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More on KentOnline
Every now and then you convince yourself you've come up with a brilliant idea.
But unfortunately, when you make your grand plan public, rather than being considered a stroke of genius, people seem to think it's just a bit bonkers.
Many such madcap schemes have suffered the same fate in Kent.
If only people had been a bit more open-minded, today we might have a road bridge across the English Channel linking Dover and Calais.
Meanwhile, a 200ft carving of Winston Churchill's face would glare out from the White Cliffs.
And a giant heron would be looming over Herne Bay seafront.
Here we look at some of the weird and wonderful plans for the county that never made it past the drawing board...
1. The £39 billion airport in the sea
Ambitious architects certainly made waves with their proposals for a four-runway airport on the Goodwin Sands, off the coast of Deal.
The £39 billion offshore hub was put forward by Beckett Rankine back in 2012.
But the plans for an airport on the 10-mile sandbank - where 2,000 ships are believed to have been wrecked - were dismissed as "a publicity stunt" and "completely bonkers".
Yet eight years on, the developers appear to be undeterred by the scheme's failure to take off.
As recently as February 27, the Goodwin Airport's Twitter account continued to promote the idea.
Responding to a tweet backing Boris Johnson's plans for an airport hub in the Thames Estuary, they said: "Better still build the airport on the Goodwin Sands!"
2. Boris's bridge across the Channel
Sticking with Boris Johnson, in 2018 he floated the idea of of building a bridge across the English Channel to link the UK with France.
He raised the prospect during a meeting with French president Emmanuel Macron, later tweeting: "Our economic success depends on good infrastructure and good connections. Should the Channel Tunnel be just a first step?”
However, experts poured cold water on the then Foreign Secretary's plans, questioning the viability of a 22-mile bridge over what is the busiest shipping channel in the world.
One told The Times it would cost at least £120 billion, adding: "It would really be cheaper to move France closer.”
3. Kent's answer to Mount Rushmore
After Winston Churchill led Britain to victory in the Second World War, people were keen to honour the Prime Minister.
According to Andrew Roberts' recent biography of the great man, many monuments were proposed.
Mr Roberts writes: "£50,000 was even raised for a 200ft carving of his face in the White Cliffs of Dover, complete with a large cigar with a permanently lit end in red, for the safety of shipping."
Imagine what a sight that would have been on the ferry back from France.
But sadly Kent's answer to Mount Rushmore never became a reality.
4. Seagulls scupper giant Roman statue
Nowhere in Kent seems to inspire more grand ideas than Dover.
In 2016, a proposal was put forward for a 65ft statue of a Roman centurion on the town's seafront.
But the bid for the £2 million "Colossus of Dover", inspired by the Colossus of Rhodes, was scuppered by seagulls.
The Kent Archaeological review, chaired by Dr Brian Philp, said: "The project won popular support but, as so often in Dover, there was predictable opposition.
"The main objections were that seagulls would sit on it, the paint would wear off, and that military matters should not be commemorated."
5. Ambitious flight of fancy
In 2017, plans for another seafront sculpture were put forward in Herne Bay.
Art enthusiasts revealed their idea for a giant aluminium heron at the end of Neptune's Arm.
The 30ft mobile sculpture would be powered by the tide - but £100,000 needed to be found to pay for it.
Accountant Jason Hollingsworth, who dreamt up the project with artist Philip Long, said: “For many years the heron has been an emblem of the town and it is very important.
“It has inspired us with a vision to create a giant moving sculpture as an emblem for Herne Bay, offering a sculpture of both beauty and function."
But three years on, the scheme has yet to take flight.
6. Offshore hotel bid hits the rocks
Striking plans to convert the Red Sands sea forts into a billionaires' playground were first mooted in 2015.
David Cooper had hoped to convert the rusting Second World War defences off the coast of Whitstable and Herne Bay into a £1,000-per-night luxury hotel equipped with a helipad.
But the scheme hit a stumbling block after a £100 million deal with Middle Eastern investors fell through.
Instantly recognisable, the forts, which were built in 1943 and designed by Guy Maunsell, feature prominently on the horizon off the Kent coast.
Decommissioned in the 1950s, they are not technically owned by anyone – but they are on the Crown Estate’s land.
Another short-lived scheme for the forts was put forward in 2016, to transform them into a huge spray-painted mural.
7. From Tinsel Town to Medway Towns
When you think of glitz and glamour, Borstal in Rochester might not be the first location that pops into your head.
Back in 2009, council chiefs sought to rectify this by building their very own Hollywood-style sign in the village - in a bid to put Medway on the map.
A huge letter E was erected to gauge public opinion. And it's fair to say it proved a flop with residents.
Terry Whitby was infuriated when he saw the giant vowel going up just yards away from his front door in Victoria Terrace.
"I couldn't believe what I was seeing," he said. "We don't really want to wake up in the morning looking at this."
It was taken down four days later, at an overall cost of £2,000 to the taxpayer.
At the time, a Medway Council spokesman said: "While people are familiar with the five towns, very few outside the south east know where Medway is.
"One of the challenges facing the council is to attract inward investment to Medway."
8. The floating lap dancing club
"Has this town no decency left at all?"
That was the reaction of Invicta Rowing Club vice-president John Clayton when plans for a floating lapdancing club in Maidstone were revealed in 2010.
The Yacht Club was set to be a private members' club also offering strip shows and an outdoor hot tub.
It was to be based on a "James Bond-style" 50ft catamaran and a yacht joined together
Karen Elston, who hoped to run the club with husband Dave, said: "This is isn't your average pound in a jug establishment - we will be employing elegant young ladies not crude girls."
But after a flood of protests, plans for the X-rated river venue were put on hold - and have never since resurfaced.
9. The Angel of the South
No list of bold but bonkers ideas for Kent would be complete without the plans for a humongous white horse in the Ebbsfleet Valley.
The 50-metre beast - dubbed the Angel of the South - was dreamt up by artist Mark Wallinger.
In 2009, Ebbsfleet Landmark Project organisers picked his design as the sculpture to symbolise the valley and dominate residents’ skylines.
Wallinger, a Turner Prize winner, said his creation, 33-times the size of a thoroughbred horse and the same height as Nelson’s column, is synonymous with Kent.
Gravesham Council gave the scheme planning permission in 2010. But costs increased to about £15 million and the project has never got out of the traps.
Have we missed any of Kent's best madcap schemes? Do you think any of these big dreams should have been made a reality? Let us know in the comments below.
