 population, FCE=1, 2011/12 to 2013/14 23. Emergency admissions for diabetes, age standardised rate per 100,000 population, FCE=1, 2011/12 to 2013/14 24. Emergency admissions for falls, age standardised rate per 100,000 population, FCE=1, 2011/12 to 2013/14 25. Emergency admissions for people aged 65+, age standardised rate per 100,000 population, FCE=1, 2011/12 to 2013/14 26. Mortality from cancer, persons aged under 75, 2010 to 2014, age standardised rate per 100,000 population 27. Mortality from circulatory disease, persons aged under 75, 2010 to 2014, age standardised rate per 100,000 population 28. Mortality from respiratory disease, persons aged under 75, 2010 to 2014, age standardised rate per 100,000 population 29. Based on 2010-2014 deaths, population (2010 to 2013, 2013 used twice as an estimate for 2014) 30. www.hft.org.uk 31. Lympne Parish Plan 2011 32. http://www.palmarsh.kent.sch.uk/ 33. http://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/ShowCharity/registerofcharities/mapping/Search.aspx 34. http://www.lympne.net/home.html 35. http://camlanddevelopments.co.uk/projects/3180869 36. http://searchplanapps.shepway.gov.uk/online-applications/ 37. http://www.superfast-openreach.co.uk/where-and-when 38. http://www.uswitch.com/broadband/speedtest/streetstats/ 39. http://www.samknows.com/broadband/exchange_mapping 40. http://www.folkestonetriennial.org.uk/events/event/the-future-of-war/ 41. http://www.elhas.co.uk/ 42. http://www.kentramblers.org.uk/KentWalks/Saxon_Shore/ 43. http://www.kent.gov.uk/waste-planning-and-land/public-rights-of-way/rights-of-way-map 44. http://www.royalmilitarycanal.com/pages/walks_1.asp 45. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lympne-Village-Hall/335935496521573 46. www.lympnecastle.co.uk 47. http://www.lympne-st-stephens.org.uk/ 48. http://www.kenthistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=6068.0 49. http://www.lympne-st-stephens.org.uk/

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50. http://www.kenthistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=6068.0 51. http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-175705-shepway-cross-lympne-kent 52. http://lympneairfield.com/lympne-airfield/ 53. www.royalmilitarycanal.com 54. http://kentpoi.co.uk/wh/pdf/Royal-Military-Canal.pdf 55. http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-175171-ruins-of-st-mary-s-church-hythe-kent 56. http://www.kentpoi.co.uk/historic/martello/index.html 57. http://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/dymchurch-palmarsh 58. www.shepway.gov.uk/content/view/201641/4434 59. http://www.lympne-st-stephens.org.uk/ 60. http://www.stleonardschurchhythekent.org/holyx.html 61. www.rhdr.org.uk 62. http://www.aspinallfoundation.org/port-lympne

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