Wednesday, May 12, 2010
When will Medway Council close Globe Lane to all traffic except buses and taxis?
The unbelievable must soon happen and they will actually close this any day now! Another nail in the coffin of Chatham. I think this will finally kill it off! R.I.P Chatham as a retail destination - God help the businesses trying to exist there!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Extract from The Local Government Ombudsman's Annual review for Medway Council - March 2009
This year our Advice Team dealt with 94 enquiries and complaints about your Council. Of these,
19 related to complaints which were deemed to be premature and so were referred back to the
Council for investigation. The categories that generated the most significant number of enquiries
and complaints were Education (28), Planning & Building Control (17) and Transport & Highways
(11). These categories also accounted for the majority of the 60 complaints forwarded to the
investigative team.
19 related to complaints which were deemed to be premature and so were referred back to the
Council for investigation. The categories that generated the most significant number of enquiries
and complaints were Education (28), Planning & Building Control (17) and Transport & Highways
(11). These categories also accounted for the majority of the 60 complaints forwarded to the
investigative team.
MORE new Additions to the list! - Medway Council - Top 100 (or more!) unpopular/incompetent decisions by successive Tory dominated councils.
Please add to my list (in no particular order):
1. Loss of City Status
2. Closure of Rochester Market to provide income generating car parking
3. CCTV Car(s)
4. Destruction of Aveling and Porter building to provide income generating car parking
5. Destruction of riverside wharves to provide thusfar non-existant development
6. Vandalism (tree felling etc) of The Paddock for "Dynamic" Bus Station
7. Vandalism of Riverside Gardens (tree felling etc) for "Dynamic" Bus Station
8. Vandalism of Great Lines (tree felling, destruction of wildlife habitat)
9. Changes to Black Lion Sports Centre (including renaming as Medway Park!)
10. Closure of college to sell off land opposite Rochester Airport for development
11. Relocation of Age Concern/Help the Aged from central Chatham to Hopewell Drive Business Estate, Luton
12. Failure to ensure the refurbishment of Pentagon toilets
13. Selling off parts of Watts Meadow for development
14. Selling off Copperfield Green Space for development
15. Failing to provide public parking at Gun Wharf Council offices
16. Publishing and distributing "Medway Matters" (a blatant piece of propaganda) using our money
17. Failing to consult effectively and/or failing to listen to consultation on almost every issue
18. The "Elephant in The Room" preventing any regeneration of Chatham is THE PENTAGON - demolish it!
19. Merger of Chatham South School & Medway Community College to form the vast Chatham Academy (added by Tracy)
20. Proposed closure of St John's C of E Infants (thanks to Tracy for this addition)
21. Proposed closure of Ridge Meadow Primary school (thanks again Tracy)
1. Loss of City Status
2. Closure of Rochester Market to provide income generating car parking
3. CCTV Car(s)
4. Destruction of Aveling and Porter building to provide income generating car parking
5. Destruction of riverside wharves to provide thusfar non-existant development
6. Vandalism (tree felling etc) of The Paddock for "Dynamic" Bus Station
7. Vandalism of Riverside Gardens (tree felling etc) for "Dynamic" Bus Station
8. Vandalism of Great Lines (tree felling, destruction of wildlife habitat)
9. Changes to Black Lion Sports Centre (including renaming as Medway Park!)
10. Closure of college to sell off land opposite Rochester Airport for development
11. Relocation of Age Concern/Help the Aged from central Chatham to Hopewell Drive Business Estate, Luton
12. Failure to ensure the refurbishment of Pentagon toilets
13. Selling off parts of Watts Meadow for development
14. Selling off Copperfield Green Space for development
15. Failing to provide public parking at Gun Wharf Council offices
16. Publishing and distributing "Medway Matters" (a blatant piece of propaganda) using our money
17. Failing to consult effectively and/or failing to listen to consultation on almost every issue
18. The "Elephant in The Room" preventing any regeneration of Chatham is THE PENTAGON - demolish it!
19. Merger of Chatham South School & Medway Community College to form the vast Chatham Academy (added by Tracy)
20. Proposed closure of St John's C of E Infants (thanks to Tracy for this addition)
21. Proposed closure of Ridge Meadow Primary school (thanks again Tracy)
22.Axing of jobs - loss of park wardens at Maidstone Rd Sports Ground
the only sports ground in Chatham Central! (from Tracy)
23. Loss of loos at Maidstone Rd Sports Ground - Council voted to demolish [ & have demolished them ] & will not be re-instating. The nearest & only public loo in Chatham is actually the coin operated [20p portaloo] which is located far away down in the Town Centre behind Debenhams.
Unfortunately it is not accessible for the disabled & has no baby changing facilities either,
but it is available 24hrs !! (from Tracy)
24. Queen St/Slicketts Hill car parks which are to be sold off & potentially developed into blocks of flats [ I think the Council refers to these blocks of flats as Podiums ] Wont they have a nice outlook ? - Iceland's car park / Tesco's / burst sofas in gardens, the graffiti behind them.'Rennaisance' loves the idea.... it'll all be so terribly modern ? And right alongside the 'new Brook Boulevard' .. HA!!
But with limited parking / access / all those lifts etc... just think how hard it is going to
be trying to even move your furniture in.. let alone living there ?
Can you imagine the cost of the service charges ?
And they're not likely to be cheap..... I wonder just who can afford / will be attracted to live there ? (from Tracy.
25, Failure years ago to back the campaigners to save the Theatre Royal in Chatham. (thank you Bash Street Kid)
25, Failure years ago to back the campaigners to save the Theatre Royal in Chatham. (thank you Bash Street Kid)
Thursday, May 06, 2010
Monday, March 08, 2010
Protest posters have gone up in The Paddock and Riverside Gardens Chatham
I wonder how long they will last? The police were there but had no problem with the posters going up, they took names and addresses "In case of complaints".
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
The Paddock Protest - Photos by Dave Wise at http://www.davewise.biz/projectsgallery/index.html#home Captions by Roger Fahy
A Shady Place No More
People Must Be Kept On A Lead At All Times!
Going
Going
Gone
Renaissance Man
Medway Renaissance In Action
Smile Please
An Unstoppable Force?
Hands Off Our Green Spaces
The Old Town Hall And The Old Tree - Which Will Last Longer?
Be Careful For What You Vote For - You Might Get It!
Listen! A Scythe!
Man In Tree
Shy Man In Tree
Angry or Wot!
Call Me Old-Fashioned But I Really Like Trees
Rest In Peace
Sticks And Stones
Bandaged And Bleeding
The Face Of Reason
Too Late I Came To Love Thee (St. Augustine)
Where Have All The Flowers Gone?
Next Time You Vote Watch Where You Put Your Cross!
Monday, March 01, 2010
Statement from Protest Meeting at The Paddock and Riverside Gardens, Chatham, Kent UK today.
"This is a protest by residents from all parts of the Medway Towns. It is not by a group with a name nor does it have any single political party connection.
Our concern is for the green spaces and Heriitage of our towns, especially The Paddock and Riverside Gardens which have just been appropriated by Medway Council to build a bus station.
There were many objections to the process known as Appropriation which began on the 5th February 2010 and ended on 19th February 2010. No acknowledgement of receipt of objections has been received. Last week on Friday 26th February 2010, felling of trees commenced despite the fact that the decision to appropriate the land on which the trees stand, had not been published.
The proposed bus station means that parts of The Paddock, including 4 mature Red Chestnut trees which are over 100 years old, and the Riverside Gardens will be replaced by road space and waiting areas for buses.
The proposed new bus station is very unpopular and only Arriva and Nu-Venture Bus Operators have offered their qualified support. It has attracted widespread opposition from many different groups including The Open Spaces Society and Urban Spaces Society. The proposed bus station is smaller than the existing bus station in the Pentagon Shopping Centre, whose traders have expressed concern for their businesses if the bus station is relocated.
The council is rushing this major infrastructure project through and must commence building it by the beginning of the next financial year to gain government funding.
Medway Council has quashed any debate. The Planning Application for this £6 million project was lodged on 7th December 2009 and the Planning Application was heard on 27th January 2010. The council's Planning Committee Chair refused a site visit for its own members and took the very unusual step of refusing a Ward Councillor's request for a public site meeting.
Medway Council's governing cabinet has refused permission for the councils' Regeneration and Culture Overview and Scrutiny Committee to review (scrutinise) this decision.
Protesters condemn this abdication of democratic processes and the building of this unnecessary and unwanted bus station. It has no popular public support and we call upon Medway Council to acknowledge the beauty of this historic and much-loved open space. The council should review the whole process carefully, including negotiating the upgrading of the current bus station.
This Thursday 4th March 2010 at 7pm, a number of questions will be asked by members of the public at the Full Council Meeting at the St George's Centre. Members of the public are invited to attend to hear the Leader respond to the concerns of local residents."
Our concern is for the green spaces and Heriitage of our towns, especially The Paddock and Riverside Gardens which have just been appropriated by Medway Council to build a bus station.
There were many objections to the process known as Appropriation which began on the 5th February 2010 and ended on 19th February 2010. No acknowledgement of receipt of objections has been received. Last week on Friday 26th February 2010, felling of trees commenced despite the fact that the decision to appropriate the land on which the trees stand, had not been published.
The proposed bus station means that parts of The Paddock, including 4 mature Red Chestnut trees which are over 100 years old, and the Riverside Gardens will be replaced by road space and waiting areas for buses.
The proposed new bus station is very unpopular and only Arriva and Nu-Venture Bus Operators have offered their qualified support. It has attracted widespread opposition from many different groups including The Open Spaces Society and Urban Spaces Society. The proposed bus station is smaller than the existing bus station in the Pentagon Shopping Centre, whose traders have expressed concern for their businesses if the bus station is relocated.
The council is rushing this major infrastructure project through and must commence building it by the beginning of the next financial year to gain government funding.
Medway Council has quashed any debate. The Planning Application for this £6 million project was lodged on 7th December 2009 and the Planning Application was heard on 27th January 2010. The council's Planning Committee Chair refused a site visit for its own members and took the very unusual step of refusing a Ward Councillor's request for a public site meeting.
Medway Council's governing cabinet has refused permission for the councils' Regeneration and Culture Overview and Scrutiny Committee to review (scrutinise) this decision.
Protesters condemn this abdication of democratic processes and the building of this unnecessary and unwanted bus station. It has no popular public support and we call upon Medway Council to acknowledge the beauty of this historic and much-loved open space. The council should review the whole process carefully, including negotiating the upgrading of the current bus station.
This Thursday 4th March 2010 at 7pm, a number of questions will be asked by members of the public at the Full Council Meeting at the St George's Centre. Members of the public are invited to attend to hear the Leader respond to the concerns of local residents."
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