“Council’s impotence shows need for plan”
Swale Borough Councillor and steering group member Mike Henderson argues that if we don’t have a Neighbourhood Plan “we will be picked off site by site by developers and central government” and advises everyone to “keep an open mind and get involved to reach agreement about the long-term future of the creek”
Visions of a Creek
Visions of a Creek 
The argument about the futility of the ‘artist impressions’ is well reasoned and excellent. An invitation to say if we like them or not is meaningless. Better an exhibition of past art which shows similar maritime places, where boats were built and where there was activity like there used to be on the Creek . And then we will have a good idea of what we are loosing. Most people think of what they are getting, not what they are giving up. Faversham is probably the last of these places left. Housing development of the Creek will certainly stop any further artistic impressions!
Community involvement in every aspect of any plans that are being discussed is the way forward. Local engagement with all the residents of Faversham is essential. Any steering groups must reflect what we as residents want. A open debate is essential. Not a stage managed event with pretty pictures.
You just don’t get it do you? We know we need a plan to stop developers picking off sites one by one – there is a long history of a failure to stop this happening on the Creek. We now have a community plan being drawn up by a small group of people who appear to be actively preventing engagement. We want to be involved in debates about the land use issues – being invited to give opinions about artists impressions in May is not enough.
We agree – there should have been channels open for continuous involvement right from the start. And when alternative opinions do get through to the steering group, their response should not be ‘how do we counter them?’ – which is what we see in the minutes of their meetings – but ‘maybe we should give this some thought’. A bit more open-mindedness there wouldn’t go amiss.