Charging for Parking a Boat

Our beloved Council does seem hell-bent on wringing every last penny out of everything in sight. One of their current wheezes is to charge boat-owners £100 + VAT to have their boats on the beach. As far as I can tell, the Council hasn't yet explained what the boat-owners might be getting in exchange for their hard-earned cash...

A reader writes...

I note with interest that boats parked on the beach at Herne Bay have a letter attached to them, this is for consultation regarding the Council's plans to charge these boat owners £100 per year for the privilege of leaving their boats on the beach.

The consultation response from boat owners is to be returned by 21st December, many boat owners will not have been to the beach during December so will not be aware of this consultation. It is a shame that the Council never publicised this matter more fully therefore allowing a full response from the boat owners.

One would assume that the Council are doing this to generate more money, are there any other reasons? Will the owners of boats benefit any way? How will it be monitored?

I would hate to see boats removed from the beach because owners were not able to afford the yearly chargers. As far as I can see all the boats in the Hampton area are secured on the beach in a sensible manner. The hard working members of the Angling Club must be worried that members will no longer be able to afford to continue boat fishing and the club will close, which would be another local amenity lost in Herne Bay.

Herne Bay Christmas Fair

Beach Creative, Herne Bay In Bloom, and Herne Bay Pier Trust have all got together to bring you a fantastic Xmas fair, starting this Saturday 15th December from 11am, at Herne Bay Bandstand.

It’s a chance for the residents and visitors of Herne Bay to do something positive this Christmas and enjoy the festive atmosphere too.

Bring the kids along to see Santa in his grotto and they’ll receive a FREE gift! All that is asked is a small donation of tinned/non perishable food that can be put towards making a number of small Xmas hampers for the less fortunate in the area.

Great news! The Downs on track to become a Village Green

Following a long public inquiry that finished earlier this year, the Inspector appointed by Kent County Council has recommended that most of the Downs should officially be registered as a village green.

It's been a long haul - we submitted the application to register the Downs as a village green on 1st September 2009.

We've spent hundreds of pounds and thousands of hours (literally!) publicising the application, writing to the press, building support, collecting questionnaires and witness statements, answering Canterbury City Council's objections, researching the historical and legal background of the Downs, gathering witnesses for the Inquiry, producing 474 pages of closely argued documentation to support our case, and working through the 8 days of the Public Inquiry itself.

Click to read more ...

Police & Crime Commissioner elections - Nov 15th

For the first time, we will be able to vote for a Police Commissioner. The leaflet below explains how it all works...

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Police and Crime Commissioners election - information booklet

QE2 Coastal Park Consultation

This is where you get to have your say about the future of our town's greatest natural asset - its coastline. Here's the link to the consultation documents:

http://www.canterbury.gov.uk/main.cfm?objectid=6439

The important bits are the plan itself:

Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Field, Herne Bay's Coastal Park Management Plan

and the various action plans:

• A welcoming place
• Healthy, safe and secure
• Landscape management
• Improving the fabric of the seafront
• Community delivery
• Accreditation

Comments on management plan, maps and action plans are welcome by 30th November 2012 please email rosemary.selling@canterbury.gov.uk

This is also your chance to say what you think should be done about the Victorian Shelter. And the rest of Herne Bay's seafront, come to that.

If you don't tell them, they'll never know.

Who will save the pierhead?

The Council won't and the Pier Trust can't

Today's HB Times HB Gazette (oops!) highlights the worsening state of the pierhead. Apparently it's outside the Pier Trust's remit, and the Council just watches from the shore to see if the lightbulbs need changing - their bare legal obligation. If we do nothing, time and tide will take their toll, and we will have nothing but rust and memories.

Write to your Councillors and your MP - click this link: WriteToThem.

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Isolated at sea, exposed to the elements and crumbling, the old pier rotunda looks unlikely to survive the winter intact. This week outrage grew at the lack of protection given to the iconic building as recent storm damage to the battered structure became visible from the shore.

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Supermarkets everywhere

You know how it is - there you are waiting for a supermarket, and then a whole load of them come along at once... Developer Terrace Hill want to slap a large Sainsbury's on the Altira Tumbleweed Park at the edge of town. They're also proposing a load of business space, which is a bit surprising given that Altira is dedicated to providing business space, but that's their call.

This proposal has already caused a spat and some name-calling amongst the HB Town Partners - there are concerns over the implications for the Central Area Development (a.k.a. William Street Car Park Clone Town). And more recently, another development proposal has popped up - redeveloping the HB Golf Club course - which also features a supermarket.

Is there a collective noun for supermarkets? Whatever it is, we might end up with one.

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Brilliant idea for a website...

Never let it be said that our councillors aren't brimful of good ideas. Here's a snippet from the recent HBAMP - the meeting of Herne Bay's councillors:

Councillor Baker, the Portfolio holder for Communications, gave a brief update regarding the creation of a community website for Herne Bay. He advised that there were several things happening in and around Herne Bay, and it would be useful to have a central point for this information.

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Portrait Bench at Reculver

In spring 2013, a Portrait Bench will be installed along the clifftop between Reculver and Bishopstone - and Canterbury City Council need your help to decide who it will feature!

A Portrait Bench is a collection of three distinctive, lifesize local figures cut from sheet steel and installed alongside a simple bench, inviting people to join the group and become part of the 'portrait'. Here's an example of one from elsewhere in the country:

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Singing the praises of our unsung heroes

Unsung heroes from the district have been presented with a Lord Mayor's Award in recognition of their efforts to help other people.

The annual Lord Mayor's Award scheme is now in its 14th year and honours people who go the extra mile to help others. They are nominated by members of the public, and the final judging is made by a cross-party panel of councillors. This year’s awards also feature a special Diamond Jubilee Award in the year of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The winners and extracts from their citations are: 

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