YOU BET IT WILL, MR BROWN!
" A consortium of Chinese businesses is behind the proposed scheme" - CGP
So we lose agricultural land and run the very serious risk that Thanet's water supply is contaminated just because Mr Wills and CGP want to make a great deal of money by giving the Chinese an import distribution centre here.
The 'China Gateway' aka 'Manston Business Park' or 'Kent International Business Park' is about to change our views and the appearance of a large part of Thanet forever. The picture above was taken on Manston Road looking south-west. The folly 10 years ago of allowing Cummins to build and then expand will be nothing compared to what CGP has in mind. Look at Planning Application F/TH/08/0400 and then imagine 3 big warehouses in the picture above less than 200 m away.
This view is to the north-west from Manston Road and try and picture two huge warehouses to the right of Cummins' expansion that will fill almost all the horizon shown and 3 other warehouses between you and Cummins. Although you cannot see it there is a large water reservoir under the ground here and you are looking at the final Source Protection Zone around the Sparrow Castle Pumping Station. If this land had our reservoir sitting on top of it rather than below it, would we really let this project go ahead 'built on stilts' above the reservoir? Is there any difference because we can't see our water reservoir?
This view was from Alland Grange Road looking west. Filling the horizon to the right of Cummins' shed will be two enormous 50' high wharehouses but don't worry as you won't be able to see them because between the road and Cummins will be 4 other big sheds with a big car-park just the other side of the broken fence.
As I watched and listened to half a dozen brave sky-larks, wings flapping like mad as they climbed and sang at the same time, some words from CGP's application to TDC came to mind:
" it will be a considerable industrila complex" ... it will result in the loss of additional agricultural land and natural countryside"
You bet, I thought.
"The indicative master plan and overall site requirement for CGP and THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT extends beyond the employment land designation into adjoining countryside land."
You will hear over the next few weeks that 'this land (Phase 1) was designated as employment land by KCC and TDC in the Thanet Plan. Just because we have a mark on a map don't let them kid you that the Phase 1 land is all 'brown field'. When TDC put its marker pens to maps they also included agricultural land in this 'zone' and failed to take into account that a water aquifer sits below it. What they will not tell you is that when some of the Phase 1 land was built on, this country of ours had a bit of an emergency on its hands called The SECOND WORLD WAR. We do not have an emergency today and Eurokent has been designated for employment, SO WHY ARE WE CONTINUING TO BUILD INDUSTRIAL ESTATES ON OUR AQUIFER AND AGRICULTURAL LAND? This is madness and greed.
Look for a new home sky-larks, The Chinese Government apparently not satisfied with developing and polluting China, now wants your bit of Thanet and so does CGP, TDC and KCC because our two councils have developed a business of their own called EAST KENT OPPORTUNITIES LLP, that owns land here and at Eurokent.
Look at this:
JOB PROFILE
Job Title Executive Director of East Kent Opportunities LLP
Location Maidstone and Thanet
Grade c. £70K
Responsible to: Management Committee (The Collaboration Team)
Job Context
East Kent Opportunities (EKO) LLP is a joint venture vehicle established by Kent County Council and Thanet District Council with a specific focus on the development of a number of sites in the Thanet area namely, Manston Business Park and Eurokent.
The post holder will be expected to grow and manage a Limited Liability Partnership through the development of the sites at Manston Business Park and Eurokent. The aim will be to maximise the number of high quality jobs created in the area and MAKE A RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR THE LLPS INVESTORS!
SO THE FUTURE OF OUR WATER AND AGRICULTURAL LAND IS TO BE DECIDED BY A COUNCIL (TDC) THAT HAS A FINANCIAL INTEREST IN THE SCHEME?
UNLESS THERE IS A HUGE PROTEST , WHAT CHANCE IS THERE OF APPLICATION F/TH/08/0400 NOT BEING RUBBER STAMPED THROUGH?
1 comment:
Excellent narrative. Just one small point. The land identified on the 2006 Thanet Local Plan does not appear to extend as far as the proposed Phase 1 development and Phases 2 and 3 were definitely not included.
I totally agree that this proposal is simply about making huge amounts of money for industrialists at the expense of the local people - as usual!
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