Crab & Winkle Way extension
Gregory Williams
Dear friend of the Crab and Winkle Line,
Your urgent action is needed to extend the line in Whitstable
18 months ago, we submitted a planning application to the council to extend the route of the Crab and Winkle Line over the railway line and Teynham and Old Bridge Roads in Whitstable, down behind Clare and Station Roads, through to Harbour Street and the sea. Some local residents were concerned that the environment would be damaged, and the council asked us to survey the trees and plants, and the lizards, bats and other animals in the disused and overgrown land behind Clare Road.
We've now completed all these surveys, showing that:
· there'll be no damage to existing wildlife;
· there's no need to cut down any trees with preservation orders;
· there'll be sympathetic, improved planting to screen houses and gardens.
Over 500 local people have signed our petition in support of the extended line. It will provide traffic-free, step-free access from one side of the railway line to another, helping children get to the Community College, and families walk their children to the primary schools on the sea-side of the railway. It will help all those with mobility problems get around town without a car, provide a community resource for everyone in the town to enjoy this green lung, and it will be the perfect way for visitors to enter the town.
The council is now consulting on the application, which you can see in council offices in Harbour Street, Whitstable during office hours. Last time there were a few dozen letters of opposition. It is ESSENTIAL that the council also hears from people who support the proposal too. PLEASE WRITE. Letters can be sent to Nicola Hughes, Planning Officer, Canterbury City Council, Military Road, Canterbury, Kent CT1 1YW. Please quote reference CA/07/01442/WHI. Please say how you think the line would benefit the community, whether you'd use it, who else would, and that you support the proposal. The council must receive your letter by 5th June.
Without your help - by writing a letter to the council in support - officers and councillors may only hear from those opposed to the plan. An extension of a popular and well-used footpath and cycle path through to the sea would be a massive asset to the town, and something that will last for and be enjoyed by many generations. We could all be proud of having helped make it happen. Without your help, it won't.
Trustees would be happy to talk to you about what else you can do to support the Crab and Winkle Line Trust. You can contact us at cwlt...@crabandwinkle.org THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
Yours faithfully,
Marcial Boo, Chairman, and Trustees
The Crab and Winkle Line Trust