Shepway Council Ignore Local Residents and Force Through Plans to Build on Cheriton Rec

Shepway Council's Development Control committee has granted planning permission to build six houses on a part of Cheriton Recreation Ground bordering Weymouth Road in Folkestone. The decision ignores huge local opposition and local residents and local Liberal Democrat Councillors have pledged to continue to fight to save the park.

Cheriton Councillors Peter Carroll and Dhan Gurung and others spoke against the development at the Development Control meeting on Tuesday 18th September, with many Cheriton residents in the public gallery. The proposals seek to gain planning permission for 6 terraced houses on the site, which has been a part of Cheriton Rec and public open space for many years.

Local Councillor Tim Prater pledged that the Liberal Democrats will continue to fight this development with local residents. He said:

"Agreeing this application is outrageous: it would seem that in the Shepway Council'ls desperation for money, no open space in Folkestone is any longer safe. We will work to stop and block this development any way we can. Local residents value the Rec, and it is a valuable local facility - which could be even better if Shepway invested in it instead of ignoring it.

"Councillors from Folkestone Town Council who actually know the area voted overwhelmingly against this proposal. However, this has been overturned by Conservative Councillors from across Shepway, as the Tories desperately sell off anything they can to try to make their budget balance. There is not even any pledge that Cheriton will see a single penny of the proceeds of selling the Rec - it will go directly into Council coffers.

"As the Conservatives sell off green space for building, it goes to show how shallow the Tories Green agenda is. The truth in Shepway is Vote Blue, and see Green Space destroyed."