๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป – ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ
Some of you may have received this leaflet in the post regarding the Heathlands โpublic consultationโ. Youโd be forgiven for not knowing who has sent it as it contains very little information. It is in fact from Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) and Homes England – the developer of the Heathlands development. This glossy leaflet and series of events including those held in hotel conferencing suites are being funded by YOU – the taxpayer.
This is the FIRST consultation the developer has undertaken in nearly three years of the proposal being in existence. The tightly managed approach as well as their rationale for holding events nowhere near Lenham is intentional – to limit vocal opposition to their pet project.
We obviously donโt want to tell you what to do and understand that some of you rightly want to hear the monstrous plans from the horseโs mouth. Youโre also entirely within your rights to let them know what you think of their proposals. We do, however, have a couple of points which we do object to and for you to consider:
- The only reason there is an event being held in Lenham on Wednesday 9th March is that SOHL, Lenham Parish Council, and Cllrs Tom & Janetta Sams lobbied so hard to make MBC see sense. Whilst not the most convenient time for all, ๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐ด๐น๐ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ต๐ฎ๐บ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฒ๐ถ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐ผ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐น ๐๐ผ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐๐น๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐.
- We object to 10-minute time slots. MBC is hiding behind Covid safety for this but it is a ruse to limit the number of residents (vocal opponents?) being in the exhibition space at any one time. Residents should be able to attend when they want, for as long as they want without having to book a slot. ๐ช๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ป ๐๐ฝ.
- We object to pre-registration where residents must provide their name and email address to attend with no explicit opt-out option. The process is a back door attempt to harvest local resident personal data for future communication/lobbying/propaganda on the scheme. Be mindful that youโre not sharing your data with MBC (who should already have it as a taxpayer) but instead the private PR company – We are Fabrik – who have been hired to run these events. ๐ช๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐ด๐น๐ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ-๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ.
In summary, we recommend anyone wanting to attend the event goes on Wednesday 9th March between 2.30pm and 8pm at the Lenham Community Centre at a time of their choosing without having to pre-book. If they want to turn residents away, so be it. In our view, they can quite ably manage Covid safety by a queuing system on the door with a capacity larger than 6 people in the hall at any one time.
Please read our lobbying letter to the Council’s P&R Committee about the forthcoming consultation here
If you have any questions, please do reach out to us atย saveourehathlands@gmail.com