The Canterbury Society

Past Events

February 2010

Here is the Up-date for February 2010 to give you information about coming activities and events to tell you about two important issues with which we are currently concerned.

TALK BY THE DEAN OF THE CATHDEDRAL ON TUESDAY 23 MARCH

We are delighted that the Dean, the Very Reverend Robert Willis, has agreed to talk to the Society on Tuesday 23 March. The title of his talk will be ‘The Cathedral in the Community’, and the event will take place at 7.30 at the Dominican Priory in St Peter’s Lane. Everyone is welcome, so do bring along any friends who might be interested.

A DATE FOR YOUR DIARY: OUR AGM ON TUESDAY 18 MAY

Our AGM will be an important moment for taking stock of the work of the Canterbury Society over its first year and planning for the future. We are hoping to be able to screen some old films, which show the city between the wars, and to organise a Fairtrade wine tasting. The AGM will take place in the United Reformed Church, Watling Street, at 7.30.

PLANS TO CLOSE THE ROMAN MUSEUM

As you know, the Canterbury City Council has to make cuts in its budget, and the proposed cuts include the closure of three local museums, including the Roman Museum. The final decision about the cuts will be made at the full Council meeting on Thursday 18 Feb. What can you do if you are concerned about this proposal? You can write to a local councillor. You can go along to the Roman Museum in Butchery Lane at midday on Saturday 13 February to register your support for the Museum and demonstrate the strength of local feeling. If you have access to the internet you can sign a petition against the closure at: www.petitiononline.com/Museums1/petition.html

THE LOCAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK (LDF)

This is a very important planning document, which will shape the future of the Canterbury district till 2026. It sets out Strategic Development Options which, after consultation, will become the basis of the Core Strategy. Over 10,200 new homes are planned. You can read the LDF on-line at: http://www.canterbury.gov.uk/main.cfm?objectid=951 or buy a hard copy on request from the council offices. The committee will put in comments from the Canterbury Society, so do send us your suggestions for what we should say.

ARE YOU BOTHERED BY GRAFFITI?

Did you know that if there is graffiti on your house or garden wall the City Council will remove it free of charge? We have produced a card with information about how to get graffiti in different locations cleared. You can pick up some cards at the next meeting, or ask us to send some to you. Several other local amenity societies in the area have asked us to supply them with cards to circulate to their members, which we are glad to do.

PLANTING FLOWERS AND ORCHARDS

We are beginning to plan for a Planting Project which will take place in the Butterfly Garden in Pound Lane. We’ll let you know when we have a definite date for this event

COMMUNITY ORCHARD SCHEME

Jon Shelton, who spoke at our meeting last autumn, has asked us to circulate information about the Kent Countryside Partnership Community Orchard Scheme. The aim is to restore traditional orchards and create new fruit growing spaces. You can find out more from the Kentish Stour Community Partnership at 01233 813307.

January 2010

Here is the Up-date for January 2010 to tell you about Canterbury Society events and activities and to invite you to tell the committee about your concerns.

A REMINDER ABOUT THE TALK ON WEDNESDAY 20 JANUARY

The topic is ‘Making Canterbury more Energy Efficient’, and the speaker will be John Thorp from Woking, which has been described as the ‘most energy-efficient local authority in the country’. A local perspective will be provided by Emily Shirley, and there will be time for questions and comments. Everyone will be very welcome at this Open Meeting which will take place in the Friends Meeting House at 7.30 on 20 January

A DATE FOR YOUR DIARY: WEDNESDAY 23 MARCH

RECENT CANTERBURY SOCIETY INITIATIVES

Your committee has been busy on a number of different fronts. Details will be on the website: www.canterburysociety.org.uk. However, here is a summary.

Consultation on the Canterbury City Council budget cuts. We responded to this, focusing our concerns on the plans to close the Roman Museum and the Westgate Hall, to reduce public toilets, to charge for re-cycling bags and to cut services for young people. The plans will be considered by the Council’s Executive Committee on 21 January, with the final decision being made at the full Council meeting on 18 February.
Application to redevelop the Old Tyre Depot site in St Dunstan’s Street. We wrote to the Council about this application and also spoke at the relevant meeting of the Development Control committee. Our comments were concerned with the density of the proposed development, the noise and air pollution and the lack of outside leisure space. The proposal was approved by the committee, but some conditions are being attached to the approval.
Application to demolish the Old Oast House in Hollow Lane. We were very concerned about the proposal to demolish this attractive building and replace it with flats. Our letter to the Council suggested that the Old Oast House could well be converted and would then continue to mark the boundary of the city in a way which recalls its historic agricultural past. No decision has yet been made.
Are you bothered by graffiti? We know that many people in Canterbury hate graffiti, so we have produced a card with information about how to get it cleared. Did you know, for example, that the Council do not charge for clearing graffiti off private houses and garden walls - you just have to phone the right number? Pick up some cards at the next meeting, or ask us to send some to you. We will be happy to supply cards to other amenity societies in the city.

Do send us your comments and your ideas for events and activities in 2010

December 2009

Dear Friend of the Canterbury Society

The December Up-date includes news of an urgent deadline and some coming activities.

FRIDAY 18 DECEMBER IS THE DEADLINE FOR THE BUDGET CONSULTATION

Like other councils, the Canterbury City Council has to make significant cuts in its budget. Proposals have been set out which would help to save around £3 million over the next two years. For the details see: www.canterbury.gov.uk/main.cfm?objectid=2107

Before the Council takes the final decision on the cuts next February, you are invited to make your views known: comments have to reach the City Council by Friday 18 December. There is a questionnaire to fill in, which can be accessed on line at: www.canterbury.gov.uk/authority/selfserve/budgetconsultation.php Note, however, that the questionnaire asks for views on only some of the many cuts that are proposed.

DATE FOR YOUR DIARY: TALK ON WEDNESDAY 20 JANUARY

The talk will be about ‘Making Canterbury more Energy Efficient’, and the speaker will be John Thorp from Woking, which has been described as the ‘most energy-efficient local authority in the country’. A local perspective will be provided by Emily Shirley, and there will be time for questions and comments. Everyone will be very welcome at this Open Meeting which will take place in the Friends Meeting House at 7.30 on 20 January

JOHN HAYES AWARD GIVEN TO THE CANTERBURY SOCIETY

The John Hayes award is given every year to the author of the best piece of work relating to Canterbury and produced during the previous year. This year it went to Kenneth Pinnock for his book, A Canterbury Childhood’. Sadly Kenneth died before he could receive the award, but Peggy Hayes and the Pinnock family decided that the award of £200 should go to the Canterbury Society.

We were very pleased to receive the award, especially since Kenneth Pinnock supported and served the Canterbury Society over many years. We plan to spend the money on renovating the Butterfly Garden in Pound Lane next spring and on putting up a plaque to commemorate Kenneth Pinnock and his contribution to the city. A small sub-committee is planning this and other planting events: if you would like to be involved do contact us.

FUTURE PLANS

The committee is working on a variety of plans for the future.

We are delighted that the Dean, the Very Reverend Robert Willis, has agreed to talk to the Society on Tuesday 23 March: please note the date in your diary
We are producing a card with information about how to get graffiti removed: copies of the card will be available in January
Further litter pick-ups are planned, and in particular one along the River Stour, with support from the Kentish Stour Conservation Partnership
We hope to organise a Summer Party and social event
If you have not yet joined, now is the time to do so: in future full information like this will be going only to paid-up members. Please use the attached form to join.

FINALLY We would like to wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year

November 2009

Dear Friend of the Canterbury Society

Here is the November Up-date to tell you about current and coming activities.

ARE YOU A MEMBER YET?

Now is the time to become a paid-up member of the Canterbury Society, if you have not already done so. Until now we have been funded by generous donations, but we need paid-up members if we are to continue, and to expand, our work. So please fill in the attached membership form and return it to our Treasurer. You can pay by standing order or cheque or through your internet bank; current subscription will run to the end of 2010.

WHAT DO MEMBERS GET?

As a member you will be able to take part in all our activities, have a say in setting priorities and receive information on a regular basis about talks and events, consultations on developments in the city, major planning applications and activities such as flower planting, litter pick-ups and so on. We aim to represent the concerns of our members. For example, recently the committee of the Canterbury Society has written to the relevant authorities about:

The need for public debate about the growth in student numbers
The importance of enforcing planning decisions
The proposal to demolish the Old Oast House in Hollow Lane
The plans for housing on the site of the old Tyre Depot in St Dunstan’s

FLOWER PLANTING ALONG THE FRANCISCAN PATH

If you were not there, do go and look at the newly planted beds along the Franciscan Path on Saturday 21 November. Our Planting Project involved the Canterbury Society, Canterbury in Bloom and the Gardening Club from St Peter’s Methodist School, with support from Aidan Potts and his team at the City Council. Around 30 adults and 10 children planted up the newly-dug beds with flowers, decorative vegetables, a grape vine, some ferns and lots of bulbs. We shall add further plants and scatter wild flower seeds in the spring. Thanks very much to all of you who worked so hard on the day.

MAKING CANTERBURY MORE ENERGY-EFFICIENT: TALK ON 20 JANUARY

Everyone will be welcome at this Open Meeting which will take place in the Friends Meeting House at 7.30 on Wednesday 20 January. The main speaker will be John Thorp from Woking, which has been described as the ‘most energy-efficient local authority in the country’. A local perspective will be provided by Emily Shirley, and there will be time for questions and comments.

FUTURE PLANS

Over the next few months we are planning open meetings on a variety of topics. We will also be doing another Litter Pick-up in a different part of Canterbury, planting flowers in the Butterfly Garden in Pound Lane and taking action on graffiti in the city. If you have suggestions for issues that the Canterbury Society should take up do contact us.

October 2009

Dear Friend of the Canterbury Society

This is to bring you some dates for your diary and to tell you about some recent activities.

THE STOUR VALLEY: OPEN MEETING AT 7.30 ON 4 NOVEMBER

The next Canterbury Society Open Meeting will be at 7.30 on Wednesday 4 November at the Friends Meeting House, in the Friars. Jon Shelton, Manager of the Kentish Stour Countryside Project, will be talking about:

‘Conserving and enhancing the River Stour Valley’

The Kentish Stour Countryside Project is concerned with conserving the countryside, protecting the River Stour and enhancing wild life habitats in the valley. The lecture will be illustrated with slides, refreshments will be provided and everyone will be welcome.

FLOWER PLANTING ALONG THE FRANCISCAN PATH: 10.00 ON 21 NOVEMBER

The Flower Planting Project is now a reality and will take place along the Franciscan Path, which runs from Stour Street to St Peter’s Grove. Aidan Potts, at the City Council, has arranged for the ten flower beds to be dug over and fenced in, and for plants to be ordered. The plants are being selected by a sub-committee, which has representatives from the Canterbury Society and from Canterbury in Bloom; they will include flowers and vegetables, ferns and herbs, and a scattering of wild flowers. Children from St Peter’s Methodist School Gardening Club will also be involved.

The planting site is rather narrow, so sadly we have to limit the number of volunteers to 20. It will be the first 20 to contact us, so if you would like to get involved email or phone us on the numbers below. Then just come along at 10.00 am on Saturday 21 November, enjoy yourself in the fresh air and help to make our city more beautiful.

MAKING CANTERBURY MORE ENERGY-EFFICIENT: TALK ON 20 JANUARY

This Open Meeting will take place in the Friends Meeting House at 7.30 on Wednesday 20 January. The main speaker will be John Thorp from Woking, which has been described as the ‘most energy-efficient local authority in the country’. A local perspective will be provided by Emily Shirley, and there will be time for questions and comments.

RECENT ACTIVITIES BY THE CANTERBURY SOCIETY

We had a very successful Litter Pick-up at the University of Kent. Our warm thanks go to the Students’ Union, the Environmental Protection team at the City Council and Shepherd Neame and the Gulbenkian Cafe for refreshments.
We made a contribution to the Scrutiny Review on Life in the City. Our response focused particularly on the night-time economy and licensing, graffiti and litter and the balance between students and residents in the city. You can see a copy on our web site: www.canterburysociety.org.uk
So we can extend what we do, we will soon be asking for subscriptions for 2010.


The Canterbury Society, contact Jan Pahl 01227 450140	www.canterburysociety.org.uk