It isn’t always that expert advice aligns with public opinion. So, when it does, how should a town council respond?
With former presidents of the Royal Institute of British Architects and the Royal Town Planning Institute against the painting of yellow lines around Faversham’s historic Guildhall, as well as knighted architects and the chairman of the Academy of Urbanism, you might take notice of the issue.
When 85% of people voting in a public poll also oppose the idea you would do well to sit up and pay attention.
But what did Faversham Town Council do this evening?
Quite the opposite. It voted to ignore both the experts and the public. It voted to deface a cherished building by painting yellow lines around it; yellow lines that will continue to allow people to park in front of the building; that will leave us all staggered at the gall of our elected representatives.
For yellow lines 6
Abstain 4
Against 2 (Belsom, Hook)
Tim Stonor for Faversham 
I am horrified and shocked by this decision.
To abstain is as unforgivable as voting for it.
I really did not think that in this country expert advice AND majority opinion would be ignored; I thought that was only something that happened in Trump’s White House…
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Parking around the Guildhall should be banned! Period! The main question is how do we obtain a ban and enforce it! Kirsty, who runs Saddlers cafe’, pays swale £7000.00 per year to enable her to place tables and chairs on the forecourt of the Guldhall, that people might drink coffee and eat a meal.in peace during the summer months –NOT subjected to being hemmed in by parked vehicals and having to endure the filth they pump out. I’ve recently been encouraging her to take Swale to court and sue them for breach of contract — they seem to think they can levy this charge on her, while allowing the area to be used by motorists who are too damn idle to use the car park!.This will inevitably lose her a great deal of trade in the summer months. She has continually phoned and written to Swale regarding this issue and to date has been completely ignored! WSho the hell do these people think they are? They’re public servants! If they cannot do that which they were elected to do, then they should be sacked, one and all!
Not only do vehicals park there but evey day I watch people sit in their vehicals with the engines running, while the wife pops into the local paper shop! I’ve taken many drivers to task for this and generally recieve verbal abuse as they seem to think they’re pefectly entitled to do as they please with no consideration for the environment! The local Councils attitude supports them! We need a non parking ban in this town. which MUST be enforced with heavy fines. The gate at the bottom of Court St should NOT be open to traffic, using the Square as a rat run.!
To prevent this, Preston St should be pedestrianised! This town has a natural by-pass via South Rd,,the Shepherd Neame brewery, past what used to be the Swan and Harlequin, past Tescos,and straight on up to the station and out of the town, or to one of the cars parks. I would suggest an electronic gate with passes for the Market traders ONLY! It’s time we got militant with this local Council and Swale in general.They’re elected to serve the people of this town! They have no respect for the people or the the beauty of the town.Before too long the Law must be made and enforced or we won’t be able to blame those people who’ve had enough of the crass ignorance of our councillors and the idiots in the Swale Planning dept. and take the law into their own hands!
If there are to be yellow lines around the Guildhall then they must be there to prevent parking – NOT to encourage it! Yes, yellow lines are ugly, but there are other alternatives, but this requires imagination and a bit of effort, unfortunately the decision makers are dull, dim witted and haven’t a creative idea in their thick heads!There isn’t one road in this town that isn’t crammed full of cars. That should be enough. The town and the Square itself should be car free, and I couldn’t give a damn how it might inconvenience the motorist.! Let ’em walk!
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