Author: Lesley

The town meeting didn’t really have an outcome last night. Lots of understandably emotive speeches about not putting the leisure centre on The Green and a valiant attempt by Dr Geoff Burrell to introduce some facts into the proceedings. Everybody seemed equally keen to avoid having the facility on Princes Parade but I’m not sure many people truely understood the significance of cabinet’s decision on 4th Nov last year – ie it’s either The Green or PP. There was no call for a referendum because the Mayor announced out of the blue that the 6 members of the public who called the meeting could be liable for the £6000 cost if there was a legal challenge. (Based on advice from the Local Government Assoc apparently.) Surprisingly no motion was proposed either. I did get the impression that most people would be happy to wait a bit longer for the site to become available at NQ so we could save both open spaces. If you agree with that please email Shepway’s cabinet and tell them so.

It hasn’t been all that well publicised so far but a town meeting will be held in Hythe on Friday night to discuss the proposal to build a new swimming pool on The Green.

Six residents have requested the gathering to allow members of the public to have their say on the matter – although no decision will be made on the night and councillors may not be present.

It will be held on Friday, January 8 at Hythe Town Hall from 7.30pm.

Despite the fact that many people specifically asked him the question, David Monk has not explained why he is insisting on submitting a planning application for Princes Parade before the Local Plan is completed other than to say that it is “to help progress the development of Princes Parade”. Is he saying that the views of the people he is supposed to be representing don’t matter? Does he not understand just how much people value green open spaces?

Although he will not acknowledge it, the response from the public to the places and policies consultation earlier this year was clearly (80%) against any development on Princes Parade.

He explains that they are looking at developing Princes Parade because they view it as a significant asset but he does not explain the sudden great urgency to progress the proposals. He says that Shepway are looking at the redevelopment potential of the land at Princes Parade “in line with Government expectations” but these are only “expectations” and there are many arguments why Princes Parade should not be developed – arguments which Shepway could put to Government.  Given that the Local Plan is not due to be  adopted until autumn of 2017 would it not be better to wait until then to give the public a chance to exercise their democratic rights to influence that Plan?

It is true that Hythe Town Council suggested that Shepway look at The Green as a possible site for the new leisure centre but that does not explain why Shepway have already submitted a planning application, i.e. before HTC have agreed to make the land available to Shepway. The resolution passed on 4^th November said that the planning application would be made subject to HTC’s decision (which will be made at an extraordinary meeting on 18^th January.)

http://www.shepway.gov.uk/moderngov/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=142&MId=2976

Why didn’t they wait for that decision before spending public money on consultants to prepare the application? Money that will be wasted should HTC refuse to make the land available to them? And again why can’t they wait for the Local Plan to be completed before threatening our open spaces?

As was agreed at the cabinet meeting on 4^th November, if HTC do refuse to make The Green available then Princes Parade reverts to being SDC’s preferred site for the new facility.  But there is strong evidence to support our view that Nickoll’s Quarry is a better site and likely to be no slower to develop than the difficult Princes Parade site which could instead be tidied up and re-opened to the public.

Councillor Monk says that the land at Nickoll’s Quarry will not be available for many years. Elsewhere Shepway have claimed that the construction won’t be able to start until 2020. Where is the evidence that a leisure centre could be completed on Princes Parade before Nickolls Quarry?

He also says that the site requires considerable investment in infrastructure before it can accommodate a recreation centre but what he does not make clear is that under the s106 agreement it is the developer’s responsibility to prepare the land not Shepway’s.

The other issue he avoids making is that putting the new facility on Princes Parade would cost millions of pounds more than putting it on Nickoll’s Quarry. Their own consultants have identified that the preliminary remediation strategy for the contamination will be £2.15m and there will be millions of pounds of other additional costs (including attempting to mitigate the damage done to the setting of the Royal Military Canal). And of course who knows what other problems they might find once they start digging?

So even in the unlikely event that it did take a little longer for the leisure centre to be completed on Nickoll’s Quarry it could well be more cost effective to keep the existing pool open until then rather than attempting to put it on Princes Parade.

Shepway have still not made a convincing case for ruling out Nickoll’s Quarry and therefore it is completely wrong that they have put Hythe Town Council in the difficult position of having to choose between our two precious open spaces.

Thank you to all those who responded to our request to write to David Monk and the cabinet recently. It seems that most of you received this not particularly helpful response. We’re giving some thought to how you might respond.

“Thank you for your correspondence relating to Princes Parade. I have received a number of representations from local residents making similar points and I thought it would be helpful to you if I summarised our full position.

In line with expectations set out by Government, all Local Authorities are required to consider effective use of assets they own. I can therefore confirm that the Council is still actively considering the redevelopment potential of land it owns at Princes Parade, Hythe. The extent and nature of that development is not yet clear and is partly dependent on decisions yet to be taken by Hythe Town Council (HTC) and Kent County Council (KCC).

Following a request from Hythe Town Council for us to consider The Green, Hythe as a site for the new Recreation Centre, we have formally asked them if they will make land available to allow Shepway District Council to construct the Centre on The Green. If Hythe Town Council agrees to this proposal, then Shepway District Council will construct a new Recreation Centre including a public swimming pool, training pool, gymnasium and sports hall. This will commit the District Council to invest an estimated £8.5 million in new community facilities in Hythe for the residents of all of Shepway. In my view this represents good value and an opportunity for the community to benefit from new leisure facilities in the heart of the town, but the matter is in the hands of Hythe Town Council as the land owners.

We have invited Kent County Council to confirm whether or not they wish to construct a replacement to Seabrook Primary School at Princes Parade. This is something for KCC to decide, but something this Council is prepared to assist with by making some of our land available.

When these two matters are resolved, it will allow the District Council to give thorough consideration to the future of the Princes Parade site. I have asked the two Councils to let me know their formal decisions by the 31st January 2016 in order to allow the District’s project to move forward.

Some people have suggested that Nickoll’s Quarry is a better site for a replacement swimming pool. However, that land is not controlled by the Council and the developer has made it clear that the land will not be available for many years. It is a matter of fact that the site requires considerable investment in infrastructure before it can accommodate a Recreation Centre.

Although the current pool is becoming increasingly expensive to maintain and to keep open, I am also aware that it is well used and I do not want to be forced to close it for safety or maintenance reasons before a new pool is available.

To help progress the development of Princes Parade, the Council has decided to prepare a planning application for the comprehensive mixed use redevelopment of land at Princes Parade, Hythe. The uses and extent of the uses will be determined at a future meeting of Cabinet in response to the decisions of HTC and KCC. When a planning application is submitted, it will be determined by the Council as Local Planning Authority in the appropriate manner.”

We believe The Green will be back on the agenda on 17th December

Obviously whether HTC agrees to release the land at The Green for the new leisure centre has a huge impact on the future of Princes Parade but we are doing our best to work with those trying to protect The Green as there should be no need to sacrifice either open space when a site is available at NQ. There will be a public meeting arranged by those trying to save the green on 4th December 8pm at the British Legion. Come along and support the organisers but be prepared to speak up for PP if necessary.

Councillor Govett asked some good questions at last night’s full council meeting

Not surprisingly David Monk managed to dodge some of the questions but he did say that Shepway are reviewing their Asset Management Plan, that PP is a significant asset and they need to get best value from it. He also said that public opinion always informs their debate.

Shepway have submitted a planning application for a leisure centre on The Green before Hythe Town Council have had a chance to decide whether to let them use the land!

http://searchplanapps.shepway.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=NXJV6XNZ03K00