Long live weeds and wilderness

We were at the meeting at The Swallows on September 24 to discuss the Kent Science Park proposals and the building of a southern relief road to join with the M2.

We thought the spokespeople from the five parishes concerned about such a development made salient points about the true implications of such a project.

We, too, are horrified and sceptical about the reality of such a massive building project. The “conceptual land use plan” and “land use zones” maps we were sent by the project director of Kent Science Park, Simon Reynolds, look very pretty and talk of “an education village, significant landscape enhancement, neighbourhood centres” etc, but compared with the true vision of the exhibited maps at the meeting, showing the takeover of rural land and how it will enlarge Sittingbourne, they lose their attractiveness.

How can 10,000-plus homes be supported without provision for schools, medical services, police, refuse disposal and our most necessary need for life – water?

M and J Godfrey’s letter (Gazette and Times, July 7) highlighted the issue, pointing out there was more water per head in Syria, Sudan and Spain than there was in south east England.

In the “conceptual land use plan”, where are the provisions for sewage works, pumping stations, gas, electricity and telephone cables?

There is a tiny blue blob next to Ruins Barn Road which says “community power plant”, but what does this mean?

Where are the detailed plans for the new schools, hospitals and all the necessities to support these homes?

Where are the teachers, doctors, nurses and other staff coming from to work here?

Another important factor to consider carefully is the building of a new road link (single carriageway) which will join the M2.

The southern relief road purports to relieve traffic going through Sittingbourne and prevent the use of country roads as “rat-runs”.

The M2 from Gillingham to Canterbury is only two lanes and is very busy and noisy. Cars from 10,000-plus new homes wanting to drive to Canterbury, Bluewater or London will certainly not relieve anybody.

New homes will always have to be built. Let’s use redundant housing areas crying out for care and attention.

Let’s refurbish old industrial land for new shopping centres and businesses. Let’s inject more investment into our ailing education and health services now, rather than hastily having to do it in retrospect.

Let’s leave our beautiful, unspoilt rural areas just as they are. Gerard Manley Hopkins puts it very well in his poem Inversnaid: “O let them be left, wildness and wet,  Long live the weeds and wilderness yet.”

Sue and Roger Sills
Doves Croft
Tunstall