DECEMBER 2010 NEWSLETTER

Whitstable Bridges

The planning applications for the new bridges in Whitstable was submitted in August and subsequently validated. The consultation period ends on the 26th November and we hope that the planning application will be considered by the planning committee in January 2011. At the time of going to press we are unable to ascertain whether this will be the case. Please keep a watch on the local press for up dates on the progress of our application. We shall of course be ensuring that we have the maximum of three speakers to have their three minute spot to speak in support of this flag ship project, which has wide support in Whitstable and the area as a whole.

Connect2

Representatives of the Trust attend meetings on the Trust’s behalf to push forward the bridges project. The committee is made up of representatives of Kent County Council, the project leaders, Canterbury City Council, Sustrans, and ourselves.

Crab & Winkle Way

An extra short section of the existing Crab & Winkle Way has been tarmaced on the down ward slope from Blean Church to Blean Bottom, a section in Clowes Wood and also towards South Street. Our grateful thanks to Kent Highways for making this improvement.

New Leaflet

Some two years ago we had 30000 leaflets printed. The stock has almost been used up and we shall have to consider a reprint during 2011.

THE BEVERLEY FARM FOOTPATH ARCH

One of the best kept secrets of the Crab & Winkle Line is the above mentioned footpath arch, located at the southern end of the embankment at the Hanover Place end of Beverley Meadow, Canterbury. Only the upper sections of the arch are visible from Beverley Meadow and from the cycle path running towards the West Railway Station from Beaconsfield Road. There is virtually nothing written in railway documents about this important structure.

The Trust had been concerned about the condition of the arch for some time and on the 14th December 2009 applied to English Heritage to consider it for listing.

On the 1st September 2010, the Department of Culture, Media and Sport awarded it Grade 2 listed status for the following reasons:-

• Historical interest: Although a round-headed brick railway bridge of modest architectural quality it has strong historical significance as a pre-1840 railway structure of the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway, which had George Stephenson as its major engineer.
• Intactness: Although buried nearly to the top of the arch since the 1960’s the arch survives substantially intact, possibly with original buttresses, although the parapet is missing.
• Railway Transport interest: It is now the only remaining substantially intact railway bridge of the Canterbury and Whitstable railway, the only surviving substantially intact pre-1830 railway bridge in Kent and probably the south eastern counties. There are only a handful of pre-1830 railway bridges surviving nationally.
• Group Value: It is situated fairly near the Tyler Hill Tunnel (grade 2*), the only other substantially intact surviving building of the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway, and Canterbury West Station (Grade 2) of 1854 and it is set within an original railway embankment. The whole of the former Canterbury and Whitstable Railway is a designated conservation area.

The Trust is negotiating with the owners, Canterbury City Council to afford protection to this important structure.

AUGUST 2010 NEWSLETTER

New bridges planning application submitted

The new planning application for the revised bridges design has now been submitted to the planning department of Canterbury City Council. The previous planning approval for the bridges in Whitstable expired in May 2010.

The new design is for simplified design of bridges which will be less costly to construct and cheaper to maintain.

SUSTRANS have been assisting the Trust with the preparation of this new planning application and we are most grateful for their assistance.

The preparatory work has involved a complete redesign and considerable local consultation.

Should planning approval be received this will be another part of the jigsaw to put in place to extend the Crab & Winkle Way towards the centre of Whitstable and Whitstable Harbour. This will give us all a safe traffic free and safe route to walk or cycle.

Now we need your support please by signifying your approval of the planning application. Kindly write to the planning department of Canterbury City Council, Military Road, Canterbury CT1 1YW with your comments of agreement. Alternatively comments may be made via the Canterbury City Council planning portal. Please ensure you quote planning reference: CA/10/01293.

SPRING 2010 NEWSLETTER

Whitstable Bridges

The plans for the new bridges are now in the public domain and we expect the planning application to be submitted very shortly. Public consultation started at the Horsebridge centre recently followed by two weeks in Whitstable library. The initial comments are being studied to take into account local feelings before the final planning application is made. Watch out for details in the press and voice your support for the project when the matter is in the hands of the planners. Meanwhile we are looking at funding opportunities to cover the substantial shortfall in meeting the costs of this project. These have increased considerably since our original planning application was submitted even though the new bridge design is much more simple. The implementation of the Clare Road embankment planning permission is conditional on the granting of planning permission for the bridges. Your committee members distributed 390 letters of consultation to local residents. Don’t forget to write a letter of support to the planning department once the plans have been submitted. Every letter of support will count in our favour.

THE BOGSHOLE RAILWAY BRIDGE, WHITSTABLE

The condition of the Bogshole Bridge, the 1st or 2nd railway bridge in the world and in private ownership has been of some concern for some time and in June 2009, the Trust applied to English Heritage to assess if it could receive Listed Building status, thereby protecting it from further decay. English Heritage presented its conclusions in November and regretfully did not recommend it for designation.

The reasons for this decision are and to quote:-

• Although the original Bogshole Railway Bridge was in use by 1830, the original bridge was constructed of wooden girders on brick abutment walls. These timbers were replaced and the abutments strengthened in the 1840’s for the South Eastern Railway before the bridge was completely rebuilt in brick in 1862.
• Bogshole Railway Bridge is a standardized 1860 brick railway bridge of which large numbers were built nationally.
• It is not a particularly intact example of an 1860’s railway bridge as much of the parapet is missing.

The Trust appealed to the English Heritage Listing Review Officer because of the bridges historic interest but the original decision was upheld. For information, the Trust has applied to English Heritage to assess the Beverley Farm Footpath Arch at Beverley Meadow, Canterbury. They have expressed interest and we await their decision.

Connect 2

The Trust is represented on this committee comprising on the interested parties in the Crab & Winkle Way extension, Viking Trail, and Oyster Trail extension. A new route to Reculver is being looked at to complete the around Thanet circular trail. Details of the connecting route from Tankerton Slopes to Hampton should be published in the near future.

Plans for two new 'Crab and Winkle' bridges for Whitstable to be unveiled this month

Issued on: Monday 1 March, 2010 from the Sustrans Website

What: Plans for two 'Crab and Winkle' bridges to be unveiled in Whitstable

Where: The Horsebridge Centre, 11 Horsebridge Road, Whitstable CT5 1AF

When: Friday 12 March 12-5pm, Sat 13 March 9am-1pm

The Consultation Document for the Two new Bridges can be found here

The designs for two new bridges for Whitstable will go on display later this month at the Horsebridge Centre so that local people can give their views on them. The proposed bridges will go over Old Bridge Road and over Teynham Road and are being shown to the public before planning permission is sought. The bridges will be part of a newly created route for pedestrians and cyclists between the existing Crab and Winkle Way at All Saints Close and the seafront. At the public exhibition, drawings and plans will be on display and members of the steering group for the project will be available to discuss it.

Sustainable transport charity Sustrans has been working in partnership with Kent County Council, Canterbury City Council and The Crab & Winkle Line Trust to create this high quality route as part of a multi-million pound project which will complete a greenway and promenade along a 12 mile stretch of the Kent coast and will be an extensive walking and cycling scheme which will extend the existing route to Canterbury - the Crab and Winkle Way, complete the circular Viking Coastal Trail and create the coastal route between Whitstable and Reculver - the Oyster Bay Trail. It will also provide a quality traffic free facility for locals to get to work and school in a sustainable way which benefits their health and the environment.

Simon Pratt, Regional Director of Sustrans, said, "This will be the first time people can come and see the new bridge plans so we hope they take this opportunity to come and talk to the project team and give us their feedback. These bridges are for Whitstable so it's important for the local people to see the proposed designs and have a say."

Ruth Goudie, Partnership Officer, Kent Highway Services, said, "We are pleased that this project is moving forward and we hope that as many people as possible will give us their views on the bridges so we can get this route created and people in Whitstable can really start using it."

After the exhibition, the designs will then go on display at Whitstable Library from Monday 15 March until the closing date for feedback which is the 26th March. Original planning permission for these two bridges was given in 2006 but has since expired. At this time Canterbury City Council considered that the construction of these bridges was acceptable in principle, in planning terms. Following detailed surveys and discussions with key stakeholders, the bridge designs have also changed since the 2006 application and will require the submission of a new planning application.

Sustrans is part funding the Whitstable scheme with £500,000 from the Big Lottery Fund. The charity won £50m in 'The People's Millions', the UK's largest lottery competition, in 2007 with a national TV vote to create new walking and cycling routes on a national scale showing that communities across the UK support investment in creating these networks for pedestrians and cyclists.

Planning permission confirmed to revive part of Whitstable's Crab and Winkle Way

Issued on: Wednesday 3 February 2010 from the Sustrans Website

Whitstable became a step closer to getting a planned new route aimed at pedestrians and cyclists last night at The Guildhall in Canterbury when Council Members approved final details and gave full planning permission, under delegated powers, to enable sustainable transport charity Sustrans and The Crab and Winkle Line Trust to create a new shared use pathway and improve the neglected railway embankment extending from All Saints Close to Northwood Road - along the old Crab and Winkle Way.

The surrounding environment will also be improved with thousands of new tree and shrub plantings which will enhance and maintain a green corridor for local wildlife. The two sections of path will be connected by two newly designed bridges spanning Teynham Road, Old Bridge Road and the Railway line. These bridges are currently being designed and will be subject to a planning application in the near future.

David Young, Project Coordinator, Sustrans South East, said, "We are delighted with last night's outcome as this will help complete a virtually traffic-free walking and cycling route on the Crab and Winkle Way from Canterbury to Whitstable and the coast. We will be shortly lodging a planning application for new bridges spanning Old Bridge Road, the Railway Line and Teynham Road. Whitstable residents will have an opportunity to review the new bridge designs and comment and have input prior to the planning application being lodged with Canterbury Planning Department and a public exhibition of the Bridge designs is being planned for Feb/March".

The multi-million pound project from Kent County Council, Canterbury City Council, Sustrans and The Crab and Winkle Line Trust, will complete a greenway and promenade along a 12 mile stretch and will be an extensive walking and cycling scheme which will link extend the existing route to Canterbury - the Crab and Winkle Way, complete the circular Viking Coastal Trail and create the coastal route between Whitstable and Reculver - the Oyster Bay Trail. It will also provide a quality traffic free facility for locals to get to work and school in a sustainable way which benefits their health and the environment.

Cllr Nick Chard, Cabinet Member for Highways, Kent County Council said, "The county council is keen to encourage residents who are cycling and walking for good health. This new route makes good use of the old Crab and Winkle Way. It will help residents and visitors alike to discover more of our special Kent countryside."

Sustrans is part funding the Whitstable scheme with £500,000 from the Big Lottery Fund. The charity won £50m in 'The People's Millions', the UK's largest lottery competition, in 2007 with a national TV vote to create new walking and cycling routes on a national scale showing that communities across the UK support investment in creating these networks for pedestrians and cyclists.

Sustrans' Regional Director South East, Simon Pratt said, "We are very pleased to be able to improve this land for local residents and to make it accessible for all. It is only one part of this scheme but a vital part of the wider aim to complete the historic Crab and Winkle Way and make it easier for people in Whitstable to make everyday journeys by foot or by bike."

Marcial Boo, Chair, The Crab and Winkle Line Trust, said, "This has been a long time coming but is a great step forward - the Crab and Winkle Way is a piece of Whitstable's history and this will not only help us celebrate our past but will benefit the current and future residents of our town."

Steve Fawke, Chair, SPOKES East Kent Cycle Campaign said, "I am delighted with the success of this application and I'm looking forward to the great benefits this will bring to residents, visitors and the environment. I also see this as a wonderful example that I hope will be copied in many more places."