Stage 2 – Full Application
Best Practice Award in Regeneration of Coastal Towns
Initiative promoted by Local Government Association (UK) and
implemented in cooperation with:
Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, and
Centre of Expertise for Local Government Reform
The aim of the Best Practice Award in Regeneration of Coastal Towns programme is to identify, celebrate and award local authorities who
innovate and find new solutions to problems which are common to many coastal communities.
Summary of how Herne Bay Regeneration meets the relevant Criteria
Relevant Criteria
Innovation and Sustainability
Does the experience represent a new way
for addressing a common problem?
Does the experience represent a valid
approach for addressing a new problem?
Does the experience use innovative
approaches, methods and/or instruments?
Based on reducing public service funding in
many countries, what innovative solutions
have been found to achieve improved
outcomes whilst costing less?
How Herne Bay Regeneration meets the criteria
Innovation and Sustainability
The common problem was getting the community to believe that, despite years of trying, this time
it would be different, that this time we were going to regenerate the town to make it a better place
to work and live. In order to convince people we had to engage with them and identify the main
issues. We had to form a plan that belonged to them
Yes, the town had fallen into a spiral of decline with a widely held belief that the council were not
interested in them. There was an attitude that the larger towns in the district would take priority
and there was a belief that the pecking order would always favour Canterbury City over Herne
Bay. The decision to go for a `quasi judicial` Area Action Plan was the correct one in terms of
convincing everyone involved that this plan would be delivered and could be practically applied.
Yes. We have worked in groundbreaking partnerships with other organisations to deliver the main
regeneration projects. The youth centre is a first of its kind where the youth and the children use
the same building but at different times. The new Sports Arena is a similarly unique partnership
where the High School Sports Academy is now the community centre for sports in the area. The
extension of the swimming pool gives ultra modern fitness and dance facilities in the town centre
whilst breathing new life into the existing water sports.
The swimming pool no longer needs subsidy as the fitness and dance facilities generate enough
extra income to ensure that the larger facility generates a surplus of income over expenditure,
The youth and children’s centre share a facility and the economies of scale have been realised
with costs shared between the youth and the children’s centre.
In the new sports arena, both the school and the community benefit from superb sports hall
facilities which are managed under one roof and form a larger sports village with the existing
external sports provision on the grounds.
Is the initiative economically sustainable in
the long term?
Does the initiative contribute to knowledge
and social capital development
We have been careful to enter into legal agreements with all of our partners in the delivery of
these projects. Part of the joint user agreements covers the long term operations and maintenance
of the facilities. The facilities are now used 7days a weeks and offer a much wider variety of
services at a lower cost per customer.
The community has been the at the centre of everything throughout the regeneration process,
most of the ideas have come from consultation events, partnership working, friendly societies,
business forums, public meetings etc. Organisations were formed (such as the Friends of
Memorial Park and the Town Partners) where there was a need to focus on particular aspects of
the town. To ensure that all the people were informed regularly in a meaningful way, a website
was set up specifically to keep people updated on project progress. We have just successfully held
our fifth annual community projects and business exhibition in Herne Bay. This event is proving
very popular with both the public and the exhibitors. We introduced a charge for the first time this
year and the event has created its own surplus which bodes well for the future.
To demonstrate how far the town has progressed over the past seven years we prepared a
celebrations board for the 2012 Exhibition and are now proud to describe Herne Bay as a multiaward winning town. (See attached copy of the awards board).
Effectiveness
` To what extent has the initiative been able
to solve the problem identified?
Effectiveness
The formation and implementation of an action plan was the catalyst that brought all the issues
together and gave us the framework to work through the main issues facing the town. We were
careful to deliver some of the simpler projects whilst planning the more complex issues. This gave
a feel of continuous improvement and ensured that the public could always relate to the longer
regeneration aims and objectives.
Have achievements demonstrated a positive
sustainable return on investment of
resources?
Yes returns can be measured in economic, social and environmental terms. The increase in
quality achieved and the economies of scale are there for all to see. The buildings have been all
specified to meet BREEAM energy efficient levels. The social sustainability can best be witnessed
by the number of award winning societies and community organisations which have emerged over
the past seven years. HB is now a multi award winning town where people are starting to talk
about the positive aspects rather than dwelling on the negative.
Relevance
Is the approach consistent with the
priorities of the local area and elected
representatives?
Relevance
A cross party elected member regeneration group was set up in 2005 to ensure that the issues
identified and the solutions put forward were consistent with the elected representatives of the
area. The elected members include both local ward and County Council representative and this
group meets regularly to ensure progress is maintained on the important issues. The
implementation of the Area Action Plan is a priority in the larger corporate plan for the district.
Is the initiative coherent with major reform
trends and the changing face of the public
sector?
A major element of the reform trends in the public sector is that we have to find better more
efficient ways to deliver services with less resource available. We have taken innovative steps to
partner with organisations that have similar goals to achieve these aims. We have been careful
when entering into these agreements that the quality and effectiveness of the service delivery to
the public is improved in all cases. We are delivering better quality services in conjunction with
out partners and we believe that stronger partnerships within the community are vital in
delivering better services in the future.
Relevance and Effectiveness
The regeneration action plan was formed in conjunction with the community, the issues and the
proposed solutions have all come from public and the overall feedback to the proposals have been
positive. The public continue to work in partnership with the council to deliver many of these
projects.
Relevance and Effectiveness
Does the initiative address a problem
perceived as a priority by citizens?
Do the initiatives positively support local
The reason that the Area Action Plan has been so effective is because it is a document which is `of
government in responding to citizens needs? the people, for the people`. It engages the community both at a strategic and political level, right
through to the practical implications of delivery.
Replication
Can the experience be replicated in other
Replication
One of the main reasons for taking the Area Action Plan route was that there was enough
contexts and other geographic areas?
experience within the regeneration group which recognised the futility of trying to implement
projects (no matter how well intentioned), without going through a very thorough public
consultation process to ensure that the solutions were community led initiatives. We have
benefited from the lessons learned by others in the formation of this plan and we are grateful to
our partners for their experience. The lessons from other areas have been implemented in this
study and could be replicated in other contexts and geographical areas. The effort spent working
with the public meant that the projects were well known to the community and as a result, there
were very few objections to any of the projects as they went through the planning process.
Is the experience based on methods and
instruments easily applicable in other
contexts?
In part yes, there are very clear guidelines set out for the application of a formal Area Action Plan
and these ensure that the processes are carried out in a step by step approach. However, there are
lots of community and business initiatives which make up a major part of the social capital
element of this process which are not prescriptive and rely on good overall leadership throughout
the process.
Please include detail within your answers on how you meet the relevant criteria.
PART 1 – AUTHORITY INFORMATION
Authority Name
Canterbury City Council
Contact Name
Patrick Rynne
Position
Senior Projects Manager
Email
Patrick.rynne@canterbury.gov.uk
Telephone
01227 862329
Title of your best practice case study
The Regeneration of Herne Bay 2005 – 2012 and beyond.
Please summarise the case study you are
submitting as best practice including a
breakdown of the identified problems and
action you have taken.
Please also provide details of any future
plans, improvements or developments related
to this project or linked to your vision for
regenerating your coastal areas.
Relevant criteria: Innovation and
Sustainability
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PART 2 – PROJECT INFORMATION
The Regeneration of Herne Bay 2005 – 2012 and beyond.
Brief Background
Herne Bay was a town in decline for many years, the town had grown up around the Pier,
which was the second longest in the country, but on the arrival of modern transport links
to the town, the pier no longer had a commercial use. Storm damage disconnected the
sea-end from the land side, where, only a small pier still remains. The decline of the pier
co-incided with a similar decline in the town centre and confidence in the town hit an all
time low in the mid 1980`s with the flooding of the seafront and some low lying parts of
the town. A sea defence system was introduced along the main seafront in the 1990`s
which has proved effective against any flooding since then. Part of the landscaping of the
sea defence system was formed into an attractive promenade which remains today.
Does the experience represent a new way
The big driver for the regeneration process was the results of a resident’s survey held in
for addressing a common problem?
Does the experience represent a valid 2004 which demonstrated that, although the seafront promenade was attractive, the town
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approach for addressing a new problem?
Does the experience use innovative
approaches,
methods
and/or
instruments?
Based on reducing public service funding
in many countries, what innovative
solutions have been found to achieve
improved outcomes whilst costing less?
Is the initiative economically sustainable
in the long term?
Does the initiative contribute to
knowledge
and
social
capital
development?
Is
the
initiative
coherent
with
environmental sustainability principles?
centre did not have sufficient destination value for the people in the surrounding area.
This was a key issue that needed to be addressed if the town was to be successfully
turned around.
The common problem was getting the community to believe that, despite years of trying,
this time it would be different, that this time we were going to regenerate the town to
make it a better place to work and live. In order to convince people we had to engage
with them and identify the main issues. We had to form a plan that belonged to them.
In 2005 a cross party member led regeneration group was formed, which had
representatives from external organisations including, the County Council, SEEDA and
Southeast Tourism Board. A regeneration manager and a town centre manager were
given the responsibility of forming an action plan which could be implemented over a
realistic timescale.
The requirement to regenerate the town of Herne Bay had been established, however,
the approach used in other seaside towns had been difficult to implement due to the lack
of a long term plan that the people of the town could believe in. The approach taken in
Herne Bay was to pursue an Area Action Plan for the town which would be adopted as
part of the planning policy and would become the overarching planning guidance for the
town. However, because this plan would be part of the planning law for the town, this
would take several years to form from its initiation to its completion. While progressing
this, we had deliver meaningful projects in the short term, so that we could keep the
momentum for the delivery of the longer term plans.
Funding is a key element in regeneration and although Herne Bay was in the top quartile
of many of the national deprivation indexes, it did not qualify for the types of
Government/EU interventions (e.g. assisted area funding) available to coastal towns such
as Margate, Scarborough, and Hastings. Therefore we had to rely solely on practitioner
skills, community input/support, innovation and creativity in relation to accessing
resources, designing plans and activities in terms of delivering regeneration. We worked
with other organisations to find innovative approaches to solutions which would achieve
economies of scale and at the same time improve the overall service provision for the
people of the town. It has been entirely locally-led.
Herne Bay in common with many other seaside resorts had deteriorated over many years,
and the people of the town had become somewhat disengaged with the town planning
process. We had to be very careful when forming a plan that it re-engaged with the
people via a series of meaningful consultations. The plan needed to embrace both the
long and short term aspirations of the community.
This represented a valid approach to a new issue; the town had fallen into a spiral of
decline with a widely held belief that the council were not interested in them. There was
an attitude that the larger towns in the district would take priority and there was a belief
that the pecking order would always favour Canterbury City over Herne Bay. The
decision to go for a `quasi judicial` Area Action Plan was the correct one in terms of
convincing everyone involved that this plan would be delivered and could be practically
applied.
The problems in Herne Bay included both capital and social barriers to progress as
follows
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The town was planned and built by the Victorians based on its proximity to London
and had the second longest pier in the country as its focal point and main transport
link. As the years went by the steam ships were replaced by modern transport
methods and the pier fell into disrepair resulting in the sea-end being separated from
the land end. A sports hall was built on the land end of the pier in 1974.
There was no effective organisation that represented the businesses of the town.
The town lacked a heart that people could associate with. There were no large scale
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shops and very few nationally recognisable brands in the town to draw people in.
There were no modern youth facilities in the town.
The swimming pool was an isolated facility which was unsustainable and needed
constant subsidy from the council.
The sports facilities in the town were old and had no prospect of expansion or
improvement as they were located on the pier.
There was no town centre manager who was able to identify the day to day issues of
the town.
The town centre was disconnected from the seafront with neither benefiting from the
attractions of the other.
The memorial park in the town was donated after the First World War and was in
need of refurbishment and renewal to make it relevant for future generations.
Streets were not pedestrian friendly with barriers erected at every corner which
prioritised the car over the pedestrian. Pavements were narrow and street furniture
was old and uninviting.
The Pier had a sports centre on it and as a result could no longer function as a pier for
the town. There was a large part of the community that wanted the pier used for more
traditional seaside purposes.
The way that we went about solving the issues.
We started by drawing up a list of the long and short term objectives and set some target
dates for delivery of the shorter term projects whilst planning the longer term objectives.
You can see all of our projects both planned and delivered on the following website
http://www.canterbury.gov.uk/hernebayprojects
The details of our projects delivered to date are contained in the output section below
but, in each of our projects we have applied innovative solutions in partnership with
other organisations to deliver more efficient buildings and services. The youth centre is a
first of its kind where the youth and the children use the same building but at different
times. The new Sports Arena is a similarly unique partnership where the High School
Sports Academy is now the community centre for sports in the area.
Also the extension of the swimming pool gives ultra modern fitness and dance facilities in
the town centre whilst breathing new life into the existing water sports.
We have good communications with many of the other service providers in the district
and work in partnership with them whenever we can. This takes a lot of trust and
relationship building as each organisation is focused on it own specific aims and
objectives. However we are all driven by the need to provide better services at a reduced
cost and, based on reducing public service funding, we have found innovative solutions
to many of these issues. The swimming pool is run by Active Life and no longer needs
subsidy from the council, as the fitness and dance facilities generate extra income and
the larger facility now generates a surplus, The youth and children’s centre have
realised economies of scale by sharing one facility, these include one building cost and
one administration, have been realised. Both the school and the community benefit from
superb sports hall facilities which are managed under one roof and form a larger sports
village with the existing external sports provision on the grounds. In all of these projects,
different organisations have learnt how to work more closely together which will ensure
that these initiatives are economically sustainable in the long term
The community has been at the centre of the regeneration process and we believe that
the methodology that we have followed has contributed considerably to the knowledge
and social capital development in the community. Most of the ideas have come from
consultation events, partnership working, friendly societies, business forums, public
meetings etc. Organisations were formed (such as the Friends of Memorial Park and the
Town Partners) where there was a need to focus on particular aspects of the town. To
ensure that all the people were informed regularly in a meaningful way a website was set
up specifically to keep people updated on project progress and we have just successfully
held our fifth annual community projects and business exhibition. This event is proving
very popular with both the public and the exhibitors. We introduced a charge for the first
time this year and the event has created its own surplus which bodes well for the future.
To demonstrate how far the town has progressed over the past seven years we prepared
a celebrations board for the 2012 Exhibition and are now proud to describe Herne Bay
as a multi-award winning town. (See attached copy of the awards board).
Please summarise the tangible outcomes
from your project and the impact that this
action has had on the identified problems.
Relevant criteria: Effectiveness
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To what extent has the initiative been
able to solve the problem identified?
Have achievements demonstrated a
positive sustainable return on investment
of resources?
2.1 OUTCOMES
The formation and implementation of an action plan was the catalyst that brought all the
issues together and gave us the framework to work through the main issues facing the
town. We were careful to deliver some of the simpler projects whilst planning the more
complex issues. This gave a feel of continuous improvement and ensured that the public
could always relate to the longer regeneration aims and objectives.
The returns can be measured in economic, social and environmental terms. The increase
in quality achieved and the economies of scale are there for all to see. The buildings
have been all specified to meet BREEAM energy efficient levels. The social sustainability
can best be witnessed by the number of award winning societies and community
organisations which have emerged over the past seven years. Herne Bay is now a multi
award winning town where people are starting to talk about the positive aspects rather
than dwelling on the negative.
A brief description of projects from 2005 – 2012 and beyond
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Our first project in 2005 was the delivery of Beach Alley which was a pedestrian
route to the seafront which had become sadly neglected. Modern lighting was
introduced together with a resurfacing of the pavement and painting of all the
wall surfaces. A sensory garden was introduced along the alley in the old pump
house building. The project was funded by a number of sources including
donations from the local businesses in the area.
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The initial project was followed in 2006/07 by the more ambitious refurbishment
and upgrading of Lower William Street, the main entrance to the town from the
seafront. The pavements were widened the street was resurfaced and the street
furniture was upgraded to introduce a better quality experience when going from
seafront to town centre.
Whilst the short term projects were being delivered we concentrated on forming a longer
term plan which would eventually become the Area Action Plan for the town. We wanted
to work with the community at all times, so we started a series of consultation events that
would stretch over the next 3 years. The first consultation was about identifying the main
issues with the town and asking people for their ideas in how to make them better. The
subsequent consultation stages included `Options, Preferred Options and Final Plan
consultation. Each stage was carefully recorded and analysed to ensure that the final
Action Plan was representative of the communities needs.
A key part of the success of this approach was the day to day involvement of the town
centre manager and community support officers who worked with the businesses and
community groups of the town to form a cohesive community to which they could all
contribute. The HB Town Partners were formed in 2006 and has grown over the years to
become the main representative business group. Residential and other community groups
have been strengthened and included in the consultation process on each occasion.
Regeneration plans were presented to the partners and other groups on request to ensure
that everyone was updated with current information.
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Our next project was the delivery of a combined youth and children’s centre
which represented an innovative first of its kind approach to the delivery of these
services. Working with our County Council partners we designed a building that
could be used 7 days a weeks, both during the day and in the evenings. Central to
the building design was a shared entrance and foyer which then led to separate
dedicated areas either side for children and youth. Key to its success was the
location which was on a corner of memorial park. This allowed both the youth
and the children access to the wider facilities of the park whilst regenerating a site
which was in poor condition. The building was designed and procured by council
officers and the site was given by the council to ensure the success of the project.
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Our next project was the Memorial Park. We put together a comprehensive plan
in 2008 and bid to the lottery fund for the regeneration of the park which was
projected to cost £2m. In the preparation of this bid we again engaged with the
community and formed the `friends of the park` group which was very popular
and had both political and public representatives. Ultimately, the bid for lottery
funding was unsuccessful but it highlighted the issues that needed to be fixed and
we have been working to deliver these improvements ever since. The council
identified some funding and we have worked with external funding organisation
to deliver new public toilets, new playground, upgraded sports pavilion, removal
of two derelict buildings, new contractors compound, upgrade of CCTV in the
park, new interpretational signage, community notice board, new sensory gardens
and gardens at two of the main entrance points to the park, We continue our plans
with an improvement scheduled for 2012 and beyond to include: a new
bandstand, survey of tress for long term tree strategy, survey of lighting (linked to
the tree strategy) to improve lighting in the park.
In 2009 we completed the Area Action plan (Adopted in 2010) and set about delivering
the bigger projects identified within.
Bay Sports Arena
We entered into a partnership agreement with Herne Bay High School which is a
specialist college for sport, located on the edge of the town. The school were ambitious
in their plans and welcomed our approach to look into combining the schools sports
facilities with the community facilities. They applied for a `building schools for the
future project` status and included our proposal to build a sports arena as part of a wider
community partnership programme. This proposal took a lot of courage from both the
school and the council as we were entering into an untried and tested area. For the
council it meant housing our facilities on a site that it does not control and for the school
it meant that they would be opening up their facilities to the public and would become
the community focus for sports hall activities. The result of this innovative approach to
sports facilities is that we now have a sports academy in Herne Bay with the best sports
facilities in the county. The facilities were completed in 2011 and are open to the public
during non school hours and both the school and the council realise economies of scale
through the delivery of their sports programme through a shared facility.
Herons Leisure Centre.
Whilst the sports hall facilities could be successfully relocated to the school, it was
important that the fitness and dance facilities were retained in the town centre. We
already had a swimming pool which was centrally located and we decided to extend this
facility to transform it into a complete leisure centre. The demand for fitness and leisure
was clear and the combined facility would deliver better facilities to the public whilst
through the realisation of economies of scale the council were able to reduce the subsidy
given to the pool operator. The Herons Leisure Centre was opened in 2011 and is
operating very successfully.
The Pier Platform
The opening of both Bay Arena and Herons Leisure Centre, allowed the council to
demolish their old facilities which were located on the Pier. This opened up the
possibility of returning the Pier to more traditional seaside activities. The demolition of
the Pier Sport Centre started in Sept 2011 and is due for completion by June 2012. The
pier platform is being prepared as an events space in the short term with the possibility of
building more long term facilities on it in the future.
The delivery of the Arena and the delivery of the Herons Leisure Centre were planned
and project managed by CCC officers and we are very proud that they were delivered on
time and to cost, enabling a seamless transition for the delivery of the community sports
and leisure facilities and for the future leisure use of the Herne Bay Pier.
Our current projects include:
The formation of the QE11 Coastal Park 2012/13. The whole of the coastline from
Hampton, along the esplanades, through the central area of the seafront, the Downs and
Reculver Country Park have been adopted as a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Field
– Coastal Park. This is one of the biggest Jubilee Fields in the country. It sets the land
aside for leisure and Recreation forever. It is allowing us to work with community
groups to develop a vision for the area and attract external funding to enhance the area;
the community led action plan includes improving the infrastructure, the environment,
signage and promotion of the area.
An upgrade to the seafront facilities 2012. A significant section of the Coastal Park
improvements are to the central Herne Bay seafront area, they include: restoration of the
historic clock tower, upgrade of the playground, provision of motorcycle parking,
improvements to car parking and provision of a mix of seaside concessions
.
A Gateway building to house all public services under one roof 2013/14.
The Gateway is an innovative project which is aims to get many of the public services
(currently delivered in different buildings) delivered under one roof. Plans are at an
advanced stage and it will include doctor’s surgery, a police enquiry desk, the Job
Centre, Adult Social Services, the public library and council services. It is planned to
refurbish the existing library building in the high street to ensure that efficiencies of scale
can be maximised whilst at the same time delivering a better overall service to the public.
It is estimated that this facility will be delivered by Sept 2013.
The Central Development Area (CDA) is a key project within the Area Action Plan. It
is focused in the heart of Herne Bay and includes the central car parks. This area is
currently performing well below its capacity and leaves an empty heart to the town.
The Council are promoting the replacement of these large surface car parks with a mixed
use, retail led, development which reaches out across Herne Bay to deliver the
connections between destinations sought by the Area Action Plan whilst tackling the
significant retail leakage from Herne Bay to other towns. To this end the Council has
signed a Development Agreement with Herne Bay Regeneration Ltd, (a joint venture
between Coplan and Denne) as their preferred partner to deliver this exciting vision.
Herne Bay Regeneration Ltd is planning to invest £38,600,000 in Central Herne Bay.
The scheme which would be delivered in two phases is envisaged to take up to 4 years to
construct.
Phase 1 includes the construction of a new food retail store and a multi storey car park on
the site of King’s Road Car Park. The Saturday market would be relocated at this point
and elements of the townscape works commenced.
Phase 2 seeks to deliver space for new national retailers which are currently
unrepresented in Herne Bay, a hotel, apartments (including affordable homes),
cafes/restaurants, a new doctors surgery and possibly a new Gateway. This phase
crucially also includes the formation of two new public squares and the creation of a new
permanent home for Herne Bay market. It also sees the completion of the townscape
works thus firmly establishing stronger connections within the town.
The partners produced a Master Plan to guide the development in the summer of 2010;
this was adopted in final form on February 17th 2011. Following this a Development
Agreement was signed in April 2011 and it is envisaged that a planning application for
Phase 1 of the development will follow in the winter of 2012. A planning application for
Phase 2 should come forward in winter 2013.
2.2 LEADERSHIP, VISION AND STRATEGY
Please detail your projects local, sub-regional The Area Action Plan document sets out the vision and strategy for the regeneration of
and national strategic links.
Herne Bay including the sub-regional and national Strategic links. The leadership and
determination of the Regeneration Board in ensuring that the plan continues to be
Relevant criteria: Relevance
implemented is what sets this plan apart from any that have gone before it. It is to their
 Is the approach consistent with the great credit that the politicians have put aside their party differences and worked together
priorities of the local area and elected to ensure that this plan is delivered.
representatives?
 Is the initiative coherent with major A cross party elected member regeneration group was set up in 2005 to ensure that the
reform trends and the changing face of issues identified and the solutions put forward were consistent with the elected
representatives of the area. The elected members include both local ward and County
the public sector?
Council representative and this group meets regularly to ensure progress is maintained
on the important issues. The implementation of the Area Action Plan is a priority in the
larger corporate plan for the district.
A major element of reform in the public sector is that we have to find better more
efficient ways to deliver services with less resource available. We have taken innovative
steps to partner with organisations that have similar goals to achieve these aims. We
have been careful when entering into these agreements that the quality and effectiveness
of the service delivery to the public is improved in all cases. We are delivering better
quality services in conjunction with out partners and we believe that stronger
partnerships within the community are vital in delivering better services in the future
One of the benefits of having a cross party/multi-organisation regeneration group is the
cross communication which ensures that everyone is aware of the others requirements. It
was through this communication that many of the solutions to the town’s problems were
reached. For example in talking to Kent County Council we realised that we had to work
in partnership with them if the youth of the town were to be given decent facilities. It was
the amalgamation of funding available to the youth and the children (under 5s) that
enable the innovative new facilities to be built on a piece of council land.
When the local school applied for their rebuilding programme, we were in a position to
approach them with a proposal to make their school the hub of sports delivery within the
community. The fact that the school and the council were able to work together in this
way demonstrates the leadership and determination from both parties to do the right
thing despite all the obstacles which these changes would involve. (The school had to
open its doors to the community seven days a week and the council had to work closely
with the school on the role of community sports delivery at the school)
Whilst the sports provision were being focused on the school it became obvious that the
fitness and dance provisions for the town were also important, and so the extension to
Herons Swimming Pool was proposed. Working with Active Life, the operator of the
swimming pool, the council put together a proposal to borrow some money against
projected future revenues from a new leisure centre. The operator agreed to work with
the council and the result is that we now have a new leisure centre in the town which is
exceeding all forecasts. The swimming pool has also increased its membership as part of
the bigger leisure centre.
2.3 COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND EMPOWERMENT
Please explain how you have engaged your
The regeneration action plan was formed in conjunction with the community, the issues
local community and stakeholders in the
and the proposed solutions have all come from the public and the overall feedback to the
development and delivery of your project.
proposals have been positive. The public continue to work in partnership with the
council to deliver many of these projects.
Relevant criteria: Relevance and
Effectiveness
The reason that the Area Action Plan has been so effective is because it is a document
 Does the initiative address a problem which is `of the people, for the people`. It engages the community both at a strategic and
political level, right through to the practical implications of delivery.
perceived as a priority by citizens?
 Do the initiatives positively support local
government in responding to citizens
In 2006 we held our first public consultation where we invited representatives from
needs?
community and voluntary organisations, businesses, statutory organisations and the
council. We called upon our neighbouring councils for their input and experience. The
aim of this first consultation was to identify the main issues and to discuss the best way
of tackling them. We were able to show some progress on the smaller projects but made
it clear that we wanted a bigger plan to tackle the underlying issues.
Some of the people of the town were pessimistic due to the amount of previous schemes
that had been planned but not implemented. Some people were resistant to change as
they did not want Herne Bay to become another `clone town`. However the overall mood
in the room was cautious optimism. The people wanted their town to improve and were
looking for some leadership from their Council.
After this first event we set out a series of consultation events, analysis and feedback that
would be consistent with the successful application of an Area Action Plan. Under these
guidelines the consultation had to go through a very rigorous process which involved
giving people options, then choosing a preferred option, then detailing exactly how that
preferred option would be delivered. Each of these stages had its own documentation and
consultation analysis. Please refer to our supporting documentation which includes a
Statement of community involvement, Consultation statement and a Schedule of
Representations.
PART 3 SHARING BEST PRACTICE AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION
How might you work with other coastal local One of the main reasons for taking the Area Action Plan route was that there was enough
authorities within Europe to maximise the
experience within the regeneration group which recognised the futility of trying to
opportunities for sharing best practice?
implement projects (no matter how well intentioned), without going through a very
What experience does your authority have
thorough public consultation process to ensure that the solutions were community led
with sharing lessons with others? Give
initiatives. The effort spent working with the public meant that the projects were well
examples of where your authority has
known to the community and as a result, there were very few objections to any of the
supported others to improve.
projects as they went through the planning process.
Relevant criteria: Replication


Can the experience be replicated in other
contexts and other geographic areas?
Is the experience based on methods and
instruments easily applicable in other
contexts?
The methodology used to deliver the regeneration projects can be easily replicated or
adopted to suit varying situations, there are very clear guidelines set out for the
application of a formal Area Action Plan and these ensure that the processes are carried
out in a step by step approach. However, there are lots of community and business
initiatives which make up a major part of the social capital element of this process which
are not prescriptive and rely on good overall leadership throughout the process.
Canterbury City Council is a partner in the TENS project which is a three-year project
with the aim of promoting and encouraging entrepreneurs and businesses to develop new
cross-border commercial initiatives. The other partners on this project are Medway
Council, POM West Flanders Development Agency, Boulogne Chamber of Commerce,
Boulogne Development Cote d’ Opale and the Regional association of Business
Incubators (Les Ruches du Nord).
The project includes

trilingual website development;

language training, workshops and business advice;

European trade shows and networking events;

a network of more than 200 Kent businesses and associates;

access to a network of business centres in France and Belgium.
PART 4 SUPPORTING INFORMATION
Please use the section below to add any additional detail you wish to be included in your application.
In the preparation of an area action plan we have gathered many supportive documents which we can make available in hard copy by
request. A digital copy of all of these documents is available on the following link.
http://www.canterbury.gov.uk/main.cfm?objectid=2034
The documents include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
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18.
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22.
23.
Herne Bay Area Action Plan Proposed Submission (March 2009), Canterbury City Council
Proposed Amendments to Herne Bay Area Action Plan (July 2009) Canterbury City Council
Sustainability Appraisal of the Herne Bay AAP Proposed Submission (February 2009), Entec
Sustainability Appraisal Non-Technical Summary (February 2009)
Sustainability Appraisal of the Proposed Amendments to the Herne Bay Area Action Plan (July 2009) Entec
Connecting Herne Bay AAP Information in support of Habitat Regulation Assessment – Stage 1 (June 2008), Entec
Schedule of Representations received at Proposed Submission Stage (March2009) Canterbury City Council
Herne Bay Town Centre Flood Risk Assessment (September 2008),Canterbury City Council
Sequential Test Analysis: Addendum to Herne Bay Town Centre
Herne Bay Parking Study (January 2008),Canterbury City Council
Retail Needs Assessment Study Canterbury (December 2007) and Supplementary Update (April 2008), Kent County Council
Health Impact Assessment of Connecting Herne Bay Preferred Options Document (January 2009), East Kent Primary Care Trust
Herne Bay, an Economic Assessment (January 2009), Canterbury City Council
Herne Bay Conservation Area Appraisal – the Character of a Seaside Town (August 2008), Canterbury City Council
Herne Bay Regeneration Initial Transport Study (January 2008) Jacobs Babtie
Connecting Herne Bay Options Consultation Document
Supplementary Analysis of Tourism Product (2007), Tourism Plus
Consultation Statement Regulation 25, (March 2009), Canterbury City Council
Consultation Statement, Regulation 30, Submission AAP (August 2009), Canterbury City Council
Canterbury District Local Plan (2006) Canterbury City Council
Saved Policies Direction from the Secretary of State (30th June 2009) GOSE
Statement of Community Involvement (April 2007) Canterbury City Council
Canterbury District Annual Monitoring Report April 2007 – March 2008 (2008) Canterbury City Council
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
Local Development Scheme (2009), Canterbury City Council
Lighting the way to success: The EKLSP Sustainable Community Strategy (2009), East Kent Local Strategic Partnership
A partnership for Canterbury, Herne Bay, Whitstable and villages (2009) Canterbury Partnership
Equalities Impact Assessment (2009) Canterbury City Council
Self Assessment – Soundness & Legal Compliance checklists (August 2009) Canterbury City Council
FORMAL DOCUMENTS FROM PREVIOUS STAGES OF THE AREA ACTION PLAN
29. Connecting Herne Bay Preferred Options (January 2008), Canterbury City Council
30. Herne Bay Area Action Plan Preferred Options
31. Planning policy context & conformity statement (January 2008) Canterbury City Council
32. Flood Risk Statement in support of the connecting Herne Bay AAP
33. Preferred Options Doc (January 2008) Canterbury City Council
34. Connecting Herne Bay Preferred Options Consultation Document,
35. Analysis of Representations (June 2008), Catherine Hughes Associates
36. Sustainability Appraisal of the Herne Bay Preferred Options (January 2008), Entec
37. Sustainability Appraisal of the Connecting Herne Bay Area Action Plan Preferred Option Non Technical Summary (January
2008) Entec
38. Connecting Herne Bay Options Consultation Document (November 2006), Canterbury City Council
39. Connecting Herne Bay Options Consultation Document, Analysis of Representations (April 2007), Catherine Hughes Associates
40. Sustainability Appraisal of the Herne Bay Options (April 2007), Entec
41. Connecting Herne Bay Issues and Opportunities Consultation Document (January 2006), Canterbury City Council
42. Herne Bay Consultation 26/1/06, Issues and Opportunities Consultation Event Canterbury City Council
43. HBSD39 Community Vision Survey ‘ Our Vision’(2005), Canterbury City Council
OTHER EVIDENCE BASE DOCUMENTATION
44. Herne Bay Central Development Area, Marketing Brief (2008), Canterbury City Council
45. Turning the Tide (1993), Urbed
46. Canterbury Corporate Plan 2008-2012 Canterbury City Council
47. Canterbury District Local Plan (2006), Supplementary Planning Guidance ‘Trees and Development’, (September 2003) Canterbury
City Council
48. Canterbury District Local Plan (2006), Supplementary Planning Document ‘Heritage, Archaeology and Conservation’, (October
2007) Canterbury City Council
49. Canterbury District Local Plan (2006), Supplementary Planning Document ‘Developer Contributions’, (January 2007) Canterbury
City Council
50. Canterbury District Local Plan (2006), Supplementary Planning Guidance ‘Shopfronts’, (September 2003) Canterbury City Council
51. Canterbury District Local Plan (2006), Supplementary Planning Document ‘Sustainable Construction’, (October 2007) Canterbury
City Council
52. Local Transport Plan for Kent 2006-11, (March 2006). Kent County Council
53. Agreed Memorandum of Understanding between Canterbury City Council and the Herne Bay Pier Charitable Trust (July 2008)
Canterbury City Council
54. Herne Bay Pier Trust Leaflet
55. Herne Bay Memorial Park – Maintenance and Management Plan 2008-2018 (January 2008), Canterbury City Council Master plan
drawing June 2009
56. Further proposed Minor Changes (September 2009) Canterbury City Council.
57. Potential Leisure Uses for the Pier and / or Sports Centre Pavilion Approved Consultancy Brief (April 2009) Canterbury City Council
58. Note to brief Members of Executive: Reconnecting beach Street to Central Parade Herne Bay (28th April 2008). Canterbury City
Council
59. Note to Strategic Development Group: The connection of Beach Street to Central Parade (22nd April 2009). Canterbury City Council
60. Cultural Policy Adopted 1st October 2009. Canterbury City Council
61. Response by Canterbury City Council to final submission by Environment Agency (November 2009). Canterbury City Council
62. Response by Canterbury City Council to final submission by Kent County Council (November 2009). Canterbury City Council
63. Final Statements i - iv by Canterbury City Council (November 2009). Canterbury City Council.
64. Final Proposed Minor Changes to the Herne Bay Area Action Plan (November 2009). Canterbury City Council
Please send the completed Application Form to: dgII_coastal_bp@coe.int