StopKIG

I have put my objection in to Maidstone Borough Council on the KIG development. Below my points I added the suggested objections from the StopKIG campaign. Comments need to be in to MBC by 6th Feb and can be sent to KIGcomments@maidstone.gov.uk

KCC have also arranged a further public meeting: Invicta Grammar School, Huntsman Lane, Maidstone, on 2nd February, 6.30pm for 7pm start.


Dear Maidstone Borough Council,

I wish to object to the planning application for the Kent International Gateway (KIG) on the following grounds:

1. The development seems to want to move road freight onto rail (which I approve of), however the application seems to be focussed upon international transport, both imports and exports and fails to take adequately into account::

a. The differing transport modalities between the UK and Europe
b. The economic downturn that is likely to be sustained
c. The need to reduce international trade in favour of localism
d. That the ideal place to intercept road freight coming into the UK and to place it on the rail network is at the ports and CTRL terminal.
e. That the ideal place to put freight onto rail for transport across Europe is at the point of production, i.e. around the UK. Interchanges to allow export are best made close to the ports and CTRL terminal – not Maidstone.
f. That freight on lorries is predominantly trailer based rather than container based. Trailers are unsuitable for rail transport in the UK.

2. Maidstone needs its own rail / road interchange for goods. This would be on a far smaller scale than KIG and the KIG proposal does not provide this facility.

3. The suggestion that workers at KIG would cycle and walk to work without adequate infrastructure for these modalities in the surrounding area is bizarre. It is likely that most employees will travel to work by car. This is likely to be compounded by much of the work force being drawn from Medway and Swale areas. KIG acknowledge that cyclists are only likely to travel around 5km to work.