The Sittingbourne Society takes an interest in local affairs which may affect residents of Sittingbourne (ME10 & surrounding areas) - mainly planning matters.

The Sittingbourne Society was founded in 1977, mainly from a group set up to oppose the Council’s East-West Road project which would have provided a southern by-pass of the town centre and involved the destruction of several properties and considerable disturbance to others. The Society’s initial membership was in the 200 region, comprising many younger families anxious to preserve the well-being of their town at a time when it was expanding rapidly to meet mainly the needs of a commuting population.

Much of the Society’s time was spent keeping a watchful eye on developments and campaigning actively for various improvements. One of its first objectives was pedestrianisation of the High Street with its narrow pavements and growing two-way traffic. In the end it had to settle for Saturday pedestrianisation and one-way working the rest of the week. It campaigned for the extension of St. Michael’s Road to East Street, for a reduction in the number of lorries using residential streets, for better signposting and for pedestrian crossings. It also fought various proposals for developments into the rural area and was successful in persuading the then Secretary of State for the Environment to stop Kent and other County Councils from giving themselves planning permission for developments for their own financial benefit.

Over the years the Society has published various documents including several versions of the Town Centre Trail, the Milton Creek Trail, The Milton Town Trail, A History of Murston Village and Stock Bricks of Kent. It has also been involved with Town Centre Management, the preservation and management of the Court Hall, Sittingbourne in Bloom and the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England. Its most ambitious project was the restoration of Periwinkle Mill and its housing in a museum. Sadly this came to a stop when the Heritage Lottery Fund declined to give grant aid. Substantial funds are still held in the hope that the remaining mill machinery can be housed in a future town Heritage Museum.