We all agree that the recent history of the demise of Deangate Ridge Golf Club was the betrayal of the trust residents placed in Medway Council to do right by the people of the Medway and the Hoo Peninsula. The latest consultation on the Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) application is further proof of that betrayal.
The consultation documents for the HIF are available on line Medway.gov.uk/futurehoo
The consultation seeks your comment and approval for plans to unlock massive growth in Hoo and High Halstow. These plans will herald another 10,000/12000 homes and the obvious increase traffic that will bring. Relief is planned by creating additional access to Hoo via a spur road connecting the A289 Halsted Way to the Main Road roundabout and an additional roundabout some 500 yards further along Peninsula Way towards Bells Land just before the Windmill Public House. See map.
corrected mapPlease not that the route shown here by Medway Council is not correct. Lodge Hill lane roundabout should be on Lodge Hill Lane. Medway say they didn’t correct the map to save confusion with a previously published map!!
The new spur road, from the new roundabout will cut directly North westwards into the golf course by the 7th tee, across the 6th green and down, what we came to known as, Cardiac Hill before leaving Deangate to connect with another new roundabout on Lodge hill Lane, onwards to Upchat roundabout and down to Higham road where it will connect to the A289 Halsted Way by a flyover and slip ways.
Those first reassuring much protected views of Deangate seen as you leave Main Road roundabout to head out onto the peninsula will be lost forever. So why spoil this vista ? Why drive a new road through Deangate? The HIF team at Medway will tell you ‘it’s to assist traffic flow”. But we know in reality it’s about houses, lots of houses, described in another Medway publication “ Planning for Growth on the Hoo Peninsula “ as Parkland living at Deangate.
In 2018 we came together spontaneously to fight to save Deangate in numbers that far exceeded those that initially responded to the proposition of an airport. That fight failed but we got partial success in as much that Medway Council agreed that Deangate Ridge and its sports complex was and is an Asset of Community Value (defined by the localism act 1988). It would appear they are about to betray that trust too, only time will tell.
Some Medway Councillors see the Peninsula and Deangate Ridge in particular as the answer to satisfying Government housing targets. Some see it as protecting the Capstone valley against development, so much so that they have successfully blocked the sale of access land at Shakespeare Farm to the detriment of much needed Council funds. The right approach of course is to identify all of the land assets of Medway worth saving and making a strong enough argument to government for a reduced allocation of housing numbers. The Council’s NIMBY approach to this problem is to the detriment of the most ecologically important asset they sadly control. Medway Council are now hell bent on the destruction of Deangate on the altar of the Capstone Valley and the seeming wrath of their constituents and continue to not listen to voice of reason. In the meantime the health and well being of the community of the Peninsula is neglected and Deangate is in part a Norse transport depot.
Now whilst proposing a road through Deangate to facilitate housing targets the Council refuse development in Lordswood /Capstone and publicly complain that 2000 houses in Lidsing would swamp Medway Hospital. Do they not realising 12000 houses on the Hoo Peninsula would exacerbate the problem to much greater degree.
The battle to protect our Peninsula is here now and it’s starts with saving Deangate. I urge you to once again let your voice be heard, Deangate is at the heart of the Peninsula and a ready made country park. The car park is there. The education block is there. There is even a golf driving range as a source of income. Maybe with the assistance of the Parish Councils and the help of us all we can build a Peninsula Heritage Centre/Museum to celebrate the rich heritage history and ecology of this wonderful Hoo Peninsula.
Cllr Ron Sands
Common sense has gone out the window. If even more house’s are built on the Peninsula then traffic, GP surgeries, Our ONE hospital, school and wildlife will suffer beyond repair.
Medway Council is hell-bent on building anywhere without caring what they destroy or the mental well-being of residents.
High Halstow was once a beautiful Oasis, surrounded by green field, if Medway Council get their way then it will become an over crowded, under resourced backwater. Someone Please get these decision makers to see what they are destroying. Common sense is, use BROWN BELT LAND, not green countryside, we’ll never get it back once it’s destroyed.
More housing on flood planes, have they not learnt their lesson. The poor people in Stoke being flooded not once but numerous time this year already along with the state of road surfaces being temporarily repair because Medway can’t be bothered to fork out the true cost of repairs. Grain being the forgotten village having the bins emptied by locals along the coastline, and roads beyond repair. The council only think about themselves and backhanders instead of the locals already living hear and yet our taxes increase. What a disgrace Medway council are.
The fight to protect and preserve the Peninsula begins with protecting Deangate
Wouldn’t it be lovely to have a country park with a needed Doctors surgery with facilities for chiropody, wellness clinic, dentist and Pharmacy on Deangate land for the peninsular to use
We on the Peninsula have had enough of more and more houses being built and no extra services to support these extra residents. Every time there’s is an accident in Four Elms Hill I am stuck for hours until all is sorted – the so called proposed new access roads won’t help me and they are only being built to facilitate yet more building. There needs to be an independent review of the building situation on the peninsula and the Medway Towns as a whole.
Norse/ council all part of the same different name. Loss of Deangate opened up avenues for the council to give there right arm / Norse all the contracts by turning a amazing facility into a transport plant yard. Plus eventually change of use after changing use before permitted/ granted. Nothing to do with money being lost by Deangate. All to do with a long term agenda set out and hidden from our community until they turned us over.
I am disgusted at the way we, here on the Peninsula, have been treated regarding our ‘beloved Deangate’ beautiful grounds that should be kept for future generations to enjoy. God knows there aren’t many beautiful green spaces as this in Medway! Especially not here on the Peninsula.
It is with this in mind and the fact Medway Council agreed that Deangate was an “Asset of Community Value” that I agree Deangate should be kept as the beautiful Country Park that it is. It would be good to build a Peninsula Heritage Centre/Museum as suggested. There are so many projects that could be incorporated here as a source of income and benefit to the community, such as a restaurant with those beautiful views, always popular.
It would be a sin to turn this beautiful parkland known as Deangate, into yet more Houses and roads, which would be a further drain on our already overstretched Hospitals, Doctors, Schools etc. There would be more flooding that our disfunctional drainage system wouldn’t cope with! It most certainly wouldn’t be an “Asset of Community Value” !!!
Apologies autocorrect has made part if my previous comment nonsensical. It should read Medway Services are at saturation point and the residents have had enough.
Brilliant views fully agree with everything stated . Do not understand the working of local councils and how they cannot be accountable to all their constituents Not only those whom they represent in their local wards . Maybe the time has come to expand and reveal the Back handed approach of this council to this potential ecological disaster, by getting the local tv station involved and interview the council leader to explain to all their logic behind imposing their so called gov housing targets in one inaccessible region of Medway
Are the current floods out on the Peninsular not proof enough that we need to maintain these green sites and flood plains, and stop covering them with concrete and tarmac.
I would question why we need this increase in housing and where are the people coming from to live in them?
Medway survives are at saturation point now and the residents have had enough.
Agreed why can they not use the lodge hill road in the old barracks and link that to high halstow as it would reduce the construction required and enable a secondary road for the area. This would open lodge hill for development but save deansgate.
Keep up the fight Ron, we are all behind you.
Medway Council can you please stop decimating Hoo there is far to many houses with no infrastructure to cope, drs surgeries can’t get appointments, parking, traffic volume all around and throughout this village is all a joke. It is impossible to get in or out during rush hour and as soon as there is an accident you might as well stay at home. I don’t not want to have to move as I have lived here since 2014 and love it here but I have seen this village dragged down this area has become plagued with anti social behaviour, drugs both dealing in the open and taking of in public spaces like Pottery Road park plus in and around the shops in Knights Road increase. So please leave Deangate Ridge alone in fact NO MORE HOUSING AT ALL we have enough now.
Ron, the box is just not big enough for what I’d like to say. Nothing stays the same, but to destroy things is a sin, karma will be in action one day.
Totally agree with you Andy. pages on social media sites unfortunately only fall on the ears that are in agreement with whatever topic that is being fought. Adopt Deangate as a country park /open space to rival Shorne Country Park and Capstone . And give an area to the residence of Kent to enjoy, but then would there be complaints of too many visitors like at Grain. we all have to live together.
This is only a forerunner for extra housing followed by the train line that Medway Council and l must say quite a few residents want so much , be careful what you wish on the peninsular as it may well happen, and after it happens its not what you thought it was
We are with you Ron this is a shocking betrayal to the Peninsula in a whole. The fact that Capstone is turned down again and again due to Alan Jarrett living there is total abuse of his position . Lots of people walk the golf course now especially during this pandemic as there only form of exercise in the open . The driving range had thousands of pounds spent on it and it was shut for no reason apart from miss management by the council . This could have and still should be run as a business to make money and also not waste the money that was spent on it . The Car Park is already there so no further costs . There is an indoor bowling business running there that a lot of the older generation use which is good for their mental health & is a social life for them all that will all come back once this pandemic is over. They want to put a walk along the main road to Upnor where all it does is flood it is beyond me on who thinks up these pie in the sky ideas. People that definitely do not know the area at all .
Yes Ron I totally agree with your. Moments, leave Deangate alone no more housing on the Peninsula we love it the way it is ! There was an article on Meridian news saying that Kent had had their fair share of housing along with Sussex and it was directing more house building to the North of the country where is is needed, and now I see that another field in Britannia road H/H has fencing etc placed on it ready for Building I don’t think the villages have been informed about this
Ron Sands talks sense total disregard for what the council agreed
The relief roads would help ease current usage of the roads. However, 12000 homes, would mean, initially about an additional 18000 vehicles on the existing and new roads. Increasing congestion and should there be an incident on the approaches to or from the Peninsular I dread to think of the consequences of the delays caused to emergency vehicles should they be needed.
Why cause more destruction to the hoo peninsula with more houses leave what we have left alone dean gate is a beautiful area with lots of wild life that will be lost if dean gate gets built on enough is enough already too many new house in hoo
Medway Council and in particular Mr Jarret have their own agenda, they dont care about the environmental havoc they reek. Destroying habitats and creating more air pollution, light pollution along side the SSSI corridors.
What is wrong with the brown field site I. Chattenden which always seems to be left alone – why rip Up Our countryside – we will Never ever get it back. I’ll beautiful green open spaces are getting more and more scarred at every turn. It’s not just the houses it’s the extra strain it puts on our resources and infrastructure. I have lived here all my life and adore it because it’s a village I do not want to live in a town that’s full of pollution and people ! Let’s be honest though whenever we are asked by Medway Council for our feedback it’s only to take a box, not because they’re interested because none of them live here !
I came from London 16 years ago and in that time it was a lovely area to live,now it’s getting over developed and the infrastructure is struggling to cope with the volume of traffic, surely another 10,000 to 12,000 homes would just make the situation a lot worse without massive changes,remember only one way in and out of the peninsula as we have seen in past with bad accidents