Care About Hythe Group

A new subsection of Devstop - The Care About Hythe Group (CAHG) - has been set up to highlight what is special about Hythe and how it could be devastated by the development of a massive Sainsbury's Supermarket.

Take action before it's too late.

Hythe has an identity that needs to be cherished and so few people are truly aware of the size and scale of this development (including some of the planning committee). IT IS BIGGER THAN ANYTHING HYTHE HAS EVER SEEN. 70 articulated delivery lorries could park on the ground floor alone.

It appears it is not an automatic right to have a beautiful town and members of the community will have to take action if they do not want to see their town blighted by such a vast and disproportionate development. Please contact CAHG at devstop and mention your interest in the Care About Hythe Group.

Protecting our local traders

There is an abundance of evidence to prove that many towns across the UK have seen their High Street shops and local independent traders close as a result of one of the "big four" supermarket groups moving into their area. Sainsbury's claim that the superstore they have planned for Hythe will actually encourage "linked trips" to the High Street because they will provide 2 hours of free parking in their car park. It is our belief that this will not be the case and people will opt for the convenience of doing all their shopping in Sainsbury's - buying not only food and groceries, but also non-grocery items that will be on sale in the store, such as electrical goods, books, CDs, DVDs, greetings cards, pharmacy goods and clothing. Sainsbury's will be able to undercut the High Street traders on prices due to their enormous buying power and this will inevitably force many of these independent shops out of business. Are we prepared to gamble with the livelihoods of our High Street traders just to see if the claims made by Sainsbury's are correct?

What we are trying to protect

A few images of our lovely town and what we need to try to to preserve are shown below. The bottom two photographs highlight how new developments can - with a bit of care and thought - be in-keeping with the style and heritage of the town, both in size and style.

It cannot be stressed enough that the Sainsbury's proposal for Hythe is way out of proportion for our small town and is not in ANY way sympathetic to the existing architecture. The superstore will be damaging to the conservation area opposite i.e. the Royal Military Canal.


New development can be in keeping!

 

 

Who we are and what we stand for

We are a group of local residents who love Hythe. We come from all walks of life and are of all ages. Our common bond is that we care passionately about our community and want to ensure a bright and prosperous future for Hythe. We need your help to make this happen. We're not here to defame Sainsburys, Tesco or any retailer.

MORE INFO
See our mission statement here. Please help by making contact with CAHG at Devstop.

Your views and concerns

Below are just some of the points the residents of Hythe have raised to Shepway District Counci in relation to the proposed Sainsbury's superstore:

  • Overshadowing, a loss of light and an overbearing impact to Military Terrace
  • Hazards to pedestrians and increased risks of traffic accidents, particularly at  the junction between Military Road and Sir John Moore Avenue.
  • Increased levels of noise, smells, litter and disturbance to Military Terrace from the traffic, HGV movements and the service yard.
  • The development is of a poor design and out of scale with the surroundings.
  • Loss of important trees
  • An unacceptable impact on listed buildings and the conservation area.
  • The proposed opening hours are unacceptable in a residential area.
  • There will be an increase in noise and air pollution in a small town of unique character.
  • Whilst a contemporary approach may be preferable the proposal fails to enhance or conserve the character of the conservation area and is of a poor box-like design.
  • The proposal will remove many of the trees from Military Road to the detriment of its attractive character.
  • The proposal will remove on street parking from the corner of Military Road and Sir John Moore Avenue
  • The proposed first floor element of the building will overlook the gardens of Military Terrace.
  • The proposed two hours' free parking is not sufficient to encourage trips to the town centre.
  • Hythe is not as big a town as Folkestone and therefore should not be compared as such in the retail hierarchy.
  • The proposal fails to reflect the historic architecture, design styles or materials of Hythe.
  • The existing buildings are an ugly architectural mistake from the 1970s. The same mistakes should not be made. Please allow Hythe to retain and reclaim its architectural identity.
  • The removal of the trees to Military Road will be an environmental disaster for the area and of detriment to the Royal Military Canal and Conservation Area opposite.
  • Military Road will fail to cope with the increased traffic movements, to the detriment of amenity and the environment.
  • The Retail Impact Assessment does not stand up to scrutiny.
  • There is no need for a new supermarket in Hythe, given its population and the fact it has three already.
  • The proposal will have an unacceptable impact on the High Streets independent shops. Further, Hythe already has enough supermarkets – Waitrose, Aldi and Iceland. We do not need another.
  • The proposal will account for 50% of the convenience retail floor space within the town.
  • The proposal will lead to a loss of parking for residents along Military Road.
  • The site should be developed by the council as indoor sports facility, or for the library and museum.
  • The proposal could lead to unacceptable light pollution and disturbance.
  • Where are the employees going to park?

 

 

Join the Care About Hythe Facebook Group

In the short time our Facebook group has been in operation, we have over 80 members who share our concerns and want to protect our town. We would like to thank all our members and are keen to encourage more people to join this group.

Impossible traffic

The new Sainsbury's superstore could generate a potential 15,000 extra cars on the road. Military Road is already difficult and congested at peak times. Sainsbury's planning application includes a new pelican crossing (with traffic lights) on Military Road opposite the former Smith's building. In addition to this the entrance to Sir John Moore Avenue will be widened to allow the delivery HGV lorries to access the service yard. The entrance to the superstore will also be wider than the existing entrance to Smith's. These factors will result in the loss of a large number of parking spaces along Military Road and if you add 15,000 cars to the mix plus 15 articulated lorries a day all entering that congested stream there is the potential for a complete traffic and transport nightmare.