Interesting morning yesterday spent with fellow councillor George Crozer at Chatham Docks now under threat from landowners Peel L & P who supported by Medway Council want to close the docks.
The closure of the Docks would have a devastating impact on Medway leading to:
The loss of 1,440 jobs both at the docks and through local supply chains
The loss of £150 million of annual investment into the Medway economy. Chatham Docks is the largest single sector source of revenue in Chatham.
Yesterday first hand I witnessed the skill and dedication of a highly trained workforce and their professionalism.
Kelly Tolhurst MP made a passionate speech in the House of Commons to save the docks, to save our maritime history from the maniacal rush to build build build at all cost and damm the consequence. Her speech heaps even more pressure onto landowners Peel L&P and Medway Council who want to turn Medway’s 400 year old commercial port into riverside flats. Another example of the build at all cost mentality from Medway Council who’s City of Culture bid should embrace this 400 year old port and its part in the maritime history of the Medway Towns, but as we know Medway Council are very selective on the parts to preserve and enhance just look at the plans for the Hoo Peninsula which would be the jewel in the crown for most local authorities but for our council it’s a place to put at risk the National and International protected area, and to totally destroy Hoo Village a village mentioned in the 1086 Doomsday Book.
All because they refused to stand up to Government and say NO we cannot meet these ridiculous house building targets, we cannot destroy the history and the heritage of Medway our job is to protect and preserve the environmental areas, to allow our great farming history as part of the Garden of England to continue with crop growing and not turn these fields into fields of bricks and Tarmac.
Local Parishes of the Peninsula are uniting, our MP is championing our cause to save Chatham Docks and our beloved Peninsula.
Chatham Docks
