Parish Response re Medway Council Core Strategy
Please see below response from High Halstow Parish Council re the Local Development Core Strategy
Regarding the public consultation on the above document I was designated to read and report on the content for High Halstow Parish Council. I now comments on how it would impact on our community. I find that the “on line” form only allows comment on whether the document content is 1 Legally compliant or 2. Sound, I do not believe we are qualified to answer that. I also believe this means of response is not an ideal way to obtain public opinion.
Our major concern is the A228 which is already a problem in getting on and off the peninsula. It can only get worse with the increase in business at Kingsnorth and the Isle of Grain together with the development of Lodge Hill. We note that further road improvements are planned to the east and that a slip road will serve Lodge Hill, with roundabout improvements at Four Elms and Bells Lane. The timescale of these latter works starting in phase 1 and ending in phase 2 of the Lodge Hill development will only give years of traffic disruption. There is still no contingency plan for heavy goods traffic in the event of an emergency which causes gridlock in local villages when they try to find an alternative route.
With reference to the 20-30,000t/annum chalk being taken from Cliffe Quarry it does not state if this is to be transported by sea or road. If it is the later this would put further strain on the A228 along the Wainscott bypass.
We are also concerned with the large tract of land that butts the edge of High Halstow recognised as being suitable for landfill. We note that no allocations of landfill/landraise facilities are proposed.
The Parish Councils response on the development of Lodge Hill is to be commented upon in a separate letter.
Yours faithfully
R W Collins
High Halstow Parish Council