Shepway Environment & Community Network The Spout House, Lympne, Kent CT21 4LQ Telephone: 01303 265737 Email: [email protected] Dr Mike Evert Planning Inspector Major Applications & Plans The Planning Inspectorate, Temple Quay House, Temple Quay, Bristol, BS1 6PN Email: [email protected] 3rd March 2017 Dear Dr Evert, Thank you for your courtesy in facilitating our 11th hour participation in last week’s Inquiry and for emphasizing your commitment to taking all relevant submissions into account when making your recommendation to the Secretary of State. I apologize for the late submission of this evidence. You will have noted the great concern expressed by myself, Ashford Borough Councillor Paul Bartlett, Sharon Swandale representing the Village Alliance and others at the greatly increased cumulative environmental and social impact that would arise from the proposed HGV distribution and storage hub proposed for a new M20 Junction 10a at Ashford in Kent. Our concerns over the Jnct 10a development arise inter alia, due to the severe visual impact the singularly massive warehouse buildings proposed for the euphemistically titled ‘Stour Park’ would have and which we believe to be the largest in the country, resulting in the loss to East Kent of yet another large area of green open space and valuable agricultural land. Additionally, the aggregation of large numbers of HGV operations within close proximity to the William Harvey Hospital and the Pilgrims Hospice would add to the already seriously congested local section of the motorway system. Apart from my own submissions, at no time during the Inquiry did I note any significant proposal to ameliorate the around-the-clock disturbance that would be experienced by local residents, the Pilgrims Hospice, the William Harvey Hospital and the wildlife due to the twenty- four-hour nature of what would be a very major distribution hub on an industrial scale inappropriate to The Garden of England. Following a (literally) flying visit last week by helicopter of the Eddie Stobart haulage company, continuous day/night operation would appear to be inevitable unless strong legal constraints were established and effectively policed. A visit to the Stobart website will demonstrate the size and scope of that company’s international operation, essentially deploying a huge fleet of the largest four axle semi-trailers as car transporters, tankers, flat beds and covered goods vehicles. Given the immediately surrounding and long established rural residential nature of the Mersham area, with the listed C1200 Norman Sevington Church that would be buried, the statutorily protected wildlife spp. including Hazel Dormice, Great Crested Newts and Bats, the social and environmental impact of the proposed development would be extremely severe. The decay in the quality of life of the residents and wildlife of the area would be very serious and terminal in respect of some spp. The continued and reliable functioning and robust health of the natural world is central to our wellbeing and is under assault as never before in living memory. Years of experience in dealing with the effects of development make it clear that the relocation of inherently wild animals is extremely problematical and more often than not unsuccessful. Badgers are a prime example. The very modest enlargement proposed for the hedge adjacent to Kingsford Street expected to provide a Dormouse refuge is in my opinion most unlikely to secure the future of that colony other than in the very short term. When challenged by me, Ecology expert Giles Hewson when giving evidence for Highways England insisted that the Dormice would not be affected by noise emanating from Kingsford Street and had nothing to say about their future survival. Experience strongly indicates that he was wrong. The Great Crested Newts which it is proposed should, along with the pond currently located on the eastern side of the ‘Friends’ field be relocated to the southern boundary in the vicinity of Village Alliance member Sharon Swandale’s house would have to be carried out expertly and sensitively by people of proven experience and ability. The newts would react adversely unless the new pond were carefully constructed and given at least four full seasons to ‘settle’ and the water to develop the natural flora and fauna essential to their healthy survival. It was noted that there was pressure of time exerted on the conduct of the Inquiry and frequent references made to the need (?) to construct and expedite the operation of the 10a development as soon as possible. The level of physical upheaval that would result from the major civil engineering infrastructure work involved in construction and the disturbance emanating from the inevitable air and noise pollution and the problematic management of newly introduced large traffic volumes and flows, would adversely affect the terminally ill occupants of the Pilgrims Hospice entitled to enjoy the respite which the Hospice opposite the construction site has been created to provide. Far greater consideration and effort to ameliorate these unacceptable impacts on the Hospice and the William Harvey Hospital than was evident from the evidence submitted at the Inquiry must be made. Regional impacts To these factors must be added the very major developments proposed for Shepway District adjacent within three miles east of Ashford, the cumulative effects of which would result in an unbroken fifteen-mile urban sprawl from Folkestone to Sellindge and on to Ashford within a generation. 1. The proposed M20 Jnc 11, 3,600 space Lorry Park devised to cater for the notorious effect of ‘Operation Stack’, the cause of which ceased to exist two years ago and which has not been seen since. 2. The proposed and fiercely opposed so-called ‘Otterpool Park’ 12,000 house newtown would be larger than Hythe, signalling the loss of the ancient rural villages of Lympne, Sellindge, Newingreen, Westenhanger and Stanford buried under houses, road and infrastructure development, schools, a Superstore, surgeries, pharmacies, a sewage pumping station and many miles of mains pipeline. A Parkway Rail Station at Westenhanger covering Folkestone Racecourse with parking for 8 to10,000 commuters’ cars. 3. In addition to these massive developments many thousands of houses are being planned under the Local District Plan currently in preparation and under construction following a plethora of planning applications and consents throughout Shepway, Ashford and Canterbury. Conclusion Our Local Authorities and central government have yet to realize or acknowledge the depth, breadth and intensity of the frustration and anger felt by a majority of the electorate at the actual and threatened despoliation of East Kent and the abject failure of the proliferation of housing estates to solve the perceived shortage of local housing. This very serious situation arises due to the inability of young local people to afford the cost of new properties, exacerbated the lack of local jobs. An example of this is the provision being made by Shepway Planners for a very large Parkway Station at Westenhanger to accommodate the cars of daily commuters to towns NW towards and including Greater London; in most cases, back to where they moved from. Only people with major town and city jobs would be in a position to participate in the developments I have cited with the effect that the growing local/regional population is increasingly unable to live here compounding the now chronic degenerative demographic problem. The majority of new houses are and will continue to be bought by incomers from the Greater London area. Examination of the number of ‘affordable’ houses actually as opposed to theoretically provided via each housing development over recent years will demonstrate a figure far less than the obligatory 33%. In Shepway, it will be less than15%. Yours sincerely, David Plumstead Shepway Environment and Community Network The Shepway Environment & Community Network is working to help and empower local communities facing threat of unwanted development SECN is a not for profit voluntary organisation .