Grateful to the gods for their gifts
26 Jul 2006
A GIFT from the gods has been sent to the mortals of Swale. Over the next 10 years, the borough has been directed by the government to increase its new build housing from 7,500 to 9,100. The people have no choice — it's an offer they can't refuse.Swale House (Spin City) wrings its hands — what can we do? We must comply. Let's build the extra 1,600 houses between Sittingbourne and Bapchild. And it came to pass that the people of Swale were offered a further gift they couldn't refuse.
At the Wyvern Suite in Sittingbourne on July 13, Kent Science Park announced a new (well almost) way forward for Swale — a massive expansion of the park beyond its current footprint, a new relief road, a country park and 5,000 extra
houses (at the moment) as an infill.
it's another deal we can't refuse and, as we were told repeatedly by the park's planning consultant, a deal we couldn't "cherry pick". All or nothing. Like it or lump it. Swale Forward was licking its lips.
The people of Swale were very lucky and privileged to be offered this gift. It was a good omen. In fact, everybody was a winner.
Spin City gets its long-cherished relief road; the science park,
which is under-occupied and actually has less than 30 per cent science-related businesses on site, gets its expansion, John Prescott and his ex-bunch of planning wizards gain a further step towards concreting over Kent.
And what of the citizens of Sittingbourne and the surrounding villages, who have felt under siege for so long, who have bravely stood against the Spin City machine, Prezza's cohorts and the landowners' mercenary
marauders?
Well, they stand to gain a country park, instead of all that boring open countryside which they currently cherish; nightmare traffic congestion generated by the thousands of extra houses; an endless vista of buildings and factories, a new Medway Towns; no new doctors, dentists etc. And they will all be much fitter,
because the car parks will be shut to encourage them to walk and cycle to work and the shops, in accordance with Spin City's transport plan.
John Bonney
Stockers Hill, Rodmersham.
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