Town centre survey

Addresses

Past Chairman's report

2008

"The world wide credit crunch, House prices falling, Persimmon to stop building houses" are newspaper headlines, which should lead to reduced development pressures on Sevenoaks. However, there seems to be no let up here, with plans at Dunton Green and Fort Halstead for 480 and1100 homes, respectively. The SDC Planning department is overwhelmed with these major projects , together with 50 to 100 other applications each week. Your Society aims to influence the decision makers to strive to achieve appropriate developments, with good architecture and materials. We are going to try to influence the SDC to ensure that the planning department is properly staffed and managed.

The second most important part of our physical and social environment is Transport, which unfortunately is the responsibility of many bodies which most certainly do not engage in "joined up government". Topics needing serious attention include Large Lorries unnecessarily using the Upper High Street, parking at the station and in the centre, improved bus services and rail capacity etc. The list goes on and on. We would like to engage with like minded individuals and groups to try to achieve improvements.

Last year we proposed new Annual subscriptions, which were implemented on 1st April this year. Nearly 50 additional standing orders have been completed, which helps reduce unnecessary admin - thank you. Our finances are in better shape due to this, higher sales of updated walks booklets, and careful cost control by the Committee.

At the end of another year, I would like to thank all those on the Committee for ther continuing contributions. Special thanks to Frank Marshall (and Cherry Moss) on planning, Phyllis Styles for Newsletter Distribution, Sylvia Lyons for the Members' meetings , Les Best for the updated walks booklets and Margaret Newman for organising the refreshments at the members' meetings. Following publication of the last newsletter, David Gamble has volunteered to join the Committee - we are still on the lookout for any other volunteers.

A year ago, I wished you a wonderful summer with some rain !! This year I hope it will be warm and sunny.

Rob Harcourt

2007

Planning for a Sustainable Future

The White Paper, prepared by the Government on Planning for a sustainable future, will have major effects on local democracy, communities and the environment. In common with many other like minded organisations, such as the Civic Trust, your Society sees many of the proposals as a threat to sustainable development, future planning controls and public participation.

In particular, we are concerned about proposals that:

• Put decisions on major infrastructure projects (eg new airports and nuclear
power stations) in the hands of "expert" panels,
• Limit the public right to a say at public inquiries.
• Threaten local shops by making "out of town developments" easier.
• Introduce a "presumption in favour of developments". The list goes on and on.

We are asking that:

• Any national project should properly involve local people.
• Decisions are made by democratically accountable people.
• A legal duty on all decision makers to promote sustainable development.

Some of the recent and current planning applications bear out the view that the problems of developments will only grow in the future.

On a "micro" scale, your Society needs to plan for a sustainable future for itself. At the AGM, I advised the members that we needed to strengthen:

• Finances. Although the income from the new, higher subscriptions will be helpful, other savings or income generation will be needed to check the steady reduction in the reserves.
• Membership. The slow, regular attrition in the numbers of members is extremely difficult to combat. New ways of reaching potential members will have to be found.
• Volunteers. Although Finances and Membership are important, Volunteers are the life blood of the Society. We need new volunteers for the key roles on the Committee. If we cannot find them the Society could fold like several other Civic Groups, recently.
• After 5 years as Chairman, I have advised the Executive Committee that I intend to stand down at the AGM in October 2008. Please help me find my successor.

Robert Harcourt