At last the KMSP report arrives.

The long await and long overdue report from KMSP Examination in Public finally sees the light of day. After a staggering five months of deliberation the inspectorate have basically concluded that while they can’t back the current proposals for an expanded park, this is mainly dependent on the feasibility of the Southern Relief Road, which is yet to be established.

I have not had the chance to establish quite what it is then that was produced last summer when Swale Forward pitched in £300,000 of our money along with a similar contribution from the Kent Science Park to conduct a study of the Southern Relief Road. Perhaps the unfavourable outcome was too controversial for the panel, or perhaps they chose not to consider it because that would have meant making a decision.

On the housing front they have chosen not to make any recommendation at all.

Where does this leave us, well its too early to say, but I find the lack of clarity and inability to actually make a commitment a little disappointing. Here we were looking for an independent body to provide planning guidance and make those difficult decisions, even if we didn’t like the outcome. What we are left with is much the same as what we started with, we’re all just another year older now.