StopKIG Party

After the sucessful campaign against the Kent International Gateway, StopKIG have announced a party!

Had this from them earlier:

To all our supporters,

We are planning a celebration on Saturday 18th September between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Bearsted Green.

Please click here to view your invitation to a party we are holding on the Green to celebrate the KIG planning appeal decision.

The StopKIG Steering Group would like to encourage you and your family and friends to attend this event.

It is possible that some catering may be available, but further information will follow as soon as it becomes available.

Please note that for reasons of economy we are only able to communicate directly with our email supporters and so would appreciate it if you would pass on this information to anyone you know who would be interested in attending but may not have email facilities.

Many thanks,

STOPKIG.ORG STEERING GROUP

KIG rejected!

Fantastic news just announced that the Kent International Gateway has been rejected! Congratulations to the brilliant local campaign group, StopKIG and to everyone who campaigned against it.

Just put this out on the local party website: "Maidstone Greens have welcomed the decision to stop the Kent International Gateway development. They have hailed the success as triumph of local campaigning over the interests of big business. The have called for AXA to fund environmentally beneficial projects rather than ones that destroy the environment."

KIG decision due on Thursday

According to the Kent Messenger: "A decision on Kent International Gateway is expected to be announced this week. Campaigners believe the announcement on the road-to-rail interchange will be posted to interested parties on Thursday, followed by a email version on Friday."

Fingers crossed that the 259 acres of beautiful land that sits at the foot of the North Downs are not turned into warehousing and a lorry park.

This picture is from the StopKIG campaign which has fought the development.

Like many, I gave evidence to the public inquiry. Let us hope we have been sucessful.

KIG case starts to crumble

On Tuesday I spoke at the public inquiry into the Kent International Gateway (KIG). I challenged AXA / KIG over their heroic ecomonic assumptions that claim that KIG would be good for Bearsted, Maidstone and the country. Obviously, their case was complete rubbish and the one question they fired back at me seemed to justify my argument. 

I gather that the Joint Parishes Group dropped a bombshell this week at the inquiry, showing that the KIG application misquoted guidance from the Institute of Light Engineers. If correct guidance is applied the site could not operate 24/7. Well done JPG people!!!

Stop KIG are continuing with their excellent campaign and it was good to meet key people on Tuesday. It was also great to see a strong presence from CPRE / Protect Kent.

KIG Inquiry starts

The KIG public inquiry starts this week. Stop KIG are the excellent grassroots organisation opposing the plan. They will be following the inquiry and presenting evidence. Make sure you visit http://www.stopkig.org/ for news, posters to print etc. This site http://www.persona.uk.com/kent/ will be showing evidence and rebuttals.

Please turn out for the demos on 13th and 14th 9.30am outside the Ramada Hotel.

I will be speaking (hopefully) but not for a few weeks.

Let's stop the KIG development!

Revised KIG at the Council

The revised KIG application will be discussed by Maidstone Borough Council on Thursday 10th at 6pm. I won't be there as I will be either canvassing or recovering from canvassing but as there is no chance that the councillors will pass the plan, my lack of attendance will not make a difference!

I feel certain that the excellent StopKIG group will put their very strong case forward and that local people will ensure that the strength of feeling is well known.

Planning Committee: please don't do anything stupid, like passing it!

KIG Footpath and Bridleway Closure

This notice appeared in this weeks Kent Messenger. DEFRA are lining up the need to close various rights of way while KIG is being built. These footpaths and bridleways are well used by local people to walk dogs, ride their horses and to go for walks.

If you feel strongly about the closure, as I'm sure you do, then please write and object.

Write quoting reference no. NATTRAN/SE/S247/80 to:

DEFRA
Casework Team
Government Office for the North East
Citygate,
Gallowgate,
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 4WH

News from Stop KIG

The KIG inquiry is starting on 13th October and will be running for 8 weeks.

Stop KIG are continuing to do a great job at organising the fight to stop this development and they are encouraging as many people as possible to turn up to the inquiry, especially on the first day - so make sure you have booked it off!

KIG march

I had hoped to put some photos of the StopKIG march on this blog, but the cameraman's camera wasn't compatible with my PC. He tells me that he has to take the film in to be developed... (note to self: take own camera next time and / or ensure cameraman is compatible with 21st century, etc., etc.)

The march (walk) was very well attended, it looked to me have around 1000 people there, and there was good coverage in the press. The Beeb here and KM here.

Four local Greens attended; we have been thoroughly supportive of the campaign. Friends of the Earth went along too.

Stop KIG walk in Bearsted

Please do not reply to this email use info@stopkig.org

http://www.stopkig.org info@stopkig.org Latest News Countryside Walk

Are YOU joining us for our supporters walk on Monday 4th May?? It only needs 30 minutes of your time to join us for the photo-shoot on The Green at 10am, or a little longer if you are able to walk with us to show support and help us protect this countryside for us and future generations. Please join us if you can, and bring family and friends too!! T-shirts available to purchase on the day- these help us raise much needed funds-please buy one if you are able. They are only £7.70 each! As we are expecting a large number of people to attend this walk, we want to avoid a bottle-neck as we set off down The Street. After the photos, it is suggested to line up behind the marshals who will be at the side of the Green to lead everyone in large groups. Reminder…..Don’t forget the MBC Planning meeting 6pm on Thurs 7th May. This is being held at The Maidstone Studios, New Cut Road, Bearsted. (see NEWS page on our website) More details of both events on our website. See www.STOPKIG.org for details Save your countryside from Kent International Gateway

Caroline Lucas on KIG

Great letter from Caroline in the Maidstone edition of the Kent Messenger this week:

Dear Editor,

Once againI have made a submission to the consultation on KIG in the hope that continuing public objections about the environmentally destructive nature of this vast industrial estate will bear fruit.

What is more, the recession casts an enormous question mark over the viability of the proposals.

There is a potential conflict between KIG and the China Gateway development planned for Thanet, since both rely on heroic,and totally unsubstantiatedassumptions about future economic activity.

Proposals for economic development in this recession need to become realistic about the state of the economy.

A locally focused response to the recession could be upon three elements:

• Implementing public transport improvements
• Taking unfinished and empty buildings into public ownership and ensuring decent housing for all
• Beginning a comprehensive energy efficiency and local energy supply programme

All of these would create useful employmentwithout the traffic congestion and air pollution a completed KIG project would impose on the Maidstone area.

Caroline Lucas, Green Party Member of the European Parliament for Kent