CHINA GATEWAY (Report 3) - WATER AND ENVIRONMENT

"The aquifer underlying the site is considered to be a major aquifer providing potable water to a LARGE POPULATION (US) - CGPs Application to TDC.

"There is potential for significant pollution of the aquifer to occur" - CGPs Application to TDC.


" should chemicals leach into the groundwater underlying the site the impact would be LONGTERM and in some cases UN-RECOVERABLE"- CGPs Application to TDC
'Thanet Treehuggers' kindly sent this picture across of Southern Water's pumping station at Sparrow Castle on The Manston Road.

The proposed development is not only huge, with countless HGV movements and almost 4000 cars parked on site and industrial processes going on but most importantly for all of us in Thanet, it sits on a WATER CATCHMENT AREA FOR OUR DRINKING WATER! This area has 'Source Protection Zones' to ensure that what drips down through the soil and chalk into the natural underground reservoir is pumped out at Sparrow Castle in a drinkable condition. The proposed site affects Source Protection Zones 1, 2 and 3 for Sparrow Castle and a bore hole in The Alland Grange area.

I am not qualified to comment on how the project will affect the amount of water collecting in our aquifers but building on water catchment areas, inevitably reduces the water that reaches the aquifer. In dry years it is not inconceivable that water reserves will run out.

If that wasn't bad enough, the threat to our water supply is greatest during construction which will take 4 whole years and read what CGPs Hydrologist has to say:" should chemicals leach into the groundwater underlying the site the impact would be LONGTERM and in some cases UN-RECOVERABLE" (my capitals). In other words if there is a spillage and contamination of the wrong kind, NO MORE DRINKING WATER FROM THIS AQUIFER FOR YOU AND ME!


The picture shows a sky-lark of which there are many on and around this proposed development. CGP's Ecologists have been, are and will be snooping around the site and its surounds to look for bats, badgers and newts because we can upset human residents in the area with dust, noise and light pollution but we can't upset these species! So far, GCPs Ecologists have come to the view that ecologically speaking, the site is pretty poor and there is nothing to worry about in building on it. They would wouldn't they? In may not be up to much but at least its 'ours' at the moment and in Thanet.What I find utterly nonsensical is how they think that building the development will improve, yes, IMPROVE the wildlife in the area.

Let me give you some quotes from CGPs application for you to savour:" there will be landscape and biodiversity enhancement around the boundary edge"
"The strategy for the design scheme provides SIGNIFICANT enhancements to the ecology and biodiversity of the site" (my capitals).

This one has to be the best about the grass areas (lawns) around the site:" Dry grassland areas will be sown with a diverse mixture of native grasses and wild flowers ....which qualifies as areas of CHALK GRASSLAND " (my capitals). So the lawns (sorry, grass areas) around the site and boundary are compared to that rare and threatened habitat, 'Chalk Grassland'.


So go and tell the sky-larks that CGP's plans will not ruin thir habitat but quite the reverse; the whole project will provide all wild-life with a better habitat than they have now!
Will they believe it? Do you?