Is a superstore super news?

A huge Sainbury's and petrol station on the edge of Herne Bay - this would be on the ill-fated and currently languishing Altira site.

There's no indication in the press reports as to where exactly, but I assume it would be east of the existing developments at Altira, between the A299 Thanet Way and the railway line.

Big news for a small town, and not all of it good news.

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The finest public art

For your delectation, ladies and gentlemen, here's the loveliest piece of public art I've seen in a long time. In the middle of the Chicago, a long strip of land near the coast of Lake Michigan was reclaimed - it used to be railway sidings, but was converted into a Millennium Park. (It was finished four years late and over budget, but that's another story.)

Anyway, amongst the many attractions of this welcome green space in the City is this stunning piece of public art. Entitled "Cloud Gate" - but everyone calls it The Bean - it is made of highly polished stainless steel. And it is lovely. I want one in my town. Click the picture for a better look...

Herne Bay's redevelopment

A scheme for the redevelopment of Herne Bay town centre is now moving to the next stage in the approval process. Plans for the Herne Bay Central Development Area (CDA) will be considered at various city council meetings...

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Town Centre Development - consultation outcome

As you may remember, dear reader, Canterbury City Council very kindly ran a public consultation exercise last summer/autumn to find out what Herne Bay thought of their proposals for our town centre. This is the development that centres on the William Street car park, and involves putting up a large supermarket next to the, er, current supermarket, and building a hotel and some shops and houses.

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Flower beds

Town Development - consultation

Roll up, roll up! This is probably your last chance to influence the Master Plan, so have a look and then have your say. Not only can you have a close look at the William Street development plans, if you choose the day carefully, there will be someone to explain it all.

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Now & Then: William Street car park

Now & Then: an occasional comparison of past and present (and sometimes the future). This time we're hovering over what is currently the William Street car park.

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Mixed reception for development plans

Ambitious plans for a £35 million regeneration of Herne Bay town centre have been met with mixed reactions. Scores of people packed into the Salvation Army Hall on Tuesday as Bay councillors gave their views. The scheme, led by developers Denne Construction and regeneration experts Coplan Estates, includes a supermarket, shopping centre, homes, multi-storey car park, hotel and a medical centre. It could be complete as early as 2014. Concerns have been raised that the development will draw people away from shops in Mortimer Street, but that suggestion was shot down by finance guru Cllr Peter Lee.

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Dispersal zone

Police have been granted extra powers in parts of Herne Bay after reports of big groups fighting, kicking cars, intimidating pedestrians and hurling racist abuse. As part of the Safer Canterbury District Partnership, Kent Police and Canterbury council have designated Heron ward a ‘dispersal area’.

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Town Centre Development zones

Here's some NewSpeak from the Herne Bay Area Action Plan:

Opportunities exist to deliver an improved and more connected urban form and a reinvigorated Herne Bay town centre through the redevelopment of three prominent, centrally located Development Opportunity Sites:

• the Central Development Area
• Beach Street
• the former Bus Depot site.

A central aim of this AAP is that high quality, innovative and exemplar redevelopment of these Sites will act as a catalyst for the regeneration of  the town.