22 December 2020
SLRA submits planning objection comments
Recently a retrospective planning application has been made for amendment to the design and the size of the garage/home office previously approved in 2017 for Elvey Cottage, Kingsland Lane (see news item, 5 December 2020).
Detailed study of the retrospective application shows that he building which has been erected is substantially different in size and design from that previously approved and now includes a residential annexe. It is located within the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It appears to contravene policies which include HOU9 (standalone annexes) in the Ashford Local Plan.
In keeping with the SLRA’s primary constitutional objective (Protecting the rural character of Sandyhurst Lane and the adjoining area), it is appropriate for us to submit objection comments for this application.
The SLRA submission may be viewed here and, for ease of reference, Policy HOU9 from the adopted Ashford Local Plan may be viewed here.
18 December 2020
Planning permission sought for extensions at 398 Sandyhurst Lane
A planning application has been made for a single storey rear extension, two storey link extension between house and detached garage, first floor extension over garage and loft conversion at 398 Sandyhurst Lane. The closing date for comments is 9 January 2021. Full details may be viewed here (search for application number 20/01723/AS).
8 December 2020
Planning permission sought for extension at Rudgwick, Westwell Lane
A planning application has been made for a rear single storey extension at Rudgwick, Westwell Lane. The closing date for comments is 31 December 2020. Full details may be viewed here (search for application number 20/01625/AS).
5 December 2020
Retrospective planning application for Elvey Cottage, Kingsland Lane
A retrospective planning application has been made for amendment to the design and the size of the garage/home office approved under planning permission 17/00319/AS to include a residential annexe at Elvey Cottage, Kingsland Lane. Full details may be viewed here (search for application number 20/01680/AS).
4 December2020
Planning permission refused for variation to condition at Downsway,
35 Sandyhurst Lane
Planning permission was refused on 3 December for the application for Downsway, 35 Sandyhurst Lane for a variation to condition 4 on planning permission 18/01466/AS (Single storey outbuilding for a mixed use for domestic use and use as an office for the householder's profession of accountancy) to allow 4 members of staff, not being part of the main household, to be employed in the approved building.
The reasons for refusal are given as follows:
The proposal is contrary to policies SP3, EMP1, TRA3b and TRA7 of the Ashford Local Plan 2030 and Central Government guidance contained in the National Planning Policy Framework and would therefore be contrary to interests of acknowledged planning importance for the following reasons:
1. The proposal would result in an intensification of a business use in a residential area which would constitute a material change of use of the approved building and therefore does not constitute a minor material amendment to planning permission 18/01466/AS.
2. In the absence of a parking and turning plan the applicant has failed to demonstrate that adequate on-site parking could be provided for the increased business use. As a result the proposal would potentially result in parking congestion within Sandyhurst Lane and highways safety issues.
3. The intensification of the use would result in increased vehicle movements at the residential property which would have a detrimental impact on the residential amenities in the immediate locality through noise and distance which would be uncharacteristic of this residential location.
Full details may be found here (search for application number 20/01409/AS).
2 December 2020
Kent resilience plans for post-Brexit
With the forthcoming end of the Brexit transition period on 1st January 2021, there is much media speculation on the likely impact on Kent, particularly in relation to roads, transport and possible consequences for communities and households. .
1 December 2020
Planning permission sought for extensions at 136 Sandyhurst Lane
A planning application has been made for a hip to gable extension with one rear dormer and two front dormer windows, and a rear extension at 136 Sandyhurst Lane. The closing date for comments is 24 December 2020. Full details may be viewed here (search for application number 20/01639/AS).
28 November 2020
Planning permission granted for extension at Wide View, Lenacre Street
Planning permission was granted on 27 November 2020 for the erection of a two storey side and rear extension at Wide View, Lenacre Street. Full details may be viewed here (search for case number 20/01362/AS).
28 November 2020
Christmas and New Year bin collections
SLRA members who normally have their refuse, recycling, food and garden recycling bins collected on a Thursday will have the following arrangements over the Christmas and New Year period:
Recycling (green): Collection due on Thursday 24th December will take place on that day – no change
Refuse (grey): Collection due on Thursday 31st December will take place on Saturday 2nd January
Recycling (green): Collection due on Thursday 7th January will take place on Friday 8th January
Normal Recycling, Refuse and Food collections will resume on Thursday 14th January.
Garden Recycling (brown): No collection on Thursday 31st December. The next collection after this will be on Thursday 14th January.
The full schedule is shown here.
24 November 2020
Planning application for the former Sand Pit, Sandyhurst Lane withdrawn
The most recent application for outline planning permission for 9 dwellings at the former Sand Pit to the south of 200 and the east of 198 Sandyhurst Lane has been “withdrawn by the applicant and no further action will be taken”.
Members will recall that the SLRA and many others campaigned hard against this proposal, which replaced a previous application for 18 dwellings, which was withdrawn in 2018 after similar campaigning. The threat of development on this site has been present since it was first proposed in 2011 as a “submitted site” for the Ashford Urban Sites and Infrastructure Development Plan and subsequently the Ashford Local Plan, but it was not included in the Plan.
Full details of the current withdrawal may be viewed here (search for application number 18/01554/AS). The previous application (number 17/01636/AS) may be found by clicking on the “Site history” tab.
24 November 2020
Planning permission granted for extensions at Two Chimneys,
28 Sandyhurst Lane
Planning permission was granted on 23 November 2020 for ground and first floor extensions, extension to roof and changes to facing materials at Two Chimneys, 28 Sandyhurst Lane. A condition imposed is that the extension permitted shall not be occupied at any time other than for purposes ancillary to the residential use of the dwelling known as 28 Sandyhurst Lane. Reason: To prevent the formation of a separated dwelling. Full details may be viewed here (search for application number 20/01434/AS).
5 November 2020
Westwell online silent auction
We have been asked to pass on the following message about the online Silent Auction being held in support of St Mary Westwell Church Funds:
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At this time of year, Westwell traditionally has the annual Harvest Auction of Promises followed by the Christmas Bazaar.
Inevitably neither of these are happening in the usual format, however, there will be an online Silent Auction combining the two.
The auction will run from this Saturday, November 7th to 14th.
See www.jumblebee.co.uk/westwellauctionofpromises
Do grab a bargain by bidding for anything that takes your fancy!
All profits to St Mary Westwell Church Funds
Contact me for more information.
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Regards
Martin Wyatt Churchwarden
martin.j.wyatt@gmail.com
01233 712150
0795 786 4585
2 November 2020
SLRA submits response to Boughton Aluph & Eastwell Neighbourhood Plan consultation
The SLRA has submitted a response to Ashford Borough Council's public consultation on the Boughton Aluph & Eastwell Parishes Neighbourhood Plan. The response congratulates the BA&E Parish Council and its neighbourhood planning team on the production of a comprehensive Neighbourhood Plan which, in the
most part, meets our earlier criticisms and now complements and supports our Mission Statement and vision for the future of the area. The SLRA endorses the Neighbourhood Plan whilst indicating those detailed points we still think need addressing. The SLRA response may be viewed here and the Neighbourhood Plan here.
29 October 2020
Planning permission sought for extensions at Two Chimneys, 28 Sandyhurst Lane
A planning application has been made for ground and first floor extensions, extension to roof and changes to facing materials at Two Chimneys, 28 Sandyhurst Lane. The closing date for comments is 21 November 2020. Full details may be viewed here (search for application number 20/01434/AS).
23 October 2020
Planning permission sought for variation to condition at Downsway,
35 Sandyhurst Lane
A planning application has been made for Downsway, 35 Sandyhurst Lane. It is for a variation to condition 4 on planning permission 18/01466/AS (Single storey outbuilding for a mixed use for domestic use and use as an office for the householder's profession of accountancy) to allow 4 members of staff, not being part of the main household, to be employed in the approved building.
The closing date for comments is 15 November 2020. Full details may be viewed here (search for application number 20/01409/AS).
21 October 2020
SLRA defibrillator
The SLRA defibrillator, installed outside the Hare & Hounds, has today been fitted with a new battery. This is an expensive item and we are grateful to SLRA members for their continued support, which enables us to purchase such essential items. As a reminder of the details of the defibrillator, including means of access and online training available, please see below for an extract of the news item when the defibrillator was installed:
The SLRA has now installed a Public Access Defibrillator (PAD), also known as an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). It is located in a purpose-designed illuminated cabinet on the back of the low outer front wall of the Hare and Hounds public house at Potters Corner. It is available at all times, 24/7. To try to guard against theft and vandalism, the cabinet is locked, but can be opened with a four-digit code available to callers to 999 and from the pub.
We are grateful to the landlord of the Hare and Hounds for supporting this initiative and for providing the location and a power supply for the cabinet in which the PAD is housed. We are also grateful to SLRA committee member Andy Peddle, Managing Director of ANP Security, for providing cabinet installation services.
Defibrillators, used in conjunction with CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), can double the survival chances of a person suffering an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Every year there are about 30,000 such cardiac arrests in the UK. Using a defibrillator is very easy and straightforward. Please take a moment to watch the short training video by the British Heart Foundation, here, or St Johns Ambulance, here.
16 October 2020
Ashford 10 & 5 mile run
The Ashford and District 10 & 5 mile run, which involves road closures in Sandyhurst Lane and Lenacre Street, was scheduled for Sunday 25 October 2020, but will not now take place.
The next such event is scheduled for Sunday 31 October 2021.
14 October 2020
Planning permission sought for extension at Wide View, Lenacre Street
A planning application has been made for the erection of a two storey side and rear extension at Wide View, Lenacre Street. The closing date for comments is 6 November 2020. Full details may be viewed here (search for case number 20/01362/AS).
9 October 2020
Damian Green MP meets Highways England
As members will be aware, Damian Green MP had a meeting with Highways England on 30 September at which one of the agenda items was the M20 traffic noise and our long-running campaign for resurfacing between junctions 8 and 9. He was supported by a petition of over 1,000 signatures and letters from interested parties.
29 September 2020
Petition for resurfacing the M20 gains over 1,000 signatures
28 September 2020
Boughton Aluph & Eastwell Neighbourhood Plan
The Boughton Aluph & Eastwell Neighbourhood Plan has today started a six week period of public consultation. The so-called Regulation 16 version of the Plan has been published as a consultation document by Ashford Borough Council. Members of the public are encouraged to respond to the online consultation questionnaire. It is also possible to respond by post or email. The official notice reads:
Boughton Aluph and Eastwell Parish Council has submitted the Boughton Aluph and Eastwell Parish Neighbourhood Plan to Ashford Borough Council (ABC). As the local planning authority, ABC is now required to consult for six weeks on the submission document.
The Boughton Aluph and Eastwell Parish Neighbourhood Plan has been developed in consultation with the local community and provides a vision for the future of the Parish. It sets out a vision, land designations and topic policies, which will be used to help determine planning applications within the Parish.
Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the consultation is mainly online and hard copies will not be available at the usual viewing points. However, the Parish Council have a number of hard copies of the consultation document and comment forms available to collect from locations in the parish. If you need a physical copy of the document, please contact the Parish Clerk on 07419 740559 who will assist you to make these arrangements.
The consultation may be accessed at https://haveyoursay.ashford.gov.uk/consult.ti/BAE_NDP/consultationHome where copies of the Neighbourhood Plan and associated documents may be viewed. A copy of the Neighbourhood Plan is also available on the SLRA website here.
The consultation is open from today until 5 pm on Friday 6 November 2020.
27 September 2020
Collection of small electrical items suspended
Small electrical items and household batteries can normally be recycled by leaving them in a clear tied bag on top of the grey refuse bin.
Please note the following announcement from Ashford Borough Council:
Please be advised that due to the fire at the Biffa depot on Tuesday 15th September we are unable to take any extra small waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) or batteries on collections days for the foreseeable future.
Please dispose of them at other locations but do not place in the refuse bin itself as this causes contamination and a potential fire hazard to the load.
The options for disposal are either to take to the KCC Household Waste Recycling Centre (which requires booking a slot) or, for household batteries, to a supermarket (eg Sainsburys, Tesco, Lidl etc) or other retail outlet which offers a battery recycling service.
25 September 2020
Update on Sand Pit planning application
Members will recall that amended plans were submitted in May for the outline planning application for 9 dwellings at the Sand Pit to the South of 200 and east of 198 Sandyhurst Lane. The SLRA and many members submitted objection comments during June.
Kent County Council’s Ecological Advice Service also submitted comments and concluded that additional information was required. The developers subsequently submitted a revised Ecological Appraisal for the site and KCC Ecological Advice Service has now submitted their further comments, referring to the additional information provided.
The conclusion of the latest comments from KCC Ecological Advice Service reads as follows:
We have reviewed the additional ecological information submitted with this planning application and we advise that it has not fully addressed our previous comments provided in June 2020.
The relevant documents may be viewed on the planning website here (search for application number 18/01554/AS).
24 September 2020
Eureka Park development/M20 noise
Further to our exchange of correspondence in July with the agents (DHA Planning) of the developers (Quadrant Eureka) of the Eureka Park site, we are aware that the three affected Parish Councils (Westwell, Boughton Aluph & Eastwell and Kennington Community Council) have received informal presentations from DHA, who requested they wait until the launch of DHA's online consultation later this month before commenting on the provisional plans they disclosed.
However, the SLRA has further engaged directly with DHA/Quadrant to gain their support in the campaign to get the M20 resurfaced. As a result, we understand that Quadrant have now written directly to Damian Green MP expressing their concerns about the noise levels from the concrete surface and to convey that concern to Highways England at his forthcoming meeting with them. This is scheduled for 30 September.
In conjunction with the Westwell resident who set up the petition, we shall also ensure that Damian Green is armed with the results of the petition ahead of his meeting. So far, this has attracted over 900 signatures.
Last opportunity to sign – go
4 September 2020
Petition - Campaign for resurfacing the M20 between junctions 8 and 9
Westwell resident Penny Knatchbull, supported by the SLRA, has launched a petition as part of the ongoing campaign to get the M20 resurfaced between junctions 8 and 9, to reduce the high level of traffic noise.
We encourage all members of the SLRA, and all members of their families, neighbours and friends to sign the petition. As you may be aware (from our email of 7 August), we have recently been in touch with our MP, Damian Green, on this issue and he is meeting with Highways England in September. A strongly supported petition will obviously be helpful in pressing Highways England for action.
The petition can be accessed and signed at: http://chng.it/9Gh645PYXD. The wording of it is reproduced below:
Those of us living along the M20 Corridor between J 8 and 9 are tired of hearing that the old, concrete surface is adequate and will only be replaced when funds are available. Noise levels are not taken into account and have now become unacceptable for those living near the motorway. Everyone deserves some peace in their lives. The concrete surface is outdated and not fit for purpose. There are many more vehicles, especially large trucks, that use the motorway now than when it was first built. We need action not vague promises.
How much money must have been wasted during the countdown to Brexit? Operation Stack, with its endless cones? Operation Brock with the permanent barriers? All now taken down and removed to be replaced with yet more barriers over the past few days. What's next?
Defra, as part of its Noise Action Plan has identified that areas between J 8 and 9 require investigation. We have an identified problem!
Damian Green, our local MP has met with Highways England who released a statement that 'work is expected to take place in 2021/22, subject to availability of funds'. Not really a commitment by Highways England. He will be meeting them again later in September in the hope of getting a more definite time frame. He needs our support so please sign this petition.
Please sign today!
25 August 2020
Tip to close for 3 weeks
The Cobbs Wood Household Waste and Recycling Centre will temporarily close on 31 August and reopen on 21 September. KCC has to replace the concrete floor in the transfer station. (Source: Councillor Winston Michael).
There currently are only two days (30th and 31st August) available on the booking page for the Ashford tip. Slots may be booked here.
22 August 2020
Kingsland Lane planned closure
Kingsland Lane is to be closed to through traffic on 9 September, between 09:30 and approximately 15:30, to allow BT to carry out telegraph pole testing works.
The alternative route for through traffic given by KCC is through Westwell village via Eastwell Lane, The Street and Westwell Lane.
The official notice detailing the closure may be viewed here.
14 August 2020
Green buffer zones
The Government recently purchased the site known as “MOJO” near junction 10A of the M20, to be developed as a customs clearance and lorry holding area following the full implementation of Brexit in January 2021. Local residents have now set up a petition asking Ashford Borough Council to designate a “green buffer zone” between the MOJO site and Mersham village on land which is “the last green field” between Mersham and the site. The petition may be accessed at http://chng.it/qNLbxYRb.
Defending the principle of a “green buffer zone” supports the arguments put forward successfully by the SLRA for a “generous landscaped buffer” between the proposed development at Eureka Park and residential properties in Sandyhurst Lane.
11 August 2020
Sandyacres re-opens
Sandyacres Sports and Social Centre has now reopened and is taking bookings. It is adhering to government guidelines with social distancing and regular cleaning to the bar areas & toilets. Foot operated sanitisers are available. At each entrance there is a one way system in place, with markings on the floor. Bookings can be made through the Sandyacres website.
7 August 2020
Damian Green MP to raise M20 noise again with Highways England
Following the letter sent by the SLRA to Damian Green MP on 24 July (see news item of that date below), he has undertaken to raise with Highways England once again the issue of resurfacing the M20 between junctions 8 and 9. We have received the following reply from his office:
Dear Mr Bartlett,
Many thanks for your letter of 24th July to Damian Green about the M20 and resurfacing between Junctions 8 and 9.
Damian plans to return to the charge on this in the early autumn, as he has a meeting with Highways England to discuss this and various other issues at the end of September.
He will therefore come back to you once he has managed to once again put this question of resurfacing to Highways England, in the hope of getting a more definite timeframe than we have had in the past.
Kind regards,
Emma Gray
Senior Parliamentary Assistant/Office Manager to Rt Hon Damian Green MP
Member of Parliament for Ashford
We shall keep members informed of any further developments in the Autumn.
28 July 2020
SLRA receives reply from Quadrant's planning agent
Further to our news item of 23 July, in which we reported that the SLRA had written to Quadrant and their agent (DHA Planning), we have received a reply from DHA which appears to show that the forthcoming planning application will honour the Local Plan requirements to have no non-emergency vehicular access via Sandyhurst Lane, to include a landscaped 'buffer' between the site and properties in Sandyhurst Lane and to maintain and improve the existing public rights of way.
We shall, of course, carefully examine any firm proposals to see whether such conditions are indeed honoured and to raise other issues which may be of concern to residents.
The full text of the reply is below:
Dear Mr Bartlett,
Thank you for your letter dated 23rd July in relation to the above site.
We can confirm that residents on Sandyhurst Lane will be included in consultation on the site’s development.
We are aware of local concerns in respect of any potential access from the development on to Sandyhurst Lane and we are happy to confirm at this stage that no (non-emergency) vehicular access will be applied for onto Sandyhurst. The application will also show a ‘buffer’ of landscaping alongside the western edge of the proposed development to enhance the living environment of existing Sandyhurst residents.
It is our intention, as you would expect, to maintain and improve access through the site via the existing public rights of way.
I trust this is useful. We look forward to sharing with you some details of the outline planning proposals in the near future.
Kind regards,
Patrick
Patrick Reedman
Associate
DHA Planning
24 July 2020
M20 noise: SLRA writes again to Damian Green
Following the Government's recent announcement of new investment funds for infrastructure projects, the SLRA has written to Damian Green MP again asking him to re-confirm with Highways England plans for resurfacing of the M20 between junctions 8 and 9. The letter may be viewed here.
23 July 2020
SLRA writes to Quadrant
Further to our news item of 21 July, as agreed we have today written to the developers of Eureka Park, via their agent, requesting that any public consultation they undertake includes ALL the residents of Sandyhurst Lane and its adjoining roads and lanes, rather than "parts of Sandyhurst Lane" as indicated in correspondence from Ashford Borough Council. The SLRA letters to Quadrant and their agent may be viewed here.
21 July 2020
SLRA position on Eureka Park development
Following the publication, and attendant furore, of the Quadrant Eureka Scoping Document for the Eureka Park – Site S20 submitted to Ashford Borough Council (ABC) for an Environmental Impact Assessment decision, the SLRA made its position clear in a letter published in the Kentish Express and another to ABC Planning, which we shared with the Westwell and Boughton Aluph & Eastwell Parish Councils. These letters clearly set out our intentions to resist any efforts to disregard the Policies for the Site as set out in the Adopted Local Plan 2030. Both have been circulated to members and reproduced on our website.
Yesterday evening we held an extraordinary (virtual) Committee meeting to ratify the position we recommend to our members.
This concluded that:
We are in regular contact with the local ward members, BA&E Residents’ Association and, through the affected Parish Councils, both ABC and Quadrant, so we can rapidly alert our members and respond when a more definitive plan for the site is available.
16 July 2020
Further SLRA action against Eureka Park proposals
Further to the letter which was published in last week’s Kentish Express, the SLRA has now written to Simon Cole, Spatial Planning Manager at Ashford Borough Council, raising concerns about the recently published proposals for the Eureka Park development and the information contained in Simon’s recent letter to local ward councillors. The SLRA letter reads as follows:
Dear Simon
We are pleased to learn from Ward Councillors that further dialogue is planned between ABC and the developers of Eureka Park on the scope of the proposed development and its compliance with the Adopted Local Plan.
As you know the SLRA was originally unopposed to this development and Policy S20 but remind you that our complicity was contingent on both the provision and retention of the "generous landscaped buffer to residential properties along Sandyhurst Lane" and that "Vehicular access to the site shall be provided from Trinity Road only" i.e. NO vehicle access (except emergency vehicles) was permitted to/from the Lane. What we have seen and heard casts this into doubt.
We are concerned to learn that Quadrant "are intending to launch a public consultation exercise on their emerging ideas very shortly." and that this "will involve a leaflet drop to around 700 households in the vicinity of the site, including along parts of Sandyhurst Lane".
This raises three issues.
The first is its timing. We are in a period of unprecedented uncertainty - spontaneous holidays, school reopening, a disrupted economy and even the risk of a further lockdown, which a household leaflet distribution could exacerbate. For the results of such a consultation to truly reflect the views of the residents its timing and engagement processes must be very carefully considered.
The second is that ALL the households in Sandyhurst Lane and its environs will be equally affected by vehicular access being allowed into Sandyhurst Lane. They must all be consulted.
Despite recently decreased vehicle use, the increases in walking and cycling resulting from HMG advice during lockdown has demonstrated how difficult, and potentially unsafe, is "shared use" of Sandyhurst Lane. The consultation must therefore explore what mitigating steps are necessary by the developers to ensure "pedestrian and cycle routes throughout the development with connections to Sandyhurst Lane and existing routes" can be safely provided.
Best regards
Tony Bartlett
Chair - Sandyhurst Lane Residents Association
11 July 2020
New tip arrangements
From Monday, 13 July, the availability of bookable slots to visit the KCC Waste and Recycling Centre has been increased by 45% and residents may now visit twice in any calendar month (at present it is once every 4 weeks). Full details, including the link to booking a slot, are available on the KCC website here, but the key points on that website are reproduced below:
- all centres to be open 7 days a week
- an increase in opening hours (8.30 am to 3.45 pm)
- an increase of slots from 22,000 per week to 32,000 per week
- you to view the slots available for a month in advance (rather than the current 9 days)
- up to 2 booking slots per household per calendar month (rather than the current limitation of 1 booking per household per 4 weeks)
- you to cancel a booking or amend the date/time of a booking
- you to choose a booking slot before entering your contact and vehicle details.
- Anyone who visits must adhere to the coronavirus safety rules at the centre.
9 July 2020
SLRA action against Eureka Park proposals
Further to our news item of 29 June on the proposed development at Eureka Park, the SLRA letter to the Kentish Express was published today on page 8. It reads as follows:
Like so many organisations and residents, the Sandyhurst Lane Residents Association cooperated with, and on occasions fought, ABC and its officers to produce the adopted Local Plan 2030 which, when finally adopted, we thought would set the shape of the borough for the next 10 years.
We were wrong!
Developers apparently can flagrantly and arrogantly propose new layouts for the already agreed site concept of Eureka Park with more houses, less commercial space and a new 150 bed retirement village, with less green space.
To reduce the impact of this increase on the local transport system they then propose to completely overturn the Local Plan S20 Policy which clearly states that “Vehicular access to the site shall be provided from Trinity Road only”.
Contrary to this Policy we now learn it is proposed that 150 of the new houses shall exclusively use a newly created access point onto the rural Sandyhurst Lane.
Not without a fight.
Tony Bartlett
Chairman, Sandyhurst Lane Residents’ Association
Further published letters opposing the proposals include one from Goat Lees Councillor, Winston Michael.
9 July 2020
Eureka Park - update from Ashford Borough Council
Ashford Borough Council’s Spatial Planning Manager has written to the three local Borough Councillors into whose wards the proposed Eureka Park development falls. The letter reads as follows:
Dear Councillors,
I wanted to just give you a brief update on the emerging proposals from Quadrant Estates in respect of the Eureka Park site that is allocated as site S20 in the Local Plan.
We had a further pre-application meeting with Quadrant and their consultant team earlier this week where we discussed the latest set of plans and thoughts hey have for developing out the site. We have re-iterated with them that the site policy in the Local Plan is the starting point for our consideration of any proposals and in our opinion, the balance to be struck between residential and commercial development on this strategically important mixed use site is of great importance in informing the basis of the more detailed design and layout considerations to come.
However, I wanted to let you know (as parts of the site cover all of your wards in some way), that Quadrant are intending to launch a public consultation exercise on their emerging ideas very shortly. We are told this will involve a leaflet drop to around 700 households in the vicinity of the site, including along parts of Sandyhurst Lane, as well as inviting Parish Councils and community groups to feedback via a website being created for the proposed development. I expect you will also be contacted directly by Quadrant too.
We have also been asked to start thinking about setting up a Design Review Panel session and subsequent Members Briefing session when the time is right and hopefully the scheme has evolved some more. Late July/ early August has been discussed for the first of these but will obviously be dependent on availability, etc.
I will try to keep you updated as matters progress but if you have any queries, please let me or Dan Carter know.
Regards,
Simon
Simon Cole
Spatial Planning Manager & Acting Strategic Development & Delivery Manager
Ashford Borough Council
At this stage, we have no further information on the matters raised in this letter, but will keep members informed whenever we have.
2 July 2020
Retrospective planning permission granted for extension and summer house
at 3 Kingsland Cottages, Kingsland Lane
Retrospective planning applications was granted on 1 July 2020 for a single-storey flat roof rear extension and for a single storey timber summer house at 3 Kingsland Cottages, Kingsland Lane. Full details may be viewed here (extension - search for application number 20/00606/AS) and here (summer house - search for application number 20/00607/AS)
SLRA submits planning objection comments
Recently a retrospective planning application has been made for amendment to the design and the size of the garage/home office previously approved in 2017 for Elvey Cottage, Kingsland Lane (see news item, 5 December 2020).
Detailed study of the retrospective application shows that he building which has been erected is substantially different in size and design from that previously approved and now includes a residential annexe. It is located within the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It appears to contravene policies which include HOU9 (standalone annexes) in the Ashford Local Plan.
In keeping with the SLRA’s primary constitutional objective (Protecting the rural character of Sandyhurst Lane and the adjoining area), it is appropriate for us to submit objection comments for this application.
The SLRA submission may be viewed here and, for ease of reference, Policy HOU9 from the adopted Ashford Local Plan may be viewed here.
18 December 2020
Planning permission sought for extensions at 398 Sandyhurst Lane
A planning application has been made for a single storey rear extension, two storey link extension between house and detached garage, first floor extension over garage and loft conversion at 398 Sandyhurst Lane. The closing date for comments is 9 January 2021. Full details may be viewed here (search for application number 20/01723/AS).
8 December 2020
Planning permission sought for extension at Rudgwick, Westwell Lane
A planning application has been made for a rear single storey extension at Rudgwick, Westwell Lane. The closing date for comments is 31 December 2020. Full details may be viewed here (search for application number 20/01625/AS).
5 December 2020
Retrospective planning application for Elvey Cottage, Kingsland Lane
A retrospective planning application has been made for amendment to the design and the size of the garage/home office approved under planning permission 17/00319/AS to include a residential annexe at Elvey Cottage, Kingsland Lane. Full details may be viewed here (search for application number 20/01680/AS).
4 December2020
Planning permission refused for variation to condition at Downsway,
35 Sandyhurst Lane
Planning permission was refused on 3 December for the application for Downsway, 35 Sandyhurst Lane for a variation to condition 4 on planning permission 18/01466/AS (Single storey outbuilding for a mixed use for domestic use and use as an office for the householder's profession of accountancy) to allow 4 members of staff, not being part of the main household, to be employed in the approved building.
The reasons for refusal are given as follows:
The proposal is contrary to policies SP3, EMP1, TRA3b and TRA7 of the Ashford Local Plan 2030 and Central Government guidance contained in the National Planning Policy Framework and would therefore be contrary to interests of acknowledged planning importance for the following reasons:
1. The proposal would result in an intensification of a business use in a residential area which would constitute a material change of use of the approved building and therefore does not constitute a minor material amendment to planning permission 18/01466/AS.
2. In the absence of a parking and turning plan the applicant has failed to demonstrate that adequate on-site parking could be provided for the increased business use. As a result the proposal would potentially result in parking congestion within Sandyhurst Lane and highways safety issues.
3. The intensification of the use would result in increased vehicle movements at the residential property which would have a detrimental impact on the residential amenities in the immediate locality through noise and distance which would be uncharacteristic of this residential location.
Full details may be found here (search for application number 20/01409/AS).
2 December 2020
Kent resilience plans for post-Brexit
With the forthcoming end of the Brexit transition period on 1st January 2021, there is much media speculation on the likely impact on Kent, particularly in relation to roads, transport and possible consequences for communities and households. .
Members who wish to learn more about the preparations in progress may wish to review the website “Kent Prepared” which is run by the multi-agency Kent Resilience Forum. The website contains information and advice to support local communities prepare for, respond to and recover from a wide range of emergencies, as well as the end of the post-Brexit transition, but on the latter subject there is a downloadable section entitled “Preparing Kent for the end of the Brexit Transition Period”, which may be viewed here.
This document contains detailed information about the measures planned to minimise traffic disruption. In addition, your attention is drawn to the advice for communities, household contingency plans and journey planning towards the end of the document, on pages 12 and 13.
1 December 2020
Planning permission sought for extensions at 136 Sandyhurst Lane
A planning application has been made for a hip to gable extension with one rear dormer and two front dormer windows, and a rear extension at 136 Sandyhurst Lane. The closing date for comments is 24 December 2020. Full details may be viewed here (search for application number 20/01639/AS).
28 November 2020
Planning permission granted for extension at Wide View, Lenacre Street
Planning permission was granted on 27 November 2020 for the erection of a two storey side and rear extension at Wide View, Lenacre Street. Full details may be viewed here (search for case number 20/01362/AS).
28 November 2020
Christmas and New Year bin collections
SLRA members who normally have their refuse, recycling, food and garden recycling bins collected on a Thursday will have the following arrangements over the Christmas and New Year period:
Recycling (green): Collection due on Thursday 24th December will take place on that day – no change
Refuse (grey): Collection due on Thursday 31st December will take place on Saturday 2nd January
Recycling (green): Collection due on Thursday 7th January will take place on Friday 8th January
Normal Recycling, Refuse and Food collections will resume on Thursday 14th January.
Garden Recycling (brown): No collection on Thursday 31st December. The next collection after this will be on Thursday 14th January.
The full schedule is shown here.
24 November 2020
Planning application for the former Sand Pit, Sandyhurst Lane withdrawn
The most recent application for outline planning permission for 9 dwellings at the former Sand Pit to the south of 200 and the east of 198 Sandyhurst Lane has been “withdrawn by the applicant and no further action will be taken”.
Members will recall that the SLRA and many others campaigned hard against this proposal, which replaced a previous application for 18 dwellings, which was withdrawn in 2018 after similar campaigning. The threat of development on this site has been present since it was first proposed in 2011 as a “submitted site” for the Ashford Urban Sites and Infrastructure Development Plan and subsequently the Ashford Local Plan, but it was not included in the Plan.
Full details of the current withdrawal may be viewed here (search for application number 18/01554/AS). The previous application (number 17/01636/AS) may be found by clicking on the “Site history” tab.
24 November 2020
Planning permission granted for extensions at Two Chimneys,
28 Sandyhurst Lane
Planning permission was granted on 23 November 2020 for ground and first floor extensions, extension to roof and changes to facing materials at Two Chimneys, 28 Sandyhurst Lane. A condition imposed is that the extension permitted shall not be occupied at any time other than for purposes ancillary to the residential use of the dwelling known as 28 Sandyhurst Lane. Reason: To prevent the formation of a separated dwelling. Full details may be viewed here (search for application number 20/01434/AS).
5 November 2020
Westwell online silent auction
We have been asked to pass on the following message about the online Silent Auction being held in support of St Mary Westwell Church Funds:
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At this time of year, Westwell traditionally has the annual Harvest Auction of Promises followed by the Christmas Bazaar.
Inevitably neither of these are happening in the usual format, however, there will be an online Silent Auction combining the two.
The auction will run from this Saturday, November 7th to 14th.
See www.jumblebee.co.uk/westwellauctionofpromises
Do grab a bargain by bidding for anything that takes your fancy!
All profits to St Mary Westwell Church Funds
Contact me for more information.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Regards
Martin Wyatt Churchwarden
martin.j.wyatt@gmail.com
01233 712150
0795 786 4585
2 November 2020
SLRA submits response to Boughton Aluph & Eastwell Neighbourhood Plan consultation
The SLRA has submitted a response to Ashford Borough Council's public consultation on the Boughton Aluph & Eastwell Parishes Neighbourhood Plan. The response congratulates the BA&E Parish Council and its neighbourhood planning team on the production of a comprehensive Neighbourhood Plan which, in the
most part, meets our earlier criticisms and now complements and supports our Mission Statement and vision for the future of the area. The SLRA endorses the Neighbourhood Plan whilst indicating those detailed points we still think need addressing. The SLRA response may be viewed here and the Neighbourhood Plan here.
29 October 2020
Planning permission sought for extensions at Two Chimneys, 28 Sandyhurst Lane
A planning application has been made for ground and first floor extensions, extension to roof and changes to facing materials at Two Chimneys, 28 Sandyhurst Lane. The closing date for comments is 21 November 2020. Full details may be viewed here (search for application number 20/01434/AS).
23 October 2020
Planning permission sought for variation to condition at Downsway,
35 Sandyhurst Lane
A planning application has been made for Downsway, 35 Sandyhurst Lane. It is for a variation to condition 4 on planning permission 18/01466/AS (Single storey outbuilding for a mixed use for domestic use and use as an office for the householder's profession of accountancy) to allow 4 members of staff, not being part of the main household, to be employed in the approved building.
The closing date for comments is 15 November 2020. Full details may be viewed here (search for application number 20/01409/AS).
21 October 2020
SLRA defibrillator
The SLRA defibrillator, installed outside the Hare & Hounds, has today been fitted with a new battery. This is an expensive item and we are grateful to SLRA members for their continued support, which enables us to purchase such essential items. As a reminder of the details of the defibrillator, including means of access and online training available, please see below for an extract of the news item when the defibrillator was installed:
The SLRA has now installed a Public Access Defibrillator (PAD), also known as an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). It is located in a purpose-designed illuminated cabinet on the back of the low outer front wall of the Hare and Hounds public house at Potters Corner. It is available at all times, 24/7. To try to guard against theft and vandalism, the cabinet is locked, but can be opened with a four-digit code available to callers to 999 and from the pub.
We are grateful to the landlord of the Hare and Hounds for supporting this initiative and for providing the location and a power supply for the cabinet in which the PAD is housed. We are also grateful to SLRA committee member Andy Peddle, Managing Director of ANP Security, for providing cabinet installation services.
Defibrillators, used in conjunction with CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), can double the survival chances of a person suffering an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Every year there are about 30,000 such cardiac arrests in the UK. Using a defibrillator is very easy and straightforward. Please take a moment to watch the short training video by the British Heart Foundation, here, or St Johns Ambulance, here.
16 October 2020
Ashford 10 & 5 mile run
The Ashford and District 10 & 5 mile run, which involves road closures in Sandyhurst Lane and Lenacre Street, was scheduled for Sunday 25 October 2020, but will not now take place.
The next such event is scheduled for Sunday 31 October 2021.
14 October 2020
Planning permission sought for extension at Wide View, Lenacre Street
A planning application has been made for the erection of a two storey side and rear extension at Wide View, Lenacre Street. The closing date for comments is 6 November 2020. Full details may be viewed here (search for case number 20/01362/AS).
9 October 2020
Damian Green MP meets Highways England
As members will be aware, Damian Green MP had a meeting with Highways England on 30 September at which one of the agenda items was the M20 traffic noise and our long-running campaign for resurfacing between junctions 8 and 9. He was supported by a petition of over 1,000 signatures and letters from interested parties.
Perhaps not surprisingly, given the budgetary pressures of the pandemic and Brexit, the results of the meeting were less than we ideally would have hoped for. Damian has written to us with a report on the meeting. He was able to establish that there is a national policy to phase out noisy concrete surfaces over the next 15 years. Over the next 5 years they will be spending £390 million and this will be repeated in subsequent periods.
For the M20, whilst resurfacing is still some way away, over the coming year there will be work to replace damaged joints and repair cracked slabs which, it is claimed, will have a beneficial effect on the noise level. Between 2021 and 2023 they will be working on replacement of whole slabs, which “will further reduce the noise”. The rest of the work will be done after 2025.
The full text of Damian’s letter can be viewed here.
The SLRA will continue to use every opportunity to press for resurfacing of the M20 at the earliest opportunity.
29 September 2020
Petition for resurfacing the M20 gains over 1,000 signatures
The petition for resurfacing the M20 between junctions 8 and 9, launched by Westwell resident Penny Knatchbull, supported by the SLRA,
has reached over 1,000 signatures and carries over 70 comments from residents. The petition has been sent to Damian Green MP ahead of his meeting with Highways England tomorrow, 30 September. Thank you to all those who have supported this petition.28 September 2020
Boughton Aluph & Eastwell Neighbourhood Plan
The Boughton Aluph & Eastwell Neighbourhood Plan has today started a six week period of public consultation. The so-called Regulation 16 version of the Plan has been published as a consultation document by Ashford Borough Council. Members of the public are encouraged to respond to the online consultation questionnaire. It is also possible to respond by post or email. The official notice reads:
Boughton Aluph and Eastwell Parish Council has submitted the Boughton Aluph and Eastwell Parish Neighbourhood Plan to Ashford Borough Council (ABC). As the local planning authority, ABC is now required to consult for six weeks on the submission document.
The Boughton Aluph and Eastwell Parish Neighbourhood Plan has been developed in consultation with the local community and provides a vision for the future of the Parish. It sets out a vision, land designations and topic policies, which will be used to help determine planning applications within the Parish.
Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the consultation is mainly online and hard copies will not be available at the usual viewing points. However, the Parish Council have a number of hard copies of the consultation document and comment forms available to collect from locations in the parish. If you need a physical copy of the document, please contact the Parish Clerk on 07419 740559 who will assist you to make these arrangements.
The consultation may be accessed at https://haveyoursay.ashford.gov.uk/consult.ti/BAE_NDP/consultationHome where copies of the Neighbourhood Plan and associated documents may be viewed. A copy of the Neighbourhood Plan is also available on the SLRA website here.
The consultation is open from today until 5 pm on Friday 6 November 2020.
27 September 2020
Collection of small electrical items suspended
Small electrical items and household batteries can normally be recycled by leaving them in a clear tied bag on top of the grey refuse bin.
Please note the following announcement from Ashford Borough Council:
Please be advised that due to the fire at the Biffa depot on Tuesday 15th September we are unable to take any extra small waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) or batteries on collections days for the foreseeable future.
Please dispose of them at other locations but do not place in the refuse bin itself as this causes contamination and a potential fire hazard to the load.
The options for disposal are either to take to the KCC Household Waste Recycling Centre (which requires booking a slot) or, for household batteries, to a supermarket (eg Sainsburys, Tesco, Lidl etc) or other retail outlet which offers a battery recycling service.
25 September 2020
Update on Sand Pit planning application
Members will recall that amended plans were submitted in May for the outline planning application for 9 dwellings at the Sand Pit to the South of 200 and east of 198 Sandyhurst Lane. The SLRA and many members submitted objection comments during June.
Kent County Council’s Ecological Advice Service also submitted comments and concluded that additional information was required. The developers subsequently submitted a revised Ecological Appraisal for the site and KCC Ecological Advice Service has now submitted their further comments, referring to the additional information provided.
The conclusion of the latest comments from KCC Ecological Advice Service reads as follows:
We have reviewed the additional ecological information submitted with this planning application and we advise that it has not fully addressed our previous comments provided in June 2020.
The relevant documents may be viewed on the planning website here (search for application number 18/01554/AS).
24 September 2020
Eureka Park development/M20 noise
Further to our exchange of correspondence in July with the agents (DHA Planning) of the developers (Quadrant Eureka) of the Eureka Park site, we are aware that the three affected Parish Councils (Westwell, Boughton Aluph & Eastwell and Kennington Community Council) have received informal presentations from DHA, who requested they wait until the launch of DHA's online consultation later this month before commenting on the provisional plans they disclosed.
However, the SLRA has further engaged directly with DHA/Quadrant to gain their support in the campaign to get the M20 resurfaced. As a result, we understand that Quadrant have now written directly to Damian Green MP expressing their concerns about the noise levels from the concrete surface and to convey that concern to Highways England at his forthcoming meeting with them. This is scheduled for 30 September.
In conjunction with the Westwell resident who set up the petition, we shall also ensure that Damian Green is armed with the results of the petition ahead of his meeting. So far, this has attracted over 900 signatures.
Last opportunity to sign – go
to http://chng.it/9Gh645PYXD
4 September 2020
Petition - Campaign for resurfacing the M20 between junctions 8 and 9
Westwell resident Penny Knatchbull, supported by the SLRA, has launched a petition as part of the ongoing campaign to get the M20 resurfaced between junctions 8 and 9, to reduce the high level of traffic noise.
We encourage all members of the SLRA, and all members of their families, neighbours and friends to sign the petition. As you may be aware (from our email of 7 August), we have recently been in touch with our MP, Damian Green, on this issue and he is meeting with Highways England in September. A strongly supported petition will obviously be helpful in pressing Highways England for action.
The petition can be accessed and signed at: http://chng.it/9Gh645PYXD. The wording of it is reproduced below:
Those of us living along the M20 Corridor between J 8 and 9 are tired of hearing that the old, concrete surface is adequate and will only be replaced when funds are available. Noise levels are not taken into account and have now become unacceptable for those living near the motorway. Everyone deserves some peace in their lives. The concrete surface is outdated and not fit for purpose. There are many more vehicles, especially large trucks, that use the motorway now than when it was first built. We need action not vague promises.
How much money must have been wasted during the countdown to Brexit? Operation Stack, with its endless cones? Operation Brock with the permanent barriers? All now taken down and removed to be replaced with yet more barriers over the past few days. What's next?
Defra, as part of its Noise Action Plan has identified that areas between J 8 and 9 require investigation. We have an identified problem!
Damian Green, our local MP has met with Highways England who released a statement that 'work is expected to take place in 2021/22, subject to availability of funds'. Not really a commitment by Highways England. He will be meeting them again later in September in the hope of getting a more definite time frame. He needs our support so please sign this petition.
Please sign today!
25 August 2020
Tip to close for 3 weeks
The Cobbs Wood Household Waste and Recycling Centre will temporarily close on 31 August and reopen on 21 September. KCC has to replace the concrete floor in the transfer station. (Source: Councillor Winston Michael).
There currently are only two days (30th and 31st August) available on the booking page for the Ashford tip. Slots may be booked here.
22 August 2020
Kingsland Lane planned closure
Kingsland Lane is to be closed to through traffic on 9 September, between 09:30 and approximately 15:30, to allow BT to carry out telegraph pole testing works.
The alternative route for through traffic given by KCC is through Westwell village via Eastwell Lane, The Street and Westwell Lane.
The official notice detailing the closure may be viewed here.
14 August 2020
Green buffer zones
The Government recently purchased the site known as “MOJO” near junction 10A of the M20, to be developed as a customs clearance and lorry holding area following the full implementation of Brexit in January 2021. Local residents have now set up a petition asking Ashford Borough Council to designate a “green buffer zone” between the MOJO site and Mersham village on land which is “the last green field” between Mersham and the site. The petition may be accessed at http://chng.it/qNLbxYRb.
Defending the principle of a “green buffer zone” supports the arguments put forward successfully by the SLRA for a “generous landscaped buffer” between the proposed development at Eureka Park and residential properties in Sandyhurst Lane.
11 August 2020
Sandyacres re-opens
Sandyacres Sports and Social Centre has now reopened and is taking bookings. It is adhering to government guidelines with social distancing and regular cleaning to the bar areas & toilets. Foot operated sanitisers are available. At each entrance there is a one way system in place, with markings on the floor. Bookings can be made through the Sandyacres website.
7 August 2020
Damian Green MP to raise M20 noise again with Highways England
Following the letter sent by the SLRA to Damian Green MP on 24 July (see news item of that date below), he has undertaken to raise with Highways England once again the issue of resurfacing the M20 between junctions 8 and 9. We have received the following reply from his office:
Dear Mr Bartlett,
Many thanks for your letter of 24th July to Damian Green about the M20 and resurfacing between Junctions 8 and 9.
Damian plans to return to the charge on this in the early autumn, as he has a meeting with Highways England to discuss this and various other issues at the end of September.
He will therefore come back to you once he has managed to once again put this question of resurfacing to Highways England, in the hope of getting a more definite timeframe than we have had in the past.
Kind regards,
Emma Gray
Senior Parliamentary Assistant/Office Manager to Rt Hon Damian Green MP
Member of Parliament for Ashford
We shall keep members informed of any further developments in the Autumn.
28 July 2020
SLRA receives reply from Quadrant's planning agent
Further to our news item of 23 July, in which we reported that the SLRA had written to Quadrant and their agent (DHA Planning), we have received a reply from DHA which appears to show that the forthcoming planning application will honour the Local Plan requirements to have no non-emergency vehicular access via Sandyhurst Lane, to include a landscaped 'buffer' between the site and properties in Sandyhurst Lane and to maintain and improve the existing public rights of way.
We shall, of course, carefully examine any firm proposals to see whether such conditions are indeed honoured and to raise other issues which may be of concern to residents.
The full text of the reply is below:
Dear Mr Bartlett,
Thank you for your letter dated 23rd July in relation to the above site.
We can confirm that residents on Sandyhurst Lane will be included in consultation on the site’s development.
We are aware of local concerns in respect of any potential access from the development on to Sandyhurst Lane and we are happy to confirm at this stage that no (non-emergency) vehicular access will be applied for onto Sandyhurst. The application will also show a ‘buffer’ of landscaping alongside the western edge of the proposed development to enhance the living environment of existing Sandyhurst residents.
It is our intention, as you would expect, to maintain and improve access through the site via the existing public rights of way.
I trust this is useful. We look forward to sharing with you some details of the outline planning proposals in the near future.
Kind regards,
Patrick
Patrick Reedman
Associate
DHA Planning
24 July 2020
M20 noise: SLRA writes again to Damian Green
Following the Government's recent announcement of new investment funds for infrastructure projects, the SLRA has written to Damian Green MP again asking him to re-confirm with Highways England plans for resurfacing of the M20 between junctions 8 and 9. The letter may be viewed here.
23 July 2020
SLRA writes to Quadrant
Further to our news item of 21 July, as agreed we have today written to the developers of Eureka Park, via their agent, requesting that any public consultation they undertake includes ALL the residents of Sandyhurst Lane and its adjoining roads and lanes, rather than "parts of Sandyhurst Lane" as indicated in correspondence from Ashford Borough Council. The SLRA letters to Quadrant and their agent may be viewed here.
21 July 2020
SLRA position on Eureka Park development
Following the publication, and attendant furore, of the Quadrant Eureka Scoping Document for the Eureka Park – Site S20 submitted to Ashford Borough Council (ABC) for an Environmental Impact Assessment decision, the SLRA made its position clear in a letter published in the Kentish Express and another to ABC Planning, which we shared with the Westwell and Boughton Aluph & Eastwell Parish Councils. These letters clearly set out our intentions to resist any efforts to disregard the Policies for the Site as set out in the Adopted Local Plan 2030. Both have been circulated to members and reproduced on our website.
Yesterday evening we held an extraordinary (virtual) Committee meeting to ratify the position we recommend to our members.
This concluded that:
We are in regular contact with the local ward members, BA&E Residents’ Association and, through the affected Parish Councils, both ABC and Quadrant, so we can rapidly alert our members and respond when a more definitive plan for the site is available.
16 July 2020
Further SLRA action against Eureka Park proposals
Further to the letter which was published in last week’s Kentish Express, the SLRA has now written to Simon Cole, Spatial Planning Manager at Ashford Borough Council, raising concerns about the recently published proposals for the Eureka Park development and the information contained in Simon’s recent letter to local ward councillors. The SLRA letter reads as follows:
Dear Simon
We are pleased to learn from Ward Councillors that further dialogue is planned between ABC and the developers of Eureka Park on the scope of the proposed development and its compliance with the Adopted Local Plan.
As you know the SLRA was originally unopposed to this development and Policy S20 but remind you that our complicity was contingent on both the provision and retention of the "generous landscaped buffer to residential properties along Sandyhurst Lane" and that "Vehicular access to the site shall be provided from Trinity Road only" i.e. NO vehicle access (except emergency vehicles) was permitted to/from the Lane. What we have seen and heard casts this into doubt.
We are concerned to learn that Quadrant "are intending to launch a public consultation exercise on their emerging ideas very shortly." and that this "will involve a leaflet drop to around 700 households in the vicinity of the site, including along parts of Sandyhurst Lane".
This raises three issues.
The first is its timing. We are in a period of unprecedented uncertainty - spontaneous holidays, school reopening, a disrupted economy and even the risk of a further lockdown, which a household leaflet distribution could exacerbate. For the results of such a consultation to truly reflect the views of the residents its timing and engagement processes must be very carefully considered.
The second is that ALL the households in Sandyhurst Lane and its environs will be equally affected by vehicular access being allowed into Sandyhurst Lane. They must all be consulted.
Despite recently decreased vehicle use, the increases in walking and cycling resulting from HMG advice during lockdown has demonstrated how difficult, and potentially unsafe, is "shared use" of Sandyhurst Lane. The consultation must therefore explore what mitigating steps are necessary by the developers to ensure "pedestrian and cycle routes throughout the development with connections to Sandyhurst Lane and existing routes" can be safely provided.
Best regards
Tony Bartlett
Chair - Sandyhurst Lane Residents Association
11 July 2020
New tip arrangements
From Monday, 13 July, the availability of bookable slots to visit the KCC Waste and Recycling Centre has been increased by 45% and residents may now visit twice in any calendar month (at present it is once every 4 weeks). Full details, including the link to booking a slot, are available on the KCC website here, but the key points on that website are reproduced below:
- all centres to be open 7 days a week
- an increase in opening hours (8.30 am to 3.45 pm)
- an increase of slots from 22,000 per week to 32,000 per week
- you to view the slots available for a month in advance (rather than the current 9 days)
- up to 2 booking slots per household per calendar month (rather than the current limitation of 1 booking per household per 4 weeks)
- you to cancel a booking or amend the date/time of a booking
- you to choose a booking slot before entering your contact and vehicle details.
- Anyone who visits must adhere to the coronavirus safety rules at the centre.
9 July 2020
SLRA action against Eureka Park proposals
Further to our news item of 29 June on the proposed development at Eureka Park, the SLRA letter to the Kentish Express was published today on page 8. It reads as follows:
Like so many organisations and residents, the Sandyhurst Lane Residents Association cooperated with, and on occasions fought, ABC and its officers to produce the adopted Local Plan 2030 which, when finally adopted, we thought would set the shape of the borough for the next 10 years.
We were wrong!
Developers apparently can flagrantly and arrogantly propose new layouts for the already agreed site concept of Eureka Park with more houses, less commercial space and a new 150 bed retirement village, with less green space.
To reduce the impact of this increase on the local transport system they then propose to completely overturn the Local Plan S20 Policy which clearly states that “Vehicular access to the site shall be provided from Trinity Road only”.
Contrary to this Policy we now learn it is proposed that 150 of the new houses shall exclusively use a newly created access point onto the rural Sandyhurst Lane.
Not without a fight.
Tony Bartlett
Chairman, Sandyhurst Lane Residents’ Association
Further published letters opposing the proposals include one from Goat Lees Councillor, Winston Michael.
9 July 2020
Eureka Park - update from Ashford Borough Council
Ashford Borough Council’s Spatial Planning Manager has written to the three local Borough Councillors into whose wards the proposed Eureka Park development falls. The letter reads as follows:
Dear Councillors,
I wanted to just give you a brief update on the emerging proposals from Quadrant Estates in respect of the Eureka Park site that is allocated as site S20 in the Local Plan.
We had a further pre-application meeting with Quadrant and their consultant team earlier this week where we discussed the latest set of plans and thoughts hey have for developing out the site. We have re-iterated with them that the site policy in the Local Plan is the starting point for our consideration of any proposals and in our opinion, the balance to be struck between residential and commercial development on this strategically important mixed use site is of great importance in informing the basis of the more detailed design and layout considerations to come.
However, I wanted to let you know (as parts of the site cover all of your wards in some way), that Quadrant are intending to launch a public consultation exercise on their emerging ideas very shortly. We are told this will involve a leaflet drop to around 700 households in the vicinity of the site, including along parts of Sandyhurst Lane, as well as inviting Parish Councils and community groups to feedback via a website being created for the proposed development. I expect you will also be contacted directly by Quadrant too.
We have also been asked to start thinking about setting up a Design Review Panel session and subsequent Members Briefing session when the time is right and hopefully the scheme has evolved some more. Late July/ early August has been discussed for the first of these but will obviously be dependent on availability, etc.
I will try to keep you updated as matters progress but if you have any queries, please let me or Dan Carter know.
Regards,
Simon
Simon Cole
Spatial Planning Manager & Acting Strategic Development & Delivery Manager
Ashford Borough Council
At this stage, we have no further information on the matters raised in this letter, but will keep members informed whenever we have.
2 July 2020
Retrospective planning permission granted for extension and summer house
at 3 Kingsland Cottages, Kingsland Lane
Retrospective planning applications was granted on 1 July 2020 for a single-storey flat roof rear extension and for a single storey timber summer house at 3 Kingsland Cottages, Kingsland Lane. Full details may be viewed here (extension - search for application number 20/00606/AS) and here (summer house - search for application number 20/00607/AS)
Sandyhurst Lane
Residents Association
Residents Association
Protecting the rural character of Sandyhurst Lane and the adjoining area
•
We continue to resist any efforts that seek to enlarge the indicative residential/commercial scope or amend the Policies clearly set out for the development of Site S20 in this Local Plan. These must continue to include the provision of “a generous landscaped buffer to residential properties along Sandyhurst Lane” and that “the Public Rights of Way running through the site should be maintained and incorporated within the development.”
•
We strongly oppose any efforts contradicting or amending Site S20 Policy para (e) that provides vehicular access is ONLY via Trinity Road (and NOT through Sandyhurst Lane).
•
We require that the developer takes steps to ensure the safety of the existing pedestrian and cycle users of Sandyhurst Lane is enhanced to accommodate the additional non-vehicular use arising from the development.
•
We reluctantly accept the impact on transport flows and local infrastructure, including schools and medical facilities, that the development on the indicative scale as set out for S20 in the Local Plan will have, but strongly resist any increases over that limit for their consequential impact and further deterioration it would have on the quality of life of our members.
•
We expect representation of the SLRA on any master-planning group.
•
We agreed to write to Quadrant requiring that any Consultation they undertake will include ALL residents of the Sandyhurst Lane community.
•
We recognise that members may have other concerns and encourage them to voice them individually to ABC or collectively through the other groups set up for that purpose.
News Archive for Jul-Dec 2020