Science park plan debated
25 Jun 2008
A PUBLIC debate on Kent Science Park's plans for a further £2 million investment takes place in Tunstall village hall today.Representatives of the park will be on hand to discuss the proposals, which could bring a further 500 jobs to Swale. Traffic on Ruins Barn Road will also be debated.
Members of the public are invited to comment on the proposals for development of the park over the next four to five years. These include a new "arrivals centre", for which a planning application has already been submitted to Swale Council, plus the development of further technology units following the completion of the first phase of new buildings.
The meeting will also enable people to comment on the expansion of the park by four hectares beyond its security fence.
The land behind the site will accommodate new companies and an international headquarters building for Ecologia.
Andrew Bull of LaSalle Investment Management, the company that manages Kent Science Park, said: "These proposals, which are consistent with the Swale Local Plan, will ensure that the park has the ability to accommodate the needs of existing tenants and new companies moving to the park over the next four to five years.
"The proposed arrivals centre, replacing the existing gatehouse, will create the right impression of Kent Science Park for the 1,000 people who work here and the many suppliers and businesses who visit the park every day."
The Five Parishes Opposition Group, which has been fighting the plans, said it remained strongly opposed to the expansion. Chairman of Bapchild Parish Council Andy Hudson, who is a member of the opposition group, said: "They have got to make more use of the grounds within the security fence. We find it a little bit bizarre they are even bothering to submit an application. It will get thrown out on the grounds that it is not part of the local plan."
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