Kent International Gateway

The Kent International Gateway is a controversial rail-freight and logistics depot which is proposed to be built in the countryside near the historic villages of Bearsted, Thurnham, Hollingbourne and Lenham in the district of Maidstone, Kent.

Proposal

The proposed development would be built in a theoretical corridor between the village of Bearsted, the M20 motorway and the High Speed 1 rail line. Comprising in excess of 112.3 hectares, it is intended that the site would cut motorway freight traffic by utilising the rail network and creating a distribution hub in a key location between the Kent coast (with its proximity to continental Europe) and London which is approximately 45 miles to the north-west. [ [http://www.digitalmaidstone.co.uk/planning__building_control/kent_international_gateway.aspx Planning Application] at Maidstone Borough Council (2007)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/7067291.stm Freight depot battle stepped up] , BBC News, 29 October 2007] In addition to operating up to 13 freight trains a day (removing an estimated 60 million kilometres of HGV journeys from the roads each year), the site would look to employ 3,500 people.

The proposal is broadly aligned with the present government's Thames Gateway strategy which seeks to encourage business and residential expansion from London into north Kent and Essex (however the strategy is principally focused on the borough of Swale, a few miles to the north).

Approximately 40 Members of Parliament, the majority of whom represent London constituencies, have indicated their approval of the proposed development as a means of reducing freight congestion on the M20 and M25 motorways. [http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kol08/article/default.asp?article_id=41917 MPs urged to drop support for KIG] , by Paul Francis, Kent Messenger, 21 May 2008]

Objections

Since the site is located principally in a designated Special Landscape Area in the lee of the Kent Downs (an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) and with close proximity to the historic mediaeval villages of Bearsted, Thurnham and Hollingbourne, the project has received extensive criticism and objections from local residents and Members of Parliament. [ [http://www.stopkig.org/ Stop KIG] Campaign Group Website (2008)] [ [http://www.savebearsted.org Save Bearsted!] Campaign Website] The Campaign to Protect Rural England [ [http://www.cprekent.org.uk Campaign to Protect Rural England] website] are also a key supporter of the local objections. Following a public exhibition, the Kent International Gateway proposal attempted to mitigate the environmental concerns by adjusting its design to reduce the impact of the buildings and allocating one-third of the total site area to landscaping, woodland retention and new wildlife habitats.

In May 2008, the then leader of Kent County Council, Paul Carter, wrote to the Members of Parliament who had supported the proposal to ask them to reconsider their support on the basis Kent International Gateway had not provided sufficient evidence that the distribution hub was needed or viable.

References