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The May issue of the Lynsted with Kingsdown Parish Council newsletter has now been published.  Topics include the Lynsted Lane housing application, an update on the Swale Local Plan, proposed cancellation of bus services in the Parish and our planned celebrations for the Platinum Jubilee.  Read the latest newsletter HERE

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Kent County Council are looking to axe local bus services.  The plans range from the withdrawal of some off-peak journeys to scrapping other routes in their entirety, including school run services.  These cuts will affect residents in Lynsted, Teynham, Bapchild, Newnham, Doddington and Conyer.  Tomorrow (Weds 20 April) is the last day to take part in the consultation if you want to express your views.  Given the climate emergency, KCC should be actively supporting increased use of public transport – not getting rid of it.  Read the objection letter from your Parish Council HERE

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Buses in Lynsted and surrounding areas are being threatened by proposed cuts to subsidies by Kent County Council. These services are vital to many elderly and disabled residents who rely heavily on public transport, as well as children who take these buses to school.

KCC Councillor Rich Lehmann is opposing these cuts and has produced a flier which you can view HERE

Please respond to the consultation by 20 April 2022. 

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Kent County Council are proposing to make savings by reducing the money they spend on subsidising some unprofitable bus services – mainly in more rural areas, in the evenings and at weekends.

They are looking at ending 48 contracts with a total value of £3 million, which would affect around 55 supported bus services from Summer 2022.

More information and details on the proposed changes to services can be found here:  https://letstalk.kent.gov.uk/bus-funding-reductions

Cuts that would affect Lynsted with Kingsdown include:

343/344/345

Newnham, Doddington, Lynsted, Teynham, Bapchild and Conyer to Sittingbourne

662

Teynham to Faversham schools

664

Conyer to Lynsted Primary School

8

Sittingbourne to Kenilworth Court / Conyer

The Kent Karrier dial-a-ride service would also be withdrawn and of course other buses used by Lynsted residents will also be affected.

Please let the Parish Council know how the cuts to these services would affect you by sending an email to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The consultation closes on 20 April 2022.

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... but Head of Planning "calls in" the application.  Swale’s Planning Committee voted UNANIMOUSLY last night to reject the proposal to build 10 houses on agricultural land East of Lynsted Lane.  Whilst the application was only for ten homes, the developers made clear in their submission to the Local Plan consultation that their ultimate aim is to build 50 houses on this plot.
 
It would cause traffic congestion and air pollution in the narrow Lynsted Lane to deteriorate further.  Residents who currently park their cars outside their own homes would be forced to park further down the lane on a blind bend.  And pedestrian access would be through a busy joinery yard.  
 
The Parish Council would like to thank our ward councillors, Mike Whiting and Lloyd Bowen, for supporting the objections from residents.  Thanks also to all the parishioners who wrote in with their comments, spoke up at the site visit and provided photographic evidence. 
 
Around 40 Lynsted residents travelled to Swale House to observe the committee’s deliberations, and many more watched online - demonstrating the strength of opposition to this development.
 
After the unanimous vote, Swale's head of planning James Freeman decided to "call in” the application.  This means a report will be prepared looking at any reasons why the developer might win if they were to appeal and the cost implications for ratepayers if the Council were to lose.  This then gets referred back to the planning committee for a final decision. 

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The application for planning permission to build five houses on land East of Cellar Hill in Lynsted has been refused by officers at Swale Borough Council.  Here are the reasons given for the refusal. 
 
1.  The erection of five new dwellings on this site would introduce a prominent and intrusive form of development which would be harmful to the character and appearance of the countryside and could encourage sporadic development in the countryside which is unacceptable as a matter of principle.  
 
2.  The proposed development, by virtue of its location, design and scale would create development which will adversely affect the settings of the Cellar Hill & Greenstreet conservation area and the nearby listed buildings, which would cause considerable harm to the special character of the conservation area and to the special interest of the nearby listed buildings.  
 
3.  Cambridge Lane and Cellar Hill by reason of their restricted width, poor alignment and substandard junctions with Lynsted Lane and Canterbury Road (A2) are considered unsuitable to serve as a means of access to the proposed development and any increase in the use of these lanes and junctions will be prejudicial to road safety and significantly harm the character of these rural lanes.
 
4.  The proposed development would not conserve, enhance or extend biodiversity or provide for biodiversity net gain. It will result in significant harm to biodiversity and orchard trees on the site and the compensatory measures/mitigation does not outweigh the harm of the proposal as a whole.
 

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TONIGHT (Thursday) the planning committee meets to decide whether to approve or refuse the application to build 10 (but ultimately 50) houses on agricultural land East of Lynsted Lane.  The meeting will be held at Swale House, East Street, Sittingbourne starting at 7pm.

All Lynsted residents are invited to attend in person.

The latest representation sent by the Parish Council to committee members can be seen HERE

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Swale Borough Council's Planning Committee meets this Thursday (10th) at 7pm at Swale House to determine the application to build 10 (but really 50) houses on the green field behind F J Williams.  This follows the visit to the site by members of the committee on March 1st. 

Local residents are welcome to attend.

Access to the new development would be on the left of the photograph you can view HERE

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The Parish Council was very pleased to welcome members of Swale’s planning committee to inspect the site proposed for development of 10 (but really 50) houses East of Lynsted Lane.  Committee members were able to see for themselves the consequences of the plan to NARROW an already congested lane just 36 metres from the junction with the busy A2.

Thank you to all the residents who attended, and in particular to those who spoke with such passion against the plans.
 
Points raised included:  
 
-  no consultation with the Parish Council
-  public access through FJ Williams could mean closure of long-established local business 
-  coalescence between Teynham and Lynsted
-  lack of sight lines driving north or south
-  traffic fumes outside 1 & 2 Lynsted Lane at the ‘Give Way’ sign
-  the new homes will be on higher ground and will overlook existing properties
-  difference between the developer's airbrushed images and reality of the site
-  loss of amenity to existing residents to park their cars outside their own home 
 
The decision will be made at the next committee meeting on Thurs March 10 at 7pm at Swale House. 
 
Please attend this meeting, in order to demonstrate your views!
 
The introductory statement by the Parish Council’s chairman can be viewed  here 

Details

The proposal to build 10 (but ultimately 50) houses on land to the East of Lynsted lane was discussed at the Swale Planning Committee on 10 February.  A motion was carried to undertake a site visit, in order that the committee members could inspect the plot for themselves.

This has been arranged for Tuesday 1 March at 11.45.

The three minute presentation by the Parish Council's chairman at the 10 February meeting can be viewed here