PROTECT KENT RAILHEAD MEETING

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 PROTECT KENT RAILHEAD MEETING 23rd May 2009

A stream of people threaded their way up Borough Green Road to St George's Hall on Saturday morning 23rd May. The hall started to fill at least 40 minutes before the start of CPRE's protest meeting against the Railfreight Proposal and it was standing room only long before it began.

The meeting started to a packed hall of approximately two hundred people who listened intently to Richard Knox Johnson and Sean Furey's assessment of why a Rail Freight Depot connected to Borough Green was both impractical and a flawed concept. They concluded that the terminal would not be ‘fit for purpose' and that the developers have ulterior motives for proposing such a massive amount of built development. Developers with ulterior motives, surely not?

I then spoke on behalf of Keep Boroughs Green against inappropriate development followed by Mike Taylor of the Borough Green Traffic Action Group who did likewise. There then followed a question and answer section when members of the public put forward their views and the panel responded.

A lady asked the Chairman for a show of hands for support for CPRE's position and it was clearly unanimous. The only abstentions were from Councillors concerned about being seen to pre-judge a planning application.

It became clear to me from what members of the public, Mike and others had to say that there was at last a meeting of minds and the whole community was speaking with one voice. Approximately two thirds of the people in the room were from Borough Green or Platt and yet here we all were, agreeing to fight inappropriate development in the Green Belt.

The issue of the Borough Green and Platt Bypass came up on several occasions and in particular the fact that it can only be funded by development. Several people made the point that this would act as a magnet to developers who would continually try to exploit the situation.

I pointed out that in my view there had been a lack of consultation by Paul Carter, the Leader of KCC, on the issue. A member of the public suggested that Cllr Valerie Dagger, who attended the meeting, should update him on the matter and Valerie wholeheartedly agreed.

CPRE were thanked for bringing the issue to the public's attention and for taking a lead on the issue. Many people volunteered their services to fight developer's proposals and the meeting concluded after two hours.

If you are opposed to the industrialisation of our rural villages and are not a member of CPRE, can I suggest that you call 01303 815180 and join.

Sean told me before the meeting that he was last in St George's Hall as a small boy in 1984 to watch his dad practise with the Hartley Morris Men. Then they moved away and the contact was lost.

Cllr Pete Gillin