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COMMUNITY UPDATED ON SNOWDOWN PROGRESS
1 March 2002
More than 100 residents from Aylesham, Snowdown and Nonington,
gathered at the Aylesham Community Project to hear news on work
being undertaken to regenerate the former Snowdown colliery.
The preparation of plans for the regeneration strategy is being
led by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) and English
Partnerships. SEEDA reported on the progress made to date in developing
proposals for the site, based on the regeneration options available
set out in the Local Plan, the site capacity, infrastructure and
servicing.
SEEDA has been working with the Snowdown Regeneration Forum to
ensure that the actions taken are made through partnership with
local people. While precise details of what could happen at the
site are still being developed and assessed, it is anticipated
that the site could provide an opportunity to re-connect the local
communities to mainstream economic life and prosperity - improving
their access to education and technology.
Chair of the Snowdown Regeneration Forum, Lawrence Knight, said:
"The Snowdown Regeneration Forum is committed to ensuring
that the communities of Aylesham, Snowdown and Nonington achieve
best advantage from the regeneration proposals for the former
colliery site. Local people have been disillusioned for many years
about plans for the site but the commitment to take action in
partnership with SEEDA and English Partnerships provides us with
a real opportunity for the future and we must not miss it."
Senior Regeneration Manager at SEEDA, Chris Moore, said; "The
former colliery sites have been identified in the Regional Economic
Strategy as having the potential to be centres of business excellence
in the future. The need to justify comprehensive regeneration
in community and economic terms underpins all our work. What happens
at Snowdown must work towards securing new jobs for the local
community. The local people themselves are integral to this process
as they experience first hand the opportunities and constraints
that exist in their local area."
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