Agenda item

To receive any public petitions or issues referred by Council, Cabinet or another Committee.

(a)  Public Petition: “Retention of our green space in front of Sandown Castle, Deal CT14 6QU”

“We the undersigned petition the council to Retain our land as open green space and refrain from selling or leasing it.

The title of this public land is registered to our Dover District Council.
- [ ] 97 square metres of this public grassland could be transferred from public to private land. The aim is to retain this area as an open green space. North Deal is deprived in terms of the living environment. At 3.8 square metres, it is well under the national average of 30 square metres per person. We need to retain this public green space as an integral part of the limited green space available to North Deal.”

This petition ran from 27/08/2024 to 24/09/2024. It received 418 valid signatures.

The Petition Organiser, or their nominated representative, will be invited to address the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for 10 minutes to speak in support of the petition.

In accordance with the attached adopted Petition Scheme, the Overview and Scrutiny Committee may:

·         Consider the petition and forward it to the Cabinet, Council or a Committee of the Council or an officer within the Council for consideration;

·         Consider the petition and forward it to another body or organisation outside the Council for consideration and response;

·         Consider the petition and invite the petition organiser to provide additional information to assist it in reaching a decision on the action to be taken in relation to the petition;

·         Consider the petition and request additional information from officers to assist it in reaching a decision on the action to be taken in relation to the petition; or

·         Consider the petition and agree to take no further action.

(b)  Public Petition: “1 Hour Free Parking for Dover District Council Car Parks”

“We the undersigned petition the council to consider implementing a policy to offer 1 hour of free parking in all Council-owned car parks. We believe that this initiative will encourage more residents and visitors to frequent local businesses, thereby stimulating our local economy and fostering a vibrant community atmosphere. By reducing the financial burden of parking, we can make our town centres more accessible and appealing to everyone, ultimately benefiting local businesses and the community as a whole. Thank you for considering our request. Sincerely, The Undersigned

Offering 1 hour of free parking in Council-owned car parks can have a significant positive impact on our local economy. It would make shopping locally a more attractive option, drawing more customers to our high streets and supporting small businesses. This increased footfall can lead to higher sales volumes, boosting business revenues and potentially leading to job creation. Furthermore, it can enhance the vibrancy and vitality of our town centres, making them more enjoyable places to visit and live near. This initiative could also reduce congestion and pollution in our town centres as people may be less inclined to drive further afield for their shopping needs. Overall, this simple change could bring substantial benefits to our community.”

This petition ran from 22/07/2024 to 01/10/2024. It received 686 valid signatures.

The Petition Organiser, or their nominated representative, will be invited to address the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for 10 minutes to speak in support of the petition.

In accordance with the attached adopted Petition Scheme, the Overview and Scrutiny Committee may:

·         Consider the petition and forward it to the Cabinet, Council or a Committee of the Council or an officer within the Council for consideration;

·         Consider the petition and forward it to another body or organisation outside the Council for consideration and response;

·         Consider the petition and invite the petition organiser to provide additional information to assist it in reaching a decision on the action to be taken in relation to the petition;

·         Consider the petition and request additional information from officers to assist it in reaching a decision on the action to be taken in relation to the petition; or

·         Consider the petition and agree to take no further action.

The Head of Corporate Services and Democracy advised that there were two public petitions referred to the Committee.

(a)   Public Petition: “Retention of our green space in front of Sandown Castle, Deal CT14 6QU”

The Chairman welcomed Mrs Eyvor Fogarty to present the petition which had received 418 valid signatures.

The Petition asked the Council to:

“The title of this public land is registered to our Dover District Council.
- [ ] 97 square metres of this public grassland could be transferred from public to private land. The aim is to retain this area as an open green space. North Deal is deprived in terms of the living environment. At 3.8 square metres, it is well under the national average of 30 square metres per person. We need to retain this public green space as an integral part of the limited green space available to North Deal.”

In addressing Members, Mrs Fogarty raised the following points:

·         The lack of publicly accessible open green space in North Deal and concerns that the sale or lease of the land would reduce this.

·         That the area was part of the heartland of Deal and had decades of comm unity use (Deal Pirates was cited as an example)..

·         That the site was a good fit for the Council’s green infrastructure strategy.

·         That Hog and Bean currently provided refreshments close by to the land.

·         To point out that the land had been transferred to the Council over 40 years ago but to note that it wasn’t on the land register.

·         To state that Historic England had advised that Sandown Castle was a scheduled ancient monument. The land in question was part of a filled in moat and that Historic England advised against building on filled in moats.

·         That any building on the land would obscure the castle fortifications and one of the best views of the community gardens. 

·         The need to rely on local democratic processes to prevent the sale or lease of the land and to urge the Council to retain it for public use.

The Chairman thanked Mrs Fogarty for presenting her petition and invited Members to discuss the petition.

Members agreed that the site was an important asset to the local community in a densely populated area lacking publicly accessible green spaces.

RESOLVED: That the petition be referred to Cabinet for consideration.

(b)   Public Petition: “1 Hour Free Parking for Dover District Council Car Parks”

The Chairman welcomed Harry Sampson to present the petition on behalf of Councillor D R Friend. The petition had received 686 valid signatures.

The Petition asked the Council to:

“We the undersigned petition the council to consider implementing a policy to offer 1 hour of free parking in all Council-owned car parks. We believe that this initiative will encourage more residents and visitors to frequent local businesses, thereby stimulating our local economy and fostering a vibrant community atmosphere. By reducing the financial burden of parking, we can make our town centres more accessible and appealing to everyone, ultimately benefiting local businesses and the community as a whole. Thank you for considering our request. Sincerely, The Undersigned

Offering 1 hour of free parking in Council-owned car parks can have a significant positive impact on our local economy. It would make shopping locally a more attractive option, drawing more customers to our high streets and supporting small businesses. This increased footfall can lead to higher sales volumes, boosting business revenues and potentially leading to job creation. Furthermore, it can enhance the vibrancy and vitality of our town centres, making them more enjoyable places to visit and live near. This initiative could also reduce congestion and pollution in our town centres as people may be less inclined to drive further afield for their shopping needs. Overall, this simple change could bring substantial benefits to our community.”

In addressing Members, Mr Sampson raised the following points:

·         That the petition supported local businesses and would boost the local economy.

·         That it would provide a wider social benefit by making the town centres more accessible by being free to visit.

·         That shoppers staying local would reduce traffic congestion.

·         That the petition did not ask for all parking to be free but instead offered a fiscally responsible alternative.

·         That there was strong public and business support for the proposals.

·         To ask that it be referred to Cabinet for inclusion in the parking strategy review.

The Chairman thanked Mr Sampson for presenting the petition and invited Members to discuss it.

Members raised concerns that the proposals were uncosted and that there was a lack of evidence concerning its impact.

RESOLVED:   That officers be requested to consider these proposals as part of the parking strategy review.

(Councillor D R Friend declared an Other Significant Interest (OSI) in Minute No.55 (Issues referred to the Committee by Public Petition, Council, Cabinet, or another Committee) on the grounds that he was involved in the organisation of the petition and withdrew from the meeting for the consideration of this item of business.)