News

Hawkinge Parish Council chairman Cllr David Callahan announced at last week's parish council meeting (11 April) that the Spitfire Leisuredrome was being used to store antiques and bric a brac, including a baby grand piano.

He told the council he visited Cllr  Peter Smith to obtain a key to the building. 

Cllr Smith is the registered councillor responsible for the security of the building and he explained to the Gazette that his  responsibility also included the "resetting of the alarms if triggered" and being "called out by the authorities at any time of the day or night"

Cllr Callahan said that when he  went inside the Leisuredome, in Aerodrome Road on Easter Monday (9 April) he found 'commercial bric a brac' stored in the building.

He told the council he had spoken with Shepway's monitoring officer Peter Wignall, and advised him of the situation which Mr Wignall described as "most irregular"

The Parish Council voted to report the matter to the Standards Board for England.

Cllr Callahan said that Cllr Smith has been asked to surrender his key and not to enter the Spitfire Leisuredrome without first informing the parish clerk.

Cllr Smith told the Gazette : "All I'm trying to do is my best for the village, but I feel there is political skulduggery going on behind the scenes which I am taking legal advice on.

"Why is it that when people want to move forward for a better quality of life for all, there are some people who always want to obstruct their progress?"