News Archive for Apr-Jun 2018
20 June 2018
Confirmation of withdrawal of Sandpit planning application
Further to our news item of 18 June, we have now received formal confirmation that the outline planning application to build 18 dwellings on the Sand pit to the south of 200 and east of 198 Sandyhurst Lane has been withdrawn by the applicant. The formal notice may be viewed here. We have no information as to whether a revised application will follow.
19 June 2018
Kingsland Lane to be closed for up to 3 days
Kent County Council has announced that Kingsland Lane will be closed from 0730 to 1630 on 21 June 2018, for up to 3 days, for urgent carriageway repairs. The public notice may be seen here.
18 June 2018
News about planning application for Former Sandpit, Sandyhurst Lane
Boughton Aluph & Eastwell Neighbourhood Plan has today tweeted the following:
Breaking news about planning application 17/01636/AS to build houses on the Former Sandpit site, Sandyhurst Lane. The applicant has withdrawn the planning application while they reconsider the scheme.
18 June 2018
Planning permission sought for double garage at Ash Keys, 4 Eastwell Grange
An application for planning permission has been made for a detached double garage at Ash Keys, 4 Eastwell Grange. The closing date for comments is 9 July 2018. Full details may be viewed here (search for application number 18/00888/AS)
6 June 2018
Sandyhurst Lane re-opened
We are pleased to report that the contractors have this evening reinstated the road following repairs to underground electricity cables. The work has just finished and Sandyhurst Lane will be open tomorrow morning (when the new tarmac has set).
6 June 2018
Update on road closure
The closure of Sandyhurst Lane is still in place and no work has been undertaken on site today. It therefore seems very unlikely that the information given to a local resident by a workman yesterday - that the closure would be for 24 hours – was correct.
In fact, there is a notice at the site which says that the work is due to be completed by 13 June – one week away! Hopefully this is to cover a ‘worst case scenario’.
We have therefore contacted UK Power Networks asking for more information and we have also asked them to provide notices at each end of Sandyhurst Lane to advise ‘rat runners’ and others, so that the peak time traffic chaos may be reduced. At present the signs are only at the diversions and the site of the works.
Numerous cars are driving past the signs, right up to the site before turning round. In at least one case, a car has been illegally driven over the well maintained grass verge to get round the works.
As soon as we have more information, we shall publish it here; meanwhile the road remains closed.
5 June 2018
Sandyhurst Lane closed
Sandyhurst Lane is currently closed whilst repairs are made to an electricity cable. The closure is estimated to last for 24 hours. A diversion is in place via Westwell Lane (opposite Golf Club), Kingsland Lane and Lenacre Street.
5 June 2018
Report on experimental lorry parking enforcement and clamping trial
The Joint Transportation Board, which meets on 12 June, will be receiving a new report summarising the results so far of the experimental lorry parking enforcement and clamping trial which is currently in force on the A20 between Charing and the Drovers roundabout.
The report states that "The numbers of HGV’s parking on the A20 and all other areas have reduced significantly and we are now finding an average of between 5 and 10 HGV’s in contravention each night. We must note that Tuesday nights there are generally a higher volume than any other night of the week. Overall the numbers have reduced by at least 50%".
"Despite the numbers of HGV’s reducing, we are still regularly clamping HGV’s in all locations. The total clamped to date (31st May 2018) is 1345. Of which 578 have been on the A20".
The full report may be viewed here.
1 June 2018
Planning permission sought for extensions at Longfield, 390 Sandyhurst Lane
An application for planning permission has been made for a rear extension, extension to, and conversion of the existing garage at Longfield, 390 Sandyhurst Lane. The closing date for comments is 16 July 2018. Full details may be viewed here (search for application number 18/00755/AS).
23 May 2018
Planning permission granted for extensions at 120 Sandyhurst Lane
Planning permission was granted on 22 May 2018 for erection of a new single-storey side/rear extension; rear infill extension; erection of first floor side extension with pitched roof; erection of single-storey front extension incorporating front porch at 120 Sandyhurst Lane. No objections were received. Full details may be viewed here (search for application number 18/00487/AS).
21 May 2018
Public examination of the Ashford Local Plan
The Ashford Local Plan to 2030 was submitted by Ashford Borough Council on 21 December 2017 to the Secretary of State, for examination by the Planning Inspectorate. That public examination is now in progress at Ashford Civic Centre and is running from 11 April till mid-June.
Last week, on 16 and 17 May, SLRA representatives attended sessions dealing with sites of particular interest to us. These were site S20 – Eureka Park and site S47 – Land east of Hothfield Mill (one of three A20 corridor sites).
In both cases we secured confirmation (and strengthening of the wording in S47) that vehicular access would be ONLY from Trinity Road (S20) and the A20 (S47) and NOT from Sandyhurst Lane or Westwell Lane. Numerous other points were made to the Inspector by a wide range of witnesses, including the SLRA, local parish councils, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, local residents and developers. No discussion was allowed of so-called “omission sites” such as Lenacre Hall Farm and the former Sandpit, Sandyhurst Lane, so developers with interests in omission sites raised objections to sites which have been included, such as the A20 corridor sites.
SLRA notes of the sessions are available here for the S20 - Eureka Park session and here for the A20 Corridor sites session, including S47 - Land east of Hothfield Mill.
17 May 2018
Planning permission sought for garage/workshop/gymnasium
at Forfar, 306 Sandyhurst Lane
An application for planning permission has been made for a detached garage/workshop and gymnasium following demolition of existing storage sheds, home office and workshop at Forfar, 306 Sandyhurst Lane. The closing date for comments is 9 June 2018. Full details may be viewed here (search for application number 18/00718/AS).
10 May 2018
SLRA responds to National Planning Policy Framework consultation in respect of ancient woodland
The SLRA has responded to the part of the current Government consultation on the draft revised National Planning Policy Framework which deals with ancient woodland. The proposed wording greatly enhances the protection for ancient woodland, but provides lesser protection for ancient or veteran trees which lie outside ancient woodland. The SLRA response supports the proposals in respect of ancient woodland and calls for the same level of protection to be afforded to ancient or veteran trees outside ancient woodland. This is in line with the current campaign by the Woodland Trust.
The consultation documents may be viewed here, the SLRA response here and the Woodland Trust campaign here.
5 May 2018
Changes to local bus services: cuts to direct services to William Harvey Hospital
Stagecoach East Kent has announced changes to local bus services, coming into effect from Sunday 3 June 2018. Services serving Sandyhurst Lane are affected:
- Only 2 of the route 666 weekday buses will go to the William Harvey Hospital (7 at present)
- the 10X will no longer be a through route (as the 10 and 10A) to the William Harvey Hospital and Folkestone – it will be necessary to change in Ashford
- Route E (which served the William Harvey Hospital when it was first introduced, but no longer does so) will be discontinued altogether
- Route B will continue to operate with larger buses
The details, as published by Stagecoach, are as follows:
Route 666: There will be a revised timetable and most buses will be rerouted to run to and from Ashford via Trinity Road (Eureka Place). The buses will also serve Eureka Leisure Park, John Lewis and Repton Park Waitrose.
School-time route 666 buses will continue to operate on the existing route directly in and out of Ashford (Faversham Road and Canterbury Road).
Most buses will start and finish at Ashford town centre where you can change to the high frequency route C service for the William Harvey Hospital.
There will be a new hourly Sunday route 666 service running between Ashford town centre and Eureka Leisure Park.
View the new route 666 timetable here.
Route 10X: A revised timetable will apply. All parts of the route will continue to be served, but we’re separating the 10X from the 10/10A so that buses won’t run through to Folkestone. You’ll need to change bus in Ashford town centre if you want to continue your journey towards Hythe and Folkestone. This will help improve the reliability of the service because delays caused by traffic congestion in east Ashford (around junction 10) will no longer impact on journeys running to Maidstone.
View the new route 10X timetable here.
Route E: This route will no longer operate, but other bus routes will continue to serve most areas currently covered by route E. An hourly route 666 service will serve Trinity Road, Eureka Leisure Park, John Lewis and Repton Park Waitrose. Orbital Park and South Willesborough will be served every 30 minutes by route G. Little Burton will be served by route 1 giving a direct link to and from the town centre. On Sundays and Bank Holidays there will be a new hourly route 666 service running between Ashford town centre and Eureka Leisure Park.
Route B: Things will be getting a little bigger! We’re waving goodbye to the compact little buses and saying hello to larger minibuses with more legroom and space for shopping bags. The service will remain little & often operating at a high frequency (every 12 minutes) along the same route as it does now. In the evenings and on Sundays buses will run every 30 minutes.
View the new route B timetable here.
5 May 2018
Free photographic exhibition commemorating World War I
This year commemorates the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War. One of the local events to be held is a photographic exhibition entitled “Fields of Battle, Lands of Peace”. It will be held in the Memorial Garden, Ashford from 2 to 30 June.
It is a free to view exhibition curated by renowned photographer Michael St Maur Sheil, which tells of the healed scars of the First World War through the fields of battle themselves. Since its first showing in Paris in 2014, this exhibition has travelled to major cities across nine countries and has been seen by over ten million people. It is currently at the Guildhall in London and Ashford Borough Council is hosting and sponsoring the exhibition in its final year of touring.
The exhibition also features local stories, from Ashford and the surrounding villages, with a particular focus on the increasing mechanisation of war and the role of women.
A poster giving details of the exhibition may be viewed here.
15 April 2018
SLRA submits response to new planning application for land at
Lenacre Hall Farm
The SLRA has today submitted its objection response to the new planning application for the development of land at Lenacre Hall Farm (application number 18/00413/AS). It may be viewed here.
11 April 2018
Draft SLRA response to new planning application for land at Lenacre Hall Farm
The SLRA will be submitting an objection response to the new planning application for the development of land at Lenacre Hall Farm (application number 18/00413/AS). The draft response may be viewed here. The planning application may be viewed here (if you are not logged on it will be necessary to search for application number 18/00413/AS). NB If you wish to comment on the new planning application you must do so specifically: comments previously submitted for the earlier planning application (number 17/01613/AS) will NOT be considered for the new application. Currently there are 24 objection comments for the new application. This compares with 113 objection comments for the previous application.
11 April 2018
Planning permission granted for single garage at 1 Potters Close
Planning permission was granted on 10 April 2018 for construction of a single detached garage at 1 Potters Close. Full details may be viewed here (search for application number 18/00195/AS).
6 April 2018
Planning permission sought for extensions at 120 Sandyhurst Lane
An application for planning permission has been made for erection of a new single-storey side/rear extension; rear infill extension; erection of first floor side extension with pitched roof; erection of single-storey front extension incorporating front porch at 120 Sandyhurst Lane. The closing date for comments is 29 April 2018. Full details may be viewed here (search for application number 18/00487/AS).
Confirmation of withdrawal of Sandpit planning application
Further to our news item of 18 June, we have now received formal confirmation that the outline planning application to build 18 dwellings on the Sand pit to the south of 200 and east of 198 Sandyhurst Lane has been withdrawn by the applicant. The formal notice may be viewed here. We have no information as to whether a revised application will follow.
19 June 2018
Kingsland Lane to be closed for up to 3 days
Kent County Council has announced that Kingsland Lane will be closed from 0730 to 1630 on 21 June 2018, for up to 3 days, for urgent carriageway repairs. The public notice may be seen here.
18 June 2018
News about planning application for Former Sandpit, Sandyhurst Lane
Boughton Aluph & Eastwell Neighbourhood Plan has today tweeted the following:
Breaking news about planning application 17/01636/AS to build houses on the Former Sandpit site, Sandyhurst Lane. The applicant has withdrawn the planning application while they reconsider the scheme.
18 June 2018
Planning permission sought for double garage at Ash Keys, 4 Eastwell Grange
An application for planning permission has been made for a detached double garage at Ash Keys, 4 Eastwell Grange. The closing date for comments is 9 July 2018. Full details may be viewed here (search for application number 18/00888/AS)
6 June 2018
Sandyhurst Lane re-opened
We are pleased to report that the contractors have this evening reinstated the road following repairs to underground electricity cables. The work has just finished and Sandyhurst Lane will be open tomorrow morning (when the new tarmac has set).
6 June 2018
Update on road closure
The closure of Sandyhurst Lane is still in place and no work has been undertaken on site today. It therefore seems very unlikely that the information given to a local resident by a workman yesterday - that the closure would be for 24 hours – was correct.
In fact, there is a notice at the site which says that the work is due to be completed by 13 June – one week away! Hopefully this is to cover a ‘worst case scenario’.
We have therefore contacted UK Power Networks asking for more information and we have also asked them to provide notices at each end of Sandyhurst Lane to advise ‘rat runners’ and others, so that the peak time traffic chaos may be reduced. At present the signs are only at the diversions and the site of the works.
Numerous cars are driving past the signs, right up to the site before turning round. In at least one case, a car has been illegally driven over the well maintained grass verge to get round the works.
As soon as we have more information, we shall publish it here; meanwhile the road remains closed.
5 June 2018
Sandyhurst Lane closed
Sandyhurst Lane is currently closed whilst repairs are made to an electricity cable. The closure is estimated to last for 24 hours. A diversion is in place via Westwell Lane (opposite Golf Club), Kingsland Lane and Lenacre Street.
5 June 2018
Report on experimental lorry parking enforcement and clamping trial
The Joint Transportation Board, which meets on 12 June, will be receiving a new report summarising the results so far of the experimental lorry parking enforcement and clamping trial which is currently in force on the A20 between Charing and the Drovers roundabout.
The report states that "The numbers of HGV’s parking on the A20 and all other areas have reduced significantly and we are now finding an average of between 5 and 10 HGV’s in contravention each night. We must note that Tuesday nights there are generally a higher volume than any other night of the week. Overall the numbers have reduced by at least 50%".
"Despite the numbers of HGV’s reducing, we are still regularly clamping HGV’s in all locations. The total clamped to date (31st May 2018) is 1345. Of which 578 have been on the A20".
The full report may be viewed here.
1 June 2018
Planning permission sought for extensions at Longfield, 390 Sandyhurst Lane
An application for planning permission has been made for a rear extension, extension to, and conversion of the existing garage at Longfield, 390 Sandyhurst Lane. The closing date for comments is 16 July 2018. Full details may be viewed here (search for application number 18/00755/AS).
23 May 2018
Planning permission granted for extensions at 120 Sandyhurst Lane
Planning permission was granted on 22 May 2018 for erection of a new single-storey side/rear extension; rear infill extension; erection of first floor side extension with pitched roof; erection of single-storey front extension incorporating front porch at 120 Sandyhurst Lane. No objections were received. Full details may be viewed here (search for application number 18/00487/AS).
21 May 2018
Public examination of the Ashford Local Plan
The Ashford Local Plan to 2030 was submitted by Ashford Borough Council on 21 December 2017 to the Secretary of State, for examination by the Planning Inspectorate. That public examination is now in progress at Ashford Civic Centre and is running from 11 April till mid-June.
Last week, on 16 and 17 May, SLRA representatives attended sessions dealing with sites of particular interest to us. These were site S20 – Eureka Park and site S47 – Land east of Hothfield Mill (one of three A20 corridor sites).
In both cases we secured confirmation (and strengthening of the wording in S47) that vehicular access would be ONLY from Trinity Road (S20) and the A20 (S47) and NOT from Sandyhurst Lane or Westwell Lane. Numerous other points were made to the Inspector by a wide range of witnesses, including the SLRA, local parish councils, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, local residents and developers. No discussion was allowed of so-called “omission sites” such as Lenacre Hall Farm and the former Sandpit, Sandyhurst Lane, so developers with interests in omission sites raised objections to sites which have been included, such as the A20 corridor sites.
SLRA notes of the sessions are available here for the S20 - Eureka Park session and here for the A20 Corridor sites session, including S47 - Land east of Hothfield Mill.
17 May 2018
Planning permission sought for garage/workshop/gymnasium
at Forfar, 306 Sandyhurst Lane
An application for planning permission has been made for a detached garage/workshop and gymnasium following demolition of existing storage sheds, home office and workshop at Forfar, 306 Sandyhurst Lane. The closing date for comments is 9 June 2018. Full details may be viewed here (search for application number 18/00718/AS).
10 May 2018
SLRA responds to National Planning Policy Framework consultation in respect of ancient woodland
The SLRA has responded to the part of the current Government consultation on the draft revised National Planning Policy Framework which deals with ancient woodland. The proposed wording greatly enhances the protection for ancient woodland, but provides lesser protection for ancient or veteran trees which lie outside ancient woodland. The SLRA response supports the proposals in respect of ancient woodland and calls for the same level of protection to be afforded to ancient or veteran trees outside ancient woodland. This is in line with the current campaign by the Woodland Trust.
The consultation documents may be viewed here, the SLRA response here and the Woodland Trust campaign here.
5 May 2018
Changes to local bus services: cuts to direct services to William Harvey Hospital
Stagecoach East Kent has announced changes to local bus services, coming into effect from Sunday 3 June 2018. Services serving Sandyhurst Lane are affected:
- Only 2 of the route 666 weekday buses will go to the William Harvey Hospital (7 at present)
- the 10X will no longer be a through route (as the 10 and 10A) to the William Harvey Hospital and Folkestone – it will be necessary to change in Ashford
- Route E (which served the William Harvey Hospital when it was first introduced, but no longer does so) will be discontinued altogether
- Route B will continue to operate with larger buses
The details, as published by Stagecoach, are as follows:
Route 666: There will be a revised timetable and most buses will be rerouted to run to and from Ashford via Trinity Road (Eureka Place). The buses will also serve Eureka Leisure Park, John Lewis and Repton Park Waitrose.
School-time route 666 buses will continue to operate on the existing route directly in and out of Ashford (Faversham Road and Canterbury Road).
Most buses will start and finish at Ashford town centre where you can change to the high frequency route C service for the William Harvey Hospital.
There will be a new hourly Sunday route 666 service running between Ashford town centre and Eureka Leisure Park.
View the new route 666 timetable here.
Route 10X: A revised timetable will apply. All parts of the route will continue to be served, but we’re separating the 10X from the 10/10A so that buses won’t run through to Folkestone. You’ll need to change bus in Ashford town centre if you want to continue your journey towards Hythe and Folkestone. This will help improve the reliability of the service because delays caused by traffic congestion in east Ashford (around junction 10) will no longer impact on journeys running to Maidstone.
View the new route 10X timetable here.
Route E: This route will no longer operate, but other bus routes will continue to serve most areas currently covered by route E. An hourly route 666 service will serve Trinity Road, Eureka Leisure Park, John Lewis and Repton Park Waitrose. Orbital Park and South Willesborough will be served every 30 minutes by route G. Little Burton will be served by route 1 giving a direct link to and from the town centre. On Sundays and Bank Holidays there will be a new hourly route 666 service running between Ashford town centre and Eureka Leisure Park.
Route B: Things will be getting a little bigger! We’re waving goodbye to the compact little buses and saying hello to larger minibuses with more legroom and space for shopping bags. The service will remain little & often operating at a high frequency (every 12 minutes) along the same route as it does now. In the evenings and on Sundays buses will run every 30 minutes.
View the new route B timetable here.
5 May 2018
Free photographic exhibition commemorating World War I
This year commemorates the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War. One of the local events to be held is a photographic exhibition entitled “Fields of Battle, Lands of Peace”. It will be held in the Memorial Garden, Ashford from 2 to 30 June.
It is a free to view exhibition curated by renowned photographer Michael St Maur Sheil, which tells of the healed scars of the First World War through the fields of battle themselves. Since its first showing in Paris in 2014, this exhibition has travelled to major cities across nine countries and has been seen by over ten million people. It is currently at the Guildhall in London and Ashford Borough Council is hosting and sponsoring the exhibition in its final year of touring.
The exhibition also features local stories, from Ashford and the surrounding villages, with a particular focus on the increasing mechanisation of war and the role of women.
A poster giving details of the exhibition may be viewed here.
15 April 2018
SLRA submits response to new planning application for land at
Lenacre Hall Farm
The SLRA has today submitted its objection response to the new planning application for the development of land at Lenacre Hall Farm (application number 18/00413/AS). It may be viewed here.
11 April 2018
Draft SLRA response to new planning application for land at Lenacre Hall Farm
The SLRA will be submitting an objection response to the new planning application for the development of land at Lenacre Hall Farm (application number 18/00413/AS). The draft response may be viewed here. The planning application may be viewed here (if you are not logged on it will be necessary to search for application number 18/00413/AS). NB If you wish to comment on the new planning application you must do so specifically: comments previously submitted for the earlier planning application (number 17/01613/AS) will NOT be considered for the new application. Currently there are 24 objection comments for the new application. This compares with 113 objection comments for the previous application.
11 April 2018
Planning permission granted for single garage at 1 Potters Close
Planning permission was granted on 10 April 2018 for construction of a single detached garage at 1 Potters Close. Full details may be viewed here (search for application number 18/00195/AS).
6 April 2018
Planning permission sought for extensions at 120 Sandyhurst Lane
An application for planning permission has been made for erection of a new single-storey side/rear extension; rear infill extension; erection of first floor side extension with pitched roof; erection of single-storey front extension incorporating front porch at 120 Sandyhurst Lane. The closing date for comments is 29 April 2018. Full details may be viewed here (search for application number 18/00487/AS).
Sandyhurst Lane
Residents Association
Residents Association
Protecting the rural character of Sandyhurst Lane and the adjoining area