I have been doing more research into the China Gateway project and have read more of the hundreds of pages that constitutes the planning application. The there is a lot of talk of phases 1 2 and 3 the map above shows what this means click here for an enlarged versionAs far as I understand the land used for phase 1 has been earmarked as an industrial area, I believe what happened was that because of its close proximity to the end of the duel carriageway to London it looked like the obvious site for an industrial estate. Because of this the council decided to override the normal regulations against building on prime farmland.
What I believe no one noticed at the time was that this site is right in the middle of the porous chalk land that holds our drinking water.
I don’t think that any industrial activity should take place on this land there are many reasons but here is just one.
You only have to have one of the thousands of visiting UK or foreign lorry drivers, who doesn’t realise that the drains in the lorry parks discharge into our drinking water supply, wash out a tanker that has contained toxic chemicals there, and the whole area is permanently and irretrievably destroyed as a water source. Click here to read the communications between the environment agency and the architects about this
I can't help but think we're being railroaded into this China Gateway thingo by the vastly wealthy organisations behind it. A development of this magnitude surely merits a public inquiry? Or are TDC so starry-eyed at the prospect of big business tickling their tummies (Ooh, look Mummy! They've got helicopters!) that they're prepared put everyone's health at risk? I think we should be told!
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ReplyDeleteIt is vital that we protect our water supply and take no chances with either the local environment or the health of local people. The Environment Agency and the Council must investigate these concerns thoroughly and independently and make sure that adequate precautions are taken – and I will be doing my best to make sure those investigations do take place. They have blocked other local developments because of concerns about contaminants entering the water supply and they must be no less diligent about this application. That said, we have got to resist the apparent blanket opposition to every local development that some people (although not Michael) now seem to be guilty of and, since this development has the potential to create at least 1000 well paid and much needed jobs, we need to give the developer a fair chance to put forward his case and address any concerns. There are some of our local cyber citizens who only have the word ‘no’ in their vocabulary when it comes to developments associated with the airport – unemployment and low incomes in Thanet remain our chief problems in my view and this development must be given a fair chance to succeed if it can do so without risk.
Commercial Group Properties.... Ken Wills as one of the Directors...... hmm......
ReplyDeleteThank you all for your helpful and constructive comments, something that really concerns me is that neither here, nor on any of the other blogs covering this issue, can I find anyone producing an argument responding to ours about the safety issues relating to our water supply.
ReplyDeleteWasn't Tesco originally turned down a few years back when they wanted to build the petrol station near Lord of the Manor due to the closeness to the water supply ??
ReplyDeleteI hope that it is not a hollowing in of Mr. Eastcliff, Dr. Ladyman. He would expect that Tories to have blinkered and ideas formed old on preserving our environment, but a minister of previous transport Labour? Ho-ho. How goes the Ferrari?
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