Latest news with #IsleOfSheppey
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Furious couple surrounded by newbuilds say they are being forced to sell their house over plans for 650 MORE homes
A couple say they are being forced to leave their home because a newbuild development has 'destroyed' the view from their back garden. Jacqueline & Terry Wheatley, 63 and 64, lived happily in their detached house on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent for 10 years until their domestic bliss was shattered by a housing estate looming over their fence. The couple feel 'boxed' in by the new homes with construction due to expand if plans for a 650 estate nearby gets the green light from council planners. Mr and Mrs Wheatley say the estate, due to cover 43 football pitches on the tiny island, will bring thousands of people and cause chaos on local roads. Locals fear the sprawling new development in the already 'heavily overbuilt' area is destined to be approved despite an unprecedented six-hour public hearing with a government planning officer. The plans for the new estate are so loathed by some that they have been the subject of an excruciating three year council war between locals and the developers, MLN Land and Properties - with neither giving an inch. The Wheatleys have decided they will cut their losses and flee to one of the 'few remaining green spots left' on the island whilst their 'homes are still worth something. Mr Wheatley said: 'We are selling. It's shocking what has happened to this island - they have ruined it.' 'It's horrendous. They're just flooding this island.' When MailOnline visited the home this week we were greeted by towering scaffolding from a neighbouring newbuild - not connected to MLN's proposals. In the garden, a brick arch lay crumbling on the ground after being damaged, the couple claim, by the builders next door. For the couple it was the straw that finally broke their back. Mr Wheatley said: 'I've really seen a change; before I had fields in front of me, fields behind me, this bungalow and the one next door were the only two properties really down this road, going back probably 20 years ago. 'We've still got a small mortgage on this, but obviously we're looking to buy outright. 'But wherever you go, they're building soo you're never going to get what we used to have – the views and everything else.' Terry claims his attempts to start a new life in a different part of the island have been frustrated by developers nearby. He continued: 'The price of my house has dropped at least 30-50 grand. I know prices have gone down with what's going on around the world, but I really don't think that's helped. 'We've had a couple of people ring up and come round, but as soon as they've seen what we have to look at in the garden everyday they've just gone: 'Oh no!'' Nextdoor neighbour Maggie Moon has lived in her home for 45 years and claims the island has changed for the worst. Mrs Moon, 82, fears the new development will cause a rise in anti-social behaviour and speeding. She said: 'They [yobs] whizz down here, they just don't care. 'When we first moved on the island, all those houses up there, it was all beautiful, but it's all houses now. 'This wasn't even a road when we moved in. You used to have to pull in to let somebody else go past. 'But there's not enough spaces. You can't get a doctor, the island can't cope with it. 'The infrastructure is awful, even getting a bus through here is awful too, if you're lucky to get a bus, not that we bother really. 'I moan and moan, every time we leave here you go along that road and say look at all the blooming cars, I've never known it. 'I am getting sick of all the houses around us. We're surrounded. It's not fair, is it? We feel hemmed in but I'm 82 and he's 86 so we're not going to move are we?' Other residents are just at the start of their journey. Retired teacher Andy Brackley recently moved into the area with his dog Orla as he wanted to downsize to be near his kids. He tells us he had no idea about the size of the new development before he bought the house. He said: 'We've literally just moved in, I only read about this the other day. About 650 houses, And the roads are pretty poor anyway, it's mad. 'This was a lovely quiet country lane which was lovely to walk up with the dog. 'We came from Medway which was busy, I thought I'd have more peace and quiet here so I'm not liking how busy it's going to be with this massive big estate. It's bit of a disaster really, there's just no infrastructure. There's no schools, shops, doctors. 'Whether they're planning to do that, I don't know. It's the roads really, they're really hectic at the moment 'But really 650 homes is like a city - they're building another island! It's a shame.' As part of the negociation process with Swale council, MLN has agreed a number of permanenet community features. These include building a community hub, safeguarding land for a medical hub and introducing a new bus service connecting the estate to Sheerness. Outdoor facilities such as a multi-use sports pitch, tennis court, bowling club and allotments will also be built.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Shoppers have called this Britain's most 'pointless' zebra crossing... but can YOU spot why?
Aldi shoppers have mercilessly mocked a bizarre zebra crossing at one of the chain's supermarkets, branding the pedestrian pathway 'pointless'. The crossing at the branch on the Isle Of Sheppey, off the northern coast of Kent, runs straight into a curb and forces customers to walk into a lamppost. It then leads shoppers onto a wood chip path flanked by bushes with no conventional footpath or pavement in sight. Speaking to MailOnline, customers at the large superstore were less than impressed with the crossing and described the feature as a 'waste of space'. Delcia Adams, 73, said: 'I don't think it's funny, I think it's absolutely stupid. It's a waste of money and space and I wouldn't be able to get up that side because I've got bad legs.' Rob Killingbec, 48, added: 'Yeah, that's barmy. We said that from day one. And the other thing is as well, why is it a one-way system? 'They're making you come out as a disabled person, and then you've got to go out that way. You've got to go all the way around. It's weird. 'That's what I'm saying, it's barmy! That's England at its best. That's how we live our lives. It's mental. 'There you go, 'it is what it is!' [Points to his t-shirt] That is the saying, 'it is what it is!'' When MailOnline questioned staff inside the store on the odd piece of infrastructure, a member of staff dismissed shoppers' complaints claiming 'the crossing was fine and they'd never had any complaints'. Other Aldi customers expressed safety concerns over the pathway which seems to have been at the site for almost a year. Lesley Taylor, 70, said: 'Oh that's really helpful! That's ridiculous. That's putting it mildly. 'If I fell on that…especially in the dark. I'd lose it, I'd miss it. I'd trip straight over it.' Vicky Luckhurst, meanwhile, added: 'Yeah, they said they were going to sort that out. But they haven't have they? 'I don't really walk that way normally, but I suppose, yeah, they did say they were going to sort it out though, but I take it they ain't then.' Jenson Richardson said: 'It's ridiculous. I suppose it does go to the walkway. But still. It's mad.' And Jim Crowber, 74, added: 'No one seems to take any notice of it. Just a pointless crossing!' MailOnline has approached Aldi for comment. It comes after frustrated locals living on the Isle of Man made their anger clear over an architectural oddity in their area. Residents of the island said controversial painted oval-shaped roundabouts introduced as part of a £26million revamp to the Douglas seafront are 'a tragedy waiting to happen'. The 'roundels' sit at junctions along Douglas Promenade connecting Broadway and Church Road Marina, two of the busiest junctions in the city, which is the largest settlement on the island. Locals say that due to the lack of a central island, many drivers treat the curious junctions like any stretch of road and drive straight over the lines causing havoc. Meanwhile pedestrians have also gotten into scrapes with the roundels stepping out into the road as they are unsure who has right of way. A business owner close to one of the junctions told MailOnline the noise pollution and general sense of unease since they were installed has been noticeable. They claimed: 'It's honking every day basically. People aren't sure what the rules are or if there are any rules at all and so they basically all fight each other to get through. 'Other more dangerous drivers just speed straight over them, it's a nightmare really -nobody around here can work out why they introduced them. 'They're a tragedy waiting to happen.' Another local, who preferred to stay anonymous, said the eye-catching designs were indicative of the island trying to 'stand out at all costs'. They said: 'It's pathetic really. Why can't we have normal roundabouts like the rest of the world? 'It seems we always have to be different on this island and that get's tiring after a while. We've already done away with cannabis laws and we're pushing through assisted dying. 'I suppose roundabouts was always going to be next. Let's make them deathtraps!' In April, the Isle of Man became the first place in the British Isles to pass legislation that would permit assisted dying, despite opposition from campaigners. Terminally ill people will be given 'autonomy and choice' at the end of their lives, a GP and politician said. The Bill will now be put forward for royal assent, at which point it will become law. It is the latest departure from the norm for the Crown dependency which has been described as 'the Isle of Woke' for its liberal policies. The Isle is the only place in Britain where medicinal cannabis is legal and many roads on the island have no set speed limit. Island officials have long claimed the roundels were introduced as a 'traffic calming' measure. MailOnline approached the Isle of Man's Department of Infrastructure for comment.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Curlew chicks hatch in Kent conservation project
A Kent nature reserve is playing a key role in efforts to revive southern England's dwindling curlew population. Thirty-nine chicks have successfully hatched and are being raised in captivity as part of a project to save one of Britain's most iconic wading birds from local extinction. The chicks, hatched from eggs collected in northern England, are being cared for at Elmley Nature Reserve on the Isle of Sheppey. They are due to be released into the wild later this summer. Curlews, easily recognised by their long, down-curved bills and haunting calls, are Europe's largest wading birds. They nest on the ground and are typically seen feeding on tidal mudflats and salt marshes. Populations in southern England have plummeted in recent decades due, it is thought, to habitat loss and high numbers of predators such as foxes. Reserve manager Gareth Fulton said: "The reason for the project is that curlews in southern England, basically everything south of Birmingham, are down to about the last 200 pairs and they need to produce more chicks per year to sustain their population. "So they're going to go extinct here in 20 years if no one does anything." Elmley is one of three sites involved in the South of England Curlew Project supported by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT). They have officially been granted a licence from Natural England to receive and rear curlew eggs. Mr Fulton said they are working closely with experts in the Yorkshire Dales, where the curlew population is healthier. They identify where nests have been made in vulnerable locations, such as near a footpath or in fields that will be cut for grass before the chicks are ready. He said: "The experts watch the nests, know when the eggs are laid and know when they're ready to move. "They're incubated in Yorkshire for a few weeks before being brought here." Conservationists believe captive-rearing gives the birds the best chance of survival during their vulnerable early stages. With 3,300 acres of wet grassland and meadows, alongside salt marsh and mudflats of the River Swale, Elmley offers a protected environment for the birds to thrive. Curlews typically breed in the same area where they themselves were raised. Therefore, the hope is the chicks will return to breed at the reserve when they are mature. With this being the third year of the project, conservationists are looking out for returning birds and hopefully nests in 2026. Man sets off on 53-mile walk dressed as a curlew Conservationists hand-rear endangered birds Elmley Nature Reserve Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Curlew chicks hatch in Kent conservation project
A Kent nature reserve is playing a key role in efforts to revive southern England's dwindling curlew population. Thirty-nine chicks have successfully hatched and are being raised in captivity as part of a project to save one of Britain's most iconic wading birds from local extinction. The chicks, hatched from eggs collected in northern England, are being cared for at Elmley Nature Reserve on the Isle of Sheppey. They are due to be released into the wild later this summer. Curlews, easily recognised by their long, down-curved bills and haunting calls, are Europe's largest wading birds. They nest on the ground and are typically seen feeding on tidal mudflats and salt marshes. Populations in southern England have plummeted in recent decades due, it is thought, to habitat loss and high numbers of predators such as foxes. Reserve manager Gareth Fulton said: "The reason for the project is that curlews in southern England, basically everything south of Birmingham, are down to about the last 200 pairs and they need to produce more chicks per year to sustain their population. "So they're going to go extinct here in 20 years if no one does anything." Elmley is one of three sites involved in the South of England Curlew Project supported by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT). They have officially been granted a licence from Natural England to receive and rear curlew eggs. Mr Fulton said they are working closely with experts in the Yorkshire Dales, where the curlew population is healthier. They identify where nests have been made in vulnerable locations, such as near a footpath or in fields that will be cut for grass before the chicks are ready. He said: "The experts watch the nests, know when the eggs are laid and know when they're ready to move. "They're incubated in Yorkshire for a few weeks before being brought here." Conservationists believe captive-rearing gives the birds the best chance of survival during their vulnerable early stages. With 3,300 acres of wet grassland and meadows, alongside salt marsh and mudflats of the River Swale, Elmley offers a protected environment for the birds to thrive. Curlews typically breed in the same area where they themselves were raised. Therefore, the hope is the chicks will return to breed at the reserve when they are mature. With this being the third year of the project, conservationists are looking out for returning birds and hopefully nests in 2026. Man sets off on 53-mile walk dressed as a curlew Conservationists hand-rear endangered birds Elmley Nature Reserve Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust
BBC News
5 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Curlew chicks hatch in Kent conservation project
A Kent nature reserve is playing a key role in efforts to revive southern England's dwindling curlew chicks have successfully hatched and are being raised in captivity as part of a project to save one of Britain's most iconic wading birds from local chicks, hatched from eggs collected in northern England, are being cared for at Elmley Nature Reserve on the Isle of Sheppey. They are due to be released into the wild later this summer. Curlews, easily recognised by their long, down-curved bills and haunting calls, are Europe's largest wading birds. They nest on the ground and are typically seen feeding on tidal mudflats and salt in southern England have plummeted in recent decades due, it is thought, to habitat loss and high numbers of predators such as manager Gareth Fulton said: "The reason for the project is that curlews in southern England, basically everything south of Birmingham, are down to about the last 200 pairs and they need to produce more chicks per year to sustain their population. "So they're going to go extinct here in 20 years if no one does anything." Elmley is one of three sites involved in the South of England Curlew Project supported by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT). They have officially been granted a licence from Natural England to receive and rear curlew eggs. Mr Fulton said they are working closely with experts in the Yorkshire Dales, where the curlew population is healthier. They identify where nests have been made in vulnerable locations, such as near a footpath or in fields that will be cut for grass before the chicks are said: "The experts watch the nests, know when the eggs are laid and know when they're ready to move. "They're incubated in Yorkshire for a few weeks before being brought here." Conservationists believe captive-rearing gives the birds the best chance of survival during their vulnerable early stages. With 3,300 acres of wet grassland and meadows, alongside salt marsh and mudflats of the River Swale, Elmley offers a protected environment for the birds to thrive. Curlews typically breed in the same area where they themselves were raised. Therefore, the hope is the chicks will return to breed at the reserve when they are mature. With this being the third year of the project, conservationists are looking out for returning birds and hopefully nests in 2026.
