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downsmail.co.uk J8 site back on planning agenda
MAIDSTONE Council’s left hand has been accused of not knowing what its right hand is doing. Members voted in favour of using
land near M20 Junction 8 for eco- nomic development and job cre- ation, weeks after fighting a planning appeal for the area. Maidstone’s policy and resources committee agreed to approve an economic development strategy supporting development at junction 8, leaving thosewhofought the pro- posed Gallagher development at Waterside Park aghast. Richard Knox-Johnston, vice-pres-
ident of CPRE Kent (pictured right), said: “It is extraordinary that after a three-week public inquiry at which Maidstone Council spent hundreds of thousands of pounds fighting de- velopment at junction 8, councillors arenowbeing asked to pre-empt the planning inspector’s decision and ig- nore all its own arguments against development, as well as everyone else’s concerns, and promote devel- opment there. “Clearly the left hand doesn’t
knowwhat the right hand is doing.” Cllr Paulina Stockell attempted to
have junction 8 taken out of the strat- egy, but gained support from only three more members – fellow Con- servatives Martin Round and Louise
Brice, plus Ukip Cllr Dave Sergeant. Economic development manager
John Foster argued development would be needed at junction 8 if Maidstonewas to provide the 14,400 extra jobs required by 2031. Officers said a recent phone sur-
vey was in favour of development, although opponents claimed the questionnairewas skewed. Cllr Round,whorepresents Head-
corn, said he was aware of just 50 people in his ward who were quizzed.However, since news of the council’s alleged U-turn had broken, he had been inundated with emails, phone calls and visits. CPRE Kent, 16 parish councils,
KCC, Natural England, Leeds Castle and the Kent Downs Area of Out- standing Natural Beauty Unit spoke at the inquiry into the Gallagher Group’s plan for land south of the A20 near junction 8, which they say would harm theAONB and the set- ting of Leeds Castle. The result of the public inquiry is
not yet known. John Horne, a mem- ber of Thurnham Parish Council whochairs the Joint Parishes Group, said: “This is not theway a responsi- ble local authority should be run.” Despite the council’s opposition to
Waterside Park, officers now say: “The strategic case for a new em- ployment site at junction 8 has been
established and its development is critical to ensuring that the principle aim of the strategy is achieved.”
Development ‘could bring crime increase’
PROSTITUTES and illegal immi- grants could head for Hollingbourne if industrial development is allowed to go ahead near J8 of the M20. The warning comes from Kent Po-
lice which issued a list of possible repercussions if development at the site is allowed to proceed. The warning that theft from – and
of – vehicles is likely to increase if RoxhillDevelopments is granted per- mission to develop land atWoodcut
Farm, Ashford Road, comes within weeks of an anticipated announce- ment from planning inspector Katie Peerless over a site on the opposite side of the road atWaterside Park. John Grant, crime prevention ad-
visor for Kent Police, cites a long list of potential problems which could arise if commercial development is permitted near Woodcut Farm. In a letter to the Maidstone plan- ning department, he said: “A site
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such as this can bring many differ- ent types of crime such as theft from vehicles, theft of vehicles, theft of fuel, trailer theft, illegal immi- gration, parking issues, prostitu- tion, littering and fly-tipping.” Mr Grant added that the force’s counter-terrorism department would need to be consulted, as it might be necessary to include lanes for vehicle-checking and searching. See Comment – page 31
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