Thanet Council has given the go-ahead for a tree massacre in a Broadstairs park, objectors claim. Twenty mature trees are for the chop, it was revealed at a meeting of the council's planning committee on Wednesday evening, in order to make way for a controversial new £2 million community centre in Broadstair's historic Pierremont Park.Norman Thomas, who spoke as a public objector against the new community centre, said he was amazed and horrified at the revelation. "We knew they were proposing to cut down some trees, but twenty mature ones - this is going to be a massive blot on the park. It's an incredibly small park anyway - to lose twenty trees will scalp the place."
The Trust who won permission to build the new centre have stated that they will replace the trees by planting semi-mature ones - but Mr Thomas denied this will be any compensation for the destruction proposed. "The only places the new plantings can take place will be in open ground used for games. They won't last five minutes.
The council has given the go-ahead to nothing less than a desecration of one of Broadstairs' few remaining green public spaces. "People in the community should get out and halt this mad proposal in its tracks. If the national government can change its mind about selling off forests surely TDC should change its mind about axing trees in one of our most treasured parks."
Objectors to the proposed new centre held a silent protest during the planning meeting on Wednesday, holding placards saying "Don't build in the Park" and "Vote NO! More protests are planned. Anger over the new proposal has led to the revival of the Thanet Action Group, first set up to oppose the Westwood Cross shopping centre, of which Mr Thomas was one of the founding members. Mr Thomas said: "Anyone interested in opposing the plan to chopping down of our trees should ring me on 01843 604 253 or email us on inmeds@yahoo.co.uk
What a load of spherical objects
ReplyDeleteSince there is no substantial difference to the proposal approved some four years ago, it is difficult to see what this new protest is about, or is it simply a resuurection of the old one.
ReplyDeleteBroadstairs still has acres of open space available for recreation and the Pierremont Park area is more of a gardens than a play area.
For everyone who objects on the grounds of loss of space and trees there are probably far more who will derive benefit and pleasure from the new, and much needed, community centre.
Peter, look at your map again and you will see that the Pierremont Gardens are little bigger than some of those of houses out at North Foreland. Hardly a recreation ground for organised sport but a place for people to sit or watch their toddlers play in the designated area. That will not change.
ReplyDeleteUp aside the railway line is a recreation area, at St. Peters where Thanet Wanderers play and another at Kinights Avenue. There are wide open spaces at North Foreland, plenty of grassed areas out on the Westcliff and stacks of playing fields out the back of town.
I live in and grew up in Broadstairs so I don't just have to look at a map.
North Foreland is a long way from the town centre of Broadstairs! We're worried about losing 20 trees - yes - but we're also worried about projects that expect to spend £2,000,000 of public money being given the go-ahead when we are facing cuts everywhere else. Why proceed with a project that many people have grave doubts about and can't be afforded?
ReplyDeleteIf the government can change their minds about selling off forests can't TDC change its mind about building on parkland?
Christine
Christine, I seem to recall not so long ago you were getting all excited about the tatty old laurel hedge in front of Albion Hotel being cut down. There you screamed before you were hurt because the end product turned out to be a vast improvement and less of a home for discarded fast food containers and sundry waste.
ReplyDeleteAs to North Foreland being a long way from the town centre, it is not the only green space but one of several fairly evenly distributed around the place.
On to the forests, well I for one would rather our woodlands were managed by the likes of the National Trust than a group of civil servants, who are conspicuous by their absence after 4.30 pm, unless on time and a half, but the government have bowed to pressure rather than sticking with good sense.
Bill Roberts
I wish Mr. Thomas the same success with this as he enjoyed with Westwood X!
ReplyDeleteI thought we were being held up by Financial Cuts
ReplyDelete(£2,000,000 Community Building) NOT CUTTING down hundreds of years old trees. Obviously, somebody needs to be pointed in the correct direction.
Some folk confuse budget deficits with capital costs. The cuts are to reduce the month on month, year on year spending not one off capital investments. Spot the difference or do you need a more simple explanation. e.g. If you reduce your weekly housekeeping by £20 per week that is reducing your budget deficit but upgrading your car is a capital investment.
ReplyDeleteSo, not paying to re-open Margate Caves is "reducing budget deficits" but paying for a community centre that's 20 times as expensive is "a capital investment", right?
ReplyDeleteMargate Caves was a privately run venture which did not make enough money to fund the necessary health and safety required renovations. It currently involves the local authority in no running cost. To re-open them would involve local tax payers in an onging cost with no evidence to suggest they could be run viably. If the caves were a profitable proposition someone would snap them up.
ReplyDeleteThe civic centre is a local amenity with no increaseed running costs over the present centre. Try not to confuse private sector ventures with public.
I have followed this debate with interest and, in particular, am mystified by the comment in the release about 'one of Broadstair's few remaining recreational spaces.' For the life of me I cannot recall what other 'recreational' spaces have been lost in the last quarter of a century or more. By implication the article suggests Broadstairs has previouly lost such spaces and that is blatantly untrue.
ReplyDeleteThe commentator who described Pierremont Park as a garden, not a recreation area, is correct. It is just that. Somewhere in the town centre to sit and smell the flowers and nothing more, despite its modern day more seedy after dark usage.
Recreation in the form of tennis courts, golf, football pitches, rugby, cricket etc are all to be found elsewhere in the town, so where lies the problem.
I know several organisations who will make use of the propsed new civic centre but the NIMBY fraternity would seek to deny them that as they did Westwood X.
The latter has kept millions of pounds in the Thanet economy and, despite its traffic problems, is a much used and highly regarded facility. Why every new proposal must attract such negativity in Thanet beats me.
Personnally I cannot wait for the Turner to open and the NIMBY brigade even opposed that.