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Cllr Preston Annual Report No 27
To the Residents of Dymchurch and Burmarsh
Each year since the inception of Shepway I have written and delivered what I call my Annual Report. I have always believed that councillors have an obligation to keep people informed, and to give an account of their activities to the people who elected them. I wish to make it clear as I do every year that this is my personal report to you, and is in no way an official document. I do not seek to write on behalf of Shepway District Council, Dymchurch Parish Council or The Liberal Democrats.
A 259
Following the ghastly accident that resulted in the tragic death of Gwen Addy, there have been many calls for improved safety measures along the A259. I was very pleased to see the way in which the local newspaper, The Romney Marsh Herald, spearheaded a campaign 'To Tame the A259'. A very useful meeting was held in Dymchurch Village Hall chaired by our MP Michael Howard, when senior representatives of the police and the authorities responsible for the road spoke and answered questions.
De-trunking
I have supported the concept of de-trunking the road since it was first mooted in 1998. What do we mean by de-trunking? The main road through Dymchurch is known as the Folkestone to Honiton Trunk Road (A259). This road is maintained and supervised by the Department of Transport via their agents W. S. Atkins, known as the Highway Agency. All other roads in Shepway are maintained by Kent County Council through the Highway Unit of Shepway District Council. De-trunking means that the road from Brenzett to Folkestone will become a B road and will be maintained by the Shepway Highway Unit, with overall responsibility resting with Kent County Council. The road from Brenzett to Ashford will become a trunk road and will then be the responsibility of the Ministry of Transport.
The advantages of de-trunking will be to encourage through traffic, particularly heavy lorries, to use the new trunk road. It would also mean that the road would come under different criteria, and as I understand it there would be more likelihood of additional safety measures such as pedestrian crossings. I serve on what is known as the Shepway Joint Board, which consists of the six County Councillors for the Shepway area and six Shepway District Councillors. At every opportunity I have urged officers to get on with the procedure of de-trunking. I understand the position to be that the Department of Transport has agreed with Kent County Council that in principle the A259 should be de-trunked. However, the delay is being caused by an argument about money. The B227 is a new road and the maintenance costs should be comparatively low, whereas the A259 is a very old road and the maintenance costs could be quite considerable. However, I remain optimistic that de-trunking will take place in the comparatively near future.
New Parish Councillor
As Tom Gibbs told you in his newsletter, it is much regretted that David Bateman, who had proved to be a hard-working parish councillor, felt that he had to resign. The Parish Council has selected Mr Mike Littler from Beverley Gardens. We hope that Mike will enjoy his time with the Parish Council, and will feel that he is able to work with us for the good of the community.
Martello Tower No. 25 (the one in the car park)
This Martello Tower has been derelict for very many years. From 1941 until 1961 the Tower was used by The Royal Observer Corp. The Tower had some historical significance as it was from there that the first flying Bomb (V1) to fall on this country was identified, reported and plotted on the morning of 13th June 1944. Shepway District Council who own the Tower have investigated many different uses, which include a natural history butterfly museum, a clubhouse for the Venture Scouts, and a scheme to turn it into holiday flats. The last proposal to be seriously considered was a Pizza Hut. At one time there was even an idea to turn it into public toilets! All of these ideas for one reason or another have come to nothing.
Dymchurch Parish Council is anxious to find a use for the Tower, which will benefit the village. A small group of interested people have met to discuss the matter, and consider that the Tower could be used for a number of purposes including a Tourist Information Centre, an area that could be used to display Dymchurch and Marsh history. A viewing platform for visitors could be provided on the roof. Any restoration of the Tower will of course cost a considerable amount of money and it could only be achieved if grants are made available. It is planned to hold a public meeting when a presentation on the proposals will be made. The meeting will be held in Dymchurch Village Hall at a date yet to be announced. What do you think the Martello Tower should be used for? Any ideas and suggestions will be warmly welcome.
Web Sites for Romney Marsh: www. romneymarsh.org & www.dymchurchonline.co.uk
The Romney Marsh web site www.romneymarsh.org went online on Thursday 14th February 2002. This is an exciting project supported by Lydd and New Romney Town Councils, Dymchurch Parish Council and a number of the smaller Parish Councils on the Marsh, including Brookland, Burmarsh and Newchurch. The site has been professionally designed by a local New Romney company, Iftyidi.com, 44 High Street, New Romney. The set up and launch costs of this community web site have been provided by a substantial grant from the Community Action Southeast (CASK)/ SRB partnership. The aims are to create, promote and maintain a web site for the benefit of Romney Marsh and all its communities. There are three main objectives:
1. To promote Romney Marsh as a tourism attraction. Many of us believe that we have not yet realized the full economic benefits of promoting Romney Marsh with its unique history and geography. The new web site will give an opportunity for people worldwide to learn more about Romney Marsh and hopefully will encourage them to visit.
2. To promote local businesses and stimulate the local economy.
3. By far the most important objective to my mind is the community aspect of the web site. Not only does it present an opportunity for the Councils on the Marsh to communicate directly with the people who elected them, but it also gives people the opportunity to react directly to what the Parish and Town Councils on doing on their behalf.
The most recent statistics tell us that there have been 52,465 'hits' on the site since it was launched.
www.dymchurchonline.co.uk is an excellent website which promotes the village of Dymchurch and emphasizes community activities. The site is supported by local traders and businesses. Both www.romneymarsh.org and www.dymchurchonline.co.uk provide an ideal opportunity for clubs and societies to promote their activities. If the sites are to be successful they must be updated regularly, so please make use of them to share information and submit your ideas. The web sites are the means of communication for the future.
A259 Major Gas Main Renewal
Yet again the A259 is being dug up close to the holiday season. I suppose it does have the effect of traffic calming measures, but we could well do without it at this time of the year. I have written to complain about the timing of the work, and the Parish Council has also made representation.
Transco have given me some details of the project. The work is expected to last until mid-August and involves replacing 5km of the existing metallic main between Hythe Ranges and Hind Close with new polyethylene (plastic) pipe. The work is being carried out in 200m sections so as to keep the amount of excavation at any one time to a minimum, and therefore reduce congestion. Morrison Utility Services contractors are carrying out the work on behalf of Transco. I am told that this year in Kent Transco are investing ?13 million in pipeline and laying approximately 98km of gas main. They have given assurance that although this project is a major undertaking, every effort is being made to keep disruption to residents and road users to a minimum. They will liase with the police and Highways Authority as work progresses. However if you experience any problems you can telephone the Services Agent Mr John Farmer on 0775 824444, or you can contact Transco Network Officer Mr Jim Goodwin on 07711 491586.
A259 Roadside Corridor Environmental Enhancement
In my Annual Report in 2000 I wrote about a scheme intended to improve the appearance of the A259 corridor from Dymchurch Redoubt to St Mary's Bay. The aim is to make the entrance to Romney Marsh more attractive for both visitors and residents. Unfortunately, due to a number of factors the scheme has been delayed. The success of the scheme depends upon a number of partners working together, including The Environment Agency, local landowners, and the District Council.
Money has been allocated from what is known as SRB funds (Single Regeneration Budget) which as I told you previously has been awarded to Romney Marsh for the regeneration of the area. The Environment Agency started on the project by erecting a fence on the boundary of Willop Depot, but then put the scheme on hold to allow time for their own site management plan to be produced. However, as you will have seen by now, work has started at both the Neptune Motel and the New Beach Holiday Centre. By the time you read this, landscape improvements should be well on the way. The Council has engaged an artist to design new structures to mark each access point on the seawall. These structures will form chambers representing Wind, Lightning, Rain & Mist and Night Time.
The order of the phases of the work has been altered. We are told that Phase 2 will mean significant improvements to the village centre with better pedestrian access to the seawall and the beach. This phase will also be an opportunity to consider the future of Martello Tower no 25. Phase 3 seeks to provide open space, informal leisure, play, improved parking and access to the sea wall and slipway at the land adjacent to the former Sands Motel site, St Mary's Bay. Each phase is to be linked by sea wall features and interpretation. The first year's maintenance will be built into the landscape contract, after that Shepway will budget for the annual maintenance costs. Already people are saying 'what a waste of money'. But I do hope that people will look at the project as a whole to see whether it meets the long-term criteria, which as I have said is to improve the appearance along the A259.
Burmarsh Village Shop
It is with regret that I must report that the scheme to reopen Burmarsh village shop has failed. I had hoped that it might be possible to reopen the shop as a community shop. Substantial grants from the RDA (Rural Developed Area) had been promised in principle, which would have allowed for the refurbishment of the shop and a contribution towards the salary of a manager. The scheme was dependent upon a sufficient number of residents being able and willing to support it, and to become shareholders at the rate of ten pounds each. Any profits from the shop would then have been used for the betterment of the village. Unfortunately there just wasn't the level of support necessary to make the project viable. Burmarsh Parish Council are now considering a scheme to use the building for community purposes, as a meeting place for the Parish Council and for other events. This will depend upon the co-operation of the landlord, Shepway District Council.
The Fairway Drainage Problem
Congratulations to the residents of the Fairway Estate who have apparently found a solution to their defective drainage problem. I understand that they are close to reaching agreement with Southern Water Services Ltd. I am pleased to see that they have withdrawn legal action with regard to this matter. It is much more sensible in my view to spend money on replacement pipes than on legal fees. My last personal involvement was when I spent some time with a local Hythe solicitor looking into the matter carefully, and then consulting a QC who examined all the paperwork and advised us that this was not a legal matter but a political one. It has always been my belief that Shepway District Council has no legal responsibility in this matter but it certainly has a moral responsibility. It is still my personal belief that Shepway District Council should have made a sizeable contribution towards the costs. This of course is unlikely to happen at the present time due to Shepway's financial problems. However I have discussed this matter with the Shepway Liberal Democrat Group who have given an undertaking that if we were in control of the District Council we would make funds available.
Nevertheless, I am delighted that a solution appears to have been found, and all the worry and anxiety which this matter has caused residents, will be relieved
Kent Structure Plan 'Mapping Out The Future'
In March Kent County Council produced a document called 'Mapping Out The Future'. This is a detailed document, which is now out for public consultation. A new structure plan is required to protect the environment and guide future development, whilst ensuring that the social and economic needs of the local community are met. It is needed to provide for homes and jobs as well as to ensure that Kent's distinctive environment is protected and enriched. If you would like a copy of this important document please let me know, as it contains a questionnaire that enables us all to make our views known with regard to the future of the County of Kent.
Shepway's Local Plan
This in my view is the most important single document that Shepway District Council produces. It sets out the areas for residential development, industrial development and the provision of leisure facilities, with many detailed policies aimed at protecting the environment. This document is now on deposit having been out for public consultation. A substantial number of people have responded to it. As far as we in Dymchurch are concerned the new plan has only one major change to the previous plan. That is land at Marine Avenue which was previously included for development has now been withdrawn. In the first draft of the plan the only proposed housing development on Romney Marsh was in the town of New Romney. Then at the last minute a proposal came forward to allow housing development in the Marsh villages. It was proposed to allow development sites for 50 houses in Brookland, 50 houses in the village of Brenzett, sites for 20 houses at Newchurch, and an additional 20 houses at Burmarsh. I consider this proposed development to be a complete nonsense. It is contrary to many of the policies in the Local Plan, and indeed in the Kent Structure Plan. The
long-term implications in my view destroy the nature of this very special place that we are privileged to live in. I along with many others have made very strong objections. I am optimistic that this ridiculous proposal will be thrown out.
Dog Fouling
As you will have seen from Tom Gibbs' newsletter as Chairman of the Parish Council, we get a considerable number of complaints about the offensive practice of dog fouling. This is both unpleasant and a health risk, and is so bad that visitors are being deterred from visiting the village, which of course is detrimental to the tourist economy. As Tom has told you, the Parish Council has paid for six dog waste bins on the sea wall and has ordered additional ones. As part of its budget cuts Shepway District Council is cutting back on the dog warden service, which I regard as a retrograde step, but the District Council is still strongly opposed to dog fouling, and will and does prosecute when the offenders can be found. The other District Wardens are being given authority to prosecute dog owners who allow their pets to foul public places, particularly the sea wall and pavements.
Dymchurch Burial Ground Questionnaire
In my Annual Report last year I asked you to fill in a questionnaire on the future of a village Burial Ground. It seems a long time ago now, but perhaps you would like to know the results. I received 59 responses, which I regard as a useful indication of the way people feel. In addition to the questionnaire, a number of people spoke to me in person or on the telephone, and some of you made additional comments, which are extremely useful. Views range from those who consider that a new Burial Ground should be purchased and at almost any price, to those who are strongly opposed to the Parish Council purchasing additional land at all. As you will see from the analysis, 64% are opposed to the compulsory purchasing of land. However, some of those are not against compulsory purchase in principle, but are opposed only to the particular site in Eastbridge Road. Although the Parish Council did not commission my questionnaire, and is therefore not bound by its conclusions, as Tom Gibbs has told you in his newsletter, the Council has abandoned plans to compulsory purchase a new Burial Ground in view of the costs and the response to my questionnaire. However, do please let us know if you know anyone who will be prepared to sell suitable land.
Questionnaire Response
1) Dymchurch Parish Council should ask the District Council to make a compulsory purchase order on land at Eastbridge Road.
13 Agree (22%) 38 Disagree (64%) 6 Have no view (10%) 2 Made no response (4%)
2) The Parish Council should continue to search for suitable land for a burial ground with a willing vendor.
34 Agree (58%) 19 Disagree (32%) 3 Have no view (5%) 3 Made no response (5%)
3) I would be prepared to pay additional Council Tax to support a new burial ground in Dymchurch.
19 Agree (32%) 34 Disagree (58%) 6 Have no view (10%)
4) The Parish Council should not purchase land for a new burial ground.
19 Agree (32%) 28 Disagree (47%) 8 Have no view (14%) 4 Made no response (7%)
Unadopted Roads
The residents of St Anns Road have approached the Parish Council asking for help with regard to the surface of their unadopted road. Unusually it would appear that the road is in the ownership of a single owner. If it is possible to establish who owns the road it may be possible to require the owner to reinstate the road to a reasonable condition, although that could be a long and difficult process. In the meantime, the residents of St Ann's Road are left with a road surface that is in an appalling condition. Kent County Council used to budget for a sum of money to be available to contribute towards the cost of making up unadopted roads. However, I understand that this is no longer the case. It seems to me that there should be exchequer grants available to deal with this problem, which of course is quite widespread in Romney Marsh. To make matters worse unadopted roads are private roads and therefore the Kent County Council will not provide street lighting. Surely something should be done to help the residents of St Anns Road and others like them. My friend Peter Carroll who is the Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, has written to Chris Huhne the Liberal Democrat MEP asking if there is any European money available to help with this problem.
Unfortunately St Ann's Road is not wide enough to be made up in accordance with the County Council's width standards and is therefore unlikely to be adopted even if money was available. The only practical solution as I see it is for the residents to take action and resurface road themselves, as has happened with a number of other unadopted roads in Dymchurch. The Parish Council is not a highway authority and has no power to help in a significant financial way. However, Tom Gibbs seems to have come up with an idea, which could greatly assist the residents.
The Good News And The Bad News About Eastbridge Road Footpath
As I reported last year, a number of us on the Parish Council have been campaigning for years for a footpath along Eastbridge Road. I am pleased to report that under what is known as the safer routes to school program, ?20,000 was allocated to provide a footpath along Eastbridge Road. The bad news is that due to a number of circumstances including the need to move telegraph poles, ?20,000 will not be sufficient to provide a footpath from Mill Road to Sutton Farm at the standard required. However, a footpath is being provided on part of the road, which must be an improvement. At the last meeting of the Shepway Joint Highway Board we were told that there is to be a five-year rolling program. I have asked that additional money be made available from that program so that in the future the path can be extended.
The So-Called Modernizing Of Local Government
The 2000 Local Government Act made it mandatory for Councils to change the way they do things. There are really three choices:
1. An elected Mayor with Cabinet.
2. A Leader with Cabinet.
3. A Mayor and Council Manager.
As you know, in May 1999 before it became mandatory, Shepway District Council adopted its own Leader and Cabinet system. Last year in accordance with government rules the Council carried out a survey, and as a number of people indicated that they wanted an elected Mayor and Cabinet, we had to have a referendum. What a waste of money that turned out to be. However, if we hadn't had a referendum, The Secretary of State could have imposed an elected Mayor on Shepway. Very unusually, the political parties in Shepway were all united in opposing an elected Mayor for Shepway for a number of reasons: because it would be extremely expensive; because it would be confusing with the existing Town Mayors whose role is mostly ceremonial; and because it would be undemocratic for one person to make all the decisions concerning the life of our district. As far as we on Romney Marsh are concerned, if a Mayor was elected who lived in Folkestone, he or she could direct most of the resources of Shepway to Folkestone leaving the Marsh even more impoverished than it is. Therefore I was very pleased with the result of the referendum: 11,357 people said yes they wanted a Mayor and Cabinet, while 14,458 said no.
I was appointed Chairman of the Constitution Review Board, which after very many meetings and lots of debate, was charged with recommending a detailed constitution for the Council. The Council has agreed upon a new Constitution, which comes into force this month. I think we have done the best we can for Shepway within the present Act of Parliament. Although having had three years of experience, to be honest I have many reservations about the Leader and Cabinet system. The six members of the Cabinet meet and make all the decisions in private. A Scrutiny Committee then scrutinizes the decisions of the Cabinet. I never remember there being such mistrust and animosity between councillors. Not only are there differing views between political parties, which of course one would expect, but also there is mistrust between the Cabinet and Scrutiny Committee, and sadly in my view, mistrust on the part of certain councillors of senior management, although we are all elected to work together for the good of the District. I hope it will not be too long before someone in government comes up with the idea of the committee system, which has served local governments in this country well for over 100 years. When all councillors are involved, matters are openly discussed in public and democratic decisions arrived at. Nevertheless, we have a new Constitution with a Leader and Cabinet, which I think will be an improvement on the Leader and Cabinet system that we operated for the last three years. The Development Control Committee (planning) and other quasi- judicial functions to the Council such as licensing will carry on separately from the Cabinet, as they have in the past.
The Biggest Roundup in History!
Sometimes when prices have to be increased, to make administration easier prices are rounded up or down to the nearest pound. However, I was horrified to see that the charges for rodent control in Shepway had increased from ?11.25 to ?20. A report that outlined a number of increases in charges, said this charge had been rounded up! I have been opposed to householders being charged for the extermination of rats since the charges were first introduced. Rats are an unpleasant vermin that can be a public health hazard and need to be effectively dealt with. However, I fear that to charge ?20 just to call out the rat man will deter people from using the service, and only the rats will benefit from that.
Town & Parish Councils to lose out on Arts Culture and Heritage Grants
For a number of years the Parish and Town Councils within the District of Shepway have been allocated a comparatively small amount of money with which they have been able to assist various organisations serving their communities. In Dymchurch, Meeting Point, the playgroups, Mother and Toddler Group, and The Scouts have all benefited from small grants of ?50 or so, which have been of great help in supporting their work. Shepway has now cut the ?9350 that was distributed to the Town and Parish Councils for this purpose. It just shows how hard up the Cabinet must be.
Local Elections
There are no planned elections this year. The next elections to the Parish Councils and Shepway District Council will be held in May next year using the new ward boundary for the District Council. There will no changes to Dymchurch and Burmarsh Parish Councils, but for Shepway District Council, Dymchurch and St Mary's Bay will combine with three councillors, while Burmarsh will be part of the large one councillor Romney Marsh ward. The number of Shepway District Council Councillors will drop from 56 to 46.
Crime and Disorder Strategy
The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 requires organizations including the District Council to work together to develop and implement a joint plan for the reduction of crime and disorder. This means in simple terms that the responsibility for dealing with the problems of crime and disorder rest with the whole community and not just the police. I was part of a small Best Value Task Team charged with examining the District Council's crime and disorder prevention activities as part of a wider review of public protection. Councillor John Stockham, who represents the Folkestone Harbour ward, is a very experienced District Councillor who has a strong personal interest in police and community safety issues. John was asked to survey 100 people within his urban ward, on their views with regard to crime and disorder issues. I was asked to carry out a survey of 100 people in Dymchurch as a rural area. I am most grateful to those of you who took time to fill in the questionnaire, and also to those of you who kindly distributed it for me within the village. It was interesting to see that there are marked differences between the urban and rural experiences and concerns about crime and disorder issues. I quote from our final report:
'Not all of the public fear of crime derives from dissatisfaction with the service that the police are providing. A good deal of the concern is rooted in problems that the District Councils can and should be tackling.'
The Shepway Crime and Disorder Strategy is now out for public consultation, and copies are available. Please make your comments known to Shepway about the strategy and the things that you think Shepway should be doing to improve the safety of our communities. You can write directly to Jyotsna Leney, The Environment and Crime Reduction Co-ordinator, at the Civic Centre, Folkestone or you can let me have your comments and I will see that they are passed on.
Youth Shuttle Bus
A Youth Shuttle Bus has been provided with the help of SRB money for the Silver Felix Hythe Youth Centre. This has enabled them to establish an out-reach service to many of the Marsh villages. The bus is a very well equipped vehicle providing a much needed service to young people. The Parish Council has agreed to support and sponsor the shuttle bus, which will visit the village and be based at the Village Hall. So far we have been unable to find volunteers who will oversee the project when in Dymchurch, so Councillors Joyce Cockrell and Sue Turner have agreed to give their services for the time being.
For years activities for young people have been sadly lacking in Dymchurch. One of the reasons we built the Village Hall was to provide a centre for the youth of the village. A youth club was run successfully for a number of years but had to close due to lack of leaders. It is perhaps not surprising
that there is an increase in vandalism when young people have with nothing to do. Surely in a village of our size there must be people who are prepared to give of their time and expertise to restart a youth club. If anyone has any ideas, do let us know. There is help and support available.
What I Have Been Up To On Your Behalf
We were told that under the new system of Leader and Cabinet, ordinary Community Councillors as we are now called, would have very few meetings to attend, and would be able to spend much more time listening and talking to people in our wards. The reality is that I seem to be serving on almost as many committees as before. I serve on the Ratification Committee, which at the present time meets in public to ratify the decisions of the Cabinet. I serve on the Scrutiny Committee, which scrutinises the decisions of the Cabinet once they are made. I am a member of the Council's Licensing Board, which is responsible for granting licences for indoor and outdoor entertainments when music is played. I am a member of the Personnel Appeals Board. I serve on the Council's Standards Committee, which is a new committee and will have two independent members and two members representing the Town
and Parish Councils. This committee is charged with the responsibility of dealing with the code of conduct not only of District Councillors but also of Town and Parish Councillors throughout the District. We are in my view extremely fortunate to have as our Chairman Mr John Peppitt, who is a retired High Court judge. During last year I was elected as Chairman of the All Party Constitutional Advisory Board, which was charged with the responsibility of presenting to the Council a draft constitution in accordance with the 2000 Local Government Act. The Constitutional Advisory Board has met on many occasions with long and detailed agendas. I also serve on a number of outside bodies, which include the Shepway Joint Highways Board, Romney Marsh Internal Drainage Board, Romney Marsh Visitors Centre Charity, and the CAST partnership panel which oversees the projects that are supported S.R.B money.
A Personal Note
I apologize for the delay in delivering my Report this year - I would normally like to deliver it in January. However, as many of you know, in August of last year I had a stupid accident that resulted in a serious fracture to my left leg, and it is only now that I have sufficiently recovered to be able to deliver my Report personally. A big thank you to all those of you who sent me cards and messages of goodwill during my time in hospital - I didn't know I had so many friends.
The End of My Scribble?
Thank you for taking the time to read my Annual Report. If you would like any additional information about any of the items referred to, please do not hesitate to contact me. If you wish to contact me, please give me a ring on 873647 or drop me a line by email. If I am not in when you call, leave a message on my answer phone and I will get back to you just as soon as I can.
Cllr Terry Preston.
May 2002
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