Kent Science Park proposal bad news

Local Conservative spokesman, Gordon Henderson, launched his bitter attack after attending a consultation meeting at the Swallows Leisure Centre at which the developers of the site explained their plans and answered questions from concerned residents.

Gordon said:

 ‘Although I went along to the meeting in a fairly cynical frame of mind, a part of me hoped that the developers would put forward a revised plan for expansion of the Science Park that did not include a massive housing development.

‘I was right to be cynical because it was soon made clear that the plans will only go ahead as a package that includes more industrial units, 5000 extra houses and an A2-M2 link road.

 ‘The case put forward by the developers was contradictory and they were unable to explain away that contradiction. In one breath they claimed that an expansion of the Science Park would lead to greater employment opportunities for local people; something with which none of us could complain.

‘But of course, if local people are employed at an expanded Science Park, they presumably already live in Sittingbourne, so they will not require the 5000 houses that are due to be built. So, who are those houses for? The developers eventually had to admit that these would be for “migrants” into the area.

‘I am clear in my mind that this development has nothing to do with improving life for the people of Sittingbourne, but has everything to do with helping John Prescott to achieve his ambition of imposing thousands more houses on our area. And the developers made clear that these 5000 houses are in addition to the 9100 houses already imposed on Swale! All in all this plan is very bad news for Sittingbourne.

‘The one aspect of this fiasco that really concerns me is the way in which the developers are including an A2-M2 link in with their plans, thereby, forcing local people to oppose what is a vital part of the town’s roads infrastructure.

‘Sittingbourne needs an A2-M2 link, but that road must be funded by the Government and must be sited far enough to the east not to affect Bapchild or any of the other villages on that side of the town.’