Anyone For Tennis?

Just a quick reminder that today sees the start of the Montefiore tennis courts inquiry at Albion House, here in the Ms' P. Campaign group HOOT (Hands Off Our Tennis Courts) is hoping to overturn a decision by Thanet Council to flog the facility to developers by having the tennis courts designated a village green, one of four such applications currently under consideration around the isle. The poor HOOTers have had to prepare all their evidence themselves, whilst the council has gone to great lengths to ensure even more taxpayers' moolah is wasted by hiring a barrister.

Of course, Albion House itself is also in the process of being sold off by the jurassic junta, begging the question of where future inquiries into asset sales would be held once all the assets have been sold. Er... Anyway, the inquiry's public, so do feel free to pop along. Or if you're trundling past in the old jalopy, why not give a honk for HOOT??!!! Let's hope it's game, set and match to them!

Click here for HOOT website

On The Of-fence-ive

Bloody hell! I must get a new headline writer! So there I was scanning through the 47 free newspapers that plop through the letterbox each week, looking for stories. As any media mogul worth his salt knows, there's no point reading the editorial content. You've probably seen it all before. No, what I always read are the adverts. And I wasn't disappointed.

On page six of the Isle of Thanet Extra I spotted this:

Notice of a public inquiry next Tuesday to appeal against our beloved council over the erection of 2.1m high security fencing without going to the awkward bother of getting planning permission.

The appeal is listed as having been brought by 'Samber Limited'. A quick search of the interwhatsit elicited the news that 'Samber Limited' is a Jewish charity based in Golders Green whose aim is: 'To advance religion in accordance with the Orthodox Jewish faith and for such other purposes as are recognised by English law as charitable.' The appeal refers to 'land adjacent to the Montefiore Synagogue, Honeysuckle Road, Ramsgate', where Samber Limited appears to have taken it upon themselves to install a large erection without bothering to ask the council.

It's not the first time, however, that 2.1m security fencing has caused upset on the Ile. Earlier this year there was a huge kerfuffle when it was put up, again without planning permission, in Broadstairs. And in April, reader Foxy complained about this new fence in Cecilia Road, Ramsgate:

On those occasions it was the council that didn't bother applying to itself for planning permission. Now, however, it seems that it's going to all the trouble of a public inquiry to test the good taste of our local boundaries!

Click here to view case on Planning Inspectorate website

Update: Reader Walter writes: Stop the bus!!!!! Samber purchased the land from a developer who put the fence up and a gate without planning permission. It was then blocked off by an inappropriate gate and the new/old owners were told to remove it - and we had a new right of way instigated after.. yup after yet another public inquiry. TDC are actually (and I spit in TDC's direction as I type this) the good guys in this case!

I have reworded this story to reflect this, Walter, and to eliminate my previous erroneous drivellings. All I can say is that my glass eye must have required polishing earlier in the day!

'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'.

All Agog At The Synagogue

Our local biblio-bloke, Michael Child, who owns the splendid Michael's Book Shop in Ramsgate's trendy King Street, has been out and about with his camera again. His latest collection is from the recent rare open day at the Montefiore Synagogue and Mausoleum between Dumpton Park Drive and Hereson Road.

For those of you with only a slender grasp of Ramsgate history, Sir Moses Montefiore was the original millionaire to settle in the Millionaire's Playground, way back in Victorian times. He was a renowned wit, and a huge benefactor to the town. I like to think I'm continuing that tradition.

According to his entry in Wikipedia in 1873 a local paper mistakenly ran his obituary, to which his response was: 'Thank God to have been able to hear of the rumour and to read an account of the same, with my own eyes, without using spectacles.' A local paper making a mistake? Surely not!

Anyhoo, you can see all Michael's photos here. And I'm not one to be picky, but why on earth he's got a link to the flying doctor on his front page, and not Ramsgate's current foremost citizen, heaven knows!