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Kent County Council has resolved to register land adjacent to Barnes car-park on Westbrook Promenade, near Margate in Kent, as a village green.
We backed our member WASPS (Westbrook Against Selling Promenade Site) led by Tony Sykes, in its bid to secure rights for local people to enjoy this land for recreation, as well as to protect it from development.
The applicants had to show that local people had used the land for informal recreation, for at least 20 years without permission and without being stopped. They produced 115 witness forms demonstrating that people had enjoyed the land for walking, with or without dogs, nature observation, playing with children, camping, kite flying, ball games and admiring the view.
The one-hectare site, which is owned by Thanet District Council, had remained on the council’s asset-disposal register pending the outcome of the village green application. Now it should be safe.
WASPS plans to work with Kent Wildlife Trust, Thanet District Council, Thanet Coast Project and Natural England to manage this attractive site and make it into a nature park.
Says Gordon Sencicle, our local correspondent for Thanet: ‘I was delighted at the outcome for this important area of land on the Kent coast. We congratulate local residents on their success.’