Science Park to unveil plans

The Kent Science Park is all set to embark on a public consultation of their plans for a massively expanded park, an A2/M2 link road and thousands of houses, while simultaneously putting forward an entirely different and limited scheme to the inspector of the current Local Plan Inquiry.

The hypocrisy of this decision where by they withdrew their full scale expansion plans and instead submitted a limited phase one 6.5 hectares expansion with no road improvements and no housing just goes to show why they should not be trusted.

This is a deliberate way of ensuring that you and I can not comment on their plans in any meaningful way. Now just a few weeks after the initial hearing date, they are to unveil their great master plan for the future of Swale, one which I’m sure will have hardly deviated from those drawn up nearly three years ago. And yes I do mean Swale as these proposals will change Swale forever.

As I understand it the KSP are also to make an application for some of the 6.5 hectares, all of which lies outside the security fence, in the very near future. This is a staggering display of arrogance and contempt for the planning system and Local Plan process in particular which currently forbids an expansion beyond the security fence.

For Swale to even consider such an application would surely be to pre-empt the inspectors final decision on the site, one which will not be known until early 2007.

Even though Swale and KCC both effectively gave the green light for the expansion, it still requires that the inspector agree to modify the relevant policy of the Local Plan and for councillors to accept the detailed application.

So please do visit the Wyvern Hall at the Swallows leisure centre on July 13th and ask yourself what has the KSP done so far in recognition of our concerns and then take a look at how little their plans have changed. Door open at 5:50pm for a 6:00pm start.