| Shepway District | |
|---|---|
| — Non-metropolitan district — | |
| Shepway shown within Kent | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Constituent country | England |
| Region | South East England |
| Non-metropolitan county | Kent |
| Status | Non-metropolitan district |
| Admin HQ | Folkestone |
| Incorporated | 1 April 1974 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Non-metropolitan district council |
| • Body | Shepway District Council |
| • Leadership | Leader & Cabinet (Conservative) |
| • MPs | Damian Collins |
| Area | |
| • Total | 137.7 sq mi (356.7 km2) |
| Area rank | 118th (of 326) |
| Population (2010 est.) | |
| • Total | 101,200 |
| • Rank | 222nd (of 326) |
| • Density | 734.8/sq mi (283.7/km2) |
| • Ethnicity | 97.3% White 1.5% S.Asian |
| Time zone | GMT (UTC0) |
| • Summer (DST) | BST (UTC+1) |
| ONS code | 29UL |
| OS grid reference | TR2233835912 |
| Website | www.shepway.gov.uk |
Shepway is a local government district in Kent, England.[1] It includes the towns of Folkestone and Hythe and the Romney Marsh. It is named after the Jutish lathe of Shepway; the Royal Court of Shepway, which met near Lympne at a place called Shepway Cross, was the principal court of the Cinque Ports Federation.[2] Shepway District Council uses the Folkestone White Horse as a logo.
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The district was formed on 1 April 1974 as a merger of the boroughs of Folkestone, Hythe, Lydd and New Romney, along with Elham and Romney Marsh Rural Districts. Its council offices are in Folkestone.
In 2011, Lydd Airport's owners – who are seeking to expand the airport – gave "gifts to councillors", which councillors did not declare.[3]
The District Council consists of 46 councillors representing 22 wards.[4] Those wards are:
Following the May 2011 elections, the composition of Shepway District Council is 44 Conservatives and two from the People First party.
The third tier of local government in Shepway consists of town councils in Folkestone, Hythe, New Romney and Lydd; and the following parish councils:[6]
Shepway occupies the most southerly part of Kent. It is bounded on the north by Ashford and Canterbury Districts; on the east by Dover District and on the south by the Strait of Dover. The Romney and Walland Marshes cover a good deal of its area to the west; where the North Downs begin to reach the sea there is much more in the way of settlement. The four towns in the District are all located along the coast.
In economic terms, Shepway is the third most deprived area in Kent, after Thanet and Swale. Like them, it has a high rate of unemployment; poor educational attainment figures; and with the majority of businesses being small operations.[7]
The major source of economy is, however, tourism. Events and venues are widely publicised.[8][9]
The M20 motorway crosses the District to end at Folkestone. Other main roads include the A259 south coast road and the A260 which takes traffic towards Canterbury. The South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 both cross the district: the western end of the Channel Tunnel is at Cheriton, west of Folkestone.
The Royal Military Canal crosses the northern edge of the Romney Marsh; and the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway runs out to Dungeness from Hythe.
Several long distance footpaths cross the District, including the Saxon Shore Way and the North Downs Way; shorter walks include the ’’Elham Valley Walk’’ and the ’’Royal Military Canal Path’’.
Lydd Airport is also in this district.
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