KIG Kent International Gateway

The KIG inquiry started on the 13, October and runs till approx. the end of November. Cllr Burton is attending most Joint Parishes Group (JPG) meetings at this crucial time and keeps the Parish Council updated with any developments which have an influence on Langley and its rural setting. The proposed KIG development would involve some 80.000 sq ft of 45 ft high warehousing, approx. 2 million sq ft commercial ware housing and offices, 700,000 sq ft of rail shunting and container yard, 81 ft tall gantry cranes, 2 railway locomotives working 168 hours a weeks (24/7), container movements hourly everyday and night. A night mare! The light pollution will be horrendous. We keep you posted. the Inquiry is open for everybody to attend at Kent House, Romney Place in Maidstone. Further information at: www.stopkig.org

Council says no to KIG

Maidstone council has rejected plans for the Kent International Gateway application and will now lead the fight against the proposals at the planning inquiry in October.

After a four and a half hour planning committee on Thursday evening (May 7) there was a unanimous vote by members of the committee rejecting the proposals.

Leader of the council, Cllr Chris Garland, said: "We will now be leading from the front, helped by Kent County Council and the Parishes, in the fight against KIG. We have identified significant and compelling planning policy grounds for refusal. There is no evidence or justification within this proposal that demonstrates that a shift of freight from road to rail would be achieved. So there is no strategic reason for the Secretary of State to override this council's or the residents' objections to the huge damage it would cause. The residents and this council have now declared in one loud and clear voice 'NO' we do not want the 'Demon of the South'."

KIG has appealed to the Secretary of State who will make the final decision and a public inquiry will be held in October. The council’s planning committee agreed 18 detailed grounds on which it would have refused the application. These will form the basis of the evidence that the council will present at the inquiry.

The grounds for rejecting the proposal include the fact that the applicant had not proved the need for KIG or why it should be built in the countryside plus the effects on traffic, pollution, damage to wildlife, loss of archaeological heritage, damage to the council's own plans and ambitions for the future development of the county town. Officers made clear they did not believe the proposals would result in a modal shift of freight from road to rail, with the project instead acting mainly as a regional distribution centre by road with an anticipated 6,000 lorry movements a day.

The meeting took place at the Maidstone TV studios, and was watched by more than 500 members of public and 100 people online on digitalmaidstone.co.uk. If you missed any of the meeting the webcast can be viewed online.

The planning inspector will make recommendations to Hazel Blears, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. She will make the final decision after the inquiry which is due to start on October 13 and which could last six to eight weeks.

Everyone can follow council’s KIG debate -
7th May 2009

Maidstone council is doing everything it can to meet the public demand for information about the Kent International Gateway.
 
The council’s planning committee will formally consider the KIG application at 6:00 pm on May 7th at the Maidstone TV Studios, New Cut Road, Vinters Park.  The meeting will be broadcast live ondigitalmaidstone.co.uk and 1,000 people will be able to attend in person to hear the debate.  There will be a link to the webcast on the home page of the website.
 
The council has written to everyone who has commented on the application to tell them about the meeting and the webcast.
 
The venue has 300 parking spaces and Alison Broom, Director of Prosperity and Regeneration wants people to car share to ease the pressure on spaces and reduce traffic congestion in the area.  The venue is licensed for up to 1,000 people so if more turn up they will have to be asked to leave.
 
The Committee is keen to hear the views of people who have an interest in the application and will hear the views of:
 
· Up to 10 objectors – This could be a petitioner, or a representative of a Residents’ Association/Amenity Group or an individual objector.  Each objector will be able to speak for up to 3 minutes.

· Representatives of the Joint Parishes Group. The parishes will have 30 minutes.

· The applicant or his/her representative (including a supporter), or a petitioner.  The applicant and/or their representative will have 30 minutes.

The slots for speakers to address the meeting will be filled on a first come first served basis.  Anyone who would like to speak at the meeting will have to register to speak by ringing the Council on 01622 602751 between 10:00 am and 1:00 pm on May 5th, 2009.  The line will close once all ten speakers and ten reserve speaker slots have been filled.
 
Alison Broom says: “There is so much interest in this application I am sure people will appreciate that due to the expected volume of calls this is the only way we can be fair and equitable in the registration of speakers.  This will be the only way to register to speak.”
 
The Committee agenda, including the planning officer’s report on the application, will be on the council’s online planning service, atdigitalmaidstone.co.ukfrom Wednesday, April 29th 2009.
 
Any additional information received about the application after preparation of the main report will be published on the website one clear day before the committee meeting (i.e. on the evening of Tuesday, May 5, 2009), and will be available at the Maidstone Gateway, King Street, Maidstone.  Any late information will be reported on the night.

Planning Meeting flyer:

Letter from MBC:

KIG — Kent International Gateway

The Kent International Gateway (KIG) planning application is likely to be heard this month and it will probably be held at the Maidstone Leisure Centre to allow as many members of public to attend as possible. The Parish Council, is part of a group of 15 parishes working together to represent the views of local people who are potentially affected by the development, will be speaking at the hearing.
  The planning hearing is set to go ahead now that Maidstone Borough Council has received additional supporting material from the developers. Anyone who had submitted a view previously is encouraged to review the new information and reaffirm (or otherwise) that their original view is unchanged by the additional disclosures.
  It has been suggested that the future of the Leeds/Langley by-pass will be at least in part connected to this possible development. The development is bound to have an impact on the number of vehicle movements around the south side of Maidstone.
  How do you feel about the Parish Council continuing their involvement with the KIG Joint Parish Group at a potential cost of £4-5k next year? Will you be attending the planning application meeting. Email your views and ideas to parishclerk@langley-kent.org.uk

KCC Local board to meet in November

The Kent County Council Maidstone Local Board, composed of the nine elected councillors for the Maidstone Borough area and  includes Paul Carter the Leader of Kent County Council and Lord Sandy Bruce-Lockhart OBE, have decided that the next Local Board meeting to be held on Friday November 30th in Maidstone, will be a public meeting on the proposed Kent International Gateway planning submission to Maidstone Borough council. Residents and interested parties will be invited to find out more about the submission and make further comments with a view to the collated responses being part of KCC’s response during the consultation period.
  The last public meeting on the KIG proposal attracted some 700 participants, and this meeting would not expect to attract less. Proposed speakers would include Paul Carter, Leader of the KCC, Hugh Robertson MP for Faversham & Mid Kent (confirmed), Maidstone Borough Council representatives and other contributors representing local parish councils, organisations and societies. 
  The meeting will take place at the Ramada hotel, Hollingbourne, Maidstone from 7pm to 9pm on Friday 30th November. Further details will be distributed in due course.
 
For further information please contact:
Loic Flory
KCC Community Liaison Manager
Tonbridge and Malling and Maidstone
Room 1.94, Sessions House
Maidstone, Kent, ME14 1XQ
01622 694217
07710 339 889
www.kent.gov.uk