News Release
Council says no to KIG
Maidstone council has rejected plans for the
Kent International Gateway application and will now lead the
fight against the proposals at the planning inquiry in October.
After a four and a half hour planning
committee on Thursday evening (May 7) there was a unanimous vote by
members of the committee rejecting the proposals.
Leader of the council, Cllr Chris Garland,
said: "We will now be leading from the front, helped by Kent County
Council and the Parishes, in the fight against KIG. We have
identified significant and compelling planning policy grounds for
refusal. There is no evidence or justification within this proposal
that demonstrates that a shift of freight from road to rail would
be achieved. So there is no strategic reason for the
Secretary of State to override this council's or the residents'
objections to the huge damage it would cause. The residents and
this council have now declared in one loud and clear voice 'NO' we
do not want the 'Demon of the South'."
KIG has appealed to the Secretary of State who
will make the final decision and a public inquiry will be held in
October. The council’s planning committee agreed 18 detailed
grounds on which it would have refused the application.
These will form the basis of the evidence that
the council will present at the inquiry.
The grounds for rejecting the proposal include
the fact that the applicant had not proved the need for KIG or why
it should be built in the countryside plus the effects on traffic,
pollution, damage to wildlife, loss of archaeological heritage,
damage to the council's own plans and ambitions for the future
development of the county town. Officers made clear they did not
believe the proposals would result in a modal shift of freight from
road to rail, with the project instead acting mainly as a regional
distribution centre by road with an anticipated 6,000 lorry
movements a day.
The meeting took place at the Maidstone TV
studios, and was watched by more than 500 members of public and 100
people online on digitalmaidstone.co.uk. If you missed any of the
meeting the webcast can be viewed online.
The planning inspector will make recommendations to Hazel
Blears, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local
Government. She will make the final decision after the
inquiry which is due to start on October 13 and which could last
six to eight weeks.
Date:
May 8, 2009
Ref:
KJ/090504