Crab & Winkle Way Extension

Proposed route (yellow-red dashed) of the Crab and Winkle Way Extension

View larger map Copyright notice

Maps design CC-by-SA Spokes
Map data CC-by-SA OpenStreetMap
Additional development CC-by-SA Gregory Williams

Route

Follows the original route of the Crab & Winkle line, with new bridges (artist impression) across the railway line and Teynham and Old Bridge Roads in Whitstable, down behind Clare and Station Roads, through to Harbour Street and the sea.

The proposed route is about ¾ km long.

Rationale

Will link the existing Crab & Winkle Way with the coast and with the proposed Oyster Bay coastal trail.

Maps

• Open cycle map
• Bing map and Google map
• Ordnance Survey map (offers scale of 1:50000) or alternatively StreetMap (offers scale of 1:25000).
• Shown as Route J on the map in the Canterbury Walking and Cycling Strategy (2003).
• Connect2 funding proposal map
• Detailed, large-scale plan (source) of the proposed route

History

• 1997: Campaigning (for the overall Canterbury to Whitstable route) started with the setting up of the Crab & Winkle Way Trust
• 2006: Planning application CA/06/00538 (source) for construction of the two bridges was granted (but has since lapsed).
• 2007: Planning application CA//07/01442 (source) for construction of a shared walking and cycling path was submitted.
• 2007: Some opposition from a local group, the Whitstable Green Lung Association, emerged.
• Dec 2007: The Connect2 project wins funding from the National Lottery
• 2009: A new issue of the beautifully illustrated Crab & Winkle Way leaflet is printed.
• May 2009: The Crab & Winkle Line Trust circulate a call for support for the planning application.
• Sept 2009: The CCC Development Control Committee visited the site and produced a detailed report (source).
• 15 Sept 2009: The CCC Development Control Committee authorised approval of CA//07/01442 subject to a further report on some minor matters and with the condition that construction shall not start until completion of the bridges across Teynham Road and Old Bridge Road. The Whitstable Times published an account (source) of the meeting.
• 2 Feb 2010: The CCC Development Control Committee received and unanimously approved a report on the above minor matters. Sustrans published a news release and British Cycling published an article (cached copy).
  The planning application was formally granted, under delegated powers, on 15 February.
• 3 Mar 2010: A public consultation (source) was started on the design for the two bridges (source) along with a public exhibition (source) on 12/13 March, attended by members of the Connect2 Whitstable steering group. It received a comparatively high (25%), and mostly favourable, response
• 27 Aug 2010: Planning application CA//10/01293 (source) by the Crab & Winkle Line Trust for construction of the above two bridges was submitted. The overall response (some 114 written representations, Nov 2011) was strongly supportive.
• 16 Sep 2010: A local group (the "Green Lung") appealed the rejection of a 2009 planning application to establish a wildlife reserve on the proposed route of the Crab and Winkle way (which would have blocked the latter).
• 31 Jan 2011: The recommendation to the Development Control Committee is published. Its concluding paragraph states:

  There can be thus no doubt that this proposal would assist in enabling the continuation of the recently approved route to improve accessibility to the town. However, it is also recognised that the proposal will result in imposing a negative localised impact upon the residential amenities of those living nearest; this negative impact needs to [be] balanced against the wider benefit such a route would bring to the community. On balance, it is considered that the wider public benefit in realising the cycle route would outweigh the harm to a limited number of local residents. In light of a balanced judgment needing to be made in this particular case the proposal is presented to Members with a recommendation for approval.

• 8 Feb 2011: The Development Control Committee resolves (source) to hold a site visit before deciding the matter.
• 17 Feb 2011: The site visit (source) takes place. Spokes member Ben Knox is amongst those who speak in favour of the proposal. Following the visit, the subcommittee resolves not to make a specific recommendation on the matter.
• 10 Mar 2011:

  The Development Control Committee decided (source), in favour of the planning application CA//10/01293 for the two bridges. Before the meeting, Spokes member Emily Shirley had enlisted the support of South East MEP, Keith Taylor and, during the meeting, Spokes member Adrian Oliver was amongst those who spoke in support of the application.

  The decision carries an extensive set of conditions (including generous provision for landscaping and tree planting) and records that:

  The permission is considered to accord with policies in the South East Plan 2009 and the Canterbury District Local Plan First Review 2006 and specifically policies BE1, BE2, BE7, C3, C24, NE1 and NE2 of the Local Plan and policies BE1, BE6, C6, CC6, CC8, NRM5, T1 and T2 of the South East Plan in that ecological, environmental, conservation and residential amenity issues are safeguarded, the design of the project is acceptable and creation of this public facility is in pursuance of Local Plan objectives.

  Afterwards, the Kentish Gazette carried this report (source) of the meeting and, a few days later, it made headline news in the Whitstable Times.

Funding, sponsors and supporters

• Grant of £500,000 under the Sustrans Connect2 initiative
• Supported by the Crab & Winkle Line Trust
• £5k contributed by Swale Housing Trust
• Kent County Council
• Canterbury City Council
• Kentish Stour Countryside Project
• Weston Homes plc (developers of the former Huyck site in Whitstable) under planning applications CA/10/00073 and CA/10/00322.

What the CCC Walking and Cycling Strategy document (2003) said

Crab and Winkle Extension from Old Bridge Road to Westgate Terrace --- Plan Reference No J

This route would provide a more direct route for NCR 1 to the Whitstable Coastal route and be on the original path of the Crab and Winkle Line. The route is dependent on land acquisition and the construction of three bridges.

The existing NCR 1 leaves the railway embankment at All Saints Close. However the cycle path could be continued on the KCC owned embankment up to Bridge Approach.

Bridge links would then be required across: Bridge Approach, the mainline railway and Teynham Road.

From Teynham Road, land acquisition would be required for a section of embankment at the rear of properties in Clare Road and Station Road. This would lead directly onto the Station Road residential development which has outline Planning Permission. The route would continue through the development on carriageway, into Station Road,Cromwell Road and Westgate Terrace and link with the coastal route at Harbour Street.

From section 8.5.1 of the Canterbury Walking and Cycling Strategy (2003)

Present state of the route

"The area is currently under-managed with signs of various amounts of fly-tipped waste throughout the site. It is also becoming over-run by invasive scrub and brambles, with trees being swamped by ivy coverage and bind weed." [Quoted in supplementary report submitted with the planning application]

These photos show representative sections of the proposed route and these photos show the sites of the proposed new bridges.

Next move

Kent Highways Services, in liaison with Canterbury City Council and British Rail, will begin detailed planning of the overall Crab and Winkle Way extension.

Latest news

The Spokes blog carries the latest news for this route.