5.28

Support for the consideration of Medway City Estate as potential development opportunity which is specifically reference in the consultation document. The Council must engage early with landowners and businesses promoting land in order that comprehensive redevelopment can be progressed for mixed-use proposals in the short/medium term. Strategic development of Medway City Estate for a range of uses supports regeneration objectives and offers a logical and sustainable approach with the focus on brownfield land. Sites can come forward individually and as part of a comprehensive redevelopment but the Council needs to engage with interested landowners to crystallise development proposals.

Great work, lets promote more greenfield areas for health & mental wellbeing purposes whilst take away areas such as Capstone Park to build on !! Why are you not considering brownfield sites and doing up existing uninhabited properties ?

However, serious consideration must be given to the rising sea level.

Conflict with surrounding rising sea level must underpin the strategic and comprehensive approach.

COMMENT ON PARA. 5.28

Peel L & P – freeholder of Chatham Docks – has promoted Chatham Docks as part of the Call for Sites consultation for residential use stating that the existing dock operation is unviable. This is incorrect.

Evidence has been submitted to the Council on behalf of Arcelor Mittal – long leaseholders at the docks - and confirms that Chatham Docks is viable and has an important and significant role in Medway and the South-East. In particular, the submitted economic and financial assessment of Chatham Docks by Independent Port Consultants concludes that ‘in view of the cost estimate, financial viability and impact on jobs and revenue if the operation is made to close, ending the operation to render the land available for alternative uses does not make economic sense.’

ArcelorMittal also submitted representations to the Call for Sites consultation requesting that Chatham Docks be retained as a working, vibrant dock and be promoted for development for continued port use in line with current Local Plan policies ED1 – Existing Employment Areas and Policy E9 – Chatham Docks.

Chatham Docks is a thriving industrial dock. The docks employ over 800 people – many of whom are local. There are also existing jobs in the supply chains. Overall, there are over 2000 jobs dependent on the docks.

There are approximately 180 ship movements a year taking advantage of the non-tidal docks – it is a very sustainable operation taking full advantage of the Dockside access. The dock use cannot be re-located, there is no other suitable site in Medway for its operation.

The Local Plan cannot state in one place that it will support local businesses and existing employment, but then designate a thriving business employing many local people for housing development where the existing use will then be lost.

Chatham Docks must continue to be both supported and protected in the new Local Plan and not allowed to be lost to the detriment of people living within this Borough and their jobs at the docks.

We note that many of the more significant Urban Regeneration sites are not particularly conveniently located for ready access to Medway’s existing mainline rail stations, and will therefore be heavily dependent on a high quality public realm through which to walk and cycle to and from those stations and on high quality bus service links.

Chatham Docks should be left as it is a successful local business and there is no infrastructure to support any more houses in this area.

Relocation of business in order to provide housing appears to be counter productive. Moving 10's of thousands of new residents into Medway whilst moving their potential employment out of the area seems to contradict many other aspects of this plan.

Relocation of these business is likely to mean we lose them from Medway. We need to be confident that we have other suitable sites before making such significant changes.

Agreed. Rising sea levels are a further consideration.