News

Shepway Council could be £620,000 richer from land in Hawkinge after the authority's Cabinet agreed to lift covenants on land near Siskin Close and Elvington Lane used by the Hawkinge Activities Adventure Centre (HAAC) charity, but Hawkinge may get nothing.

In a report in last week's Folkestone Herald concerning the lifting covenants on the land, they wrote; " It is understood a property developer has agreed to pay Shepway District Council £467,500 to remove the restriction."

The council had already received £154,000 for the sale of the land back in 1987.

At the Cabinet meeting which discussed the covenants, Hawkinge Parish Council Chairman David Callahan asked if any of the "windfall" to Shepway District Council would be spent in the village, but was told that they (the Cabinet) could not make that decision.

Senior Shepway Councillors voted to release the covenants which had prevented the land from being used for housing, and granted permission for the former officer's mess to be demolished. They said the land was in a poor condition and development would improve the appearance of the area.

The land, was formerly used by the (HAAC) charity on the condition it was used only for recreation.

The Hawkinge Gazette wrote to Shepway Council asking whether they could make any safeguards to ensure the profits from the sale of the land are directed towards local amenities? They said in a written reply; "This is not the responsibility of the Council. All Charities are governed by charity law and the relevant Charity scheme."