News

SHEPWAY CABINET'S BLACK MARK OVER ACADEMY DECISION

Lib Dem Cllrs representing Park ward have reacted with dismay to the decision taken by KCC to approve a planning application to build an entrance off Lucy Avenue for the new City Academy in Folkestone.

The Park ward team have been working with local residents to ask for the decision to be deferred, to allow the controversial entrance to the new academy to be removed from the plans.

Cllr Lynne Beaumont attended the meeting in Maidstone (18 January) with the Folkestone Academy Action Group. She spoke in favour of the removal of the Lucy Avenue entrance from the plans, and for the new building to be relocated within the site.

Cllr Lynne Beaumont said "Allowing the Lucy Avenue entrance to be built is a very short-sighted decision. Shepway Council's own Development Control Committee had already voted to remove the Lucy Avenue entrance from the plans. Sadly the Cabinet's recommendation to KCC watered this down to having "concerns" about the entrance."

"The residents in the Academy Action Group could not have done more to put their case. I cannot understand why the Cabinet chose to water down the Development Control Committee's decision.

"KCC's decision today is going to cause unbelievable distress and disruption to residents in and around Broadmead Village. I hope that Shepway's Cabinet have the decency to explain to local residents why they so disgracefully failed to uphold the decision of the Development Control committee."