Planning consent was granted just before Christmas for a large rail freight interchange at Slade Green, Bexley after a Planning Inquiry.

STOPKIG supports the ambition of Government Policy to use rail for transporting freight. However, the interchanges must be built at sites which do not create unacceptable costs to the environment and to peoples’ lives. STOPKIG considers the proposal by KIG to build an interchange between Bearsted and Hollingbourne demands too great a sacrifice. It considers the Slade Green site to be more suitable because:-

Cross Channel freight will stay on trains through Kent thus reducing lorry traffic on M20 – UNLIKE KIG which will increase lorry flows along M20.

It is ideally located to serve South East London and Kent and has the support of the Greater London Authority and Kent County Council as strategic authorities.

It complies with Government Policy which is to have 4 rail freight interchanges around London which are close to the M25.

It is well situated to benefit from the large labour supply in London and North Kent. Whereas KIG would have to import nearly half the labour from outside Kent.

The Slade Green rail freight interchange has been designed for around 12/13 cross channel freight trains per day – the same as KIG. There is therefore no need for KIG now that a much better located scheme has been permitted by the Government at Slade Green. It remains to be seen whether the AXA Group, which is backing KIG, will now defer to the legitimate wishes of the people of Kent and withdraw its planning application.