22 March 2023, Umbrella Centre, Whitstable
This was quite an event for the Forum’s organisers, the trustees. After the years of covid lock-down when our meetings had started on zoom, we were finally able to meet face to face. We had no idea how many people would come but we tried hard to get the word out through our email list, social media and, crucially, word of mouth. To have over 50 people turn-up at the Umbrella Centre on a wintry evening made it all worthwhile, and it looked as though everyone enjoyed it.
Here’s a short summary of the key presentations.
Don Sibley, Chair of our Eco Group
Don asked if we were from CT5 and species homo-sapiens? We largely were…
He described the Eco Group and its work last year in organising Wild About Whitstable week.
Don referred to Wild Isles and Attenborough having stated that the UK was the ‘most nature depleted country’, the plant atlas (1/5 plants is on the threatened list) and the IPCC recent synthesis report. We need to be looking at how we can work locally but think globally as CT5 is ecologically not separate from the rest of East Kent, the UK, Europe or even the planet. This interconnectedness is part of our emerging vision.
As homo-sapiens, it is our species which has caused this crisis by our separation from nature, to our great cost. The Eco Group wants to reimagine a different relationship between humans and the planet by thinking of what the eco system needs to be healthy and to flourish into the future.
On a practical level, at our monthly meetings we are inviting groups and individuals who are advocates of different parts of the eco system locally to share what they are doing and work out how we can help create a network of eco and environmental groups that can begin to work more collectively together. It’s about -
- Understanding our interconnectedness
- Establishing a different relationship with the planet
- Becoming advocates for the local eco system in decision making.
Ashley Clark on the Canterbury City Council Working Group on Biodiversity which he chaired.
Biodiversity is about taking measures to preserve species of flora and fauna and maximising habitats, so species can thrive. The Working Group focussed on land that the council owns or controls or where they have significant influence.
Key recommendations
1. Appointing a full-time tree officer to oversee and advise developers on tree preservation, planting the right trees in the right place and ensuring they survive (good planting and watering).
2. Modifications to the local plan to ensure that developers protect land in perpetuity by registering village greens and using their S106 contributions to establish an endowment fund to enhance and maintain open spaces.
3. Exploit opportunities to add and preserve more land for nature across the district eg Old Park at Canterbury which is owned by the MOD. It has significant habitat value and a Friends group has been established for this purpose.
4. Promotion of Friends Groups to take on responsibility for the management and maintenance of tracts of Council-owned land and village greens, in partnership. An information booklet prepared to help them. This is a way of increasingly empowering local people.
5. Deployment of the Council’s own enforcement staff working with the police to deter and detect incidences of fly-tipping, vandalism and anti social behaviour eg the police and CCC had recently confiscated motor cycles in an operation at Old Park.
Bernadette Fisher, Trustee and member of the Eco Group, re our history and plans for the future.
Established in 2021 to bring together local groups working on eco related issues and give them a platform through the Forum.
Andy Taylor, local naturalist, triggered first of two meetings re Swalecliffe treatment plant hosted by Rosie Duffield MP in 2021. Led to consultation with Southern Water and formation of SOS Whitstable.
Group have significant knowledge and skills relating to ecology, working with nature locally and its benefits for humans of all ages.
Wild About Whitstable week, August 2022 - talks and guided walks amongst wildlife in Swalecliffe, bats and moths at the castle, flora and fauna on the Street Tankerton, bird life on the shoreline, making and learning including bee-bomb making, nature appreciation for the neurodiverse and an Eco fair with visiting bees and pipistrelles.
Andy Taylor’s Swalecliffe wildlife walks have continued monthly on the second Sunday of the month, meet at 8am at the skate park.
Eco Group hosted lively consultation with Southern Water re their plans for Swalecliffe, the brook and the treatment plant.
Our WAW group is planning for WAW 2023, August 7th to 12th.
Eco Group now meet in person regularly on the third Monday of the month from 7.30 to 9.30pm at the Labour Club. First hour is re preparation for WAW, second hour, open to all, is dialogue with local individuals and groups who focus on Eco themes. Future meetings plan to address -
Review feedback at this meeting
Trees - their planting and protection
Rewilding CT5
Biodiversity and climate change
CCC Biodiversity working group
Traffic and transport management
Pollution - plastic and air
Working with nature (permaculture)
Things we can do as individuals to support nature
Being an advocate for nature
Packaging and shopping
Working with schools.
We will notify all CT5 members of these meetings so that they are open to all. Meeting theme list was added to on the night but if you have other ideas email ctfivepeoples@gmail.com
David Attenborough said after first episode of ‘Wild Isles’, ‘Every one of us can and must play a part in restoring nature’. So let’s get on with it.
Website
David Cheetham introduced the new website. He talked the group through how it is laid out. Also said that there is space for regular news pieces etc.
He said it would be “live’ later this week or early next after some glitches had been fixed. (Update, launch Easter week.)
Questions to councillors.
The main question concerned closure of the umbrella centre cafe. Cllr Cornell replied and explained that the issue was in part a commercial decision between the centre and the cafe operator. A participant also raised concern re new developments on the Thanet Way and alerted participants to CCC consultation.
Town council group
David Taylor described what the group has been doing and what has been achieved over the past two years. He referred everyone to the website which explains the group’s views in much more detail. Points raised were:
- Research about other councils in Kent revealed Whitstable is one of a few towns of its size that does not have a town council. This means we are missing out and the town is “vulnerable” if CCC is merged into a unitary authority.
- Feeling that, despite a huge amount of effort being made locally, much decision making by CCC is Canterbury focussed.
• Explained the four stages to go through to establish a council and said we are now at stage one, the petition.
• Wording for the petition has been agreed with officers at CCC. Links to it can be found on CCC website and CT5 website.
• Now the website is live we will be writing to a long list of groups in the town and starting to organise public meetings in the summer
• Two questions from the floor; one about money and how much it would cost and the other about who would be consulted. These were answered by other members of the Town Council group.
David Hayward, chair of traffic and active travel group
Our work is based on local concerns about ever-worsening traffic congestion and speeding vehicles causing danger to all road users, especially pedestrians and cyclists ie ‘active travellers’.
We have - lobbied KCC for a full Traffic Management Review of CT5. (Should this come from the Full CT5 PF?). Meanwhile we have -
created a CT5 PF Community Speedwatch Team – only one in Kent outside a parished area – provided evidence for several cases to be made to KCC.
worked with CCC on Enforcement in the town centre and recently contributed to the CCC Parking Review on congestion.
worked with local KCC Cllrs and KCC Highways on issues relating to the B2205 “core route” (runs through the spine of CT5, north of the Old Thanet Way – from Longreach roundabout to ‘Swalecliffe Bends).
Borstal Hill – using Speedwatch data, KCC agreed in principle to re-instate a speed indicator device to remind drivers of the 30mph limit as they come down the hill and drive towards the town centre.
“Tankerton 20” – KCC agreed to reduced speed limit of 20mph on Tankerton Road from Circus roundabout to junction with Pier Avenue. This will enhance ‘Tankerton High Street’ as a community ‘hub’ and make the area safer for all road users.
Speedwatch - update by coordinator James Flanagan – 85 hour-long sessions over last 19 months. Aim to be visually present, educate drivers to be speed aware and record details of those who exceed. Monitoring roads with 30mph limit and where sites deemed safe by Kent Police – “speeding” is defined as 35mph. Over 15,500 have passed us and 210 logged as speeding (fastest logged at 48mph on Tankerton Road) – vehicle details to Kent Police. 75% of drivers slow down as they approach. ‘Speeding’ will mostly mean result in an advice/warning letter to the driver except where significant excess speed or repeat ‘offender’.
‘Hot spots’ are Borstal Hill northbound (downhill) travelling towards the town centre, Tankerton Road eastbound between the Circus roundabout and Tower Hill, Colewood Road westbound – entering the built-up area from the “Swalecliffe Bends”. Other locations Joy Lane, Castle Road, Swalecliffe Road. If interested go to - jamesdflanagan@yahoo.co.uk
Active Travel – joint project with CCC additional cycle storage installed inside the entrance to the Harbour Market and new signage commissioned with logos of CCC and CT5 PF – first public display of our PF logo.
So you can see our groups are very active and creative for the good of Ct5. Please get involved and thank you to all of those who came on March 22nd. Get in touch if you’d like to play a more active part or to tell us what you think ctfivepeoples@gmail.com
Bernadette Fisher
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