Showing posts with label Thanet Is Beautiful competition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thanet Is Beautiful competition. Show all posts
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Saturday, February 09, 2008
'Job Lot Clots' Blot Plots
A reader signing himself merely as 'Concerned Resident' has emailed me regarding yet more palisade railings going up on the island. This time it's Ramsgate Cemetery that's getting the, er, makeover. He writes:They are truly awful, one neighbour compared them to a concentration camp. I am genuinely upset as I used to enjoy the view from my house in Cecilia Rd. They will also form many a final resident's journey enroute to the cemetery!!
The council did not consult with the residents before removing the original iron railings and replacing them with this hideous option. There have been bouts of vandalism and I do sympathise, but this has really spoilt the aesthetics of the area. I am sure other options would have been more suitable and less intrusive in a residential area such as mine.
The cemetery area was originally donated to the town by Sir Moses Montefiore - along with the old railings I presume? When I rang the council they "explained" that the site is internal and that after consultation with their Planning Office they did need not need any planning approval. I have just built a house in Cecilia Road and know how stringent they were with me - it seems like one rule for us and another for them. They did however state that they could be painted, just remove the bloody things I say!
It does seem as if our beloved council has picked up a job lot of these hideous railings and adopted a 'one size fits all' policy towards their installation. If, as you state 'CR', the original railings were part of the Sir Moses Montefiore bequest, I'm pretty sure he'd be turning in his, er, mausoleum. But not to worry, there will no doubt be a delegation of councillors along shortly to explain why this is 'progress'.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Railing Against The Council
Last year I had a bit of a run-in with those Thanet Tree Huggers, who I accused of playing right into the hands of Ramsgate-polluting Oozalum Airlines and Manston owners Infartil by accepting £3,000 worth of 'environmental' funding from them. But Amy, one of their leading lights, has sent me a copy of a recent email written by Chief Tree Hugger Paul Wells concerning the offensive fencing that has gone up around the allotments in Broadstairs, and I have to admit they've got a point.
Presumably Amy is familiar with my soft spot for rubbish railings, given my incessant, er, railings against the temporary fencing along our East Cliff here in the Millionaires' Playground. Of course, I couldn't ordinarily give a monkey's about Boredstares, but the same email was sent to true blue councillor/doctor Biggles for publication on his Thanet Life blog, only to be promptly buried on page 98. The same page where all criticism of the ruling Tories ends up.
I therefore make no apologies for reprinting Mr Wells' email, and a couple of his photos, in full:
As a result of reading a letter in the Isle of Thanet Gazette on Friday, I went down to Culmers Land in Broadstairs to see what has been going on there over the Christmas period. I think what has happened is quite awful and I attach a composite picture of the footpath entrance into Culmers Land from Alexandra Road as it was in October 2007 and as it now is.
In 1998 Broadstairs & St Peters Town Council asked Trees for Thanet if it would plant 250 hedgerow trees to help screen the allotments fence and make the walk through Culmers Land from the car and coach park to the harbour more attractive for locals and visitors. 21 young volunteers carried out the task one Saturday morning in February and the young hedge was hand weeded by volunteers for the next two summers until the plants became established . As the picture shows, a rather nice wildlife hedgerow was produced.
This work has now been ruined by the most insensitive, ill-conceived and poorly placed security fencing you are ever likely to have the misfortune to come across. Whilst I fully support the requirement to install secure fencing to prevent the scandalous attacks of vandalism that are the scourge of all allotment holders in Thanet, what has happened at Culmers Land is a disgrace and shames those responsible. Those responsible have created a barrier that has turned Culmers Land into a prison-camp with the only thing missing being ‘goon towers’.
The new fence has not been built on the boundary fence of the allotments but up to 5m into the small park area and as a result cannot be screened by fresh planting in front of it as it borders the tarmac footpath. Why was it not constructed on the original fence line or was the work involved in clearing the old one away and lopping some insignificant trees too much bother? If it had been sited properly, the hedgerow planted in 1998 would have automatically have screened it and further planting would have been possible where necessary. I am sure this type of security fencing can come in a range of colours; was green not an option? This fence is on the main pedestrian route to Viking Bay beach for coach visitors and is utterly out of character for a Victorian picture postcard resort and greets visitors to the town! What regard has been paid to Thanet District Council’s motto ‘Thanet is beautiful, let's keep it that way’?
My enquiries with TDC Planning Dept have revealed that no Planning Consent was applied for this monstrosity as it was meant to be 2m high (and thus avoids the need for consent). I measured the fence at 15 points yesterday and all heights exceeded 2m 35cm and so this fence is in breach of planning regulations. I have already lodged a complaint with the planning Dept at TDC and urge your readers to do likewise.
One final point. As our local biblio-bloke Michael Child has discovered, the new railings destined to eventually grace our cliff top will not be of the heritage variety. Let's hope we don't end up with a similar abomination to the one they've erected in Broadstairs.
Thanet is beautiful, let's keep it that way!
Presumably Amy is familiar with my soft spot for rubbish railings, given my incessant, er, railings against the temporary fencing along our East Cliff here in the Millionaires' Playground. Of course, I couldn't ordinarily give a monkey's about Boredstares, but the same email was sent to true blue councillor/doctor Biggles for publication on his Thanet Life blog, only to be promptly buried on page 98. The same page where all criticism of the ruling Tories ends up.
I therefore make no apologies for reprinting Mr Wells' email, and a couple of his photos, in full:
As a result of reading a letter in the Isle of Thanet Gazette on Friday, I went down to Culmers Land in Broadstairs to see what has been going on there over the Christmas period. I think what has happened is quite awful and I attach a composite picture of the footpath entrance into Culmers Land from Alexandra Road as it was in October 2007 and as it now is.
In 1998 Broadstairs & St Peters Town Council asked Trees for Thanet if it would plant 250 hedgerow trees to help screen the allotments fence and make the walk through Culmers Land from the car and coach park to the harbour more attractive for locals and visitors. 21 young volunteers carried out the task one Saturday morning in February and the young hedge was hand weeded by volunteers for the next two summers until the plants became established . As the picture shows, a rather nice wildlife hedgerow was produced.
This work has now been ruined by the most insensitive, ill-conceived and poorly placed security fencing you are ever likely to have the misfortune to come across. Whilst I fully support the requirement to install secure fencing to prevent the scandalous attacks of vandalism that are the scourge of all allotment holders in Thanet, what has happened at Culmers Land is a disgrace and shames those responsible. Those responsible have created a barrier that has turned Culmers Land into a prison-camp with the only thing missing being ‘goon towers’.
The new fence has not been built on the boundary fence of the allotments but up to 5m into the small park area and as a result cannot be screened by fresh planting in front of it as it borders the tarmac footpath. Why was it not constructed on the original fence line or was the work involved in clearing the old one away and lopping some insignificant trees too much bother? If it had been sited properly, the hedgerow planted in 1998 would have automatically have screened it and further planting would have been possible where necessary. I am sure this type of security fencing can come in a range of colours; was green not an option? This fence is on the main pedestrian route to Viking Bay beach for coach visitors and is utterly out of character for a Victorian picture postcard resort and greets visitors to the town! What regard has been paid to Thanet District Council’s motto ‘Thanet is beautiful, let's keep it that way’?
My enquiries with TDC Planning Dept have revealed that no Planning Consent was applied for this monstrosity as it was meant to be 2m high (and thus avoids the need for consent). I measured the fence at 15 points yesterday and all heights exceeded 2m 35cm and so this fence is in breach of planning regulations. I have already lodged a complaint with the planning Dept at TDC and urge your readers to do likewise.
One final point. As our local biblio-bloke Michael Child has discovered, the new railings destined to eventually grace our cliff top will not be of the heritage variety. Let's hope we don't end up with a similar abomination to the one they've erected in Broadstairs.
Thanet is beautiful, let's keep it that way!Saturday, November 17, 2007
Beautiful South
I see the Uranians have selected the finalists for their Thanet Is Beautiful photo and video competition. Strangely, my film of Ramsgate's Oasis blight flights doesn't appear to have made the cut.
They've also cunningly split the Ramsgate vote by shortlisting two very similar photos of our Royal Harbour. So, what's the guessing Boredstares or Margate wins? Although with all the gruesomeness currently happening on the north side, it could do with whatever good publicity it can get, I suppose.
The shortlisted video's below if you want to sneak a peek. I'm not sure 'sneak' is the mot juste, as I can't recall the last time I watched a five minute film that felt more like five hours. Guys, take a tip from a professional - if you've only got five minutes, don't spend the first three blowing your own trumpet in the opening titles! Jeez!
See all the Thanet is Beautiful video entries on BoobTube
See the shortlist and vote
See what Thanet's really like on ECR TV
They've also cunningly split the Ramsgate vote by shortlisting two very similar photos of our Royal Harbour. So, what's the guessing Boredstares or Margate wins? Although with all the gruesomeness currently happening on the north side, it could do with whatever good publicity it can get, I suppose.
The shortlisted video's below if you want to sneak a peek. I'm not sure 'sneak' is the mot juste, as I can't recall the last time I watched a five minute film that felt more like five hours. Guys, take a tip from a professional - if you've only got five minutes, don't spend the first three blowing your own trumpet in the opening titles! Jeez!
See all the Thanet is Beautiful video entries on BoobTube
See the shortlist and vote
See what Thanet's really like on ECR TV
Monday, October 08, 2007
Boeing, Boeing, Gong!
Well, I've posted my entry for Thanet Council's competition to find photos and videos of the Ile as part of their 'Thanet Is Beautiful' campaign. It's bound to win me that long-overdue BAFTA (Biggles Award For Thanet Arts) I richly deserve! Enjoy!
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Thanet Council In YouTube Boob
Holy server errors! Pootling around the internet just now, I spied Thanet Council's competition (Prop.: B. Iggles) to find photos and videos of the Ile as part of their 'Thanet Is Beautiful' campaign. Their trailer on YouTube, a rather ham-fisted affair notable only for a soundtrack by Rochester's Hammond organ virtuoso James Taylor, has so far received a paltry 23 hits in the ten days it's been up. And they've only managed to recruit one group member, er, themselves.Frankly, what they require is a TV genius like me to liven the competition up a bit. So it was with the best of intentions (honestly guv) that I attempted to join their BoobTube group and upload some of the videos that Mr Ceaucescu (no relation) has created for ECR TV.
At that point the mystery of why they only have themselves to look at was solved, with the screen of my old Del Boy laptop filled from top to toe with the above gobbledygook. Kuh! Amateurs! Nonetheless, I did manage to submit the photograph below which I took last year. Do you think I'll win the 500 smackers?
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