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Click Here to download the
"Say No to Kent International
Gateway" poster. Alternatively
click here to see where you can
collect your poster from.
Downloading and printing the
poster to A5 size makes a good
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Posted :
18/07/2009 |
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Members of the
STOPKIG.org team
have identified that
the reduction in
size of some
warehouses and small
improvements in
screening do nothing
to reduce the
massive damage that
this development
would inflict on our
community.
AXA/KIG with their
amended plan have
advised that they
can carry out the
SRFI plan with a
total reduction of
17½% in the size of
their 2 rail
connected
warehouses, now 1,
450,000 sq ft in
place of 1,748,000
sq ft. A staffing
reduction to 2,900
from 3,500 is also
advised, but with
the same rail
element of 12 to 13
trains being handled
per 24 hours. It is
easy to assume these
are changes,
envisaged from the
start 2 years ago,
but orchestrated to
be announced one
week before the
Pre-Inquiry Meeting
held by the Planning
Inspector on the
12th June, with the
full files of the
changes being
delivered from the
3rd July.
This remains an
enormously crammed
site alongside a
significant
residential area,
with all the
resultant
environmental and
social issues
involved such as
noise, vibration and
dust. It bears
little comparison to
SRFI sites such as
Daventry/Crick on
the M1. The size of
the engineering
works involved, with
large areas of the
site being cut and
filled to provide
stable and flat
platforms for rail
and buildings can be
discerned from the
new plans. This is
assumed to be
dependant on major
piling works which
will be required to
provide effective
foundations given
the instability of
the Gault Clay,
though this
requirement is not
identified in the
revised plans.
The rail connected
warehouses in
relation to the
residential areas of
Bearsted remain
exactly as the
original plan, the
part removed being
adjacent to the
motorway. No advice
has been given
whether this is due
to construction or
operational
imperative. The
removed part of the
main building is now
designated for lorry
unloading.
The two warehouses
not rail connected
behind Barty House
have now been joined
and the overall size
reduced by about
38%. This removes
them further from
Barty Farm with its
heavily listed barn
and from the listed
Barty House nursing
home. The sizeable
recently completed
rear extension to
the nursing home has
not been identified
on the development
plans. The remaining
warehouses and
offices on the east
side of the
development remain
unchanged.
The effects overall
on the residential
areas of Thurnham
Lane, Fremlins Road
and Mallings Lane
remain unchanged
except for a green
Sedum roof cover
over the main rail
siding that finishes
some 70 metres from
properties in
Thurnham Lane, but
has a spur line
running from this
into the main
building for
unloading purposes.
More information
is given to the
situation with
Junction 8 and the
site access off the
A20. There are
concerns for the
Highways Agency over
Junction 8, and Kent
Highways over the
site access from the
A20 roundabout next
to Junction 8. The
potential for chaos
around this area
remains an enormous
concern with refused
lorries returning to
the A20 and seeking
places to wait in
lanes and villages
as well as overnight
parking.
Nothing in the
new proposals
provide any help for
visitors trying to
reach Leeds Castle
from either the M20
or A20, nor for
villages such as
Hollingbourne,
Leeds, Langley,
Otham, Boxley or
Detling all of whom
have highway
concerns as a result
of this application.
Another significant
change is that KIG
is not now proposing
improvements to
Willington
St/Ashford Road
traffic signed
junction. We expect
even more use will
be made of local
roads such as in
Downswood, Spot Lane
or Ware Street,
trying to avoid
congestion at the
Willington Street
Junction including
that caused by KIG
employees.
Rule 6 parties, who
are assembling their
evidence to present
at the Appeal
Inquiry in October,
have much to ponder
on with the amended
files just received
including the AXA/KIG
interpretation on
the Planning
Imperative.
Many thanks for your
support. |
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