The Campaign to Protect Rural England is calling for a public inquiry into the proposed China Gateway development.
In a letter to Hazel Blears, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, CPRE Kent chairman Gary Thomas is adamant that an inquiry needs to be held.
He comments that the decision is too big for Thanet council to take alone because of “implications that it would have beyond the Thanet district”.
A meeting of the full council will consider the China Gateway application at its chambers in Margate on Thursday, October 9.
Mr Thomas writes: “The application raises serious questions about the council’s objectivity in considering both the application and in making future decisions on the Local Development Framework because there are too many unanswered questions relating to plans for possible Phases 2 and 3 of the project, applications of which are sure to follow any approval.
“We consider that the potential scale of employment development envisaged at Manston Business Park [where Phase 1 is proposed] will have implications beyond Thanet district and would be contrary to the South East Plan.
“We therefore ask that this application be called in to allow a public inquiry to examine these wider issues in detail.”
The organisation’s Kent chief also raises issues such as HGV traffic, about which he writes: “The applicant’s documents show that Phase 1 alone is expected to generate between 1,877 and 2,353 HGV trips per day, with Phases 2 and 3 generating between 4,027 and
5,107 HGV trips per day.
“It is not clear where this HGV traffic will be coming from and going to, but it is likely to put even greater stress on the M2/M20 corridors and connections to freight ports.”
He concludes: “We therefore ask that this application be called in to allow a public inquiry to examine these wider issues in detail.”
POSTED: 22/09/2008 18:35:15
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