Whitstable Society Response to the Draft Canterbury District Local Plan to 2045

Further to the previous post here is the Whitstable Society Response to the Draft Canterbury District Local Plan to 2045, submitted on the 16th January 2023.

I’m sure that you’ll appreciate the great efforts of our committee/subcommittee to compile this final, comprehensive version despite CCC’s rather late public consultations and the Christmas/New Year period. And we thank those members who’ve been in touch.

Hopefully the CCC team will respond positively to the comments and recommendations made.

Canterbury District Local Plan – invitation to comment

Following our combined Open and Zoom meeting on 16th November, we have formed a knowledgeable sub-committee to gather evidence and formulate a robust response to the Whitstable aspects of CCC’s draft Local Plan proposals. Submissions are due by 16th January. 

You may also comment directly via :

 https://news.canterbury.gov.uk/consultations/canterbury-district-local-plan-to-2045/

Invitation to become a Member of the Whitstable Improvement Trust

Since 1989 the WIT has helped finance initiatives which provide some benefit to our town and the local community. In so doing we have adhered to the Trust’s founding aims:

  • To secure the preservation, protection, development and improvement of buildings, land or features of particular beauty or historical interest.
  • To promote public awareness, particularly that of young people, regarding their local environment and the town’s heritage.
  • To help support other local charitable causes.

As a member you will be encouraged to suggest ways in which the WIT can continue to bring improvements to the town and its community. You will also be in a position to promote the benefits the WIT can offer to local groups and organisations needing assistance to achieve their own individual aims. Our members care about Whitstable and find the support they can offer most rewarding.

We strive to have a strong membership comprising a cross section of the community. Our Board of Trustees is held accountable to the members and are selected by vote for a 12-month term at an annual general meeting each Autumn. Any member can put themselves forward for election.

Communication between the members and the Board of Trustees is primarily by email, this includes, confirmation of membership, the sharing of information, distribution of newsletters and invitations to events. 

Should you wish to join us please complete the attached application form and send it to us as directed on the form. With effect from 1st January 2023 annual membership of the WIT is free.

More details about the WIT, including some of the past and more recent projects can be found on our website  https://www.whitstableimprovementtrust.org.uk/

Long Rock Consultation

As you may have seen in the press, the Canterbury City Council Long Rock consultation is continuing with two public events where you can discuss the proposals with them.

  1. Public meeting: Thursday 26 May, 5.30pm to 7.30pm, Swalecliffe and Chestfield Community Centre
  2. On-site session at Long Rock: Sunday 29 May, 10am to 2pm

Find out more about what’s proposed and comment on their website: https://news.canterbury.gov.uk/consultation-item?id=1&r=58

Public Space Protection Order for Whitstable and Herne Bay coastal zone

As you may be aware, Canterbury City Council has announced a public consultation on their proposed Public Space Protection Order for Whitstable and Herne Bay coastal zone. Their emailed message is:
– – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Public consultation on a new draft coastal zone Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) for Herne Bay and Whitstable is underway.
PSPOs were introduced to tackle nuisance behaviour that affects the quality of life for other people.
Including an activity in a PSPO effectively bans people from that activity in the area it covers.
Among the proposed measures set out in the draft coastal zone PSPO are:
* lighting or fuelling any open fire
* using, lighting or discarding any disposable barbecue
* being in possession of any glass bottle on any beach (except where the bottle is being carried in transit)
* harming or attempting to harm any wildlife
On the council website at https://news.canterbury.gov.uk/consultation-item?id=1&r=54
you can view the proposed PSPO, see a map of the area it covers and give us your views on the plans.


Comments must be submitted by Sunday 8 May.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Whitstable Society Zoom Meeting – 27th January 2021

The committee wish all members a safe and happy New Year.

With the continuing Covid restrictions we’ll be unable to resume Open Meetings, including our AGM, at the Castle for the foreseeable future.

You may recall from our Autumn Newsletter our intention to trial a members’ on-line Zoom meeting on Wed 20th January. Unfortunately we find that this would clash with another local important event so have rescheduled ours to Wed 27th January, with log-in from 7.00pm for a 7.15pm start.  

We will email a Zoom meeting link and joining instructions nearer the time. (You do not need to preload the Zoom application).

The main aim is Zoom set-up and familiarisation for interested members well in advance of our (required) AGM which we’ll be holding a little later this year on 24th March via Zoom. 

We’ve been unable to engage a speaker for the 20th January but the committee will give updates for discussion on some current activities including:

  • Glebe Way railway crossing inquiry status.
  • Whitstable to Iwade section of the national Coastal Path.
  • The new Whitstable Town Forum.
  • AGM topics, including a brief overview of reasons to change the WS to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation.

It will be helpful if those interested in joining this initial Zoom meeting will advise same by return email so we can determine roughly how many participants to expect.

Please note also that WS Membership annual renewal subscriptions will become due on 1st March 2021.

Richard Amos, Secretary and Membership Secretary, The Whitstable Society

Open Meeting Wednesday 18th July 2018

Our next Open meeting will be at Whitstable Castle on Wednesday 18th July from 7.15pm.
The speaker will be David Herren who will talk about the work of Tools With A Mission (TWAM), a Christian charity which collects unwanted tools, refurbishes them, sorts them into trade kits, and redistributes them to disadvantaged people in the developing world.
This will be followed by our usual refreshment break and then discussion of current local topics.
We expect this unusual subject to be a most interesting and enlightening topic and hope that many members will attend.
Additionally, our open meetings are – as the name suggests – open to anyone.