DEMO TO BE HELD AGAINST COUNCIL SPENDING IN A TIME OF CUTSA demonstration against the proposed new community centre and the cutting down of trees in a Broadstairs park has been organised for Sunday 6th March.
Broadstairs Town Council, Thanet District Council and Kent County Council are all preparing to put their hands in their pockets to fund a controversial new £2 million community centre in Broadstair’s historic Pierremont Park.
Norman Thomas of pressure group, the Thanet Action Group, said that local people are furious at the proposal.
He said: “We’re hearing about massive cuts in services from the council, we may lose our libraries, people are losing their jobs at TDC, Thanet College is planning redundancies - and then they give the go-ahead to £2million expenditure. It doesn’t make sense.”
“This is a Thanet wide issue not just an issue for Broadstairs,” Mr Thomas added. “We’re all being asked to tighten our belts so how can we justify spending so much on just one project - that has been opposed for five years?”
“But it’s not just the waste of public money. We’re losing precious parkland. Twenty mature trees are to be felled in our tiny park.”
“This is being funded by our own councils – Broadstairs Town Council, Thanet District Council and Kent County Council – all putting our money into building what I can only see as a trophy project.
“Of course a new community centre in Broadstairs would be wonderful – who wouldn’t want that? But not in the park, and not at the expense of vital services all over Thanet.
“I wonder what people would rather see done with our money.”
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.
The demonstration will take place at 11am on Sunday 6th March, with people meeting in the wooden shelter in the park.
Mr Thomas said: “If possible, people should bring placards and ribbons to put round the trees, but above all anyone who wants to protest about Thanet Council decisions should just come to make their voices heard.”
I see Norman Thomas claims to speak for local people without the prefix, some. In this instance, there are many local people who support the plans for the community centre and will make use of it when it is ready.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, the revised plans take into consideration the views of people from the earlier planning process and consultation with a result that the new proposal takes two thirds of the footprint of the former. Furthermore, once the old buildings are demolished there will actually be more parkland, not less.
Even the cutting down of the trees is misrepresented. Many of those to go are simply self seeded saplings, not the mature, much loved forest specimens the protest group would have one believe.
Finance is a factor but much the same group of protestors, led by Mr. Thomas, opposed Westwood Cross when it was far less of an issue. It is simply convient to bring it into the case against now.
It's strange - isn't it - that no-one recently has spoken out in support of this building?
ReplyDeleteI thought I just did. Do I not count or something or is one's voice only heard if you are part of the protest group. Usual mob democracy rules, I guess.
ReplyDeleteShouldn't these good people be in church at 11 am on a Sunday, especially as lovers of the Almighty's flora?
ReplyDeleteWe're all pagans!
ReplyDeleteThat could explain a lot!
ReplyDeleteI wonder why debates in Thanet have to be so sarcastic and acrimonious. People need to be heard and respected. If there's opposition to a scheme those views should be considered, not shouted down. If £1.4million is to be spent at a time of heavy public spending cuts then consulting people about how they want it spent seems democratic to me.
ReplyDeleteCome to a public meeting to discuss the future of the park on Sunday April 17th at 12 noon in the Park Hut, Pierremont Park. All welcome.
ReplyDeleteChristine