Lack of Transparency and Community Consultation

By appealing directly to the Secretary of State, the applicant and the MP have sidestepped critical local decision making, ignored the comprehensive findings of planners and shown total disregard for the concerns of public bodies and residents.

There is an immediate need for greater transparency in this planning process.

The developer has failed to engage meaningfully with the local council and community to ensure its plans align with Sittingbourne’s long-term interests. Its sponsorship of sport clubs does not provide any other benefits to the majority of people who would have to live with the devastating impact from these plans.

We find it extremely frustrating that sports clubs are used by developers as a vehicle to curry favour with decision makers when we know if the long term is fractures the clubs and communities causing irreparable damage to their reputations dividing supporters and followers and rarely delivering on all that is promised.