Medway Local Plan (Regulation 19, 2025)

Object

Representation ID: 4355

Received: 16/07/2025

Respondent: Scotline

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

Scotline Ltd supports the regeneration of Medway City Estate but urges planners to protect nationally significant maritime infrastructure. Our terminals on the west side handle 650,000m³ of timber annually—12% of UK imports. The site’s deep-water access, open storage, and proximity to the M25 enable low-emission distribution nationwide. These assets are rare and irreplaceable. We encourage the Council to fully investigate the long-term value of river traffic and ensure regeneration integrates this critical infrastructure.

Object

Representation ID: 4356

Received: 16/07/2025

Respondent: Scotline

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

While some businesses on Medway City Estate may relocate easily, maritime operators like Scotline cannot. Our operations depend on deep-water access and open storage, which are not replicable elsewhere. We employ around 100 local staff, many from nearby communities, who benefit from the estate’s accessibility. Displacing these operations would increase road freight and emissions, and reduce access to skilled, long-term employment. Regeneration should address site constraints while retaining sustainable, strategically located industries.

Object

Representation ID: 4357

Received: 16/07/2025

Respondent: Scotline

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

While some businesses on Medway City Estate may relocate easily, maritime operators like Scotline face relocation costs that are prohibitive for private investment. Our operations depend on deep-water access and open storage—features that are rare and extremely expensive to replicate. In locations without natural depth, ongoing dredging costs make operations financially unsustainable. We employ over 100 people locally and play a vital role in national supply chains. Regeneration should support—not displace—strategic infrastructure and long-term operators.

Object

Representation ID: 4358

Received: 16/07/2025

Respondent: Scotline

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

Scotline is a nationally significant anchor business handling 12% of UK construction timber imports—essential for delivering new housing. Our operations rely on deep-water access and long-term infrastructure investment, making relocation economically unviable without public support. Maritime revenue is rare and valuable for UK cities, contributing to Medway’s identity as a working river city. Converting the waterfront to housing risks eroding this identity and turning Medway into a commuter town. Regeneration must protect strategic infrastructure and support a self-sustaining economy.

Object

Representation ID: 4359

Received: 16/07/2025

Respondent: Scotline

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

Scotline Ltd supports improved public access and green infrastructure but must emphasise that our terminals operate within an ISPS Code-compliant zone and are active, multi-hazard environments. Public access is strictly prohibited for safety and security reasons. Any proposed riverside path or crossing must not encroach on operational areas and must allow safe, unobstructed passage for commercial shipping. We welcome collaboration on solutions that enhance the public realm while respecting the operational and regulatory requirements of nationally significant maritime infrastructure.

Object

Representation ID: 4360

Received: 16/07/2025

Respondent: Scotline

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

Scotline Ltd supports strategic flood management and is open to working with the Council on solutions that improve resilience while maintaining port operations. Commercial port use is more appropriate in flood-prone areas than housing, and we are keen to explore innovative approaches to flood mitigation that align with operational needs.

Object

Representation ID: 4361

Received: 16/07/2025

Respondent: Scotline

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

The concept plan appears to prioritise land-based redevelopment without fully considering the long-term value of maritime infrastructure. Businesses like Scotline, which rely on deep-water access, cannot relocate easily and serve a national logistics function. We encourage the Council to engage with the wider maritime sector, including the British Ports Association, to ensure the national implications of decommissioning port infrastructure are fully understood and reflected in the plan

Object

Representation ID: 4362

Received: 16/07/2025

Respondent: Scotline

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

To support Medway’s future as a thriving maritime hub, site allocations should include wharf access and open storage land alongside factory and office space. Marine freight operations like Scotline rely on river frontage and large open areas for efficient cargo handling. Including these in the plan will help retain skilled jobs, reduce road transport, and strengthen Medway’s role in sustainable logistics.

Object

Representation ID: 4393

Received: 22/07/2025

Respondent: Scotline

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

Figure 16 omits operational commercial wharf areas on the west side of the Frindsbury Peninsula, which handle around 650,000m³ of construction timber (about 12% of UK imports) and over 100,000 tonnes of cement annually—critical to Medway’s freight economy.