Has SEERA let the cat out of the bag?

Ever since the draft of the new South East Plan arrived on my doorstep, I have been convinced that Sittingbourne has been singled out for significant development. Notice that I did not say Swale here, because the plan specifically refers to Sittingbourne and not Swale as one of only handful of areas for major development in the Kent Thames Gateway Sub-Region.

The plan, if you can call it that, has some serious shortcomings, which were echoed by both KCC and Swale councillors during a public meeting last night on the draft plan. However it was the comments from Mike Gwilliam the Director of Planning and Transport for SEERA that confirmed my worst fears. During a discussion on the lack of direction for economic growth, Mike Gwilliam said “that we have the jewel in the crown for the south east of England in the Kent Science Park and that we had failed to make the most of it during the recent EIP for the Kent & Medway Structure Plan.”

Now this is interesting for a couple of reasons, the first of which is that only a matter of weeks ago at a Town & Parish Council Conference, Leigh Herington County Planning Officer for KCC refused to acknowledge that the draft South East plan makes any mention of the Kent Science Park. Along with KCC Cabinet Member Richard King, even went as far as suggesting that the Kent Science Park was far too small a concern to be included in the plan.

When we asked what was meant by the inclusion of “In Sittingbourne the employment and occupation structure will be diversified through expansion of the service and science sectors.” they failed to provide any answer what-so-ever.

Secondly the expansion of the Kent Science Park is heavy supported by KCC Cabinet Member Alex King and I’m not at all convinced that KCC would not have understood what the above wording implied.

So why is it that both KCC and Swale Council continue to act in secrecy, surely if its that great an idea they should be shouting it from the roof tops rather than whispering behind closed doors.