If you ventured into Folkestone today, between showers, you would have found it difficult to miss the gleaming Vintage Green Bus and other vintage motors standing right in the middle of the pedestrian area outside Debenhams. These Vintage Motors were on display to support the continuing !890 Leas Lift Stepped Carriage refurbishment appeal.  Local Re-enacters were also there showing their colours in support.

Local men Bob Mouland and Jack Gill have, over the last few years, raised more than £25k for the refurbishment appeal - and the Stepped Carriage is now in Dover being worked on. A final push is needed to pay for the special plinth which is needed to stand the Stepped Carriage on when it goes on static display in the Lower Leas Area.

Speculation is growing about a celebrity chef opening a fish restaurant in the harbour. A Facebook user announced to his Facebook friends that Marco Pierre White was in Folkestone on Wednesday checking out premises at the harbour. He was also seen in the area later in the week.

Keith Holland from Googies Art Cafe (Rendezvous Street) started the conversation by saying “Marco Pierre White opening a fish restaurant in Folkestone Harbour….good or bad? Discuss”

Keiths announcement created a very interesting mixed and lively Facebook conversation with many points being put forward - including:

Sharon Manning said “This type of elite restaurant is good for the middle classes with the money but may alienate those on a lower income - we need to do more to involve these people, not alienate them more.”

Another female FaceBooker said “Good to hear this. Marco is a popular big name, it would be good for Folkestone to have a celeb chef restaurant here.”

Stewart Hollyhead said “change is inevitable if you want to regenerate an area, you can’t handpick what aspects of that change you want or don’t want. If you want a fast train to London and a theatre then you are probably going to get a MPW opening a restaurant in replacement of a rundown bar. Just speaking as someone who has lived through three regenerations. I live in the harbour area and its quite empty all the time and could welcome a boost of visitors by a new restaurant. This is a great thing to happen, and will bring more people to the harbour area - hopefully will bring more big names to the area too.”

Sharron responded again with “gentrification is not always a positive thing it has made Whitstable Camden on sea and made the sense of disadvantage and alienatation worse for those who were already struggling while the middle classes embraced expensive coffee, art and deli culture and their London bretherin paying silly price for property….Folkestone struggles already with this problem I would like to see us creating local employment and projects …”

Steve Thompson said “Bringing more affluent people into town benefits those at the lower end of the social ladder we need an influx of disposable income to help kick start the regen program. Having a signature restaurant in the harbour will attract mid market places to the area too. Keeping it as it is will only lead to a further downward spiral. This is a good thing.”

Jason Martin who joined the conversation said:

“Why do people always think we should have one or the other…..I agree with Stewart….let’s have both…..Folkestone’s diversity is part of its charm, and we need facilities and infrastructure that meets the needs of everyone. One thing we should all agree on is that Folkestone requires more disposable income being spent locally, and from the sound of things there are a lot of social entrepreneurs that should be setting up things where they can spend it. Call in for advice!!”

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Promotion schemes to benefit the Marsh A PROJECT to encourage ‘green tourism’ and also to improve the conservation management of two areas of Kent - the Romney Marsh and Reculver - and the Arena education centre near Boulogne - was launched last month when representatives of tourism, educational and environmental organisations and local authorities from both sides of the Channel took part in a three-day familiarisation event at venues on the Romney Marsh.

Similar events will be staged at Arena in March and Reculver in May. Part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and worth 400,000 euros in grant aid, the Transmanche Green Network project is co-ordinated by the Boulogne Shepway Co-operation Organisation, with Shepway District Council, Discover Folkestone, Hythe & Romney Marsh, Canterbury City Council, Kent Wildlife Trust and Communaute d’Agglomeration du Boulonnais as partners. Plans to make the three areas better known include a cross-border media promotion programme, familiarisation visits and workshops for tourism staff, eco fairs in Folkestone, Herne Bay and Boulogne and activities to encourage visits by school and special interest groups as well as independent holidaymakers and leisure seekers.

The need for a strategy for the promotion of sustainable eco-tourism for the Marsh is to be discussed at a meeting of local town and parish councils, businesses, community and environmental organisations and ‘everyone interested’ at the RSPB Nature Reserve, Dungeness, on Monday, March 1. Starting at 2pm, the meeting has been called by Shepway District councillor Lynne Beaumont.

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Folkestone and Hythe’s three parliamentary candidates have agreed to a spot of Question Time grilling from an invited audience at a Breakfast Forum in Elham, near Folkestone, on Friday 12 March.

This free event will take place at the Rose and Crown, Elham, from 8 to 9.30am. Places are limited to 30, and a breakfast buffet of bacon or sausage sandwiches will be served on arrival, If you are interested in attending this forum, please contact anne@employment-relations.co.uk, tel: 01303 840001 You are also invited to send questions in advance.

http://channelchamber.blogspot.com/

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The officer’s supplementary report into the Lydd Airport expansion was made publically available today (19 February) by Shepway District Council.

The report will cite the officer’s recommendation for refusal of the plans for the airport’s expansion and outline the reasons for that recommendation.

Interest in the decision is expected to be high - two high profile campaign groups, for and against the expansion plans, have been regularly voicing their views and generating support since the initial announcement of the proposals.

The meeting to decide the plans will be held on Wednesday 3 March. The council is urging people with a PC to follow the debate in their own home via a webcast by logging onto www.shepway.gov.uk. It has also arranged for the meeting to be relayed to a large screen at the Marsh Academy Theatre in New Romney.

All seats in the public gallery in the council chamber have had to be reserved for people speaking at the meeting and although two rooms have been set aside so that people can watch the meeting via television screens, seating is very limited.

Leader of the Council, Cllr Robert Bliss, said: “Everyone recognises that this is one of the biggest applications this council has had to consider. It is vital that we get a fair and balanced representation of public opinion as part of our decision-making process. I believe that the opportunities we are giving for all sides to address councillors will achieve this.”

To view the officer’s report click here: lydd-airport-report

To view the supplimentary reports click here

The robin was taken through a glass window hence the slight aberration. The snow shot was taken outside of my next door neighbours place - looking east with the sun about 45 degree above right.

Camera is Nikon D80, 18-135mm lens used for these with remote shutter. Photography is one of my main hobbies as well as Ham radio. Pictures taken by Dick Pascoe - SDC Councillor and resident of Crete Road East. More pictures at: www.kent-photo.com

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