Ebbsfleet sculpture competition
Wallinger, who won the Turner prize last year, has long been interested in racehorses. He said that he was thinking of "Watling Street [the A2], along which horses had travelled into Britain for centuries; about the white horses carved into chalk hills; about Hengist and Horsa in the sixth century, who landed as Saxon invaders near Ebbsfleet near Ramsgate. The source of our word "horse" is Horsa. And then, in a convoluted way, I came to discover that the white horse was in fact the symbol of Kent."
His horse, should it be selected, would probably be constructed in steel "like the hull of a ship" and then painted. He said his proposal would be a "hopeful and deeply rooted symbol". He has been scouring the stud books to find the perfect thoroughbred grey that he could use as his model.

AGM & Spring Conference

The Spring Conference, advertised in Bulletin 35, has been cancelled.
The AGM will now be held on Saturday 5th July in Ashford Parish Church Hall at 10.00 am.
Notice of AGM, Annual Acounts, list of nominations for election to the Committee, invitation to attend the meeting and for additional nominations are included with the Bulletin and may be accessed on this website:
Amended Notice for AGM

Post Office closures
Kent is first in line for a government led major trial to close Post Offices - 57 out 59 considered Post Offices have now been closed.

The Rt Hon The Lord Deedes MC DL

photo: kind permission of The Daily Telegraph

It is with great regret we note the passing of Bill Deedes, who was for many years an active Vice President of KFAS. He was a passionate champion for Kent and a much loved personality.

PROPOSAL TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO ENGLISH COAST

This consultation invites your views on four options to improve access to the English coast, and in particular on Natural England’s recommendation for new legislation to create a coastal access corridor.

Consultation ended 11 September

consultation papers and link to Defra

REFORM OF PLANNING

This page on the Communities and Local Government website gives links to information about the reform of the planning system, including the planning white paper and associated documents, the review of planning enforcement and the spatial plans in practice project.

reform of the planning system

THE FUTURE OF THE CIVIC AND AMENITY SOCIETY MOVEMENT
SPRING CONFERENCE & AGM
held on Saturday 19th May 2007
at Egerton Village Hall

conference pictures and brief report

Revisions to Principles of Selection for Listed Buildings

This circular contains important amendments to the procedure for listing buildings.

link to website information

Support The Sustainable Communities Bill

This Bill has now passed its third reading.

You can support the campaign by visiting the

Local Works website

CABE launches step by step guide to good design of public space

As part of the local government white paper, Strong and prosperous communities, the government has made a commitment to encourage community groups to have greater control over how their local environment is managed and improved. For the first time, CABE has set out how community groups can radically improve the design of public space.

It’s our space is a guide for groups getting involved in a public space project. It intends to inspire local communities to demand high standards of design. The guide includes a series of case studies which community groups can use to draw on the good and the bad experiences of others.
Spaceshaper is a toolkit aimed at anyone wanting to evaluate the quality of a public space - before they invest time and money improving it. The toolkit works by capturing the perceptions of professionals involved in running a public space, as well the views of the people that use it. The toolkit aims to raise aspirations, encouraging people to demand more from their local spaces.

North Kent - Thames Gateway

This is the largest development in Europe and an attempt to regenerate derelict areas to provide waterside living and 'an international example of urban renaissance.'
Contact for information on this development

New things happen sets out a vision for the future Thames Gateway and four themes which could help create a strong, coherent image for the region.

contact CABE

Countryside Access Improvement Plan Consultation

Kent County Council is preparing a ten year plan for improving access to the countryside. As part of this process, it is important that KCC know what you think the priorities should be. Following earlier public consultation, KCC have identified 41 objectives. Now KCC would like you to identify the 15 which are most important to you.

Consultation ends 28th February 2007

Contact for document

New President for KFAS

Lord Sandy Bruce-Lockhart

is Chairman of the Local Government Association and former Leader, Kent County Council. He gained national respect for his work in local government and he is widely regarded for his achievements in the County.

New Vice Presidents

Cllr Richard King
has served as a KCC Cabinet member.
He brings to KFAS wide experience of environmental issues and local government.
He is long-time supporter of the Federation.

Bernard Gambrill
is a distinguished rail expert, with a long-time connection with KFAS concerning the

building of the CTRL (Channel Tunnel Rail Link).

He has maintained constant support for KFAS and

has extensive interests including bell-ringing.

The Civic Trust is providing a new service for
members based on an intranet internet facility
exclusively for members. It will provide a means
to exchange information and keep in touch with
issues - nationally and locally. The fees are modest
and the potential service is excellent - free Microsoft
software for registered charities alone is a very
good incentive to sign up.
http://www.civictrust.org.uk/csocs/portal.shtml

CONSULTATION PAPER ON NEW PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT 3 (PPS3): HOUSING
This is an important proposed revision
which can be seen at:

www.odpm.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1162075

Alternatively this publication is available free of charge from ODPM Publications, PO Box 236, Wetherby LS23 7NB. Tel: 0870 1226 236, Fax: 0870 1226 237, Textphone: 0870 1207 405, Email: odpm@twoten.press.net
Please quote the product code: 05 PD 03522 when ordering. Delivery will be 5 to 7 days from receipt of order.

PLANNING GAIN SUPPLEMENT

This document forms part of the Government's response to Kate Barker's review of housing supply and launches a consultation on the Government's proposal for a Planning Gain Supplement (PGS).  The focus of this paper is how increases in land value created by planning decisions can be released more effectively to help finance the infrastructure needed to stimulate and service growth and ensure that local communities better share in the benefits that growth brings.

The problem with this proposal is that receipts will go to the Treasury rather than local government.can be viewed and downloaded from HM Treasury website

Wye fights off threat to countryside

Wye Village was threatened with
wholesale development by
Imperial College, who wished to captilise

on their land holding for £1 billion businesspark scheme. Ashford BC and KCC

entered a 'concordat' to push

forward these plans. Wye Future
Group has successfully fought off this
plan - now withdrawn.

www.save-wye.org

The Examination in Public - Maidstone
Sessions to consider sub-regional topics.

SEERA consultation details 
The Plan was sent to ODPM on 30th March.

It can be consulted on SEERA website.
Printed copies available at £35, CD-Rom £10.
Response to consultation can be seen on SEERA  website.

WIND FARMS - Do we need them?
KCC opposed 26 turbine wind farm on Romney Marsh but have lost this battle.
Lord Sandy Bruce-Lockhard said: "It's just not on. Romney Marsh has a wonderful and evocative landscape, big skies, grazing sheep, small historic churches and wild, flat marshland. Development of this scale at a single location across the marsh is totally inappropriate and would destroy this unique heritage."
"We believe that there are a number of suitable sites elsewhere in the south east, particularly offshore." The wind farm is planned for Little Cheyne Court, on Walland Marsh in Kent. It was opposed by Kent and East Sussex County Councils, Camber Parish Council and Shepway District Council. A three month public inquiry ended in January.

The Department for Trade and Industry said that the inspector's report concluded the project was "consistent with government policies on energy and environment".

CIVIC TRUST SOUTH EAST
a focal point for all civic societies in the South East Region of England: visit CTSE website at
http://www.civictrustsoutheast.org.uk

Barker Review of Housing Supply
The review has been strongly criticised although acclaimed by government.
www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/consultations_and_legislation/barker/consult_barker_index.cfm

Kent on Sunday
report that Kent commuters face losing their train services - some villages will only have one train a week - and Maidstone is offered fewer trains to London.
www.kentonsunday.co.uk
www.sra.gov.uk

The South East England Regional Assembly (SEERA) castigates the Barker review.
"The notion that the South East should or could increase house building rates by up to 100% is wholly unrealistic, both economically and environmentally. All our growth projections for the region to 2026 show a much lower demand for new housing than Kate Barker suggests".
"It is naïve to imagine that issues of such vital concern to people can be handled as purely technical problems; these are highly political matters on which citizens deserve, through their locally elected representatives, to have their say".
www.southeast-ra.gov.uk/referencelibrary/newsreleases/2004/17mar.html

Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE)

The Barker recommendations

• do nothing to actually reduce house prices
• place over 8,000 hectares of countryside at risk every five years
• impose huge infrastructure costs on the public purse while fuelling regional economic disparities
• undermine urban regeneration

Empty Homes Agency
With 718,720 homes still empty across the country the tough message is that we cannot relax the pressure and must do more to ensure more empty homes are used to meet housing need.
www.emptyhomes.com/

Do you have traffic trouble? Do you have to put up with roads that are racetracks, streets where it is too dangerous for children to play, noise and pollution, thundering lorries, too little space for cycling or walking? Do you want to campaign for change, but are not sure where to start?
Transport 2000's Streets for People network can help. Streets for People is a network of community groups, residents associations and individuals who want to improve their local environment.
www.transport2000.org.uk/

New Thames Gateway Bridge

A new £450m toll crossing between Thamesmead and Becton is proposed by Department for Transport and the Mayor of London. It forms part of the sub-regional strategy consultation of the South East Plan. Suugestions have been made to combine crossing and replacement flood barrier scheme.

Folkestone and Sandgate get town and parish councils
The Order will create parish councils for both Folkestone and Sandgate, but either of the two new councils could choose to call themselves a town council and have a Town Mayor. It is likely that Folkestone will choose this option to preserve the historical and ceremonial role of the Town Mayor.
www.shepway.gov.uk/website/html/press_releases/press-releases-2004/013-parish-councils.asp

Ramsgate: Augustus Pugin building to be restored 
The Landmark Trust will restore The Grange built by Pugin in 1842 and owned by the family until 1928.
www.pugin.com/pugrang.htm
www.thanet.gov.uk/cgi-bin/pressreleases.pl?ID=662

Margate Art Gallery: Turner Contemporary

Turner said  'The skies over Thanet are the loveliest in all Europe.' The project has been reviewed because of cost over-runs and lack of feasibility. Another scheme, on land, has now been adopted. KCC still finding it difficult to hold back rising costs.

London Green Belt Council is critical of Regional Planning.
". . .indirect threats flowing from the remoteness and unelected nature of regional planning which has the potential to be development-led".
website.lineone.net/~greenbelt/LGBC%20notes%20-%20header.htm

Civic Trust - Heritage Open Days 6th-9th September 2007
A chance to visit interesting buildings normally closed to the general public. An operations handbook for organising this event is available from the Civic Trust. There is a free introductory leaflet apply www.civictrust.org.uk

The Weald of Kent Preservation Society has
published its website: the society's aim is 'to protect
and enhance the character of the Wealden villages
and countryside'.
www.wkps.org.uk/index.html

Sevenoaks Society
launch new website
www.sevenoakssociety.org.uk

Kent On Sunday reports


Shake-up of rail timetables ignores plans
to build thousands of new homes in Kent. 
Ashford has suffered a decision to cut-down
Euro Star services. KCC objections have
been turned down by government.

www.kentonsunday.co.uk

Updated October 2006