Newsbytes
From Go Folkestone’s Environment and Buildings group
The Cube, the office block in Tontine Street, is
replacing Earlscliffe the handsome old Adult Education Centre in Shorncliffe
Road. But the latest good news on Earlscliffe is that it is to be the Registry
Office for Ashford instead! We don’t begrudge Ashford people having an
attractive building to get married in, but does anyone know the plans for The
White House, the other surplus ad-ed centre? Does anyone want to tell GF of his
or her opinions on the Adult Education reorganisation?
The plans for houses and flats on the St Mary’s School site in Ravenlea
Road are being passed around amongst locals in a pretty open consultation. Of
course the Lympne School children given emergency help there following their
tragic fire will be given all the time they need. Come to the Environment and
Buildings committee at Wards if you want to discuss the proposals, meets second
Wednesday each month at 8pm.
Frank Bond of St Georges Road in Morehall got his grant from Folkestone Town
Council towards the renovation of the Edwardian Davis and Davis Clock on the Art
Deco Chaffey’s building in Cheriton Road, now owned by Katz. It
should be repaired and keeping good time as the only public clock in Cheriton
and Morehall from April.
Kent County Council has issued its map of rights of way around Folkestone,
for general comment. Previously Folkestone, basically because it was urban, was
excluded. Try and see it at your local council and you might spot a mistake.
On Monday 28th January a bus knocked down the oldest ‘working’ pillar-box
in Britain opposite Holy Trinity Church (See page 10 for more details). The hole
is now filled up and the box vanished but do not fear. Irene Atherton of GF and
others confirm that the box had its fall broken by a lamp-post and is in one
piece except for an underground prong. ROMAC, the Royal Mail repairers are
repairing it, and we are pressing for it to be replaced further away from the
road; but is the verge Folkestone Estate property?
Changes
for Folkestone West? The old red brick Victorian buildings of Folkestone
West railway station are run down and seem to be harking back to a different
age. Occasionally, often on Wednesday summer evenings at 6pm, the time machine
goes back 70 years when grand green steam trains pull in for 30 minutes to be
watered and cosseted. With local enthusiasts on the platform watching the steam
hiss and the firebox glow, the Cathedral excursion trains back from Canterbury
and other attractions, are on their way northward and home. It is one of
Folkestone’s secret attractions, along with the seemingly finished summer rock
making in the Rowland’s shop in the Old High Street; you are doing a great job
Mr De Haan, but if you want real local craft you should try and keep those
sweet-makers making the names go all the way through the rock with their bare
hands. I miss that.
Now, with the closure of the harbour line, vital to facilitate the harbour
development, Folkestone West will be watering the famous Orient Express
as well. Something else to watch out for! That is one reason why, by the time
you will be reading this or shortly afterwards the station will be modestly
renovated with a lick of UPVC, some more parking and a ‘Victorian Theme’
tearoom. We haven’t, worryingly, been able to see the plans because there are
supposed to be no extensions .If too many period details get swept away or if
Station Road remains in it’s dreadful pot-holed state, I hope a few more people
will be joining us in complaint.
The bigger question for the future is whether Folkestone West or Central or even
Westernhanger will be greatly improved because of the Rail-Link. A
representative of Stagecoach speaking to the Shepway Tourist Action Group
emphasised how undecided these sort of questions were. He felt the West Station
was poorly situated for the town and that Central will dominate. But a bus
company manager would prefer Central Station. What will the long, thin but still
extensive rough land carefully reserved at Folkestone West, be used for? It must
be the ultimate ‘green’ location either for parking or houses or even a small
office block for a London company. Nothing imminent seems to be the current
thought. Can any of our readers tell us?
Folkestone counts its Trees
The team of four voluntary tree wardens working for Folkestone Town Council
has started a big project, and believe me, you only have to decide to start with
Shorncliffe Road to realise how big. We are listing all the street trees of
Folkestone, plus any other notable trees that could be eligible for tree
preservation orders. Ashford supposedly only has eighteen street trees but we
must have thousands, and, although not everyone wants one right outside their
house, we would miss them if they went.
Each tree is having its rough age, species and condition noted: holly tree,
mature, fair condition, etc etc. The person charged with looking after trees on
Shepway’s property including parks, and making sure they are reasonably
protected against development is Dave Sephton of S.D.C. who used to work for
Kent. He does a great job but now KCC are responsible for highways trees through
a private contractor Jacobs of Maidstone.
They have little money and a safety first policy of the ‘chop it down and ask
questions later’ variety. If you aren’t too keen on trees or even if you are, in
this litigious age, you can see their point. But unfortunately some private
people will use seemingly good reasons as excuses for taking the axe to a 50 or
60-year-old tree, when it obscures their shop sign, or prevents them having a
garage driveway, or they are simply the first person in their house for 50 years
to dislike trees. We cannot have our landscape ruined by such people.
Local authorities have to balance the views of these people against the law and
the preferences of the general public, and surely if they chop a tree down they
should normally replace it on the site or at least nearby; otherwise we will
eventually be treeless.
So we will be out walking again in March, with our clipboards. When we know
where the trees are, we can prove to Kent County Council and any one else, that
one has gone or is in trouble, We can then put moral pressure on them to keep up
the numbers.
If you know a bit about trees or want to stroll along making notes for others,
and are prepared to put in at least an hour or two a week for a couple of months
give me a call on 01303-277567.
Richard Wallace,
Chair GF Environment and Buildings
Article from Go Folkestone Newsletter March 2008
