Science park will put town on global map

CLAIMS that thousands of new homes planned for the outskirts of Sittingbourne would be a "modern day slum" have been strongly denied.

Cllr Keith Ferrin, who represents Swale West and is a member of Kent County Council's influental cabinet, last week criticised proposals for 5,000 homes as part of an expanded Kent Science Park, formerly Sittingbourne Research Centre.

In an exclusive interview with the Kent Messenger, he said: "The whole scheme is horrendous.

"It is about twice as big as it needs to be to support the science park. It is the modern day equivalent of the slum."

Reacting to his comments, site director Nick Sharp said this week: "It is the Govement that dictates housing density, not us."

He added that the proposed density about 49 houses per hectare was "significantly less" than that of Victorian terraced homes, at some 70 to the hectare.

"There will be all sorts of houses," he said. "The homes are needed to enable the expansion of the science park to take place and to pay for a proposed new junction off the M2 with a new road down to the A2."

Included in the plans for the site currently home to 85 companies, between them employing more than 960 staff are a 50 hectare science park, alongside a 54 hectare country park and 103 hectares of new housing, as well as the £23m Sittingbourne Southern Relief Road linking the M2 to the A2.

"It will really put Sittingbourne on the map both in Kent, nationally and indeed worldwide," said Mr Sharp.

"The science park already has an outstanding record of growth but we need to plan for the future. It is not just boffins there all sorts of jobs are there and will be coming to the site."

Included in the plans will be three primary and one secondary school which must be built under legally binding agreements.

"The homes will be in a real sustainable community," said Mr Sharp.

"We are trying to balance the need for jobs, the need to reduce traffic congestion around Sittingbourne and the demands of the Thames Gateway housing initiative now under way."

This article and photographs are used with the kind permission of The Kent Messenger Group