The city council has lost the plot

I have been following the debate, kicked off by Dylan Hampshire of Cockett’s Mattresses, about the need for a town council for Herne Bay ("Call for town council to end 'democratic deficit'", Times, June 21). I certainly believe Canterbury City Council has lost the plot and we should return to more local control of our affairs.

Canterbury is just not doing the job and causing a lot of problems.

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Andy Lawrence stops the traffic in Mortimer Street

Local hero Andy Lawrence has been putting himself at risk, trying to keep Mortimer Street safe from idiot motorists. Drivers who are too stupid to read the traffic signs, or too selfish to take any notice, are driving along the street when it should be treated as a pedestrianised zone.

There's a simple and cheap solution (a lockable barrier across the road) but our Council has been dragging its heels, so Andy has taken to enforcing the traffic regulations himself.

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2013 Calendar

Just in the nick of time - next year's calendar is now available!

The nice people at the Historical Records Society have plundered their extensive picture library to produce a smashing calendar for 2013.

The pictures from January to December show the Herne Bay coastline from Hampton to Reculver, from the beginning of the last century up to the 1960s.

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Dangerous junction

We have a major problem with a local road junction that will soon result in a road traffic accident, and injury or even death.

There is a pedestrian refuge in Canterbury Road, near the junction with Charles Street. The position of the refuge seems to make it difficult for some longer vehicles to turn left from Canterbury Road into Charles Street.

Click to see the full map

Over the last few weeks, we have recorded several videos of vehicles (all of them PCL lorries) driving dangerously and illegally at this junction. What you can see is the lorry driving down the wrong side of the road into the oncoming traffic

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Westgate fudge

We're about half way through the "consultation" about the Westgate Towers traffic experiment.

You may remember that thousands of people signed a petition begging for the chaos to stop. Our beloved Council immediately ignored the clamouring voices and launched a "consultation" to, er, find out what people think of the scheme.

Pop over to the Council website where you can fill in an online questionnaire. If you don't tell them what you think, they'll never know...

Walk Back in Time in Herne Bay

As part of the Heritage Open Days weekend in Herne Bay, the Historical Records Society will be conducting one of their excellent and ever-popular Walks Back in Time.

This is a leisurely stroll around Herne Bay with the expert historical guides - these walks are always fascinating, and really open your eyes to the wealth of history that's right under your nose all the time.

Best of all, it's free! So just tip up, join in the walk and enjoy yourself. Meet up outside the Museum in William Street at 2.30pm on Sunday 9th September.

Music on the Bandstand

Here's a date for your diaries...

Sunday 30th September, 11am-7pm at the Central Bandstand, Herne Bay.

Local musicians: Spex, Spyplane, David Shepherd, The Wrinklies, Disruptive Business, Mostly Brian and more...

Heaps of fun, and all for an excellent cause - fundraising in collaboration with Whitstable and Herne Bay Lions to raise funds for Kent and Sussex Air Ambulance.

Big Jump photos available

The Big Jump (and Awesome Abseil, I suppose) went brilliantly well and raised a heap of money for assorted charities. The Herne Bay branch of the Rotary Club sent along their star photographer to capture the magic moment as each brave soul went over the edge.

If you (or one of your nearest and dearest) did the deed on Saturday, you can see just how relaxed and happy you looked in the Big Jump Photo Gallery.

You can buy high quality digital copies of the pictures for a couple of quid, or real paper photographs for £4 - all proceeds to the Rotary Club. That should sort out a few Christmas presents, then...

Life Classes at Beach Creative

This is the first of weekly life drawing sessions at Beach Creative. At the first session on Thursday 6th September we will discuss how much instruction, if any, will be provided. It will be up to those who come. A life model will be there every week.

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Supermarket plan causes friction and ructions

Traders fall out over plans for supermarket outside Herne Bay

A group of Bay business people is backing plans for a giant supermarket outside the town. Herne Bay Town Partners has agreed to support Sainsbury's bid for a store on the new Altira Business Park at Beltinge, despite council bosses trying to attract a supermarket to the town centre as part of regeneration plans.

Sainsbury's has a pre-let agreement with developers Terrace Hill for a 95,000 sq ft superstore and petrol station on the business park, near the driving test centre.

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